NATO scrambles warplanes on Russian border as Putin launches 'biggest attack of the war'

As Vladimir Putin watched the Chinese military parade with fellow dictators Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un, he launched one of the biggest attacks on Ukraine of the entire war.

The brutal missile and drone strikes forced NATO to scramble warplanes in areas bordering Ukraine.

The Russians hit Kyiv and more than a dozen separate regions, destroying civilian infrastructure and railways, causing massive delays to trains.

The massive attacks came despite Donald Trump declaring he was “very disappointed” with Putin as he accused three dictators watching the biggest military parade in history in Beijing of conspiring against the United States.

A statement from Poland’s armed forces operational command said that NATO fighters had been scrambled as Russia targeted western Ukraine.

“To ensure the safety of Polish airspace, the Operational Command of the Armed Forces has activated all necessary procedures", it said.

“In our airspace, Polish and allied aircraft are operating intensively, while ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have reached a state of maximum readiness.

“These actions are preventive in nature and are aimed at securing the airspace and protecting citizens, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened region.”

It was not immediately clear if war planes had been additionally scrambled in NATO state Romania, as they were a day earlier, but the trajectory of the strikes was close to Bucharest’s territory.

Russia used its nuclear-capable strategic bombers overnight and fired dozens Kh-101 and Kalibr missiles at Ukraine along with 500-plus kamikaze drones.

In western Ukraine, children were urged not to go to school or kindergarten in Ivano-Frankivsk because of air pollution after explosions and fires caused by the Russian missile and drone attacks.

A giant warehouse was ablaze.

Fire engulfed Lutsk after strikes on civilian infrastructure, and there were explosions in Lviv region.

In Kirovohrad region, five people were wounded as Putin’s war machine hit rail facilities, causing dozens of delays to trains of seven hours or more.

Specifically in Znamianka, a major railway junction, 17 houses were damaged.

Twenty eight houses were damaged.

In Chernihiv region, more than 30,000 households were left without electricity after Russian strikes.

A double dose of missile and drone attacks hit Khmelnytskyi region causing major transport delays.

A man was killed from the Russian onslaught in Zaporizhzhia region.

Explosions were heard in Chernivtsi and Vinnytsia regions.

A Ukrainian attack on Russia’s Rostov region left 26 passenger trains delayed.

A radar facility in Anapa - a Black Sea resort - was also hit.

At a meeting with Kim, Putin said: “Your warriors fought bravely and heroically.”

He said: “Please convey the warmest words of gratitude to the entire people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.”

It is now believed some 2,000 were killed in the conflict.

Kim said it was his fraternal duty to support Russia.