Poland scrambles jets amid rolling Russian strikes on Ukraine; Zelensky says March offensive thwarted

Poland scrambled fighter jets and activated air defences to maximum readiness on Friday morning as Russia launched rolling air strikes on Ukraine, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said. “Duty fighter jets have been scrambled, and ground-based air defence systems as well as radar reconnaissance have reached a state of maximum readiness,” the command said on X.

Ukraine’s air force said the bombardment began yesterday evening and continued into the day, the second time this week that Moscow followed an overnight drone barrage with heavier daytime attacks as it probes for gaps in Ukraine’s air defences. “We can see that the enemy is using new routes, new drones which they are constantly modernising, and new tactics,” air force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said the frontline situation was the best in 10 months and that Ukrainian forces had thwarted a Russian offensive planned for March. “The offensive they were planning for March was thwarted by the actions of our armed forces. That is why the Russians will now simply step up their assault operations,” he said in remarks released by his office.

Zelensky added that he had invited US negotiators to visit Kyiv during an online meeting earlier this week and had heard “positive signals” in response, citing data from Ukrainian and British intelligence. In Europe, Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk criticised comments by Donald Trump about leaving Nato, saying the threat “looks like Putin’s dream plan”.

The US president on Wednesday said he was “seriously considering” withdrawing Washington from the alliance as they “were not there for us” when he began his war in Iran. Inside Russia, students are reportedly being offered significant financial incentives to join drone units in Ukraine as operators and engineers.

Documents indicate that companies in the central Ryazan region have been given quotas to enlist workers for the army. The recruitment drive comes as Russian forces continue to make battlefield gains, now in the fifth year of the conflict, and as US-brokered peace talks remain on hold due to the Iran war.

The Kremlin has stated that a general mobilisation is not on the agenda. Separately, six Ukrainian children are set to be returned from Russia to their families, the White House said on 2 April, crediting efforts by first lady Melania Trump. A seventh child is expected to be reunited later this month, according to a statement from her office.

Ukraine has said that nearly 20,000 children have been taken to Russia and Belarus, where some have undergone military training and been compelled to fight against Ukrainian forces. The first lady had previously written to Russian president Vladimir Putin in August 2025 regarding children separated from their families during the war.

With Russian strikes persisting and Ukraine warning of evolving tactics, Kyiv says it expects intensified assaults in the coming weeks while seeking additional international support and air-defence capacity.