Russian Attack Hits Close To NATO Ally, Warplanes Scrambled
NATO was jolted overnight as Russia launched missiles and drones at a Ukrainian city directly bordering Romania, a NATO member, forcing two German Eurofighter Typhoon jets into the air to secure the skies. The attack, which took place late Tuesday into Wednesday, marked one of the closest Russian strikes yet to NATO territory.
According to Romanian authorities, the Russian projectiles fell less than a mile from their border. While no missiles or drones crossed into NATO territory, the Romanian government confirmed the German aircraft were deployed under NATO’s Enhanced Air Policing program to “monitor the air situation” and ensure there was no breach.
At the same time, Russia continued its barrage against Ukraine’s interior. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 14 people were wounded in the northern Sumy region, including multiple children. A strike in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk, damaged apartment blocks and left civilians buried in rubble. Zelensky detailed that Russia had used over 60 drones and a ballistic missile in the assault, while also striking gas distribution facilities and infrastructure across Odesa, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Poltava.
The escalation comes as President Donald Trump pushes both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky toward direct peace negotiations. Earlier this week, Russia carried out its largest single attack of the month just hours after Zelensky and several European leaders visited the White House to coordinate on a peace framework with Trump. That assault saw Moscow unleash 270 drones and 10 missiles, dozens of which slammed into Ukraine’s Poltava region.
Last night, a drone strike on Okhtyrka in the Sumy region injured 14 people. A family with wounded children – 5 months, 4 years, and 6 years old – sought assistance after the attack. In Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, a glide bomb strike damaged five apartment buildings, and at… pic.twitter.com/TWRPo4Po6F
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / ????????? ?????????? (@ZelenskyyUa) August 20, 2025
Despite Russia’s continued aggression, Trump has made clear he wants a permanent solution, not just a temporary truce. In a recent Truth Social post, he said “the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”
The president has already arranged a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky within the next two weeks, with Trump offering to join the talks himself if Kyiv requests it. Trump has pledged that the United States will provide security guarantees for Ukraine if a deal is reached but stressed that no American troops would be deployed on Ukrainian soil. He also left open the possibility of limited U.S. air support to enforce any eventual peace agreement.
The latest Russian strike so close to NATO’s borders underscores both the danger of escalation and the urgency of Trump’s peace push. With NATO forced to scramble jets, Moscow is now testing just how far the alliance is willing to let the war press against its doorstep.