NATO jets were scrambled on Good Friday as Russia continued to rain hell on Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin marked the 1,500th day of the war by launching missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, forcing NATO to scramble fighters.

The Kremlin leader deployed strategic Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers after seemingly snubbing calls from Volodymyr Zelensky for an Easter ceasefire. Russian attacks smashed windows in the historic Kharkiv Assumption Cathedral, dating to the 17th century, as he launched fearful daytime attacks over multiple areas of the country. Ukrainian sources accused Moscow of “blatant, undisguised terrorism” and seeking to maximise civilian casualties with drones seemingly randomly hitting targets in cities.

A NATO country on Ukraine’s western border was forced to respond to the Russian threat.

The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said: “Due to the activity of long-range air forces of the Russian Federation carrying out strikes on Ukrainian territory, military aviation has begun operating in our airspace.

“In accordance with applicable procedures, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces has activated the necessary forces and resources at its disposal.

“Duty fighters have been scrambled, and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest level of readiness.”

The measures were “preventative in nature and are aimed at securing and protecting airspace”.

The sickening Russian strikes — as Catholic areas of Ukraine marked Good Friday — hit residential properties and a vet clinic in Obukhiv and Chabany, Kyiv region, where one person was killed.

An Iranian-designed Shahed drone crashed close to a school and kindergarten outside Kyiv.

In Sumy region, a shopping mall was damaged, with four injured.

The aim was to hit civilians, said Andrey Kovalenko, head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defence Council.

“That’s why the strikes are carried out during working hours using a large number of drones and missiles.”

Emergency power outages were reported in the Cherkasy and Zhytomyr regions.

Putin had intended to seize Kyiv in three days in 2022 — but is still fighting after more than four years of his failed invasion.

Orthodox regions of Ukraine mark Easter next weekend, as does Russia.