Russia Launches Largest Attack On Ukraine With Over 500 Drones, Missiles; F-16 Pilot Killed
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Russia fired a total of 537 aerial weapons at Ukraine, including 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles. An F-16 pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, was killed in the attack.
Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the three-year-old war began in 2022, using more than 470 drones and 60 missiles of 'various types" that killed a Ukrainian F-16 pilot.
Russia fired a total of 537 aerial weapons at Ukraine, including 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles, Ukraine's air force said. Of these, 249 were shot down and 226 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. An F-16 fighter jet was shot down, and its pilot was killed while defending against the attack.
Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for Ukraine's air force, told the Associated Press that the overnight barrage was 'the most massive air strike" on the country to date. In Kherson, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported that one person was killed in a drone attack. Meanwhile, six people — including a child — were injured in Cherkasy, according to regional Governor Ihor Taburets.
Taking to X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, 'Almost all night long, air raid alerts sounded across Ukraine — 477 drones were in our skies, most of them Russian-Iranian Shaheds, along with 60 missiles of various types. The Russians were targeting everything that sustains life."
'Tragically, while repelling the attack, our F-16 pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, died. Today, he destroyed 7 aerial targets. My condolences to his family and brothers-in-arms. I have instructed that all the circumstances of his death be investigated. Ukrainian aviation is heroically protecting our skies. I am grateful to everyone who is defending Ukraine," he added.
Zelenskyy also informed that a child was injured and appealed to the international community to pressure Russia into halting the strikes. 'Just this week alone, there have been more than 114 missiles, over 1,270 drones, and nearly 1,100 glide bombs. Putin long ago decided he would keep waging war, despite the world's calls for peace," he said.
The attacks came after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is ready for a fresh round of direct peace talks in Istanbul. However, the war shows no signs of abating as US-led international peace efforts have so far produced no breakthrough. Two recent rounds of talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul were brief and yielded no progress on reaching a settlement.
(with agency inputs)
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