Latest news with #F-16
Ammon
21 minutes ago
- Politics
- Ammon
Ukraine pilot killed in large-scale Russian attack
Ammon News - A Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot died in a crash while repelling a Russian air attack that involved hundreds of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, authorities said on Sunday, as Moscow intensifies night-time air barrages in the fourth year of war. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for more support from Washington and Western allies to bolster Ukraine's air defences after the attack, which damaged homes and infrastructure across the country and injured at least 12 people, according to local authorities. Reuters
New York Post
36 minutes ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Ukrainian F-16 pilot killed defending against biggest Russian barrage yet: ‘He died like a hero'
A Ukrainian Air Force pilot flying an American-made F-16 jet was shot out of the sky overnight as he defended his nation from the largest Russian drone and missile barrage of the war so far. Lt. Col. Maksym Ustimenko, 31, took off early Sunday after Russia fired a record 537 aerial weapons, including 477 drones and 60 missiles, Ukraine's air force said. Ustimenko was able to intercept seven targets before his F-16 Falcon was struck, leaving him with no time to eject, but just enough to aim the jet away from a residential area, officials said. This is the third F-16 to be downed since Ukraine took delivery of the warplanes in February. One jet was shot down last month, and another in April 2024 when repelling major Russian airstrikes. NATO members have pledged to provide more than 80 F-16s of to Ukraine, and they have been a key weapon to intercept Moscow's ever-escalating bombardments. 4 First Class Pilot Lt. Col. Maksym Ustymenko died intercepting Russian drones and missiles early Sunday. @Mariana_Betsa/X 4 Ukraine scrambled its American-made F-16 fighter jets in response to Russia's largest aerial attack of the war so far. Anadolu via Getty Images 'Maksym did everything he could to steer the aircraft away from a populated area,' the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement. 'He died like a hero… Eternal flight, brother,' the military added. 'My condolences to his family and brothers-in-arms,' Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said. 'Ukrainian aviation is heroically protecting our skies. I am grateful to everyone who is defending Ukraine.' With the help of its F-16 pilots, Ukraine's air force was able to intercept 436 drones and 38 missiles, with the remaining projectiles and debris hitting eight locations across Ukraine. 4 Moscow fired more than 500 missiles and drones overnight, striking at least eight Ukrainian regions. Ukrainian State Emergency Service/AFP via Getty Images Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for Ukraine's air force, described the Russian assault as 'the most massive air strike' the country has ever experienced. The scope of the attack was so large that it even caused Poland and other allied countries near the western border to scramble their aircraft in response, according to the country's Armed Forces Operational Command. '[Poland] activated all available forces and resources at his disposal, the duty fighter pairs have been scrambled and the ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest state of readiness,' the agency said. 4 First responders arrive at a residential apartment building that was hit by a drone in Smila. via REUTERS Near the border in Ukraine's Lviv region, a drone strike caused a large-scale fire to break out at an industrial facility in Drohobych, which caused black outs across the city. Oleksandr Prokudin, the governor of Ukraine's Kherson region, said at least one person was killed by a drone strike. Cherkasy regional Gov. Ihor Taburets said at least six people were wounded in his municipality, including a child. Zelensky slammed the overnight assault, describing it as further escalation by Moscow's invading force and proof that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not committed to peace. 'Moscow will not stop as long as it has the capability to launch massive strikes,' he said in a statement. '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. This war must be brought to an end — pressure on the aggressor is needed, and so is protection,' he added. With Post wires
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Zelensky seeks US help after Russia's ‘biggest aerial strike' on Ukraine: ‘Ready to buy American defence systems'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for urgent support from the United States and Western allies to help strengthen Ukraine's air defences. In an emotional message following Russia's deadly overnight attack, Zelensky said, 'pressure on the aggressor is needed, and so is protection.' 'Ukraine needs protection': Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russian barrage kills F-16 pilot, injures civilians(AP) A Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot was killed in what authorities described as Russia's biggest aerial attack since the start of the war. The overnight assault, which took place on Saturday, involved 477 drones and 60 missiles and left at least 12 people injured, according to Ukrainian officials. 'The Russians were targeting everything that sustains life. A residential building in Smila was also hit, and a child was injured,' Ukranian President Zelensky wrote in a post on 'X'. He confirmed that an F-16 pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, died after shooting down seven air targets. Ukraine has lost three F-16 jets since it began flying the US-made aircraft last year. Kyiv has not disclosed how many of these jets it currently operates, but they play a crucial role in its air defence efforts. Zelensky urges US to send air defence systems Ukraine says the latest wave of Russian strikes underscores the urgent need for more help from Washington. So far, US President Donald Trump has not approved any new military aid for Kyiv after assuming office. However, after meeting Zelensky at a NATO summit last Wednesday, Trump said he is considering Ukraine's request for additional Patriot missile systems. 'Putin long ago decided he would keep waging war, despite the world's calls for peace. This war must be brought to an end – pressure on the aggressor is needed, and so is protection,' Zelensky said in his X post on Sunday after the attack. "Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defence – the thing that best protects lives." 'These are American systems, which we are ready to buy. We count on leadership, political will, and the support of the United States, Europe, and all our partners. I thank everyone who is helping,' he said. Zelensky added that more than 114 missiles, over 1,270 drones, and nearly 1,100 glide bombs had been launched at Ukraine in just the past week. 'Moscow will not stop as long as it has the capability to launch massive strikes,' he warned. Meanwhile, Russia's state-run media reported that a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region. Both sides deny targeting civilians. Russia has stepped up large-scale attacks in recent weeks, striking Ukrainian cities every few days and causing heavy damage, civilian deaths, and widespread injuries.
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Ukraine F-16 pilot killed in large-scale Russian attack, Zelenskiy calls for US help
KYIV/LVIV (Ukraine): A Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot died in a crash while repelling a Russian air attack that involved hundreds of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, authorities said today, as Moscow intensifies night-time air barrages in the fourth year of war. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for more support from Washington and Western allies to bolster Ukraine's air defences after the attack, which damaged homes and infrastructure across the country and injured at least 12 people, according to local authorities. In Kyiv, families huddled in metro stations for shelter after air raid sirens rung out. Machine-gun fire and explosions were heard across the capital and in the western city of Lviv, where such attacks are less common. The governor of the Lviv region, bordering Poland, said the raid targeted critical infrastructure. Ukraine has now lost three F-16s since it began operating the U.S.-made jets last year. Kyiv has not revealed the size of its F-16 fleet, but they have become a central and heavily used part of Ukraine's defences. The pilot flew the damaged jet away from a settlement but did not have time to eject before it crashed, the Ukrainian Air Force said. "The pilot used all of his onboard weapons and shot down seven air targets. While shooting down the last one, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude," the Air Force said on Telegram. The Ukrainian military said in total Russia launched 477 drones and 60 missiles of various types to Ukraine overnight. Ukrainian forces destroyed 211 of the drones and 38 missiles, it said, while 225 more drones were either lost due to electronic warfare or were decoys that carried no explosives. "Moscow will not stop as long as it has the capability to launch massive strikes," Zelenskiy said on X. He said Russia had launched around 114 missiles, 1,270 drones, and 1,100 glide bombs just in the past week. Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency said one person was killed by a Ukrainian drone in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Luhansk region. Both Ukraine and Russia say they do not attack civilian targets. POLITICAL WILL Ukraine says recent attacks highlight the need for further support from Washington, which under President Donald Trump has not committed to new military aid for Ukraine. Trump said he was considering a Ukrainian request for more Patriot missile batteries after he met Zelenskiy at a NATO summit last Wednesday. "This war must be brought to an end - pressure on the aggressor is needed, and so is protection," Zelenskiy said in his X post on Sunday after the attack. "Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defence - the thing that best protects lives." He said Ukraine was ready to buy the American air defence systems and it counts on "leadership, political will, and the support of the United States, Europe, and all our partners." Russia has launched large scale strikes on Ukrainian cities every few days in recent weeks, causing widespread damage, killing dozens of civilians and injuring hundreds more. During the latest barrage, explosions were heard in Kyiv, Lviv, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and the Ivano-Frankivsk regions, witnesses and regional governors said. The Ukrainian military said air strikes were recorded in six locations. Eleven people, including two children, were injured in the central Cherkasy region, the governor Ihor Taburets said on Telegram. Three multi-storey buildings and a college were damaged in the attack, he said. One woman was injured in western Ivano-Frankivsk region. Rescuers evacuated residents from apartment blocks with charred walls and broken windows, images released by authorities in Cherkasy showed. Industrial facilities were hit in the southern Ukrainian Mykolaiv and central Dnipropetrovsk regions, officials said. Railway infrastructure was damaged in Poltava city in the centre of the country. - REUTERS
Time of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Russia launches the biggest aerial attack since the start of the war, Ukraine says
Russia launched its most massive aerial attack on Ukraine since the full-scale invasion, firing over 500 aerial weapons and targeting regions far from the front lines. The attacks resulted in casualties and infrastructure damage, prompting Poland and allies to scramble aircraft. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Russia launched its biggest aerial attack against Ukraine overnight, a Ukrainian official said Sunday, part of an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the 3-year-old 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 onslaught was "the most massive airstrike" on the country since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, taking into account both drones and various types of missiles, Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for Ukraine's air force, told The Associated Press. The attack targeted several regions, including western Ukraine, far from the front and allied countries scrambled aircraft to ensure the safety of Polish airspace, the country's air force person died in a drone strike in the Kherson region, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said, while another was killed when a drone hit a car in the Kharkiv region, according to its Gov. Oleh Syniehubov. Six people were wounded in Cherkasy, including a child, according to regional Gov. Ihor the far-western Lviv region, a large fire broke out at an industrial facility in the city of Drohobych following a drone attack that also cut electricity to parts of the air force said one of its F-16 warplanes supplied by its Western partners crashed after sustaining damage while shooting down air targets. The pilot continued during the day. Dnipropetrovsk Gov. Serhii Lysak said a 72-year-old man was killed when a drone hit his troops reportedly advance in Donetsk Russia's Defense Ministry said it had shot down three Ukrainian drones people were wounded in another Ukrainian drone attack on the city of Bryansk in western Russia, regional Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said Sunday morning, adding that seven more Ukrainian drones had been shot down over the Russia claimed Sunday that it had taken control of the village of Novoukrainka in the partially Russian-occupied Donetsk forces have been slowly grinding forward at some points on the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, though their incremental gains have been costly in terms of troop casualties and damaged other developments, Russia's foreign intelligence chief, Sergei Naryshkin, said he had spoken on the phone with his U.S. counterpart, CIA Director John Ratcliffe."I had a phone call with my American counterpart and we reserved for each other the possibility to call at any time and discuss issues of interest to us," Naryshkin said in remarks to state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin, who posted them on his Telegram channel on attacks follow Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments two days ago that Moscow is ready for a fresh round of direct peace talks in Istanbul. Two recent rounds of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul were brief and yielded no progress on reaching a withdraws Ukraine from an anti-land mine pact Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree to withdraw Ukraine from the Ottawa Convention banning antipersonnel land mines, a Ukrainian lawmaker said Sunday. The move follows similar recent steps by the Baltic states and 1997 treaty prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of antipersonnel land mines in an effort to protect civilians from explosives that can maim or kill long after fighting ends."This is a step that the reality of war has long demanded," said Roman Kostenko, secretary of the Ukrainian parliamentary committee on national security, defense and intelligence. He noted that Russia is not a party to the convention "and is massively using mines against our military and civilians."
