Russia Launches Largest Aerial Assault Over Ukraine Since the War Began, Kyiv Says

In what the Ukrainian authorities are describing as the heaviest aerial bombardment since the war started, Russia launched a huge overnight attack across much of Ukraine, heightening tensions in the already volatile region marred by death and destruction during the conflict that has now entered its third year, according to a report published by The Associated Press on Sunday.

Russia-Ukraine War: Hundreds of Weapons Fired

According to the report, Moscow launched a record 537 aerial weapons, including 477 drones and decoys, and 60 missiles on one night alone, Ukraine’s air force said. This was “the most massive air strike” Ukraine has seen so far, the AP quoted Ukrainian Air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat as saying.

Of these, 249 were reportedly shot down by Ukraine’s forces, and 226 of them are believed to have been electronically jammed, the report said.

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Casualties and Damage Reported Across Ukraine

The strike extended beyond the front lines, with Kherson’s local Governor Oleksandr Prokudin confirming that at least one person was killed in a drone strike. In Cherkasy, six individuals, one of them a child, were injured, Gov. Ihor Taburets said, according to the publication. Out west, in Drohobych (Lviv region), a drone attack started a huge fire at a factory complex, which in turn resulted in partial blackouts, the report said.

Additionally, one of the F-16 fighter planes provided by the Western allies to Ukraine crashed after it was damaged during the battle, reportedly killing the pilot.

NATO Nations on High Alert

Meanwhile, NATO nations remain on high alert following the massive aerial attack on Ukraine. Poland scrambled fighter jets to defend its airspace, the Polish air force said on Sunday, per the AP report.

Russia-Ukraine Peace Negotiations Still At An Impasse

Days before the strikes, Russian President Vladimir Putin had asserted that Moscow would be willing to negotiate a new peace process in Istanbul. However, on the ground, no new developments have been reported in this regard. The last two rounds of peace talks too did not result in anything concrete.

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