Russia launched its biggest attack on Ukraine on Sunday firing a total of 537 aerial weapons, according to a Ukrainian official. The attack marked “the most massive airstrike” on Ukraine since the war began three years ago.
Russia employed 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles in its offensive, of which, 249 were shot down and 226 were lost. The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that a F16 pilot died while trying to repel the attack. Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for Ukraine’s air force told AP that the attack targeted several regions, including western Ukraine, far from the front line.
According to local officials cited by Bloomberg, the attack damaged the homes and other infrastructure across the country, injuring at least 12 people. Three people were killed in each of the drone strikes in the Kherson, Kharkiv and the Dnipropetrovsk regions, as per the three governors.
The Russian Defence Ministry also claimed to have shot down three Ukrainian drones overnight.
Following the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested greater military support from the United States. He asked for an immediate reinforcement of Ukraine’s air defence in the wake of intensifying attacks.
The attack comes after Russia President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is open to a new round of peace talks in Istanbul. Russia has increased the intensity of its attacks in recent times. At least seven people were killed in Kyiv and several others were wounded in an overnight Russian attack last week.
At least six people were killed and eighty others were injured in an escalation as Moscow launched a massive drone and missile strike on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, and other areas, earlier this month.
