Russia launched its largest air attack on Ukrainian territory last night since the beginning of the war, with a total of 537 projectiles, including 477 drones and 60 missiles, according to a Kyiv official.
The Ukrainian Air Force announced that out of the total drones and missiles launched, 249 were shot down, while 226 were lost, likely due to electronic jamming.
Unprecedented Scale and Impact
Yurii Ihnat, head of the Ukrainian Air Force’s media service, told the Associated Press that last night’s attack was the “largest air attack” on Ukraine, considering the number of drones and various types of missiles. The assault targeted diverse areas across the country, including western Ukraine, far from the front lines.
Poland and other allied countries scrambled their aircraft to ensure airspace security, the Polish Air Force reported.
Casualties and Damage
Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of the Kherson region, stated that one person was killed in a drone strike. Ihor Taburets, governor of the Cherkasy region, reported that six people were injured in the city of Cherkasy, including one child.
In the Lviv region, in western Ukraine, a large fire broke out at an industrial facility in the city of Drohobych after a drone attack, which also left parts of the city without electricity.
Ongoing Conflict and Failed Peace Efforts
The new attacks followed statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moscow is ready for a new round of direct peace talks in Istanbul. However, there are no signs of the war abating, and U.S.-led peace efforts have so far yielded no concrete results. Two recent rounds of negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul have not produced progress toward an agreement.
Long-range drone attacks have become a hallmark of the war, which is now in its fourth year. The race by both sides to develop more advanced and lethal drones has turned the conflict into a testing ground for new weaponry, the AP reports.
