LONDON — Russia launched 537 drones and missiles into Ukraine in a single day into Sunday morning, in line with Ukraine’s air pressure, with a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet and its pilot additionally reported misplaced throughout efforts to repel the assault.
Ukraine’s air pressure wrote on Telegram that Russia launched 477 drones and 60 missiles at targets throughout the nation in a single day. Saturday night time’s assault was certainly one of — if not the — largest of Moscow’s struggle thus far.
The air pressure mentioned 436 drones and 38 missiles have been downed by air defenses, with the assistance of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets whose pilots shot down “dozens” of assault drones. “The work of Ukrainian fighters is extraordinarily harmful,” it mentioned.
Folks take shelter inside a metro station throughout a Russian navy strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 29, 2025.
Alina Smutko/Reuters
Among the many pilots was Lt. Col. Maksym Ustimenko, the air pressure mentioned, who shot down seven targets earlier than his F-16 was broken throughout an try to down an eighth.
“His airplane was broken and commenced to lose altitude,” the air pressure mentioned. Ustimenko, it added, guided the airplane away from residential areas on the bottom however “didn’t have time to eject.”
Russian drone or missile impacts have been recorded in six places, the air pressure mentioned, with falling particles reported in eight places.
Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command mentioned in a submit to X that the Russian strikes prompted Polish and allied plane to be scrambled.
The command mentioned it “activated all accessible forces and assets at his disposal, the obligation fighter pairs have been scrambled and the ground-based air protection and radar reconnaissance methods have reached the very best state of readiness. The steps taken are geared toward guaranteeing safety within the areas bordering the threatened areas.”
Two hours later, the command mentioned in an announcement that the forces have been stood down “as a result of diminished stage of risk of Russian air strikes.”
Russia’s Protection Ministry, in the meantime, mentioned its forces shot down three Ukrainian drones in a single day.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned {that a} residential constructing within the city of Smila, near the central metropolis of Cherkasy, was amongst these hit by drones, with one little one injured.
A Ukrainian air pressure F-16 returns at low altitude after attacking Russian navy positions within the course of occupied Kurakhove on February 17, 2025, within the Dnipropetrovsk area of Ukraine.
Andriy Dubchak/frontliner/Getty Photographs
Zelenskyy additionally mentioned he had ordered an investigation into Ustimenko’s loss of life, including “Ukrainian aviation heroically defends the sky. Thanks to everybody who defends Ukraine.”
“Moscow won’t cease so long as it is ready to ship large strikes,” the president continued. “
Russian President Vladimir Putin, he mentioned, “determined way back that he would proceed to battle regardless of the world’s requires peace. We have to finish the struggle, we want strain on the aggressor, we want safety.”
“Ukraine must strengthen its air protection,” he mentioned. “These are American methods that we’re prepared to purchase. We rely on the management, political will and help of the USA, Europe and all our companions.”
