Ukraine says Russia carried out largest airstrike on its territory

Kherson regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said one person was killed in the drone strike.

The governor of Cherkasy region, Ihor Taburets, said six people were wounded in the city of Cherkasy, including a child.

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Explosions in the sky as Ukrainian soldiers shoot at drones during a Russian attack: Detail from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, Photo: Reuters

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29.06.2025. 11:03h Ažurirano: 29.06.2025. 11:35h

Russia carried out its largest airstrike on Ukrainian territory overnight, launching 537 strikes, including 477 drones and 60 missiles, an official in Kiev said today.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, of the total number of drones and missiles launched, 249 were shot down, while 226 were lost, probably after being electronically blocked.

The Ukrainian Air Force also said an F-16 jet, which had been provided by Western partners to help fight the Russian invasion, had crashed. The plane was damaged while shooting down air targets, and the pilot was killed.

Yuriy Ikhnat, the press secretary of the Ukrainian Air Force, told the AP that tonight's attack was "the largest airstrike" on Ukraine, considering the number of drones and several types of missiles. The attack targeted various areas across the country, including western Ukraine, far from the front lines.

Poland and other allied countries have scrambled aircraft to ensure airspace security, the Polish Air Force said.

Kherson region governor Oleksandr Prokudin said one person was killed in the drone strike. Cherkasy region governor Ihor Taburets said six people were wounded, including a child, in the city of Cherkasy.

In the Lviv region, in western Ukraine, a large fire broke out at an industrial plant in the city of Drohobych, after a drone attack that left parts of the city without power.

These attacks followed statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moscow was ready for a new round of direct peace talks in Istanbul.

There are, however, no signs of abating the war, and US-led peace efforts have so far failed to produce a final result. Two recent rounds of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul have failed to produce progress towards an agreement.

Long-range drone attacks are a hallmark of the war, now in its fourth year. The race on both sides to develop more advanced and deadly drones has turned the conflict into a testing ground for new weapons, writes the AP.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defenses as the best way to protect lives and reiterated that he is ready to buy American systems, such as the Patriot.

US President Donald Trump, who has been approaching Russia since February of this year, has so far not responded favorably to Kiev's request.