477 drones, 60 missiles: Russia launches biggest aerial attack on Ukraine; six injured

The strikes were widespread, targeting areas across Ukraine, including regions in the west that are far removed from the frontlines. (File photo)

Russia, in the wee hours of Sunday, launched its most extensive aerial assault on Ukraine, unleashing hundreds of drones and missiles to target regions across the country, including areas far from the frontlines.

The Ukrainian military, in a statement later in the day, said that the overnight attack involved over 500 aerial weapons, including 477 drones and 60 ballistic and cruise missiles.

Ukraine's air force called it the “most massive air strike” since the start of the war in 2022.

Of the weapons launched, 249 were intercepted, while another 226 were likely neutralised through electronic warfare or were decoy drones, the air force said.

Explosions were reported in several regions, including Lviv, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy, according to regional governors.

In Cherkasy, six people, including a child, were injured as three multi-storey buildings and a college sustained damage. In Kherson, a drone strike killed one person.

The Ukrainian military has also confirmed the loss of a third F-16 fighter jet during the defense.

The air force said the pilot managed to down seven enemy aerial targets, but his jet was hit during the final engagement. Despite trying to steer the aircraft away from populated areas, the pilot was unable to eject and did not survive.

Industrial and critical infrastructure sites were hit in Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk, while authorities in Lviv confirmed strikes on essential services, though full damage assessments are pending.

The assault prompted Poland and its NATO allies to scramble aircraft to protect their airspace, as the strikes brought renewed urgency to regional security.