Russia downs F-16 during largest aerial assault on Ukraine since war began | Top Developments

Russia fires 477 drones, 60 missiles in war’s biggest aerial attack

In a major escalation, Russia launched its most intense aerial assault on Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, firing 477 drones and 60 missiles overnight. Ukrainian officials described it as the 'most massive air strike' of the war.

Here are the top developments:

Russia fired a total of 537 aerial weapons, including kamikaze drones and missiles, across Ukraine. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, 249 were intercepted, while 226 struck targets or went unaccounted for. The attack hit regions well beyond the frontlines, including the country’s western cities.

A drone strike in Odesa killed a teacher and her husband after their home collapsed. 14 others were injured, including a child in critical condition. In Donetsk, two civilians were killed in attacks on Kostiantynivka and Ivanopillia. In Cherkasy, six people—including a child—were injured when residential buildings and a college were hit. One person was killed in a drone strike in Kherson.

Critical energy infrastructure was targeted in Kyiv, Lviv, and Dnipro, leading to major power outages. Officials warned that continued strikes could lead to long-term blackouts and severely strain emergency and medical services.

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed to have captured the settlement of Chervona Zirka and territory between the Vovcha and Mokri Yaly rivers in Donetsk. Ukraine’s top commander Oleksandr Syrskii refuted these claims, saying Russian troops suffered heavy losses without achieving significant ground.

Ukraine’s SBU security service confirmed a drone strike on the Kirovske military airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea, reportedly destroying three helicopters and an anti-aircraft missile system. Meanwhile, Russia claimed to have intercepted 64 Ukrainian drones over Crimea and western Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes, stating that Russia was “targeting everything that sustains life.” He renewed his appeal for advanced air defence systems, especially US-made units, and emphasized Ukraine’s willingness to purchase them.

“We need protection from drones, missiles, and terror. This war must be brought to an end,” he said in a post on X.

Leaders from the EU, NATO, and the United States strongly condemned the attack, calling it a gross violation of international law. Discussions are underway to accelerate defence support to Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia, including new EU aid packages and increased US military assistance.

During the Russian aerial onslaught, Ukraine lost a U.S.-supplied F-16 fighter jet along with its pilot, Lt-Col Maksym Ustimenko. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Ustimenko successfully shot down seven air targets before his jet was struck and began to descend. As per Reuters, this is the third confirmed F-16 loss for Ukraine since the war began.

Following the intense Russian assault and the loss of a Ukrainian F-16, NATO forces, including Poland, launched fighter jets in response. Poland’s Operational Command reported that radar surveillance and ground-based air defenses were elevated to the highest state of readiness, with all available military assets deployed to protect the airspace near the Ukrainian border.