LONDON — Russia launched 537 drones and missiles into Ukraine overnight into Sunday morning, according to Ukraine’s air force, with a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet and its pilot also reported lost during efforts to repel the attack.
Ukraine’s air force wrote on Telegram that Russia launched 477 drones and 60 missiles at targets across the country overnight. Saturday night’s attack was one of — if not the — largest of Moscow’s war to date.
The air force said 436 drones and 38 missiles were downed by air defenses, with the help of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets whose pilots shot down “dozens” of attack drones. “The work of Ukrainian fighters is extremely dangerous,” it said.
Among the pilots was Lt. Col. Maksym Ustimenko, the air force said, who shot down seven targets before his F-16 was damaged during an attempt to down an eighth.
“His plane was damaged and began to lose altitude,” the air force said. Ustimenko, it added, guided the plane away from residential areas on the ground but “did not have time to eject.”
Russian drone or missile impacts were recorded in six locations, the air force said, with falling debris reported in eight locations.
Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command said in a post to X that the Russian strikes prompted Polish and allied aircraft to be scrambled.
The command said it “activated all available forces and resources at his disposal, the duty fighter pairs have been scrambled and the ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest state of readiness. The steps taken are aimed at ensuring security in the areas bordering the threatened areas.”
Two hours later, the command said in a statement that the forces were stood down “due to the reduced level of threat of Russian air strikes.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces shot down three Ukrainian drones overnight.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a residential building in the town of Smila, close to the central city of Cherkasy, was among those hit by drones, with one child injured.
Zelenskyy also said he had ordered an investigation into Ustimenko’s death, adding “Ukrainian aviation heroically defends the sky. Thank you to everyone who defends Ukraine.”
“Moscow will not stop as long as it is able to deliver massive strikes,” the president continued. “
Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said, “decided long ago that he would continue to fight despite the world’s calls for peace. We need to end the war, we need pressure on the aggressor, we need protection.”
“Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defense,” he said. “These are American systems that we are ready to buy. We count on the leadership, political will and support of the United States, Europe and all our partners.”
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