LONDON– Russia introduced 537 drones and rockets right into Ukraine over night right into Sunday early morning, according to Ukraine’s flying force, with a Ukrainian F-16 boxer jet and its pilot additionally reported shed throughout initiatives to push back the assault.
Ukraine’s flying force created on Telegram that Russia introduced 477 drones and 60 rockets at targets throughout the nation over night. Saturday evening’s assault was among– otherwise the– biggest of Moscow’s battle to day.
The flying force stated 436 drones and 38 rockets were downed by air defenses, with the aid of U.S.-made F-16 boxer jets whose pilots rejected “loads” of assault drones. “The job of Ukrainian competitors is very harmful,” it stated.
Individuals nestle inside a city terminal throughout a Russian army strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 29, 2025.
Alina Smutko/Reuters
Amongst the pilots was Lt. Col. Maksym Ustimenko, the flying force stated, that rejected 7 targets prior to his F-16 was harmed throughout an effort to down a 8th.
” His aircraft was harmed and started to shed elevation,” the flying force stated. Ustimenko, it included, directed the aircraft far from suburbs on the ground however “did not have time to expel.”
Russian drone or rocket influences were tape-recorded in 6 places, the flying force stated, with dropping particles reported in 8 places.
Poland’s Army Operational Command stated in a blog post to X that the Russian strikes motivated Polish and allied airplane to be rushed.
The command stated it “turned on all offered pressures and sources at his disposal, the task boxer sets have actually been rushed and the ground-based air protection and radar reconnaissance systems have actually gotten to the highest possible state of preparedness. The actions taken are focused on making sure safety in the locations surrounding the endangered locations.”
2 hours later on, the command stated in a declaration that the pressures were stood down “as a result of the decreased degree of danger of Russian air campaign.”
Russia’s Protection Ministry, at the same time, stated its pressures rejected 3 Ukrainian drones over night.
Ukrainian Head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a domestic structure in the community of Smila, near to the main city of Cherkasy, was amongst those struck by drones, with one youngster harmed.
A Ukrainian flying force F-16 returns at reduced elevation after assaulting Russian army placements towards busy Kurakhove on February 17, 2025, in the Dnipropetrovsk area of Ukraine.
Andriy Dubchak/frontliner/Getty Photos
Zelenskyy additionally stated he had actually bought an examination right into Ustimenko’s fatality, including “Ukrainian aeronautics heroically safeguards the skies. Thanks to every person that safeguards Ukraine.”
” Moscow will certainly not quit as long as it has the ability to supply large strikes,” the head of state proceeded. “
Russian Head Of State Vladimir Putin, he stated, “made a decision long back that he would certainly remain to combat regardless of the globe’s require tranquility. We require to finish the battle, we require stress on the assailant, we require defense.”
” Ukraine requires to reinforce its air protection,” he stated. “These are American systems that we prepare to get. We rely on the management, political will and assistance of the USA, Europe and all our companions.”
