LONDON — Russia launched 537 drones and missiles into Ukraine in a single day into Sunday morning, in keeping with Ukraine’s air drive, with a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet and its pilot additionally reported misplaced throughout efforts to repel the assault.
Ukraine’s air drive wrote on Telegram that Russia launched 477 drones and 60 missiles at targets throughout the nation in a single day. Saturday evening’s assault was one in every of — if not the — largest of Moscow’s conflict up to now.
In Poland — which borders Ukraine to its west — the Armed Forces Operational Command mentioned in a publish to X that the Russian strikes prompted Polish and allied plane to be scrambled.
The command mentioned it “activated all out there forces and assets at his disposal, the obligation fighter pairs have been scrambled and the ground-based air protection and radar reconnaissance techniques have reached the very best state of readiness. The steps taken are geared toward guaranteeing safety within the areas bordering the threatened areas.”
Folks take shelter inside a metro station throughout a Russian navy strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 29, 2025.
Alina Smutko/Reuters
Two hours later, the command mentioned in an announcement that the forces have been stood down “because of the decreased degree of risk of Russian air strikes.”
Ukraine’s air drive mentioned 436 drones and 38 missiles have been downed by air defenses, with the assistance of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets whose pilots shot down “dozens” of assault drones. “The work of Ukrainian fighters is extraordinarily harmful,” it mentioned.
Among the many pilots was Lt. Col. Maksym Ustimenko, the air drive mentioned, who shot down seven targets earlier than his F-16 was broken throughout an try to down an eighth.
“His airplane was broken and started to lose altitude,” the air drive mentioned. Ustimenko, it added, guided the airplane away from residential areas on the bottom however “didn’t have time to eject.”
Russian drone or missile impacts have been recorded in six areas, the air drive mentioned, with falling particles reported in eight areas.
Russia’s Protection Ministry, in the meantime, mentioned its forces shot down three Ukrainian drones in a single day.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned {that a} residential constructing within the city of Smila, near the central metropolis of Cherkasy, was amongst these hit by drones, with one baby injured.
Zelenskyy additionally mentioned he had ordered an investigation into Ustimenko’s loss of life, including “Ukrainian aviation heroically defends the sky. Thanks to everybody who defends Ukraine.”
“Moscow won’t cease so long as it is ready to ship large strikes,” the president continued.
A Ukrainian air drive F-16 returns at low altitude after attacking Russian navy positions within the route of occupied Kurakhove on February 17, 2025, within the Dnipropetrovsk area of Ukraine.
Andriy Dubchak/frontliner/Getty Pictures
Russian President Vladimir Putin, he mentioned, “determined way back that he would proceed to battle regardless of the world’s requires peace. We have to finish the conflict, we’d like strain on the aggressor, we’d like safety.”
“Ukraine must strengthen its air protection,” he mentioned. “These are American techniques that we’re prepared to purchase. We rely on the management, political will and assist of the US, Europe and all our companions.”
