Russia launches ‘biggest’ aerial attack on Ukraine with 60 missiles, 477 drones

“This was the most massive airstrike on Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022,” said Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for Ukraine’s air force. The attacks struck multiple regions, including the western city of Drohobych, far from the front lines, where a drone strike ignited a fire at an industrial facility and knocked out power.

Poland scrambled jets in response to the barrage to safeguard its airspace.

At least two civilians were killed—one in Kherson and another in Kharkiv—while six were wounded in Cherkasy, including a child. Ukraine also reported the loss of an F-16 warplane provided by Western allies, which crashed after sustaining damage while engaging enemy targets. The pilot died.

Russia claimed to have downed three Ukrainian drones overnight. In western Russia’s Bryansk region, seven Ukrainian drones were intercepted, though two people were reportedly wounded by a separate strike, according to regional governor Alexander Bogomaz.

On the battlefield, Russia said it had captured the village of Novoukrainka in the Donetsk region. While Moscow’s forces have made modest territorial gains along the 1,000-kilometer front, these advances have come at high cost in personnel and equipment.

Long-range drone warfare continues to define the conflict, with both sides testing increasingly advanced unmanned systems in what has become a proving ground for modern military technology.

Meanwhile, diplomatic overtures appear stalled. Russia’s foreign intelligence chief, Sergei Naryshkin, said he had spoken by phone with US CIA Director John Ratcliffe, adding they remained open to further talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin also recently reiterated Moscow’s willingness to resume direct negotiations in Istanbul.

However, two earlier rounds of talks held in Istanbul ended with no progress, and US-led peace efforts have yet to produce a viable path to ending the war.