di Janice McAllister
In its most intense attack since the invasion began, Russia launched a massive wave of drones and missiles across Ukraine, testing air defenses and reigniting international concern.
As night fell over Ukraine on June 29, the country was shaken by the largest aerial offensive of the war so far. Russia deployed a staggering 537 airborne threats—including 477 Iranian-designed Shahed drones and 60 various types of missiles, including cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic weapons.
Ukrainian air defenses, now partially supported by Western systems and F-16 fighter aircraft, responded with remarkable efficiency. Out of the total launched, 475 threats were neutralized—436 drones and missiles were destroyed mid-air, while 38 were downed using ground-based systems.
Despite the high interception rate, the attack left a trail of damage. Infrastructure in the city of Smila was disrupted, and fires broke out in multiple regions, hitting residential zones and public utilities.
The attack claimed the life of Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, an F-16 pilot who reportedly downed seven drones before his aircraft sustained critical damage. In a final act of heroism, he diverted the crashing jet away from populated areas, sacrificing his life to save others. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posthumously honored him as a “Hero of Ukraine.”
The scale and coordination of the strike, involving hypersonic Kinzhal missiles and sea-launched Kalibrs, underlines Russia’s continued ability to escalate the conflict at will. It also highlights the growing strain on Ukraine’s air defense systems, prompting renewed appeals to Western allies for advanced interceptors, especially additional Patriot batteries.
In response, NATO scrambled jets from Poland to monitor potential spillover, while diplomatic channels reignited discussions on bolstering Ukraine’s defense grid.
With peace talks at a standstill, this latest assault is a chilling reminder that the war is far from over—and that Ukraine’s survival continues to depend heavily on external military support.
(Associated Medias) – all rights reserved
L’articolo Russia’s Largest Aerial Assault Yet: 537 Drones and Missiles Unleashed Overnight proviene da Associated Medias.
