Aircraft were dispatched quickly overnight as Russia initiated its most extensive drone assault on Ukraine to date, deploying in excess of 700 uncrewed aerial vehicles, as stated by officials.
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that this “new extensive Russian assault on our urban centers” comprised 728 unmanned aerial vehicles of diverse categories, encompassing more than 300 Shahed drones, alongside 13 missiles, specifically Kinzhals and Iskanders.
“A majority of the incoming targets were neutralized. Our interceptor UAVs were deployed, successfully neutralizing dozens of hostile targets, and we are expanding the application of this technology. Furthermore, mobile fire teams were operational, also bringing down numerous targets. I extend my gratitude to all our combatants for their accuracy,” he further stated.
Authorities indicated the attack primarily focused on the northwestern city of Lutsk and preliminary figures suggest that “air defense systems neutralized 718 hostile aerial assault vehicles; 303 were brought down by direct engagement, while 415 were lost in their operational area.”
While the assault was in progress, Poland’s military, sharing a border with Ukraine, announced that “Ukrainian, Polish, and allied aircraft have commenced operations within our airspace.”
“Consistent with established protocols, all deployable forces and assets under the command of the Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces were activated, on-call fighter jets were launched, and ground-based air defense and radar surveillance systems attained peak readiness levels,” the military posted on X. “These actions are intended to uphold security in territories adjacent to the endangered zones.”
The statement later appended that “Given the diminished threat level from Russian aviation missile attacks targeting Ukrainian territory, the missions of Polish and allied aircraft within Polish airspace have concluded, and the mobilized forces and assets have reverted to routine operational duties.”
Zelenskyy noted that destruction was also documented in the regions of Dnipro, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv.
“This assault is significant, occurring precisely when numerous attempts have been made to foster peace and secure a ceasefire, yet all such efforts are consistently rejected. This serves as further evidence of the necessity for stringent sanctions – impactful penalties targeting oil, which has provided financial sustenance to Moscow’s military apparatus for over three years of conflict,” Zelenskyy posted on X.
“Imposing secondary sanctions on entities purchasing this oil and thereby facilitating fatalities. Our allies are aware of the methods to exert pressure that will compel Russia to consider concluding the conflict, rather than initiating further offensives,” he added. “All individuals desiring peace are obligated to take action.”