Ukrainian military officials announced on Sunday (June 29) that Russia launched its largest airstrikes since the start of the war against Ukraine on Saturday night, as part of Russia’s ongoing escalation of bombing operations. The Ukrainian military also confirmed that they lost an F-16 fighter jet and its pilot during the combat.
According to reports from the Associated Press, the Ukrainian Air Force stated on Sunday that Russia fired 60 missiles and launched 477 drones towards Ukraine during the night. Ukrainian forces managed to destroy 211 drones and 38 missiles.
Yuriy Ihnat, the communications director of the Ukrainian Air Force, told the Associated Press that this attack marked the “largest-scale airstrikes” on Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Russian military utilized drones and various types of missiles in this assault, targeting several regions away from the front lines, including western Ukraine.
Long-range drone attacks have become a hallmark of this war. Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have been developing increasingly complex and deadly drones, turning this conflict into a testing ground for this new weapon.
The Polish Air Force announced that Poland and its allies have dispatched aircraft to ensure the safety of Polish airspace.
Governor of Kherson Oblast in Ukraine, Oleksandr Prokudin, reported that the Russian drone attacks led to one fatality in the region; while Oleh Syniehubov, Governor of Kharkiv Oblast, stated one person perished due to drone attacks; and Ihor Taburets, Governor of Cherkasy Oblast, mentioned six injuries in his region, including a child.
The Ukrainian Air Force mentioned that an F-16 fighter provided by its Western partners was damaged and crashed while engaging airborne targets. The pilot lost his life. The Air Force stated on Telegram that the pilot used all onboard weapons, successfully downing seven airborne targets. When engaging the final target, the aircraft sustained damage and started descending. The pilot made efforts to steer the plane away from populated areas but did not have time to eject.
Russian attacks continued on Sunday during the day. Serhii Lysak, Governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, revealed that a 72-year-old man died as his car was hit by a drone.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have shot down three Ukrainian drones on Saturday night.
Alexander Bogomaz, Governor of Bryansk Oblast in western Russia, reported on Sunday morning that Bryansk city was once again targeted by Ukrainian drones, resulting in two injuries. Bogomaz added that seven Ukrainian drones were shot down in the region.
Meanwhile, Russia claimed on Sunday to have gained control of the village of Novoukrainka in the Donetsk region, which was previously occupied by Russian forces.
Russian forces are currently attempting to advance in various regions along the 1,200-kilometer (746-mile) front line. Ukrainian Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that there are currently 111,000 Russian soldiers just in one part of the front line. This area is close to the hotspots city of Pokrovsk near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that last December, approximately 70,000 Russian troops were stationed in this area.