Russia launched 479 drones at Ukraine in the biggest overnight drone bombardment of the 3-year war, the Ukrainian air force said Monday, as the Kremlin presses its summer offensive against the backdrop of direct peace talks.
As well as drones, 20 missiles of various types were fired at different parts of Ukraine, according to the air force, which said the barrage targeted mainly central and western areas of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s air force said its air defences destroyed 277 drones and 19 missiles in mid-flight on Sunday night, claiming that only 10 drones or missiles hit their target.
Russia has targeted civilian areas of Ukraine with Shahed drones during the war.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said Monday that it shot down 49 Ukrainian drones overnight over seven Russian regions.
According to the Ukrainian air force on Monday, Russia launched 479 drones at Ukraine in the largest overnight drone bombardment of the three-year conflict. The Kremlin is pushing its summer offensive against the backdrop of direct peace negotiations.
According to the air force, 20 different types of missiles were fired at various locations throughout Ukraine in addition to drones. The barrage primarily targeted the country’s central and western regions.
Ukraine’s air force reported that only 10 drones or missiles struck their target on Sunday night, with its air defenses destroying 277 drones and 19 missiles in midair. According to officials, there was one injury.
The claims could not be independently verified.
A recent surge in airstrikes has accompanied a renewed Russian offensive on the eastern and northeastern flanks of the approximately 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line.
“The situation is very difficult” in some of those areas, according to remarks made late Sunday by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He didn’t elaborate.
Ukraine needs more military assistance from its Western allies, particularly air defenses, as it lacks personnel to fight its larger adversary. However, ambiguity surrounding US war policy has fueled concerns about the extent of assistance Kyiv can rely on.
Other than promises to exchange prisoners and thousands of their dead and critically injured soldiers, two recent rounds of direct peace negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul have produced no noteworthy breakthroughs.
Due to the difficulty of identifying drones in the dark, Russia typically launches its aerial attacks in the late evening and concludes in the morning.
During the conflict, Russia has used Shahed drones to target civilian areas of Ukraine. According to the UN, over 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the attacks. According to Russia, it only targets military targets.
Long-range drones developed by Ukraine are still attacking deep within Russia.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, it shot down 49 Ukrainian drones over seven Russian regions overnight.
In the Chuvashia region, more than 600 kilometers east of Moscow, two drones struck an electronic warfare equipment manufacturing facility, according to local officials.
According to Alexander Gusev, the head of Russia’s Voronezh region, 25 drones were shot down there during the course of the night, causing damage to a gas pipeline and starting a small fire.
Special operations forces forces reportedly hit two Russian fighter jets based at the Savasleyka airfield in the Novgorod region of Russia, which is about 650 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.
The manner of the planes’ impact was not mentioned in the statement.
With AP, France 24.
