Russia attacks Ukraine with 479 drones, 20 missiles

Russia attacks Ukraine with 479 drones, 20 missiles

Russia launched 479 drones and 20 missiles at Ukraine overnight in what Ukraine’s air force described as the largest drone assault since the full-scale war began more than three years ago.

The attack is part of Russia’s ongoing summer military campaign, which continues even as peace talks between the two sides show little progress.

According to Ukraine’s air force, the strike focused mainly on central and western regions. Its air defence systems reportedly shot down 277 drones and 19 missiles, with only 10 aerial weapons reaching their targets, while officials said one person was injured.

The barrage of aerial attacks has coincided with increased fighting on the eastern and northeastern stretches of the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the situation in several combat zones as “very difficult” but did not provide further details.

Ukraine has called for more military aid, especially air defence systems. However, uncertainty around future U.S. support has cast doubt on how much assistance will be forthcoming.

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Russian air attacks typically begin late at night and continue into the morning, taking advantage of reduced visibility to make drones harder to intercept.

Throughout the war, drone strikes have regularly targeted residential and civilian infrastructure. The United Nations estimates that more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, but Russian authorities claim that only military targets are being hit.

Ukraine has also stepped up long-range drone operations, striking inside Russian territory. On Monday, Russia’s defence ministry said 49 Ukrainian drones were intercepted across seven regions.

Two drones reportedly hit a facility producing electronic warfare equipment in the Chuvashia region, over 600 kilometres east of the border.

In the Voronezh region, 25 drones were reportedly shot down, with debris damaging a gas pipeline and causing a small fire.

Ukraine’s Defence Command also reported that special operations forces struck two Russian fighter jets at the Savasleyka airfield in the Novgorod region, roughly 650 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. Though the method of the attack was not disclosed.

Despite recent rounds of direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul, no significant agreements have been reached beyond continued prisoner exchanges and the return of fallen and wounded troops.

Russia attacks Ukraine with 479 drones, 20 missiles