LONDON — Russia introduced 537 drones and missiles into Ukraine in a single day into Sunday morning, consistent with Ukraine’s air drive, with a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet and its pilot additionally reported misplaced all over efforts to repel the assault.
Ukraine’s air drive wrote on Telegram that Russia introduced 477 drones and 60 missiles at goals around the nation in a single day. Saturday night time’s assault was once one among — if now not the — greatest of Moscow’s battle so far.
In Poland — which borders Ukraine to its west — the Armed Forces Operational Command stated in a publish to X that the Russian moves triggered Polish and allied airplane to be scrambled.
The command stated it “activated all to be had forces and assets at his disposal, the obligation fighter pairs had been scrambled and the ground-based air protection and radar reconnaissance techniques have reached the perfect state of readiness. The stairs taken are aimed toward making sure safety within the spaces bordering the threatened spaces.”
Other people take safe haven within a metro station all over a Russian army strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 29, 2025.
Alina Smutko/Reuters
Two hours later, the command stated in a observation that the forces have been stood down “because of the decreased degree of risk of Russian air moves.”
Ukraine’s air drive stated 436 drones and 38 missiles have been downed via air defenses, with the assistance of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets whose pilots shot down “dozens” of assault drones. “The paintings of Ukrainian combatants is terribly unhealthy,” it stated.
Some of the pilots was once Lt. Col. Maksym Ustimenko, the air drive stated, who shot down seven goals earlier than his F-16 was once broken all over an try to down an 8th.
“His airplane was once broken and started to lose altitude,” the air drive stated. Ustimenko, it added, guided the airplane clear of residential spaces at the floor however “didn’t have time to eject.”
Russian drone or missile affects have been recorded in six places, the air drive stated, with falling particles reported in 8 places.
Russia’s Protection Ministry, in the meantime, stated its forces shot down 3 Ukrainian drones in a single day.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated {that a} residential construction within the the city of Smila, as regards to the central town of Cherkasy, was once amongst the ones hit via drones, with one kid injured.
Zelenskyy additionally stated he had ordered an investigation into Ustimenko’s loss of life, including “Ukrainian aviation heroically defends the sky. Thanks to everybody who defends Ukraine.”
“Moscow is not going to prevent so long as it is in a position to ship large moves,” the president persevered.
A Ukrainian air drive F-16 returns at low altitude after attacking Russian army positions within the path of occupied Kurakhove on February 17, 2025, within the Dnipropetrovsk area of Ukraine.
Andriy Dubchak/frontliner/Getty Photographs
Russian President Vladimir Putin, he stated, “determined way back that he would proceed to struggle in spite of the arena’s requires peace. We wish to finish the battle, we’d like power at the aggressor, we’d like coverage.”
“Ukraine must enhance its air protection,” he stated. “Those are American techniques that we’re able to shop for. We depend at the management, political will and make stronger of america, Europe and all our companions.”
