Russia Launches Largest Airstrike on Ukraine Since Start of War

Strategic Insights -

Air raid alerts sounded across Ukraine throughout the night of June 28, as Russia launched its largest aerial attack since the start of the war, firing 537 aerial weapons, including 477 drones and 60 missiles. Ukraine's air force reported that it shot down 249 of the incoming attacks, while 226 were likely electronically jammed. The strikes targeted several regions, including western Ukraine, and resulted in the deaths of at least six people.

Key Takeaways:

  • Russia launched 537 aerial weapons, including 477 drones and 60 missiles, in the largest airstrike on Ukraine since the start of the war.
  • Ukraine's air force shot down 249 of the incoming attacks, while 226 were likely electronically jammed.
  • The strikes targeted several regions, including western Ukraine, and resulted in the deaths of at least six people.
  • An F-16 pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, was killed after his warplane crashed due to damage sustained during the attack.
  • Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree to posthumously award Ustymenko the award of the Order of the Gold Star.
  • An investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding Ustymenko's death.
  • The attack was described by Ukraine's air force as the "most massive airstrike" on the country since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.
  • Russia's Defense Ministry has stated that the attack was aimed at destroying Ukraine's air defense systems and disrupting its ability to conduct military operations.

Statistics:

  • 537 aerial weapons were fired by Russia in the largest airstrike on Ukraine since the start of the war.
  • 477 drones were among the 537 aerial weapons fired by Russia.
  • 60 missiles were among the 537 aerial weapons fired by Russia.
  • 249 of the incoming attacks were successfully shot down by Ukraine's air force.
  • 226 incoming attacks were likely electronically jammed.
  • At least six people were killed in the strikes.
  • 3 people were killed in drone strikes in the Kherson, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
  • 1 person was killed in Kostyantynivka, and the body of a 70-year-old woman was found under the rubble of a nine-story building hit by Russian shelling in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Sources:

  • Yan Dobronosov/Reuters
  • REUTERS
  • President Volodymyr Zelensky's official website
  • Ukraine's air force
  • The Kyiv Independent
  • Reuters