Russian Airstrike Targets Western Ukraine
Neighboring Poland Scrambles Fighter Jets
The Ukrainian Air Force announced on June 29 (local time) that Russia had launched its largest airstrike overnight, deploying more than 537 drones and missiles.
In a statement released on its Telegram channel, the Ukrainian Air Force explained that of these, 477 were decoy drones and Shahed-type attack drones, while 60 were hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, Iskander ballistic and cruise missiles, and surface-to-air missiles.
The Ukrainian military shot down 211 drones, and neutralized or diverted the flight paths of 225 others through electronic jamming.
They also shot down 38 missiles, and reported that one Iskander missile had disappeared.
The Ukrainian Air Force stated, "All available air defense systems of the Ukrainian military were mobilized overnight, and in particular, the Air Force's F-16 fighter jets responded very effectively." However, it also reported that one first-class pilot operating an F-16 fighter jet was killed in action during the operation.
Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of Kherson, said that one person was killed in a Russian drone attack, according to the Associated Press. Authorities also reported that six people, including a child, were injured in Cherkasy, central Ukraine.
The Associated Press reported that this Russian attack targeted the entire territory of Ukraine, including western regions far from the front lines. In response, Poland, Ukraine's neighbor, scrambled fighter jets to secure its airspace, according to the Polish Air Force.
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