37 Missiles and 300 Drones: Double-Tap Attacks on Ukraine
Airstrike Launched Hours After Trump Warns, "Stop the Killing"
Russia Warns, "Tomahawk Support Would Irreparably Damage U.S.?Russia Relations"
The Russian military launched a large-scale airstrike on Ukraine a day before the United States-Ukraine summit.
On October 16 (local time), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Last night, Russia launched over 300 attack drones and 37 missiles," and reported that infrastructure in the Vinnytsia, Sumy, and Poltava regions had been targeted.
He condemned the Russian military for carrying out "double-tap" attacks, in which Shahed drones equipped with cluster munitions strike, and then first responders such as firefighters repairing the facilities are attacked again.
Local media outlet Kyiv Independent reported that explosions also occurred in Kharkiv, Izium, and Kropyvnytskyi. According to the outlet, at around 5:20 a.m., several MiG-31 fighter jets took off from various Russian airfields, marking the start of the airstrike. The MiG-31 is a fighter jet capable of carrying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.
The early morning airstrike took place just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin to "stop the killing of Ukrainians and Russians."
President Zelensky is scheduled to visit the United States on October 17 to discuss support for long-range weapons, including Tomahawk missiles with a maximum range of 2,500 kilometers, and air defense systems with President Donald Trump.
Russia issued a warning after Trump suggested the possibility of providing Tomahawk missiles, stating that "relations between Russia and the United States would be irreparably damaged."
Ukraine expects that if it acquires Tomahawk missiles, which can reach Moscow and Saint Petersburg, it will be able to pressure Russia to come to the negotiating table.
There are also concerns that if the United States actually provides Tomahawk missiles, additional support from the U.S. military, such as launchers and operating personnel, may follow, potentially escalating the conflict. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov argued, "To handle such sophisticated missiles, the involvement of American experts is inevitable."
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