Russia launches largest drone assault of conflict on Ukraine

Russia launched the biggest single drone assault on Ukraine on Saturday evening, officers have mentioned.

Ukraine’s Air Drive Command spokesman Yuriy Ignat, mentioned a “file” 267 Russian drones had been launched in a single, coordinated assault. Some 138 had been intercepted whereas 119 disappeared after being jammed with out inflicting any injury.

Whereas many had been repelled, emergency providers reported drone strikes inflicting destruction and fires in a number of areas in a single day.

The strikes come on the eve of the third anniversary of the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned it was the biggest drone assault on the nation since Russia started utilizing Iranian-made drones.

He mentioned in a press release that this week Russia had launched almost 1,150 assault drones, greater than 1,400 guided aerial bombs and 35 missiles of assorted varieties at Ukraine.

“We should do every little thing doable to carry a long-lasting and simply peace to Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote.

“That is achievable by way of the unity of all companions – we’d like the energy of all of Europe, the energy of America, the energy of everybody who seeks lasting peace.”

In line with the Ukrainian authorities and western intelligence, Russia has been utilizing Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones – also referred to as “kamikaze” drones – for the reason that autumn of 2022.

The drones had been reported to have been used initially to assault army targets within the Kharkiv area, however have since been used to focus on inhabitants centres and vitality infrastructure.

Iran has beforehand mentioned it solely equipped a “small quantity” of drones to Russia earlier than the conflict, however the US and EU have accused Iran of sending common deliveries of drones to Russia.

It isn’t clear how many individuals have died throughout Saturday’s drone strike, however preliminary figures from emergency providers recommend there have been at the very least three casualties.

Two individuals died in a strike on a residential constructing in Kherson, in southern Ukraine – a person and a mom of twins, the Ukrainian state emergency providers mentioned.

Regional authorities additionally confirmed that one man died and at the very least three had been wounded following a strike on the central metropolis of Kryvyi Rih.

In the meantime, a 53-year-old girl was hospitalised after being injured in a drone assault in Zaporizhzhia, and firefighters had been referred to as to extinguish a number of fires within the capital, Kyiv.

Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Kltischko wrote on Telegram that the multi-wave drone assaults on the capital had broken a number of homes and automobiles however there have been no instant experiences of accidents.

Drones had been intercepted in at the very least 13 areas together with Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Mykolayiv and Odesa, in response to Ukrainian authorities.

The Ukrainian air pressure additionally reported that Russia launched three ballistic missiles in a single day.

In the meantime, Russia’s defence ministry mentioned on Sunday that 20 Ukrainian drones launched into Russia had been “destroyed” in a single day.

On Monday, the conflict will enter its third yr.

Because it does, diplomatic wranglings over a possible peace deal proceed, with Ukraine, European allies and the US providing differing visions for how you can finish the battle.

The US and Russia held preliminary talks in Saudi Arabia this week – with out delegates from Europe, together with Ukraine, current – which resulted in European leaders holding a hastily-arranged summit in Paris.

Zelensky criticised Ukraine’s exclusion from the US-Russia talks, saying US President Donald Trump was “dwelling in a disinformation house” ruled by Moscow, prompting Trump to reply by calling the Ukrainian president a “dictator”.

French President Emmanuel Macron is predicted to go to Washington on Monday, whereas UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer might be there on Thursday.

Sir Keir has publicly backed Zelensky, reiterating the UK’s “ironclad assist” for Kyiv, and mentioned he would focus on the significance of Ukraine’s sovereignty when he speaks to Trump.

Pope Francis – who’s in hospital with respiratory sickness – wrote in a remarks launched on Sunday that the third anniversary of the conflict was “a painful and shameful event for the entire of humanity”.