The Armed Forces of Ukraine denounced this Wednesday the largest drone and missile attack against the country by Russia since the invasion began in February 2022, with more than 700 drones and seven cruise missiles intercepted by air defense systems, with no information yet on casualties or damage.
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The attack occurred less than 24 hours after Donald Trump seemed to lose patience with Vladimir Putin, with whom he had almost always shown sympathy and admiration, and said he was considering new sanctions against Russia while pointing out that the Russian president was telling “many lies”.
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How was the new attack by Russia against Ukraine?
The Ukrainian Air Force indicated in a statement published on its Telegram account that Russian forces launched 728 kamikaze drones and simulators, seven Iskander-type cruise missiles, and six Kinzhal-type ballistic missiles as part of their attack, which had the “main objective” of the city of Lutsk in the Volhynia province (northwest Ukraine).
They also highlighted that the air defense systems managed to shoot down 718 drones and seven Iskander missiles, and that the remnants of the interceptions “fell in fourteen points,” without commenting on possible casualties.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, once again criticized Russia for this “new massive attack” against the country and confirmed that “the largest number of aerial objects in a day” were launched.
“Interceptor drones were used: dozens of enemy targets were shot down and we are expanding this technology,” highlighted the Ukrainian president. “Mobile fire groups were also active and shot down dozens of them. I thank all of our warriors for their precision,” he stated.
On the other hand, the Russian government highlighted that their air defense systems shot down over 85 Ukrainian drones in the last few hours, including 23 over the Kursk region, 16 over the Bryansk region, and 15 over the Tula region.
Zelensky calls for sanctions against Russian oil
The Ukrainian president called for “drastic sanctions against oil, which has been fueling Moscow’s war machinery with money for over three years of war” and “secondary sanctions for those who buy this oil and thus finance the killings.”
“Our partners know how to exert pressure to compel Russia to consider ending the war, not launching new attacks. Anyone who desires peace must act,” said Zelensky.
The Russian attack led the Polish Air Force to deploy planes in their airspace for several hours due to the risk of shots reaching Polish territory.