By Olatunbosun Obafemi
A new wave of Russian airstrikes has killed at least two people and injured six others in Ukraine, marking the largest aerial assault since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 537 aerial weapons, including 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles. Of these, 249 drones were shot down, while 226 were likely neutralized via electronic warfare. The assault targeted regions across the country, including areas far from the front line such as Lviv and Cherkasy.
Two civilians were confirmed dead: one in Kherson, and another in Kharkiv, both killed by drone strikes. In Cherkasy, six were wounded, including a child. In Drohobych (Lviv region), a drone attack triggered a major fire at an industrial facility and disrupted electricity.
Ukraine also confirmed the loss of one of its newly acquired F-16 fighter jets, after the pilot downed seven enemy targets before being fatally wounded in a crash caused by battle damage.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed it shot down three Ukrainian drones overnight, while in Bryansk, two people were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike, and seven drones were intercepted.
Meanwhile, Russia stated it has captured Novoukrainka, a village in the embattled Donetsk region, as its forces continue a slow, costly advance along the approximately 1,000-kilometer front line.
Despite a recent offer by President Vladimir Putin to resume peace talks in Istanbul, hopes for a breakthrough remain dim. Past negotiations have stalled, and the latest military escalation further undermines diplomatic momentum.
In a rare development, Russian intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin revealed he spoke by phone with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, expressing a mutual agreement to maintain open lines for future communication.
