The Russians attacked Ukraine with a record 537 drones and missiles overnight , the Ukrainian Air Force said, while officials spoke of a "large-scale combined attack" involving Tu-95MS strategic bombers and MiG-31K aircraft.

According to the Air Force, the Russians launched "477 drones (211 shot down and 225 disappeared from radar); 4 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal missiles; 7 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles (one shot down); 41 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles (33 shot down and one missing); 5 Kalibr missiles (4 shot down); 3 S-300 missiles."

The strikes reached, among others, the regions of Kiev and Lviv . Ukraine lost another F-16 fighter in the strikes, its pilot was hit and died while repelling the Russian attack. "He used all the weapons on board and shot down seven air targets. When shooting down the last one, his plane was damaged and began to lose altitude," the Ukrainian Air Force said on Telegram.

"Putin decided long ago that he would continue to wage war, despite global calls for peace," said Volodymyr Zelensy. "This war must end: pressure on the aggressor is needed, as well as protection. Protection from ballistic and other missiles, from drones and from terrorism. Ukraine must strengthen its air defense, the tool that best protects human lives. These are American systems, which we are ready to buy. We count on the leadership, political will and support of the United States, Europe and all our partners."

"The West is trying to strategically defeat Russia, using the Kiev regime as a battering ram, but it will not succeed," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying by Tass . "We are witnessing an unprecedented stalemate between our country and the collective West, which has once again decided to declare war on us and inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, essentially using the Nazi regime in Kiev as a battering ram. The West has never succeeded in doing this, it will not succeed this time, and it is probably

starting to understand it."

(Unioneonline/L)

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