Russia Unleashes ‘Most Massive’ Airstrike on Ukraine, Claims Kyiv; F-16 Pilot Killed
KYIV, Ukraine – June 30, 2025 – Ukraine has reported what it describes as the “most massive aerial attack” launched by Russia since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The overnight onslaught on Sunday, June 29, involved a staggering 537 aerial weapons, including hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, striking multiple regions across the country and further escalating the three-year-old conflict.
According to Ukraine’s air force, Russia fired 477 drones and decoys, along with 60 missiles of various types. Ukrainian air defenses managed to shoot down 249 of these aerial threats, while another 226 were reportedly lost, likely due to electronic jamming. Despite the significant interception rate, the widespread nature and intensity of the attack caused considerable damage and casualties.
The barrage targeted numerous regions, including areas in western Ukraine, far from the front lines, which typically experience fewer strikes. Reports indicate that at least 10 people were killed across various regions. Three fatalities each were reported in the Kherson, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions due to drone strikes. Another person was killed by an airstrike in Kostyantynivka, while a man died from shelling in Kherson. In Zaporizhzhia, the body of a 70-year-old woman was discovered under the rubble of a nine-story building hit by Russian shelling.
Civilian infrastructure suffered significant damage. In the far-western Lviv region, a large fire erupted at an industrial facility in Drohobych following a drone attack, which also led to electricity outages in parts of the city. Homes and other infrastructure were damaged in various affected areas, with families in Kyiv reportedly seeking shelter in metro stations amidst explosions and machine-gun fire.
In a somber development, Ukraine’s air force confirmed the death of an F-16 fighter pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, who was killed while attempting to repel the attack. The pilot reportedly shot down seven aerial targets before his U.S.-supplied aircraft sustained damage and crashed, with no time for ejection. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posthumously awarded Ustymenko the “Hero of Ukraine” award, expressing profound sorrow for the loss. This marks the third F-16 loss for Ukraine since their deployment last year, prompting renewed calls from President Zelenskyy for immediate reinforcement of Ukraine’s air defenses from Washington and Western allies.
The extensive Russian assault comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Moscow’s readiness for a fresh round of direct peace talks in Istanbul. However, Ukrainian officials, including President Zelenskyy, view the intensifying bombing campaign as contradictory to any genuine peace overtures.
Meanwhile, Poland and allied countries scrambled their aircraft to ensure the safety of Polish airspace amidst the cross-border threat. On its part, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down three Ukrainian drones overnight and reported two people wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on the western Russian city of Bryansk. Russia also asserted control over the village of Novoukrainka in the partially occupied Donetsk region, indicating slow but costly advances along the roughly 1,000-kilometer front line.
The latest large-scale attack underscores the brutal reality of the ongoing war, with both sides intensifying military actions despite diplomatic discussions.