Russia launches biggest aerial attack on Ukraine since start of the war
Russia launched its biggest aerial attack on Ukraine overnight, a Ukrainian official said on Sunday, part of an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the three-year-old war.
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AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
Ukraine on track to withdraw from Ottawa anti-personnel mines treaty, Zelenskiy decree shows, World News
KYIV — President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday (June 29) he had signed a decree to pull Ukraine out of the Ottawa Convention banning the production and use of anti-personnel mines as a necessary step in view of Russian tactics in their 40-month-old war. Ukraine ratified the convention in 2005. Other countries bordering Russia, notably Finland, Poland and the three ex-Soviet Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — have either withdrawn from the convention or indicated that they would do so. Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address that Russia had never been a party to the convention "and is using anti-personnel mines with utmost cynicism" along with other weapons, including ballistic missiles. "This is a hallmark of Russian killers. To destroy life by all means at their disposal... We see how our neighbours in Europe react to this threat," he said. "We also know the complexities of the withdrawal procedure when it is conducted during war. We take this political step and give a signal to our political partners on what to focus on. This concerns all countries that border Russia," he said. Anti-personnel mines, Zelenskiy said, are "often the instrument for which nothing can be substituted for defence purposes." Russia has used anti-personnel mines extensively in parts of Ukraine where its forces have been operating. Ukraine sees the clearing of such mines as a key element in post-war recovery. The decree appearing on the president's website calls for support for a Ukrainian foreign ministry proposal to "withdraw Ukraine from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction of Sept 18, 1997." A senior Ukrainian lawmaker, Roman Kostenko, said that parliamentary approval was still needed to withdraw from the treaty. "This is a step that the reality of war has long demanded. Russia is not a party to this Convention and is massively using mines against our military and civilians," Kostenko, secretary of the Ukrainian parliament's committee on national security, defence and intelligence, said on his Facebook page. "We cannot remain tied down in an environment where the enemy has no restrictions," he added, saying that the legislative decision must definitively restore Ukraine's right to effectively defend its territory. Russia has intensified its offensive operations in Ukraine in recent months, using significant superiority in manpower. Kostenko did not say when the issue would be debated in parliament. [[nid:719619]]
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Ukraine Destroys Russia's S-400 In Drone Strike – If Putin's Shield Can Fall, Should India Still Trust It?
New Delhi: A drone flew low over Crimea and found its mark. Seconds later, flames leapt from the Russian base. Ukraine had done the unthinkable – it struck deep into Russia's most prized air defense system, the S-400. This was no ordinary hit. Ukrainian forces targeted the 91N6E 'Big Bird' radar, the eye of the S-400. Two of them were destroyed in one swoop. Ukraine's military intelligence confirmed the strike. The attack was carried out by GUR's Ghost unit – a name that now echoes louder than ever. The strike happened in Crimea, a region Moscow calls its own since 2014. Ukraine never accepted that. And now, it is making sure Russia feels it every day. Russia calls the S-400 one of the best air defense systems in the world. It sells it proudly to global allies, including India. But when drones worth a fraction of a missile can breach its radar net, questions follow. Sharp ones. From both friends and foes. The Big Bird radar is not just a part of the S-400. It is the spine. It scans threats 600 kilometers away, be it ballistic missiles or stealth fighters. It works with the S-band frequency and uses phased array tech to track incoming dangers. Without it, the S-400 can still fire. But it may be firing blind. That is what makes this strike serious. Ukraine did not only damage a piece of hardware. It cracked open a system once believed to be nearly untouchable. A system India has already started inducting. A system Russia still claims is unmatched. But nothing bleeds confidence like a smoking wreck. The S-400 may survive this war. But its reputation? That is taking a direct hit. India, watching closely, may now have a few questions of its own.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Ukraine sees ‘most massive' Russian airstrike of 537 weapons, F-16 pilot killed; Zelensky seeks US support
Russia launched its largest aerial assault on Ukraine overnight, involving hundreds of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, a Ukrainian official said Sunday. The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that an F-16 fighter pilot died while trying to repel the attack. The jet was reportedly flown away from a populated area before crashing, leaving the pilot no time to eject. Firefighters work at the site of an apartment building damaged during Russian drone and missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Smila, Cherkasy region, Ukraine June 29, 2025. (via REUTERS) The strike damaged homes and infrastructure across the country, injuring at least 12 people, according to local officials cited by Bloomberg. In Kyiv, families took shelter in metro stations as machine-gun fire and explosions were heard across the capital. Similar attacks were also reported in Lviv, a region that typically sees fewer strikes. President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his call for greater military support from Washington and Western allies, urging immediate reinforcement of Ukraine's air defences in the face of intensifying Russian attacks. According to a Bloomberg report, Ukraine has now lost three US-made F-16 jets since their deployment last year, though the total size of the fleet remains undisclosed. The latest assault comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow is open to a new round of peace talks in Istanbul. Previous negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials in the Turkish city were brief and failed to yield any progress. Also Read | Why has Russia amassed 110,000 troops in Pokrovsk? Here's what we know about 'hottest spot' along Ukraine's front lines Russia fired a total of 537 aerial weapons at Ukraine Russia launched a total of 537 aerial weapons on Ukraine in what officials described as the 'most massive airstrike' since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's air force said. The assault included 477 drones and decoys, along with 60 missiles. Of these, 249 aerial threats were shot down, while 226 were either jammed electronically or considered non-explosive decoys, according to the Associated Press. Ukrainian forces reported destroying 211 drones and 38 missiles. The attack targeted multiple regions, including areas in western Ukraine far from the front lines. Lviv's Drohobych city saw a large fire at an industrial site and partial power outages due to drone strikes. Air defences in Poland and allied countries were activated to secure Polish airspace amid the cross-border threat. At least 10 people were killed in the assault. Three fatalities each were reported in the Kherson, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions due to drone strikes. One person died in an airstrike on Kostyantynivka, while another was killed during shelling in Kherson. In Zaporizhzhia, a 70-year-old woman was found dead under the rubble of a nine-story building hit by Russian shelling. Russian troops advance in Donetsk Russia's defence ministry said three Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight. In a separate incident, two people were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on the western Russian city of Bryansk, according to regional governor Alexander Bogomaz. He added that seven additional drones were downed over the region. Meanwhile, Russia claimed it has captured the village of Novoukrainka in the partially occupied Donetsk region, where its forces continue slow, incremental advances along parts of the 1,000-kilometre front line. These gains, however, have come at a significant cost in terms of personnel and equipment. In a related development, Russia's foreign intelligence chief, Sergei Naryshkin, said he recently spoke by phone with CIA Director John Ratcliffe. 'I had a phone call with my American counterpart and we reserved for each other the possibility to call at any time and discuss issues of interest to us,' Naryshkin told state media. (With inputs from Associated Press and Bloomberg)
