'Someone's gonna die': fatal chopper crash probe ends
Not satisfied with the response to one crash, Captain Danniel Lyon offered a sobering assessment of the Australian army's MRH-90 Taipan helicopter.
"Somebody is going to die from this," he said.
Months later, Capt Lyon was killed along with three of his colleagues after their Taipan plunged into the sea off Queensland's Lindeman Island.
His warning was recalled by his wife Caitland at an inquiry into the July 28, 2023 crash that also claimed the lives of Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs.
The inquiry before former judge Margaret McMurdo heard Capt Lyon attended an Australian Defence Force meeting to discuss a Jervis Bay incident when a MRH-90 suffered an engine failure in March 2023, causing it to ditch into the sea.
Capt Lyon felt the issues had not been properly rectified, nor had adequate measures been put in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring.
He then offered his sadly prophetic assessment.
His wife, along with the other victims' families, are now awaiting answers after the fatal crash inquiry concluded in Brisbane after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses over nearly two years.
The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed.
As the hearings unfolded, concerns emerged among army personnel about the helicopter, the severe fatigue and high workload for pilots, and over the night-vision technology they used.
A former Taipan pilot recounted being told that the aircraft had a significant risk of engine failure.
The air crew were also briefed on the risk that the MRH-90 would be inescapable if it plunged into water due to such a failure.
Crew began flying without gloves to have a better chance of removing themselves if the craft crashed into water, the ex-pilot said.
Multiple witnesses said the MRH-90 was not fit to be in service due to the engine-failure risks and high maintenance requirements.
It would later be discontinued in favour of the US-made Black Hawks.
Major General Stephen Jobson said the MRH-90 was an "immature and under-performing system" that had a high level of risk management since its acquisition in 2007.
The Army Aviation Command's former commanding officer said he was never comfortable with the safety risk of the Taipan, but strong efforts were made to eliminate or at least minimise it.
Issues with the pilots' TopOwl night-vision helmets were also raised, with an internal army assessment finding a fault left an "unacceptable risk".
The assessment, made four years before the crash, found there was an "unacceptable ambiguity" with the helmet technology.
It meant there was the potential for a crash when a pilot looked away from the helicopter front windscreen or the axis at night or in difficult terrain conditions, the inquiry heard.
There were claims army aviation was dissatisfied with the assessment's findings and wanted the software upgrade to be rolled out despite calls for further analysis.
Issues with fatigue and workload in the months leading up to the crash were also raised, with a colleague of the late air crew claiming they were working 12 to 18 hours a day on weekdays and four to six hours on weekends.
A MRH-90 pilot said the culture was becoming "toxic", with defence headquarters not recognising the impact of fatigue or the need for time off.
In the days before the crash, which happened at the military training event Talisman Sabre, the female pilot said air crew were offered sleeping tablets after the ground trial to help them switch from day to night shifts.
She left the training exercise due to fatigue and her struggle with career pressures and a lack of progression.
The inquiry heard the final text messages she exchanged with her colleague and friend Capt Lyon.
"There is a weird vibe now you've gone," Capt Lyon texted before his final flight.
"I hope you have fun tonight," the pilot replied.
She was informed the following day there had been a fatal crash, frantically texting Capt Lyon: "F*** f*** f*** please msg me when you guys have phones."
She never received a response.
She was one of many colleagues and family members of the deceased who broke down while giving evidence.
Capt Lyon's wife Caitland tearily recalled the day she broke the news of his death to their son.
"I'm still haunted by the sound of our five-year-old's screams the day that I told him daddy wasn't coming home," she told the final hearing.
Their daughter was just 16 months old when her father died but now cries for her daddy to come back from heaven, Ms Lyon added.
"My heart shatters knowing she has lived more days crying for daddy than she ever had laughing with him," she said.
Lt Nugent's partner, Chadine Whyte, spoke of how much he wanted to become a father and her feeling of devastation that he would never be able to realise that dream, urging the defence force to do better.
"While I understand that in operational environments, risk is inevitable, we must never lose sight of the fact that behind every uniform is a person, and behind every person is a family, a life and a future," she said.
"Max's life mattered and so does the loss of it."
The final hearing finished on Friday with Ms McMurdo's findings to be handed down at an undetermined date.
Not satisfied with the response to one crash, Captain Danniel Lyon offered a sobering assessment of the Australian army's MRH-90 Taipan helicopter.
"Somebody is going to die from this," he said.
Months later, Capt Lyon was killed along with three of his colleagues after their Taipan plunged into the sea off Queensland's Lindeman Island.
His warning was recalled by his wife Caitland at an inquiry into the July 28, 2023 crash that also claimed the lives of Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs.
The inquiry before former judge Margaret McMurdo heard Capt Lyon attended an Australian Defence Force meeting to discuss a Jervis Bay incident when a MRH-90 suffered an engine failure in March 2023, causing it to ditch into the sea.
Capt Lyon felt the issues had not been properly rectified, nor had adequate measures been put in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring.
He then offered his sadly prophetic assessment.
His wife, along with the other victims' families, are now awaiting answers after the fatal crash inquiry concluded in Brisbane after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses over nearly two years.
The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed.
As the hearings unfolded, concerns emerged among army personnel about the helicopter, the severe fatigue and high workload for pilots, and over the night-vision technology they used.
A former Taipan pilot recounted being told that the aircraft had a significant risk of engine failure.
The air crew were also briefed on the risk that the MRH-90 would be inescapable if it plunged into water due to such a failure.
Crew began flying without gloves to have a better chance of removing themselves if the craft crashed into water, the ex-pilot said.
Multiple witnesses said the MRH-90 was not fit to be in service due to the engine-failure risks and high maintenance requirements.
It would later be discontinued in favour of the US-made Black Hawks.
Major General Stephen Jobson said the MRH-90 was an "immature and under-performing system" that had a high level of risk management since its acquisition in 2007.
The Army Aviation Command's former commanding officer said he was never comfortable with the safety risk of the Taipan, but strong efforts were made to eliminate or at least minimise it.
Issues with the pilots' TopOwl night-vision helmets were also raised, with an internal army assessment finding a fault left an "unacceptable risk".
The assessment, made four years before the crash, found there was an "unacceptable ambiguity" with the helmet technology.
It meant there was the potential for a crash when a pilot looked away from the helicopter front windscreen or the axis at night or in difficult terrain conditions, the inquiry heard.
There were claims army aviation was dissatisfied with the assessment's findings and wanted the software upgrade to be rolled out despite calls for further analysis.
Issues with fatigue and workload in the months leading up to the crash were also raised, with a colleague of the late air crew claiming they were working 12 to 18 hours a day on weekdays and four to six hours on weekends.
A MRH-90 pilot said the culture was becoming "toxic", with defence headquarters not recognising the impact of fatigue or the need for time off.
In the days before the crash, which happened at the military training event Talisman Sabre, the female pilot said air crew were offered sleeping tablets after the ground trial to help them switch from day to night shifts.
She left the training exercise due to fatigue and her struggle with career pressures and a lack of progression.
The inquiry heard the final text messages she exchanged with her colleague and friend Capt Lyon.
"There is a weird vibe now you've gone," Capt Lyon texted before his final flight.
"I hope you have fun tonight," the pilot replied.
She was informed the following day there had been a fatal crash, frantically texting Capt Lyon: "F*** f*** f*** please msg me when you guys have phones."
She never received a response.
She was one of many colleagues and family members of the deceased who broke down while giving evidence.
Capt Lyon's wife Caitland tearily recalled the day she broke the news of his death to their son.
"I'm still haunted by the sound of our five-year-old's screams the day that I told him daddy wasn't coming home," she told the final hearing.
Their daughter was just 16 months old when her father died but now cries for her daddy to come back from heaven, Ms Lyon added.
"My heart shatters knowing she has lived more days crying for daddy than she ever had laughing with him," she said.
Lt Nugent's partner, Chadine Whyte, spoke of how much he wanted to become a father and her feeling of devastation that he would never be able to realise that dream, urging the defence force to do better.
"While I understand that in operational environments, risk is inevitable, we must never lose sight of the fact that behind every uniform is a person, and behind every person is a family, a life and a future," she said.
"Max's life mattered and so does the loss of it."
The final hearing finished on Friday with Ms McMurdo's findings to be handed down at an undetermined date.
Not satisfied with the response to one crash, Captain Danniel Lyon offered a sobering assessment of the Australian army's MRH-90 Taipan helicopter.
"Somebody is going to die from this," he said.
Months later, Capt Lyon was killed along with three of his colleagues after their Taipan plunged into the sea off Queensland's Lindeman Island.
His warning was recalled by his wife Caitland at an inquiry into the July 28, 2023 crash that also claimed the lives of Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs.
The inquiry before former judge Margaret McMurdo heard Capt Lyon attended an Australian Defence Force meeting to discuss a Jervis Bay incident when a MRH-90 suffered an engine failure in March 2023, causing it to ditch into the sea.
Capt Lyon felt the issues had not been properly rectified, nor had adequate measures been put in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring.
He then offered his sadly prophetic assessment.
His wife, along with the other victims' families, are now awaiting answers after the fatal crash inquiry concluded in Brisbane after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses over nearly two years.
The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed.
As the hearings unfolded, concerns emerged among army personnel about the helicopter, the severe fatigue and high workload for pilots, and over the night-vision technology they used.
A former Taipan pilot recounted being told that the aircraft had a significant risk of engine failure.
The air crew were also briefed on the risk that the MRH-90 would be inescapable if it plunged into water due to such a failure.
Crew began flying without gloves to have a better chance of removing themselves if the craft crashed into water, the ex-pilot said.
Multiple witnesses said the MRH-90 was not fit to be in service due to the engine-failure risks and high maintenance requirements.
It would later be discontinued in favour of the US-made Black Hawks.
Major General Stephen Jobson said the MRH-90 was an "immature and under-performing system" that had a high level of risk management since its acquisition in 2007.
The Army Aviation Command's former commanding officer said he was never comfortable with the safety risk of the Taipan, but strong efforts were made to eliminate or at least minimise it.
Issues with the pilots' TopOwl night-vision helmets were also raised, with an internal army assessment finding a fault left an "unacceptable risk".
The assessment, made four years before the crash, found there was an "unacceptable ambiguity" with the helmet technology.
It meant there was the potential for a crash when a pilot looked away from the helicopter front windscreen or the axis at night or in difficult terrain conditions, the inquiry heard.
There were claims army aviation was dissatisfied with the assessment's findings and wanted the software upgrade to be rolled out despite calls for further analysis.
Issues with fatigue and workload in the months leading up to the crash were also raised, with a colleague of the late air crew claiming they were working 12 to 18 hours a day on weekdays and four to six hours on weekends.
A MRH-90 pilot said the culture was becoming "toxic", with defence headquarters not recognising the impact of fatigue or the need for time off.
In the days before the crash, which happened at the military training event Talisman Sabre, the female pilot said air crew were offered sleeping tablets after the ground trial to help them switch from day to night shifts.
She left the training exercise due to fatigue and her struggle with career pressures and a lack of progression.
The inquiry heard the final text messages she exchanged with her colleague and friend Capt Lyon.
"There is a weird vibe now you've gone," Capt Lyon texted before his final flight.
"I hope you have fun tonight," the pilot replied.
She was informed the following day there had been a fatal crash, frantically texting Capt Lyon: "F*** f*** f*** please msg me when you guys have phones."
She never received a response.
She was one of many colleagues and family members of the deceased who broke down while giving evidence.
Capt Lyon's wife Caitland tearily recalled the day she broke the news of his death to their son.
"I'm still haunted by the sound of our five-year-old's screams the day that I told him daddy wasn't coming home," she told the final hearing.
Their daughter was just 16 months old when her father died but now cries for her daddy to come back from heaven, Ms Lyon added.
"My heart shatters knowing she has lived more days crying for daddy than she ever had laughing with him," she said.
Lt Nugent's partner, Chadine Whyte, spoke of how much he wanted to become a father and her feeling of devastation that he would never be able to realise that dream, urging the defence force to do better.
"While I understand that in operational environments, risk is inevitable, we must never lose sight of the fact that behind every uniform is a person, and behind every person is a family, a life and a future," she said.
"Max's life mattered and so does the loss of it."
The final hearing finished on Friday with Ms McMurdo's findings to be handed down at an undetermined date.
Not satisfied with the response to one crash, Captain Danniel Lyon offered a sobering assessment of the Australian army's MRH-90 Taipan helicopter.
"Somebody is going to die from this," he said.
Months later, Capt Lyon was killed along with three of his colleagues after their Taipan plunged into the sea off Queensland's Lindeman Island.
His warning was recalled by his wife Caitland at an inquiry into the July 28, 2023 crash that also claimed the lives of Lieutenant Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Class Two Joseph "Phillip" Laycock and Corporal Alexander Naggs.
The inquiry before former judge Margaret McMurdo heard Capt Lyon attended an Australian Defence Force meeting to discuss a Jervis Bay incident when a MRH-90 suffered an engine failure in March 2023, causing it to ditch into the sea.
Capt Lyon felt the issues had not been properly rectified, nor had adequate measures been put in place to prevent a similar incident from occurring.
He then offered his sadly prophetic assessment.
His wife, along with the other victims' families, are now awaiting answers after the fatal crash inquiry concluded in Brisbane after nine hearings and dozens of witnesses over nearly two years.
The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Inquiry was formed in October 2023, tasked with examining the cause of the crash and whether the action or inaction of army personnel or others contributed.
As the hearings unfolded, concerns emerged among army personnel about the helicopter, the severe fatigue and high workload for pilots, and over the night-vision technology they used.
A former Taipan pilot recounted being told that the aircraft had a significant risk of engine failure.
The air crew were also briefed on the risk that the MRH-90 would be inescapable if it plunged into water due to such a failure.
Crew began flying without gloves to have a better chance of removing themselves if the craft crashed into water, the ex-pilot said.
Multiple witnesses said the MRH-90 was not fit to be in service due to the engine-failure risks and high maintenance requirements.
It would later be discontinued in favour of the US-made Black Hawks.
Major General Stephen Jobson said the MRH-90 was an "immature and under-performing system" that had a high level of risk management since its acquisition in 2007.
The Army Aviation Command's former commanding officer said he was never comfortable with the safety risk of the Taipan, but strong efforts were made to eliminate or at least minimise it.
Issues with the pilots' TopOwl night-vision helmets were also raised, with an internal army assessment finding a fault left an "unacceptable risk".
The assessment, made four years before the crash, found there was an "unacceptable ambiguity" with the helmet technology.
It meant there was the potential for a crash when a pilot looked away from the helicopter front windscreen or the axis at night or in difficult terrain conditions, the inquiry heard.
There were claims army aviation was dissatisfied with the assessment's findings and wanted the software upgrade to be rolled out despite calls for further analysis.
Issues with fatigue and workload in the months leading up to the crash were also raised, with a colleague of the late air crew claiming they were working 12 to 18 hours a day on weekdays and four to six hours on weekends.
A MRH-90 pilot said the culture was becoming "toxic", with defence headquarters not recognising the impact of fatigue or the need for time off.
In the days before the crash, which happened at the military training event Talisman Sabre, the female pilot said air crew were offered sleeping tablets after the ground trial to help them switch from day to night shifts.
She left the training exercise due to fatigue and her struggle with career pressures and a lack of progression.
The inquiry heard the final text messages she exchanged with her colleague and friend Capt Lyon.
"There is a weird vibe now you've gone," Capt Lyon texted before his final flight.
"I hope you have fun tonight," the pilot replied.
She was informed the following day there had been a fatal crash, frantically texting Capt Lyon: "F*** f*** f*** please msg me when you guys have phones."
She never received a response.
She was one of many colleagues and family members of the deceased who broke down while giving evidence.
Capt Lyon's wife Caitland tearily recalled the day she broke the news of his death to their son.
"I'm still haunted by the sound of our five-year-old's screams the day that I told him daddy wasn't coming home," she told the final hearing.
Their daughter was just 16 months old when her father died but now cries for her daddy to come back from heaven, Ms Lyon added.
"My heart shatters knowing she has lived more days crying for daddy than she ever had laughing with him," she said.
Lt Nugent's partner, Chadine Whyte, spoke of how much he wanted to become a father and her feeling of devastation that he would never be able to realise that dream, urging the defence force to do better.
"While I understand that in operational environments, risk is inevitable, we must never lose sight of the fact that behind every uniform is a person, and behind every person is a family, a life and a future," she said.
"Max's life mattered and so does the loss of it."
The final hearing finished on Friday with Ms McMurdo's findings to be handed down at an undetermined date.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
26 minutes ago
- Perth Now
US-backed aid group says it is facing Hamas threats
The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it has been unable to distribute any humanitarian aid because Palestinian militants Hamas have issued "direct threats" against the organisation's operations. "These threats made it impossible to proceed today without putting innocent lives at risk," the organisation said in a statement on Saturday. "GHF will not be deterred. We remain committed to safe, secure and independent aid delivery. We are actively adapting our operations to overcome these threats and fully intend to resume distributions without delay." The Israeli military on Saturday retrieved the body of a Thai hostage who had been held in the Gaza Strip since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, Defence Minister Israel Katz said, as Israeli airstrikes killed 45 people, according to local medics. Nattapong Pinta's body was held by a Palestinian militant group called the Mujahedeen Brigades, and was recovered from the area of Rafah in south of the enclave, Katz said. His family in Thailand has been notified. Nattapong Pinta was a hardworking and beloved man who worked in agriculture in Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was held hostage for 610 days by terrorists in Gaza. On October 7, 2023, he was abducted with some of his friends. His family, wife and son are waiting for his return. He was… Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 7, 2025 Pinta, an agricultural worker, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small Israeli community near the Gaza Strip border where a quarter of the population was killed or taken hostage during the Hamas attack that triggered the devastating war. Israel's military said Pinta had been abducted alive and killed by his captors, who had also killed and taken to the Gaza Strip the bodies of two more US-Israeli hostages that were retrieved earlier this week. There was no immediate comment from the Mujahedeen Brigades, who have previously denied killing their captives, or from Hamas. The Israeli military said the Brigades were still holding the body of another foreigner. Only 20 of the 55 remaining hostages are believed to still be alive. The Mujahedeen Brigades also held and killed Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, according to Israeli authorities. Their bodies were returned during a two-month ceasefire, which collapsed in March after the two sides could not agree on terms for extending it to a second phase. Israel has since expanded its offensive across the Gaza Strip as US., Qatari and Egyptian-led efforts to secure another ceasefire have faltered. Medics in the Gaza Strip said 45 people in total were killed in Israeli air strikes across the enclave on Saturday. At least 15 Palestinians were killed and 50 wounded by air strikes in the Gaza City district of Sabra in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, local health authorities said. More than one missile landed in the area. The target seemed to have been a multi-floor residential building but the explosion damaged several other houses nearby, according to witnesses and media. The Israeli military did not immediately comment. It later warned people to leave the nearby district of Jabalia, saying it was going to strike there after rockets were launched by militants in the vicinity. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday that Gaza's hospitals only had fuel for three more days and that Israel was denying access for international relief agencies to areas where fuel storages designated for hospitals are located. There was no immediate response from the Israeli military or COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that co-ordinates humanitarian matters with the Palestinian side. The United Nations has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the enclave, with the rate of young children suffering from acute malnutrition nearly tripling. The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1200 people, most of them civilians, in the October 7, 2023 attack, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave. Families of remaining hostages fear that those alive are in danger from the continued Israeli offensive and those dead will be lost forever. Israel says the campaign is aimed at bringing them all back and ending Hamas rule in the enclave.
West Australian
29 minutes ago
- West Australian
US-backed aid group says it is facing Hamas threats
The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation says it has been unable to distribute any humanitarian aid because Palestinian militants Hamas have issued "direct threats" against the organisation's operations. "These threats made it impossible to proceed today without putting innocent lives at risk," the organisation said in a statement on Saturday. "GHF will not be deterred. We remain committed to safe, secure and independent aid delivery. We are actively adapting our operations to overcome these threats and fully intend to resume distributions without delay." The Israeli military on Saturday retrieved the body of a Thai hostage who had been held in the Gaza Strip since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, Defence Minister Israel Katz said, as Israeli airstrikes killed 45 people, according to local medics. Nattapong Pinta's body was held by a Palestinian militant group called the Mujahedeen Brigades, and was recovered from the area of Rafah in south of the enclave, Katz said. His family in Thailand has been notified. Pinta, an agricultural worker, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a small Israeli community near the Gaza Strip border where a quarter of the population was killed or taken hostage during the Hamas attack that triggered the devastating war. Israel's military said Pinta had been abducted alive and killed by his captors, who had also killed and taken to the Gaza Strip the bodies of two more US-Israeli hostages that were retrieved earlier this week. There was no immediate comment from the Mujahedeen Brigades, who have previously denied killing their captives, or from Hamas. The Israeli military said the Brigades were still holding the body of another foreigner. Only 20 of the 55 remaining hostages are believed to still be alive. The Mujahedeen Brigades also held and killed Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, according to Israeli authorities. Their bodies were returned during a two-month ceasefire, which collapsed in March after the two sides could not agree on terms for extending it to a second phase. Israel has since expanded its offensive across the Gaza Strip as US., Qatari and Egyptian-led efforts to secure another ceasefire have faltered. Medics in the Gaza Strip said 45 people in total were killed in Israeli air strikes across the enclave on Saturday. At least 15 Palestinians were killed and 50 wounded by air strikes in the Gaza City district of Sabra in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, local health authorities said. More than one missile landed in the area. The target seemed to have been a multi-floor residential building but the explosion damaged several other houses nearby, according to witnesses and media. The Israeli military did not immediately comment. It later warned people to leave the nearby district of Jabalia, saying it was going to strike there after rockets were launched by militants in the vicinity. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Saturday that Gaza's hospitals only had fuel for three more days and that Israel was denying access for international relief agencies to areas where fuel storages designated for hospitals are located. There was no immediate response from the Israeli military or COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that co-ordinates humanitarian matters with the Palestinian side. The United Nations has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the enclave, with the rate of young children suffering from acute malnutrition nearly tripling. The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1200 people, most of them civilians, in the October 7, 2023 attack, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave. Families of remaining hostages fear that those alive are in danger from the continued Israeli offensive and those dead will be lost forever. Israel says the campaign is aimed at bringing them all back and ending Hamas rule in the enclave.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Three dead as Russian strikes target eastern Ukraine
A large Russian drone-and-missile attack has targeted Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv, killing at least three people and injuring 21, local officials say. The barrage - the latest in almost-daily, widescale attacks - included aerial glide bombs that have become part of a fierce Russian onslaught in the three-year war. The intensity of the Russian attacks on Ukraine in the past weeks has further dampened hopes that the warring sides could reach a peace deal anytime soon - especially after Kyiv recently embarrassed the Kremlin with a surprising drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia. According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia struck with 215 missiles and drones overnight on Saturday, and Ukrainian air defences shot down and neutralised 87 drones and seven missiles. Several other areas in Ukraine were also hit, including the regions of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and the city of Ternopil, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. "To put an end to Russia's killing and destruction, more pressure on Moscow is required, as are more steps to strengthen Ukraine," he said. The Russian Defence Ministry on Saturday said its forces carried out a night-time strike on Ukrainian military targets, including ammunition depots, drone assembly workshops, and weaponry repair stations. There was no comment from Moscow on the reports of casualties in Kharkiv. Kharkiv's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said the strikes also damaged 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes. Terekhov said it was "the most powerful attack" on the city since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kharkiv's regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said two districts in the city were struck with three missiles, five aerial glide bombs and 48 drones. He said two children, a baby boy and a 14-year-old girl, were among the injured. In the Dnipropetrovsk province further south, two women aged 45 and 88 were injured, according to local Governor Serhii Lysak. Russian shelling also killed a couple in their 50s in the southern city of Kherson, close to the front lines, local Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported in a Facebook post. Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry said its forces shot down 36 Ukrainian drones overnight, over the country's south and west, including near the capital. Drone debris injured two civilians in the suburbs of Moscow, local Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported. On Friday, Russia struck six Ukrainian territories, killing at least six people and injuring about 80. Among the dead were three emergency responders in Kyiv, one person in Lutsk and two people in Chernihiv. A US-led diplomatic push for a settlement has brought two rounds of direct peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine, although the negotiations delivered no significant breakthroughs. The sides remain far apart on their terms for an end to the fighting. Ukraine has offered an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and a meeting between its President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to break the deadlock. But the Kremlin has effectively rejected a truce and hasn't budged from its demands. US President Donald Trump said this week that Putin told him Moscow would respond to Ukraine's attack on Russian military airfields last Sunday. Trump also said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia "fight for a while" before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. Trump's comments were a remarkable detour from his often-stated appeals to stop the war and signalled he might be giving up on recent peace efforts. A large Russian drone-and-missile attack has targeted Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv, killing at least three people and injuring 21, local officials say. The barrage - the latest in almost-daily, widescale attacks - included aerial glide bombs that have become part of a fierce Russian onslaught in the three-year war. The intensity of the Russian attacks on Ukraine in the past weeks has further dampened hopes that the warring sides could reach a peace deal anytime soon - especially after Kyiv recently embarrassed the Kremlin with a surprising drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia. According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia struck with 215 missiles and drones overnight on Saturday, and Ukrainian air defences shot down and neutralised 87 drones and seven missiles. Several other areas in Ukraine were also hit, including the regions of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and the city of Ternopil, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. "To put an end to Russia's killing and destruction, more pressure on Moscow is required, as are more steps to strengthen Ukraine," he said. The Russian Defence Ministry on Saturday said its forces carried out a night-time strike on Ukrainian military targets, including ammunition depots, drone assembly workshops, and weaponry repair stations. There was no comment from Moscow on the reports of casualties in Kharkiv. Kharkiv's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said the strikes also damaged 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes. Terekhov said it was "the most powerful attack" on the city since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kharkiv's regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said two districts in the city were struck with three missiles, five aerial glide bombs and 48 drones. He said two children, a baby boy and a 14-year-old girl, were among the injured. In the Dnipropetrovsk province further south, two women aged 45 and 88 were injured, according to local Governor Serhii Lysak. Russian shelling also killed a couple in their 50s in the southern city of Kherson, close to the front lines, local Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported in a Facebook post. Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry said its forces shot down 36 Ukrainian drones overnight, over the country's south and west, including near the capital. Drone debris injured two civilians in the suburbs of Moscow, local Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported. On Friday, Russia struck six Ukrainian territories, killing at least six people and injuring about 80. Among the dead were three emergency responders in Kyiv, one person in Lutsk and two people in Chernihiv. A US-led diplomatic push for a settlement has brought two rounds of direct peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine, although the negotiations delivered no significant breakthroughs. The sides remain far apart on their terms for an end to the fighting. Ukraine has offered an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and a meeting between its President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to break the deadlock. But the Kremlin has effectively rejected a truce and hasn't budged from its demands. US President Donald Trump said this week that Putin told him Moscow would respond to Ukraine's attack on Russian military airfields last Sunday. Trump also said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia "fight for a while" before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. Trump's comments were a remarkable detour from his often-stated appeals to stop the war and signalled he might be giving up on recent peace efforts. A large Russian drone-and-missile attack has targeted Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv, killing at least three people and injuring 21, local officials say. The barrage - the latest in almost-daily, widescale attacks - included aerial glide bombs that have become part of a fierce Russian onslaught in the three-year war. The intensity of the Russian attacks on Ukraine in the past weeks has further dampened hopes that the warring sides could reach a peace deal anytime soon - especially after Kyiv recently embarrassed the Kremlin with a surprising drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia. According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia struck with 215 missiles and drones overnight on Saturday, and Ukrainian air defences shot down and neutralised 87 drones and seven missiles. Several other areas in Ukraine were also hit, including the regions of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and the city of Ternopil, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. "To put an end to Russia's killing and destruction, more pressure on Moscow is required, as are more steps to strengthen Ukraine," he said. The Russian Defence Ministry on Saturday said its forces carried out a night-time strike on Ukrainian military targets, including ammunition depots, drone assembly workshops, and weaponry repair stations. There was no comment from Moscow on the reports of casualties in Kharkiv. Kharkiv's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said the strikes also damaged 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes. Terekhov said it was "the most powerful attack" on the city since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kharkiv's regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said two districts in the city were struck with three missiles, five aerial glide bombs and 48 drones. He said two children, a baby boy and a 14-year-old girl, were among the injured. In the Dnipropetrovsk province further south, two women aged 45 and 88 were injured, according to local Governor Serhii Lysak. Russian shelling also killed a couple in their 50s in the southern city of Kherson, close to the front lines, local Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported in a Facebook post. Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry said its forces shot down 36 Ukrainian drones overnight, over the country's south and west, including near the capital. Drone debris injured two civilians in the suburbs of Moscow, local Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported. On Friday, Russia struck six Ukrainian territories, killing at least six people and injuring about 80. Among the dead were three emergency responders in Kyiv, one person in Lutsk and two people in Chernihiv. A US-led diplomatic push for a settlement has brought two rounds of direct peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine, although the negotiations delivered no significant breakthroughs. The sides remain far apart on their terms for an end to the fighting. Ukraine has offered an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and a meeting between its President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to break the deadlock. But the Kremlin has effectively rejected a truce and hasn't budged from its demands. US President Donald Trump said this week that Putin told him Moscow would respond to Ukraine's attack on Russian military airfields last Sunday. Trump also said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia "fight for a while" before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. Trump's comments were a remarkable detour from his often-stated appeals to stop the war and signalled he might be giving up on recent peace efforts. A large Russian drone-and-missile attack has targeted Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv, killing at least three people and injuring 21, local officials say. The barrage - the latest in almost-daily, widescale attacks - included aerial glide bombs that have become part of a fierce Russian onslaught in the three-year war. The intensity of the Russian attacks on Ukraine in the past weeks has further dampened hopes that the warring sides could reach a peace deal anytime soon - especially after Kyiv recently embarrassed the Kremlin with a surprising drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia. According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia struck with 215 missiles and drones overnight on Saturday, and Ukrainian air defences shot down and neutralised 87 drones and seven missiles. Several other areas in Ukraine were also hit, including the regions of Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and the city of Ternopil, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. "To put an end to Russia's killing and destruction, more pressure on Moscow is required, as are more steps to strengthen Ukraine," he said. The Russian Defence Ministry on Saturday said its forces carried out a night-time strike on Ukrainian military targets, including ammunition depots, drone assembly workshops, and weaponry repair stations. There was no comment from Moscow on the reports of casualties in Kharkiv. Kharkiv's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said the strikes also damaged 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes. Terekhov said it was "the most powerful attack" on the city since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kharkiv's regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said two districts in the city were struck with three missiles, five aerial glide bombs and 48 drones. He said two children, a baby boy and a 14-year-old girl, were among the injured. In the Dnipropetrovsk province further south, two women aged 45 and 88 were injured, according to local Governor Serhii Lysak. Russian shelling also killed a couple in their 50s in the southern city of Kherson, close to the front lines, local Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported in a Facebook post. Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry said its forces shot down 36 Ukrainian drones overnight, over the country's south and west, including near the capital. Drone debris injured two civilians in the suburbs of Moscow, local Governor Andrei Vorobyov reported. On Friday, Russia struck six Ukrainian territories, killing at least six people and injuring about 80. Among the dead were three emergency responders in Kyiv, one person in Lutsk and two people in Chernihiv. A US-led diplomatic push for a settlement has brought two rounds of direct peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine, although the negotiations delivered no significant breakthroughs. The sides remain far apart on their terms for an end to the fighting. Ukraine has offered an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and a meeting between its President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to break the deadlock. But the Kremlin has effectively rejected a truce and hasn't budged from its demands. US President Donald Trump said this week that Putin told him Moscow would respond to Ukraine's attack on Russian military airfields last Sunday. Trump also said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia "fight for a while" before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. Trump's comments were a remarkable detour from his often-stated appeals to stop the war and signalled he might be giving up on recent peace efforts.
