Ukraine was hit by one of the largest aerial attacks of the war overnight, with Russian forces launching at least 479 attack drones across multiple regions, according to Ukraine’s air force.
“According to preliminary data, as of 10:30, air defense neutralized 479 enemy air attack vehicles, 292 were shot down by fire weapons, 187 were lost in location,” the air force said in a message posted in Ukrainian.
The Ukrainian military also reported that Russia launched 20 missiles, including more than 10 cruise missiles. A series of air raid alerts began early Monday as the strikes targeted much of the country.
The attacks triggered a swift response in neighboring Poland. Polish and allied warplanes were briefly scrambled into the air.
According to the Polish armed forces, the move came as a precaution. “The operation commander of the armed forces in Poland launched all available forces and resources at his disposal, the on-duty fighter pairs were scrambled, and the ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems reached the highest state of readiness,” the military said in a statement.
They emphasized that the warplane launches were “preventative in nature” and confirmed that Polish airspace was not violated.
Russia, in turn, accused Ukraine of launching drones at civilian targets in two districts of the Kursk region.
Alexander Khinshtein, the acting governor of the region, said via Telegram that two people were injured in those strikes.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said it destroyed at least 49 drones fired by Ukraine overnight.
The drones reportedly targeted seven different regions, according to a post on the ministry’s Telegram channel.
(ABC News)
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