Kiev, February 25: Russia has carried out the largest drone strike in history in Ukraine. On Saturday night, Russia launched 267 drones simultaneously, which is the largest single drone strike in the war in Ukraine so far, said Yuriy Ignat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force.
He said that Ukrainian defense systems shot down 138 drones, while 119 drones disappeared due to signal jamming, causing them to cause no damage. Although many attacks were repelled, the attacks caused fires and destruction in various areas.
🔥 Horrific attack before the third anniversary
The attack comes just one day before the three-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described as Russia's largest attack using Iranian-made drones.
In a statement, Zelensky said Russia had fired about 1,150 attack drones, more than 1,400 precision-guided bombs and 35 different types of missiles this week. “We must unite and ensure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” he said.
🇷🇺 Iranian drone use and controversy
According to Western intelligence agencies, Russia has been using Iranian-made 'Shahed-136' (kamikaze) drones since the fall of 2022.
Although these drones were initially used against military targets in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine, they were later used to attack civilian populations and energy infrastructure.
Iran claims it supplied Russia with a "limited number" of drones before the war began, but the United States and the European Union have accused Iran of routinely supplying drones.
🕊️ Images of loss of life and damage
The exact death toll is not yet known, but at least three people have been killed, according to Ukrainian emergency services.
- Two people were killed in an attack on a residential building in the city of Kherson, including a man and a mother of twins.
- One person was killed and at least three others were injured in the attack in the city of Kryvyi Rih.
- A 53-year-old woman was injured in the city of Zaporizhia and was hospitalized.
- There were also widespread attacks in the capital Kiev, with firefighters working to put out fires in multiple locations.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said several houses and cars were damaged by the drone strike, but there were no reports of casualties so far.
💥 Russia and Ukraine counterattack
Ukrainian officials said Russian drone attacks had been repelled in 13 regions, including Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv and Odessa.
In addition, Russia also fired three ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight.
On the other hand, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that it successfully destroyed 20 drones launched from Ukraine.
🌍 Diplomatic instability and future crises
This war on Monday Third anniversary It will be. But before that Diplomatic tensions between the United States, Europe, and Russia have intensified.
- US-Russia talks held in Saudi Arabia From Ukrainian and European leaders were excluded, which has created controversy.
- French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Washington on Monday, where he will discuss the Ukraine issue with the United States.
- UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is also travelling to the United States on Thursday, where he will express the UK's 'strong support' for protecting Ukraine's sovereignty.
🕊️ Message from Pope Francis
Meanwhile, Pope Francis, who is currently seriously ill, said in a statement, "The third anniversary of the war is a chapter of shame for world humanity."
The Russia-Ukraine war is entering its third year, but the level of violence and destruction is growing more horrific by the day. Saturday night's attacks have brought a new, terrifying turn to the conflict, with civilians increasingly suffering.
It remains to be seen how world leaders will now move forward in resolving this crisis. But clearly, The end of this war is still far from the horizon.
