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Russia fired over 500 drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight, its largest aerial attack since the war began, as being claimed by Ukraine, says an AP report. Ukraine’s air force reported 537 weapons launched, including 477 drones and 60 missiles. Air defenses shot down 249 targets, while signal disruption likely disabled 226 others. Strikes hit western regions far from the frontline fighting, killing at least 10 civilians across Kherson, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia. In Lviv, drones ignited a major industrial fire and cut power. Tragically, a Ukrainian F-16 jet crashed during defense operations, killing its pilot. Poland and allies scrambled jets to protect their airspace as explosions echoed near their border.The assault came despite Putin’s Friday offer of new peace talks, a proposal Ukraine dismissed, given ongoing attacks. Russia claimed minor territorial gains, announcing control of Donetsk’s Novoukrainka village after costly ground advances. Meanwhile, Moscow reported downing 12 Ukrainian drones overnight, with two people injured in Bryansk. The attack underscores Russia’s evolving tactics: improved drone technology and concentrated barrages are increasingly overwhelming Ukraine’s defenses. Civilian infrastructure suffered heavily, including a nine-story building reduced to rubble in Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian officials confirmed that at least four separate regions faced simultaneous missile and drone waves.Ukraine withdraws from landmine ban amid battlefield pressures Responding to battlefield pressures, President Zelenskyy withdrew Ukraine from the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning landmines.Lawmaker Roman Kostenko defended the move, saying, “Russia isn’t part of this treaty and uses mines indiscriminately against our people.”The decision follows similar steps by Poland and Baltic states. Separately, Russia’s spy chief revealed a phone call with CIA director William Burns, keeping rare communication channels open.As Ukraine buries its dead and clears rubble, analysts warn Russia may intensify attacks before anticipated Western F-16 reinforcements arrive. The overnight barrage marks a grim escalation as the war nears its 29th month with no diplomatic breakthrough in sight.
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