Putin hits Ukraine with 200 missiles, drones in massive strikes amid invasion on Russian homeland
Zelenskyy did not confirm where the strikes were likely fired from, but he again argued that Ukraine needs to be able to better defend itself from Russia’s constant barrage of aerial attacks.
On Monday, Russia conducted one of its largest attacks against Ukraine, launching over 200 missiles and drones at civilian and energy infrastructure across the country, as confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy detailed that the assault involved more than 100 different types of missiles and around 100 Shahed drones supplied by Iran. He renewed his appeal for Western allies to remove all restrictions on long-range defensive strikes to bolster Ukraine's defense against Russia's ongoing aerial assaults.
While Zelenskyy did not specify the launch sites, he stressed the need for enhanced defense capabilities against Russia’s persistent bombardments.
"It is crucial that our partners fulfill the commitments we’ve made together, particularly concerning air defense systems and missiles for them," Zelenskyy said. "We must unite our efforts to intercept Russian missiles and drones."
The strikes impacted Ukraine's westernmost regions, including Volyn and Lviv, which are close to Poland, as well as western-central areas such as Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, and Ternopil. Major cities including Kyiv and Odesa were also targeted, according to images shared by Reuters.
State Emergency Service spokesperson Oleksandr Khorunzhy reported that five people were killed and 30 others injured, as stated in a televised address by the Kyiv Independent.
"Across Ukraine, we could do much more to protect lives if the aviation of our European neighbors operated in concert with our F-16s and air defense systems," Zelenskyy said. "If such unity has proven effective in the Middle East, it must work in Europe too. Life holds the same value everywhere," he added.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that on Monday, storage facilities in the Kyiv and Dnepropetrovsk regions, housing "aviation weapons" provided to Ukraine by its Western allies, were struck. However, Fox News Digital could not independently verify these claims.
"All designated targets were hit, resulting in power outages and disruption of rail transportation for weapons and ammunition to the combat line," the Russian ministry posted on Telegram.
Zelenskyy has consistently urged allies to enhance Ukraine’s air defense capabilities with F-16s, Patriot batteries, and the removal of long-range strike restrictions. Last month, he stated that Ukraine needs additional F-16s and approximately 25 Patriot battery systems to adequately protect its airspace.
The U.S., along with the Netherlands, Germany, and Romania, announced plans last month to provide four additional Patriot systems to Ukraine, while Italy will send a SAMP-T system. Both systems offer defense against cruise and ballistic missiles as well as combat aircraft, though the Patriot system has greater coverage over longer distances.
It remains unclear how many Patriot or SAMP-T systems Ukraine currently possesses. However, Zelenskyy noted earlier this month that if allied nations lifted their long-range strike bans, Kyiv "would not need to physically enter [Russia], particularly the Kursk region, to protect our Ukrainian citizens in the border communities and neutralize Russia’s potential for aggression."
