Russia has launched its most intense air attack on Ukraine since the war began in 2022, firing more than 500 drones and missiles across several cities in a coordinated nighttime barrage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the assault in a statement on Sunday, sharing photos and videos of widespread destruction in Kyiv, Cherkasy, Lviv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Mykolaiv.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, the country’s air defenses managed to shoot down 475 out of 537 aerial targets. Despite the success in intercepting much of the bombardment, damage to homes and key infrastructure was reported nationwide, with at least 12 people injured.

Tragically, three persons were killed and multiple others were wounded in the onslaught with two deaths recorded in the Kherson and Kharkiv regions and the third being an F-16 fighter pilot with the Ukrainian Air Force who died while repelling the attack. The pilot had attempted to steer the damaged aircraft away from populated areas but was unable to eject before the jet crashed, military officials said.

In Kyiv, residents took cover in metro stations as air raid sirens echoed across the capital. Gunfire and explosions were also reported in Lviv—a western city near the Polish border that rarely sees attacks of this scale. Officials there said the strikes targeted critical infrastructure.

President Zelensky used the moment to urge renewed support from Western allies, particularly the United States, calling for additional air defense systems to help protect Ukrainian cities from escalating aerial assaults.

Poland, a NATO member bordering Ukraine, responded by scrambling fighter jets and activating ground-based air defenses as the six-hour assault unfolded.

The latest wave of strikes signals a significant escalation in Russia’s campaign, now in its fourth year, as Ukrainian forces brace for further attacks and the country continues to press its allies for sustained military and humanitarian support.

Despite international peace initiatives spearheaded by the US, there has been no progress in finding a compromise during the two recent rounds of negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul.