NATO fighter jets were scrambled overnight after Russia launched one of the biggest attacks on Ukraine.
Some 600 drones and 26 including Kh-101 cruise missiles were launched in one of the most intense bombing raids since the start of the war.
The Russians unleashed Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers to target Lviv and Lutsk as well as Chernivtsi in the assault on western Ukraine.
Two people were confirmed killed in Chernivtsi, close to the Romanian border, with at least 18 wounded in the overnight strikes.
The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said it scrambled fighter jets due to the intensity of the attack.
“Due to the activity of long-range Russian aviation striking targets located in western Ukraine, among other places, Polish and allied air forces have commenced operations in Polish airspace,” it added.
“Scrambled pairs of fighter jets were deployed, and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have been brought to the highest state of combat readiness,” said the statement.
In Lviv, the Russians hit residential buildings and a kindergarten.
“Explosions occurred in several districts of the city,” said mayor Andriy Sadovyi.
Head of the regional military administration, Maksym Kozytskyi, called it a “massive drone attack”.
The main building of the Electron corporation – a maker of trams and buses – was hit.
Russian reports claimed the Yavoriv military training ground in Lviv region was targeted.
In Lutsk, homes were damaged in the blitzkrieg.
In Chernivtsi, the dead were a woman aged 26 and a man aged 43.
“Several residential buildings, shops, administrative buildings and cars were damaged,” said head of the regional military administration, Ruslan Zaparanyuk.
In a message to Donald Trump, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said: “More air defence and investments in interceptor drones, which are already showing good results, are needed.
“The war can only be stopped by force. We expect from our partners not just signals, but actions that will save lives.”
It comes after Donald Trump slammed Vladimir Putin for talking “bull****” about the Ukraine war and making “meaningless” promises.
Trump’s criticism of Putin came a day after he said he would send more weapons to Ukraine.
The US president appears to be growing increasingly frustrated with the Russian tyrant.
He reiterated he was “very unhappy” with Putin since their phone call last week made no progress on the Ukraine peace deal – something the US president has pushed for since returning to power.
“We get a lot of bull**** thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,” Trump told reporters during a televised cabinet meeting at the White House.
“He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
But Putin has snubbed peace and is instead steadily increasing his overnight bombing raids – which could soon hit 1,000 a day.
The White House confirmed on July 1 that shipments of certain air defence missiles and other precision bombs to Ukraine had been stopped because of concerns about dwindling weapons stockpiles.
However, Trump reversed the decision, adding: “We’re going to send some more weapons.
“We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves.They’reting very hard now.”
“We’re going to have to send more weapons, defensive weapons, primarily.”
Trump promised to immediately send 10 MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems – which are used to stop incoming missiles – to Ukraine, according to Axios.
The rocket systems were successfully used a fortnight ago when they shot down every single missile that Iran fired at a US airbase in Qatar.
More weapons that Kyiv could receive in the coming days include precision-guided GMLRS missiles and thousands of high-explosive Howitzer rounds.
Trump also urged Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth to push defence contractors to increase production of armaments.
“We have to step them up, Pete, and let them make it at a much higher rate,” he said.
“Putin is not treating human beings right. He’s killing too many people. So we’re sending some defensive weapons and I’ve approved that,” Trump added.
Asked about his interest in a bill proposed by the Senate for further sanctions on Russia, Trump said: “I’m looking at it very strongly.”
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14691425/nato-jets-russia-attack-ukraine/
