Putin blitzes Ukraine with 267 drones in biggest-ever bombardment on eve of war’s third anniversary

RUSSIA blitzed Ukraine with its biggest ever drone bombardment on the eve of the war’s third anniversary.

Putin’s troops fired a record-breaking 267 Shahed drones from all directions at targets across Ukraine.

Reuters

Ukrainian service personnel use searchlights as they search for drones in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike on Sunday[/caption]

AFP

Firefighters working to extinguish a fire at the site following a massive drone attack, in Kyiv on Sunday[/caption]

Reuters

Explosions are seen in the night sky as Ukrainian servicemen fire at the drone during a Russian drone strike on Sunday[/caption]

The onslaught targeted cities across the country, leaving a trail of destruction and civilian casualties.

Kyiv said it downed 138 while 119 disappeared from radar – which usually means they were jammed or defeated by electronic warfare.

Three flew back towards Russian and one towards Belarus – in a sign that Ukraine hacked the weapons mid flight and turned them back on their enemies.

The figures suggest at least seven made it through.

Russia also unleashed a volley of three ballistic missiles from Crimea.

While Ukraine’s defences managed to shoot down many of the drones, emergency services reported widespread damage. 

In the southern city of Kherson, a man and a mum of twins were killed when a drone struck a residential building.

Another man died, at least three were wounded in Kryvyi Rih, while a 53-year-old woman was hospitalised after a strike on Zaporizhzhia.

Fires erupted across Kyiv, with Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirming homes and cars were damaged in the capital.

The attack, which targeted at least 13 regions including Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Mykolayiv, and Odesa, shattered the previous drone record of 193 set in December.

Ukraine’s President Zelensky is due to hold a press conference this afternoon.

His government has warned that the latest assault is further proof that Kremlin tyrant Putin is not interested in peace, amid reports that the US is blocking a planned G7 statement labelling Russia as the aggressor.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said: “This demonstrates that avoiding calling Russia an aggressor does not change the fact that it is one.

“No one should trust Putin’s words. Look at his actions instead.”

Meanwhile, Russia claimed it had downed 20 Ukrainian drones overnight, as Kyiv continues its own long-range strike campaign.

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