Kyiv: After Moscow’s most intense aerial assault yet, Ukraine says it’s ready to buy American-made protection and urges Western allies to act swiftly. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made a renewed appeal to the United States and its allies for advanced air defence systems, after a deadly overnight Russian barrage killed an F-16 pilot and injured at least a dozen civilians. Describing the attack as the most massive since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, Zelensky said Ukraine is willing to purchase American systems if necessary and stressed that the West must act before Moscow intensifies its campaign further.
In a statement posted on social media Sunday, Zelensky confirmed that an F-16 pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko, died while shooting down seven incoming targets. His jet was hit during the final interception and crashed before he could eject. The assault involved 477 drones and 60 missiles, many of which were aimed at residential and civilian infrastructure across central and southern Ukraine.
