Zelenskyy says ‘ready to buy’ US air defence systems as Russia launches ‘biggest’ airstrikes on Ukraine | World News
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the United States and its allies to send more air defence systems after a Ukrainian F-16 pilot was killed during a wave of Russian missile and drone attacks.
“This war must be brought to an end pressure on the aggressor is needed, and so is protection,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. “Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defence the thing that best protects lives. These are American systems, which we are ready to buy.”
He added, “We count on leadership, political will, and the support of the United States, Europe, and all our partners.”
Almost all night long, air raid alerts sounded across Ukraine — 477 drones were in our skies, most of them Russian-Iranian Shaheds, along with 60 missiles of various types. The Russians were targeting everything that sustains life. A residential building in Smila was also hit,… pic.twitter.com/1ExZhYAMBg
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 29, 2025
Zelenskyy said he had raised Ukraine’s request for more Patriot missile batteries with President Donald Trump during a NATO summit earlier this month. The US has not announced any new military aid since Trump returned to office.
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The Ukrainian President’s renewed call came after an overnight Russian barrage that involved 477 drones and 60 missiles. Ukraine’s Air Force said 211 drones and 38 missiles were shot down.
At least 12 people were injured, including two children in the Cherkasy region. Damage was reported in Kyiv, Lviv, Poltava, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy and Ivano-Frankivsk.
One of the casualties was F-16 pilot Maksym Ustymenko. According to Ukraine’s Air Force, he destroyed seven airborne targets before his jet was hit. “The pilot used all of his onboard weapons and shot down seven air targets. While shooting down the last one, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude,” the Air Force said in a statement quoted Reuters.
Zelenskyy confirmed the pilot’s death in a separate message posted with video footage showing damage to civilian areas. “Tragically, while repelling the attack, our F-16 pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, died. Today, he destroyed 7 aerial targets. My condolences to his family and brothers-in-arms,” he wrote.Story continues below this ad
Russia has increased the frequency of large-scale airstrikes in recent weeks. Ukrainian officials said Moscow launched more than 1,270 drones, 114 missiles and 1,100 glide bombs over the past week alone.
Russia’s state-run RIA news agency said a Ukrainian drone killed one person in the Russian-held part of Luhansk. Both sides deny targeting civilians.
