Ukraine Faces Record Russian Air Assault, Loses F-16 Pilot; Withdraws from Landmine Treaty

Ukraine has confirmed the tragic death of an F-16 pilot and the loss of his jet following one of Russia’s largest aerial attacks to date. On Sunday, the Ukrainian military announced that First Class Lt. Col. Maksym Ustymenko was killed when his F-16 crashed after Russia launched a massive overnight assault involving hundreds of drones and scores of missiles. Ustymenko, praised by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his heroism, is the third F-16 pilot and fourth F-16 jet lost by Ukraine since last summer.

The scale of the Russian offensive was immense, with Moscow deploying 477 drones and 60 missiles across six different locations overnight into Sunday, according to CNN. President Zelenskyy highlighted the escalating intensity, stating that Russia launched over 114 missiles, 1,270 drones, and nearly 1,100 glide bombs against Ukraine just this past week. He renewed his urgent plea to Western allies for increased aerial defense systems, specifically emphasizing the need for American Patriot systems to counter the relentless attacks and protect civilian infrastructure, including a residential building in Odesa hit by a drone on June 28, 2025.

In a separate critical development, President Zelenskyy also signed a decree on Sunday to initiate Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty, the international agreement banning anti-personnel landmines. This long-signaled move, requiring parliamentary approval, is justified by Kyiv on the grounds that Russia, a non-signatory, extensively uses landmines, placing Ukraine at a disadvantage. Ukraine, already the world’s most heavily mined country, asserts this decision is a necessary step for national defense.

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