• Ukraine's F-16 pilot, Maksym Ustimenko, killed while thwarting a Russian air assault.
• Russia launched its largest aerial attack with 537 drones and missiles, impacting multiple regions.
• Casualties include at least eight dead and numerous injuries, prompting renewed calls for Western military support.

In an escalatory turn of events, Russia launched its largest aerial attack against Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion, deploying a total of 537 aerial weapons, including 477 drones and 60 missiles, resulting in significant casualties and damage across multiple regions. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 249 of these were shot down, while 226 disappeared from radar, likely due to electronic jamming, according to Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.

Tragically, Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustimenko, a Ukrainian F-16 pilot, was killed while successfully intercepting seven incoming air targets. Despite his efforts to steer the damaged aircraft away from populated areas, he did not manage to eject in time, resulting in his death. This incident marks Ukraine's third loss of an F-16 fighter jet since the onset of the war, as confirmed by Reuters and AA.

The wide-ranging assault included strikes on civilian infrastructure, with reports indicating at least six people wounded, including a child. Damage assessments continue as explosions were reported in several regions, including Cherkasy and Lviv, highlighting the breadth of the attack, according to ABC News and Los Angeles Times.

In light of the intensified attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for immediate international support for air defense systems and stated that Ukraine is prepared to purchase more advanced systems, emphasizing the need to protect lives against such aggressive assaults from Russia. The ongoing attacks have underscored the stark realities of the conflict as negotiations, including those held in Istanbul, have failed to yield significant results, as indicated by CBS News and Newsweek.