This is reported by Kyiv24
On the night of July 9, Russian forces launched the largest airstrike on Ukraine since the full-scale war began, firing 741 aerial attack means. President Volodymyr Zelensky promptly responded to these events, highlighting the work of Ukrainian air defense forces and emphasizing the need to strengthen sanctions against Russia and its energy sector.
Scale of the Attack and Actions of Ukrainian Air Defense
According to the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the night of July 9, the enemy deployed 728 Shahed-type strike drones and various types of imitation drones, which were launched from five directions within Russia. Additionally, Russia fired seven Kh-101/”Iskander-K” cruise missiles from the Engels area of the Saratov region and the Kursk region, as well as six Kh-47M2 “Kinzhal” aeroballistic missiles from the airspace of the Lipetsk region.
The main strike was directed at the Volyn region and its center, Lutsk. Damage was also recorded in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions. Currently, work is ongoing in these areas to eliminate the consequences of the shelling.
President’s Reaction and Call to Partners
“Our interceptor drones were used – there are dozens of downed targets, and we are scaling up the technology. Mobile fire groups also operated – we have dozens of downed targets as well. I thank all the warriors for their accuracy,” the president noted.
President Zelensky emphasized that Russia ignores all attempts to achieve peace and ceasefire. He called on international partners to impose painful sanctions, particularly against Russian oil, which continues to finance the Kremlin’s military machine, as well as secondary sanctions against those who purchase this oil and indirectly support aggression.
The Ukrainian authorities and international organizations consider such strikes to be war crimes of the Russian Federation, as they are targeted and aimed at civilian infrastructure: hospitals, schools, kindergartens, energy, and water supply facilities. At the same time, the Russian leadership continues to deny attacks on civilians and civilian objects.
Russian military forces systematically attack Ukrainian regions with various types of weaponry, including strike drones, missiles, guided aerial bombs, and multiple launch rocket systems.