KIEV (Dispatches) – Ukraine’s capital was subjected to the largest drone attack since the start of the war on Ukraine, local officials said, as Kiev prepared to mark the anniversary of its founding on Sunday. At least one person was killed.
Russia launched the “most massive attack” on the city overnight Saturday with drones, said Serhii Popko, a senior Kiev military official. The attack lasted more than five hours.
A 41-year-old man was killed and a 35-year-old woman was hospitalized when debris fell on a seven-story nonresidential building and started a fire, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Ukraine’s air force said that Saturday night was also record-breaking in terms of drone attacks across the country.
Since Russia launched its special military operation in Donbas, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has been asking the United States to provide F-16s fighter jets alongside a wide range of other weapons.
So far, there have only been offers by the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Canada to do pilot training courses.
They have all announced their readiness to train Ukrainian pilots, but it is yet unclear who will provide the U.S.-made F-16s.
Western nations have already supplied Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons, including rocket systems, drones, tanks and armored vehicles and communication systems.
Russia has repeatedly said that the collective Western nations are engaged in a proxy war with Russia over Ukraine, warning that the conflict could escalate into a much bigger fight.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned Western nations that they are “playing with fire” by supplying U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Undoubtedly, Western countries willing to give Ukraine U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets are “playing with fire,” Lavrov said on Sunday, describing the move as an “unacceptable escalation” of the persisting conflict.
The Russian top diplomat further slammed the move as an attempt by “Washington, London and their satellites in the EU” to “weaken Russia.”
Earlier, Russia had warned against sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, saying the move would raise the question of the U.S.-led NATO forces’ direct military involvement in the war.
Initially, U.S. President Joe Biden had said that the U.S. would not provide Ukraine with the F-16 fighter jets much sought by Kiev.
Earlier this month, however, he told leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries gathered in Japan that Washington was prepared to help train the Ukrainian pilots of F-16 fighter jets that were to be donated to Kiev.
Moscow also insists that Western nations must refrain from the direct military confrontation between the U.S.-led NATO forces and Russian troops.