Russia launches massive strike on Ukraine as Poland scrambles jets Finland tightens airspace

Western governments are closely monitoring the situation as the impact on energy infrastructure is being evaluated in the hours after the attack

On Thursday, Russia’s defense ministry said it launched a large-scale ballistic missile strike on Ukraine, using long-range air- and sea-based weapons and drones.

Moscow said the strikes targeted military infrastructure, fuel and energy complexes in Ukraine’s capital and the Kyiv region. Meanwhile, targeted areas included military airfields in the Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions.

Originally it was not clear how many missiles and drones were launched or how many Ukrainian air defenses managed to intercept.

Poland also scrambled fighter jets in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine saying on X that “fighter jets have begun operating, while ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance have reached a state of readiness.”

Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command said the measures were preventive in nature and aimed at protecting the airspace, “especially in areas adjacent to the threatened regions.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had warned of an imminent Russian strike on Wednesday evening, urging citizens to take shelter and pay attention to air raid alerts across the country.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy who was cutting short a trip to return to Ukraine said it was known that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been preparing to launch another massive strike against the country Ukraine for some time.

“Russia’s head is completely refusing to end the war,” Zelenskyy said via social media.

“And although through all possible official and unofficial channels – including through people close to him – we have conveyed that the war can and must be ended, and that we in Ukraine are ready for meetings and meaningful negotiations, he sees only further aggression against Ukraine and against other neighbors and Europe as a whole,” he continued.

Ukraine’s president recently approved a 40-day operation aimed at pressuring the Kremlin to bring an end to the war. The latest attack comes as Kyiv has intensified its campaign of long-range drone strikes inside Russia, military facilities and major cities including Moscow and St. Petersburg.

In line with some analysts’ opinion, Ukraine’s strategic breakthroughs had prompted a shift indicating that the conflict was turning in Kyiv’s favor. For the first time, Putin publicly acknowledged the significant impact of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian fuel production.

Additionally, the ministry said on Telegram on July 1:“ As envisaged by the Defense Strategy of Ukraine, we are depriving the enemy of resources for waging war.”