Monday, June 30

Russia launched another massive round of drone attacks and missile strikes yesterday, destroying various buildings and taking down an F-16 fighter jet along with its pilot.

The widespread attack saw Russia launch 477 drones and 60 missiles into several different regions of Ukraine early on Sunday morning, although many were taken down by defense systems. According to Ukraine, they managed to take down 211 drones and 38 missiles, and many of the other drones crashed due to Ukrainian interference with their systems.

However, the total number of incoming drones and missiles was reported to be 537, making it the single largest attack of the war so far in terms of number of projectiles.

Multiple fighter jets were also deployed to help stop the attacks, but one F-16 was struck by a missile while destroying targets.

The pilot, who attempted to move the aircraft away from a nearby town, did not have enough time to eject before the plane went down-- he was identified as 31-year-old First Class Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko. He managed to take down seven incoming missiles before his F-16 was shot down, which is a multimillion dollar jet that contains some of Ukraine's most advanced weaponry.

Unfortunately for Ukraine, Russia has increased the frequency and strength of their most recent attacks, launching hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles almost every night. Most of the impacted buildings have been apartments and homes, although some strikes have also hit hospitals and schools.

Now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging US President Donald Trump to allow his country to purchase more of their American-made Patriot air defense systems. These extremely advanced ground-based systems help to defend from incoming missiles, eliminating the need for risking their fighter jets to take down ballistic missiles launched by Russia.

Upcoming Events:

• International Asteroid Day (Monday, June 30)

• International Day of Parliamentarianism (Monday, June 30)

• Wimbledon Begins (Monday, June 30)

• United States Independence Day (Friday, July 4)

• International Day of Cooperatives (Saturday, July 5)

• Ashura (Saturday, July 5)

• World Rural Development Day (Sunday, July 6)

• CONCACAF Gold Cup Final (Sunday, July 6)

Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): The ten highest mountain summits in the United States are all located in Alaska.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It’s hard to soar with the eagles when you’re surrounded by turkeys. (Adam Sandler)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Impetus (noun, IM-puh-tus) - Impetus refers to a force or impulse that causes something (such as a process or activity) to be done or to become more active. It is often used with for and sometimes with to.

In a Sentence: Her work provided the major impetus behind the movement.