Russia Likely Just Set New One-Day Bombing Record: Report

Russia may have set a new bombing record during a massive Valentine's Day attack on Ukraine.

Data released by the Armed Forces of Ukraine revealed that Russian forces dropped 159 bombs and air-launched rockets and missiles on Ukraine on February 14, according to a report published on Thursday by The Kyiv Post.

The report, which cites analysis by Icelandic open-source data researcher Ragnar Gudmundsson, claims that Russia "blew the war's one-day air strike record to bits" with the bombing run. The number of casualties suffered and damage inflicted in Ukraine was unclear.

The second and third biggest days for Russian bomb and missile strikes both occurred in January of this year, indicating that Moscow may be ramping up its war effort as the conflict nears its second anniversary.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense via email on Thursday.

A Wednesday post by Gudmundsson on X, formerly Twitter, said that the strikes were a record for Russia but noted that the data only went back as far as November 2022—about nine months after the Russian invasion began on February 24, 2022.

Escalating Russian air attacks on the embattled Donetsk city of Avdiivka have been particularly devastating. Kyiv's ground forces are now struggling to hold positions in a settlement that has been largely destroyed.

According to the Kyiv Post report, Russia is increasingly using so-called "smart bombs" in attacks, which can include guidance systems that greatly improve their effectiveness. "Dumb bombs" were largely used during the early phase of the war.

Ukraine's air defenses have become increasingly strained amid the Russian onslaught, with Kyiv's military leadership calling for more aid from allies abroad, including U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems and missiles.

A group of several NATO member states announced in January that they were purchasing up to 1,000 Patriot missiles to aid Ukraine, but it was unclear when the missiles would be delivered.

Around the same time, one of Kyiv's top military officials warned that Ukraine only had enough ammunition for its man-portable air defense systems to ward off "the next few powerful attacks."

Meanwhile, Ukraine is set to bolster its air force with a now-fledgling F-16 fighter jet program, which is expected to take flight later this year. Over 30 Ukrainian F-16 pilots are currently training on the U.S.-made aircraft, which have been donated by Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway.

In addition to launching a barrage of bombs on Ukraine, Russia has also recently launched drills that simulate bombing runs on their own airfields, in anticipation of the possibility that Russian territory could come under attack if the conflict expands to include NATO.