Russia fired a record 728 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, as well as 13 cruise and ballistic missiles, the Ukrainian air force said, in the latest escalation after weeks of mounting Russian aerial and ground attacks in the more than three-year war.

The attack, which follows a series of escalating air assaults on Ukraine in recent weeks, showed the need for "biting" sanctions on the sources of income Russia uses to finance the war, including on those who buy Russian oil, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Telegram.

Russia launched its largest drone attack of the war on Ukraine overnight into Wednesday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with 741 aerial attack vehicles used in the bombardment.