Ukraine’s air force repelled one of Russia’s largest long-range drone attacks of the war overnight Tuesday, shooting down all 89 drones launched at Kyiv. The attack primarily targeted Kyiv and the surrounding region.
Military spy agency spokesperson Andriy Yusov said in televised remarks that Russia had used a “significant” number of decoy drones that were not loaded with explosives to try to deplete Ukraine’s air defenses and also to identify their locations.
The latest drone attack was the seventh conducted in the capital in July, and “one of the biggest attacks by Shahed-131/136 strike drones,” the Ukrainian air force said.
Some 11,500 residents sheltered for safety in metro stations as the drones came in several waves from “all possible directions.”
There was limited damage to civilian and critical infrastructure, but debris damaged the roofs, windows and facades of 13 private residences in the region, according to local authorities.
It comes after Ukrainian forces struck a Russian storage facility for weapons and military equipment in the Western region of Kursk, 62 miles northeast of the Ukrainian border and 435 miles from Odesa, where Ukraine’s navy is headquartered.
The military said it was working to assess the damage inflicted from the latest in a series of strikes by Kyiv in that area. Russian air defenses were engaged to counter the attack, but explosions were visible at the target locations.
Russia’s defense ministry said it had destroyed one incoming drone and a Ukrainian Neptune-guided missile over the Kursk region in addition to 18 drones over four other Russian regions and the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.
Kyiv receives first F-16 fighter jets in landmark moment for its air force
Ukraine has received the first batch of long-awaited F-16 jets in a landmark moment for the war-torn country as it tries to rebuild its battered air force.
The fighter jets, built by Lockheed Martin, have been on Ukraine’s wish-list for a long time because of their destructive power and global availability. The jets are equipped with a 20mm cannon and can carry bombs, rockets and missiles.
“F-16s in Ukraine. Another impossible thing turned out to be totally possible,” Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on X.
Denmark has committed to donating 19 jets in total, while The Netherlands has promised to deliver 24 aircraft. Both countries have been driving forces behind an international coalition to supply Ukraine with F-16s.
Russian military begins third round of drills to train troops in tactical nuclear weapons
Russia has begun a third round of drills with tactical nuclear weapons, as part of an intimidation strategy to limit support for Ukraine from Western allies.
The drills are to feature units of the central and southern military districts armed with Iskander short-range missiles, according to Russian officials. They will practice receiving nuclear weapons from storage and deploying them to designated launch areas.
The maneuvers will also include air force units that will arm their warplanes with nuclear weapons and perform patrol flights.
Tactical nuclear weapons include bombs, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery munitions and are meant for use on a battlefield.
Russia continues to hemorrhage soldiers on the front line, and have now sustained an estimated 550,000 casualties since its invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow officials say about 190,000 people have volunteered so far this year to fight in Ukraine, compared with 490,000 contracts signed in 2023.
Compiled by Ana Dumbadze
