Russia Ukraine conflict dwell: F-16s lastly attain Kyiv as Zelensky requires Nato bases to host them | EUROtoday

Ukraine has sunk a Russian submarine and hit a Russian airfield over the weekend, because it retains up its counteroffensive surge of long-range assaults in opposition to Russian targets, officers mentioned. Russia mentioned Ukrainian drones additionally hit an residence constructing, killing one individual.

Ukraine struck a Russian Kilo-class submarine and an S-400 anti plane missile complicated within the Moscow-occupied Crimean peninsula, based on an announcement from the General Staff on Saturday, confirming the assault.

The air defence system was established to guard the Kerch Strait Bridge, an vital logistics and transport hub supplying Russian forces. Units of the missile forces, in addition to the Navy broken 4 launchers of the Triumph air defence system, whereas within the port of Sevastopol, the “Rostov-on-Don” — a submarine of Russia’s Black Sea fleet — was attacked and sank, the assertion mentioned.

The General Staff additionally confirmed that Ukrainian forces struck the Morozovsk airfield within the Rostov area after launching a large drone barrage on Russia. Hits have been recorded in warehouses with ammunition, the place guided aerial bombs have been saved. The operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine, the Main Directorate of Intelligence and the Defence Ministry, the assertion mentioned.

The uptick in assaults since July come as Ukraine mounts stress on allies to permit it to make use of long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia. Western allies, particularly the US, have to date resisted, fearing escalation from Moscow.

Analysts say such an intensification is required if Ukraine is to degrade Russian capabilities.

Ukraine has beforehand relied on an ageing fleet of Soviet-era warplanes which are outgunned by Russia’s extra superior and way more quite a few fleet.

Russia has used that edge to conduct common long-range missile strikes on targets throughout Ukraine and in addition to pound Ukrainian entrance line positions with 1000’s of guided bombs, supporting its forces which are slowly advancing within the east.

“This is the brand new stage of improvement of the air pressure of Ukraine‘s armed forces,” Zelenskiy said.

“We did a lot for Ukrainian forces to transition to a new aviation standard, the Western combat aviation,” he added, citing hundreds of meetings and unrelenting diplomacy to obtain the F-16s.

“We often heard ‘it is impossible’ as a solution however we nonetheless made our ambition, our defensive want, potential,” he mentioned.

Comments by a Ukrainian navy intelligence spokesperson have sparked a diplomatic row between Ukraine and Mali, with the African nation now saying it’s instantly chopping ties with Kyiv.

The Ukrainian navy wing GUR’s remarks have been about preventing in Mali’s north that killed Malian troopers and Wagner fighters in late July.

At least 84 Russian Wagner mercenaries and 47 Malian troopers have been killed over days of fierce preventing within the north of the West African nation, mentioned Mali’s northern Tuareg rebels, in what seems to be Wagner’s heaviest defeat because it stepped in two years in the past to assist Mali’s navy authorities combat rebel teams.

GUR spokesperson Andriy Yusov has not confirmed Kyiv’s involvement within the preventing, however in feedback printed on public broadcaster Suspilne’s web site on Monday, 29 July, he mentioned the Malian rebels had acquired the “necessary” info to conduct the assault.

“The rebels received all the necessary information they needed, and not just the information, which allowed (them) to conduct a successful military operation against Russian perpetrators of war crimes. We certainly won’t go into details now – you will see more of this in the future,” he mentioned.

Mali mentioned it had realized “with deep shock of the subversive remarks.”

It mentioned Mr Yusov had “admitted Ukraine‘s involvement in a cowardly, treacherous and barbaric attack by armed terrorist groups that resulted in the death of members of the Malian Defence and Security Forces.”

“The actions taken by the Ukrainian authorities violate the sovereignty of Mali, go beyond the scope of foreign interference, which is already condemnable in itself, and constitute a clear aggression by Mali and support for international terrorism,” the Malian government said.

Ukraine’s newly arrived F-16 fighter jets have been placed on show by president Volodymyr Zelensky, who mentioned the planes will enhance the nation’s conflict effort in opposition to Russia.

Standing in entrance of two of the fighter jets as two others flew overhead in shut formation, Mr Zelensky mentioned: “These jets are in our sky and today you see them.”

“It’s good that they are here and that we can put them to use.”

The war-time president mentioned Ukraine can be making an attempt to get neighbouring nations to assist defend it in opposition to Russian missiles.

According to a senior Ukrainian navy official, Ukraine could maintain a few of the F-16 fighter jets at overseas bases to guard them from Russian strikes. Russian president Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow may take into account launching strikes at amenities in Nato nations in the event that they host the warplanes utilized in Ukraine.

“This decision is probably a difficult one for our partners, as they are always afraid of unnecessary escalation,” mentioned Ukraine‘s president. “We will work on this… I think we have a good option of a Nato-Ukraine council… so that Nato countries could talk to Ukraine about the possibility of a small coalition of neighbouring countries that would shoot down enemy missiles.”

Two F-16 jets, sporting Ukraine’s trident insignia on their tails and draped in camouflage netting, have been a dramatic background for Mr Zelensky’s deal with to Air Forces Day, an occasion held underneath tight safety at an undisclosed location to guard the fighter jets from Russian assaults.

Ukrainian pilots have began flying F-16s for operations throughout the nation, President Volodymyr Zelensky has mentioned, confirming the long-awaited arrival of the US-made fighter jets greater than 29 months since Russia’s invasion.

The Ukrainian chief introduced the usage of F-16s, which Kyiv has lengthy lobbied for, as he met navy pilots at an air base flanked by two of the jets with two extra flying overhead.

“F-16s are in Ukraine. We did it. I am proud of our guys who are mastering these jets and have already started using them for our country,” Mr Zelensky mentioned.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will go to three African nations this week in an effort to drum up help for Kyiv’s place in its conflict with Russia.

Mr Kuleba, on his fourth diplomatic tour to Africa within the final two years, will go to Malawi, Zambia and Mauritius on 4-8 August, the ministry mentioned in an announcement.

“All meetings will focus on the development of bilateral relations based on mutual respect and interests. Among the key topics will be the participation of African states in global efforts to restore a just peace for Ukraine and the world,” it mentioned.

Plenty of African nations took half in a convention on Ukraine hosted by Switzerland in June however they’ve largely been reluctant to hitch Western efforts to isolate Russia, an vital provider of vitality and commodities.

The ministry mentioned Kuleba would additionally focus on throughout his tour the provision of Ukrainian grain to the area and the participation of African firms within the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Two of the Russian dissidents who have been free of jail and arrived in Germany as a part of final week’s main East-West prisoner swap say they’re already excited about returning to Russia, however vow to proceed political activism even from overseas.

“As people who were actually deported, who were kicked out of the country, we all have a great desire to return,” dissident Andrei Pivovarov instructed Reuters.

“I definitely want to be in Russia. I am a Russian politician and that is very important to me.

“It is clear that they (the Russian authorities) will not allow us to return, although we want to.”

Ilya Yashin, an opposition activist imprisoned in 2022 for criticising President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, additionally expressed his need to return house.

“I am truly pained by my expulsion from Russia, despite all the gratitude I feel towards those who wished me well and saved me,” Yashin instructed Reuters.

“But I sincerely say that my place is in Russia … I have dedicated my life to my country.”

Russian forces captured the village of Novoselivka Persha within the Donetsk area of jap Ukraine on Sunday, the Russian defence ministry mentioned, the newest territorial acquire in a area Moscow claims as its personal.