
Ukrainian pilot downs 7 Russian targets before dying in F-16 crash
A Ukrainian pilot was killed and his F-16 fighter jet lost while repelling a large-scale Russian nighttime missile and drone attack, the Ukrainian military said on Sunday.It was the third such loss of an F-16 of the war, the military said."The pilot used all of his onboard weapons and shot down seven air targets. While shooting down the last one, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude," the Air Force said on the Telegram messaging app.advertisement
It said the pilot did everything he could and flew the jet away from a settlement but did not have time to eject.The military said Russia had launched 477 drones and 60 missiles of various types to Ukraine overnight and Ukrainian forces destroyed 211 drones and 38 missiles.It said air strikes were recorded in six locations.- Ends

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India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
India Fears No One, Replies Trump's Betrayal With Prepping Major S-400, R-37M, Su-30MKI Jet Deal With Russia
New Delhi/Moscow: The handshake between India and Russia is turning heavier. This time, with iron, radar and a warning wrapped in precision. At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet in Qingdao, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sat down with his Russian counterpart, Andrei Belousov. It was not a symbolic meeting. It was a strategic signal. A decision point. India is preparing to scale up its air dominance, and fast. From air-to-air missiles to deep radar upgrades, the Indian Air Force is moving into a new phase. The plan? To enhance its Su-30MKI fighters with Russian R-37M missiles and AESA radar, with a production line in India itself. No middlemen. No delays. This is not just another defence conversation. This is about a country that faced a diplomatic cold shoulder during Operation Sindoor, where Su-30s fired BrahMos deep into Pakistani territory. The message was loud. But the silence from Washington was louder. So now, India pivots. Not away from old friends. But toward an older one – Moscow. Talks are underway not only to bring R-37M missiles to Indian runways, but also to jointly produce them under the 'Make in India' banner. Local assembly, faster deployment and – if needed – export. Russia has offered more than just hardware. It has offered codes, cooperation and trust. India, unlike with France's Rafale jets, can integrate its own radar and missiles into the Su-30s. Because Russia says yes, where others stall. The upgrades will not just be cosmetic. The Su-30MKI, already a backbone, will get its bite. Virupaksha AESA radars – made in India for wars – will soon see light. With over 2,400 GaN modules, it will spot targets from 600 km away. But retrofitting it into the ageing Su-30s needs help. And Russia, as the original maker, holds the keys. A match of sensor and steel, radar and reach. If successful, every Su-30MKI will carry long-range R-37Ms. Each with a kill distance of over 300 km. Each a message to the skies and to those watching from afar. Experts say the entire architecture is being reworked. From sensors to satellite links. From the S-400s to airborne warning systems. A kill chain is forming – quiet, connected and deadly. This partnership is no longer transactional. It is a transformation. India is not buying gear. It is building muscle. With Russia's codes, India writes its own. In that, lies the real shift. A response, not in words. But in weapons.
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Ukrainian F-16 jet, pilot shot down as Russia launches massive aerial attack
A Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot has died after his jet crashed while trying to stop a major Russian air attack involving hundreds of drones and missiles. The attack caused damage across the country as Russia continues intense night-time strikes. read more The photograph shows an F-16 fighter plane from Poland during an air policing mission along with a Nato allied aircraft on March 24, 2022. (Representative Image, Credit: Reuters) A Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot was killed after his plane crashed while trying to stop a large Russian air attack, officials said on Sunday. The attack involved hundreds of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, as Russia continues heavy night-time strikes in the fourth year of the war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honoured the pilot, Maksym Ustymenko, by posthumously awarding him the title of Hero of Ukraine, the country's highest honour. Zelenskyy also urged the United States and other Western allies to provide more help to strengthen Ukraine's air defences. The latest attack damaged homes and infrastructure across the country and injured at least 12 people, according to local officials. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Cities under fire In Kyiv, families took shelter in metro stations as air raid sirens sounded. Gunfire and explosions were heard in the capital and in the western city of Lviv, where such attacks are less frequent. The governor of Lviv region, which borders Poland, said critical infrastructure was targeted in the raid. Ukraine has now lost three F-16 jets since it began flying the American-made aircraft last year. The government has not disclosed the exact number of F-16s in its fleet, but these jets have become an important part of Ukraine's defence. The pilot flew the damaged jet away from a settlement but had no time to eject before it crashed, the Ukrainian Air Force said. 'The pilot used all of his onboard weapons and shot down seven air targets. While shooting down the last one, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude,' the Air Force said on Telegram. F-16 limitations in drone warfare Ukrainian military expert Roman Svitan, speaking earlier this month, said the F-16 was not ideally suited to all tasks in the war, particularly repelling drones which swarm Ukrainian cities, as it is better used against higher-speed targets. Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, said Ustymenko had been flying missions since the time of a campaign that began in 2014 against Russian-financed separatists who had seized parts of eastern Ukraine. 'He mastered four types of aircraft and had important results to his name in defending Ukraine,' he said. 'It is painful to lose such people.' Scale of the Russian assault The Ukrainian military said in total Russia launched 477 drones and 60 missiles of various types against Ukraine overnight. Ukrainian forces destroyed 211 of the drones and 38 missiles, it said, while 225 more drones were either lost due to electronic warfare or were decoys that carried no explosives.


Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Trump says he doesn't expect to extend July 9 tariff deadline
Washington: US President Donald Trump said he is not planning to extend a 90-day pause on tariffs on most nations beyond July 9, when the negotiating period he set would expire, and his administration will notify countries that the trade penalties will take effect unless there are deals with the United States. "I don't think I'll need to," he said in an interview on Fox News's Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo that was taped Friday. He then added, "I could, no big deal." Letters will start going out "pretty soon" before the approaching deadline, he said. "We'll look at how a country treats us - are they good, are they not so good - some countries we don't care, we'll just send a high number out," Trump told Fox News. Those letters, he said, would say, "Congratulations, we're allowing you to shop in the United States of America, you're going to pay a 25% tariff, or a 35% or a 50% or 10%." Trump had played down the deadline at a White House news conference Friday by noting how difficult it would be to work out separate deals with each nation. The administration had set a goal of reaching 90 trade deals in 90 days. Negotiations continue, but "there's 200 countries, you can't talk to all of them," the President said in the interview. France confident of EU deal French finance minister Eric Lombard said the European Union can clinch some form of a trade agreement with the US before a July 9 deadline, when Washington is set to impose a 50% tariff on nearly all EU products. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "From the experience of the last few months, we can clearly see that the US is in on the deal," Lombard said in an interview Sunday with La Tribune Dimanche newspaper. As part of the negotiations between the EU and Washington, "there may be discussions on energy, particularly on liquefied natural gas," he said. "Europe is still buying Russian LNG. Three LNG liquefaction plants are under construction in the Gulf of Mexico. We can therefore increase our imports of American gas, and this could be used to avoid the 10% increase in customs tariffs," Lombard added.