Latest news with #Volyn
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: Mirage fighter jet crashes after pilot ejects due to technical fault
A Mirage 2000 fighter jet supplied to Ukraine from France crashed on Tuesday after an equipment failure, with the pilot ejecting safely, Ukraine's military said. It was the first loss of a Mirage since Ukraine started receiving them this year. 'Equipment failure occurred, which the pilot reported to the flight controller,' said a military statement. 'The pilot then acted competently, as is expected in crisis situations, and successfully ejected. A rescue crew found the pilot in a stable condition. There were no casualties on the ground.' Ukrainian news reports said the crash was in the Volyn oblast of north-western Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved a contentious bill weakening Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies, according to reports, hours after the first serious protests against his government took place in Kyiv. Luke Harding reports from the Ukrainian capital that the Verkhovna Rada passed the controversial bill, which critics say allows political interference and is a major step backwards in the fight against corruption. About 1,500 protesters gathered next to Zelenskyy's presidential administration complex shouting 'Shame' and 'Veto the law' while waving banners. There were protests in other large cities including Dnipro, Lviv and Odesa. Russian authorities have systematically involved children in the design and testing of drones for the war through nationwide competitions that begin with innocent-seeming video games and end up with the most talented students headhunted by defence companies, an investigation by the exiled Russian news outlet the Insider has found. The Insider spoke with three teenage finalists from the competition working on drone technology, who explained how it worked and detailed how they were fully aware of the military application of certain projects but were encouraged to hide it. Sanctioning Russian oil to end the Ukraine war is a 'very real possibility', the US energy secretary, Chris Wright, said on Fox News on Tuesday. Donald Trump has spoken of 100% tariffs on buyers of Russian oil and other sanctions if Moscow does not agree to a major peace agreement with Ukraine, giving a 50-day deadline that ends in early September. Trump, though, has also continually extended, reset or failed to honour deadlines – starting with his unmet promise to end the war in 24 hours – and placed low expectations on Russia's behaviour. Ukraine's former defence minister and current secretary of the security council, Rustem Umerov, will head Kyiv's delegation in talks that Ukraine has offered to hold with Russia on Wednesday in Istanbul. The Kremlin has said only that it hoped talks can be held 'this week'. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has said Kyiv is ready to 'secure the release of our people from captivity and return abducted children, to stop the killings, and to prepare a leaders' meeting'. A Russian drone and missile salvo on Ukraine killed a 10-year-old boy in the eastern frontline city of Kramatorsk, and wounded more than a dozen people across the country on Tuesday, Kyiv's authorities said. A Ukrainian drone strike on a bus in the Russian-occupied part of the Kherson region killed three people and wounded another three, a Moscow-installed official said. One man died in Russia's western border Belgorod region after a Ukrainian attack, according to the local governor. Howard Phillips, 65, has been found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service after handing over personal details of the then British defence secretary, Grant Shapps, to two undercover officers who posed as Russian agents. Phillips, from Harlow in Essex, handed a USB stick containing details relating to Shapps, including his home address and the location of his private plane, to one of the officers, the trial heard. Phillips was arrested in May 2024 and charged under the National Security Act. He had written to the Russian embassy offering his services. He is due to be sentenced in the autumn.
Reuters
22-07-2025
- Reuters
Ukraine's military loses first French Mirage fighter jet in crash
July 22 (Reuters) - A Mirage 2000 fighter jet supplied to Ukraine from France crashed on Tuesday after experiencing equipment failure during an assignment, with the pilot ejecting safely, Ukraine's military said. It was the first loss of a Mirage jet since Ukraine's military started receiving them earlier this year. "Equipment failure occurred, which the pilot reported to the flight controller," a military statement said on Telegram. "The pilot then acted competently, as is expected in crisis situations, and successfully ejected. A rescue crew found the pilot in a stable condition. There were no casualties on the ground." Ukrainian news reports said the incident occurred in the northwestern Volyn region. Ukraine's military announced the arrival of the first batch of Mirage aircraft in February. U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets began arriving last year from different countries as Ukraine's Western allies sought to help Kyiv upgrade its largely Soviet-era air force fleet.
BreakingNews.ie
09-07-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Russia launches another record drone attack on Ukraine, say Ukrainian officials
Russia fired a record 728 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine overnight, as well as 13 missiles, the Ukrainian air force has said. The development represents the latest offensive escalation amid mounting Russian aerial and ground attacks in the more than three-year war. Advertisement The city of Lutsk, which lies in the north-west of Ukraine, along the border with Poland and Belarus, was the hardest hit, although 10 other regions were also struck, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said. Firefighters tackle a blaze following a Russian attack in Volyn region (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) Lutsk is home to airfields used by the Ukrainian army. Cargo planes and fighter jets routinely fly over the city. No casualties were immediately reported, as emergency crews continued to assess the damage. Western regions of Ukraine are a crucial logistical backbone in the war, as airfields and depots there receive vital foreign military aid before forwarding it to other parts of the country. Russian long-range attacks have increasingly sought to disrupt those supply corridors. Russia has recently sought to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences by launching massive aerial assaults, including adding more decoy drones to its attacks. Advertisement Russia launched its previous largest aerial assault late in the night of July 4 into the following day, with the biggest prior to that occurring less than a week earlier. Russia has recently sought to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences by launching massive aerial assaults (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) Russia's bigger army has also launched a new drive to punch through parts of the 620-mile (1,000km) front line, where short-handed Ukrainian forces are under heavy strain. US president Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he was 'not happy' with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has not budged from his ceasefire and peace demands since Mr Trump took office in January and began to push for a settlement. Mr Trump said on Monday that the US would have to send more weapons to Ukraine, just days after Washington paused critical weapons deliveries to Kyiv amid uncertainty over the American administration's commitment to Ukraine's defence. Advertisement Mr Zelensky said that the Kremlin was 'making a point' with the attack, as US-led peace efforts flounder. He urged Ukraine's partners to impose stricter sanctions on Russian oil and those who help finance the Kremlin's war by buying it. 'Everyone who wants peace must act,' Mr Zelensky said. The Ukrainian leader was due to meet Pope Leo on Wednesday during a visit to Italy. Russian soldiers fire from a D-30 howitzer towards Ukrainian positions in Ukraine (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) Two people were wounded in the Kyiv region during the overnight barrage, officials said, as emergency crews continued to assess the damage. Poland scrambled its fighter jets and put its armed forces on the highest level of alert in response to Russia's attack, the Polish armed forces operational command wrote in a post on X. Advertisement Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen warned on Tuesday that Russia could pose a credible security threat to the European Union by the end of the decade. She called for defence industries in Europe and Ukraine to be ramped up within five years. Ukraine's air defences shot down 296 drones and seven missiles overnight, while 415 more drones were lost from radars or jammed, an air force statement said. Ukrainian interceptor drones, developed to counter Russia's Shahed drones, are increasingly effective, Mr Zelensky said, noting that most targets were intercepted and that domestic production of anti-aircraft drones was being scaled up. Western military analysts say Russia is boosting its drone manufacturing and could soon be capable of launching 1,000 drones a night at Ukraine. Advertisement
CNN
09-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Russia launches record drone attack on Ukraine after Trump criticizes Putin
Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine since the beginning of its invasion, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday, just hours after US President Donald Trump pledged more military support for Kyiv and accused his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of throwing 'bullsh*t' over peace talks. The massive aerial assault involved 741 drones, Ukraine's Air Force said, eclipsing the previous record number of 539 drones, set on July 4, by hundreds – but it was largely repelled, with the damage limited and no immediate reports of deaths. 'This is a demonstrative attack, and it comes at a time when there have been so many attempts to achieve peace and cease fire, but Russia rejects everything,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. 'Our partners know how to apply pressure so that Russia will be forced to think about ending the war, not new strikes. Everyone who wants peace must act.' The barrage, which mainly targeted the city of Lutsk, in northwestern Ukraine, was so intense it caused Poland's military to scramble aircraft in its airspace. It comes after weeks of intensifying aerial strikes on Ukraine by Russia. 'Last night, our region was again subjected to a mass attack,' Ivan Rudnitskyi, the head of the military administration in Volyn region, home to Lutsk, said on Telegram. 'Virtually everything was flying towards Lutsk.' Ukraine's Air Force said it destroyed 718 of the drones. There were no immediate reports of fatalities. One woman was hospitalized with chest injuries in the city of Brovary, near Kyiv, its mayor said. Ukraine launched 86 drones towards Russia overnight, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. Moscow's scaled up assault on Kyiv follows a remarkable 48 hours in the White House, where Trump vented his anger about Russian leader Vladimir Putin's lack of commitment to a peace deal and pledged more support for Ukraine. 'We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,' Trump said in a Cabinet meeting. 'He's very nice all of the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.' On Monday, Trump promised to restore military aid to Ukraine, after a senior White House official told CNN last week the US would pause some weapons shipments to Kyiv, including air defense missiles. Kyiv urgently needs more US-made Patriot interceptor missiles to repel Russian attacks. 'We're going to send some more weapons (to Ukraine),' Trump said on Monday evening. 'We have to — they have to be able to defend themselves.' 'They're getting hit very hard. We're going to have to send more weapons,' Trump added. 'Defensive weapons, primarily, but they're getting hit very, very hard.' A Pentagon spokesman later said that 'at President Trump's direction, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops.' Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth did not inform Trump before authorizing the weapons pause last week, according to five sources familiar with the matter.
CNN
09-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Russia launches record drone attack on Ukraine after Trump criticizes Putin
Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine since the beginning of its invasion, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday, just hours after US President Donald Trump pledged more military support for Kyiv and accused his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of throwing 'bullsh*t' over peace talks. The massive aerial assault involved 741 drones, Ukraine's Air Force said, eclipsing the previous record number of 539 drones, set on July 4, by hundreds – but the damage was limited and there were no immediate reports of casualties. 'This is a demonstrative attack, and it comes at a time when there have been so many attempts to achieve peace and cease fire, but Russia rejects everything,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. 'Our partners know how to apply pressure so that Russia will be forced to think about ending the war, not new strikes. Everyone who wants peace must act.' The barrage, targeting the city of Lutsk, in northwestern Ukraine, was so intense it caused Poland's military to scramble aircraft in its airspace. It comes after weeks of intensifying aerial strikes on Ukraine by Russia. 'Last night, our region was again subjected to a mass attack,' Ivan Rudnitskyi, the head of the military administration in Volyn region, home to Lutsk, said on Telegram. 'Virtually everything was flying towards Lutsk.' Ukraine's Air Force said it destroyed 718 of the drones. There were no immediate reports of injuries and casualties; however, several buildings were set on fire. Ukraine launched 86 drones towards Russia overnight, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. Moscow's scaled up assault on Kyiv follows a remarkable 48 hours in the White House, where Trump vented his anger about Russian leader Vladimir Putin's lack of commitment to a peace deal and pledged more support for Ukraine. 'We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,' Trump said in a Cabinet meeting. 'He's very nice all of the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.' On Monday, Trump promised to restore military aid to Ukraine, after a senior White House official told CNN last week the US would pause some weapons shipments to Kyiv, including air defense missiles. Kyiv urgently needs more US-made Patriot interceptor missiles to repel Russian attacks. 'We're going to send some more weapons (to Ukraine),' Trump said on Monday evening. 'We have to — they have to be able to defend themselves.' 'They're getting hit very hard. We're going to have to send more weapons,' Trump added. 'Defensive weapons, primarily, but they're getting hit very, very hard.' A Pentagon spokesman later said that 'at President Trump's direction, the Department of Defense is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops.' Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth did not inform Trump before authorizing the weapons pause last week, according to five sources familiar with the matter.
