Latest news with #airdefence
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: More Bradleys and Hawks in $322m US arms sale
The US has announced approval to sell to Ukraine a combined $322m worth of Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and Hawk surface-to-air missile systems. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said the Hawks would bolster Ukraine's air defences while the Bradleys would help meet Ukraine's 'urgent need to strengthen local sustainment capabilities to maintain high operational rates for United States-provided vehicles and weapon systems'. The state department approved the possible sales and the DSCA notified Congress, which would also need to approve the transactions. Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised a new bill to strengthen the rule of law as mass protests over his decision to weaken the powers of two independent anti-corruption agencies roiled the government. Luke Harding writes from Kyiv that in a video address, Zelenskyy sought to deflect criticism by promising a new presidential bill would guarantee the independence of anti-corruption institutions and at the same time ensure there was 'no Russian influence'. Zelenskyy responded to the backlash on Wednesday evening by saying he would submit a new bill ensuring 'all norms for the independence of anti-corruption institutions will be in place'. 'Of course, everyone has heard what people are saying these days – on social media, to each other, on the streets. It's not falling on deaf ears,' Zelenskyy said. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Kyiv for a second day, while European leaders expressed concern at the Ukrainian president's contentious decision. They want him to scrap a controversial law passed this week that effectively places anti-corruption agencies under direct government control. Chinese-made engines for war drones are being covertly shipped to the Russian manufacturer IEMZ Kupol labelled as 'industrial refrigeration units' to avoid detection and western sanctions, according to three European security officials and documents reviewed by the Reuters news agency. The state-owned armourer makes the Garpiya-A1 attack drone partly modelled on the Iranian-designed Shahed. Reuters said the sources and documents included contracts, invoices and customs paperwork. The long-range drone has been used against civilian targets, with about 500 launched per month, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency told Reuters. Reuters previously reported that Kupol was using L550E engines made by Chinese Xiamen Limbach Aviation Engine Co. After the report, the EU and US sanctioned companies including Xiamen. A new Chinese firm called Beijing Xichao International Technology and Trade then sprang up to supply the L550E engines through front companies, according to invoices, a Kupol internal letter and transportation documents reviewed by Reuters. China's foreign ministry told Reuters it was unaware of the exports and it had controlled foreign sales of dual-use goods in line with China's own laws and international obligations, while opposing the sanctions. Ukrainian prosecutors said Russian forces injured a man, 61, when they shelled the Kharkiv regional village of Petro-Ivanivka; and injured a 75-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man when they struck the city of Kupyansk. The attacks were reported late on Tuesday night. Russia and Ukraine discussed further prisoner swaps on Wednesday at a brief session of peace talks in Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders. Ukraine's chief delegate, Rustem Umerov, said after talks that lasted just 40 minutes that Ukraine had proposed a meeting before the end of August between Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. 'By agreeing to this proposal, Russia can clearly demonstrate its constructive approach.' Russia's chief delegate, Vladimir Medinsky, said the point of a leaders' meeting should be to sign an agreement, not to 'discuss everything from scratch'. He renewed Moscow's call for a series of short ceasefires of 24-48 hours to enable the retrieval of bodies. Ukraine says it wants an immediate and much longer ceasefire. Ukraine brought home a new group of prisoners of war from Russia on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said, saying it took to more than 1,000 the number of returning soldiers as agreed at talks in Turkey. 'The servicemen who are returning today defended Ukraine in different sectors of the front,' he said. 'A significant number spent more than three years as prisoners. All are receiving key support and medical assistance.' Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he discussed strengthening Ukraine's air defences with the Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Saar, in Kyiv on Wednesday. Zelenskyy said opportunities in joint weapons production were also a topic of talks. Israel's Iron Dome and David's Sling air defence systems – used to protect against terrorist rockets and ballistic missiles – are known to be the envy of Ukraine's military.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
French Mirage fighter jet crashes in Ukraine
No casualties were reported on the ground, and an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway. President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the incident on Wednesday morning. 'The pilot managed to escape and it was not shot down by the Russians,' he said. 'Unfortunately, we lost our combat aircraft. A French aircraft, very effective, one of our Mirage.' The loss is another setback for Ukraine's air defence capability, which has been under mounting pressure amid increasing Russian missile and drone attacks. Ukraine began receiving the Mirage 2000-5 aircraft this year as part of a French initiative to strengthen its air force. In June last year, President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would transfer the Mirage 2000-5s and train Ukrainian pilots in France for up to six months. The program was intended to bolster Ukraine's efforts to deploy U.S.-made F-16s later this year. The Mirage is a single-engine, multi-role fighter jet, which first entered into service in the 1970s, and shares many similarities with the American F-16.
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Zelensky discusses war supplies, Russia sanctions with US lawmakers
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the priority is strengthening air defences. (EPA Images pic) KYIV : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had discussed improved air defences and intensified sanctions against Russia with two US lawmakers who are backing a bill to impose tougher punitive measures against Moscow. Zelensky, writing early on Friday on Telegram, said he had met Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut in Rome in conjunction with international meetings on Ukraine. 'Right now, our priority is strengthening air defences. Russia wants to move on to using 1,000 drones in the space of a single attack,' Zelensky wrote. 'It is therefore important to boost defences, particularly to invest in interceptor drones. We spoke about continuing supplies from the US and joint weapons production.' Ukraine, he said, was ready to work together with Europe to buy 'large US defence packages to protect lives'. On Thursday, Zelensky said Ukraine had received all necessary political signals for US military aid to resume after a pause last week. He also said that Ukraine had reached an agreement with Germany for Berlin to buy two Patriot missile interceptor systems and an accord for Norway to pay for one system. Russia has been intensifying attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, with Zelensky saying Moscow had deployed around 400 drones and 18 missiles on Wednesday night, primarily targeting the capital. The previous night, Russian forces launched a record 728 drones at Ukraine. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he had approved sending US defensive weapons to Ukraine and was considering additional sanctions on Moscow, underscoring his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the failure to make progress on solving Russia's war with Ukraine. Zelensky discussed US weapons supplies in Rome on Wednesday with Trump's Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg. In his comments on Telegram, Zelensky said that, together with Graham and Blumenthal, he had discussed the legislation on tougher sanctions against Russia 'and those who support it in the war'. 'Undoubtedly, this is precisely the lever that can bring peace closer and make diplomacy worthwhile,' he wrote. The bill calls for a 500% tariff on goods imported from countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other exports.
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Russia says it downed 73 Ukrainian drones, including 3 flying to Moscow
Workers repair a damaged apartment building following a Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow. (EPA Images pic) MOSCOW : Russian air defences destroyed 73 Ukrainian drones overnight, including three heading for Moscow, Russia's defence ministry said on Friday. Most of the drones were downed over Russia's southwestern regions, including 31 over the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin, writing on Telegram, made no mention of casualties or damage but said emergency services were examining the area where drone fragments fell to the ground. The federal aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, briefly ordered the suspension of operations at two airports near the capital, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky, but services were later resumed. Operations were halted well after midnight at a third Moscow airport, Vnukovo, before being reinstated by the morning. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine about the attacks. Kyiv says that its strikes inside Russia are necessary to destroy infrastructure key to Moscow's efforts in its war against Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Zelenskyy accuses Russia of ‘assault on humanity' after latest drone barrage
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of 'an assault on humanity' after a barrage of drones and missiles hit Ukraine, as Germany promised to supply five Patriot air-defence systems to help an under-pressure Kyiv. Ukraine's president said Moscow had launched more than 420 drones and more than 20 missiles in its latest overnight attack, killing at least two people and targeting a metro station in the capital where people were sheltering. Germany's defence minister, Boris Pistorius, said Berlin was prepared to pay the US for the fastest possible delivery of five Patriot air-defence systems to Ukraine, though it remains unclear how soon this could be achieved. Media reports suggested Germany would transfer two systems from its own arsenal of nine urgently and buy replacements from the US, with details about the transfer of the other three to be worked out. The announcement was made after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group of 50 western allies, which is jointly chaired by Germany and the UK. Britain said it would spend £700m on air defence and artillery ammunition for Ukraine this year. Pistorius said he had agreed with his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, that 'Germany will contribute to providing the five urgently needed Patriot systems as quickly as possible. How we can achieve that is something we will coordinate closely and in a spirit of mutual trust among partners within the next few days'. In recent months the Kremlin has dramatically escalated its aerial campaign against Ukraine, sending record numbers of drones. Data from Ukraine's air force, first reported by the Financial Times, suggests Russia's swarm tactics are increasingly effective, demonstrating an urgent need for Kyiv to boost its own defences. Between April and June about 15% of Russia's drones reached their targets, compared with 5% in the previous three months, and the scale of attacks has increased. Moscow launched 728 drones at Ukraine earlier this month, a record number, though it is expected that the size of an overnight attack could top 1,000 and even reach 2,000 by November, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Hundreds of people were sheltering in Lukianivska metro station when a drone exploded next to it on Monday. Russia has repeatedly targeted the district, which was bombarded along with three others in the capital. Smoke engulfed the station. Video footage showed people standing on an underground platform filled with swirling dust. One woman could be heard sobbing. 'The station's entrance was damaged as a result of the attack,' said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv's military administration, adding that shops, businesses and a kindergarten had also been hit. Max, a 32-year-old resident, said: 'My friend ran to the underground. He called me during the night and said he heard the strike. Part of the building and even the roof tumbled down the escalator. There was smoke billowing on the platform. 'If you walk around here it's like hell on earth. During the day it's OK. When the night starts, it's always really hard. This is at least the fifth time Lukianivska has been bombarded. Windows are blown out. If smoke can now reach underground, where do we hide?' France's foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, held talks with Zelenskyy on Monday in Kyiv and visited the damaged station. 'Shelters themselves are no longer entirely safe, as the metro station next to me, which serves as a shelter for Kyiv residents, became a target of the attack,' he said. Barrot said French embassy staff had spent two hours hiding during the intense attack. He called for pressure to be increased on Russia and said France would allocate an additional €200m (£170m) next year to support Ukraine's critical infrastructure and economy. A swarm of drones could be heard buzzing above the city soon after 2am. There were multiple explosions and loud booms as Ukrainian air defence batteries tried to bring them down. The raid ended about three hours later. The western city of Ivano-Frankivsk – hundreds of miles from the frontline – was also badly hit. Its mayor, Ruslan Martsinkiv, said it was the biggest attack since the start of Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion in 2022, with several people in surrounding villages hurt. Explosions were also reported in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. Zelenskyy said Russia and Ukraine would hold new peace talks this week. He said in his daily address: 'Today, I discussed with [Ukraine's defence minister] Rustem Umerov the preparations for the exchange and another meeting in Turkey with the Russian side. Umerov reported that the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday. More details will be available tomorrow.' So far two rounds of talks in Istanbul have failed to result in any progress towards a ceasefire, although they have yielded large-scale prisoner exchanges and deals to return the bodies of soldiers killed in the war. The Kremlin said this month it was ready to continue negotiations with Ukraine after the US president, Donald Trump, gave Russia 50 days to strike a peace deal or face sanctions. There is no indication that Putin has changed his maximalist demands, however. The Russian president's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said on Sunday that reaching a deal was 'not simple' and that Moscow's 'objectives' had to be fulfilled. They include seizing further Ukrainian territory and replacing Zelenskyy and his pro-western government. The EU on Friday agreed an 18th package of sanctions on Moscow that targeted Russian banks and lowered a price cap on oil exports, in an attempt to curb its ability to fund the war.
