The Ukrainian military says it spent the night repelling a large aerial assault from Russian forces over Kyiv. President Zelenskyy has led the tributes to the three men killed when two L-39 combat training aircraft collided over a region west of Kyiv.
Sunday 27 August 2023 09:07, UK
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Oil and gas platforms on the Black Sea have grown in tactical significance in recent months, the UK’s Ministry of Defence has claimed.
It claims that platforms on the sea have been used regularly as forward deployment bases, helicopter landing sites, and positions from which to launch long-range missiles from.
“As tensions remain high in the Black Sea, skirmishes have taken place between maritime and air forces around strategically important gas and oil platforms between Crimea and Odesa,” it said in its daily update.
“The platforms command valuable hydrocarbon resources,” as well as offering other military uses outlined above – with the MoD comparing it to Snake Island to the west.
“Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has struck several Russian-controlled platforms. Both Russia and Ukraine have also periodically occupied them with troops,” it adds.
We’ve been bringing you news throughout yesterday and this morning about the deaths of three Ukrainian pilots in a jet collision over Ukraine.
Sky News’ military analyst and former fighter jet pilot Sean Bell has been examining the significance of the collision and what it represents for the Ukrainian air force.
“One of those pilots was Andriy Pilschikov, commonly known as ‘Juice’, he was famous because he did a lot of media interviews and brought to life the whole challenge facing the Ukrainian air force,” he said.
“The key here, though, is that even though Ukraine has lost a lot of aircraft in the war, a bit like the Battle of Britain for the UK, the pilots are generally ejecting and landing on Ukrainian soil – they are dusted down and put in another aircraft.”
As a result, Ukraine has been short of aircraft, not pilots, hence this loss will feel particularly bitter to Ukraine, according to Bell.
Ukraine desperately needs good pilots having now been supplied with the far more modern F-16 jets, which will be arriving over the next few months and are not easy to master – and the loss of “Juice” and his colleagues has dealt a blow to the air force on that front.
On the collision itself, eyewitness reports indicate that the two aircraft were flying apart and then together.
“[It] doesn’t look like a formation accident. It looks like a combat accident where they literally collided with each other,” Bell said.
“It’s a very sad day for the families of those three pilots and a very sad day for the Ukrainian air force,” he added.
A further update to our 7.21am post, as we now have a clearer picture on the impact of overnight strikes on the capital.
Four cruise missiles were shot down amid a heavy night of strikes on the capital, according to the air force.
The head of Kyiv Regional Military Administration, Ruslan Kravchenko, has since confirmed that two people were wounded and 10 buildings were damaged by falling missile debris in one unspecified area.
“Thanks to the professional work of the air defence forces, there were no strikes on critical or residential infrastructure,” he said.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has indicated that Russia is deploying some of its elite troops to the Zaporizhzhia region – an area which has seen considerable recent Ukrainian success – in an apparent attempt to halt further progress.
The US-based thinktank observed at least parts of the elite 76th Guards Air Assault (VDV) Division being transferred to the Robotyne area from the Kreminna area (western Zaporizhzhia).
We brought you images yesterday showing Ukrainian troops on the ground in the town of Robotyne – a bitterly contested settlement in a key area of the front line.
The area, alongside a number of other key positions, has seen Ukrainian forces make “tactically significant gains” in recent days, with the ISW quoting several Ukrainian and Russian sources which say that Kyiv’s forces are advancing through what “may be the most challenging series of prepared Russian defensive positions”.
Yesterday, we brought you the words of a Ukrainian commander, who felt his troops were on the edge of a major breakthrough after reportedly capturing Robotyne.
He said he expected the counteroffensive to rapidly pick up pace in Zaporizhzhia, and pledged to push through to the Sea of Azov.
Here is the latest territorial situation according to the ISW on this crucial front…
Yesterday, we brought you news that three pilots had been killed in a mid-air collision over Ukrainian territory (see 4.27pm post yesterday).
The crash, which occurred over the Zhytomyr region (west of Kyiv), killed a well-known pilot, nicknamed ‘Juice’.
President Zelenskyy has led the tributes to the three men killed.
“Sadly, there is also tragic news,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.
“A catastrophe in the sky over the Zhytomyr region killed three pilots, including Andriy Pilschikov, callsign ‘Juice’.
“My heart goes out to the pilots’ friends and loved ones.
“Ukraine will never forget all those who defended its free sky.”
The talented young pilot spoke with Sky News back in February about his excitment about flying an F-16 – you can read his comments and the full story about the collision here.
Yesterday, several drones were shot down over Russian soil, with at least two approaching the capital of Moscow and more reported over the Belgorod region.
This morning, that trend appears to be continuing – as the regions of Kursk and Bryansk came under attack from drones, according to the Russian ministry of defence.
One drone was shot down over each region, the ministry said but it did not share any details on any damage or casualties.
These attacks, if verified, are the latest in a series of drone attacks by Ukraine on Russian soil, with hundreds of UAVs targeting the capital Moscow and border regions like Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk.
Ukrainian heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk dedicated his latest title defence to the Ukrainian army and people, after coming back off the canvas to knock out British fighter Daniel Dubois in the ninth round.
The fight was held at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland – and the champion defended his titles in entertaining fashion, after recovering from an apparent ‘low blow’ which dominated the post-bout rhetoric.
Speaking after retaining his unified WBO, IBF and WBA heavyweight belts, Usyk said: “I feel good. I’m grateful for my team, my family, my children. I love you. I’m grateful for my country and the Ukrainian army. Thank you so much”.
Usyk spent time in Ukraine last year, joining a local territorial defence force in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian military says it spent the night repelling a large aerial assault from Russian forces – downing four cruise missiles sent to strike the capital.
Forces detected up to eight missiles, but the air force believes some were dummy rounds, as it has not recorded any evidence of missiles of that calibre hitting the capital.
There have not been any reported casualties.
“From the Caspian Sea area, the Russians fired cruise missiles of the Kh-101/555/55 type from Tu-95MS strategic aircraft,” an update by Kyiv’s military administration read.
“The cruise missiles were fired from five strategic aircraft from the airspace of the Russian Federation in the Engels region,” the Ukrainian air force claimed.
An air raid alert was put in place across the entire country at around 5am Ukrainian time (3am UK time), but has since subsided in most regions.
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
Yesterday we heard the news that three Ukrainian pilots, including a “mega talent” nicknamed ‘Juice’, died after colliding mid-air with another jet.
That has sent shockwaves through Ukraine, with tributes and condolences pouring in from all corners of the country – including from President Zelenskyy.
Today, we’ll be bringing you more on the seismic story of the week – Yevgeny Prigozhin’s reported death, as well as more on the drone attacks we heard so much about yesterday – and that are increasing in frequency as the weeks go on.
In case you missed it, here are the key developments from the past 24 hours…
Here is the latest territorial situation in Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think tank…
Russia reported a new drone attack on Moscow, leading to the temporary closure of major airports, including Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo.
The Mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, confirmed that air defence systems downed a drone over the Istra district, approximately 50km west of the Kremlin.
Flights were suspended for a few hours due to the incident. The defence ministry announced that around 9:45pm Moscow time, their air defences successfully brought down an unmanned aerial vehicle over the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine.
In the Belgorod region near Ukraine, air defences also intercepted a drone near Kupino without causing damage or casualties. However, four individuals were injured due to Ukrainian shelling in Urazovo village.
Despite these events, Ukraine has not issued an immediate response and typically refrains from publicly acknowledging responsibility for attacks within Russia.
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