Moscow says three Russian regions were targeted by Ukrainian drone raids overnight. On Saturday, a six-year-old girl was among those killed by a Russian missile strike on a city in Ukraine.
Sunday 20 August 2023 20:17, UK
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Ukrainian pilots and engineers have already started their F16 training in Denmark, the Ukrainian defence ministry has said.
It was announced earlier that both Denmark and the Netherlands are giving F16 fighter jets to Kyiv.
Denmark will be providing 19 of the planes, the ministry said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
It added: “We are working on the speed of preparations.
“During the talks we also discussed the possibility of expanding training missions.
“Our F-16 coalition is proving its efficiency. Thank you, Denmark!”
Its post features a picture of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an F16 with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Ukrainian servicemen of the 108th Separate Brigade of Territorial Defence have been pictured firing small multiple launch rocket systems towards Russian troops.
The photographs were taken in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen have been sitting in an F16 fighter jet at Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojens, Denmark.
Both Denmark and the Netherlands have agreed to give F16s to Ukraine in its continuing fight against Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Denmark following his visit to the Netherlands.
He was greeted at Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojens by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Crown Princess Mary.
As we reported in our previous post, both Denmark and the Netherlands have agreed to give F16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
The Netherlands and Denmark have announced they will give F16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Kyiv has been appealing for the planes for some time, to give it increased aerial capabilities.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is visiting the Netherlands, said it was a “historic”‘ announcement and praised prime minister Mark Rutte for offering the aircraft.
The leaders inspected two F-16s parked in a hangar in the southern city of Eindhoven.
While Mr Zelenskyy said on Telegram that his country would be receiving 42 jets, the Netherlands and Denmark, in a joint statement, did not specify numbers.
“The F-16s will not help immediately now with the war effort,” Mr Rutte said.
“It is, anyway, a long-term commitment from the Netherlands. We want them to be active and operational as soon as possible… not for the next month – that’s impossible – but hopefully soon afterward.”
Danish Defence Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said: “It makes me proud that Denmark, together with the Netherlands, will donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine’s fight for freedom against Russia and its senseless aggression.
“Denmark’s support for Ukraine is unwavering, and with the donation of F-16 aircraft, Denmark is now leading the way.”
Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has met the Ukrainian president landed in the Netherlands.
Mr Rutte told him Netherlands and Denmark would provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine – after the US said it would not raise objections.
However he did not state how many he would provide or when.
The Netherlands currently has 24 operational F-16s which will be phased out by mid-2024, according to the Dutch defence ministry.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in The Netherlands for a meeting with the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte.
They will meet at a military air base in Eindhoven.
Mr Zelenksyy has said on Telegram that the main topic of conversation with Mr Rutte will be fighter jets.
It comes after the United States approved the possible delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the Netherlands and Denmark.
It was seen as a major boost for Kyiv, even though the fighter jets won’t have an impact any time soon on the almost 18-month war.
Ukraine has long pleaded for the sophisticated fighters to give it a combat edge.
It recently launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive against the Kremlin’s forces without air cover, placing its troops at the mercy of Russian aviation and artillery.
Mr Zelenskyy visited Sweden on Saturday where he started discussions about receiving Gripen fighter jets from the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country will retaliate after a Russian missile struck the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on Saturday.
“I am sure our soldiers will respond to Russia for this terrorist attack. Respond tangibly,” Mr Zelenskyy said in a video address published in the early hours of Sunday.
The strike left seven dead, including a six-year-old girl named Sofia, and nearly 150 people injured.
The wounded included 15 children.
The missile hit a theatre in Chernihiv where drone manufacturers were gathering.
Away from the conflict in Ukraine, Russia is facing problems in its attempts at space exploration.
Moscow has confirmed its Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the moon.
The unmanned robot lander crashed after it spun into uncontrolled orbit, Russia’s space corporation Roscosmos reported on Sunday.
It comes after the country reported an “abnormal situation” that its specialists were analysing on Saturday.
The mission was the country’s first to the lunar surface in almost 50 years.
Read more by clicking on the link below.
Here’s more on the drone strikes we mentioned in today’s opening post.
Russia says Ukrainian drones struck three separate regions on Sunday.
Moscow’s defence ministry has said its air defences jammed a Ukrainian drone flying towards Moscow early on Sunday and caused it to crash in an unpopulated area.
The defence ministry has said there were no casualties.
Russia’s aviation watchdog said it had briefly halted flights to the city’s Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports in response.
The Kursk and Rostov regions, which both border Ukraine, were also reportedly struck by drones.
The Kursk region’s governor said that five people had been injured and a fire broke out when a drone hit a railway station.
Rostov’s governor said no injuries or damage had occurred.
Ukrainian drone strikes both on border regions and on the Russian capital have become increasingly common in recent months, with repeated strikes on Moscow’s financial district.
Russia said in May that two Ukrainian drones tried to attack the Kremlin.
Ukraine typically does not comment on who is behind attacks on Russian territory, although officials have publicly expressed satisfaction over them.
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