WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine's Zelenskiy says F-16s make him 'confident' that Russia will lose the war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told a crowd in Denmark on Monday that promised deliveries of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets had made him confident Ukraine could end Russia's invasion.

Denmark and the Netherlands on Sunday announced they would supply the first F-16s to Ukraine, with the initial six due to be delivered around New Year. Washington had approved the delivery of the jets ahead of Zelenskiy's trip to Copenhagen.

"Today we are confident that Russia will lose this war," Zelenskiy told thousands of people who gathered outside the Danish parliament to hear his speech.

Russia warned earlier that supplying the jets to Ukraine would only escalate the war, which has dragged on for almost 18 months. Russian forces are occupying almost a fifth of Ukraine's territory and Kyiv is battling hard to push them out.

"The fact that Denmark has now decided to donate 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine leads to an escalation of the conflict," Russian ambassador Vladimir Barbin said in a statement cited by the Ritzau news agency.

"By hiding behind a premise that Ukraine itself must determine the conditions for peace, Denmark seeks with its actions and words to leave Ukraine with no other choice but to continue the military confrontation with Russia," he said.

The Ukrainian military said the jet was vital to the success of its counteroffensive, which has proceeded slowly since its launch in early June, as it would prevent Russian fighter jets attacking advancing forces.

"Superiority in the air is key to success on the ground," air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat was quoted as saying by Ukrainian media.

Danish Defence Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Ukraine may only use the donated F-16s within its own territory.

"We donate weapons under the condition that they are used to drive the enemy out of the territory of Ukraine. And no further than that," Ellemann-Jensen said on Monday.

"Those are the conditions, whether it's tanks, fighter planes or something else," he said.

Denmark will deliver 19 jets in total. The Netherlands has 42 F-16s available in all but has yet to decide whether all of them will be donated.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called the decision a "breakthrough agreement".

Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Saturday that Ukrainian pilots had begun training, but it would take at least six months and possibly longer to also train engineers and mechanics.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Attack drones’ shot down near Moscow – mayor

Two Ukrainian “attack drones” have been destroyed by air defenses near the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in the early hours of Tuesday. One UAV was shot down over the city of Krasnogorsk, around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Moscow, while another one was downed over the village of Chastsy. 

The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said that a total of four UAVs were used in “terrorist attacks” on Tuesday. Two drones were destroyed in the Moscow Region, and two more were disabled by the means of electronic warfare and crashed in the Bryansk Region, which shares a border with Ukraine, according to the MOD. The Defense Ministry added that no one was hurt.

News agency TASS cited emergency services as saying that the facade of an apartment block in Krasnogorsk has been damaged, as were several cars parked nearby.

A witness in Krasnogorsk told Telegram channel SHOT that she had heard a “very big explosion.” Channel Mash posted a dashcam video, which reportedly shows a bright flash from the blast.

Videos posted to social media show what appear to be drone parts scattered on the pavement in a residential area.

Flights in and out of Moscow’s three main airports – Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Vnukovo – were suspended following the alert. They have since resumed normal operations, TASS said, citing civil aircraft officials.

The MOD previously said that two Ukrainian drones were brought down near Crimea on Monday evening, crashing into the Black Sea.

Kiev has stepped up drone attack on the Russian capital this month, repeatedly targeting its financial district. 

** Ukrainian UAVs intercepted near Crimea – Moscow

Two Ukrainian drones have been disabled and brought down off the coast of Crimea on Monday evening, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Kiev has stepped up unmanned aircraft attacks on Russian soil in recent months. 

The UAVs on a mission to “conduct a terrorist attack” were intercepted around 11 pm local time, the ministry said in a brief statement in the early hours of Tuesday.  

“The two Ukrainian drones have been spotted by the air defenses and downed with the means of electronic warfare,” the MOD said. It added that the UAVs then veered off course, crashing into the Black Sea 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) northwest of the Crimean Peninsula. 

Kiev has increased drone attacks in Crimea and elsewhere in Russia in recent months. According to Russian officials, a drone heading for Moscow was downed on Monday morning. Multiple UAVs were shot down over the weekend in the Belgorod Region, which shares a border with Ukraine, the local governor said.

Several unmanned aircraft crashed in Moscow’s financial district earlier this month, without causing any fatalities. On July 17, a Ukrainian seaborne drone struck the Kerch Bridge, which connects Crimea with mainland Russia, killing two people and injuring their teenage daughter. Moscow responded to the attack on the bridge by striking port infrastructure in the Ukrainian city of Odessa.

Reuters/RT