Russia has struck Ukraine’s capital Kyiv with cruise and ballistic missiles as well as drones in a major overnight attack in the early hours of today, just days before Volodymyr Zelensky is set to discuss a peace plan with European allies.
The massive aerial attack forced neighbouring Poland to scramble its aircraft, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said this morning.
Poland said that “all necessary procedures to ensure the safety of Polish airspace have been launched”.
The attack, coming after several weeks of quiet nights in Kyiv, also targeted parts of western Ukraine that border Nato-member Poland, and triggered air raid alerts across the whole of the war-torn country.
Ukraine’s air defence systems are engaged in repelling the strikes, Kyiv’s military administration said on Telegram. Many explosions were heard in and around Kyiv, according to witnesses.
This comes as the US dropped a critical ban on arming a controversial Ukrainian fighting unit, allowing the Azov Brigade access to some of its lethal munitions.
Key Points
Poland scrambles F-16 warplanes as Russia rains missiles on Ukraine
Explosions hit Kyiv as Russia launches major attack
Russian warplane violates Finnish airspace
Russia and Belarus start second stage of tactical nuclear drills
Zelensky to meet Biden in Italy, says White House
06:25 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will be meeting Joe Biden in a guest appearance in Italy on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit, the White House has announced.
The two-day G7 summit will kickstart in Italy tomorrow in the southern province of Puglia.
Senior White House official John Kirby said Mr Biden and Mr Zelensky will meet tomorrow to “discuss the US’s support for Ukraine, both now and in the future”.
Mr Kirby added that Washington would demonstrate a clear commitment to support Ukraine during the G7 summit. The two will also hold a press conference, he said.
Russia and Belarus start second stage of tactical nuclear drills
06:00 , Alexander Butler
Russian and Belarusian troops have started the second stage of tactical nuclear drills in Russia, Russia’s defence ministry has said.
The ministry said the drills were aimed at ensuring that the two countries’ military personnel and equipment were ready to protect their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“During the exercise, issues of joint training of units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons will be worked out,” the defence ministry said.
US to give Ukraine another Patriot missile system for air defence
05:12 , Arpan Rai
Joe Biden has allowed sending one more Patriot missile system to war-hit Ukraine, two US officials said, answering Kyiv’s desperate calls for more air defences as it battles an intense Russian assault on the northeastern Kharkiv region.
It would be the second Patriot system that the US has given to Ukraine, although the Pentagon has routinely provided an undisclosed number of missiles for the system. Other allies, including Germany, also have provided air defence systems as well as munitions for them.
Volodymyr Zelensky late last month pleaded for additional US-made Patriot systems, arguing that they will help his forces fight the close to 3,000 bombs that he said Russia launches into the country every month.
“If we had these modern Patriot systems, (Russian) airplanes wouldn’t be able to fly close enough to drop the (glide) bombs on the civilian population and the military,” he had said on a bilateral trip to Spain.
The two US officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not been publicly announced.
US will send Ukraine another Patriot missile system after Kyiv’s desperate calls for air defenses
One killed in Ukrainian shelling in Russia’s Belgorod
05:02 , Arpan Rai
At least one person was killed and three others were injured in Ukrainian shelling in the town of Shebekino in Russia’s Belgorod region, the governor of the region bordering Ukraine said this morning.
“The man died from his wounds on the spot before paramedics arrived,” Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a post on Telegram, adding that two wounded people were taken to local hospitals.
The shelling by multiple launch rocket systems also damaged six residential houses and 11 apartment buildings, he said.
Kyiv says its attacks on Russian territory are aimed at undermining Moscow’s war efforts by destroying military, energy and transport infrastructure.
Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia launched against its smaller neighbour in 2022.
Russian fighter-bomber crashes after ‘technical fault’
05:00 , Alexander Butler
A Russian military jet crashed during a training flight in North Ossetia, killing two people on board, the defence ministry said Tuesday.
The Sukhoi SU-34 jet crashed “in a mountainous zone” and there was “no damage on the ground”, the ministry said, adding that a technical problem appeared to have caused the crash.
It comes amid an increase in aircraft accidents in Russia, attributed to sanctions imposed on Russia leading to a shortage of necessary parts.
Ukraine says it has destroyed all Russian missiles and drones in overnight attack
04:26 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s air defence systems have destroyed all air weapons on their approach to Kyiv, the head of the city’s military administration said this morning.
In a rare large-scale attack which sent all of Ukraine under air-raid alert, Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Kyiv in the early morning, the Ukrainian military said.
Russia used a combination of cruise and ballistic missiles as well as drones in its attack, Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration said, citing preliminary information.
The full scale of the attack was not immediately clear, he added. Witnesses said several blasts that sounded like air defence systems at work were heard in and around Kyiv.
The air raid alerts lasted several hours across all of Ukraine, starting soon after midnight GMT and including regions bordering Nato-member Poland.
Poland scrambles F-16 warplanes as Russia rains missiles on Ukraine
04:08 , Arpan Rai
Poland has scrambled its aircraft and air forces against Russia’s large-scale missile attacks targeting Ukraine’s central and western parts, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said this morning.
The Polish armed forces described its response as “defensive air activities”.
Warning of increased noise-levels due to Polish and allied aircraft operating in its airspace, it said: “Tonight we are observing the activity of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation, carrying out strikes using cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles of the Shahed type against objects located, among others, in the western territory of Ukraine.”
Poland, which lies on Ukraine’s west, said that the last such “intensified” Russian aggressive activity was recorded on Thursday and Friday night.
“All necessary procedures to ensure the safety of Polish airspace have been launched, and the RSZ Operational Command is monitoring the situation on an ongoing basis,” it said, referring to one of the two command bodies of the Polish Armed Forces.
Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago, there have been a number of intrusions into Polish airspace, triggering worry in the European Union and Nato member state and reminding people of how close the war is.
Explosions hit Kyiv as Russia launches major missile attack
04:07 , Arpan Rai
Blasts were heard across Ukraine’s capital Kyiv this morning as Russian forces rained missiles on the war-hit nation, officials said.
Ukraine’s air defence systems are engaged in repelling the strikes, Kyiv’s military administration said on Telegram.
Many explosions were heard in and around Kyiv, according to witnesses.
The attack, coming after several weeks of quiet nights in Kyiv, saw all of Ukraine placed under blaring air raid alerts.
Pictured: Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska visits a wounded Ukrainian solider in a German military hospital
04:00 , Alexander Butler
‘There is more to do’ to avoid repeat of Second World War, warns army chief
03:00 , Alexander Butler
‘There is more to do’ to avoid repeat of WWII, warns army chief
Inside the escape from a Ukraine border village as Putin’s forces closed in: ‘Mummy, when will this war end?’
02:00 , Alexander Butler
Inside the escape from a Ukraine border village as Putin’s forces closed in
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
01:00 , Alexander Butler
The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine
Foreign investment in Ukraine reaches $4.25 bln in 2023
Wednesday 12 June 2024 00:01 , Alexander Butler
Foreign investment into the Ukrainian economy reached $4.25billion in 2023 despite the war with Russia, Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Tuesday.
“The war does not mean an embargo on investment. In 2023, foreign investors committed $4.25billion to the Ukrainian economy, which exceeded the 2016-2017 levels.
“We should continue to increase this figure,” Svyrydenko said.
Ukraine is in a race against time to steel itself for a Russian summer assault
Tuesday 11 June 2024 23:00 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine is in a race against time to steel itself for a Russian summer assault
Ukraine says it struck one of Russia’s most advanced warplanes
Tuesday 11 June 2024 22:00 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine says it struck one of Russia’s most advanced warplanes
Russia, Belarus launch a second stage of drills to train troops in tactical nuclear weapons
Tuesday 11 June 2024 21:00 , Alexander Butler
Russia, Belarus launch a second stage of drills to train troops in tactical nuclear weapons
Pictured: Ukrainian soldier remotely operates drone in Dontesk
Tuesday 11 June 2024 19:00 , Alexander Butler
Zelensky warns pro-Russian rhetoric ‘dangerous’ for EU countries
Tuesday 11 June 2024 18:00 , Alexander Butler
Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of growing pro-Russian rhetoric in Europe, after far-right parties – some sympathetic to the Kremlin – made gains in European Union elections.
“It seems to me that the most important thing is that people did not choose pro-Russian populist rhetoric. But radical pro-Russian rhetoric is dangerous for your countries,” Mr Zelensky said in Berlin.
Finland sees first Nato deployment as its jets join mission in Romania
Tuesday 11 June 2024 17:00 , Alexander Butler
Finland has made its first deployment for Nato since joining the alliance in April 2023, sending seven F-18 fighter jets to a military base in southeastern Romania where they will conduct air shielding missions with Romanian and British jets.
A Finnish Air Force commander said the mission would help speed up Finland’s integration into Nato.
“I’m sure that during this enhanced air policing air shielding mission our integration into NATO will take a big leap forward,” Johan Anttila, commander of Finland’s Karelia Air Wing told soldiers on the tarmac at the Mihail Kogalniceanu base.
Ukraine appeals for help rebuilding shattered cities
Tuesday 11 June 2024 16:00 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine and its allies drummed up support to protect Ukrainian cities from Russian missiles today and urged international businesses to put their faith, and billions of dollars, into post-war reconstruction.
Kyiv hopes the recovery conference will cement its credentials as a future member of the European Union that is worthy of huge injections of reconstruction financing – even as Russian forces continue to make slow advances in Ukraine’s east.
Speaking alongside German chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had already wiped out enough energy infrastructure to power the cities of Berlin and Munich combined.
Russian hybrid operations very concerning, say Romania, Poland and Latvia
Tuesday 11 June 2024 15:04 , Alexander Butler
Russia’s malign hybrid activities in Nato countries are a source of deep concern, the presidents of Romania, Poland and Latvia said on Tuesday in a statement released to coincide with a meeting of eastern members of the alliance.
Countries on Nato’s eastern flank say that Russia is using tactics ranging from sabotage and cyberattacks to illegal migration to destabilise them due to their support for Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly denied accusations that it is behind such activities. “We are deeply concerned about Russia’s recent malignant hybrid activities on Allied territory, which constitute a threat to Allied security,” the presidents said in the statement.
US drops ban on controversial Ukrainian brigade
Tuesday 11 June 2024 14:18 , Alexander Butler
The United States had dropped a ban on arming a controversial Ukrainian fighting unit which has been criticised for recruiting fighters from far-right circles.
The Azov Brigade is among Ukraine’s most effective and popular fighting units, formerly based in Mariupol, has also been called out for some of its fighting tactics.
It has rejected accusations of extremism and any ties with far-right movements, and the US said it had found “no evidence” of human rights violations.
“This is a new page in our unit’s history,” the brigade said. “Azov is becoming even more powerful, even more professional and even more dangerous for occupiers.”
Russia says West may force it to amend nuclear doctrine
Tuesday 11 June 2024 13:15 , Alexander Butler
The actions of the West are making Russia think about amending its nuclear deterrence framework, the TASS news agency cited deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Tuesday.
Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke about Russia’s nuclear doctrine last week, saying that it was a “living instrument” which could be changed. On Tuesday, Ryabkov declined to say what exactly could change in the documents.
Russia destroyed half of Ukraine’s power generation capacity, says Zelensky
Tuesday 11 June 2024 12:45 , Alexander Butler
Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy facilities have destroyed half of its electricity generation capacity since winter, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
“As a result of the strikes of Russian missiles and drones, nine gigawatts of capacity have already been destroyed. The peak of electricity consumption last winter was 18 gigawatts. So half now doesn’t exist,” Mr Zelensky told a conference in Berlin.
Russian fighter-bomber crashes after ‘technical fault’
Tuesday 11 June 2024 12:15 , Alexander Butler
A Russian military jet crashed during a training flight in North Ossetia, killing two people on board, the defence ministry said Tuesday.
The Sukhoi SU-34 jet crashed “in a mountainous zone” and there was “no damage on the ground”, the ministry said, adding that a technical problem appeared to have caused the crash.
It comes amid an increase in aircraft accidents in Russia, attributed to sanctions imposed on Russia leading to a shortage of necessary parts.
Russian forces capture two villages in Ukraine
Tuesday 11 June 2024 11:33 , Alexander Butler
Russian forces have captured the village of Miasozharivka in Ukraine’s Luhansk region and the village of Tymkivka in the Kharkiv region, the TASS news agency cited Russia’s defence ministry as saying.
Russia and Belarus start second stage of tactical nuclear drills
Tuesday 11 June 2024 11:19 , Alexander Butler
Russian and Belarusian troops have started the second stage of tactical nuclear drills in Russia, Russia’s defence ministry has said.
The ministry said the drills were aimed at ensuring that the two countries’ military personnel and equipment were ready to protect their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“During the exercise, issues of joint training of units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons will be worked out,” the defence ministry said.
At Nato allies summit, Latvia touts coordinated Ukraine approach, without Hungary
Tuesday 11 June 2024 10:59 , Alexander Butler
Nato’s eastern flank leaders will have a more coordinated approach towards supporting Ukraine after the Hungarian president stayed away from their summit in Riga, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said.
The split emphasises diverging approaches to Russia and Ukraine among central European nations, amid Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban’s continued close ties to Russia and refusal to give arms to Ukraine.
Rinkevics said Hungary’s President Tamas Sulyok cancelled his trip to the summit of the Bucharest Nine, a group of European countries on the eastern edge of Nato, at the weekend.
China says it will oppose all unilateral sanctions
Tuesday 11 June 2024 10:05 , Alex Ross
China will resolutely oppose all unilateral sanctions following new warnings from G7 countries on small Chinese banks about their links to Russia, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, spokesperson Lin Jin said at a regular press conference.
It was reported yesteday that member countries of the G7 were set to send a tough new warning next week to smaller Chinese banks to stop assisting Russia in evading Western sanctions.
Leaders are gathering for the summit on June 13-15.
Ukraine’s recovery – problems within Kyiv government
Tuesday 11 June 2024 09:45 , Alex Ross
Among other immediate problems Ukraine faces, sustained Russian attacks on its power grid in recent weeks have forced leaders in Kyiv to institute nationwide rolling blackouts.
But on Monday, the head of the State Agency for Restoration of Ukraine, Mustafa Nayyem, announced his resignation on Facebook.
He cited “systemic obstacles that prevent me from exercising my powers effectively” and accused the government of bogging his agency down in red tape.
Ukraine hasn’t had a minister dedicated to reconstruction since Oleksandr Kubrakov was dismissed in May.
Mr Nayyem complained that Ukraine‘s prime minister barred him from attending the Berlin conference, starting on Tuesday
Ukraine’s bid to join EU – ‘we are pulling out all the stops’, says Germany’s foreign minister
Tuesday 11 June 2024 09:25 , Alex Ross
Ukraine applied to join the EU after the Russian invasion in February 2022, and last Friday, the European Commission said it had met the requirements for starting negotiations – so it’s now up to member countries to make it happen.
Speaking ahead of the two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said: “We are pulling out all the stops so that Ukraine can soon take a seat at the table of the European Union – because, in addition to our military support, that’s the best protection there is.”
Task of supporting Ukraine’s recovery ‘too big to be tackled by governments alone’
Tuesday 11 June 2024 09:05 , Alex Ross
Ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin, where support will be gathered for Kyiv from governments and businesses, the German development minister Svenja Schulze has said governments need support of companies and civil societies.
It said assisting Kyiv in its short and long term recovery was “too big to be tackled by governments alone”
He added: “Even during the current times of war, Ukraine needs to continually rebuild houses, water pipelines, hospitals and power grids.
“People want to keep on living in their country, and to do so they need electricity, water and a roof over their heads.”
What’s happening today
Tuesday 11 June 2024 08:39 , Alex Ross
Germany is hosting a two-day conference to gather support for Ukraine’s recovery in a signal of solidarity witth Kyiv from today.
The two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin comes before the Group of Seven summit of Ukraine‘s leading Western allies in Italy and a global peace summit in Switzerland this coming weekend.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who last week attended events marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France, is expected at the gathering, which the German hosts say will bring together 2,000 people from politics, business and other areas.
Russia drops 500kg guided bomb on Ukrainian civilians overnight
Tuesday 11 June 2024 08:10 , Arpan Rai
At least five people were severely injured after Russian forces dropped a 500-kilogram guided bomb on a residential area of the city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk oblast yesterday, Ukrainian officials said.
The guided bomb hit the area around 11.20pm last night, officials said.
The bomb hit a residential area where five local residents sustained physical injuries due to shattered glass and a powerful blast wave, reported Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda. The injured civilians include a 65-year-old man and two women aged 63 and 88.
They were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries and multiple lacerations, the report added. The bombing also hollowed out 13 multi-storey buildings and shattered its windows and glass panes.
Russia does not acknowledge its missile and bombing attacks on Ukraine, especially civilian areas, although it claims it is targeting military hotspots. However, in its 27-month-old war, Russia has attacked schools, maternity wards, hospitals, shelters, villages, residential settlements, museums, churches among several other places.
90 countries to attend Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit that Russia is snubbing
Tuesday 11 June 2024 07:00 , Alexander Butler
90 countries to attend Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit that Russia is snubbing
Zelensky reaches Germany to meet Scholz
Tuesday 11 June 2024 06:49 , Arpan Rai
Volodymyr Zelensky said he arrived in Germany for a conference on Ukraine’s post-war recovery and would also hold talks with chancellor Olaf Sholz.
The Ukrainian war-time leader said he would prioritise measures concerning Ukraine‘s energy sector, shattered by Russian air attacks at the conference, an annual event.
His talks with Sholz would focus on continued military support, including air defences and joint manufacture of munitions, and the coordination of positions ahead of the “peace summit” to be hosted by Switzerland later in the week.
Russian bomber crashes in Caucasus, killing crew
Tuesday 11 June 2024 06:13 , Arpan Rai
A Russian SU-34 bomber crashed in the Caucasus mountains during a routine training flight likely due to a technical malfunction, killing the crew aboard, Russian news agencies reported today citing the defence ministry.
An unspecified number of crew members have been killed, officials said. It is not immediately known how many people were on board.
“The preliminary cause of the plane crash is a technical malfunction,” TASS state news agency cited the ministry’s representative as saying. The crash took place in the Ossetia region, the ministry said.
US does not expect EU’s rightward shift to bring big foreign policy changes, official says
Tuesday 11 June 2024 06:00 , Alexander Butler
The United States does not expect any major foreign policy changes from the European Union, including on Ukraine, after a European Parliament election that saw far-right parties gain seats, a US official said on Monday.
The official said Washington expects Ursula von der Leyen will be able to stay on as EU president.
Russia undermining Finnish sovereignty with airspace violations, says think-tank
Tuesday 11 June 2024 05:30 , Arpan Rai
The Kremlin is continuing its mission to undermine Finland’s territorial and sovereign integrity by sending military jets into its airspace, a US-based think-tank said, after Russia violated the Nato nation’s airspace yesterday.
Shortly after breaching Finnish airspace yesterday morning, the Russian defence ministry said it conducted flights using Tu-95MS missile carriers and Tu-22M3 bombers over the neutral waters of the Baltic, Barents and Norwegian seas.
Noting that the Russian ministry of defence has not responded to Finnish reports, The Institute for the Study of War said: “This reported incursion likely forwards the ongoing Kremlin effort to undermine Finnish sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
It noted that the Russian defence ministry had proposed last month that the Russian government should “reassess Russia’s maritime borders in the Gulf of Finland, which some Western officials have warned may be part of an effort to revise maritime zones in the Baltic Sea”.
“The Kremlin has also been running a number of information operations aimed at portraying Finland as an enemy to Russia and Russians, ultimately setting information conditions to justify potential future aggression against Finland,” the ISW said.
90 countries to attend Ukraine peace summit that Russia is ignoring
Tuesday 11 June 2024 05:10 , Arpan Rai
Nearly 90 countries and organisations, half from Europe, have confirmed attending the Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit over the weekend despite Russia’s refusal to participate in the conference, Switzerland’s president has said.
Viola Amherd told reporters in the Swiss capital that the summit, on Saturday and Sunday, will aim to chart a path toward possible peace nearly 28 months after Russian forces invaded Ukraine and the war grinding on.
Some, including French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz, are expected to attend the summit at the Buergenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne.
Brazil and China said they wouldn’t take part unless both sides – including Russia – were at the table, according to Swiss officials. Beijing has been one of the top supporters of Vladimir Putin since the war started.
“This is not propaganda,” said Amherd. “This is about the basis of humanitarian aid provided by Switzerland… and to initiate a dialogue.”
The Swiss president added that most participants — about half of which will be represented at the level of head of state or government — are country leaders, but “a handful” are from organisations like the United Nations.
Read more here:
90 countries to attend Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit that Russia is snubbing
Putin claims Russia may supply long-range weapons to enemies of West
Tuesday 11 June 2024 05:00 , Alexander Butler
Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia could retaliate in kind against those permitting Ukraine to target Russia with their long-range missiles – by providing such weapons to countries within striking distance of Western nations.
In wide-ranging remarks at his annual economic forum in St Petersburg, the Russian president sought to insist that Moscow “does not care” about the upcoming US election, claimed candidate Donald Trump’s hush money conviction was “political”, and dismissed fears that Russia wants to attack Nato as “nonsense”.
But he warned that the United States and Germany’s recent authorisation for Ukraine to use their weapons to hit specific Russian targets close to Kharkiv could lead to “very serious problems”, calling Berlin’s decision a “very dangerous step”.
Putin claims Russia could supply long-range weapons to West’s enemies
Russian warplane violates Finnish airspace
Tuesday 11 June 2024 04:39 , Arpan Rai
A Russian military plane breached Finnish airspace yesterday, officials in Helsinki said. This was the first such violation by Russian forces since Finland joined Nato last year.
The warplane entered Finland’s airspace for approximately two minutes on Monday morning, officials from Finland’s defence ministry said, confirming the breach of its air territory in the eastern Gulf of Finland.
The aircraft flew at least 2.5km into Finnish territory.
Finnish defence minister Antti Hakkanen said the country takes the “suspected territorial violation seriously and the investigation has been started immediately”.
This is not the first time Russia has violated Finland’s airspace. In August 2022, it sent two fighter jets inside the European nation’s airspace, sparking international condemnation over its reckless air operations.
Ukraine appoints commander of drone systems
Tuesday 11 June 2024 04:20 , Arpan Rai
The Ukrainian military has appointed a commander of drone forces in a newly created position, bolstering its most active air defence unit, as it continues to fight back against Russia’s 27-month-old war.
Ukraine has repeatedly underlined the importance of drone warfare in reconnaissance and combat operations it is carrying out against Russian forces. The drones have been used by Ukrainian forces in overwhelming numbers to strike positions on the frontline, bordering Russian villages and cities, and deep inside Russia.
A statement by the General Staff of the Armed Forces said Vadym Sukharevskyi, deputy armed forces commander, had been named to the post by order of defence minister Rustem Umerov. Sukharevskyi was appointed deputy commander in February with responsibility for drones.
Mr Zelensky had issued a decree in February calling for the creation of a separate branch of the armed forces devoted to drones and the order was endorsed last week by the government.
Ukraine will be producing a million of its own drones in the course of 2024, Mr Zelensky said. Alongside the Ukrainian military has ramped up its use of drones. Commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has also met in recent days with the country’s most successful drone units.
Pictured: Belgian prime minister and Zelensky next to an F-16 fighter jet
Tuesday 11 June 2024 04:00 , Alexander Butler
Biden to lift ban on Ukrainian unit using US weapons – report
Tuesday 11 June 2024 03:57 , Arpan Rai
The Biden administration will lift its ban on allowing a controversial Ukrainian military unit to use American weapons, the Washington Post reported citing State Department officials.
The State Department reversed a decade-old prohibition on the Azov Brigade from using American training and weapons after a new analysis found no evidence of human rights violations by the unit, the Washington Post reported.
“After thorough review, Ukraine’s 12th Special Forces Azov Brigade passed Leahy vetting as carried out by the US Department of State,” the State Department said in a statement obtained by the newspaper.
The Leahy Law bars US military assistance to foreign units found to have committed such violations.
The Azov Regiment, which has far-right and ultra-nationalist roots, is part of Ukraine’s National Guard and evolved out of a battalion that was formed in 2014 and fought against Russian-backed separatists who carved out breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.
The regiment is lionised in Ukraine for defending the country against Russia’s invasion and in particular the southern city of Mariupol, but they are reviled by Russian president Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin.
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