Ukrainian War: Drones and missiles shot down, alliance for Ukrainian F-16s, Wagner Mali sanctioned
All the latest developments of the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine claims to have shot down Russian drones and missiles overnight
Ukraine shot down ten missiles and 25 drones launched by Russia in nighttime attacks in the cities of kyiv and Dnipro and in eastern regions, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.
Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 10 missiles fired from the Caspian Sea, 23 Iranian-made Shahed drones and two reconnaissance drones, according to US news agency Reuters.
A total of 17 missiles and 31 drones were launched around 10 p.m. local time on Thursday, the Ukrainian side claimed.
The attacks continued into the early hours of Friday with several drones and missiles hitting targets in Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk. Authorities have not yet confirmed any deaths.
“It was a very difficult night,” Serhiy Lysak, the regional governor of Dnipropetrovsk, said on Telegram. “It was noisy – the enemy launched a massive attack on the region with missiles and drones. Dnipro suffered.
Lysak said several pieces of infrastructure were damaged by the attacks, including civilian homes, cars and businesses, including a transportation company and gas station.
US says allies will unite to train Ukrainians on F-16 jets
European allies are developing a coordinated program to train Ukrainian forces on the F-16 fighter jet, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Thursday.
Austin said the allies recognize that in addition to training, Ukraine will also need to be able to support and maintain the aircraft and have sufficient ammunition.
But Pentagon leaders have warned that it will be a costly and complex task and will not be a magical solution to war.
“The Russians have a thousand fourth and fifth generation fighters, so if you want to take on Russia in the air, you’re going to need a substantial number of fourth and fifth generation fighters,” Army General Mark said. Miley. , Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Supplying 10 F-16s could cost $2 billion, including maintenance, according to Milley.
He said F-16s will play a future role as part of Ukraine’s air capabilities, but “it’s going to take a long time to build an air force of the size, scope and scale that would be needed”.
The United States’ European allies have expressed support for the fighter jet training in recent days.
The Wagner group in Mali sanctioned for alleged arms trafficking
The leader of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner in Mali was sanctioned on Thursday for allegedly beefing up Russian weaponry in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The United States said local Wagner official Ivan Maslov could work to buy mines, drones and other weapons systems from foreign suppliers for delivery to Russian fighters in Ukraine.
The US Treasury Department said there were indications the Kremlin was trying to use the West African nation as a staging post for arms deliveries.
The suspicions, however, have yet to be proven according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
“We have not seen, at this time, any indication that these acquisitions have been finalized or executed, but we are monitoring the situation closely,” Miller said earlier this week.
The Wagner Group brokered deals in Mali, the Central African Republic, Libya and elsewhere, providing security for often autocratic national rulers, often in exchange for a share in the local extraction of gold and other resources.
euronews Gt
