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☆ Russian forces want to capture big coking plant in key town, mayor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 3 (Reuters) - Russian forces, focused for weeks on seizing the key eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, are now intent on capturing its vast coking plant, the town's mayor said on Friday. Mayor Vitaliy Barabash, speaking on national television, said audio transmission intercepts had revealed that Moscow was now seeking to secure the town's giant coking plant. Ukrainian military analysts say a sustained assault on Avdiivka had more political that military significance and could be little more than a propaganda prize for Moscow. The General Staff report also reported that Ukrainian forces had repelled seven attacks near Kupiansk, a town in the northeast first seized by Russia but recaptured by Ukrainian forces in a fast-moving offensive late last year. Russian accounts of the fighting said Moscow's forces beat back Ukrainian attempts to advance near Kupiansk and struck Ukrainian forces in a series of towns south and west of Donetsk.

Persons: Vitaliy Barabash, Barabash, Avdiivka, Natalia Homeniuk, Homeniuk, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ron Popeski, Michael Perry Organizations: Russian, Ukraine's, Staff, Moscow, The, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russian, Bakhmut, Moscow, Kupiansk, Russia, Kharkiv, Odesa, Kherson, Lviv, Ukraine's, Poland, Ukraine

☆ Russian Forces Want to Capture Big Coking Plant in Key Town, Mayor Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Russian forces, focused for weeks on seizing the key eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, are now intent on capturing its vast coking plant, the town's mayor said on Friday. Mayor Vitaliy Barabash, speaking on national television, said audio transmission intercepts had revealed that Moscow was now seeking to secure the town's giant coking plant. Ukrainian military analysts say a sustained assault on Avdiivka had more political that military significance and could be little more than a propaganda prize for Moscow. The General Staff report also reported that Ukrainian forces had repelled seven attacks near Kupiansk, a town in the northeast first seized by Russia but recaptured by Ukrainian forces in a fast-moving offensive late last year. Russian accounts of the fighting said Moscow's forces beat back Ukrainian attempts to advance near Kupiansk and struck Ukrainian forces in a series of towns south and west of Donetsk.

Persons: Vitaliy Barabash, Barabash, Avdiivka, Natalia Homeniuk, Homeniuk, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ron Popeski, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, Russian, Ukraine's, Staff, Moscow, The Locations: Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russian, Bakhmut, Moscow, Kupiansk, Russia, Kharkiv, Odesa, Kherson, Lviv, Ukraine's, Poland, Ukraine

☆ Ukrainian fighter pilots could soon make the jump to real F-16s that don't fly quite like the jets they know best
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Ukrainian fighter pilots learning to fly the F-16 could soon make the jump to real combat aircraft. The F-16 flies a bit different from the fighter aircraft they know, namely MiG-29s and Su-27s. AdvertisementAdvertisementTwo U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft sits parked on flight line at MacDill Air Force Base, Sept. 8, 2021. US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Lauren CobinSimulator training will help ease the transition with these potential differences, but getting up to speed in an actual plane still takes time. Training has been ongoing at the Danish military air base in Skrydstrup and in the US at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and Morris Air National Guard Base in Arizona.

Persons: —, Ukraine's, Yuriy Ihnat, Ihnat, Mike, Torrealday, Efrem, Julianne Showalter, you'd, Lockheed Martin, Lauren Organizations: MiG, Service, US Air Force Reserve, Ukrainian Air Force, National Museum of, United States Air Force US Air Force, Soviet, Air Force, General Dynamics, . Air Force, Falcon, MacDill Air Force Base, US Air Force, US, Lackland Air Force Base, Morris Air National Guard Base Locations: American, Ukrainian, Kyiv, Soviet, Iraq, Poland, Romania, Denmark, United States, Skrydstrup, Texas, Arizona, Ukraine

☆ The Kremlin is leaning on cheap Russian-made drones like never before, war analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Paul Squire | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is adding cheap, domestic-made drones to its arsenal, war analysts say. The Institute for the Study of War said Moscow is ramping up production of lighter drones. Analysts with the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a Tuesday dispatch that Moscow used new, long-range "Italmas" drones for the first time in its war on Ukraine, according to speculation by Russian media. The ISW cited Russian sources who said the Russian-produced "Italmas" drones are lighter and harder for Ukrainian air defenses to shoot down. The ISW previously said Russia is aiming to add more drones, loitering munitions, missiles, and guided bombs to its arsenal.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: Service, Institute for, Ukrainian Air Force Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Iran

☆ Russia is buying engines from China's AliExpress to make 'quick and dirty' drones that are proving lethal, Ukraine says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is making drones using engines from AliExpress, a Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said. Ukraine learned this from the debris of drones used in Russia's invasion, he said. Drones have been a huge part of Russia and Ukraine's fight, but both sides struggle to have enough. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia is making lethal drones using engines from Chinese e-commerce giant AliExpress, a Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said. Yurii Ihnat said that Ukraine knows Russia is making drones with the engines due to the debris left by damaged and destroyed UAVs.

Persons: Ukraine's, —, Yurii Ihnat, Ihnat Organizations: Ukrainian Air Force, Service, Pravda, BBC Locations: Russia, Ukraine, AliExpress, crowdfunding, China, Iran

☆ Gripen fighters built to battle Russian jets are on the table for Ukraine, but only if Sweden gets to join NATO, Stockholm says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sweden is asking its military to explore the prospects of sending Ukraine its Gripen fighter jets. But there won't be any transfer until Stockholm joins NATO, its defense minister said. Citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and neighboring Finland first announced their intentions to join NATO over a year ago, breaking away from decades of neutrality. The Gripen was designed to take on Russian fighter jets and features electronic-warfare capabilities built to counter the radars in Moscow's aircraft and ground-based air-defense systems. Even if Sweden decides to send Gripens to Ukraine, it would be many months before they actually reach the battlefield.

Persons: —, Pål Jonson, — Gen, Micael, Jonson, JAS, Saab JAS, PATRICK TRAGARDH, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sukhois, Gripens Organizations: Gripen, NATO, Service, Swedish Armed Forces, Swedish Defense, Sweden, Saab, Getty, Kyiv, Swedish Air Force, Ukrainian Air Force, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Sweden, Ukraine, Russia, Stockholm, Swedish, Finland, Turkey, Hungary, Lulea, AFP, Kyiv, Russian

☆ The US Air Force is buying a new missile as it makes plans to blast through enemy air defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia and Ukraine are using their air defenses to deny each other control of the air. The US wants to avoid that, and it's working on a new missile to take down enemy air defenses. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Russian and Ukrainian air forces have played a relatively minor role in the war in Ukraine. Both sides have tended to keep their aircraft over friendly territory rather than risk tangling with sophisticated enemy air defenses, such as Ukraine's US-made Patriot and Russia's S-400. Ukrainian air forceThe US military currently uses the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-radiation Guided Missile, or AARGM, which is an upgraded HARM.

Persons: —, it's, James Hecker, Hecker, Northrop Grumman, Northrop, Northrop Grumman What's, they've, " Hecker, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Air Forces, Air and Space Forces Association, Ukrainian, Press, Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff, Handout, REUTERS, US Air Force, Radiation, Storm, US, Air and Space Forces Magazine, Joint, Air Force, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Europe, Kharkiv, Vietnam, Iran, North Korea, Forbes

☆ Ukraine shot down 16 of 30 Russian drones, Air Forces say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Ukraine's air defence systems shot down 16 out of around 30 drones that Russia launched on Ukraine's territory overnight, Ukrainian Air Forces said on Sunday. It said on Telegram messaging app that drones were launched from the southern, southeastern and northern directions. Authorities said the central Ukrainian Cherkasy region was under the attack. "At night, the enemy massively attacked our Cherkasy region with attack drones. The Ukrainian presidential office said in a statement that civilian infrastructure and warehouses were also damaged in the southern Mykolaiv region and eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.

Persons: Ihor Taburets, Pavel Polityuk, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Ukrainian Air Forces, Authorities, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukrainian Cherkasy region, Cherkasy, Uman, Ukrainian, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk

☆ Putin marks anniversary of annexation of Ukrainian regions as drones attack overnight
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday insisted that the residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed a year ago "made their choice — to be with their Fatherland." A concert was held in Red Square on Friday to mark the anniversary, but Putin did not participate. Serhii Borzov said that air defenses shot down 20 drones over his central Ukrainian region, but that a "powerful fire" broke out in the town of Kalynivka when a drone struck an unspecified infrastructure facility. Russia's Defense Ministry said Saturday that it had shot down nine Ukrainian rockets fired at its southern Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. Drone strikes and shelling in the Russian border regions are a regular occurrence.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Malashko, Serhii Borzov, Vyacheslav Gladkov Organizations: Senezh, Russia's, Commission, Russia's Defense, Ukraine, EU Foreign Affairs, Security, Gov, Romania's Ministry of National Defense, Romanian Army, NATO, Belgorod Gov, Local Locations: Russia, Solnechnogorsk, Moscow region, Moscow, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Red Square, Ukraine, EU, Odesa, Russian, Ukraine's, Matviivka, Mykolaiv, Vinnytsia, Ukrainian, Kalynivka, Romania, Galati, Tulcea, Belgorod, Russia's Bryansk, Pogar

☆ New video shows how Ukrainian pilots are figuring out how to fly the F-16 in between their combat missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new video shows how Ukrainian pilots are training to fly F-16s with VR and trainer aircraft. Some pilots are training in person abroad while others learn the F-16 in between flying combat missions. Ukrainian Air Force pilots are adjusting to differences between their Soviet-era jets and US-made F-16s. "While our brothers master the F-16s abroad, the Ukrainian Air Force fighter pilots continue to protect the Ukrainian sky and destroy the occupiers on the ground. Even in the VR training, pilots notice an immediate difference between their Soviet jets and the Western plane.

Persons: —, Andrii, PIROSCHKA VAN, they'll Organizations: VR, Ukrainian Air Force, Service, NATO, Air Force, YouTube, Soviet Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Kyiv

☆ Biden administration blacklists China firms for Moscow, Tehran drone links
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A broken window is seen after Russia launched 33 drones into the direction of Kyiv region, Ukraine on September 10, 2023. In a separate statement, the Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia sent 33 Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) toward Kyiv and Ukrainian forces shot down 26 of them. Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesThe Biden administration slapped fresh trade curbs on 11 Chinese and five Russian companies Monday, targeting foreign actors seen as compromising national security and drawing Beijing's ire. None of the Chinese entities cited were able to immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment. CNBC was unable to reach the spokesperson of one company for comment, while some of the companies did not have public contact details.

Persons: Biden, Hong, Alan Estevez Organizations: Ukrainian Air Force, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Asia, Technology, U.S, Commerce Department's, of Industry, Commerce, Industry, CNBC Locations: Russia, Kyiv region, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Anadolu, U.S, Hong Kong, St . Petersburg, Iran, Yemen, Washington

☆ A video appearing to show a Russian Lancet drone striking a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter at its base suggests the small drones can now hit targets far further away
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A video appears to show a Russian Lancet drone striking a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter at an air base. It was launched from around 50 miles away, but Lancet drones previously only reached up to 25 miles. The development poses a new challenge for the Ukrainian air force, whose main air bases were previously out of reach for Russia's small attack drones. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia has ramped up its use of Lancet drones in Ukraine in recent months, using the cheap drones to try and strike high-value targets, Reuters reported. An image of what appears to be a Lancet drone in Ukraine, in a handout image on January 22, 2023.

Persons: Forbes Organizations: Service, Aero, RIA Novosti Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Kryvyi Rih

☆ Why Ukraine's Patriot missile systems can't cope with Russia's old, iron bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The heavy airplane bombs are "particularly vexing" for air defense systems built to strike lighter targets. Hi-tech air defense missiles are designed to strike more lightweight targets and are ill-equipped to counter the bombs' old, heavy iron construction. This makes them a weapon that the latest air defense systems, like the much-vaunted US Patriot missiles, were not designed to combat, military experts say. The distance from which you can strike the enemy is low, forcing aircraft to fly into the danger zone of the enemy's air defense systems. They can reach a target of 30 miles away, out of range of most of the air defense systems on the frontline.

Persons: Oleksiy, Melnyk, Yuriy Ignat, Ukraine's, Vladimir Putin's, Denys Smazhnyi Organizations: Service, Patriot, Sappers, State Emergency Service, FAB, REUTERS, Ukrainian Air Force, New York Times, Kyiv Independent Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Kyiv, Kharkiv, REUTERS Russia, Soviet, Russia, Russian

☆ Ukraine's air force has gotten good at fighting on the run, and Russia's military can't catch up, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine's air force has been able to keep operating by spreading out its jets among different bases. Russia has struggled to catch up to that dispersal, the top US Air Force general in Europe says. That success underscores the US Air Force's need to be able to distribute its jets and crews. Russia began the war with a larger and more advanced air force, including better radars and longer-range missiles. US Air Force crew chiefs perform a "communications out" launch of an F-16 during an exercise in Lithuania in August.

Persons: James Hecker, they've, Hecker, Danil, " Hecker, OLEKSII FILIPPOV, Justin Bronk, Bronk, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Stephanie Longoria Organizations: US Air Force, Service, US Air Forces, Air and Space Forces Association, Washington DC, Getty, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Ukraine, Carnegie Endowment, International, Russian BDA, Air Force, Tech Locations: Russia, Europe, Wall, Silicon, Washington, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Lviv, AFP, Moscow, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland

☆ A spectacular attack in Crimea is part of Ukraine's effort to 'evict' Putin's navy from a prized Black Sea base, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The attack also deals a harsh blow to the logistics and operations of Moscow's Black Sea Fleet. If the damage to the base is severe enough, it may impair the Black Sea Fleet's readiness. AdvertisementAdvertisementBeyond Sevastopol, the Black Sea Fleet doesn't have many alternative options when it comes to repairs and upgrades. AdvertisementAdvertisement"At the operational level of war, it appears that part of Ukraine's strategy is to impose cost on Black Sea Fleet operations. REUTERS/Alexey PavlishakIt remains to be seen what specific long-term effects on the Black Sea Fleet arise in the aftermath of the Sevastopol strikes.

Persons: Michael Petersen, Petersen, Ben Hodges, Hodges, Alexey Pavlishak Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Russia Maritime Studies, US Naval War College, Insider, Institute for, Sea, Kyiv, Telegram, REUTERS, US Army, Russia's, Black Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea's Sevastopol, Wall, Silicon, Crimean, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Moscow, Russia's, Minsk, Rostov, Kyiv, Crimea, Washington, Russia, Sevastopol —, Novorossiysk, US Army Europe

☆ Ukraine's dramatic strikes on Crimea appear to have hit a submarine and a landing craft, setting them ablaze
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine seems to have hit a submarine and a landing craft in their attack on Crimea, per OSINT. Footage and photos from the blast suggest they struck two major targets — a Russian submarine and a landing vehicle. Analysis of the images circulating on social media suggest the blasts hit a dry dock containing the submarine and landing craft. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Sevastopol shipyard is crucial to the construction and maintenance of Russian Black Sea Fleet warships. Despite Russia's naval power dwarfing Ukraine's, the Russian navy has struggled to counter Ukraine's exploding sea drones.

Persons: —, OSINTtechnical, Mykola Oleshchuk, Mikhail Razvozhayev Organizations: Service, Sevastopol Shipyard, Russian Kilo, Kyiv Post, Ukrainian Air Force, Sea, Russian Locations: Ukraine, Crimea, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Crimean, Sevastopol, Kyiv, Crimea's

CNN —Two Russian warships were damaged after Ukraine launched an extensive assault on a Russian ship repair base in Crimea early Wednesday morning, officials said, in what appears to be Kyiv’s most ambitious strike on the port since the war began. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Ukrainian armed forces attacked the Sergo Ordzhonikidze shipyard in Sevastopol, which Russia uses as a repair base for its Black Sea Fleet, with 10 cruise missiles and three unmanned boats. But Russian officials confirmed that the attack had damaged two Russian warships and left 24 people injured. An ambulance leaves the area next to the shipyard in Sevastopol, Crimea, on September 13, 2023. Stringer/ReutersAnother prominent Russian military blogger said the attack on the Sevastopol shipyard was carried out by the Ukrainian Air Force, which launched 10 Storm Shadow cruise missiles at the facility.

Persons: Vasily Bykov, Mikhail Razvozhaev, Razvozhaev, Don ”, Stringer, Rybar, ” Rybar, Andriy Yermak, ” Yermak, Mykola Oleshchuk, Volodymyr Zelensky, Elon Musk, Walter Isaacson’s Organizations: CNN, Russia’s Defense Ministry, Reuters, Ukrainian Air Force, Su, Storm, Ukrainian, Russian, SpaceX Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, Ukrainian, Sevastopol, Russia, Rostov, Minsk, ”, United Kingdom, France, Novorossiysk, Kerch, Crimean

☆ Sweden is exploring giving Ukraine its Gripens, fighters said to be by far the 'most suitable' of the available Western jets for battling Russia: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sweden is considering sending Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, according to a new report. Even if Stockholm agrees to send Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, because it would first take time to consider the transfer and then train Ukrainian pilots, the fighter jets likely wouldn't see combat experience until mid-2024 at the earliest, the report said. Advertisement Advertisement Watch: VIDEO: Why Russia's military is failing so far in UkraineA Saab JAS-39C Gripen at RAF Fairford during the Royal Military Air Tattoo on July 15, 2023. Saab JAS 39 Gripens taxi during the NATO exercise Loyal Arrow outside Lulea in northern Sweden on June 10, 2009. Although Sweden has poured cold water on the idea of sending Gripens to Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last month that his country's service members were already starting to test out the fighter jets.

Persons: Gripens, Sweden's, Saab JAS, Matthew Horwood, PATRICK TRAGARDH, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, there's Organizations: Gripen, Lawmakers, Service, Saab, RAF Fairford, Royal Military Air, Getty, Swedish Saab Gripen, Royal United Services Institute, Swedish Air Force, Ukrainian Air Force, NATO Locations: Sweden, Ukraine, Stockholm, Kyiv, Wall, Silicon, Europe, Russian, Swedish, Ukrainian, Lulea, AFP, NATO, Czech Republic

☆ German-made anti-aircraft guns from the 1960s are one of Ukraine's best weapons against Russia's exploding drones, and this video shows one blasting them out of the sky
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine has relied on its decades-old Gepard cannons to defend against Russian drones and missiles. A new video published Thursday by the Ukrainian military shows the anti-aircraft guns in action. Gepards, which were first developed in the 1960s, have proven to be very effective in downing these systems, as well as other low-altitude Russian drones and cruise missiles. Ukrainian servicemen operate a Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun during their combat shift, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv region, Ukraine June 30, 2023. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoThe firepower boost for Ukraine's Gepards comes at a crucial moment.

Persons: Kyiv's Gepards, Vladimir Putin's, Jacob Bradford, Gepards, Switzerland —, Ukraine's Gepards, John Kirby, Biden Organizations: Service, Ukrainian Air Force, Factory, US Army, Rheinmetall AG, REUTERS, Ukraine's, National Security, NATO, Pentagon, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Odesa, Moscow, Kyiv, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, German, Kyiv region, Russia

☆ As Ukraine's air force dodges Russian missiles, the US and its allies are practicing to keep their jets flying while under attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ukraine's air force has remained operational in the face of ongoing Russian attacks. US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Albert MorelLike other Air Force commands, US Air Forces Europe regularly conducts ACE exercises. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Air Force's concern is driven by the proliferation of precision weapons that could allow an adversary to pick off valuable targets. US airmen and Finnish Air Force pilots at Rovaniemi Air Base during Astral Knight 23 Part 6 on August 23. The Pentagon's EDI budget request for 2024 includes nearly $500 million for the Air Force to improve base infrastructure and pre-positioned equipment.

Persons: James Hecker, " Hecker, Albert Morel, they've, haven't, Hecker, John Lamontagne, Albert Morel Running, Capt, Quincy Watts, Watts, we're Organizations: Air, Service, Russian, US Air, US Air Forces Europe, Defense Writers, Astral, US Air Force, Air Force, Rovaniemi Air Base, NATO, US Air Force KC, Kallax Air Base, Finnish Air Force, Air Base Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine, Rovaniemi, Finland, Europe, Lithuania, Sweden, Baltic, Latvia, Italy, Aviano, China, Estonia

☆ Ukraine war: Kyiv's burgeoning weapons industry is enabling it to project power far beyond the front lines
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Tim Lister | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —In the early hours of August 29th, swarms of Ukrainian drones flew across seven Russian regions. One Russian blogger complained that the Pskov strike indicated that Russian air defenses had not adapted to defend against repeated Ukrainian drone strikes. The damage being done is not going to break the back of the Russian air force, but it has become a serious irritant. Open-source reporting suggests there are at least several Pantsir-2 air defense batteries around Moscow. Such weapons put Russian forces on notice that they are vulnerable far from the front lines.

Persons: Volodymr Zelensky, Russia –, Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleksiy Reznikov, Mykhailo Podolyak, Vitalii, Danilov, ” Zelensky, Podolyak, Kyrylo Budanov, gamesmanship –, Mick Ryan, Budanov, Yuriy Inhat, Putin, ” Organizations: CNN, Defense, “, Getty Senior, National Security and Defense, Ukraine’s, of Strategic Industries, Strategic Communication, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, SIG, The, Ukrainian Air Force Locations: Pskov, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Russian, Crimea, Russia, Moscow, “ Ukraine, Kyiv, Kerch, Novosibirsk, Australian, Crimean, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Berdiansk, Donetsk

☆ Opinion: Remembering ‘Juice,’ the young fighter pilot who embodied the Holy Grail of aviation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Opinion Nolan Peterson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The young Ukrainian pilot known by the call sign "Juice" campaigned for F-16 fighter jets for his country in its battle against Russia. The joking, the nonchalance, the sterile vocabulary — it’s all part of a well-honed fighter pilot culture, which ingrains the mental resilience needed to survive. “Even with our losses, we are still doing our job in this real combat mood, real fighter pilot mood, with crazy jokes. Beyond their fears and sorrows, there is another emotion, unique to war, which Ukrainian fighter pilots must now also control each time they fly. For its part, the US military plans to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly the supersonic fighters this October.

Persons: Nolan Peterson, Read, CNN —, I’ve, Andriy Pilshchikov —, he’d, Juice, I’m, “ We’re, we’ve, “, …, ” Melaniya, wasn’t, —, Tom Wolfe, ’ Nolan Peterson, ” Jonathan “, ” Juice, it’s, ” Podolyak, ” Organizations: Atlantic Council, US Air Force, Fortem Technologies, CNN, Tactical Aviation Brigade, Russia, Garmin, California National Guard, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Twitter, Facebook, US Air National Guard Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Afghanistan, Russian, Kyiv’s outskirts, ” Jonathan “ Jersey, Soviet, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, California

Col. Yurii Ihnat, Ukraine’s air force spokesman, believes that two squadrons, each of 12 planes, would begin to turn the tables. Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/ReutersBut the F-16 has never gone up against Russian air defenses in the real world. “Russian air defenses are very formidable.”Rapid trainingTraining programs are getting underway for the first batches of Ukrainian pilots – in Denmark, Romania and the United States. Ihnat says about 30 Ukrainian air force pilots have adequate English, the absolute minimum required to stand up two squadrons. The Ukrainian Air Force has long been working on improving and protecting airfields that would accommodate the F-16s.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Piroschka van de Wouw, Yurii, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mette Frederiksen, Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix, ”, Mark Cancian, ” Ihnat, Oleksii Reznikov, Ihnat, Cancian, ” Cancian, James B, Hecker, ” Hecker, Frank Kendall, it’s, Mykola Oleshchuk, Su, Kendall, Biden Organizations: CNN, Air Force, Reuters, Denmark's, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Rapid, Reuters Ukrainian Defense, Ukrainian, Air Missiles, Radiation, CSIS, NATO, US, Accounting, US Air Force, US Air Forces Europe, SA, Ukrainian Air Force Locations: Danish, Russian, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Ukraine, Romania, United States, Greece, Israeli, Russia

☆ Ukraine mourns ace fighter pilot 'Juice' killed in collision
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The death of Andriy Pilshchykov, 30, a poster boy for Ukraine's air force who lobbied Western governments for supplies of F-16 fighter jets, was a bitter blow for Ukraine's military as it battles Russia. The air force spokesperson described him as a "mega-talent". Standing beside her were his mother and a young man in an air force pilot's jumpsuit who held up a photo of him, his head bowed. [1/6]Ukrainian servicemen attend a wake ceremony of Ukrainian military pilot Andriy Pilshchykov, who was killed on Friday when two L-39 combat training aircraft collided over a region west of Kyiv, in Kyiv, Ukraine, August 29, 2023. Since Russia's 2022 invasion, he had travelled to the U.S. in a delegation seeking supplies of F-16 fighter jets.

Persons: Andriy Pilshchykov, Natalia Menesheva, Young, ashen, Pilshchykov, Gleb Garanich, JETS Pilshchykov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, …, Yulia Reshitko, Pilshchykov's, Militarnyi, Ivan Lyubysh, Sergiy, Tom Balmforth, Timothy Heritage, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Catholic, REUTERS, JETS, U.S, Reuters, MiG, NATO, Thomson Locations: Western, Russia, Kyiv's, Kyiv, Ukraine, California

He dreamed of F-16s in the Ukrainian sky,” said Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat in a statement Saturday. “He was an excellent communicator (and) the driving force behind reforms in the Air Force aviation, a participant in many projects,” he continued. He had campaigned for the supply of F-16s, the Air Force said. Portuguese Air Force F-16 military fighter jets participate in NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission in Lithuanian airspace near Siauliai, on May 23, 2023. In 2022, Pilshchikov met with American government officials and was “in constant contact with Californian pilots,” the Air Force noted.

Persons: Andriy Pilshchikov, ”, Yurii, “, Ihnat, Pilshchikov, ” Ihnat, Volodymyr Zelensky, ’, Pilshchikov “, It’s, ” Zelensky, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Juice, Petras Malukas, Pat Ryder Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian Air Force, Air Force, Portuguese Air Force, Air Policing Mission, Getty, Ukraine, US, Morris Air National Guard Base, Air National, 162nd, Pentagon Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, American, Zhytomyr, United States, Siauliai, AFP, Netherlands, Denmark, Tucson , Arizona

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