Key developments on Sept. 4: * Casualties reported in Lviv, Kryvyi Rih as Russia launches another mass attack on Ukraine * Ukrainian military uses 'dragon drones' against Russia, Defense Ministry says * Germany orders 17 IRIS-T air defense systems for Ukraine, Scholz says * Ukraine, Ireland sign agreement on cooperation, support * Russia executed 3
The new 17 units will be sent to Ukraine on top of the seven other systems that have already been delivered. Ukraine can expect to receive four more IRIS-T systems of different ranges by the end of 2024, government spokesperson Wolfgang Buchner said in August.
The donation is made through the London-led International Fund for Ukraine (IFU) in cooperation with the U.K., Lithuania, and the Netherlands. Norway has previously contributed a total of $168 million to the IFU since 2022.
Most Poles believe the Polish military should shoot down Russian drones that enter Polish airspace during aerial attacks on Ukraine, according to a survey published on Sept. 1 by the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita.
"Good progress has been made, and announcements were made, but again, some Patriot systems were announced and not delivered yet," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told journalists ahead of an EU ministerial meeting in Brussels.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during a press conference on Aug. 28 that allies advised Poland to exercise restraint when dealing with unidentified violations of Polish airspace.
Ukraine's Air Force used F-16 jets as part of its defense against Russia's mass missile and drone attack on Aug. 26, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed during a press conference on Aug. 27.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a suspected spy in Kharkiv who was passing information on Patriot air defenses in the city to Russia, the SBU said on Aug. 27.
Governor Viktor Mykyta said the missile was heading toward Zakarpattia Oblast from neighboring Lviv Oblast, and was targeted by the 650th separate anti-aircraft machine gun battalion.
Though it does not mention the specific countries behind the air defense pledges, President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 18 singled out the U.S., U.K., and France during his evening address in which he called on allies to speed up deliveries of promised weapons systems.
"Explosions were observed at targeted areas. The accuracy of the strike is being determined," the General Staff said in its report, providing no further details on the consequences.
German government spokesperson Wolfgang Buchner said that the latest pledged aid was evidence that "there is no message from the government that support (for Ukraine) will be reduced or limited in some other way.
This is the third IRIS-T SLS battery Germany has delivered to Ukraine. The SLS is a short-range variant with an operational range of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles).
The Kyiv Independent's senior news editor Martin Fornusek spoke with defense and aviation expert Peter Layton about what we learned from this footage – how the F-16s are equipped and what could be the strategies and challenges of operating them.
The U.S. defense contractor Raytheon was granted a $478-million contract by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) to supply GEM-T missile interceptors to Germany, the company said on Aug. 6.
Russia's top security official, former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, visited Tehran on August 5 as the country allegedly prepares to retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil on July 31.
Key developments on Aug. 5: * Russian Su-34 jet destroyed in Ukraine's strike on Morozovsk airfield, Kyiv says * Explosions heard in Kyiv at 11 p.m. shortly after air alert sounds * Ukraine seeks to create coalition to shoot down Russian missiles, Zelensky says * UK soldiers warned Russia could be spying on
Spain will provide Ukraine with another Hawk air defense system in September, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said during a video call with her Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, on July 24.
Four days earlier, the Khortytsia group of forces said it had shot down another Russian Su-25 jet near Pokrovsk.
"NATO will support Ukraine, and we have now increased our support...But NATO's policy is unchanged – we will not be involved in this conflict," NATO's outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on July 14.
Oslo will allocate 1 billion Norwegian kroner (around $93 million) to bolster Ukraine's air defense, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere announced on July 11 at the NATO summit in Washington, as reported by Reuters.
The U.S. and at least nine other NATO allies have agreed to send dozens of air defense systems in the coming months to Ukraine, including at least four Patriot batteries, according to a joint agreement issued on July 9.
Russia unleashed one of its deadliest attacks against Kyiv on July 8, killing 33 people and injuring 121 others. Residential buildings and medical facilities suffered damage, with one Russian missile hitting Ohkmatdyt, the country's largest children's medical center. Rather than evidence of some technological edge on Russia's side, experts linked
Russia launched a mass missile attack across several Ukrainian cities on July 8, killing 31 people and injuring at least 117 in Kyiv alone. One of the attack sites was the Okhmatdyt hospital, Ukraine’s largest children’s medical center. While no children were killed at the center itself, four
Russia's mass attack on Ukrainian cities highlights the need to continue provide support to Kyiv, specifically air defense systems, ahead of the NATO summit in Washington D.C., Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said on July 8.
The third Patriot air defense system pledged by Germany is already in Ukraine, German Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Jaeger said on July 5.
All Kinzhal ballistic missiles fired by Russia at targets in Kyiv have been downed since the U.S. provided Patriot air defense systems in May 2023, Ukrainian Air Force Colonel Serhii Yaremenko said in an interview with Ukrinform published on July 4.
Ukraine is expected to get "more news" on air defense capabilities before the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on July 1.
"We thoroughly discussed all the plans for July in detail – this month can bring Ukraine even more strength, in particular in protecting the sky and bringing real security to our country," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 1.
A residential apartment building in Kyiv was on fire after being struck by debris, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko on June 30.
Russia has used more than 800 guided aerial bombs against Ukraine this week alone, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 30.
The news comes after the U.S. announced in late June that it will prioritize deliveries of air defense missiles to Ukraine over orders from other countries, particularly Patriot and NASAMS missiles.
(Updated: )
