The Dec. 25 Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash, likely caused by Russian air defense, shines light on a glaring issue the Kremlin has long swept under the rug. By unleashing its war against Ukraine, Russia has made its airspace a dangerous place. While Ukraine banned civilian flights over its territory hours
The statement did not address the claims that a Russian air defense missile may have downed the Azerbaijani Airlines plane.
The upcoming aid package is expected to include a substantial supply of air defense munitions, along with Stinger missiles and artillery rounds, according to U.S. officials.
Azerbaijani Transport Minister Rashad Nabiyev said on Dec. 27 that an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan was due to 'external interference,' with authorities investigating "the type of weapon used in the interference."
The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) on Dec. 27 said the aircraft had been hit by “a Russian Pantsir S1 air defense system on Russian terrain.”
Footage of the plane shows traces of a large surface-to-air missile impact on the tail section of the plane, according to Russian independent media outlet Meduza.
Berlin supplied Ukraine with 15 Leopard 1A5 tanks, one short-range and one medium-range IRIS-T air defense system with missiles, two Patriot air defense launchers, and other aid in the latest delivery, the German government said on Dec. 23.
A source told the Guardian the situation was reaching a critical level, expressing doubts about the air defense's ability to function effectively.
As the outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden rushes to provide last-minute aid to Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office in January, the State Department has recently announced a $266 million maintenance sales package for Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets. Trump has made no public comments about the Ukrainian
The announcement comes amid intensified Russian attacks against Ukraine, including one of the largest aerial strikes on Dec. 13, which targeted energy infrastructure across Ukraine.
At a press conference in Brussels on Dec. 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent threats of using the new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile against Kyiv to test Western air defense systems in what he called a "high-tech duel" with the West.
Speaking during his annual press conference and a call-in program, Vladimir Putin again claimed that Russia's "new" Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) cannot be intercepted by air defenses.
Russian state media later claimed that the presence of Tu-95MS military aircraft near Alaska was part of a planned operation.
Launched in October 2022, the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM) has already trained approximately 60,000 Ukrainian troops as of August 2024, primarily in Germany and Poland.
Moscow deployed four Kinzhal air-launched missiles, two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, one Kh-23 North Korean ballistic missile, 55 Kh-101 and Kh-55SM cruise missiles launched from Tu-95MS bomber planes, 24 sea-launched Kalibr missiles, seven Iskander-K cruise missiles, and one Kh-59/69 missile, the Air Force said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that if all international partners demonstrated the same level of commitment then "Russian terror could already have been made impossible."
A key feature of the system is its artificial intelligence capability for autonomous targeting.
Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp emphasized the need for NATO and its allies to address third countries aiding Russia’s war effort. "This demands a more robust and coordinated response from NATO and its Allies," he wrote.
NATO countries will do all they can to provide Ukraine with air defenses necessary to protect its infrastructure but there is no surplus of such systems, Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Dec. 4.
Key developments on Dec. 3: * Ukraine won't accept security guarantees substituting NATO membership * Ukraine prevents Russia from establishing bridgehead west of Oskil River, military says * France, UK discuss deploying troops to Ukraine for ceasefire monitoring, sources tell RFE/RL * Ukraine asking NATO for 20 air defense systems to prevent blackouts
The provision of HAWK, NASAMS, and IRIS-T batteries will help avert blackouts, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said as Ukraine braces for fresh attacks in the third winter of the full-scale war.
The Ukrainian military said that on the night of Nov. 29, they struck the Atlas oil depot in Rostov Oblast. As a result of the strike, fires broke out on the territory of the facility, the statement read.
Russian forces launched attack drones targeting Kyiv and other regions on the evening of Nov. 28. In one district of the capital, debris from a drone caused a fire on the facade of a children's medical center.
"This saves lives and protects vital infrastructure. It is and remains in our common interest to stop Russian aggression," Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said.
"The world has air defense systems capable of countering such threats," Zelensky said, referring to Russia's new Oreshnik ballistic missile. Experts are currently analyzing the wreckage of the weapon, he said.
"Canada's support for Ukraine is steadfast and we will continue to step up and build on our contributions to Ukraine in their fight against Russia's invasion," Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair said on Nov. 22.
Hungarian Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky ordered the deployment of air defense systems in the country's northeastern regions, saying that "the war has entered its most dangerous phase."
The factory produces air defense systems and radars for the Russian military, said Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
Russia attacked Ukraine with a hypersonic 3M22 Zirkon missile, seven air-launched Kinzhal missiles, 85 Kh-101 and Kalibr cruise missiles, one Iskander-M ballistic missile, four anti-radar Kh-22/31P missiles, five Kh-59/69 aerial guided missiles, and 90 drones.
A drone unit in the National Guard's 27th Pechersk Brigade destroyed a Russian anti-aircraft missile BUK-M1 system worth $10 million, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported on Nov 16.
Marharyta Koldanova was standing at a bus stop in a residential area in Kyiv when a sudden loud noise went off, prompting her to take out a tourniquet from her bag and prepare to quickly apply it in case she got injured by an aerial attack. "I was overwhelmed with
Ukraine will receive the sixth German IRIS-T air defense system by the end of the year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 13 after a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
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