Key developments on April 4: * Russian double-tap attack on Kharkiv kills 4, including first responders * SBU: Russian forces used cyberattack to target Ukraine's 128th brigade * German FM says Berlin will initiate search for more air defense for Ukraine * Energoatom: Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant 'on verge of blackout' after recent Russian attack
Berlin will call on allies worldwide to examine their air defense capabilities and "to provide whatever we all can" to Ukraine, Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said after a NATO-Ukraine Council meeting in Brussels on April 4.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held several meetings on April 3 with Ukraine's allies in Brussels, discussing strengthening Ukrainian air defense systems, the minister wrote on X.
Russian forces launched over 400 missiles of various types, 600 Shahed drones, and 3,000 guided aerial bombs, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on April 3.
"Russian forces appear to struggle with properly deploying short-range air defense systems along expected flight vectors for Ukrainian drones, and the Russian military appears to have even failed to cover important potential targets in reportedly well-defended areas within Russia," the ISW said.
Paris will "unlock a new batch of Aster 30 missiles" for the SAMP/T MAMBA system, the French equivalent of the U.S. Patriot, in response to Ukraine's air defense shortage.
Season 2 Episode 12 is dedicated to Ukraine's struggles with air defense, amid intensifying Russian missile attacks.
Ukrainian air defense units destroyed 9 of the 12 Shahed-type drones that Russia launched overnight, the Air Force reported on March 30.
Polish and other allied aircraft were scrambled on March 29 in response to reports of a massive Russian missile attack against Ukraine, the Operational Command of Poland's Armed Forces announced.
Air Force spokesperson Ilia Yevlash's statement came after reports that Russian troops had used Zircon ballistic missiles in a March 25 attack on Kyiv. The researchers continue to examine the debris to determine what type of missile was launched.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged Kyiv's partners to supply Ukraine with more Patriot air defenses to help protect Ukrainian cities in an interview with Politico on March 25.
Editor's note: The article was updated on March 27 with comments from Roman Nitsovych, a research director at DiXi Group. Russia launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks against Ukraine between March 21-25, hitting the country's critical infrastructure heavier than ever before. Some 190 missiles, 140 Shahed-type drones,
The Air Force said the drones had been launched from Cape Chauda in Russian-occupied Crimea along with two S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles in the direction of Donetsk Oblast.
Russia launched close to 190 missiles, 140 Shahed drones, and 700 aerial bombs at Ukraine over the last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on March 24.
The Polish Operational Command of the Armed Forces knew that the missile would circle back to Ukraine and decided not to down the it.
The U.K. has announced a further 60 million pounds ($75.5 million) in military aid for Ukraine that will provide new surveillance drones and air defense systems, the U.K. Defense Ministry said on March 22.
The White House on March 22 condemned Russia’s “brutal strikes overnight against Ukraine’s cities and civilian infrastructure,” after a series of attacks killed at least five people and left almost 1.5 million people without electricity.
In total, at least 45 people were killed in the capital, and more than 130 were wounded by Russian attacks over the winter of 2023-2024.
The leaders of Japan and the United States will meet in Washington, D.C. on April 10 to "strengthen the joint production system" for defense equipment in order to ship more arms to Ukraine, according to unnamed officials cited by the Japanese news outlet Yomiuri.
Ukrainian air defense units destroyed 35 of the 39 Shahed drones Russia launched overnight, the Air Force reported on March 10.
Ukrainian air defense downed the drones over Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Poltava Oblasts, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on March 9.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a Dnipro resident who was allegedly recruited by Russia to pass on information on the city's air defense, the SBU's press service reported on March 4.
The newly published list of 50 items includes 30 Caesar self-propelled artillery systems, 38 AMX10 armored fighting vehicles, 250 VAB armored vehicles in various modifications, 160 drones, and 10 drone-detecting systems.
Ukrainian air defense units destroyed 13 of the 19 Shahed drones Russia launched overnight, and one Kh-59 guided missile, the Air Force reported on Feb. 21.
Ukraine took several lessons from the loss of Avdiivka, namely the importance of air defenses, long-range weapons, artillery shells, and fortifications, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Feb. 17.
Norway announced on Feb. 9 that it had asked the parliament to deliver an additional 10 Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) air defense launchers and four fire control centers to Ukraine.
Pentagon spokesperson General Pat Ryder hinted on Feb. 9 that air defense missiles and other capabilities are still flowing to Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
When the Kremlin says something, it should always be taken with a grain of salt. When it says something about its military prowess, one should take the claim with an entire salt mine. For years, Russia’s Kinzhal missile was portrayed by the Kremlin’s propaganda machine as an invincible,
“This Week in Ukraine” is a video podcast hosted by Kyiv Independent’s reporter Anastasiia Lapatina. Every week, Anastasiia sits down with her newsroom colleagues to discuss Ukraine’s most pressing issues.
Over last winter, Ukraine successfully withstood Russia’s months-long campaign targeting energy infrastructure with barrages of missiles and drones. But that achievement came with a cost. Having shot down hundreds of Russian rockets and kamikaze drones since October, Ukraine’s Air Force is now facing a shortage of missiles for
Russia’s missile strike on Jan. 14 caught Kyiv residents off-guard. After nearly a year of Moscow’s repeated attacks, something unusual happened: The explosions sounded before the air raid alert went off, which is rarely the case in what is believed to be the most protected city in Ukraine.
People have been having this argument since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Western claims that Russia is running out of advanced, high-precision missiles have floated in the news since March. But more than 10 months into the all-out war, Russian missiles continue to rain down on
