Ukraine war latest: Omega special forces say drone strike hit Russian Su-24 bomber in occupied Crimea

Key developments on July 16:

• Ukraine's Omega special forces say drone strike hit Russian Su-24 bomber in occupied Crimea
• Rallies in Kyiv, other cities against Defense Minister Fedorov's dismissal
• Zelensky says he appoints acting SBU chief Yevhen Khmara acting defense minister
• Ukrainian parliament appoints new Cabinet, delays decision on defense minister
• Ukrainian parliament appoints Koretskyi as prime minister
• UK's Starmer announces $340 million for Gripen jets for Ukraine during last Kyiv visit as PM
• Iermolaiev accuses Ukrainian intelligence officers of trying to kill him in Monaco

Ukraine's Omega special forces unit said on July 16 that it struck a Russian Su-24M frontline bomber at the Saky air base in Russian-occupied Crimea.

The Su-24M is a modernized version of the Sukhoi Su-24, Soviet-designed supersonic frontline bomber that Russia uses to carry out strike missions against ground targets. The aircraft is capable of launching guided and unguided munitions and has been widely used by Moscow throughout its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to the unit, operators from Omega's combat diver division identified the aircraft as it was preparing for takeoff before carrying out the strike using drones.

"The first drone struck the aircraft's nose section, while the second delivered an additional strike near the fuel tanks, confirming the target had been hit," the unit said in a statement.

The military said the aircraft had been preparing to carry out attacks against Ukraine.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claim.

The Saky air base, located on Crimea's western coast, is one of Russia's key military aviation hubs on the occupied peninsula and has repeatedly been targeted by Ukrainian strikes throughout the full-scale war.

Rallies in Kyiv, other cities against Defense Minister Fedorov's dismissal

Thousands of people gathered in downtown Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on July 16 to demand that parliament reappoint Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister following his dismissal.

"Reappoint!" protesters chanted outside the President's Office in central Kyiv, waving Ukrainian flags and signs criticizing the decision.

President Volodymyr Zelensky's dismissal of Fedorov has sparked a wave of criticism from lawmakers, soldiers, veterans, and civil society figures, who argue Ukraine is losing one of its most effective wartime officials without a clear explanation.

Reflecting on his tenure, Fedorov highlighted more than 20 major achievements, including disrupting Russian forces' access to Starlink systems, coordinating strikes against Russian logistics in occupied Crimea, and launching what he described as "an unpopular but extremely important" military reform.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has been proposed as Ukraine's next defense minister. His appointment requires parliamentary approval, but several lawmakers from the ruling Servant of the People party have voiced opposition.

"Klymenko might not have enough votes," a lawmaker from the ruling Servant of the People party told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity.

"It's not even about Fedorov. People have accumulated frustration and fatigue, and Fedorov's resignation may cause unexpected social turmoil," they added.

Pro-government lawmaker Mykyta Poturaev said he intends to resign in protest over the decision. The lawmaker who spoke with the Kyiv Independent suggested that Zelensky may now reconsider and support Fedorov's reappointment.

Many demonstrators said the dismissal undermined confidence in reforms they believe Fedorov had begun implementing.

Tatiana Bohdanovska, 29, whose 22-year-old brother Kostiantyn Kaminskyi, call sign "Castet," was killed fighting in Kharkiv Oblast in 2022, said she viewed the decision as a betrayal of those who had sacrificed their lives defending Ukraine.

"My brother died believing this country would become different," Bohdanovska told the Kyiv Independent. "If the government had invested earlier in technology and supported the army the way it should have, maybe he would still be alive."

She argued that Fedorov had begun modernizing Ukraine's military by investing in technology and tackling entrenched corruption.

Zelensky says he appoints acting SBU chief Yevhen Khmara acting defense minister

President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 16 said he had appointed acting Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) chief Yevhen Khmara as acting defense minister.

The move comes after widespread public outrage over the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov the previous day.

"Once the necessary legal procedures are completed, I will ask lawmakers to support Yevhen Khmara's appointment as defense minister," Zelensky added.

Khmara previously led the agency's Alpha Special Operations Center, which has played a key role in Ukraine's long-range strike campaign against Russia. He has largely stayed out of the public eye.

Zelensky said he had discussed Ukraine's long-range strike campaign against Russia and support for the country's security and defense forces with Khmara.

The president said Khmara had gained "extensive and, in many ways, unprecedented experience" in conducting technological strike operations, adding that Ukraine's defense should focus on developing long-range capabilities, one of the key areas Fedorov pushed during his tenure.

Khmara is known for leading the operation to liberate Snake Island. In January, Zelensky appointed him acting head of the SBU after Vasyl Maliuk stepped down to focus on operations against Russia.

Lawmakers previously told the Kyiv Independent that Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko had been tapped to replace Fedorov.

Under the succession rules, Khmara's senior deputy, Oleksandr Poklad, is expected to become acting head of the SBU after Khmara's appointment to the Defense Ministry.

Poklad has a controversial reputation.

The Anti-Corruption Action Center and other activists have accused Poklad of fabricating political cases and leading the attack on the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) in 2025.

The Kyiv Independent has requested comment from the SBU and will publish its response once it is received.

Ukrainian parliament appoints new Cabinet, delays decision on defense minister

The Ukrainian parliament on July 16 appointed the Cabinet of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi.

As many as 264 members of parliament out of 392 approved the Cabinet's appointment, while 15 voted against it, 19 abstained, and 20 lawmakers did not vote.

Although most ministers were approved, the intrigue over the fate of the defense and foreign ministers remains. Candidates for defense minister and foreign minister are expected to be submitted by President Volodymyr Zelensky later and then considered by parliament.

The Cabinet's appointment was marred by controversy over the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was widely seen as highly effective, with Zelensky's decision to fire him triggering nationwide protests on July 16.

Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, who also has been first deputy prime minister (the Cabinet’s second-in-command) since January, kept his position.

He served as prime minister from 2020 to 2025 and defense minister from July 2025 to January 2026.

Tetiana Berezhna, who has been deputy prime minister and culture minister since 2025, also kept her job.

Berezhna has been widely seen as effective since taking over as culture minister, relying on her strong management and legal background to focus on initiatives to make culture financially sustainable and seen as a national security issue. This has included international outreach to rally support for protecting Ukraine’s cultural heritage.

Prior to her role in the Culture Ministry, she was a deputy minister in Ukraine’s Economy Ministry under Yulia Svyrydenko.

Serhii Marchenko was reappointed as finance minister. He has served in the role since 2020.

Viktor Lyashko, who has led the health ministry since 2021, also kept his post.

He served as Ukraine's chief sanitary doctor from 2019 to 2021 and became one of the country's most popular public officials during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other re-appointed ministers include Matviy Bidnyi, youth and sports minister since 2024, and Denys Ulyutin, social policy minister since 2025.

Denys Maslov, head of parliament’s legal policy committee since 2022, will serve as justice minister.

Maslov has faced mounting pressure from the European Union to advance judicial reform while fending off sharp criticism from Ukraine's civil society. He was interviewed by the Kyiv Independent shortly before his appointment.

Vitaliy Kim, governor of Mykolayiv Oblast since 2020, became veteran affairs minister.

He rose to national prominence during the early months of Russia's full-scale invasion, becoming one of Ukraine's most recognizable public officials through his calm, optimistic social media updates.

Andriy Butenko, who had led the National Agency for Higher Education since 2022, was appointed as science and education minister.

Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine’s ambassador to the European Union since 2021, became deputy prime minister for European integration.

Oleksandr Kravchenko, a partner at U.S. consulting firm McKinsey & Company, will be Ukraine's economy and ecology minister. Taras Vysotskyi, deputy agricultural policy minister from 2021 until 2025, was appointed as agriculture minister.

In 2023 Vysotskyi was charged with embezzling Hr 62 million ($1.4 million) by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).

Oksana Ferchuk, deputy defense minister for digital policy since 2025, was appointed as digital transformation minister.

Ivan Vyhivskyi, head of the National Police, became interior minister.

In 2024 the media outlet Bihus.info published an investigation according to which Vyhivskyi’s sister co-owned a fuel business that traded with companies investigated by the National Police under his leadership.

Bihus.info also reported that Vyhivskyi had moved into a house near Kyiv valued at Hr 6.5 million ($150,000). The property is registered to his longtime family friend from Mykolaiv. According to Bihus.info, she had no income commensurate with such a purchase.

The Kyiv Independent has requested comment from the National Police and the Interior Ministry and will publish their responses once they are received.

Vitaliy Bezgin, a member of parliament from Zelensky's Servant of the People party since 2019, will be minister for communities, territories and internally displaced persons.

Mykola Kalashnyk, governor of Kyiv Oblast since 2025, became infrastructure and reconstruction minister.

Ukrainian parliament appoints Koretskyi as prime minister

The Ukrainian parliament appointed Serhii Koretskyi as prime minister on July 16.

As many as 289 members of parliament out of 392 approved Koretskyi's appointment, while one voted against it, seven abstained, and 21 lawmakers did not vote.

Koretskyi, CEO of state oil and gas company Naftogaz, was nominated by President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 15. Koretskyi's Cabinet is expected to be appointed later the same day.

Analysts and lawmakers have told the Kyiv Independent that Koretskyi has a good reputation.

However, his appointment was marred by controversy over the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was widely seen as highly effective, and Zelensky's decision to fire him triggered nationwide protests on July 16.

David Arakhamia, head of Zelensky's Servant of the People faction in parliament, said on July 15 that Koretskyi's experience at Naftogaz "will be invaluable, especially now as Ukraine prepares for what could be the most difficult winter in its history."

Before entering the state energy sector, Koretskyi built his career in Ukraine's private fuel industry. In 2013, he became CEO of the Continuum Group and its WOG gas station network. He was the founder and owner of the Ukrainian coffee chain Idealist Coffee Co.

Koretskyi also led the state-owned energy companies Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta from 2022 until 2025.

Koretskyi officially assumed the role of Naftogaz CEO in May 2025, after being appointed by the company's supervisory board. His tenure has focused on keeping Ukraine's energy infrastructure running amid Russian strikes on production facilities.

UK's Starmer announces $340 million for Gripen jets for Ukraine during last Kyiv visit as PM

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on July 16 announced a donation of 300 million euros ($340 million) to help deliver 16 advanced Gripen fighter aircraft to Ukraine in cooperation with Sweden.

The announcement came during Starmer's final visit to Kyiv as the British prime minister, aimed to demonstrate his country's "cast-iron support for Ukraine" amid Russian aggression.

In June, Kyiv signed a deal with Sweden to purchase 16 Gripen E fighter jets, with deliveries to begin as early as 2029.

Zelensky received Starmer in Kyiv, where the two paid tribute to fallen Ukrainian fighters at the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen.

"I thank Keir and the United Kingdom for their unwavering respect for our warriors, for all those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend Ukraine and all of Europe," Zelensky said on X.

Speaking in a joint conference with the Ukrainian leader, Starmer hailed Ukraine as "one of the most battle-hardened, tech-savvy, creative military forces in the world," a "net contributor to collective security, and one of the best allies we could have."

Ahead of the visit, Zelensky awarded Starmer Ukraine's Order of Freedom, citing his "outstanding personal contribution" to bilateral ties and support for Ukraine.

The British prime minister's office said Starmer's two-year leadership saw the U.K. play a "central role in driving forward international support for Ukraine and European security," including through direct military support and leadership of international initiatives such as the Coalition of the Willing and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

The U.K. has emerged as one of Kyiv's key allies after U.S. President Donald Trump's radical shifts in Washington's policy toward Russia and Ukraine.

During the outgoing prime minister's tenure, London pledged 3 billion pounds ($4 billion) in annual military support for Ukraine and delivered over 250,000 drones, around 8,000 missiles, and over 350,000 artillery rounds, according to a press release from Starmer's office.

Starmer's farewell visit comes amid major political turmoil in Ukraine, with the government reshuffle ousting popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a move that sparked protests in multiple cities.

The British prime minister is expected to officially step down on July 20 and hand the leadership of the government to his successor, incoming Labor Party leader Andy Burnham.

Starmer announced his resignation on June 22 following mounting pressure within his party. Burnham, a former mayor of Greater Manchester, has vowed that the U.K. support for Ukraine will continue after he takes office.

Iermolaiev accuses Ukrainian intelligence officers of trying to kill him in Monaco

Businessman Vadym Iermolaiev has accused officers of Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) of attempting to assassinate him and called for guarantees of his safety, the French newspaper Nice-Matin reported on July 15.

The Kyiv Independent has requested comment from HUR and will publish its response once it is received. Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said previously that the suspects were operating without the knowledge of HUR's leadership, and that the investigation was being conducted with the personal assistance of Military Intelligence Chief Oleh Ivashchenko.

Nice-Matin cited a letter written by Iermolaiev and published by law firm Dynasty Law & Investment, which represents the businessman’s interests.

Ukrainian businessman Iermolaiev, his wife and their 13-year-old son were injured in an explosion in an apartment building in Monaco on June 29.

The body of Ukrainian citizen Anastasia Berezovska, whom Monaco suspects of carrying out the assassination attempt on Iermolaiev, was found in Ukraine on July 7.

The Ukrainian authorities said that a HUR employee had been charged with murdering Berezovska. The employee has also been investigated as a suspect in the murder attempt on Iermolaiev, they said.

"Based on the evidence from the investigation that has been shared with us, we are convinced that active-duty officers from Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) were directly involved in this attempted assassination,” Iermolaiev said in the letter. “The evidence currently available also suggests that the operation went beyond the direct perpetrators and organizers, involving HUR officers, some of whom are believed to have close ties to the agency's current or former leadership."

He argued that “if serving officers of an intelligence agency used their positions, resources, or networks to orchestrate the attempted murder of a family on European soil, then this is no longer merely a crime against my family” but “a matter of international security and trust in public institutions."

At the same time, Iermolaiev expressed "sincere" gratitude to President Volodymyr Zelensky "for the personal attention he has given this case and for the assistance already provided.”

Iermolaiev emphasized that the statement “is directed neither against Ukraine nor against the Ukrainian people."

“I call on the authorities of Monaco, France, and Ukraine, as well as the relevant international institutions, to ensure the protection of my family, our loved ones, witnesses, our lawyers, and everyone involved in this case until all those responsible — including the person who ordered this crime — have been identified and brought to justice,” he added.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on July 7 that Berezovska, the suspect in the murder attempt on Iermolaiev, arrived in Ukraine on July 1.

They also said that, after returning to Ukraine, Berezovska had been in contact with her family, a former law enforcement officer, and an active officer of Ukraine's military intelligence agency.

“Knowing that both men had repeatedly transferred money to Berezovska via cryptocurrency wallets and bank accounts, investigators examined them as possible suspects in the attempted murder in Monaco,” they said.

They also said that the HUR officer had confessed to killing Berezovska together with another suspect and said that he had not informed his superiors about his contacts with Berezovska and had acted on his own initiative.

The Prosecutor General's Office and the SBU said that law enforcement officers had charged both suspects with premeditated murder.

The HUR officer’s name is Yevhen Reut, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Schemes project. He has served in Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces since 2022, according to the news outlet.

The other suspect is a former police officer, Schemes reported. The media outlet also said, citing its sources, that he is a former agent of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

The SBU said that the suspect, Vitaliy Zhykovych, had been a registered volunteer associate of the SBU from February 2022 until April 2026.

The Security Service said that he "was not a member of the SBU's staff and did not carry out operational activities independently."

Iermolaiev is one of Dnipro’s wealthiest and most influential businesspeople and holds assets in the agribusiness, real estate, construction materials, and medical equipment industries.

He renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2017 and has since been solely a Cypriot citizen.

According to the media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, Iermolaiev has lived in Monaco since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on Iermolaiev.

He claimed that the sanctions had been directed against “those who aid Russia's aggression, those who assist it, and those who have chosen the disgraceful path of collaborating with the terrorist state.”

Iermolaiev himself has denied collaborating with Russia.

He had an alcoholic beverage business in Crimea and was accused of controlling it through his proxies after the peninsula’s illegal annexation by Russia in 2014. Iermolaiev denied the accusations.