Russia Zelenskyi backs new Ukrainian missile
After two days of devastating Russian airstrikes on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi is giving his people hope for their own defensive weapons.
27.08.2024, 16:49
SDA
Ukraine had successfully tested a self-developed ballistic missile, said Zelenskyi at an event in Kiev. He congratulated the Ukrainian arms industry on the success, but did not give any details.
A few days ago, Zelensky presented another Ukrainian home-made product, the Palyanytsya combat drone with jet propulsion. Ukraine is far inferior to Russia when it comes to the firepower of long-range weapons.
According to Ukrainian authorities, the latest Russian bombardment cost at least five people their lives. Two people died when a rocket hit a hotel in Kryvyi Rih. After drone attacks on Zaporizhia, first two and then three deaths were reported.
"We will undoubtedly respond to Russia for these and all other attacks," Selensky wrote on the social network X. "Crimes against humanity must not go unpunished."
Thousands seek shelter in the subway
According to media reports, 52,000 people in Kiev fled to subway stations, which serve as bunkers, due to the night-time air raid. Falling debris triggered grass fires on the eastern outskirts of the city of millions. All objects approaching Kiev were shot down, according to the military administration of the Kiev region. According to regional authorities, there were hits and damage in the Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kherson and Khmelnytskyi regions.
According to the Ukrainian air force, 5 Russian cruise missiles and 60 of 81 drones deployed were intercepted. Three Kinschal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles and two Iskander missiles were not hit. The military figures cannot be verified in detail, but provide an overview of the scale of the attack.
According to observers, the attack was once again primarily aimed at Ukraine's energy system. On Monday, Russia launched an attack against Ukraine with 127 missiles and cruise missiles as well as more than 100 combat drones. This was the highest number reported by the Ukrainian military in two and a half years of war.
Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets in action
F-16 fighter jets supplied by the West were also used to repel the heavy Russian attacks on Monday and Tuesday morning, said Selensky. At the same time, he continued to urge Western partners to lift restrictions on the use of the supplied weapons against military targets in Russia. "It's like this: The Olympics are over, but the ping-pong continues," he said, describing the talks.
According to its commander-in-chief Olexander Syrskyj, the Ukrainian army has taken almost 600 prisoners of war since the beginning of its advance into the Russian region of Kursk. Ukraine has thus considerably replenished its fund for the exchange of prisoners, the general said at the conference in Kiev.
After three weeks, his troops were in control of 100 villages and almost 1,300 square kilometers of Russian territory. Military observers assume that the area is not quite that large.
Ukraine counts 30,000 Russian soldiers near Kursk
Russia has now sent almost 30,000 soldiers to the Kursk region to defend against the Ukrainian advance, and there are more to come, said the commander-in-chief. In this respect, the plan for Moscow to deploy troops there is working. However, according to all reports, the Russian attacks have not slowed down in the Donetsk region, where the Ukrainian army is under heavy pressure.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities in the Belgorod region reported that Ukraine was attempting further advances across the border. The situation on the ground remains difficult, but is under control, wrote the governor of the region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, on Telegram.
According to unconfirmed media reports, there were battles at the Nekhoteyevka crossing and at Shebekino. The Ukrainian side did not comment on the alleged attacks.
