Bloomberg: Russia attempted to strike military targets in Ukraine overnight with a barrage of missiles and drones, after Sweden said it will provide Kyiv with surveillance aircraft to be deployed with fighter jets from other European nations.
Ukraine downed seven out of 11 cruise missiles fired from bombers flying over the Saratov region in Russia, military spokesman Andriy Kovalyov said on local TV Thursday morning. They were aimed at military facilities and critical infrastructure, he said without elaborating. Ukraine also destroyed all 32 explosive-laden Shahed drones included in the barrage, while another eight Russian missiles hit the Kharkiv region.
The attack prompted speculation on anonymous Ukrainian Telegram channels monitoring the Russian barrages that most missiles and drones were headed toward a major military air base located in Starokostyantyniv, a town in Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi region. There were no official reports of damage in that area.
The attack on Thursday was the third large-scale missile assault against Ukraine this month. On Wednesday, Sweden announced a record $1.3 billion military aid package for Ukraine including reconnaissance aircraft that can enhance capabilities of US-made F-16 fighter jets due to be supplied by European nations including Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Russia’s defense ministry reported destroying eight ATACMS missiles over the sea of Azov, as well as eight drones and two unmanned cutter boats near Crimea overnight, with another five drones downed in the morning over Krasnodar region. Officials and military in Kyiv haven’t publicly commented on those claims.
The administration of US president Joe Biden will “adapt and adjust” its policy on strikes by the Ukrainian military inside Russia using American-made weapons, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. The comments from the top US diplomat came amid increasing calls from Western officials to allow Kyiv to hit military targets inside Russia used to launch attacks on Ukraine.
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