Russia shoots down a drone near Moscow – DW – 08/26/2023

Ukraine’s defense forces have put Russia under pressure in Bakhmut and southern Ukraine, according to an intelligence update from the British Ministry of Defense.

On the other hand, Russia’s Western Group of Forces made some local advances to the northeast in the Kobyansk-Lyman sector, after sustained attacks.

The ministry expects Russia to try to “restore the initiative by returning to the offensive at the operational level,” perhaps in the Kobyansk-Lyman sector.

The British ministry also said that Russia may increase the intensity of its offensive efforts there “with the aim of advancing westward to the Oskil River and creating a buffer zone around Luhansk Oblast”.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov said he was confident that Germany would supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles.

“I am really optimistic and I see in the future that we will also get Taurus from Germany,” Resnikov said in an interview with several media outlets.

Resnikov did not say when the missiles are expected to arrive. “But I think it won’t take a whole year,” he said.

Germany has already supplied Ukraine with multiple weapons systems, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz was hesitant about the Taurus because he feared their long range meant they could be used to strike targets deep in Russian territory.

“I will continue to consider every decision carefully and will never do anything rash,” he said.
Schultz to the newspapers of the Bavarian Media Group.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to quickly deliver F-16 fighter jets, which Kiev sees as a key resource for defeating Russian forces.

“Our goal is to get closer to the time when the F-16s will help us drive away the Russian terrorists. As quickly as possible,” he said in a video posted on social media.

Earlier this week, Denmark and the Netherlands agreed to supply the fighter jets to Ukraine after Zelensky visited both countries. Norway also promised to provide Kiev with F-16s after Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Storr visited the Ukrainian capital.

While Ukraine expects to deliver dozens of fighter jets, the exact date of delivery is not clear.

“Our international team is expanding training tasks as much as possible,” Zielinski said. “Our army is preparing the infrastructure as quickly as possible, sending pilots and engineers
for training. We need to make sure that Ukraine is fully prepared.”

Russian authorities reported a new drone attack on Moscow in the early hours of Saturday.

The city’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said that Russian air defense systems shot down a drone over the Istra district of the Moscow region.

The Russian military reported repeated Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on Russian soil over the course of the week, even claiming that Ukraine targeted civilian areas.

Meanwhile, the Tass news agency reported that three major airports in Moscow – Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo – suspended their flights early on Friday.

MK/SRI (Reuters, German Press Agency, Associated Press, AFP)