Ukraine’s F-16 jets intercept Russian missiles in apparent first

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia fired dozens of missiles and drones throughout Ukraine for a second day on Tuesday, together with some that Ukraine’s president stated have been shot down by Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets earlier than they reached their targets.

The onslaught killed not less than 5 individuals, destroying a resort, properties and residential buildings in addition to essential infrastructure in a number of Ukrainian areas. Kyiv and different cities had energy outages in sweltering warmth.

Because it usually does in statements after Russian bombing raids, Ukraine’s navy listed the Russian areas and occupied territories the place the weapons have been launched. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and different high officers have known as repeatedly for the U.S. to elevate restrictions and let Ukraine strike deep inside Russia to hit navy infrastructure accountable for the struggle.

″(The allies) attempt to not converse with me about it. However I hold elevating this subject. Typically, that’s it. The Olympics are over, however the ping-pong continues,” Zelenskyy stated.

In feedback addressing the obvious first use by Ukraine of the F-16s to shoot down a missile, Zelenskyy thanked Ukraine’s supporters for them however stated there have been too few, and too few pilots skilled to fly them.

Among the many Russian areas listed as a supply of Tuesday’s assault was Kursk, the place the pinnacle of the Ukrainian military stated his troops have gained management of almost 500 sq. miles since their shock incursion three weeks in the past. That’s roughly the dimensions of Los Angeles.

Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi additionally stated Ukraine has captured 594 Russian prisoners within the operation, which he stated was supposed to attract Russia’s navy away from the preventing in Ukraine. His claims couldn’t be independently confirmed.

The Kursk operation, the biggest incursion into Russia since World Warfare II, has pressured some 130,000 residents to evacuate their properties. Russia has despatched reinforcements into the area, but it surely was not clear to what extent the actions could be weakening Russia’s positions in Ukrainian territory.

Preventing within the area has raised issues about risks to the Kursk nuclear energy plant, stated Worldwide Atomic Power Company chief Rafael Grossi, who visited it Tuesday. He stated in a publish on X the scenario was “critical” and known as any assault on a nuclear plant unacceptable.

“There may be now a hazard of a nuclear incident right here,” Grossi stated. “Immediately I used to be informed about a number of circumstances of drone assaults on the territory, on the plant’s amenities. On the plant I noticed traces of those assaults.”

However the plant now could be working “in a mode very near regular,” he stated.

The Russian Protection Ministry asserted Tuesday that Ukraine has suffered heavy casualties in Kursk — some 6,600 troops killed or injured — and that greater than 70 tanks have been destroyed together with scores of armored autos. These figures couldn’t be independently confirmed.

The top of the Ukrainian military’s declare of territorial management got here hours after the second consecutive barrage of nighttime air and missile assaults from Russia.

5 individuals have been reported killed and 16 injured within the assaults, which Zelenskyy stated included 81 drones in addition to cruise and ballistic missiles.

Within the Kyiv area, which struggled with blackouts after Monday’s onslaught that focused power amenities all through the nation, 5 air alerts have been known as throughout the night time. The regional administration stated air defenses destroyed all of the drones and missiles however falling particles set off forest fires.

After Monday’s barrage throughout Ukraine of greater than 100 missiles and an analogous variety of drones, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated “the power infrastructure has as soon as once more develop into the goal of Russian terrorists” and urged Ukraine’s allies to offer it with long-range weapons and permission to make use of them on targets inside Russia.

President Joe Biden known as Monday’s Russian assault on power infrastructure “outrageous” and stated he had “reprioritized U.S. air protection exports so they’re despatched to Ukraine first.” He additionally stated the U.S. was “surging power tools to Ukraine to restore its programs and strengthen the resilience of Ukraine’s power grid.”

The Russian Protection Ministry stated the assaults used “long-range precision air- and sea-based weapons and strike drones in opposition to essential power infrastructure amenities that help the operation of Ukraine’s military-industrial advanced. All designated targets have been hit.”

Russian officers reported 4 Ukrainian missiles have been shot down over the Kursk area.

Related Press author Jim Heintz in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.