War briefing in Ukraine: Zelensky says F16 planes shoot down Russian missiles | Ukraine

Volodymyr Selenskyj demanded more F-16 fighter jets and more training for pilots who fly them He revealed that the Western fighter jets were used to shoot down Russian missiles during the heavy attacks on Ukraine over the last two days.

Ukrainian drones set fire to several oil tanks on Glubokinskaya oil depot in Kamensky district of Rostov region, Russiaseveral Russian Telegram channels monitored by Reuters reported on Wednesday. Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev said several drones launched by Ukraine had been destroyed over the region across the border with Ukraine’s Luhansk Oblast. The Baza channel, which is close to Russian intelligence, said Three tanks burned after attacks by two drones.

The attack took place while tanks were still burning at another Rostov oil depot in the Proletarsk district, ten days after the attack on the depot, Russian Telegram channels report. Separately, Alexander Gusev, the governor of the The Voronezh region also borders Ukraine. said debris from a Ukrainian drone over the region sparked a fire “near explosive objects.” Gusev added that there was no detonation and the fire was extinguished after a temporary evacuation of residents. Russian officials regularly say the damage is caused by debris from a downed drone, instead of admitting that the drone has hit its target.

The Governor of Russia Belgorod Region – the borders on Ukraine and the partially Ukrainian-occupied Kursk – said he was aware of reports that the Ukrainian army had attempted to cross the border. “According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the situation at the border remains difficult but under control,” he said on social media.

Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrsky said his forces had new gains in Kursk and controlled 100 towns and villages over 1,294 square kilometers (almost 500 square miles). He claimed that Russian forces had moved about 30,000 troops because of the Kursk invasion and that Ukraine had 594 Prisoners of war Luke Harding and Pjotr ​​Sauer write there.

Selenskyj announced that Ukraine would first domestically produced ballistic missileThe Ukrainian president said he could not give any further details; at the weekend he also announced the Creation of the Palianytsia rocket drone and said it had been used successfully. Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Ukraine has the ability produce 1.5m-2m drones this year But lack of financing to reach this number.

Following the first wave of heavy Russian attacks on Monday, US President Joe Biden said he had “changed the priorities for US air defense exports so that they will go to Ukraine first.” He also said the US was “Energy supply facilities for Ukraine to repair its systems and strengthen the resilience of the Ukrainian energy grid.”

The Kursk Nuclear Power Plant is particularly at risk because it does not have a sufficiently good roof over its reactorsaid Rafael Grossi, head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, on Tuesday. After a visit to the site, Grossi said the RBMK-type plant – the same model as Chernobyl – a containment dome was missing. “It’s like the building across the street, okay? With all that nuclear material.”

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of trying to attack the Kursk power plant. “I was informed about the drone strikes. I was shown some of their remains and traces of their impacts,” Grossi said, without saying who was responsible. Russia has occupied the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.and used it as a base for military operations. Selenskyj described the occupation of the nuclear power plant as “nuclear terrorism”.

Selenskyj said on Tuesday that a war with Russia finally end through dialoguebut Kyiv must be in a powerful position At a summit scheduled to take place this year to advance his vision of peace.

Selenskyj said Ukraine plans to Plan to end the war with Russia to the Democratic and Republican US presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, as well as to the incumbent Joe Biden. In addition to the invasion of the Kursk region, the plan includes further steps on the diplomatic and economic front, he said.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council on Wednesday at Ukraine’s request, an alliance spokesman said on Tuesday. “The meeting will be at ambassadorial level,” said spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah. “Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is expected to brief the allies via video link on the battlefield situation and priority capability requirements.”

India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modiwho has just visited Ukraine, said he told Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that he supported “a early, lasting and peaceful solution of the conflict”.