Ukraine has demanded that Kiev return its F-16 after revealing – today, Thursday – the result of what it described as a special operation carried out by its military on the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Ukrainian intelligence spokesman Andrey Yusov said that 30 Russian soldiers were killed and 4 Russian boats were destroyed as a result of a special landing operation carried out by Ukrainian intelligence in cooperation with the navy in Crimea last night. Its type in 9 years.
The Ukrainian intelligence service revealed that the landings with boats took place in Olinivka, one of the beaches of the Crimean peninsula, and in the Myak region, where battles with Russian forces took place before Ukrainian forces safely returned to their bases.
In turn, Russian media reported that an attack was carried out at Cape Tarkankut in the western part of Crimea and that Ukrainian forces were defeated.
On Ukraine’s independence day from the former Soviet Union in 1991, the move on the peninsula, which Moscow considers an impregnable Russian stronghold, was a symbolic victory for Ukraine. Yesterday, Wednesday, Ukrainian military intelligence announced the destruction of the anti-aircraft system. Same area.
Ukraine announced its intention to liberate all areas controlled by Russia since the start of the war in February 2022, as well as the Crimean peninsula.
Attacks and fights
The announcement of Ukrainian special operations comes at a time when clashes and fighting continue in many parts of eastern Ukraine, as well as attacks by paramilitary forces in areas inside Russia.
Local Ukrainian officials said the Russian attack killed at least one person and wounded 16 others. Moscow claimed that air defense systems shot down 3 Ukrainian drones over Russian territories.
At least 10 people were injured in a nighttime Russian missile attack in Dnipro, as reported by Sergey Lysak, governor of the Dnipro-Petrovsk region. Several buildings were also damaged, including two residential buildings, a bank, a gas station and a hotel.
To the south, in the Kherson region, a 7-year-old girl was injured in a “back, arms and legs” missile “attack on the city center,” according to the region’s governor, Oleksandr Prokudin.
The Ukrainian army regained control of Kherson last November, but it is still under constant bombardment by the Russian military.
On Thursday, Dtec (Ukraine’s largest private company in the energy sector) accused the Russian military of bombing one of its thermal power plants. He explained that the station was “subject to repeated attacks” by the Russian military, while Moscow did not comment on the matter.
Independence Day
The developments on the ground come as President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a Independence Day address to Ukrainians today, praised his country’s resilience against Russian forces.
A calm atmosphere prevailed at the anniversary celebration, which falls exactly 18 months after Russia launched a war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, which has caused thousands of deaths on both sides, according to official figures.
In a speech filmed in front of government buildings in central Kiev, Zelensky thanked Ukrainians, including soldiers, workers and journalists, for their contributions to the country’s security.
Zelensky’s speech focused more on current events than on the 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.
And Ukrainians celebrated – today, Thursday – in Kyiv city center, as the wreckage of Russian military equipment was displayed on the main Khreshadyk Street.
On this year’s Ukrainian Independence Day, Kiev launched a counteroffensive, which it has faced since last June, in an attempt to recapture Russian-controlled lands, which account for about 20% of the territory. Ukraine.
In a statement on Thursday, Zelensky saluted the “independent Ukrainian people” ahead of Independence Day.
F-16 fighter jets
In another context, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Kar Stor announced – today, Thursday – that his country will supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, making it the third country (after the Netherlands and Denmark) to commit to providing Kiev with this American product. Fighter planes.
“We are going to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine,” the Norwegian official said in a statement, noting that the number and delivery schedule of these planes would be determined later.
Gar Store confirmed the local press reports published hours earlier. According to the Norwegian agency “NTB”, the number of aircraft will be between 5 and 10 fighter jets.
The announcement of the donation coincided with the Norwegian Prime Minister’s unannounced visit to Kyiv on Thursday, Ukraine’s Independence Day.
On this occasion, Oslo promised Kiev 1.5 billion kroner (130 million euros) in aid to purchase “Iris-T” surface-to-air missiles, mine-clearing equipment and gas and electricity this winter.
The Ukrainian president, for his part, said Denmark and the Netherlands would take time to deliver F-16 fighter jets to his country. He also said that the Netherlands will deliver 18 fighter jets out of a total of 42 fighter jets to Ukraine in the first phase.
Zelensky’s comments came in response to Al-Jazeera’s question about the timeframe needed to deliver the planes to his country.
Ukraine is calling on its European allies and the United States for modern fighter jets, especially the F-16, to modernize its aging fleet and counter Russian attacks, and has received commitments from several countries to date. Some countries have started training Ukrainian pilots on these planes.
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