Latest news with #RussianForces
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Ukraine developing interceptor drones to counter Russian attacks, Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Ukraine was working on the rapid development of interceptor drones to counter the swarms of Russian drones that have been descending on Ukrainian cities in increasing numbers in recent weeks. Ukrainian officials have noted the sharply increased numbers of Iranian-designed Shahed drones deployed by Russian forces in a single night and say it is vital to develop technology capable of tackling the threat they pose. 'We are also working separately on interceptor drones, which are intended to enhance protection against Shahed drones,' Zelensky said in his nightly video address. 'Several of our domestic enterprises – and, accordingly, different types of drones – are delivering results. Production volumes of interceptors are already increasing.' Russian forces have been deploying more than 400 drones in a single night, with more than 470 fired on more than one occasion. A total of 440 drones – plus 32 missiles – were deployed this week in a 'combined' attack on Kyiv that flattened part of an apartment building and killed 28 people.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelenskiy says Ukraine developing interceptor drones to counter Russian attacks
(Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Ukraine was working on the rapid development of interceptor drones to counter the swarms of Russian drones that have been descending on Ukrainian cities in increasing numbers in recent weeks. Ukrainian officials have noted the sharply increased numbers of Iranian-designed Shahed drones deployed by Russian drones in the course of a single night and say it is vital to develop technology capable of tackling the threat they pose. "We are also working separately on interceptor drones, which are intended to enhance protection against Shahed drones," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "Several of our domestic enterprises -- and, accordingly, different types of drones -- are delivering results. Production volumes of interceptors are already increasing." Russian forces have been deploying more than 400 drones on a single night, with more than 470 fired on more than one occasion. A total of 440 drones -- plus 32 missiles -- were deployed this week in a "combined" attack on Kyiv that flattened part of an apartment building and killed 28 people. "Drone air defence will help us use our means in a rational fashion. We cannot constantly use scarce air and anti-aircraft guided missiles and aviation itself to hunt enemy drones," Air Force spokesperson Yuri Ihnat told Ukrainian media this week. "The enemy is deploying more and more Shaheds and we are therefore looking for different methods to counter them." Zelenskiy and other officials have pointed to domestic drone production as a key element in national defence, and production has increased dramatically from being virtually non-existent before the Russian invasion of February 2022. The president told foreign arms manufacturers last November that Ukraine could produce 4 million drones annually and was quickly ramping up its production of other weapons. Ukraine has also been deploying drones against a variety of targets in Russia, mainly industrial and military. In a major operation earlier last month, Ukrainian drones attacked strategic bomber aircraft at different Russian airfields.
Al Arabiya
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Putin says ‘the whole of Ukraine is ours' in theory, may take city of Sumy
President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russians and Ukrainians were one people, 'and in that sense the whole of Ukraine is ours,' and said he did not rule out Russia taking control of the Ukrainian city of Sumy. But Putin, speaking at an international economic forum in St Petersburg, said Russia had never doubted Ukraine's right to sovereignty, but noted that when Ukraine declared its independence in 1991 it was as a 'neutral state.' Putin, who says Russia is fighting in Ukraine to protect its own security, was answering a question about Russia's war aims. 'We have a saying, or a parable,' Putin said. 'Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours.' Kyiv and its Western allies have rejected Moscow's claims to four Ukrainian regions and Crimea as illegal, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected the notion that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. Putin said Russian forces were carving out a buffer zone in Ukraine's Sumy region in order to protect Russian territory and said he did not rule out those same troops taking control of the regional capital of Sumy.
Reuters
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Putin says 'the whole of Ukraine is ours' in theory, may take city of Sumy
ST PETERSBURG, June 20 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russians and Ukrainians were one people, "and in that sense the whole of Ukraine is ours," and said he did not rule out Russia taking control of the Ukrainian city of Sumy. But Putin, speaking at an international economic forum in St Petersburg, said Russia had never doubted Ukraine's right to sovereignty, but noted that when Ukraine declared its independence in 1991 it was as a "neutral state". Putin, who says Russia is fighting in Ukraine to protect its own security, was answering a question about Russia's war aims. "We have a saying, or a parable," Putin said. "Where the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours." Kyiv and its Western allies have rejected Moscow's claims to four Ukrainian regions and Crimea as illegal, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly rejected the notion that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. Putin said Russian forces were carving out a buffer zone in Ukraine's Sumy region in order to protect Russian territory and said he did not rule out those same troops taking control of the regional capital of Sumy.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US citizen dies in Russian attack on Ukraine capital, Kyiv mayor says
June 17 (Reuters) - A U.S. citizen died during an overnight air attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, the city's mayor said early on Tuesday. The mayor, Vitali Klitschko, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said the 62-year-old American was pronounced dead by doctors in the city. He gave no other details. "During the attack on Kyiv, a 62-year-old U.S. citizen died in a dwelling in the Solomianskyi district opposite where medics were providing assistance," Klitschko wrote. "Medics noted his clinical, biological death." Officials said Russian forces deployed drones and missiles in the attack on several districts of the capital. Officials said 12 people were injured in the attack.
