Ukrainian Forces Shoot Down Russian Aircraft in Ongoing Conflict
In the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Ukrainian forces claimed to have shot down three Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft on the southern front. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and military officials praised the successful downing of the aircraft, hailing it as a victory in the 22-month-old war. The Russian military has not officially acknowledged the incident, but Russian bloggers have acknowledged the loss, and analysts suggest that US-supplied Patriot missiles were likely used. The reports of the downed aircraft are still awaiting independent confirmation.
In a related attack, Ukrainian forces also claimed to have shot down 24 of the 28 Shahed drones that Russia launched in an overnight attack. The attack reportedly damaged residential buildings in Kyiv and an infrastructure facility and grain warehouse in southern regions. The drones hit three stories of an apartment block in the Ukrainian capital, injuring two people and causing lesser damage to several other residential buildings.
Amid escalating tensions, Russia has stated that it may sever diplomatic ties with the US if Washington confiscates Russian assets that are frozen over the Ukrainian conflict. Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted the deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, as saying that Russia would never peacefully leave any country that seized its assets. This follows suggestions by some western politicians that frozen Russian assets worth $300 billion be handed to Ukraine.
Furthermore, the US has announced plans to place sanctions on foreign banks that have supported Russia’s war in Ukraine as part of an effort to exert economic pressure on Moscow as it diversifies from the west to China.
The conflict has also led to a political fallout within Ukraine, with an arrest of a senior Ukrainian defense ministry official suspected of embezzling €36 million ($40 million) for the purchase of much-needed artillery shells in the war against Russia. The official, whose identity was not revealed, is accused of buying artillery shells at inflated prices.
On a brighter note, the Dutch government has announced that it will send 18 F-16 jets to Ukraine to support its efforts in the ongoing conflict with Russia. Additionally, Poland’s foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, visited Kyiv to present an aid package for Ukraine on his first official foreign visit, showing international support for Ukraine.
In another development, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss ways to de-escalate the conflict in Gaza and discuss humanitarian relief efforts, according to the Kremlin.
These recent events, alongside other ongoing developments, point to a continuation of the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with broader international implications and powers taking sides in the conflict.