Ukrainian troops on the Zaporizhzhia front in the south of the country

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Saturday’s Coverage: Kremlin — We Will Investigate If We Assassinated Prigozhin

Map: Institute for Study of War

UPDATE 1319 GMT:

A farewell ceremony for the three Ukrainian military pilots who were killed in a collision during combat training on Friday (see 0556 GMT):

UPDATE 1159 GMT:

Russia’s Investigations Committee says genetic tests have confirmed the identities of the 10 people — including the head of the Wagner Group mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin — killed in Wednesday evening’s jet crash north of Moscow.

UPDATE 1010 GMT:

Switzerland is blocking the delivery of at least 95 of its German-made Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine.

The tanks are parked outside in Italy, awaiting transfer after a June deal between the company RUAG and Kyiv.

Switzerland’s neutrality policy bars military provision to a country — even a victim of aggression — in an armed conflict.

UPDATE 0747 GMT:

The Ukraine Air Force says it destroyed four Russian cruise missiles over the center and north of the country early Sunday.

UPDATE 0556 GMT:

Three Ukrainian military pilots were killed on Friday in the collision of two L-39 combat training aircraft west of Kyiv.

The victims were Capt. Andriy “Juice” Pilshchykov who was prominent in the campaign for the supply of US-made F-16 fighter jets; Maj. Vyacheslav Minka; and Maj. Serhiy Prokazin.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address praised Pilshchykov as “a Ukrainian officer…who greatly helped our state”. Air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said the pilot was a “mega talent”.

You can’t even imagine how much he wanted to fly an F-16. But now that American planes are actually on the horizon, he will not fly them.

Pilshchykov said in an interview in June with CNN, “I believe that in four to six months we can learn to fly [the F-16], it’s realistic. Our transition training will be pretty freakin’ easy.”

Offering condolences to the pilots’ families, Zelenskiy, “Ukraine will never forget anyone who defended the free skies.”

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine’s counter-offensive has built on “tactically significant” advances on the southern front with further gains this weekend in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Since its launch in early June, the counter-offensive had been limited by Russian fortifications built up over the previous months, including heavily-seeded minefields to stop armored vehicles.

But earlier this week Ukrainian troops liberated the village of Robotyne, 10 km (6 miles) south of Orikhiv on the path to the port city of Melitopol.

Geolocated footage this weekend indicates that Ukrainian forces have advanced another 1.5 km, closing on the village of Novoprokopivka, 13 km south of Orikhiv.

Importantly, the lead Ukrainian units appear to have passed the first line of Russian fortifications. US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, as well as a Ukrainian commander and Russian military observers, said the counter-offensive has broken through. The Ukrainian commander added that forces have entered areas where they are encountering only Russian ”logistics groups”.

A Russian military observer reinforced the statements, saying Ukraine is attacking towards rear defensive lines near Verbove, 18 km southwest of Orikhiv.