Firefighters extinguish a blaze at a residential building during Russian drone strikes on the Kyiv region in Ukraine, July 31, 2024
Tuesday’s Coverage: Kyiv — We Had Role in Deadly Ambush of Russia’s Mercenaries in Mali
Map: Institute for the Study of War
UPDATE 1008 GMT:
Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned German medic Rico Krieger, 30, who was sentenced to death for “terrorism” in a closed-door trial that was revealed last week.
Krieger, who had worked for the German Red Cross, was accused of placing explosives on a Belarusian railway on the orders of Ukrainian intelligence. Earlier this week, he appeared, handcuffed inside a cell, in a staged TV interview and begged German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to intervene.
UPDATE 0903 GMT:
Ukrainian officials say the energy situation is improving as the country withstands Russian drone and missile attacks targeting power stations and other infrastructure.
State-run electricity operator Ukrenergo noted that Tuesday was the first day in July with no power cuts.
An advisor to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Yuriy Boyko, said, “If there is no more shelling, it will be possible to manage with minimal restrictions or no power outages at all in the next three months.”
Shmyhal added that Ukraine will “prepare for the autumn and winter period and develop alternative generation sources”.
UPDATE 0741 GMT:
US officials say Washington will arm F-16 fighter jets, supplied by other countries to Ukraine, with advanced American weapons including air-to-ground missiles, extended range guided bomb packs, and air-to-air missiles.
NATO officials confirmed two weeks ago that Ukraine expects to receive the first six F-16 fighter jets this summer and up to 20 by the end of 2024. The Netherlands and Denmark announced at the bloc’s summit that the initial F-16s are “on their way”. They will be flown by Ukrainian pilots trained in Denmark, Romania, and in the US.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine’s capital Kyiv has resisted Russia’s mass assault with Iran-made drones overnight.
The Ukraine Air Force said all 89 Shahed drones were downed over the Kyiv region.
The attack, which lasted more than seven hours, was Russia’s largest drone launch on the capital in 2024. On New Year’s Eve, the Russian attacked with 90 UAVs, 87 of which were intercepted.
Mobile fire groups, tactical aviation, army aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, and electronic warfare were all involved in the repulsion of the attack. One residential building was set afire by falling debris.
A Kh-59 missile was also downed as it targeted the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine.
