The Russian defense ministry reported that Ukraine launched a series of drone attacks on Friday night and Saturday morning. They claimed to have detected 50 Ukrainian UAVs, with 26 over the Belgorod region, 10 over Bryansk, eight over Kursk, two over the Tula region, and one each over the Smolensk, Ryazan, Kaluga, and Moscow regions.
Reports indicated that Ukraine targeted Russian electrical and petrochemical facilities in the attacks. One such attack caused an oil facility to catch fire in Kardymovo, approximately 100km from the Ukrainian border within Russia's Smolensk oblast, according to the region's governor.
Russian officials stated that Ukrainian drones also attacked an electrical substation in Bryansk oblast, about 50km inside Russia, leading to unconfirmed online videos and images showing a significant fire. Moscow's defense ministry claimed to have shot down all the drones, while local officials suggested any damage resulted from falling debris from intercepted UAVs, though independent confirmation was lacking.
Ukraine reported shooting down a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber from a distance of 308km (191 miles) after its involvement in a long-range airstrike that resulted in eight casualties, including two children, in Dnipro. Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, GUR, stated, "I can only say the plane was hit at a distance of 308km, quite far away."
According to an intelligence source, the plane was targeted with a modified S-200 Soviet-era long-range surface-to-air missile system. Unconfirmed footage on social media depicted a warplane with its tail ablaze spiraling towards the ground. The Russian defense ministry confirmed the crash in Russia’s southern Stavropol region, attributing it to a technical malfunction. Four aircrew ejected, with one fatality, two rescues, and one missing, as reported by the Russian regional governor.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, visited the strike site in Dnipro and reiterated calls for increased air defenses from Ukraine’s allies. Zelenskiy also mentioned Russian missile strikes on the Black Sea port of Pivdennyi in the southern Odesa region on Friday afternoon, resulting in the destruction of grain storage facilities and food supplies.
In the US, the House of Representatives made progress in passing a foreign aid package including $61bn for Ukraine. The House is expected to vote on the legislation on Saturday. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer advised senators to be prepared to return if the package passes the House and returns to the Senate. The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, stated that once signed into law by President Joe Biden, the US would promptly deliver arms to Ukraine.
More than half of an international £900m military fund for Ukraine, managed by the British Ministry of Defence, has remained unused due to bureaucratic delays in awarding contracts. Critics have pointed out the slow provision of weapons to the frontline by the International Fund for Ukraine, with only £404m spent thus far. Some equipment is not expected to reach Ukraine until spring of the following year. The fund, established in August 2022, aimed for flexibility and low bureaucracy, but MoD officials cite the need to assess numerous defense companies tendering for contracts as causing the delays. An MoD spokesperson emphasized the importance of thorough review to ensure effective assistance to Ukraine.
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