Sixth air attack on Kyiv in six days: Russia launches 21 Shahed drones and 15 missiles. Explosions rock the port area of Russian-held Berdyansk. Russian vessels leave. Eight countries join a fighter jet coalition for Ukraine. Zelenskyi calls for an air defense “Patriot” coalition.
Sixth air attack on Kyiv in six days: Russia launches 21 Shahed drones, 15 missiles
Overnight into Friday, an air raid alert was declared in a number of regions across Ukraine. Several explosions were heard in Kyiv as air defenses were at work. Russia launched an air strike on Kyiv that combined attack drones and cruise missiles. Air defenses intercepted all targets.
An 11-year-old child and a 68-year-old man were wounded in the attack on Kyiv region.
In Kyiv region, outbuildings were damaged in the strike. Police recovered wreckage of a drone. A fire ignited by the attack, was localized.
Explosions rock port area of Russian-held Berdyansk
A video that captured the moment of a powerful explosion in Berdyansk, in the Russian-occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region, surfaced on social media. Ambulances rushed to the port area.
At this time, there are no reports of casualties or damages.
Eight countries join fighter jet coalition for Ukraine
Eight European countries have formed the basis of a coalition to supply fighter jets to Ukraine, and others may join soon, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva said, commenting on President Zelenskyi’s visit to the summit of the European Political Community in Moldova yesterday. The UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Portugal, and France are part of the coalition.
The countries made “actual steps” to agree on training of pilots and technical personnel on fourth-generation fighter aircraft that include, but are not limited to, F-16 fighter jets, Zhovkva said.
Zelenskyi calls for air defense coalition
At the summit of the European Political Community in Moldova, President Zelenskyi discussed the prospect of an air defense “Patriot” coalition with countries that had joined the “fighter jet coalition,” he told a joint news conference with his Estonian counterpart Alar Karis in Kyiv.
“I presented this initiative [in Moldova]. We had very important talks with Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. I mostly discussed it with the countries as part of the fighter jet coalition talks. We do need [these air defenses]. We already know the number of Patriot systems that we need,” Zelenskyi said.
