Ukrainian drones strike an airfield in Kursk overnight. Russia begins to domestically assemble Shahed drones, ramps up missile production, Ukraine’s defense intelligence says. Greece could send 100 Leopard 1A5 tanks to Ukraine.
Ukrainian drones strike airfield in Kursk, enemy’s headquarters in occupied Enerhodar
A drone attack on an airfield in Russia’s Kursk overnight on Sunday, August 27, was launched by the counterintelligence division of the 13th main department of Ukraine’s Security Service, sources in the service told The New Voice of Ukraine.
Suicide drones attacked four Su-30 aircraft and a MiG-29 fighter jet. Drones also hit radars of an S-300 air defense system and two Pantsir systems, the sources said.
Most of the drones reached their targets, with just three of them shot down by Russian air defenses.
“’Bavovna’ [‘cotton’ in Ukrainian, a wartime meme meaning the billowing smoke from strikes in Russia or in occupied territories] was impressive. We will soon learn the precise consequences of the strikes and the number of casualties,” the source said.
Overnight on Sunday, August 27, several powerful explosions rocked the city of Kursk. Russian defense ministry said the attacking drones were shot down. The governor of the Kursk region said a drone hit an apartment building.
Also, on Monday, there was an explosion in occupied Enerhodar, a satellite city for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, as a Ukrainian drone hit the headquarters of OMON, Russia’s special police unit. The operation was conducted by the local resistance movement in coordination with Ukraine’s defense intelligence.
After the city was occupied, Chechen fighters had seized and converted a building on the site of a Ukrainian bank branch on Budivelnykiv str. 46.
The explosion resulted in injuries to the occupiers’ personnel and cars parked in the courtyard, Ukraine’s defense intelligence said.
Russia begins to assemble Shahed drones in its territory, ramps up missile production, Ukraine’s defense intelligence says
Ukraine examined the drones downed in latest attacks and concluded based on components it found that they were assembled in Russia. Moscow plans to ramp up its own domestic drone production.
In a comment to RBC Ukraine, representative of the Main Intelligence Department of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi said: “After [Russia’s] latest attacks with Shahed drones we found their components that show that the final assembly of these drones takes place in Russia. Particularly, there’s an increased number of Russian components in the drones. We are also aware of the aggressor’s plans to ramp up production of Shaheds in Russia.”
During one of Russian arms fairs, Moscow said its target is to build about 60 types of drones by 2030, he added.
According to Skibitskyi, Russia plans to manufacture 1,300 Geran-2 drones, a variant of the Shahed drone, built with both foreign-produced and domestic components.
Yet Russia is presently unable to meet the goal, he added.
Ukraine’s defense intelligence is collecting data on the enemy’s production scale and location of the facilities, and is working to identify the Russian companies selling components.
Greece could send 100 Leopard 1A5 tanks to Ukraine that Germany will repair
Germany has asked Greece to send 100 Leopard 1A5 tanks it currently operates to Ukraine and get modern vehicles as a replacement. Germany will pay the costs to fully repair the tanks.
Greek news web site Flight said Greece could get modernized tanks from Italian stocks as one-to-one replacements for old Leopard 1A5 tanks. Germany will pay the costs to fully repair the tanks in Greece or outside the country, if the Greek government says so.
Germany will also install advanced thermal imaging systems and additional armor on the tanks.
These should be working tanks, Germany asked as Greece’s Leopard 1A5 vehicles were not modernized over the past three decades.
Uzbekistan-Ukraine: A Key Partner. Ukraine in Flames #499
Uzbekistan is a key partner in Central Asia, supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity amidst Russia’s invasion. Strong economic ties exist, with opportunities for cultural exchange. Historical bonds, like sheltering the Khiva Khans in Ukraine, highlight our enduring friendship. Strengthening media collaboration is vital. Uzbekistan, a crucial Turkic nation, offers dialogue and business opportunities. Uzbek support during the crisis cements its regional leadership. The sizable Crimean Tatar community signifies deep connections, offering hope for their return to Ukrainian Crimea. Watch UIF #EP 499 to see how Ukraine’s and Uzbekistan’s international partnership is flourishing and set to continue to flourish.
Guests:
- Serhiy Nagornyak, MP, Chairman of the Ukraine-Kazakhstan Inter Parliamentary Friendship Group
- Maryna Honcharuk, curator of Ukrainian-Turkic projects
- Serhiy Bykov – political consultant