Ukraine receives 6 F-16 fighters from the Netherlands
Ukraine has taken delivery of its first batch of F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands, consisting of six aircraft. The planes are part of Ukraine’s efforts to strengthen its air defense capabilities. Although the official confirmation from Kyiv is still pending, an anonymous source revealed that the fighter jets arrived from the Netherlands, with additional aircraft expected to come from Denmark shortly. The Netherlands has not yet confirmed the delivery.
Ukraine is expecting to receive six F-16s this summer and up to 20 planes by the end of 2024 from its Western partners. The F-16s will be equipped with modern radars and American weapons, including anti-radiation missiles, laser-guided bombs, and medium-range air-to-air missiles. Denmark has pledged to supply 19 aircraft, the Netherlands 24, and Norway and Belgium will also contribute to Ukraine’s fighter jet fleet.
SOURCESymbolic number of the Day
Over the past 24 hours, Russian occupants fired 2634 times at the front line and various localities in Donetsk Oblast, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to numerous civilian objects. This was reported by the Main Directorate of the National Police in Donetsk Oblast. The shelling caused significant damage to 70 civilian objects in the oblast.
SOURCEWar in Pictures
On August 1, a drone attack by Russia in the Kyiv Oblast resulted in damage to the house of Russian opposition leader Ilya Ponomarev and injuries to him and his wife. The incident occurred when debris from the downed drone hit their home. The couple was immediately taken to a hospital in Kyiv for treatment. The authorities have confirmed that a man and a woman were injured in the attack. Ukrainian Pravda, citing law enforcement sources, has reported that the victims are indeed Ilya Ponomarev and his wife. Ponomarev acknowledged the incident on social media, stating that it was the day of his “second birth,” and hinted that the attack was brutal to defend against.
SOURCEVideo of the Day
A firefighter from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv Oblast came to extinguish a fire and saw his house in ruins. This happened after a Russian air strike on the village of Velykyi Burluk. Unfortunately, his 37-year-old wife was killed in the Russian strike, and his 10-year-old son was hospitalized with burns.
SOURCEISW report
Ukrainian forces struck a weapons and equipment warehouse in Kursk City on the night of July 30 to 31. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces struck a warehouse in Kursk City and that Ukrainian forces are conducting a battle damage assessment.
Acting Kursk Oblast Governor Alexei Smirnov claimed that Ukrainian forces struck an unspecified facility in Kursk Oblast and caused the facility to catch fire. The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and other Russian sources claimed that Russian air defenses destroyed an unspecified number of Ukrainian drones and missiles, including at least one Neptune anti-ship missile, over Kursk Oblast.
Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Spokesperson Andriy Yusov told Radio Svoboda on July 31 that recent “explosion[s]” at the Olenya Airfield in Murmask Oblast damaged the frames of two Tu-22M3 bombers. Ukrainian forces reportedly conducted a successful drone strike against the airfield on the night of July 26 to 27.
SOURCEWar heroes
Junior Sergeant Viacheslav Serniuk, with the call sign Hospodar, died on June 17, 2023, as a result of an explosive injury in the village of Blahodatne, Donetsk Oblast, while performing a combat mission. The defender was 37 years old.
Viacheslav was born in the village of Horodets, Rivne Oblast. In 2003, he graduated from Higher Vocational School #29 in Volodymyrets, where he received a degree in electrician and welder. In civilian life, he worked as a laborer. He was engaged in beekeeping and loved to fish in his free time.
From 2014 to 2015, he participated in the ATO. He was awarded the badges “War Veteran—Combatant” and “Participant of the Anti-Terrorist Operation” and the insignia “For Participation in the Anti-Terrorist Operation.”
During the full-scale invasion, he again stood up to defend Ukraine, joining the 68th separate hunting brigade and commanding the unmanned aerial vehicle unit.
“He was just, honest, courageous. He was the best father, husband, and son. He was never afraid of difficulties,” said his wife, Iryna. The fighter was buried in the village of Svaryni, where he lived. Viacheslav is survived by two daughters, his wife, mother, and brother.
*Viacheslav’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.
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