The US security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said that “the United States will not be an obstacle to starting training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16”, announcing the green light that European countries said they were waiting for. “The president will allow, support, facilitate, and in fact provide the tools for the Ukrainians to start training on the F-16s, as soon as the Europeans are ready,” an adviser to Joe Biden told CNN.
USA: “Kiev Will Use Cluster Bombs Soon.” Putin: “So we are too”
“If it has not already done so, Ukraine will use cluster bombs in the coming hours and days.” This was stated by US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in an interview with CNN, stressing that the Kiev forces have received American cluster bombs and are ready to use them. In the past hours in ainterview taken from tax Vladimir Putin had threatened the Kiev army by declaring that his men would use the same ammunition if they were hit. “It is a crime to supply Ukraine with these weapons,” the Russian president reiterated, “Russia has sufficient stocks of various types of cluster munitions, of various types. So far we have not done that, we have not used it and we have no need for it. But of course, if they are used against us, We reserve the right to reverse the actions.” And again, “If the United States asked European leaders to hang themselves, they would do it.” «Sometimes – added the Russian president – it seems that they (European politicians) do what they are told from the outside. If tomorrow he was told: We have decided to hang you all! They will ask only one question, their eyes downcast in amazement at their audacity: “Can we do this with the help of homemade ropes?” But I think it would be a fiasco for them because the Americans are unlikely to refuse such a large contract for their textile industry.
The recent Russian attacks and the difficulties of the Ukrainians
The Russian offensive in Ukraine continues. During the night, sirens sounded in at least half of the country, after explosions were recorded in Kharkiv, the second in Ukraine and closest to the border with Russia, and the state of alert rose in Sumy and Poltava. As mentioned beforehandle The shots may have been fired from S-300s, driving residents into bunkers. Mayor of Kharkiv Igor Terekhov confirmed the bombings on his Telegram channel: “The Russian occupiers bombarded the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine with missiles in the early hours of Sunday, July 16. According to preliminary information, the missiles hit the central part of the city. An attack was recorded in Shevchenkivsky district in Kharkiv and did not cause any damage.There is currently no information about the victims.The rest of the rocket attacks.State emergency personnel are searching the area.
Difficulties on the Eastern Front in the Kharkov region and advances in Bakhmut. This is the situation on the ground described by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar. The situation is a little worse in the east. The enemy has been actively advancing for two days in a row in the Kubyansk direction in the Kharkiv region. We are on the defensive. There are fierce battles, and positions change several times a day. Instead, «in the direction of Bakhmut we are advancing gradually. On the south side around Bakhmut, there is daily progress. “In the northern wing we are trying to keep the occupied positions, the enemy is attacking,” while “in the southern wing around Bakhmut there is daily progress,” and there is also gunfire in the city. So in Donetsk, “the enemy continues its offensive operations in the Avdiivka and Marinka regions. Our defenders continue to contain them effectively. The fierce battles continue without a change in positions ».
Russian bombs on the city of Zaporizhia: a civilian was killed
Russian shells also targeted the city of Zaporizhye, where a civilian was wounded. The attack was confirmed by Mayor Anatoly Korteev, who reported in a Telegram that “the enemy attacked Zaporizhia again last night. Unfortunately, a person died.” In his Telegram message, the mayor stressed that a strategic infrastructure facility was hit during the attack, causing a power outage in a neighborhood of the city.
Pro-Russian governor of Sebastopoli: “refuses the attack of 9 Ukrainian drones in Crimea”
Also during the night, the pro-Russian governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvojev, said that Russian forces repelled an attack by 9 Ukrainian drones, which allegedly attacked the Sevastopol and Balaclava Bay area in Crimea. According to Razvogaev, citing the Russian agency taxSevastopol was also attacked by drones, and at the moment there are no reports of damage or casualties. “In total, two drones were shot down tonight and five were neutralized by electronic warfare units,” Razovozhaev wrote. Two drones on the outer road surface were also destroyed.”
The Washington Post: “Russian anti-tank and anti-personnel mines slow Ukrainian counterattack”
As mentioned before Washington Post, the Ukrainian counterattack is progressing slowly because the areas of occupied and Russian defensive lines are full of mines. According to the Ukrainian soldiers, “the long preparation for the counterattack, which began about a month ago in many areas of the battlefield in eastern and southern Ukraine, gave the Russians time to prepare – the American newspaper wrote -. Areas at a depth of between 5 and 16 kilometers were in front of strongholds A Russian main is heavily mined with anti-tank and anti-personnel mines and hidden cables connected to IEDs. These defenses have succeeded in stopping Ukraine’s advance.” After that, the military leaders in Kiev decided to change their strategy: «Instead of trying to break through the infantry fighting vehicles and tanks, which the Western allies supplied to Ukraine, to counterattack, the units are advancing slowly. , standing.”
(Cover Photo Ansa / Giuseppe Lamy)
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