Goto

Collaborating Authors

 air force


Russia targets Ukraine's energy as trilateral talks loom

Al Jazeera

Could Ukraine hold a presidential election right now? Will Europe use frozen Russian assets to fund war? How can Ukraine rebuild China ties? 'Ukraine is running out of men, money and time' Russia targets Ukraine's energy as trilateral talks loom As the presidents of Ukraine, Russia and the United States prepare to hold their first trilateral meeting to end Russia's war in Ukraine this weekend, almost half of Ukraine is without electricity and heat in sub-zero temperatures, following repeated Russian drone strikes targeting energy infrastructure. The strikes appeared designed to break Ukrainian resistance at the negotiating table on territorial concessions to Russia - the one issue Ukraine and the US said remained unresolved at the end of talks in Davos, Switzerland, between Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump this week.


Sudan air force bombing of towns, markets and schools has killed hundreds, report says

BBC News

Sudan's air force has carried out bombings in which at least 1,700 civilians have died in attacks on residential neighbourhoods, markets, schools and camps for displaced people, according to an investigation into air raids in the country's civil war. The Sudan Witness Project says it has compiled the largest known dataset of military airstrikes in the conflict, which began in April 2023. Its analysis indicates that the air force has used unguided bombs in populated areas. The data focuses on attacks by warplanes, which only the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) is capable of operating. Its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) does not have aircraft.


Three killed in wave of Russian strikes across Kyiv, officials say

BBC News

Three people have died and at least 26 others injured in a wave of Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv, Ukrainian officials say. Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko described strikes, which caused explosions and fires in residential buildings across the city, as massive. Kyiv's energy infrastructure was also damaged, leaving some buildings in the north-east without heat, he said. Ukraine's air force reported several other regions across the country were also being targeted. Russia's defence ministry said it had downed or intercepted 216 Ukrainian drones that had targeted its industrial facilities and disrupted air travel, according to Reuters news agency.


Charting the past year of Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine

Al Jazeera

How is Russia replenishing its military? What is a'coalition of the willing'? How China forgot promises and'debts' to Ukraine How are Europe, the US pulling apart on Ukraine? On Sunday, Russia launched its largest drone and missile attack since the war began, firing a total of 823 projectiles into Ukraine. The attack killed at least four people, wounded 44, and caused damage to a key building in Kyiv's government district, making it the first on the site since the full-fledged war began in February 2022.


Fires and destruction as missile attacks rattle Ukraine's capital

Al Jazeera

Russia launched a barrage of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, killing at least six people – including a six-year-old boy and his mother – and injuring 52, according to Ukrainian officials. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Russian forces launched more than 300 drones and eight missiles, targeting residential buildings throughout the capital. "Today the world has once again seen Russia's response to our desire for peace with America and Europe. Therefore, peace without strength is impossible," Zelenskyy said on the Telegram app. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed nine children were wounded in the attack, the highest number of child casualties in a single night in the city since Russia's full-scale invasion began nearly three and a half years ago.


Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,251

Al Jazeera

A Russian drone attack on a 25-storey residential building in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, injured eight people, including a four-year-old girl, the head of the city's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said. The overnight attack was part of a barrage of "324 drones, four cruise missiles and three ballistic missiles", across the country, the Ukrainian Air Force said. The attack was focused on Starokostiantyniv, home to a major air base, the Air Force added. Ukraine's Air Force said it downed 309 drones and two missiles, while 15 drones and two missiles hit targets in three locations, without specifying where. The attack started a fire in Kropyvnytskyi, in central Ukraine, local officials said, but no injuries were reported.


US Army deploys plastic coyotes attached to mini four-wheelers

Popular Science

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Sometimes, high-tech solutions aren't the best way to solve a problem. The US Army apparently came to that realization recently while exploring new methods to deter birds and other "problematic wildlife" from air bases. The military initially considered using Boston Dynamics' dog-like Spot robot to scare off the intruders, but they quickly realized it wasn't fast enough to effectively shoo the critters away. A far more effective--and affordable--solution presented itself in the form of three life-sized plastic coyote decoys mounted on top of toy-sized autonomous vehicles.


The future of air combat: How long will the US military still need pilots?

FOX News

Fox News contributor Brett Velicovich demands U.S. defenses'adapt' to modern warfare after Ukraine's drone strikes on'The Story.' As sixth-generation fighter programs ramp up, military insiders are divided over whether future warplanes need pilots at all. The Pentagon is pouring billions into next-generation aircraft, pushing the boundaries of stealth and speed. But as America eyes a future of air dominance, one question looms large: Should Americans still be risking their lives in the cockpit? Autonomous drones backed by AI are progressing faster than many expected, and that has some defense leaders rethinking the role of the pilot.


Ukraine F-16 pilot killed repelling massive Russian air attack

Al Jazeera

Ukraine has lost an F-16 aircraft and its pilot while repelling a Russian missile and drone strike, according to the war-torn country's air force. After shooting down seven air targets, the plane was damaged and lost altitude overnight, the Ukrainian military said in a statement published on Telegram on Sunday. "This night, while repelling a massive enemy air attack, a pilot of the 1st class, Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustimenko, born in 1993, died on an F-16 aircraft," it said. In a separate statement, the air force said Russia launched 537 projectiles against Ukraine, including Shahed drones, cruise and ballistic missiles. Ukraine claimed to have intercepted 475 of them.


Russia hits Ukraine with record 479-drone strike ahead of POW swap

Al Jazeera

Russia has launched 479 drones against Ukraine in the biggest overnight drone bombardment of the three-year war, according to the Ukrainian air force. The air force said early on Monday that it had downed 460 drones as well as 19 missiles launched overnight. Russia's continued to step up its drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, despite declaring, under pressure from United States President Donald Trump, that it is interested in pursuing peace talks. The record launch came just ahead of the start of a prisoner swap agreed at recent talks between the pair. Of the hundreds of projectiles fired at numerous targets, only 10 reached their destination, Kyiv officials said.