Kyiv has urgently been calling on its Western allies to provide the US-made jets, as its slow-moving counteroffensive is hampered by Russian air superiority.
According to Zelensky, the Netherlands will give 42 of the jets to Kyiv, adding to 19 pledged by Denmark.
Ukrainian pilots have already begun training on F-16s, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Saturday. The training will last a minimum of six months and the US has committed to approving the transfer of the jets for Ukraine as soon as it is complete, according to a US official.
Here's the latest headlines from Russia's war in Ukraine:
Swedish aid: Ukraine is discussing "the next steps" to obtain Gripen fighter jets from Sweden, Zelensky said Saturday at a joint news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. "You cannot move fast on the ground when (the Russians) control the sky. And we need that," Zelensky said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian fighters are already training in Sweden on the Archer artillery system, Zelensky said.
Drones in Russia: Russia's foreign ministry condemned a Ukrainian drone attack on a railway station in the western Russian city of Kursk on Sunday that injured at least five people. It comes after Russia reported several Ukrainian drone attacks in different regions of the country on the weekend, including Moscow.
Chernihiv toll rises: At least seven people were killed and 156 others injured in Saturday’s Russian missile strike on Chernihiv, the northern Ukrainian city's acting mayor said in an update Sunday. The strike — in a city close to the Russian border and far from the front lines — hit a university and a theater.
Kharkiv shelling: Russian shelling killed a 71-year-old man in the town of Vovchansk, in the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian officials said Sunday. The attacks hit a medical institution, which was not in use, causing fires to break out, they added.
More Russian attacks: In Kherson, a woman was killed by shelling Saturday morning, according to the regional prosecutor's office. And overnight, two women were wounded by a Russian air raid on Khmelnytskyi that damaged more than 30 houses, the deputy head of the region's military administration said.
Putin no-show: Vladimir Putin will be notably absent from the BRICS summit this week. The Russian president's no-show speaks volumes about Moscow's isolation — and his shrinking horizons, CNN's Nathan Hodge writes.
46 min ago
Zelensky says Netherlands will give 42 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine
From CNN's Mariya Knight and Victoria Butenko
A US Air Force F-16 aircraft flies near the Rionegro Airport during military drills in Rionegro, Colombia on July 12, 2021. Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP/Getty Images/File
The Netherlands will give Ukraine 42 F-16 fighter jets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday following his visit to the country.
“I thank @MinPres Mark Rutte, his entire team, and the Dutch people for the decision on F-16s for Ukraine. Our warriors will receive 42 great combat aircraft,” Zelensky wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Sunday that the Netherlands owns 42 F-16s. Rutte said he would look into how many could be supplied to Ukraine but said he did not have a definitive number at the time.
Danish donation: Zelensky traveled on to Denmark after visiting the Netherlands where he met Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
“Today we announce that we will provide 19 F-16 jets to Ukraine, we believe Danish fighter jets will help protect your skies,” Frederiksen said. “The aim of this delivery is to protect Ukraine. We plan to provide the jets closer to the new year, about six of them, then eight in the next year and then another five.”
The meetings come after a US official on Friday said the US had committed to approving the transfer of F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine as soon as training is complete.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Saturday that Ukrainian pilots had begun training.
F-16s are single-engine, multirole jet aircraft, meaning they can be used in air-to-air or ground-attack missions.
3 hr 10 min ago
Zelensky hails "historic" supply of F-16s as Ukraine seeks to counter Russian air supremacy
Kyiv has urgently been calling on its Western allies to provide F-16 jets, as its slow-moving counteroffensive is hampered by Russian air superiority.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Zelensky at Eindhoven airport, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his country would “commit to delivering F-16 aircraft to Ukraine” once “the conditions for such a transfer have been met.”
Zelensky hailed the agreement as “historic” and “the most important” one yet. “The Netherlands became the first country to agree to provide Ukraine with F-16s after training. I am very grateful,” he added.
Even with the news it will take months until Ukraine will be able to use the jets.
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a statement published Sunday it had agreed to provide F-16s. Conditions for the transfer include training Ukrainian personnel, setting up infrastructure and logistics, and receiving the necessary authorization, it said.
Analysis: A BRICS no-show speaks volumes about Putin’s shrinking horizons
Analysis from CNN's Nathan Hodge
Vladimir Putin attends a summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia on July 27. Stringer/Getty Images
Once upon a time, Russian President Vladimir Putin was the man to see: In the weeks preceding Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, world leaders took turns shuttling to Moscow to urge the Kremlin leader to step back from the brink and call off any plans for an attack.
Those efforts failed. But the man who set a catastrophic war in motion now finds his travel options extremely limited.
That may seem a trifling matter for a man who rules a country that spans 11 time zones. After all, Putin has an open door to Beijing, and Kremlin-friendly leaders in Central Asia and Iran have rolled out the welcome mat since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
And of course, he’ll always have Minsk: Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who provided Russia a launching pad for the invasion, has also played host to Putin.
But Putin will be notably absent from a key global forum this week, the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. His no-show speaks volumes about Russia’s isolation — and Putin’s shrinking horizons.
The leaders of the other members of the BRICS economic bloc — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, China’s leader Xi Jinping, Brazil’s President Luiz Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — are all expected to be there.
Does it really matter if Putin phones this one in? Taking part in an international talking shop may be a convenient way to act like a player on the global stage, but Putin is missing more than another group photo.
Chernihiv attack toll rises, Ukrainian official says
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva
At least seven people were killed and 156 others were injured in Saturday’s Russian missile strike on the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, Oleksandr Lomako, acting mayor of Chernihiv, said in an update on Sunday.
The strike — in a city close to the Russian border and far from the front lines — hit a university and a theater, where an event involving drone manufacturers was taking place.
Lomako said on Telegram that of the injured, 41 are hospitalized, and of that number five are in “a serious condition.”
Some context: Prior to the outbreak of war, Chernihiv was a vibrant city of 300,000 people. Now, many parts of it have turned to wasteland amid repeated Russian bombardment.
The city came under siege from Russian forces at the start of the invasion in March 2022, and was cut off from electricity and running water. Russian troops began withdrawing from the region later that month, although shelling of Chernihiv continued.
Following the siege, the city’s mayor described Chernihiv as about 70% destroyed.
4 hr 15 min ago
Drone crashes into Russian railway station, leaving 5 injured
From CNN's Yulia Kesaieva, Josh Pennington and Sophie Tanno
A Ukrainian drone crashed into the roof of a railway station in the western Russian city of Kursk early Sunday morning, injuring five people and causing damage to the building, according to the regional governor.
Russia’s Kursk region borders Ukraine and has seen previous apparent Ukrainian attacks.
One of the station’s platforms has been temporarily closed; however, passengers are still able to board and depart trains on two other platforms in the station, governor Roman Starovoyt said in an update on Telegram.
The roof and facade were also affected and there was damage to a waiting room and pedestrian tunnel, he added.
Five people sustained minor injuries, he said, adding: “At the time of the explosion there were 50 passengers in the building, they were promptly evacuated. Out of five victims of shrapnel two refused medical aid, three were sent for examination to Kursk regional hospital and have already been released home.”
Earlier this month, Russia said shells fired by Ukraine hit a residential building in the village of Volfino in the north of the Kursk region, wounding three people, according to Roman Starovoyt, the regional governor.
Reported shelling and drone attacks by Ukrainian forces have occurred with increasing frequency in recent months as it mounts its counteroffensive aimed at retaking territory seized by Russia.
Kyiv rarely takes direct credit for such attacks, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the war is “gradually returning” to Russian soil.
Russia meanwhile continues to regularly bombard Ukraine. A Russian missile hit a central square in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv Saturday, killing seven people and injuring more than 100 others.
3 hr 14 min ago
Ukrainian pilots begin training on much sought after F-16 fighter jets, Kyiv says
From CNN's Mariya Knight, Josh Pennington and Heather Chen
Ukrainian pilots have begun training on F-16 aircraft, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said, bringing Kyiv closer to obtaining a long-sought after piece of military hardware it says is essential to counter Russian air superiority.
“Training (on F-16) has begun,” Reznikov told Ukrainian media Saturday, adding that in addition to the pilots, a number of Ukrainian engineers and technicians are also training.
Reznikov said that he is not going to say when the last day of training will be but noted that “a minimal term of training is six months.”
He said the instructors would announce the completion of training when they were satisfied the pilots, engineers and technicians had mastered their new skills.
Trainees will also get English-language training in technical terminology, because “the basic level of English language is not enough,” he said.
Reznikov said it was important to determine what kind of weapons the aircraft would be carrying.
“After all, without radars, the plane cannot see, and without machine guns, missiles and shells, it is not a weapon, but only a carrier,” he added.
The F-16 training program is being supported by a coalition of 11 NATO countries and requires official US approval because the jets are American technology.
The Netherlands will give 42 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding to 19 pledged by Denmark. Ukrainian pilots have begun training on the US-made jets, long-sought by Kyiv to counter Russian air superiority.
A Ukrainian drone crashed into a railway station in the western Russian city of Kursk Sunday, injuring five people, a Russian official said.
At least seven people died and 156 others were wounded after a Russian missile hit the northern city of Chernihiv Saturday, Ukrainian officials said. A theater and university were hit in the attack.
Vladimir Putin will be notably absent from the BRICS summit this week. The Russian president's no-show speaks volumes about Moscow's isolation — and his shrinking horizons, CNN's Nathan Hodge writes.
Kyiv has urgently been calling on its Western allies to provide the US-made jets, as its slow-moving counteroffensive is hampered by Russian air superiority.
According to Zelensky, the Netherlands will give 42 of the jets to Kyiv, adding to 19 pledged by Denmark.
Ukrainian pilots have already begun training on F-16s, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Saturday. The training will last a minimum of six months and the US has committed to approving the transfer of the jets for Ukraine as soon as it is complete, according to a US official.
Here's the latest headlines from Russia's war in Ukraine:
Swedish aid: Ukraine is discussing "the next steps" to obtain Gripen fighter jets from Sweden, Zelensky said Saturday at a joint news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. "You cannot move fast on the ground when (the Russians) control the sky. And we need that," Zelensky said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian fighters are already training in Sweden on the Archer artillery system, Zelensky said.
Drones in Russia: Russia's foreign ministry condemned a Ukrainian drone attack on a railway station in the western Russian city of Kursk on Sunday that injured at least five people. It comes after Russia reported several Ukrainian drone attacks in different regions of the country on the weekend, including Moscow.
Chernihiv toll rises: At least seven people were killed and 156 others injured in Saturday’s Russian missile strike on Chernihiv, the northern Ukrainian city's acting mayor said in an update Sunday. The strike — in a city close to the Russian border and far from the front lines — hit a university and a theater.
Kharkiv shelling: Russian shelling killed a 71-year-old man in the town of Vovchansk, in the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian officials said Sunday. The attacks hit a medical institution, which was not in use, causing fires to break out, they added.
More Russian attacks: In Kherson, a woman was killed by shelling Saturday morning, according to the regional prosecutor's office. And overnight, two women were wounded by a Russian air raid on Khmelnytskyi that damaged more than 30 houses, the deputy head of the region's military administration said.
Putin no-show: Vladimir Putin will be notably absent from the BRICS summit this week. The Russian president's no-show speaks volumes about Moscow's isolation — and his shrinking horizons, CNN's Nathan Hodge writes.
A US Air Force F-16 aircraft flies near the Rionegro Airport during military drills in Rionegro, Colombia on July 12, 2021. Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP/Getty Images/File
The Netherlands will give Ukraine 42 F-16 fighter jets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday following his visit to the country.
“I thank @MinPres Mark Rutte, his entire team, and the Dutch people for the decision on F-16s for Ukraine. Our warriors will receive 42 great combat aircraft,” Zelensky wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Sunday that the Netherlands owns 42 F-16s. Rutte said he would look into how many could be supplied to Ukraine but said he did not have a definitive number at the time.
Danish donation: Zelensky traveled on to Denmark after visiting the Netherlands where he met Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
“Today we announce that we will provide 19 F-16 jets to Ukraine, we believe Danish fighter jets will help protect your skies,” Frederiksen said. “The aim of this delivery is to protect Ukraine. We plan to provide the jets closer to the new year, about six of them, then eight in the next year and then another five.”
The meetings come after a US official on Friday said the US had committed to approving the transfer of F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine as soon as training is complete.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Saturday that Ukrainian pilots had begun training.
F-16s are single-engine, multirole jet aircraft, meaning they can be used in air-to-air or ground-attack missions.
Kyiv has urgently been calling on its Western allies to provide F-16 jets, as its slow-moving counteroffensive is hampered by Russian air superiority.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Zelensky at Eindhoven airport, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his country would “commit to delivering F-16 aircraft to Ukraine” once “the conditions for such a transfer have been met.”
Zelensky hailed the agreement as “historic” and “the most important” one yet. “The Netherlands became the first country to agree to provide Ukraine with F-16s after training. I am very grateful,” he added.
Even with the news it will take months until Ukraine will be able to use the jets.
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a statement published Sunday it had agreed to provide F-16s. Conditions for the transfer include training Ukrainian personnel, setting up infrastructure and logistics, and receiving the necessary authorization, it said.
Vladimir Putin attends a summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia on July 27. Stringer/Getty Images
Once upon a time, Russian President Vladimir Putin was the man to see: In the weeks preceding Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, world leaders took turns shuttling to Moscow to urge the Kremlin leader to step back from the brink and call off any plans for an attack.
Those efforts failed. But the man who set a catastrophic war in motion now finds his travel options extremely limited.
That may seem a trifling matter for a man who rules a country that spans 11 time zones. After all, Putin has an open door to Beijing, and Kremlin-friendly leaders in Central Asia and Iran have rolled out the welcome mat since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
And of course, he’ll always have Minsk: Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who provided Russia a launching pad for the invasion, has also played host to Putin.
But Putin will be notably absent from a key global forum this week, the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. His no-show speaks volumes about Russia’s isolation — and Putin’s shrinking horizons.
The leaders of the other members of the BRICS economic bloc — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, China’s leader Xi Jinping, Brazil’s President Luiz Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — are all expected to be there.
Does it really matter if Putin phones this one in? Taking part in an international talking shop may be a convenient way to act like a player on the global stage, but Putin is missing more than another group photo.
At least seven people were killed and 156 others were injured in Saturday’s Russian missile strike on the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, Oleksandr Lomako, acting mayor of Chernihiv, said in an update on Sunday.
The strike — in a city close to the Russian border and far from the front lines — hit a university and a theater, where an event involving drone manufacturers was taking place.
Lomako said on Telegram that of the injured, 41 are hospitalized, and of that number five are in “a serious condition.”
Some context: Prior to the outbreak of war, Chernihiv was a vibrant city of 300,000 people. Now, many parts of it have turned to wasteland amid repeated Russian bombardment.
The city came under siege from Russian forces at the start of the invasion in March 2022, and was cut off from electricity and running water. Russian troops began withdrawing from the region later that month, although shelling of Chernihiv continued.
Following the siege, the city’s mayor described Chernihiv as about 70% destroyed.
A Ukrainian drone crashed into the roof of a railway station in the western Russian city of Kursk early Sunday morning, injuring five people and causing damage to the building, according to the regional governor.
Russia’s Kursk region borders Ukraine and has seen previous apparent Ukrainian attacks.
One of the station’s platforms has been temporarily closed; however, passengers are still able to board and depart trains on two other platforms in the station, governor Roman Starovoyt said in an update on Telegram.
The roof and facade were also affected and there was damage to a waiting room and pedestrian tunnel, he added.
Five people sustained minor injuries, he said, adding: “At the time of the explosion there were 50 passengers in the building, they were promptly evacuated. Out of five victims of shrapnel two refused medical aid, three were sent for examination to Kursk regional hospital and have already been released home.”
Earlier this month, Russia said shells fired by Ukraine hit a residential building in the village of Volfino in the north of the Kursk region, wounding three people, according to Roman Starovoyt, the regional governor.
Reported shelling and drone attacks by Ukrainian forces have occurred with increasing frequency in recent months as it mounts its counteroffensive aimed at retaking territory seized by Russia.
Kyiv rarely takes direct credit for such attacks, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the war is “gradually returning” to Russian soil.
Russia meanwhile continues to regularly bombard Ukraine. A Russian missile hit a central square in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv Saturday, killing seven people and injuring more than 100 others.
Ukrainian pilots have begun training on F-16 aircraft, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said, bringing Kyiv closer to obtaining a long-sought after piece of military hardware it says is essential to counter Russian air superiority.
“Training (on F-16) has begun,” Reznikov told Ukrainian media Saturday, adding that in addition to the pilots, a number of Ukrainian engineers and technicians are also training.
Reznikov said that he is not going to say when the last day of training will be but noted that “a minimal term of training is six months.”
He said the instructors would announce the completion of training when they were satisfied the pilots, engineers and technicians had mastered their new skills.
Trainees will also get English-language training in technical terminology, because “the basic level of English language is not enough,” he said.
Reznikov said it was important to determine what kind of weapons the aircraft would be carrying.
“After all, without radars, the plane cannot see, and without machine guns, missiles and shells, it is not a weapon, but only a carrier,” he added.
The F-16 training program is being supported by a coalition of 11 NATO countries and requires official US approval because the jets are American technology.
