Ukraine Loses F-16 Fighter Jet and Pilot as Russia Intensifies Attacks

Kyiv has confirmed the death of a Ukrainian F-16 pilot, who was killed in air combat on August 26, according to a statement from the Ukrainian Air Force. The fighter jet was downed while attempting to counter a Russian missile attack, marking the first loss of an F-16 delivered to Ukraine.

The first F-16s arrived in the country earlier this month, and the pilot was among the few trained to fly them. Although Kyiv lobbied since the beginning of the Russian invasion to get the modern fighters to end Russian air supremacy, a group of Ukrainian pilots did not begin training in the US until the fall of 2023. Normally, the training takes a year, but given the war, the pilot and his colleagues had to prepare for six months.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged European allies to expedite the delivery of promised air defense systems. However, EU member states have yet to reach a consensus on unblocking 6 billion euros in military aid for Ukraine or on lifting restrictions related to strikes against Russia using European weapons.

For the fifth consecutive night, Ukraine faced extensive Russian attacks, with loud explosions reported in Odesa this evening.

Explosions were reported in several regions of Ukraine following Russian drone attacks, according to local television. The blasts occurred in Sumy, Kryvyi Rih, and the Vinnytsia region.

The Ukrainian military stated that Russian forces have intensified their actions over the past 24 hours, particularly in the Kupyansk area of Kharkiv and Kurakhovo in Donetsk, while heavy attacks near Pokrovsk continue. Ukrainian forces successfully repelled Russian assaults in the Kharkiv region, particularly near Liptsi and Volchansk.

In Russia, the governor of the Bryansk...