A Russian air defense unit tested a helicopter-mounted heavy machine gun installed on a truck. The gun operator was thrown from his position, while a soldier standing nearby escaped a burst of gunfire by a split second.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was at war, not conducting a "special military operation," while blaming the West for the escalation • Russia fired more than 2,000 drones and 1,700 guided bombs at Ukrainian territory over the past week.
High-altitude interception attempts and a strike without warning raised speculation that Ukraine used its domestically developed FP-9 ballistic missile for the first time. Zelenskyy said he had ordered a strike on an oil refinery deep inside Russia.
Ukrainian drone strike capabilities have caught the Kremlin by surprise, with officials in Russia conveying alarm and gloom. In Crimea, shortages of food products are being felt and fuel sales have been banned: "People are trying to flee from here on foot or by bicycle."
Hundreds of drones and cruise missiles were launched at the Russian capital in what was described as the largest attack on Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine. This was the second time this week that Ukraine has struck the refinery, which produces about 70% of the capital’s fuel consumption. Zelenskyy: “If Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too.”
Bloomberg claims Moscow is facing an unprecedented budget crisis as Ukraine attacks oil and gas facilities deep inside Russia. Deadly Russian strike causes extensive damage in Kyiv.
Analysts say the war in Ukraine may be approaching a turning point, as Kyiv seizes the initiative on the front. Russia is suffering enormous losses, losing territory and taking severe hits to logistical arteries deep behind the lines
Russian army forces are known to use animals for transport or mobility purposes for fighters, as their units struggle increasingly with shortages of motorized vehicles damaged by Ukrainian fire.
According to the US Treasury Department, the move is intended to strike the heart of the Russian economy and pressure the Kremlin to return to the negotiating table, due to "Russia’s lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine."
The commander of Ukraine’s “Magyar” drone unit released footage showing a drone shooting down a Russian attack helicopter over Ukrainian territory. The country has recently begun producing a growing numbers of interception drones in several models, which have proven effective against a range of aerial threats and are inexpensive to manufacture.
