20-5-2023

Ukraine claims its air defences in Kyiv intercepted all the Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Russia overnight on May 20. Three “powerful explosions” were reported in the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol on May 19. The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has claimed full control of Bakhmut. He added that Wagner forces would withdraw from Bakhmut from May 25 and hand over control to the Russian army. A Russian prisoner who joined the Wagner group said Putin’s army used him as “cannon fodder.” Meanwhile, On May 20, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed the US participation in the “fighter jet coalition.” Russia has warned that supplying F-16 jets to Ukraine would carry “colossal” risks for the West. President Zelensky is in Japan’s Hiroshima and will meet US President Biden on the sidelines of the G7 summit. An aide to Polish president Andrzej Duda claims the object that entered Poland’s airspace in 2022 was a Russian-made rocket.

Ukraine’s president has welcomed the Biden administration’s decision to help train Ukrainian pilots on US-made F-16 fighter jets. Volodymyr Zelensky said that Washington’s move would “greatly enhance our army in the sky.” The Ukrainian president also described the plans to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighters as a “historic decision.” Zelensky added that he would discuss the details with Biden at the G7 Summit in Japan’s Hiroshima city. Reacting to the reports, Moscow said countries would run “enormous risks’ ‘ if they supplied F-16s to Ukraine. The Russian foreign ministry added that Western countries were “sticking to the scenario of escalation.”

May 20, 2023 #Ukraine#Russia#IRISTThe battle in the skies of Kyiv has seen Russia’s most lethal missiles directly taking on the West’s strongest air defence systems. On May 16, Ukraine claimed it had shot down six Russian Kinzhal missiles in a single night. Kyiv claimed to have thwarted a weapon that Moscow has touted as a “next-generation hypersonic missile”. Ukraine also claimed that its defence systems intercepted nine Kalibr cruise missiles and three Iskander missiles. However, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu dismissed the Ukrainian claim, as per RIA news agency. Moscow, on the other hand, has claimed that its Kinzhal missiles destroyed a US-built Patriot air defence system in Ukraine. Apart from the Patriot air defence system, Ukraine has also received the NASAMS system from the United States. Germany has sent Ukraine its IRIS-T air defence system. Watch this video to know how Russia and Ukraine are fighting the battle of super weapons.

May 20, 2023

#Erdogan#Turkey#PutinTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country has a “special” and growing relationship with Putin, CNN reported. This comes amid mounting pressure on Ankara to help bolster Western sanctions against Moscow and ahead of a tense runoff election in Turkey. In an exclusive interview to CNN, Erdogan said that “Russia and Turkey need each other in every field possible”. He also brushed off Western pressure, saying that Turkey will not impose sanctions on Russia for its war in Ukraine. Erdogan, whose country is also part of NATO, slammed the West for not taking a balanced approach toward a country like Russia. Is the Turkish President finally choosing to side with Putin? Watch this video to know more.