Situation at a glance: Selenskyj: We are already preparing for winter

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine is already preparing for the coming winter to prevent a major energy crisis. In his evening video address, he reported on a visit to the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which is repeatedly hit by Russian attacks. “I held a meeting in Kharkiv to discuss security and energy issues, because energy is always one of the main topics,” said Zelensky.

A large proportion of the Russian air and missile attacks in recent months have been aimed at destroying Ukraine’s infrastructure. The energy supply has been a particular target. Although repair crews can fix minor problems, the power supply has collapsed in many places in Ukraine.

There are clear ideas about how the electricity deficit should be eliminated step by step, said Zelensky. “Preparations are being made for the onset of winter now, in the summer.”

In order to secure energy supplies, Ukraine continues to work on the configuration of air defense systems. “Commander-in-Chief (Olexander) Syrskyj and the relevant commanders will present an updated structure of our air defense systems and new requirements to our partners – what exactly we must provide by the end of this year.”

Zelensky has repeatedly asked Ukraine’s Western partners for more air defense systems in order to build an effective shield against constant Russian missile and air attacks. In addition, Kyiv is still waiting for the arrival of the F-16 fighter jets provided by foreign partners.

Expert expects more safety from F-16

According to one expert, the American F-16 fighter jets that are eagerly awaited in the skies of Ukraine could make a significant contribution to securing the airspace against Russian attacks. “Even one squadron of F-16s offers many possibilities for basic protection of the airspace,” said Ukrainian aviation expert Anatoly Khrapchinsky on television. A squadron according to NATO standards consists of 18 to 22 aircraft. The number of fighter jets could currently achieve more than the entire number of air defense systems that Ukraine currently has.

According to Khrapchinsky, the deployment of the first F-16 will significantly reduce the number of missile strikes, as Russian aircraft will be more cautious. However, the expert does not expect any air battles, as the primary goal is to secure Ukrainian airspace from missile attacks. Even the possible use of air-to-air missiles from the F-16 against attacking Russian fighter aircraft could help secure the airspace.

The expert assumes that the F-16s at Ukrainian military airfields are safe from Russian attacks. “We should not forget that there are certain technologies to counter threats from the air, in particular air defense systems, which will be made available even before the delivery of the F-16,” said Khrapchinsky.

Ukraine expects the first F-16s to arrive soon, which have been made available to the country by both the Netherlands and Denmark. Belgium and Norway have also promised Ukraine additional fighter jets. Ukrainian pilots have already been trained on the machines. When exactly the first jets are expected remains a military secret for now. According to the German government, the German army does not have any F-16s.

New Leopards from Germany and a US package

Ukraine received a further eight Leopard tanks from Germany and Denmark. In addition to the Leopard 1A5, Kyiv was also given two armored recovery vehicles and large quantities of ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft tank from Bundeswehr and industrial stocks, according to a list of the German government’s military support for Ukraine.

Ukraine is receiving another emergency aid package from the USA worth 200 million dollars. This includes missiles for anti-aircraft and artillery systems as well as anti-tank weapons, the Pentagon announced. A further aid package worth 1.5 billion dollars is being prepared.