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The Ukrainian government is increasing its spending on drones by an additional 15.5 billion hryvnia ($392 million), Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday, as the unmanned surveillance and combat aircraft become increasingly important assets for Kiev in its fight against Russia.<\/p>\n
“With the funds allocated today, 300,000 drones will be delivered to our security and defence forces,” he said at a Cabinet meeting in Kiev. According to Shmyhal, Ukraine had previously budgeted 43.3 billion hryvnia for the purchase of drones this year.<\/p>\n
Ukraine has rapidly expanded the development and production of drones of various types under pressure from Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of the country more than two years ago. In recent weeks, it has also increasingly attacked the Russian hinterland with these weapons.<\/p>\n
The Russian Ministry of Defence in Moscow said on Tuesday that three Ukrainian combat drones had been intercepted over the border regions of Belgorod and Kursk.<\/p>\n
One woman was killed and another injured by unspecified Ukrainian fire in the Russian border village of Kosino, according to the governor of Kursk, Roman Starovoit.<\/p>\n
The reports could not be independently verified.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry said Ukraine has attacked Russian military bases in Crimea with US-supplied missiles.<\/p>\n
It said Russian air defence systems repelled six long-range ATACMS missiles in the past 24 hours.<\/p>\n
Independent media reported hits on three military bases on Monday night, injuring several people.<\/p>\n
Several soldiers were reportedly injured after a fire broke out during an attack on an air defence position near the Crimean capital Simferopol, according to the independent website Astra.<\/p>\n
Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-appointed governor of Crimea, said a missile attack on the village of Donske near Simferopol was intercepted. However, he warned of unexploded ammunition remnants.<\/p>\n
Simferopol is more than 200 kilometres away from the front line.<\/p>\n
The Dzhankoy airport in the north of Crimea, where a Russian helicopter regiment and air defence forces are stationed, also came under fire again. According to media reports, five soldiers were injured there.<\/p>\n
Astra said four further soldiers were injured in an attack on a military target in the Chornomorske district in the north-west of the peninsula.<\/p>\n
The US said it would be supplying long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine as part of the new weapons package agreed in Congress in April.<\/p>\n
Previous US missile deliveries had a range of 165 kilometres.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Latvia will provide Ukraine with a further military aid package, including anti-aircraft guns and unmanned surveillance drones.<\/p>\n
“We must ensure Ukraine wins the war for the sake of Ukraine, European security, and the world order,” Prime Minister Evika Sili\u0146a wrote on X, formerly Twitter.<\/p>\n
The air defence and drone systems will come from Latvian military stocks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n