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Tag: kamikaze drones

  • Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine is looking for naval drones to counter Russian maritime strikes

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sponsored a fundraising campaign to assist Ukraine in building a naval drone fleet to safeguard cities from Russian missiles launched from Black Sea warships.

    United24, a charity effort founded by Zelenskyy in response to Russia’s invasion in February, stated that Ukraine needs 100 drones operating from the sea, each costing 10 million hryvnias (about $274,000).

    The fundraising site said that since the invasion began, Russia has launched over 4,500 missiles into Ukraine, and “every fifth strike came from the sea”.

    “We must defend the waters of our seas and peaceful cities from Russian missiles launched from ships,” Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app on Friday.

    “Naval drones will also help unblock the corridor for civilian ships transporting grain for the world,” he said.

    Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has carried out missile strikes from ships in the Black Sea and from Crimea, the peninsula Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014 and which is home to the Russian navy’s Black Sea Fleet.

    Russia has also used aerial drones, including Iranian-made so-called “kamikaze” models, to attack Kyiv and key infrastructure across the country.

    Russia started blockading Ukraine’s Black Sea ports soon after the February invasion, including blocking the vital international export of grain. Three Ukrainian ports were unblocked under a deal brokered with Russia in July by the United Nations and Turkey to help ease a global food crisis.

    Russia later suspended its participation in the grain deal after what it said was a Ukrainian attack on three of its Black Sea Fleet vessels late last month from a combined force of aerial and naval drones. Moscow later returned to the deal, which is due to expire next week.

    “I am sure that millions of people will support this important area of Ukraine’s defence,” Zelenskyy wrote of the naval drone fundraising campaign.

  • Israel and Ukraine discuss air defence systems following drone strikes

    Ukraine’s foreign minister says he has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu about the harm inflicted by “Russian missiles and Iranian-made drones.”

    Ukrainian and Israeli officials met to discuss Kyiv’s request for Israeli air defence support, just days after Russia purportedly used Iranian “kamikaze” drones in a new wave of air strikes on war-torn Ukraine.

    Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Thursday he had spoken on the phone to Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and “discussed in detail” the provision of air and missile defense systems and technology.

    “I informed him [about the] unspeakable suffering, loss of life, and destruction caused by Russian missiles and Iranian-made drones,” he tweeted.

    Lapid’s office said in a statement on Thursday that the Israeli prime minister had expressed “deep concern” over the military ties between Russia and arch-foe Iran.

    Ukraine this week accused Russia of using four Iranian-made drones to bomb Kyiv and said its air defences have shot down 223 Iranian drones since mid-September.

    The Kremlin said it had no knowledge of its army using Iranian drones in Ukraine and Tehran said the claims that it is providing Russia with weapons are “baseless”.

    European Union countries, however, said they had found evidence supporting Kyiv’s claim and on Thursday adopted sanctions on Iran over its provision of drones to Russia.

    The phone call between Kuleba and Lapid came two days after Ukraine stepped up appeals for Israeli help with air defence systems to intercept Iranian drones and ballistic missiles.

    In the request, Ukraine also demanded that Israel train its forces in operating the systems, Axios reported.

    Israel has walked a delicate diplomatic line since the start of the Russian invasion in late February, seeking to preserve ties with Moscow.

    While condemning Russia’s move, it has limited its assistance to humanitarian relief, citing a desire to ensure the well-being of Russia’s Jews and to continue cooperation with Moscow over war-ravaged neighbour Syria.

    On Wednesday, Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz reiterated Tel Aviv’s position that it would not sell weapon systems to Ukraine.

    According to a statement by his office, however, Gantz had asked Ukraine “to share information about their needs for air defence alerts”.

    Israel would be able to “assist in the development of a life-saving civilian early-warning system”, the statement said. Ukraine’s ambassador had asked for systems that would shoot down the drones instead.

    Russia warned on Monday that an Israeli move to bolster Kyiv’s forces would severely damage relations between Moscow and Tel Aviv.

     

     

     

  • Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv suffer kamikaze drones attacks say officials

    At least four explosions have occurred in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, with a presidential adviser accusing “kamikaze drones” launched by Russia.

    “It shows their desperation,” said Andriy Yermak, head of Ukrainian President Zelensky’s staff.

    Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said residential buildings in the central Shevchenkivskiy area had been damaged.

    A week ago, the capital was hit by Russian missiles at rush hour, part of nationwide attacks which left 19 dead.

    This morning’s attacks were from drones – the low buzzing of these slow-moving weapons is becoming familiar across the country.

    Kyiv reverberated to the rattle of gunfire as anti-aircraft batteries frantically tried to shoot them down. Video on social media appeared to show one interception.

    The explosions on Monday began at around 06:30 local time (03:30 GMT), and there were at least five in total. The most recent was at around 08:10 local time.

    Two were close to the city centre, with sirens and car alarms heard across the area.

    What’s being targeted is hard to determine. The mayor’s office says residential and non-residential buildings have been hit. Railway officials say explosions were seen close to Kyiv’s main station.

    Recent attacks have targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. It will be surprised if that’s not the case today.

    Writing on the Telegram social media site, Mr Klitschko said there were four strikes in Kyiv, although residents heard five or six explosions. He also told people to stay in air raid shelters.

    But despite the warnings, the streets are far from deserted. Between the first and second set of strikes, plenty of people seemed to be going about their Monday morning business.

    Mr Yermak described the kamikaze attacks as Russia’s “death throes”, and that Ukraine needed more air defence systems “as soon as possible”.

    What are kamikaze drones?

    • Small aerial weapons, also known as loitering munitions, that are destroyed after striking the target
    • Unlike other drones – which are supposed to return home after dropping missiles – kamikaze drones are disposable
    • The name derives from the Japanese pilots who volunteered to crash their planes in suicide missions in World War Two
    • President Zelensky has previously accused Russia of using Iranian-made drones – Iran denies supplying them while Russia has not commented

    Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week’s strikes were in retaliation for the bombing of a key bridge linking Russia to occupied Crimea, which he blamed on Ukraine.

    It was the first time during the war that the centre of Kyiv had been directly targeted.

    Earlier this week, Mr Putin said there was no need for more large-scale strikes on Ukraine. Most designated targets had been hit, he said, adding that it was not his aim to destroy the country.

    Kamikaze drone in sky
    IMAGE SOURCE,YASUYOSHI CHIBA Image caption, A drone seen in Kyiv on Monday

    An officer fires at a flying drone stood in front of car.
    IMAGE SOURCE,YASUYOSHI CHIBA Image caption, A Ukrainian in Kyiv fires at a drone

     

  • $10m in 24 hours: Funds raised to buy kamikaze drones for Ukrainian troops

    About $10 million has been raised in the last 24 hours to acquire kamikaze drones for Ukrainian soldiers.

    The crowdfunding campaign, which was founded by Ukrainian activists Serhiy Prytula and Serhii Sternenko, was launched after Russian missiles rained down across cities in Ukraine on Monday.

    And in a statement on Twitter today, Mr Prytula said a total of $9.6m (£8.7m) had been raised so far to purchase additional weapons for Ukraine’s armed forces.

    In an interview with The Guardian, Mr Prytula said: “They wanted to scare us but we united even more.

    “Remember: never infuriate Ukrainians. Never. The people have donated for the revenge, so we will ensure the revenge happens.”