Ukraine Update…888 Days of the Russian Conflict…F-16’s arrive

Ukraine has received its first F-16 fighter jets, a US official has confirmed to the Associated Press. The arrival of the jets was first reported by Bloomberg. A Ukrainian lawmaker also confirmed Ukraine had received a small number of F-16 fighter jets. The two officials spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to discuss the subject publicly.

Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway – all Nato members – have committed to providing Ukraine with more than 60 of the planes. The Russian jet fighter fleet is still estimated to be about 10 times larger, but has been kept at bay to some extent by Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defences.

Ukraine needs at least 130 F-16s to neutralise Russian air power, Ukrainian officials say. Much depends on having enough pilots, who are being trained by a coalition of countries including the US which has also agreed to arm Ukraine’s jets with advanced missiles and bombs.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Russian forces have made gains in eastern Ukraine because Kyiv’s allies are restricting its use of western-supplied weapons and its forces are still awaiting arms deliveries from abroad. Russia consolidated gains in eastern Ukraine in July, taking control of almost 200 sq km (77 sq miles), according to analysis by Agence France-Presse using data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Zelenskiy said Kyiv was “working very hard” to get permission to strike targets deep inside Russian territory with western-supplied weapons. “Unfortunately, our partners are still afraid of this.”

The coming presidential election in the US posed a “challenge” for Kyiv, Zelenskiy said in an interview with French media including Agence France-Presse. “We cannot influence any election,” said the Ukrainian president. “Of course, the United States is a challenge today. And there are risks that probably none of us can predict.” Zelenskiy continued: “As president of Ukraine, I must, of course, have a dialogue between my team and the Biden, Trump, and today Harris teams … We have to have all these contacts and talk about what our future might look like if one side or the other wins the election.”

Ukraine does not want China to act as a mediator but rather to apply pressure and “force” Russia to end the war, according to Zelenskiy. “Just as the United States is applying pressure, just as the European Union is applying pressure. The more influence a country has, the greater should be its pressure on Russia.”

Zelenskiy said Ukraine and the entire world wanted to see Russia take part in the next peace summit. Since the Swiss summit held in June without Russian participation, Zelenskiy has indicated that Moscow should be represented at a second summit tentatively planned for this year. “The majority of the world today says that Russia must be represented at the second summit … Since the whole world wants them to be at the table, we cannot be against it,” Zelenskiy said on Tuesday.

China has said it will prohibit the export of all unregulated civilian drones that can be used for military or terrorist purposes, and that certain drone features will be restricted. The commerce ministry said for example that infrared and laser technology for target indication and high-precision inertial measurement equipment would be placed on an export control list. China has been criticised for allowing its drones to be supplied to Russia and also allegedly collaborating with it on drone design.

Ukrainian sanctions prohibiting the transit of oil from Russian producer Lukoil do not pose a threat to Slovakia’s energy security, according to Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal. Lifting the sanctions was not a matter for discussion and Kyiv had the EU’s “full understanding” on the matter, Shmyhal said.
Slovakia’s pro-Russian PM, Robert Fico, has said his country will halt diesel supplies to Ukraine unless it restores oil flows from Lukoil through the pipeline on its territory. Slovakia and Hungary together supply about 10% of Ukraine’s diesel. “Slovakia is our reliable partner from whom we do not expect blackmail or threats,” Shmyhal said.

Ukraine has invoked a law allowing it to skip international debt paymentsas it finalises a restructuring plan agreed with bondholders to slash $20bn from its international borrowings. Though it officially notches up another default for Ukraine, it is unlikely to trigger any concerns in debt markets. The restructuring will cut the face value of Ukraine’s international debt by a third but its finances will remain under intense pressure.