Victorious news of 786th day of war: Ukraine’s Air Force shoots down Russian Tu-22M3, German drone manufacturer opens factory in Ukraine

G7 countries to work on strengthening Ukrainian air defense

The G7 countries will work to strengthen Ukraine's air defense. This is stated in a statement by the G7 foreign ministers following the meeting in Cyprus.

“We express our resolve in particular to bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities to save lives and protect critical infrastructure,” the statement says.

The G7 stated that it supports efforts aimed at helping Ukraine build a future armed forces capable of self-defense and deterring any aggression.

Tu-22M3 bomber shot down over Russia

On the morning of April 19, Russia's Tu-22M3 strategic bomber firing Kh-22/Kh-32 missiles at Ukraine crashed in the Stavropol Krai, Russia. The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed the downing of the Russian aircraft in cooperation with Ukraine's Defence Intelligence.

The Ukrainian Intelligence informed that the Russian Tu-22M3 aircraft was shot down at a distance of about 300 kilometers from Ukraine. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, noted that the Tu-22MZ was destroyed by a system developed from scratch.

"Different systems are used. This time we used what we made from scratch from old components. We modernized it a bit. The engineers did a good job, believe me," he said.

Photo: Governor of the Stavropol Krai Vladimir Vladimirov

Ukraine's largest steelmaker increases production

The press service of ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih announced the launch of additional coke oven batteries, which will allow the company to increase production and the number of jobs.

"Previously, we operated at only 25% of capacity, but now the company is gradually increasing production every day. This, in turn, will lead to an increase in the number of jobs and more taxes for our hometown and the Ukrainian economy," the statement says.

The launch of the third and fourth coke oven batteries is scheduled for April 21-24.

German company opens drone manufacturing plant in Ukraine

The German company Quantum-Systems GmbH has opened a plant in Ukraine that will be able to produce up to 1,000 UAVs per year, as well as spare parts for them. This is reported by InVenture.

Quantum-Systems said that by the end of the year, the company will employ about 100 people. The company will invest up to €6 million in the company over the next two years.

Quantum Systems was founded in 2015 and is headquartered at the Oberpfaffenhofen Special Airport, 20 km west of Munich. It specializes in the development, design, and production of small unmanned aerial vehicles.