On the night of May 29, the 20-year-old National Guard soldier managed to shoot down one of the missiles that Russia fired at Kyiv, using an Igla-1 man-portable air defense system.
Ukraine's National Guard reports that the soldier has the callsign Pokemon and serves with the anti-aircraft missile and artillery division of the Storm Brigade. He shot down the air target at 3:20 am.
“This time it was harder to capture the target because it was still quite dark. But the result speaks for itself. The emotions of realization and joy were even greater than the first time. I realize that this is not only a downed missile, but also lives saved,” Pokemon shared his impressions.
This is not the first time the soldier has shot down such a target – last time he shot down a Russian missile on May 9.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced an increase in spending on military aid to Ukraine. This year, the government will allocate 7.5 billion Danish kroner, and next year - another 10.4 billion.
“Right now, Ukrainians need our weapons and our support, so it is urgent. But there is nothing to suggest that next year will be a year of peace, so we are already allocating more than ten billion in 2024,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
Over the last day, Ukrainian aviation launched 15 strikes on the invading Russian troops' military positions, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff reports.
Missile and artillery units struck three weapons and military equipment concentration areas, a munitions depot, three air defense facilities, and three other important enemy targets.
Mariupol mayor's advisor Petro Andriushchenko says that several explosions occurred in Yurivka, Zaporizhzhia region, killing 100 Russian soldiers and injuring 400 more.
Andriushchenko said that the hit occurred in the former Yalta recreation center and noted that up to 650 Russians could have been there. According to the mayor's advisor, four buses with Russian personnel were brought to the complex yesterday.
“The former Yalta recreation center was hit, and a 5-story building was destroyed. According to the project, this building was designed to comfortably accommodate 120 vacationers. If converted into barracks, the room can accommodate about 4-5 people. That is, the capacity of the room as a barracks is about 650 people. According to information from Mariupol resistance, yesterday 4 buses with soldiers were brought there,” he wrote.
He also wrote that the invading Russian forces' communication station and electronic warfare were also destroyed.
The USAID Competitive Economy Project announced a USD 2 million grant program to support the participation of Ukrainian businesses in international trade events. The program provides for about 30 grants in the amount of USD 35,000 to USD 90,000.
“Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the USAID Competitive Economy of Ukraine Program has supported the participation of 348 Ukrainian businesses from the IT, creative industries, food and furniture sectors in 31 international trade missions to countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Germany. The entrepreneurs raised the visibility of their companies in foreign markets, prepared the groundwork for full-fledged entry into foreign markets, and found new clients and partners. Over the next year, we plan to support SME participation in 30 more events. We are looking for comprehensive projects that will include training and preparation for missions, development of analytical materials, participation in trade events, and posters to share experiences with other entrepreneurs,” said Olesia Zaluska, USAID Competitive Economy Program Chief of Party.