Victorious news of 540th day of war: destruction of Russian command post in Soledar, elimination of two Ka-52s, new air defense from Germany

Ukraine is getting closer to receiving F-16 fighter jets  

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that the partners are one step closer to providing the jets to Ukraine. This is reported by the Norwegian newspaper Dagsavisen with reference to Stoltenberg's statement.

Stoltenberg emphasized that it is reasonable to provide Ukraine with modern fighter jets.

"It is quite possible. We have agreed to start training pilots. But this is a separate decision that is required before we can supply modern fighter jets. We are one step closer to providing this type of weapon, but later," the Secretary General said.

At the same time, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba noted that the F-16 issue is being worked on very actively and suggested that "there will be good news soon."

"The pilots will return from training and the planes will arrive as well - it will be a synchronized process. This week, for three days, the president has meetings every day and talks about speeding up this process, and I will say diplomatically: I think there will be good news soon," he said briefly.

Germany supplies Ukraine with 2 more IRIS-T air defense systems 

On August 17, Ukraine received another package of military aid from Germany, which included IRIS-T launchers and almost 5,000 smoke munitions. This is stated on the website of the German government.

In total, the package includes: 2  IRIS-T SLS launchers; 4,539 rounds 155mm smoke ammunition (the country has previously provided 12,460 such shells); 10 ground surveillance radars GO12 - Germany has previously supplied 18 such radars; 4 truck tractor trains 8x8 HX81 and 37 semi-trailers (in addition to the 38 and 33 already provided, respectively); 8 load-handling trucks 15t (previously 26).

Ukrainian army destroys 2 Russian K-52 attack helicopters in one morning

On the morning of August 17, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed Russian Ka-52 helicopters in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. 

"The morning of the soldiers of the 47th Detached Mechanized Brigade began with the destruction of a Russian Ka-52 helicopter in the Robotyne area of Zaporizhzhia. At approximately 07:40, a firing group of the anti-aircraft missile and artillery division spotted an enemy Alligator. One launch from the man-portable air defense system - the target was destroyed," the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade said in a Facebook post.

This is the eighth Ka-52 to be downed by the brigade. The cost of one of these is $16 million.

Earlier, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that the Russians had lost a helicopter in the Bakhmut sector.

"Minus one Russian Ka-52 this morning in the Bakhmut direction! I thank the Air Defense unit of the Air Force for their successful combat work! Together - to victory!" - he wrote.

Russia may lose international civil aviation

In the upcoming autumn of 2023, Russia is set to be disconnected from the Swiss SITA system, a network that currently commands approximately 90% of the civil aviation market. This system serves as a vital platform for information exchange within the aviation industry, encompassing interactions between airlines and airports.

Often referred to as the "aviation SWIFT," the SITA channel holds the status of a traditional and widespread tool across the global civil aviation sector. Its primary purpose is to facilitate the exchange of information, fostering seamless communication between airlines and airports.

Upon disconnection from the channel, Russian carriers will not be able to transmit flight, passenger and baggage data to international airport information systems via SITA gateways. In turn, foreign carriers will be left without the usual SITA channel for data exchange with the information systems of Russian airports. 

Ukrainian Armed Forces destroy Russian command post in Soledar

Soldiers of the 30th Detached Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Kostiantyn Ostrozkyi helped to eliminate a Russian command post in Soledar, Donetsk region.

"In Soledar, the occupying forces concealed a command post within a cluster of residential structures. Nonetheless, the resourceful aerial reconnaissance team of the 30th Brigade, known as "Komanda Vyaloho," successfully located the hidden enemy position and coordinated the deployment of a guided aerial bomb. The accurate strike resulted in only a crater left," the brigade reports.

At the same time, the Military Courier reports that the Russian command post in Soledar, Donetsk region, was destroyed by a precision-guided JDAM bomb: the occupiers' headquarters was discovered by aerial reconnaissance men of the 30th Brigade and the coordinates were passed to the Ukrainian Air Force.