Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv says it destroyed Russian fighter jet using missile fired from sea drone for first time

Ukraine’s air defence units shot down 69 of 165 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack, the air force said on Sunday.

It said 80 drones were lost, in reference to the Ukrainian military using electronic warfare to redirect them, or they were drone simulators that did not carry warheads.

The procession, involving roughly 1,000 UK service personnel from across the armed forces, will also include Ukrainian personnel currently training in Britain as part of Operation Interflex.

This act of solidarity highlights the global support for Ukraine’s ongoing defence against Russia’s invasion, the MoD said.

VE Day, observed annually on 8 May, marks the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.

Russia greeted a mineral deal signed between the United States and Ukraine with glee through gritted teeth.

Dmitri Medvedev, the former president, said the deal means Ukraine “will have to pay for military supplies with the national wealth of a disappearing country”. It does not.

It does mean that, for the first time this year, the US now sees Ukraine as a financial asset, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley

Russia launched a drone attack on Kyiv overnight, injuring at least 11 people, including two children, and sparking fires in several residential areas, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.

Falling debris from destroyed drones caused fires in Kyiv’s Obolonskyi and Sviatoshynskyi districts. Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, confirmed the fires on social media. The city’s emergency services reported that 76 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blazes, including a fire in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district.

Photos posted online showed firefighters battling large fires at residential buildings during the night.In addition to the fires, several cars across the city caught fire from falling drone debris. Witnesses reported hearing explosions, which sounded like air defense systems in action, according to Reuters.

Kyiv and surrounding regions were under air-raid alerts for about an hour, starting soon after midnight local time.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of using a proposed three-day ceasefire as a “theatrical performance” ahead of Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations.

In response to Russia’s announcement of a 3-day halt in hostilities starting 8 May, Zelensky argued that such a brief period would not allow for meaningful peace talks.

He added that Ukraine would not be “playing games to create a pleasant atmosphere to allow for Putin’s exit from isolation on 9 May,” referring to the planned foreign delegations attending Russia’s World War II commemorations.

Ukraine and the US have proposed a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, which Russia has so far rejected.

France plans to increase production of its AASM Hammer guided air bombs to 1,200 units in 2025, up from 830 in 2024, as part of ongoing defense support for Ukraine, according to The Kyiv Independent.

The precision bombs, developed by Safran, have become a key weapon for Ukraine’s air force due to their high accuracy and resistance to Russian electronic warfare.

According to Le Parisien, the French government requested Safran to integrate surface-to-air missile systems (SAM) onto Ukrainian fighter jets after American JDAM bombs failed to hit targets. This modification, completed in 2023, enables precise targeting from Ukraine’s Soviet-era jets.

France currently supplies around 50 AASM bombs per month to Ukraine.

Designed in the “pixelated” camouflage colour scheme, the Sukhoi fighter jet’s body has a colour mix of dark and light grey with and black pixels, which experts say is designed to add to its stealth capabilities.

According to chief test pilot Sergei Bogdan, the latest Russian fifth-generation fighter jet has no limits for development and is the first such Russian warplane that can participate in real combat. Its stealth feature – the first in the Russian Air Force – comprises a low signature design which minimises its chances of detection by radar systems.

It can be developed for carrying missiles and bombs in cargo compartments and has a major onboard defence complex. The jet also features an internal weapons bay for the pilot, allowing a flexible choice between a long-range or a close-combat missiles option in a scenario of military engagement.

Mr Bogdan claims the fighter jet’s agility could give it an edge over its American competitor F-35.

According to its manufacturer, serial production of the aircraft began in 2022.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) reported the destruction of a Russian Su-30 fighter jet by a missile fired from a sea drone – what it called the world’s first downing of a combat aircraft by a maritime drone.

The $50m jet was reportedly hit midair and crashed into the sea near Novorossiisk, according to The Kyiv Independent.

A pro-Russian blogger claimed the pilots ejected and were rescued by civilian sailors, the Guardian reported.

Later in the day, president Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had destroyed a second Russian military aircraft within 24 hours, following a strike on a military airfield in occupied Crimea.

“I thank our guys who are increasing Ukrainian long-range capabilities – both in the sky and at sea. The shooting down of a Russian military aircraft by our naval drone was brilliant – proof of Ukrainian capabilities,” Mr Zelensky said his evening address.