UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
π An F-16 fighter jet crashed last night: the pilot died while repelling the attack.
During the combat mission, the pilot shot down seven aerial targets. While engaging the final one, his aircraft was damaged and began to lose altitude. He managed to steer the jet away from a populated area but did not have time to eject.
Russia has invested over β¬1 billion in expanding the Kazan Aviation Plant, which specializes in the production of strategic bombers, Yle reports.
Satellite images obtained by journalists show the construction of new hangars covering approximately 19,000 square meters, with a length of more than 320 meters.
The plant produces Tu-160, Tu-160M2, and Tu-22M3 bombers, which range in length from 40 to 55 meters.
The Kazan Aviation Plant remains the only facility in Russia capable of partially compensating for the loss of strategic aviation resulting from Ukraineβs special operation βPavutynaβ (βSpiderwebβ).
Despite the scale of investment, production output remains low. In 2023, the plant delivered only two upgraded Tu-160M and Tu-160M2 aircraft to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
According to expert Marco Eklund, in addition to issues with components and international sanctions, the enterprise is also facing serious personnel shortages.
The American nuclear weapons stationed in Germany are not enough to deter Russia, so Germany must gain access to the nuclear arsenal of France or the United Kingdom, said Jens Spahn, head of the CDU/CSU faction in the Bundestag, in an interview with Welt am Sonntag.
βRussian aggression is a completely new threat. Europe must become capable of deterring it.
To achieve this, American atomic bombs are currently stationed in Germany, but in the long term, this is not enough.
We need to discuss Germanyβs or Europeβs participation in the nuclear arsenal of France or the UK, as well as the possibility of creating a joint nuclear arsenal with other European countries.
It will be expensive, but those who want protection must also be willing to pay for it.β
Spahn also raised the idea of an βindependent European nuclear umbrella,β stressing that it would only work if Germany had access to its management:
βAnyone who cannot control nuclear weapons becomes a pawn in world politics. France likely wonβt agree to give Germany access to the βnuclear button.β
However, control could rotate randomly between European states, keeping potential adversaries uncertain.β
Merz explained why many Germans find it difficult to see Putin as a threat.
βAmong a part of our population, there is a deep-rooted fear of war. I do not share it, but I can understand it. In principle, it is right to seek all paths to peace. However, when it comes to Russia, my point of view is realistic: I am currently rereading a book about British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his policy of appeasement toward Adolf Hitler. We must not repeat such a mistake,β Merz said.
πΊπ¦π΅π± Zelenskyy presents Duda with the Order of Freedom
Polish President Andrzej Duda has been awarded the Order of Freedom, as stated in Decree No. 439/2025 published on the website of the President of Ukraine.
The award was granted for outstanding personal merits in strengthening Ukrainian-Polish cooperation and supporting Ukraineβs state sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers are sharing their combat experience of adjusting HIMARS strikes using the Leleka-100 UAV with U.S. military personnel during exercises in Romania.
βοΈ Consequences of the night attack on Ukraine β Key updates:
β«οΈ Cherkasy region: Six people were injured, including a child, according to regional head Ihor Taburets. Three nine-story buildings and the local college of the National University of Food Technologies were damaged.
β«οΈ Lviv: Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and regional head Maksym Kozytskyi reported that, despite attempts to strike the cityβs energy infrastructure, there were no casualties or damage.
β«οΈ Mykolaiv: According to regional head Vitaly Kim, there were no casualties. However, a warehouse was damaged as a result of ballistic missile and Shahed drone attacks.
β«οΈ Poltava region (Kremenchuk district): An enterprise was hit, causing a fire. No casualties were reported.
β«οΈ Zaporizhzhia: Production facilities of an enterprise were damaged. No one was injured, regional head Ivan Fedorov said.
β«οΈ Ivano-Frankivsk region: Debris fell on private property. In the village of Vasyutyn, windows and a wooden bell tower of a church were damaged. In Narayivka, a woman was injured and hospitalized. No fatalities were reported.
At night, air defense forces neutralized 475 enemy air attack vehicles β Air Force
On the night of June 29, Russian forces launched 537 air attack vehicles against Ukraine:
β«οΈ 477 Shahed-type strike UAVs and various simulator drones (over 250 of them were Shaheds);
β«οΈ 4 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles;
β«οΈ 7 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles;
β«οΈ 41 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles;
β«οΈ 5 Kalibr cruise missiles;
β«οΈ 3 S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles.
According to preliminary data as of 08:30, Ukraineβs air defenses neutralized 475 of these threats. Of them, 249 were shot down by fire, while 226 were neutralized through electronic warfare or lost by location.
β«οΈ 211 Shahed-type UAVs were shot down by fire, 225 were suppressed or lost by location;
β«οΈ 1 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missile was shot down;
β«οΈ 33 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles were shot down, 1 lost by location;
β«οΈ 4 Kalibr cruise missiles were shot down.
Enemy air threats were intercepted in six regions; debris from downed targets fell in eight locations.