New Iris-T for Ukraine and Russian losses at Dzhankoy airfield - Thursday brief
Collage by RBC-Ukraine
Yesterday, April 18, 2024, it became known that Ukraine will soon receive the IRIS-T SL air defense system. The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine reported on Russian losses after a strike on the airfield in Dzhankoy.
RBC-Ukraine collected the main news for April 18.
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Iris-T manufacturer announces transfer of another SLM system to Ukraine
This year, Ukraine will receive more IRIS-T SL anti-aircraft missile systems. The next system will be delivered in the coming weeks, Bild reports.
According to Bild, Helmut Rauch, the head of Diehl Defense, which produces the Iris-T SLM air defense missile systems, arrived in Kyiv together with German Vice Chancellor Robert Habek.
"Three of our systems are already in Ukraine, and more will be delivered this year. The next one will be delivered in just a few weeks," Rauch says during a conversation with journalists.
Ukrainian intelligence reveals Russian losses after strike on Dzhankoy airfield
The strike on the military airfield in Dzhankoy destroyed or critically damaged a number of Russian air defense systems. The air defense control center was also hit.
As a result of a successful operation by Ukrainian troops on April 17 at the military airfield of Dzhankoy in Crimea, 4 Russian air defense systems were destroyed or critically damaged:
- 4 launchers of the S-400 air defense system
- 3 radar stations;
- air defense control center;
- airspace surveillance equipment Fundament-M.
The DIU adds that the number of Russian aircraft destroyed or damaged and the number of casualties among the personnel of the Russian occupation army is being clarified.
EU leaders tasked European Commission with approving tariffs on agricultural imports from RF and Belarus
Leaders of the European Union have instructed the European Commission to approve restrictive tariffs on the import of agricultural products from the Russian Federation and Belarus, according to the conclusions of the European Council summit.
The European Council has called on the EU Council and the European Commission to adopt amendments as quickly as possible.
"Imposing further tariffs on certain imports into the European Union of Russian and Belarusian agricultural products while taking into account the impact on the Single Market and ensuring that the transit of such goods to developing countries remains unaffected," the summit conclusions stated.
Not only Netherlands wants to buy Patriot for Ukraine - Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba stated that Several countries are ready to buy a Patriot battery from any country in the world that agrees to sell it, and for the price it offers.
"I will reveal a small diplomatic secret: The Netherlands is not the only country that is ready to buy a Patriot battery from any country in the world right now for the price they will name," Kuleba emphasized.
The Minister stressed that the Netherlands' public declaration of readiness to purchase the Patriot battery is an important moment.
However, according to Kuleba, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's statement that there is no need to hide behind NATO standards is equally important.
"In fact, when some NATO countries tell us that they cannot deliver a battery because they will not meet the NATO standard for the number of available batteries, and the Secretary-General tells them, do not hide behind this, but give what Ukraine needs because this is the main thing now," the Minister emphasized.
Russia uses Western equipment for arms poduction - Head of Presidential Office of Ukraine
The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, stated that Russia uses Western machines for weapons production. Their total cost reaches several hundred million dollars.
He revealed that Russians use Western computer numerical control (CNC) machines in their productions. The question is also where they get the software to operate these machines.
"In general, all this is about the weapons that are used to kill us," Yermak emphasized.
He clarified that the total cost of Western CNC machines and their spare parts available to the Russian Federation in 2023 amounted to $335 million, of which $231.6 million was for the machines themselves and $123.3 million was for spare parts.
"Without these machines, Russia would not be able to manufacture weapons or wage war," added the head of the Presidential Office.
Johnson says providing lethal assistance to Ukraine is crucial
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has made a statement regarding the provision of lethal aid to Ukraine, deeming it critically important.
The speaker said that we are currently in a critical time on the world stage.
Johnson said he believes that providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important and is the right thing to do.
Moreover, Johnson believes it's better to send bullets to Ukraine than American men. He expressed his belief in the possibility of a Russian attack on NATO countries, particularly the Balkans or Poland, saying that Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Iran are the axis of evil.
