Ukraine updates: Russia grounds flights as drones downed

The United States has approved a $12 billion (€11 billion) sale of Apache attack helicopters to Poland, the State Department said late on Monday.

The NATO member state which borders Ukraine asked to buy 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to replace its ageing fleet of Soviet-era helicopters.

Poland has made boosting its military a priority after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The pending sale "will improve Poland's capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force that is capable of deterring adversaries and participating in NATO operations," the US State Department said.

Greece said it would help train Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilots and help with reconstruction efforts during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's official visit.

"Today we have an important result for the air coalition: Greece will take part in training our pilots on F-16s. Thank you for this offer," Zelenskyy told media alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens.

Mitsotakis said that Greece would "be present in the titanic effort to reconstruct and rebuild" Ukraine, placing "particular emphasis on Odesa."

Greece has strongly supported Ukraine since Russia's invasion and has provided humanitarian and military aid.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed in Athens on Monday for an official visit, the Greek prime minister's office said, and would later join an informal dinner with EU and Balkans leaders.

"The agenda is all that we can do together to protect human life and freedom in our common European home," Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post before talks.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is meeting with Balkan leaders through Tuesday and is hosting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council chief Charles Michel at the informal dinner.

Also attending will be the presidents of Serbia, Moldova, Montenegro and Romania, the prime ministers of Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Croatia, and the chairwoman of the council of ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina according to Mitsotaki's' office.

Greece has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion. It has provided Ukraine humanitarian aid and weapons including infantry fighting vehicles, Kalashnikov assault rifles, launchers and ammunition.

German prosecutors said on Monday they searched the home of two pro-Kremlin activists under suspicion that they violated a law that regulates the production and transfer of weapons of war.

Ulf Willuhn, a representative of the Cologne public prosecutors, confirmed on Monday the raid was conducted over suspicions of a violation of the War Weapons Control Act.

The two activists have organised numerous rallies opposing Germany's support for Ukrainein response to Russia's invasion. Earlier reports revealed that the couple had allegedly channeled funds from German supporters to a Russian army division fighting in Ukraine, leading to the purchase of equipment like walkie-talkies and telephones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he was "confident" Russia would lose the war in Ukraine. 

"I'm sure that we will win because the truth is on our side," Zelenskyy added in a speech outside the Danish parliament.

"The main thing is what we prove with our victory, with our cooperation... Together we prove that life is a value, that people matter. Freedom matters, Europe matters," the Ukrainian leader said. "It will be a common victory. Of truth, of democracy, of our people, of our nations,” he added.

Danish Defense Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen says Ukraine may only use the F-16s that it is due to donate to Ukraine on its own territory. 

"We donate weapons under the condition that they are used to drive the enemy out of the territory of Ukraine. And no further than that," Ellemann-Jensen said, according to Ritzau news agency.

"Those are the conditions, whether it's tanks, fighter planes or something else," he said.

Denmark is set to deliver 19 jets in total. The Netherlands, which also confirmed on Sunday that it would make a donation of the planes has 42 F-16s available although it remains unclear if all of them will be sent eastward.

Russia has condemned a decision by Denmark and the Netherlands to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, saying the move would escalate the conflict.

"The fact that Denmark has now decided to donate 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine leads to an escalation of the conflict," Russian ambassador Vladimir Barbin said in a statement cited by the Ritzau news agency.

"By hiding behind a premise that Ukraine itself must determine the conditions for peace, Denmark seeks with its actions and words to leave Ukraine with no other choice but to continue the military confrontation with Russia," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked Danish lawmakers for helping his country resist Russia's invasion.

Zelenskyy told the parliament that should Russia emerge victorious, the Kremlin's military aggression would pose a risk to other parts of Europe.

"All of Russia's neighbors are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail," he said in a speech in Copenhagen.

"Democracies can become a target, either for missiles or for mercenaries or for destabilization. But Ukraine will prevail," Zelenskyy added.  

His speech came a day after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will provide Ukraine with US-made F-16 fighter jets.

Ukraine, whose forces are still using Soviet-era combat jets, has been urging Western allies for months to provide fighter planes such as the F-16 or the Swedish Gripen.

Analysts say the the lack of proper air support is holding back Ukraine's counteroffensive efforts against Russia's invading forces.

The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense says Russia appears to be expanding its military structures to cope with wartime realities.

The ministry said it expected units currently operating in the Kherson region and the force that usually constitutes Russia's garrison in occupied Crimea to focus on defensive operations in southern Ukraine.

It said the formation would likely consist of mainly mobilized personnel. The ministry said Russia would likely channel more experienced soldiers to fights on key locations. 

"There is a realistic possibility that this has led to the recent re-deployment of airborne forces from Kherson to the heavily contested Orikhiv sector."

Russia says it stopped attacks involving two Ukrainian drones in the Moscow region but that more than flight plane flights to and from the capital were disrupted, and at least two people were injured.

Travel from Moscow's four main airports — Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremtyevo, and Zhukovsky — was restricted. Russian aviation authority Rosoviatsia said 45 passenger flights were affected and two cargo planes.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had jammed a Ukrainian drone in the Ruzsky district to the west of the capital and that it had destroyed another one in the nearby Istrinsky district. 

The injuries were said to have been caused by falling debris.

There has been an increase in drone air strikes deep inside Russia since two drones were destroyed over the Kremlin in early May.

Ukraine does not normally comment on attacks on Russian territory, although it has expressed satisfaction over them. In Moscow, the drones have been able to hit skyscrapers in the business district of Moskva City.

rc/fb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)