President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine has approved long-range operations for October following consultation with the Ministry of Defence, the military and arms manufacturers. Kyiv is also in talks regarding F-16 aviation packages to be finalised by the end of the year and has identified prototypes of systems to counter Russian jet-powered strike drones, for the production of which funding, timelines and volumes have been planned.
Briefly about the main points
- Ukraine’s plans for long-haul operations in October have been approved.
- The Ministry of Defence, the armed forces and arms manufacturers were involved in the planning.
- Kyiv is negotiating with specific countries regarding support for the F-16.
- Prototypes of systems have been identified to counter jet-powered drones.
- Previously, the High Command had reviewed the results of the interceptor tests.
Operational plans were agreed in consultation with the military
According to the president, the military leadership was consulted on the matter, Ministry of Defence and arms manufacturers. This refers to planning for the coming month, rather than the results of strikes that have already been carried out.
The operational details of these plans were not disclosed to the public. In particular, the objectives, areas of operation, means of engagement and dates of the operations were not specified.
Ukraine is in talks to upgrade its F-16s
A separate area of focus is the supply of Ukrainian fighter jets F-16 by the end of the year. Zelensky He reported on negotiations with specific countries regarding aviation packages and expressed his expectation that these would be stepped up in the near future.
The President did not specify exactly which items would be included in these agreements. Previously, international support for the F-16s had included, amongst other things, ammunition, mobile simulators, technical support and spare parts; however, this does not determine the composition of future packages.
Prototypes have been identified to counter jet-powered drones
Zelenskyy announced that prototypes of countermeasure systems had been identified Russian jet-powered attack drones. Deadlines have already been set for their production, funding has been allocated and production volumes have been planned.
On 25 September, at a meeting of the General Staff, military officials reported on the results of interceptor trials, shoot-down rates and the experience of the units operating such systems. At the same time, a decision was taken to establish production facilities in Ukraine for various types of jet engines.
The names of the prototypes, their specifications and manufacturers have not been disclosed. Nor has a timetable been announced for the handover of the new systems to the units.
