Kyiv launches major attack to push back Russian army

1700 drones displayed before being sent to the frontline, to be used against Russian forces. Pic/AP

Ukraine has launched a major push to dislodge Russian forces from the country's southeast as part of its weekslong counteroffensive, committing thousands of troops to the battle, according to Western and Ukrainian officials and analysts. The surge in troops and firepower has been centered on the region of Zaporizhzhia, a Western official said.

Fighting has intensified in recent weeks at multiple points along the 1,500-km frontline as Ukraine deploys Western-supplied advanced weapons and Western-trained troops against the Russian forces.

Ukrainian officials have been mostly silent about battlefield developments since they began early counteroffensive operations, though Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said troops are advancing toward the city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhizhia region.

Russian jet strikes another US drone

A Russian jet flies close to a US MQ-9 drone on July 23. Pic/AP

A Russian fighter jet fired flares and struck and damaged another MQ-9 Reaper drone belonging to the US over Syrian airspace on Wednesday, the White House said, in a continued string of harassing maneuvers that have ratcheted up tensions between the global powers. This is the sixth reported incident this month, and the second in the past 24 hours, in which the US said Russian warplanes have flown dangerously close to American aircraft.

NATO to step up Black Sea security

NATO said on Wednesday it was stepping up surveillance of the Black Sea region as it condemned Russia's exit from a landmark deal that allowed Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea. The announcement came after a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council.

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