(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Ukraine Invasion Day 544: 61+ new F-16s might mean some seats for former drivers [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-08-20 Ukraine will receive 61 F-16 fighter jets: 42 from the Netherlands, 19 from Denmark. Note that these are all 1970s-era airframes but fully upgraded to the AM/BM standard, which means their electronics closely approximate the latest versions. Both countries had already phased them out in favor of modern F-35s (the new NATO standard). If you're a former F-16 pilot who never got a chance to turn Russians into wormfood but often dreams of how beautiful that would be, Ukraine now offers you the chance. These announcements culminated a year of extensive lobbying by Zelenskyy and his government for modern NATO aircraft, and mean that Ukraine will have at least 61 F-16s. All eyes will now turn to Norway, which just retired 57 F-16s for its own transition to the F-35. Twelve of them have been sold to Draken International, a private US-based group that, according to Wikipedia, “offers airborne adversary support (Red Air), Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC), Close Air Support (CAS), flight training, threat simulation, electronic warfare support, aerial refueling, research, and testing services to the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. defense contractors and aerospace firms, provided by a fleet of former military aircraft.” If you’re wondering why the U.S. Air Force can’t handle those tasks itself, instead of outsourcing to a private military contractor, Join the club. In any case, they are the largest private operator of military aircraft in the world. Even assuming that sale is irrevocable, that still leaves Norway with 45 F-16s it could transfer to Ukraine. www.dailykos.com/… x x YouTube Video The Netherlands and Denmark confirmed that they will transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine but did not specify when. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to the Netherlands on August 20 and met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to discuss the transfer of the aircraft. [15] Zelensky stated that the Netherlands and Denmark will transfer 42 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, of which the Danish Ministry of Defense (MoD) specified that Denmark will provide 19. [16] Rutte stated that the transfers will occur when Ukraine meets certain conditions, which the Danish MoD announced includes US legal permission, the training of Ukrainian pilots, and the creation of support infrastructure in Ukraine. [17] US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated on August 18 that the US will grant the legal permission after Ukrainian pilots complete their training on the aircraft. [18] Ukrainian Air Force Spokesperson Colonel Yuriy Ihnat stated on August 17 that Ukraine will not receive the fighter jets by the winter of 2023-2024. [19] www.understandingwar.org/... x Thank you, Denmark and the Netherlands. I hope other countries will now make even more commitments to provide fighter aircraft and long-range missiles. https://t.co/xteJgMokwq — Michael McFaul (@McFaul) August 21, 2023 x Absolutely horrific. These pro-Kremlin propagandists openly discuss the need to completely wipe out the Ukrainian nation. (And some still argue Putin invaded Ukraine just to stop NATO expansion!) Please listen and learn. https://t.co/Tq2MlfhfZ0 — Michael McFaul (@McFaul) August 21, 2023 Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations on at least two sectors of the front and advanced near Robotyne. Geolocated footage published on August 19 and 20 shows that Ukrainian forces recently advanced east of Robotyne.[1] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations in the Melitopol (western Zaporizhia Oblast) and Berdyansk directions (western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast area).[2] Ukrainian strikes against Russian deep rear areas are generating discontent in the Russian information space and sparking criticism of the Russian military command, as Ukraine likely intends. Former Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR) Ambassador to Russia Rodion Miroshnik claimed on August 20 that strikes against Moscow are becoming normalized following three consecutive days of alleged Ukrainian strikes against the city and called on Russian forces to make retaliatory strikes “personally painful” for decisionmakers who ordered the Moscow strikes.[6]... The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) assessed that the Russian leadership has likely been pressuring the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) command to improve Russian air defense coverage in western Russia, suggesting that both the higher Russian leadership and the ultranationalist information space are placing pressure on the Russian military command in response to the strikes.[8] www.understandingwar.org/... Key Takeaways: Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations on at least two sectors of the front and advanced near Robotyne. Ukrainian strikes against Russian deep rear areas are generating discontent in the Russian information space and sparking criticism of the Russian military command, as Ukraine likely intends. Ukrainian strikes on Russian rear areas are demonstrably degrading the morale of Russian forces in Ukraine, which could threaten the stability of Russian defenses. The Netherlands and Denmark confirmed that they will transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine but did not specify when. Russian officials have reportedly drafted a plan to conduct a decade-long ethnic cleansing campaign in occupied Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast. Wagner Group commanders accused two high-ranking Wagner representatives of betraying Wagner, possibly representing a growing fracture within the Wagner leadership and suggesting that the Kremlin’s and Russian MoD’s efforts to disband Wagner are partially succeeding. Russian forces conducted offensive operations near Kupyansk, Kreminna, Bakhmut, along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, and in western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast on August 20 and marginally advanced near Bakhmut. Wagner Group fighters continue to commit violent crimes after returning to Russia. Russian officials continue to forcibly transport mothers and children from occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia under the guise of medical retreats. x ⚡️ WAR IN #UKRAINE - AUG 20 ■ Strikes on both sides & engagements above average ■ Troop losses <500 but equipment above 7-day average ■ Double-digit artillery, drone, vehicle & APV losses ■ Biggest artillery losses in over a month (since Jul 18) 📈 https://t.co/d4bMsWQiio pic.twitter.com/8gW1vlBndV — Ragnar Gudmundsson 🇮🇸🇺🇦 ragnarbjartur@masto.ai (@ragnarbjartur) August 20, 2023 PT-91 x A Russian Tu-22M Strategic Bomber was destroyed 🔥 by a Ukrainian Kamikaze Drone at Russia’s Soltsy Air Base, ~660km from Ukraine 🇺🇦 This is the first visually confirmed destruction of a Russian Strategic Bomber in the war, at least two others were previously damaged by drones pic.twitter.com/PB8KN0XcYc — Ukraine Battle Map (@ukraine_map) August 20, 2023 x Ukrainian drones conducted surgical strikes and destroyed 2x Russian Tu-22M3 supersonic strategic bombers at an airfield in Soltsy, near Saint Petersburg and 420 miles away from the border with Ukraine. Occurred yesterday. pic.twitter.com/VhK6UfZEGh — Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) August 20, 2023 Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Luhansk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast) Russian forces continued offensive operations northeast of Kupyansk on August 20 but made no confirmed gains. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations near Synkivka (9km northeast of Kupyansk). [39] Russian Western Grouping of Forces Spokesperson Yaroslav Yakimkin claimed that Russian forces continued offensive operations in the direction of Vilshana (14km northeast of Kupyansk) and captured unspecified Ukrainian positions. [40] Russian milbloggers claimed that elements of the Russian 1st Guards Tank Army (Western Military District) continued to advance near Synkivka but noted that claims about the Russian encirclement or capture of the settlement are premature. [41] Kharkiv Oblast occupation administration head Vitaly Ganchev claimed on August 19 that Russian forces captured five unspecified settlements in Kharkiv Oblast in the past week, although ISW has not observed visual confirmation of this claim. [42] Russian sources have claimed that Russian forces have been steadily advancing northeast of Kupyansk for the past several weeks, although corresponding visual confirmation corroborating these claims has yet to emerge. [43] Russian sources previously claimed extensive Russian advances southwest of Svatove that visual evidence has still yet to confirm, suggesting that Russian sources may be engaging in a wider pattern of exaggerating Russian advances along the Kupyansk-Svatove line. [44] Russian sources may be exaggerating Russian advances to portray localized Russian offensive operations as more threatening in order to support the Russian effort to draw Ukrainian forces away from more operationally significant sectors of the front. [45] A Russian milblogger did acknowledge that Russian forces are struggling to advance near Synkivka and Petropavlivka (6km east of Kupyansk) due to Ukrainian minefields. [46] Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Donetsk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast, the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas) Ukrainian forces continued limited counteroffensive operations in the Bakhmut area and may have advanced on August 20. Geolocated footage published on August 20 indicates that Ukrainian forces have reached positions further west and north of Andriivka (10km southwest of Bakhmut), though it is unclear whether Ukrainian forces still hold these positions. [51] Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces repelled recent Ukrainian attacks near Andriivka, but this footage indicates that Russian control north and west of the settlement has degraded regardless of the duration and extent of these Ukrainian advances. [52] The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Russian forces repelled a Ukrainian attack near Mayorske (21km southwest of Bakhmut). [53] A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces also repelled Ukrainian attacks near Berkhivka (6km northwest of Bakhmut) on August 19. [54] x A 🇷🇺#Russian mechanized assault was destroyed by 🇺🇦#Ukrainian forces at south of Bakhmut. pic.twitter.com/ixaWAgX507 — Cloooud |🇺🇦 (@GloOouD) August 20, 2023 www.understandingwar.org/... Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis (Russian objective: Maintain frontline positions and secure rear areas against Ukrainian strikes) Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations in the western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast border area on August 20 but did not make any confirmed or claimed advances. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations in the Berdyansk direction (eastern Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast border area). [61] A Russian news aggregator claimed on the evening of August 19 that Russian forces repelled Ukrainian attacks near Urozhaine (9km south of Velyka Novosilka) and Staromayorske (9km south of Velyka Novosilka). [62] A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces have been repelling Ukrainian attacks in the direction of Staromlynivka (14km south of Velyka Novosilka) and northeast of Kermenchyk (16km southwest of Velyka Novosilka) since Russian forces withdrew from Urozhaine on August 16. [63] www.understandingwar.org/... www.understandingwar.org/... x The Russians just let a UA drone travel over 700km over Russian territory before whiteout getting hit. How the hell do they think they can take on NATO air power? Their air bases would be taken out by western cruise missiles in a matter of hours. pic.twitter.com/G5deAFBFbl — Def Mon (@DefMon3) August 20, 2023 x Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative has decreased the supply of grain onto global markets and destabilised global food prices. Russia is now using some of its best weaponry to target infrastructure housing and transporting grain.pic.twitter.com/r8Fk9Vb3tv — Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) August 20, 2023 x On July 17, 2014, Russia murdered 196 Dutch citizens when shooting down Malaysia Airlines MH17 over Eastern Ukraine. Today, Zelensky announced that the Netherlands is donating 42 F-16 fighters jets to Ukraine. 🇳🇱🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/v1W6VbGmEn — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) August 20, 2023 [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/20/2188513/-Ukraine-Invasion-Day-544-61-new-F-16s-might-mean-some-seats-for-former-drivers Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/