Ukraine updates: Kyiv receives Patriot system from Israel

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NATO has announced a upgrade to its mission in the Baltic Sea following a series of drone-related incidents in Denmark.

Over the past week, mysterious drones not only appeared over Copenhagen airport, but were also spotted near five other airports and Danish military installations.

The alliance said that the increased presence in the region would include  “intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms and at least one
air-defence frigate.”

Moscow has denied involvement in the incidents, which also include drones spotted above the airport in Oslo, Norway.

NATO has also sworn to use “all necessary military and non-military tools” to defend itself after Russian fighter jets were spotted over Estonian airspace for 12 minutes.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) lifted all sanctions on Russia and Belarus at the summit in Seoul, South Korea on Saturday.

The ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes had been in place since the Russian invasion of Ukrain began in 2022.

Ukraine’s Sports Minister, Matviy Bidnyi, denounced the decision, claiming that those who voted for it had betrayed “their conscience and the Olympic values.”

Read more about how Paralympic body lifted sanctions on Russia and Belarus

A Ukrainian security official told Reuters new agency that long-range drones had struck a key oil pumping station in Russia’s Chuvashia region.

The drones had caused a fire and resulted in the station suspending operations, the official said.

Russia’s oil sector has long been considered key to its war machine, as many nations around the world, including some EU members, keep financing Moscow by purchasing cheap Russian oil and gas.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that his military had received a US-made Patriot anti-aircraft system from Israel, and that it had already been in operation for a month.

He also said that Kyiv would be getting two more Patriot launchers this autumn, but did not specify where they were coming from.

The move was seen as somewhat of a surprise. Ukraine has voted in favor of UN resolutions calling for an end to Israeli occupation of some of the Palestinian territories.

While the Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent some humanitarian aid to Ukraine early in the conflict, Netanyahu has refused to follow suit on Western sanctions against Russia.

Moreover, it sided with Russia against Ukraine on a UN resolution reaffirming Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

More recently however, Netanyahu’s government has distanced itself from Moscow as Russia pursues closer ties with Iran. 

On Saturday, Kyiv made the surprise annoucement that it had recieved a US-made air defense system from Israel.

In a separate unexpected turn, the Paralympic games announced they would welcome back Russian and Belorussian competitors.

Follow here for the latest updates on Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.