from ZeroHedge:
Ukraine is touting that it has launched a successful airstrike by fighter jet inside Russian territory, Sky News is reporting, which is a significant first of the conflict. An unidentified Ukrainian military source described to the UK outlet that an air-launched missile strike was conducted inside Russia’s Belgorod region Sunday, hitting a “Russian command node”.
Sky News raised the likelihood that a Western-supplied missile was used in the attack, highlighting that it comes soon after Western allies including the US greenlighted Kiev’s use of NATO-supplied munitions to attack inside Russia.
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“It was not immediately clear what type of munition was used in the attack, including whether or not it had been a Western weapon,” the report said.
The Ukrainian military source told Sky: “A Ukrainian Air Force (UAF) mission has struck a Russian command node in Belgorod.”
“Whilst damage assessment is still occurring, it is confirmed as a direct hit,” the statement added. “This is the first UAF air-delivered munition delivered against a target within Russia.”
Cross-border drone attacks have become commonplace at this point, but never has there been a report of a fighter jet attacking a location inside Russia’s borders.
While there is as yet no indication that Ukraine actually used a Western fighter jet to attack Russia, which would be a massive escalation leaving Kiev open to huge retaliatory strikes, Ukraine forces are expected to receive their first F-16s this summer. However there has been ‘frustration’ building among allies:
Ukraine wants more of its military pilots trained on the F-16 but its Western allies are unable to fill the demand, according to a report by Politico, citing three unnamed sources.
Ukrainian officials are reportedly pressing the US and its international partners to free up seats at their F-16 training facilities to accommodate more Ukrainian pilots.
There are 30 Ukrainian pilots who are now eligible to receive training, but the F-16 school in Tucson, Arizona, can at most accept 12 additional trainees.
The fact that Ukraine military officials are now boasting to UK outlets of having attacked Russian territory with air-launched missiles is perhaps a way of keeping up the pressure on partners and allies.
