Russia Deploys 400 Combat Jets And 350 Helicopters Near Ukraine Border

Russia has reportedly amassed over 400 combat jets and 360 combat helicopters near the borders of Ukraine. This comes amid Kremlin's claims that it was slowing down aggression against Ukraine to avoid civilian casualties.

Yurii Ihnat, the spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told at a briefing Thursday that there was a group of Russian planes near Ukrainian borders, including over 400 combat aircraft.

"There are also 360 helicopters, more than 150 of which are attack helicopters, such as the Ka-52 [a multi-role attack helicopter that can operate in any weather condition]," Ihnat was quoted by Ukrainska Pravda.

He added that Kremlin is actively using tactical aviation and its fighter jets often patrol the airspace of Belarus, Russia, the temporarily occupied territories, as well as the waters of the Black and Azov Seas. "A-50, the long-range radar detection aircraft, and Il-22 relay aircraft are constantly in the sky," he added.

Two days ago, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu claimed the attacks on the Ukrainian Armed Forces' military infrastructure facilities were being carried out with high-precision weapons, but every effort is taken to prevent civilian casualties. However, the claims were rubbished by the UK's Ministry of Defense.

In its daily intelligence assessment on Twitter, the UK's Ministry of Defense said the Russian advance has been stalled due to poor Russian military performance and fierce Ukrainian resistance. They believe the Russian troops have several times failed to meet their operational schedules.

"It is highly likely that Shoigu and President Putin have fired at least six generals for not advancing quickly enough," the tweet read. It added that the day Shoigu made the statement, a Russian SS-26 Iskander short-range ballistic missile struck a train in a station in the town of Chaplyne, about 145km west of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. At least 22 people were killed and 50 wounded in the strike. Kirill Timoshenko, deputy head of Ukraine's presidential administration, later claimed an 11-year-old child died in the attack.

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky said rescuers were working but the death toll could increase. Kyiv has been preparing for heavy attacks around its Independence Day, following which air raid sirens were sounded across every meter of Ukrainian-controlled territory.