Syrskyi: Ukraine attacks Russian S-300 system in Donetsk Oblast

Important developments on July 16:

• Syrskyi: Ukraine attacks Russian S-300 system in Donetsk Oblast
• According to authorities, a drone drops ammunition on a factory in Russia’s Kursk Oblast
• Czech Republic opens ammunition factory and begins production of assault rifles in Ukraine
• Production of a defense company blocked by investigation by the Bureau of Economic Security
• Two more Russian kamikaze drones enter Belarusian airspace

The Ukrainian military attacked a Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system in the occupied Donetsk region on the night of July 16, said Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Russian troops continue to advance into several sectors in eastern and southern Ukraine. There have been 65 clashes so far this day, the Ukrainian General Staff said in its latest situation report.

The radar station and several launchers of the S-300 system were hit, Syrskyi said, sharing a video of the attack. Further details on the extent of the attack are currently being determined.

According to Syrskyi, missile troops and other components of the Ukrainian armed forces had previously destroyed over 20 Russian missile launch pads and around 15 radar stations.

The Kyiv Independent could not confirm these reports.

Ukraine has carried out several successful attacks on Russian targets in occupied Crimea and the surrounding area, severely weakening the Russian Black Sea Fleet..

As the military announced on June 17, Ukrainian forces have attacked around 15 Russian air defense systems in occupied Crimea over the past two months. According to reports, over 15 radar stations and more than 10 control centers on the peninsula were also hit.

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Outnumbered and outgunned, Ukrainian soldiers battling for the front line in the brutal Russian siege of Chasiv Yar that has been going on for months are increasingly concerned about their army’s ability to protect their rear. If key supply lines from the west are cut off and troops in the south are overrun,

Drone drops munitions on factory in Russia's Kursk Oblast, authorities say

A Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on a factory in the Russian town of Korenovo in Kursk Oblast, acting governor Alexei Smirnov said on July 16.

The explosion sparked a fire that rescue workers are currently extinguishing, Smirnov said at 0:32 a.m. local time. He claimed that no factory workers were injured in the fire.

Separately, Smirnov said a Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on the town of Tyotkino, about 70 kilometers from Korenovo. Smirnov claimed the explosives landed on a house, injuring one resident.

Ukrainian authorities have not made any public comment on these allegations and the Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify them.

Kursk Oblast lies on the border with Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast. Like other Russian regions bordering Ukraine, it has reportedly been attacked several times by drones or other long-range weapons in recent months.

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Czechia to open bullet factory, start production of assault rifles in Ukraine

The governments of Ukraine and the Czech Republic signed two agreements on joint weapons production on July 16, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced after a meeting with his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala.

A Ukrainian ministerial delegation led by Shmyhal arrived in Prague earlier in the day for talks with the Czech leadership.

Shmyhal announced that the talks would focus on “ammunition supplies, integration into the EU and NATO, joint projects and production, infrastructure and the energy sector.”

“Today we signed two important contracts in the defense industry. A new ammunition factory will be built in Ukraine. The contract was signed between Sellier & Bellot and Ukroboronservice,” Shmyhal said during a press conference.

The second agreement concerns the production of assault rifles by the Czech holding company Colt CZ Group in Ukraine.

A Ukrainian company, whose name Shmyhal did not disclose for security reasons, will cooperate with arms manufacturer Ceska Zbrojovka, which is part of the Colt CZ Group.

Shmyhal stressed that the signing of such agreements “demonstrates a high level of interest in cooperation with the Ukrainian defense industry.”

Shmyhal and Fiala also discussed the supply of new types of weapons to the Ukrainian army, the training and rehabilitation of the Ukrainian military, and new joint projects in the military-industrial complex.

The visit comes just days after Czech President Petr Pavel announced in July that Ukraine would receive 50,000 shells as part of the Prague Ammunition Initiative; since September, deliveries have increased to 100,000 rounds per month.

The Czech Republic presented the international initiative at the beginning of the year, when Ukraine was suffering from a shortage of ammunition, which was exacerbated by the months-long blockade of American aid.

The Central European country has also equipped Ukraine with helicopters, rocket launchers and tanks and is also home to the largest number of Ukrainian refugees in terms of headcount.

Comment: Ukraine is rapidly increasing its arms production

Just one month after the US Congress passed the long-awaited aid package for Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv with a clear message: Washington supports the embattled country despite political squabbles and the ongoing election campaign. Blinken also announced a special session to support Ukraine.

Defense company's production blocked by Bureau of Economic Security's investigation

The Bureau of Economic Security (BEB) is effectively blocking the work of a manufacturer of body armor due to ongoing investigations into tax evasion, Forbes Ukraine reported on July 16, citing a senior company official.

This makes it difficult to supply the military with bulletproof vests, as the company Ukrainian Armor (Ukrainska Bronia) is one of the few certified manufacturers in the country.

According to Forbes, in May 2023, the Bureau of Economic Security conducted searches at the company’s premises, seized HR40 million ($970,000) worth of products and froze the company’s accounts.

“These products have already been paid for and Ukrainian soldiers are waiting for them,” said Denys Milinevskyi, the company’s commercial director, in a commentary for Forbes.

“If we don’t get them back, we’ll go bankrupt.”

Milinevskyi himself was charged by the office on July 1 with fraud and tax evasion, Forbes wrote. He dismissed the office’s allegations as “baseless.”

Representatives of the Ukrainian economy repeatedly complain about the growing pressure from the authorities, especially from the controversial office. The government promises steps to improve the relationship between business and the state.

According to the office, between April and June 2022, the company imported defense goods into Ukraine using forged documents and then resold the products in Ukraine without paying 30 million HR ($725,000) in taxes.

Since the investigation has been ongoing since August 2023, the company’s work is de facto blocked because it cannot participate in public tenders, Milinevskyi said.

Authorities told Forbes that there are only six Ukrainian manufacturers capable of producing protective vests that meet the technical requirements of the Ministry of Defense. Ukrainian Armor was also the first company to receive a license to produce protective vests for female military personnel.

While the company’s work is stalled, the Defense Department’s procurement agency is struggling to find enough suppliers to meet its needs.

The agency has initiated four similar proceedings against arms suppliers, its representatives told Forbes.

The office was established in 2021 as a central agency to combat economic crime. Several media outlets and civil society organizations have since complained that the body has come under the unofficial influence of Oleh Tatarov, a controversial deputy head of the president’s office.

Parliament passed a bill in June to reform the office to “meet the needs of international partners, business and the public.”

Opinion: How corrupt is public procurement in Ukraine?

A quick Google search for procurement in Ukraine yields pages of headlines about corruption. “National anti-corruption agency blows up Defense Ministry food procurement scheme,” “Kiev accuses military leadership of procurement corruption,” “Ukraine launches investigation into corruption in arms procurement.” Ukraine…

Two more Russian kamikaze drones enter Belarusian airspace

Two Russian Shahed kamikaze drones flew over Belarus on the night of July 16, the third and fourth in the last week, the Belarusian monitoring group Hajun said.

One of the drones entered Belarusian airspace shortly after 4 a.m. local time and flew about 50 kilometers before leaving the country and entering Ukrainian airspace, the group said.

The second satellite reached Belarus at 8:40 a.m. and then flew on a winding route of more than 300 kilometers (185 miles) toward the town of Mahiliou.

A Belarusian Su-30 fighter jet and a Mi-24 helicopter were alerted to intercept the drone, Hajun reports.

The current location of the drone and the crash site have not yet been disclosed.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it shot down two Shahed drones on July 16 and that two more were “in the airspace over Belarus.”

On July 13, another Russian kamikaze drone, the Shahed type, targeting Ukraine, went off course and flew more than 350 kilometers over Belarusian airspace, following a similar incident two days earlier.

Elsewhere, a Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on a factory in the Russian town of Korenovo in Kursk Oblast, acting governor Alexei Smirnov said on July 16.

The explosion sparked a fire that rescue workers are currently extinguishing, Smirnov said at 0:32 a.m. local time. He claimed that no factory workers were injured in the fire.

Separately, Smirnov said a Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on the town of Tyotkino, about 70 kilometers from Korenovo. Smirnov claimed the explosives landed on a house, injuring one resident.

Ukrainian authorities have not made any public comment on these allegations and the Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify them.

A night with Ukrainian drone hunters near Russia

Editor’s note: Due to Ukrainian military security protocols, soldiers featured in this story are identified solely by first name and call sign. SUMY OBLAST – Soldiers from one of the mobile air defense squads of Ukraine’s 117th Territorial Defense Brigade call themselves “Fowlers.” The unit…