War in Ukraine. The first Russian missile incident in NATO: "Time to do what the Kremlin does not want"

First Russian missile incident in NATO: “Time to do what the Kremlin does not want”

09:54

The crash of the Kh-101 cruise missile in Polish territory was a consequence of the risk taken by the aggressor Russia by attacking western regions of Ukraine, according to the latest report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Russia has previously violated NATO airspace multiple times, and drones have exploded in Alliance territory and neighboring Moldova. However, analysts say this is the first incident involving a Russian missile on Alliance territory, which also created a crater 10 meters in diameter.

Such actions by the aggressor country, whether intentional or accidental, further demonstrate Kremlin master Vladimir Putin’s irresponsible policy, which entails the risk that neighboring NATO countries will suffer from his attacks on western Ukraine.

Experts assess that NATO should consider the possibility of establishing air defense agreements with Ukraine to ensure self-defense against Russian drone and missile strikes, whether intentional or not.

“What next? Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, or Romania again?”

Meanwhile, military expert Egidijus Papečkys somewhat caricatured the situation in Poland in insights published on the social network Facebook on Thursday.

“So far it is said that experts are possibly gathering evidence, conducting examinations, and experienced Ukrainian experts in identifying Russian missiles are coming to help.

But I would be very surprised if the missile turned out to be launched not by Russia, but, for example, by some small tribe from Central Africa. People were celebrating some festival there and accidentally launched their own constructed missile, which strayed into Poland. Of course, I am joking,” he wrote.

E. Papečkys noted that for four days drones have also “accidentally” flown into Romania, which the Romanians shot down, but as the expert reminded, they also took action against Russian diplomats, deciding it was time for them to go home.

“What next? Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, or Romania again? Or Poland once more? Or maybe Finland?

It’s time for someone to take the initiative and do what the Kremlin does not want but does not expect Europe to dare – agree with Ukraine to declare part of its territory a no-fly zone and promise to shoot down anything that should not be there.

Of course, coordinated with Ukraine, establishing very clear channels and not everything as promised, but only what is really safe to shoot down on both sides of the border. Because it is enough to shoot down one or two, take the first step, and most importantly, establish the fact that this boundary can be pushed further, towards the Dnipro, if Russian missiles and drones continue to pose a threat to NATO,” E. Papečkys explained.

The military expert admitted understanding that today such thoughts of his “are still utopia,” but he is convinced that something similar must be done.

On July 30, during a massive Russian attack on Ukraine, Ukrainian fighters tried to intercept missiles approaching the Polish border to help NATO defend its airspace, confirmed Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

“The Guardian”: Russia struck a US drone factory in Kyiv for the first time

08:56

During the Russian attack near Kyiv last Friday, a drone factory was destroyed, which according to “The Guardian” belongs to the US corporation “Terminal Autonomy” registered in Delaware.

According to the newspaper, this is the first time Russia has struck an American weapons company since the start of the large-scale war.

The publication quoted a Russian state media report stating that the factory, which produced “AQ-400 Scythe” and “AQ-100 Bayonet” drones, employed “Ukrainian and American company specialists.” According to the source, no casualties occurred during the attacks.

According to the newspaper, “Terminal Autonomy” produces highly precise drones designed for “deep strikes,” with control systems resistant to Russian jamming. As the name suggests, the company’s drones are equipped with artificial intelligence technology that takes over drone control in the final attack phase. Therefore, in case of radio interference or mobile network loss, the drone becomes fully autonomous but completes the mission.

Commenting to journalists, former high-ranking US intelligence official Anthony Vinci said, “Russians don’t care who owns the production. It’s still a target. They don’t care if it’s American or someone else’s.”

He added that if missile production for “Patriot” systems or any other American system started in Ukraine, the Russian military would still attack such targets.

On the morning of July 24, Russian military forces attacked the Kyiv region with three “Iskander-M” / S-400 ballistic missiles, one of which was intercepted by air defense forces.

Smoke rises over another “Wildberries” complex

08:21

After a suspected drone attack, smoke was observed over the “Wildberries” logistics complex in Zelenodolsk, Tatarstan, Russia.

The regional authorities announced a drone attack threat and restricted the operation of three airports.

On Friday morning, residents of Kazan and its suburbs reported explosions.

According to the Russian project “ASTRA,” which analyzed eyewitness videos, the “Wildberries” logistics complex in the Zelenodolsk industrial zone may have been attacked.

Published videos show smoke rising above the complex building.

Residents of Nizhnekamsk reported more than 30 explosions.

The main oil refining companies in the city are located in one industrial zone. There operate, primarily, the oil refining plants of “TANECO” and “TAIF-NK”.

Ukraine continues to hit “Wildberries” – logistics center and important oil refinery ablaze

06:58 Updated 07:51

At night, Ukrainian drones struck the logistics center of the Russian trading platform “Wildberries” and an oil refinery in Volgograd. According to the Telegram channel “Exilenova+”, large fires broke out at the attack sites.

The drones attacked the 44,000 square meter “Wildberries” logistics complex, which is the main logistics center for Volgograd, Astrakhan, and neighboring regions.

The oil refinery “Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka” was also attacked – one of the largest refineries in Russia.

The governor of the Volgograd region, Andrey Bocharov, reported that fires were recorded at an industrial facility in the fuel and energy complex in southern Volgograd due to the “drone strike”.

Kyiv accuses this e-commerce giant of storing drone parts and assisting the Russian military; the company employs thousands of people and has become an important part of the country’s economy.

“Wildberries” stated that no people were harmed during the strike, which caused a fire at the facility in Volgograd, more than 350 km from the Ukrainian border.

“Logistics chains have been reorganized, and parcel reception and order dispatch are carried out at other facilities,” the company wrote on the Telegram platform.

It added that firefighting teams are working at the incident site.

For the first time, “Wildberries” warehouses in the Tambov region, about 480 km southeast of the Russian capital, as well as in the Moscow region, became targets of Ukrainian drones on July 18–19. Eight people were injured in these attacks, and various facilities were destroyed.

On Thursday, the company reported that one person was injured and more than 200 employees were evacuated after a drone attack caused a fire in a warehouse in the western Penza region.

Another “Wildberries” warehouse was attacked by a Ukrainian drone in Sarapul, about 1,100 km east of Moscow.

According to the Ukrainian portal “The Kyiv Independent,” after the latest strikes, the company reportedly removed goods from search results under the Russian terms “everything SVO” and “SVO” – an acronym meaning “special military operation,” as the Kremlin officially calls its full-scale war against Ukraine.

“Financial Times”. Trump unexpectedly changed his mind about aid to Ukraine: “I’m not sure”

06:09

US President Donald Trump unexpectedly stated in an interview with the “Financial Times” that he is “not sure” whether he will grant Ukraine a license to produce “Patriot” interceptor missiles.

He said Washington is “considering this issue.”

“It’s an extraordinary weapon, and… we have to be a little careful about who we grant licenses to. We actually don’t issue licenses for equipment,” Trump explained.

At the same time, the US president emphasized that his focus is on ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.

He indicated that his special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will visit Ukraine for the first time in the coming days.

“Simply put, we want Russia’s war in Ukraine to end. I’m not after missiles. We want peace,” Trump added.

At the end of May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent an urgent letter to Trump and the US Congress warning about a critical shortage of air defense means in Ukraine. Later, the president told journalists that in the letter he asked Trump to grant a license for “Patriot” missile production.

On July 8, Trump stated that Washington would grant Kyiv a license to produce “Patriot” missiles – he spoke about this during a press conference with Zelensky at the NATO summit in Ankara, adding that the manufacturer had not yet been informed but “everything will be arranged.”

On Tuesday, Zelensky met with Trump at the White House. They discussed licenses for the production of “Patriot” interceptor missiles, as well as other initiatives that could strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities. The leaders’ meeting lasted about an hour.

According to the Ukrainian president, during the meeting Trump agreed to expedite the issuance of the “Patriot” interceptor missile production license to Ukraine.

“However, to start producing a large quantity of weapons will still take a lot of time – about one to five years. Such timelines are not suitable for Ukraine,” Zelensky emphasized.

During the same meeting, Zelensky also asked Trump to provide Ukraine with an urgent “winter package” of missiles for “Patriot” air defense systems to repel future Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities.

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Translated from