Overview
- Veteran pilot Maksym Ustymenko was killed on June 29 after downing seven Russian Shahed drones during a massive barrage of hundreds of UAVs and missiles.
- Deputy western air command commander Oleh Zakharchuk said F-16 crews are expending all air-to-air missiles and engaging hostile drones with riskier cannon fire at close range.
- The Pentagon has halted deliveries of key precision munitions, including air-to-air missiles for F-16s, citing the need to conserve U.S. stockpiles.
- Recent Russian drone and missile strikes on Poltava, Odesa and other cities have killed dozens of civilians as Ukraine’s air defenses strain under renewed attacks.
- President Zelenskiy plans to urge President Trump to lift the munitions pause and accelerate arms shipments to bolster Ukrainian air defense capabilities.