Top Ukrainian pilot killed in F-16 jet crash; EU to move forward with Russian asset plan

The European Union would press forward with a commitment to secure aid for Ukraine from frozen Russian central bank assets regardless of issues raised by the US, the bloc’s top diplomat said.

Russia’s Investigative Committee accused former deputy defence minister Pavel Popov of fraud linked to the construction of Patriot Park outside Moscow.

Ukraine says it lost F-16 jet in crash during Russian airstrike

Ukraine’s military said it lost one of its US-made F-16 fighter jets in a crash that killed the pilot when the aircraft sought to repel a Russian aerial attack on Monday.

The incident took place as the country came under the biggest drone and missile assault since the start of war more than two years ago as Moscow targeted its energy infrastructure, the General Staff said in a post on Facebook on Thursday.

The pilot, Oleksiy Mes, was a top Ukrainian airman, the country’s Western Command said.

Ukraine received its first delivery of F-16s from Nato allies last month in a long-awaited move designed to bolster its ability to repel Russian attacks. The US initially held back on providing the aircraft, citing among other concerns the extensive training they required for Ukrainian pilots. Six of the planes have been delivered so far, according to The Wall Street Journal, which reported the crash earlier.

Read more: Zelensky shows US-made F-16 fighter jets in flight near Kyiv

EU to move forward with Russian asset plan regardless of US

The European Union (EU) would press forward with a commitment to secure aid for Ukraine from frozen Russian central bank assets regardless of issues raised by the US, the bloc’s top diplomat said.

A Group of Seven agreement to leverage proceeds of the blocked assets has faced delays as Washington seeks firmer assurances that the EU will be able to renew sanctions measures in the face of opposition from Hungary.

The US wants to ensure that the plan, which aims to generate $50-billion in loans for Kyiv, moves forward before seeking approval from Congress.

“We will do whatever we can to support Ukraine, regardless of decisions in Washington,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Brussels ahead of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting on Thursday when asked about US reluctance. “Ukraine needs to boost their defence capacities — and they need it now.”

Ukrainian officials were growing wary over delays in finalising the Russian asset deal, Bloomberg reported last week. The G7 plan, established at a summit in June, foresaw the funds flowing by the end of the year. EU ministers in Brussels will be presented with two options to freeze the Kremlin assets for an extended period in an effort to reassure the US, Bloomberg reported earlier.

Read more: EU eyes sanctions tweaks to reassure US on Russian assets Plan

A point of contention in the meeting will be the potential lifting of restrictions on weapons that can hit deep inside Russian territory. Some EU member states remain reluctant to loosen the rules, citing the threat of escalation.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who was attending the meeting, voiced frustration over delivery delays for military equipment, as he urged member states to send in the air defence systems they had pledged. Russia continues to pound the war-battered nation’s energy infrastructure as winter approaches.

Kuleba said he would reassure allies that, if granted such permission, Ukraine would only hit military targets and focus on limiting Russia’s capacity for attack.

“We need bold decisions from our allies — and if you are not able to take these decisions, don’t blame it on Ukraine — blame it on yourselves,” Kuleba told reporters in Brussels.

Borrell also said that he was looking for a way to “circumvent” Hungary’s opposition to unlocking another €6-billion in aid to Ukraine, which had been previously discussed by member states.

“We don’t want more weapons in Ukraine, we don’t want more deaths, we don’t want the escalation of the war,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a Facebook post during the meeting of the envoys.

Russia detains ex-deputy defence minister on fraud charge

Russia’s Investigative Committee accused former deputy defence minister Pavel Popov of fraud linked to the construction of Patriot Park outside Moscow.

Popov was detained and faced as long as 10 years in prison if convicted, the state-run Tass news service reported on Thursday.

Read more: Playtime for Putin patriots at Russian army ‘amusement park’

He was the third deputy to former defence minister Sergei Shoigu to be arrested in recent months amid a widening probe into alleged corruption. Popov was dismissed from his post in June a month after President Vladimir Putin replaced Shoigu with Andrey Belousov.

The Investigative Committee said in a statement that it was examining the legality of properties worth more than 500 million roubles ($5.5-million) belonging to Popov and his family in Moscow and the surrounding region as well as in Russia’s Krasnodar region. DM