The US will provide its own weapons for F-16s to be delivered to Ukraine

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on July 30 that the U.S. will equip dozens of F-16 jet fighters being sent to Ukraine with American-made missiles and other weapons.

Ukraine is expecting delivery of at least 79 F-16s from the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and Norway, with up to 20 anticipated to arrive this year.

While the Pentagon has limited stocks and production capacities, it will supply Ukrainian F-16s with air-to-ground munitions, precision-guidance kits for bombs, and advanced air-to-air missiles in sufficient quantities to address Ukraine's most urgent needs, according to a senior U.S. official quoted by the WSJ.

"We are confident that we will be able to supply all of those [weapons], at least the critical volumes that they need," the U.S. official said.

The weapons provided by the U.S. for the F-16s will include AGM-88 HARM air-to-ground missiles, long-range JDAM munitions that convert unguided bombs into smart weapons, and GLSDB small-sized precision-guided munitions, according to the media outlet.

European members of the fighter jet coalition were hesitant to supply Ukraine with large quantities of their limited ammunition stocks for the F-16s. Therefore, they agreed to rely on supplies from the U.S., which is part of the coalition but does not transfer its aircraft, the WSJ noted.

Kyiv has been requesting these U.S.-made fourth-generation jets since the first year of the full-scale war to strengthen its air force, which consists mainly of Soviet-made aircraft and has been significantly depleted over the years of conflict.

Despite U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's assurances on July 10 that the first Dutch and Danish F-16s were already en route, no delivery has been confirmed yet.

 U.S. special representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery suggests what Ukraine how Ukraine should overcome the problems with power generation

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Penny Pritzker, the U.S. special representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery, emphasized the need for Ukraine to enhance its nuclear power capacity to address electricity generation challenges stemming from Russian attacks. Her comments came during a visit to Kyiv, as reported by NV on July 30.

In recent months, Russia has intensified its assaults on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, particularly targeting the country's energy grid in a renewed effort to destabilize it.

Following a series of massive Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry has estimated the damage to the country’s power grid at over $1 billion, according to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.

In the long term, the Ukrainian government will determine its own electricity generation strategies, but expanding nuclear power capacity is a pragmatic immediate solution, Pritzker noted.

She further stated that Ukraine’s international partners, including the U.S., are actively working to help Ukraine overcome its electricity generation shortages caused by Russian missile attacks.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022.

In April, Energoatom began constructing reactor units 5 and 6 at the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant using U.S. technology. These new units aim to mitigate power outages caused by Russian attacks.

According to Energoatom, once reactor units 5 and 6 are completed and units 3 and 4 become operational, the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant’s power generation capacity will surpass that of the Zaporizhzhia plant.

Currently, Ukraine has three nuclear power plants in the territory under its control:

• Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant: Two 1000 MW units.
• South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant: Three 1000 MW units.
• Rivne Nuclear Power Plant: Two 1000 MW units and one 420 MW unit.

Due to dwindling energy supplies from Russian attacks, DTEK, Ukraine’s largest privately owned energy provider, has warned that Ukrainians might only have electricity for 6-7 hours daily in the upcoming winter.

According to DTEK Executive Director Dmytro Shakharuk, if Ukraine won`t be able to repair its damaged power grid and protect it from future attacks, Ukrainians might face 20-hour blackouts this winter.

Russians hit Chornobaivka, Kherson Oblast

Since the morning of June 30, Russian forces have been bombarding the village of Chornobaivka in Kherson Oblast, resulting in injuries to a 32-year-old man and a 16-year-old teenage girl.

Reports indicate that Russian artillery fire has caused damage to residential buildings and outbuildings in the settlement.

The 32-year-old man was injured during the Russian strike, sustaining blast trauma and shrapnel wounds to his chest, abdomen, arms, and legs. He was transported to the hospital for medical treatment.

Later, the Kherson Oblast State Administration reported that a 16-year-old teenage girl was also injured in the attack. She sustained blast and brain injuries, along with bruises to the soft tissues of her head, and suffered an acute stress reaction. The girl sought medical assistance on her own and was subsequently hospitalized.

Russia to continue its tactical advance in coming weeks

UK intelligence predicts that Russia will continue its tactical advances in the coming weeks, despite its limited overall operational capabilities.

In July 2024, the UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russian ground forces have maintained continuous attacks in the central part of Donetsk Oblast. They have made steady progress westward, seizing control of several villages and approaching the logistics hub of Pokrovsk.

Additionally, Russian ground troops have advanced north towards the village of New York, which has been near the line of contact since 2014.

While it is likely that Russia will continue its tactical advances in the coming weeks, its overall operational capabilities remain constrained by several factors, including high casualty rates, limited training, and a shortage of officers.