Russian Drone Attack on Bus in Kharkiv Region of Ukraine; Six Workers Injured

As a result of a Russian drone striking a bus in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine on Friday morning, August 12, six construction workers were injured, with one reported to be in critical condition. According to Oleg Synehubov, the governor of the region, the drone attack occurred near the city of Derhachi. Russia has opened a new front in that area since May of this year. After the Russian army managed to advance 10 kilometers into this border region, the Ukrainian army halted their progress. Kyiv also announced on Thursday, August 11, that Ukrainian air defense shot down seven Russian drones targeting areas in central and eastern Ukraine. In the Kharkiv region, homes were damaged, one person lost their life, and another was injured due to a missile attack. American officials had previously announced that Ukraine received its first shipment of 'F-16' fighter jets from the West, which it had been seeking for months. Western allies of Ukraine were slow to agree to supply these jets due to concerns about escalating conflicts with Russia. It is still unclear how many of these jets were included in the first shipment. Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands have committed to providing over 60 of these jets to Ukraine. President Joe Biden agreed last year to allow allies to send these American-made jets to Ukraine after repeated requests from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The 'F-16' fighter jets will enhance Ukraine's military power by upgrading the country's air defense, but analysts believe this alone cannot change the course of the war. Russian forces have been advancing in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. A week after the visit of Kuleba, Kyiv invited the Chinese Foreign Minister to visit Ukraine. The U.S. sanctioned several individuals and entities related to supporting the missile and drone programs of the Islamic Republic. Russia contained a fire caused by a Ukrainian drone attack on one of its oil depots. The U.S. is sending new military aid to Ukraine, with the assistance amounting to one billion seven hundred million dollars. Russia claimed to have shot down 19 Ukrainian drones along the border of the two countries. Several Ukrainian civilians were killed in airstrikes in Donetsk; Russia claims to have made advances. Putin warned the U.S. about a repeat of a 'Cold War-style missile crisis.'