Ukraine has begun intercepting Russian jet drones with the help of heavy machine guns mounted on artificial intelligence-controlled turrets, a Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reports.
For several months, the country has been looking for a solution to counter these drones, which Russia uses en masse. They are much faster than conventional models, are often aimed at Kiev, and the Ukrainian military has difficulty shooting them down, the agency notes.
Heavy machine guns mounted on artificial intelligence-controlled turrets have already managed to shoot down new-generation jet drones near the Ukrainian capital, a Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said. These systems are essentially a mobile firing unit without a human operator. They use optical systems and artificial intelligence to deliver strikes, the spokesman noted. The systems combine a machine gun with an automated turret equipped with multiple sensors.
"This is not a panacea. Just because an aircraft has been shot down does not mean that we have found a completely game-changing tool," the spokesman said, explaining that the new system has a limited range of just over a kilometer and "works under favorable conditions."
At least one person was killed and another was injured in a Russian drone attack on a Turkish-owned merchant ship in the Black Sea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as quoted by Reuters.
"A terrifying strike by two Russian drones on a merchant ship in neutral waters carrying corn owned by Turkey. There were citizens of Azerbaijan and India on board," he wrote in Ex.
"At the moment, unfortunately, we know that the captain of the ship has died. The fate of another person is still being clarified. Eleven crew members were rescued, one of them was injured," Zelensky said.
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine has repeatedly proposed specific measures to de-escalate and ensure security in the Black Sea, adding that there have also been corresponding proposals from third countries, Ukrinform notes.
"However, Russia consistently chooses terror and the sinking of merchant ships instead of normal shipping. Pressure is needed to restore global food security. And everyone who is really interested in this should help," the Ukrainian president wrote.
Separately, earlier today three people were killed in a Russian attack with guided bombs on Kharkiv, and another 25 were injured, the city's mayor Igor Terekhov reported on Telegram, stressing that the strikes caused damage to residential buildings and warehouses.
Earlier today, the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that two people were found dead and 11 crew members of the merchant ship were rescued, the agency notes Agerpres.
A fire broke out on board the ship and it then sank outside Romania's territorial waters, the ministry said.
According to the Romanian Interior Ministry, at around 11:00 a.m., border police from the Coast Guard were notified by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Constanta that a fire had broken out on board a merchant ship located in Romania's exclusive economic zone, about 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) south of the village of Sfantu Gheorghe.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Center has launched a search and rescue operation for people in distress at sea and a Coast Guard ship has been designated as the search and rescue coordinator. Border police, together with their colleagues from the General Aviation Inspectorate, immediately took action to search and rescue the crew members.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Russia's "irresponsible choice" to "intensify its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure," Agence France-Presse reported.
Macron today held a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"We will not succumb to either intimidation or escalation by Russia. And let Russia make no mistake, time is working against it," the French head of state wrote on the Ex platform.
He also expressed regret for Moscow's "stubborn refusal to listen to all calls for a ceasefire."
Russia announced yesterday that it would intensify its strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure after attacking a bridge in Kiev for the fourth consecutive day.
This move is "in violation of the most basic principles of international humanitarian law", added Emmanuel Macron.
"France and Europe will continue to fulfill their responsibilities to support Ukraine and seek every opportunity to help civilians, achieve a de-escalation of hostilities and progress towards a just and lasting peace", the president also wrote.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Kiev yesterday to express his support and make a new commitment to financial aid to Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky warned of the dire situation in the capital, which he said was experiencing "terrifying days and nights".