September 01, 2024

via @nasapictures

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240901.html

First F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Ukraine, Zelensky confirms

Ukraine has received and is already using its first batch of F-16 fighter jets, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday. Their arrival provides the country with a much-needed morale boost in its grinding war against Russia, though experts say they are unlikely to have a major impact on the battlefield.

“F-16s are in Ukraine. We made it happen,” Zelensky said in comments posted in a video on Telegram and on the official presidential website. “I am proud of all our guys who master with high quality these planes and have already started using them for our state.”

Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands have pledged to supply Ukraine with the American-made F-16s. Zelensky did not provide further details about how many planes had been delivered, which nations had supplied them or how they were being utilized.

Read the full story here.

Russian strike hits Kyiv's main children's hospital

In Kyiv, Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital was hit, killing two people, including a doctor. At least 16 others, including seven children were injured, according to Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, and patients were forced to evacuate into the street. In the city of Kryvyi Rih, at least 10 people were killed, officials said.

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Sharpless 308: The Dolphin Head Nebula

June 07, 2024

via @nasapictures

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240607.html

SpaceX's mega rocket survives return to Earth, completing fourth test flight
SpaceX’s giant Starship rocket survived reentry through Earth’s atmosphere on Thursday and splashed down in the Indian Ocean as planned during its fourth test mission after launching from south Texas.

? Read more: https://f24.my/ANwg.g

*⚡️Reuters: US warns Raiffeisen that access to dollar system could be restricted due to Russia presence.*
Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) was warned by the U.S. Treasury that its access to the U.S. financial system could be curbed due to its continued presence in the Russian market, Reuters reported on May 15.

*⚡️ Ukraine beats Iceland,* qualifies for Euro 2024.
Ukraine's national football team has qualified for the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship after beating Iceland 2:1.

It will be Ukraine's fourth straight European Championship, with the 2024 edition taking place in Germany in June and July.
Photo: Mateusz Birecki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

*? Exactly two years ago, Russian terrorists attacked the Mariupol Drama Theater, killing hundreds of peaceful Ukrainians.*

"The inscription "Children". Two years have passed... The world must remember everything that Russia has done against Ukraine and Ukrainians, and every Russian murderer must be held accountable for what he has done. We will ensure their responsibility. May the memory of all those whose lives were taken by Russian terror," President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored the memory of the victims.