Ukraine received half-a-dozen F-16s at the start of August, the first tranche of a total of 45 that Kyiv's allies have promised.

More than 100 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russia on Sunday, officials said, sparking a wildfire and setting an apartment block alight in one of the largest barrages seen over Russian skies since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian officials say more than 100 Ukrainian drones were shot down, sparking a wildfire and setting an apartment block alight in one of the largest barrages over Russian skies

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that Kyiv would create a new branch of Kyiv's military, known as the Unmanned Systems Forces, dedicated exclusively to drone warfare. "Drones, unmanned systems, have proven their effectiveness in battles on land, in the sky and at sea," the Ukrainian leader said.

Ukraine on Sunday said it sent more than 100 drones deep inside Russia to hit a major weapons depot, as it stepped up attacks further inside Russian territory.

Reports from Russian media, specifically Telegram channels like Voenno Delo, suggest that two Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets were ambushed by Russian MiG-31 interceptors at the Starokostiantiniv airbase in western Ukraine.