Zelensky: Ukraine needs 160 fighter jets ++ Russia and Türkiye are talking about relaunching grain agreements

Zelensky: Ukraine needs 160 fighter jets ++ Russia and Türkiye are talking about relaunching grain agreements

Since the end of February 2022, Russia has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine. You can find all the news and reactions to this in our news blog.

Achievements with cardboard drones

Ukraine is playing a cat-and-mouse game with the Russian air defense: drone attacks on Moscow and other cities are distracting from the actual target, the Russian airfields. This is what the consequences look like.

Russia and Türkiye are talking about relaunching grain agreements

The foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey have discussed in Moscow a possible renewal of the agreements on Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov demanded guarantees from the West that his country would also be allowed to export grain and fertilizer without hindrance. Then Russia will be ready to return to the grain deal suspended in mid-July, he said.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said a resumption of Ukraine’s exports by sea is important for the world’s secure food supply. They also ensured more stability and peace in the Black Sea region. Fidan referred to new proposals by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to take account of Russian interests in the grain agreement.

Lavrov replied that Guterres’ proposals remain just promises, not hard guarantees. (dpa)

Zelensky: Ukraine needs a total of 160 combat aircraft

According to statements by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine needs about 100 more fighter jets in addition to the commitments already made to defend against the Russian war of aggression. “In total, we need about 160 combat aircraft for a powerful air force,” said Selenski in an interview published by Portuguese public television on Thursday. This is intended to deprive Russia of the possibility of dominating Ukrainian airspace.

So far, Kiev has received commitments for “50 or 60” F-16 fighter jets, said the Ukrainian head of state. The day before, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat had spoken on Ukrainian public television of a need for “about 128 F-16 fighter planes”. (dpa)

Ukraine signs contract with world’s seventh largest arms company

Ukraine has signed a joint arms production contract with Britain’s largest defense company, BAE Systems. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a meeting with the BAE leadership on Thursday in Kiev that the company’s weapons are already in use in Ukraine. He named artillery pieces of the types L119 and M777 as well as the armored personnel carrier CV90.

According to the Ukrainian government, it plans to develop joint production of the light L119 guns in its own country. In this context, a framework agreement on cooperation in the repair and production of these weapons was also signed at the meeting.

According to the Ministry of Strategic Industries, BAE Systems has already opened an office in the country and is to develop weapons production with local companies. With sales of around 25 billion US dollars (almost 23 billion euros) last year, BAE Systems is the seventh largest defense company in the world.

Ukraine has ramped up arms production to ward off Russian war of aggression. At the same time, it hopes to become a major arms producer internationally. BAE Systems wants to be Ukraine’s partner in the war for freedom and independence and in building a strong defense industry, said company boss Charles Woodburn.

The German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall founded a joint venture with the Ukrainian state-owned armaments group Ukroboronprom in May. The initial focus is on the repair and maintenance of German battle tanks in the Ukraine. In the future, both sides also want to build tanks together. (dpa)

Ukraine asks EU countries for more help in the war

Ukraine asks the EU countries for more arms and ammunition supplies for the fight against Russia. During talks with the foreign ministers of the European partners on Thursday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba mentioned artillery ammunition, armored vehicles and tanks as required armaments. He asked militarily neutral EU states such as Austria and Ireland to provide armored rescue vehicles.

In order to make it more difficult for Russia to produce missiles and drones, Kuleba also called on the EU states to step up their fight against circumventing sanctions. “We see that production is increasing and that western parts are being used,” he said at the EU meeting in Toledo, Spain. This must be prevented, for example, with export controls.

In addition, Kuleba asked to consider the delivery of additional air defense systems. According to him, these could secure a new route for Ukrainian grain exports, which leads from the Ukrainian Black Sea region towards Romanian sovereign waters.

Regarding the high cost of the support, Baerbock said: “We have to remind ourselves every day: We are investing in peace in Europe.” (dpa)

Britain sees weaknesses in Russian anti-aircraft defenses

According to British assessments, the recent drone attacks on Russia reveal weaknesses in the country’s air defense systems. In August, Russia suffered about 25 individual drone attacks, the Ministry of Defense in London wrote on Thursday. Ukraine this week flew its most massive drone attack against targets in Russia, damaging several Russian military planes in the city of Pskov.

The British wrote in their daily update on short message service X (formerly Twitter) that many unmanned drones had reached their target, which probably means that Russian anti-aircraft defenses are having trouble detecting and destroying them.

“Russia is likely to reconsider its air defense positions in the area between Ukraine and Moscow to better deal with the attacks,” the British wrote. Previous attacks on Russian military bases have also resulted in Russian planes being relocated to other locations. But that becomes more difficult with the range of the drones. Russia will likely have to consider additional air defense systems at airfields it considers vulnerable. (dpa)

Moscow reports renewed drone attacks

According to official information, the Russian air defense has again intercepted a drone on its way to the capital Moscow. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced on Thursday morning that the unmanned aerial vehicle had been destroyed. According to the first findings, there were no injuries or damage. Emergency services are on site. The information could not be independently verified. According to Russian information, the metropolis is repeatedly the target of Ukrainian drone attacks.

Moscow media reported in the morning about new delays in air traffic at the capital’s airports. In the past few nights, take-offs and landings have been repeatedly interrupted due to the danger of drones. The attacks on Moscow, which have so far remained largely without consequences apart from property damage, are disproportionate to the massive Russian drone attacks against Ukraine, which are bringing death and destruction to the country.

Other Russian regions also repeatedly report the shooting down of drones. According to the authorities, the Bryansk region near Ukraine fended off two drone attacks on Wednesday evening. In the Russian border regions in particular, there were repeated deaths and injuries as a result of shelling from the Ukrainian side. (dpa)

The night on Thursday at a glance

In its defense against the Russian invasion, Ukraine also attacked Russian targets from the air on Thursday night. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, anti-aircraft guns shot down a cruise missile from Ukraine over the annexed peninsula of Crimea.

Two drones were also intercepted over the Bryansk region on the border with Ukraine. The night before, Ukrainian forces had flown their most massive drone strikes to date, attacking six Russian areas as far away as Moscow and Crimea.

The alleged attack with a guided missile affected eastern Crimea near the city of Feodosiya. Parts of the cruise missile hit a power line, said an employee of the Crimean administration. The official figures were not independently verifiable. Photos circulating on the internet allegedly showed explosions and fires in the region. Eyewitnesses spoke of three rockets. The Russian Telegram channel Mash suspected that the attack was aimed at the Kirovskoye airbase in Crimea.

After the two drones were shot down in the Bryansk region, Governor Alexander Bogomas said there were no injuries or damage. But he also reported that rescue services were on duty. The drone attacks on Wednesday night mainly caused damage to the airfield in the northwestern Russian city of Pskov near the border with Estonia. Several heavy military transport aircraft were damaged there, and at least two of them burned out.

Two Ukrainian military helicopters crashed

According to the army, all six men on board were killed when two Ukrainian military helicopters crashed. The Mi-8 helicopters had an accident during an operational flight near Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine for unknown reasons, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Army Aviation said on television. The bodies were found in the wreckage of the completely destroyed machines. The cause of Tuesday’s crash is being sought. Ukraine lost three pilots just last week when two planes collided during a training flight.

Ukrainian Security Council prosecutes corruption in decommissioning

For Ukraine, Thursday is the 554th day of the war. The Eastern European country has suffered heavy casualties fighting Russian invaders for more than 18 months; it needs soldiers. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy agreed with his Security Council to take strict measures against employees in recruitment agencies who release men from military service in exchange for bribes.

Zelenskiy and the Ukrainian Security Council discussed the fight against bribery in the drafting authorities on Wednesday. There would be all cases of decommissioning because of alleged unfitness for service checked since the beginning of the war, where there is a suspicion of bribery payments, said the President. The equivalent of between 3,000 and 13,500 francs was paid for exemption from military service, he reported. There will be a separate check if someone has left the country after a suspicious decision by the drafting commission. Because of the corruption, Zelensky has already replaced all heads of the drafting authorities.

Germany sends ten Leopard tanks

Germany has made another ten Leopard 1 A5 main battle tanks available. A further 13.1 million rounds of handgun ammunition were also delivered. This emerges from the federal government’s list of military aid to Ukraine, which was updated every week on Wednesday. The current delivery includes a TRML-4D air surveillance radar, which is used with the Iris-T air defense system. Germany also sent a field hospital, 4 heavy-duty articulated trucks and 16 Vector reconnaissance drones.

Ukrainian pilots learn to fly the F-16 in Denmark

Several Ukrainian military pilots can begin training on the F-16 fighter jet in Denmark, according to Supreme Commander Valery Zalushny. This was announced by Zalushny after a phone call with the commander of the Danish armed forces. At the same time, Copenhagen and Kiev want to prepare the logistics to be able to maintain and repair the F-16 in Ukraine in the future, Zalushnyj wrote on Telegram. Denmark will hand over 19 of its F-16 jets to Ukraine. More of these US-built fighter jets are said to come from the Netherlands and Norway. (dpa)

Selenski wants to crack down on corruption in decommissioning

According to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian authorities should crack down on corruption in the drafting of men for military service. All cases of decommissioning due to alleged unfitness for service since the beginning of the war where there is a suspicion of bribery payments have been checked. Selenski said that in his evening video speech on Wednesday. The Security Council had discussed the course of action that day.

For exemption from military service, 3,000 to 15,000 US dollars (up to 13,700 euros) were paid in bribes, Selenski reported. There will be a separate check if someone has left the country after a suspicious decision by the drafting commission.

In view of the Russian war of aggression, all men in Ukraine are obliged to do military service. Many volunteer to join the army to fight against the invaders. Others, however, buy their way out of military service or pay bribes to border officials in order to be able to leave the country. Because of the corruption, Zelensky has already replaced all heads of the drafting authorities. (dpa)

Six dead in Ukrainian military helicopter crash

According to the army, all six men on board were killed when two Ukrainian military helicopters crashed. The Mi-8 helicopters crashed near Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine for unknown reasons, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Army Aviation said on television on Wednesday. The bodies were found in the wreckage of the completely destroyed machines. The cause of the crash is being determined. According to information from circles close to the military, the helicopters had been on an operational flight on Tuesday. But there was no talk of a shooting. (dpa)

Germany sends ten Leopard tanks to Ukraine

Germany has provided another ten Leopard 1 A5 main battle tanks to Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia. A further 13.1 million rounds of handgun ammunition were also delivered. This emerges from the federal government’s list of military aid to Ukraine, which was updated every week on Wednesday. The current delivery includes a TRML-4D air surveillance radar, which is used with the Iris-T air defense system. Germany also sent a field hospital, 4 heavy-duty articulated trucks and 16 Vector reconnaissance drones.

After initial hesitation, the Federal Republic is now one of the biggest military supporters of Ukraine, which has been repelling a Russian invasion for 18 months. The federal government has not yet decided on Kiev’s urgent request for Taurus cruise missiles. (dpa)

USA: Russia and North Korea negotiate arms deals

Russia and North Korea are negotiating arms deals amid the Ukraine war, according to the US government. That comes from information from the secret services, said the communications director of the National Security Council, John Kirby, on Wednesday in Washington. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu recently traveled to North Korea to persuade Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. Since that visit, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged letters pledging to expand their bilateral cooperation, he said.

With the envisaged arms deals, Russia would receive from North Korea “significant quantities and several types of ammunition that the Russian military intends to use in Ukraine,” Kirby said.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Shoigu traveled to North Korea at the end of July and took part in a night military parade there. The official reason for the trip was the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. During the visit, Shoigu and ruler Kim also agreed on “matters of mutual interest in the field of national defense and security as well as on the regional and international security environment”, as reported by state media.

With a view to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the US government repeatedly publishes targeted intelligence information. The US government is asking North Korea to end negotiations with Russia, Kirby said. (dpa)

At least six dead in Russian attacks in Ukraine

At least six civilians have been killed and more than 15 wounded in Russian shelling in Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday, the Russian military used cruise missiles, drones and artillery. Several regions across the country were affected. According to the prosecutor, at least two people were killed and six others injured in the capital Kiev and the surrounding region alone.

There were also victims in the Ukrainian-controlled areas of the contested Donetsk region in the east of the country. According to the public prosecutor’s office, two night watchmen at a farm died after a rocket hit in the village of Bahatyr, around 60 kilometers west of the Moscow-occupied industrial city of Donetsk. According to local authorities, one person was killed and eight others injured in the nearby town of Kurachowe after their homes came under Russian fire.

According to the authorities, an 82-year-old woman died in the village of Swarkowe in the north-east of the country on Wednesday night when her house was hit by Russian artillery. Swarkowe is less than ten kilometers from the Russian border.

In the south of the country, the Zaporizhia region has been the target of more than 100 attacks by Russian artillery, air force and drones in the last 24 hours, according to the local military administration. Three people were injured and more than 20 buildings were damaged. (dpa)

Moscow: Fighter jets destroyed Kiev’s speedboats in the Black Sea

According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russian fighter jets have destroyed several Ukrainian speedboats and their crews in the Black Sea. On Wednesday afternoon, the ministry reported within one day that a sixth boat in the Snake Island area was shot down by a Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jet.

In the morning, the Russian military reported the destruction of a Ukrainian boat by a Su-30 aircraft. Shortly before that, it was said that a naval aircraft from the Black Sea Fleet had destroyed four Ukrainian military speedboats at sea. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday night that up to 50 members of Ukrainian special forces were on board. The Russian information could not be independently verified. (dpa)

Relatives of captured and missing soldiers demonstrated in Kiev

In the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, hundreds of people have called for the return of captured and missing soldiers. “Bring the heroes home,” chanted Wednesday, according to public television, especially women and children on the central Independence Square. They showed pictures of allegedly captured soldiers and banners with the names of units.

Addressed to President Volodymyr Zelensky, it also said: “Mr. President! Conscripts are not slaves!” An increased exchange of corpses and the granting of leave from the front were also demanded. (dpa)

Kremlin: Prigozhin plane crash may not be an accident

A week after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death, it’s still unclear exactly how the plane the Wagner boss was on crashed. New speculation is now coming from Moscow of all places.

“It is obvious that different versions are being considered, including the version of deliberate cruelty,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, according to Reuters and Ria news agencies. One must now wait for the result of the Russian investigations. These are in progress, Peskow continued. In this case, there could be no question of an international aspect.(ph)

EU artillery aid to Ukraine is slow

The EU program to supply Ukraine with 1 million artillery shells appears to be progressing slowly. According to the Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, there were only commitments for around 226,000 missiles. A lot still needs to be done, he warned on Wednesday on the sidelines of a meeting of EU defense ministers in Toledo, Spain. It is important to consider all options. In addition to increasing production capacities, this also includes the processing of old projectiles and the purchase of ammunition from third countries.

According to Pevkurs, Ukraine is currently firing about 6,000 shells a day, while Russia gets 60,000 to 70,000 on peak days. One advantage of western ammunition is that it’s more accurate and therefore more useful, he said.

Regarding the ongoing Ukrainian counter-offensive, Pevkur said that the Ukrainian armed forces were making progress in the Russian-held city of Tokmak, which is currently a “hotspot”. If Tokmak is recaptured, supply lines for Russian forces could be cut off, which would be very important, he said. In principle, however, it is very difficult for the Ukrainians, since they are only making “centimeter by centimeter” advance due to minefields and are within range of the Russian armed forces own.

The progress made in supporting Kiev was one of the topics at the informal meeting of EU defense ministers in Toledo on Wednesday. In March, the EU states promised Ukraine to provide a million new artillery shells and missiles for the defensive war against Russia within twelve months. They are to be organized from the stocks of the Member States, but also via new joint procurement projects. (dpa)

Other Russian regions report drone strikes

In addition to the major attack on Pskov, other Russian regions were attacked by drones during the night and early Wednesday morning. In the western Russian city of Bryansk near the Ukrainian border, the building of the investigative authority was damaged by debris, the city administration reported on its Telegram channel. While the city administration reported broken windows, the investigating authority itself announced that the building had suffered roof damage. According to Governor Alexander Bogomas, six drones were shot down.

In the neighboring Orlov region, the number of reported kills has increased from one to two. Meanwhile, the governor of the Kaluga region, Vladislav Shapsha, wrote that two drones had attacked the region. One was shot down and damaged the glazing of a residential building. Another drone fell on an empty tank farm and exploded there. The fire had been extinguished. There was no major damage.

According to official information, two drones were also shot down during the night in the Ryazan region south-east of Moscow.

The media also reported, citing eyewitnesses, explosions in the area of ​​an industrial plant in the Tula region south of Moscow, which is known for its defense industry. So far, however, there has been no official confirmation of a drone attack in the area.(dpa)

London: Many deserters show low morale in Russian army

According to British assessments, numerous verdicts against deserters show poor morale on the part of the Russian army in the war against Ukraine. “The refusal to fight probably reflects the lack of training and motivation, as well as the high levels of stress faced by Russian forces along the entire front line in Ukraine,” Britain’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

The agency referred to a July 18 report by the independent Russian internet portal Mediazona, according to which about 100 soldiers were convicted of desertion every week. “The high number of convictions shows the poor state of morale in the Russian army and the reluctance of some parts to fight.”

However, this has hardly any effect on the overall strength of the troops. Russia is making up for its losses by sending large numbers of poorly trained soldiers to the front, London said. “Since the Russian partial mobilization in September 2022, Russia has adapted its approach to warfare, using sheer mass for both offensive and defensive operations.”(dpa)

Pskov airport closed after drone attack

After the drone strikes in the night, the Russian authorities canceled eight take-offs and landings at Pskov Airport planned for Wednesday. Two charter companies were affected, said the aviation regulator Rosawijazija on Telegram. The reason for the closure is to strengthen security measures. Measures to quickly reopen air traffic would be taken, it said.

During the night, dozens of drones attacked the airport, where Russian military units are also stationed. According to official information, four Il-76 military transporters were damaged. A fuel depot also went up in flames. The fire was localized during the night and there was no risk of it spreading further, a spokesman for the fire brigade said. (dpa)

The night on Wednesday at a glance

According to the authorities, several heavy army transport aircraft were damaged in a drone attack on the airfield in the northwestern Russian city of Pskov. The army is fending off an attack with drones, wrote the governor of the Pskov region, Mikhail Vedernikov, in his Telegram channel early Wednesday morning. He released a short video of the sound of an explosion and the glow of fire over the airfield.

«As a result of the drone attack, four Il-76 aircraft were damaged. A fire ensued; the fire caught two planes,” said a representative of the rescue services of the Russian state agency TASS. The information could not be independently verified. According to its own statements, Russia repelled several other Ukrainian drone attacks during the night, including in the Moscow region, in Bryansk and Orel and in the Bay of Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea.

According to Moscow, a naval aircraft of the Russian Black Sea Fleet destroyed four Ukrainian military speedboats in the Black Sea. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday morning that there were up to 50 members of Ukrainian special forces on board. Again, the information could not be independently verified. There was initially no confirmation from the Ukrainian side.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian capital Kiev came under heavy fire from Russian cruise missiles during the night. According to reports, there were violent explosions of anti-aircraft missiles against the incoming shells over the city. Rocket debris fell on buildings in at least two districts, Mayor Vitali Klitschko told Telegram on Wednesday morning. At least two people were killed and two others injured.

Firelight over Pskov airfield

Ukraine has attacked several Russian military airfields with drones in the past few days. In this way, a long-range Tupolev Tu-22M3 (NATO code: Backfire) bomber was destroyed at the Solzy air base in the Novgorod region. Because of the attack from Pskov, which is close to the border with Estonia, air traffic in the region was diverted.

According to preliminary information, there are no injuries, wrote Governor Wedernikow. The airfield is home to Russian Army military transport aircraft. The city is also home to a parachute division that took part in the first wave of attacks on Ukraine in February 2022.

It was unclear where the drones were launched from. From the Ukraine they would have had to cover a distance of at least 800 kilometers through Russian or Belarusian territory. After the attack on Solzy, British intelligence officials suspected that the drones had been launched by sabotage squads in Russia.

Ukrainian General: We’re pushing back the enemy

According to the Ukrainian army, it is making progress on its advance on the southern front. “We are pushing back the enemy,” Brigadier General Oleksander Tarnavskyi, the commander of the troops deployed in the Zaporizhia region, wrote on Telegram.

He did not give any details on Tuesday, but Ukrainian troops broke through a first strong Russian line of defense by capturing the town of Robotyne. According to consistent reports, they are now attacking the next Russian line blocking the way to the occupied cities of Tokmak and Melitopol. The aim is to reach the Sea of ​​Azov, about 90 kilometers away, and to cut off the Russian troops from each other.

New aid from the USA

The US package includes ammunition for the Himars multiple rocket launchers, air defense missiles and artillery ammunition. Since the war began in late February 2022, the United States has provided or pledged more than $43 billion in military aid to Ukraine, according to the Defense Ministry. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the US and President Joe Biden. “Artillery. Missiles, ammunition for the Himars, demining equipment – that’s what our fighters need,” Zelensky wrote on the social network X (formerly Twitter).

Selenski reminds of dead soldiers

In his evening speech, Selenski called on the citizens of his country to commemorate the soldiers who died. “Many Ukrainians today have someone to remember, someone to honor,” he said on Tuesday, which was celebrated in Ukraine as Defenders’ Day. In order to prove themselves worthy of these sacrifices, everyone should work for Ukraine, take care of their neighbor. «Ukraine must win. That’s the most important thing for everyone,” Selenski said in the video.

The exact number of people lost in Ukraine during the 18-month war is not known. The number of soldiers killed is kept secret. However, it is estimated that tens of thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians have been killed. There are millions of internally displaced persons in the country, and millions more have fled abroad.

Prigozhin buried in St. Petersburg

There had been speculation in Russia for days about the time and place of the funeral of the mercenary leader Prigozhin. Police turned up at several cemeteries in his hometown of St. Petersburg on Tuesday. Finally, Prigozhin’s press service announced that after a funeral service in close circle, the 62-year-old was buried in the Porokhovskoye cemetery on the outskirts of the city.

The Kremlin had previously announced that President Vladimir Putin would not attend the funeral of his former favorite. In June, Prigozhin instigated a short-lived mutiny against the Russian military and state leadership, which Putin called treason. Last week, Prigozhin and nine other people were killed in a private jet crash. The cause is unclear. It is suspected that the machine was deliberately brought to the crash. (dpa)

Zelensky commemorates the dead Ukrainian soldiers

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called on his country’s citizens to commemorate the dead soldiers. “Many Ukrainians today have someone to remember, someone to honor,” he said in his evening address on Tuesday, which is celebrated in Ukraine as Defender’s Day.

“Many of us today thought of our loved ones, relatives and friends who are currently at war. Those who risk their lives for Ukraine every day, every hour.” The day is a “reminder for our whole country”. For the sake of the great suffering, everyone should work for Ukraine and take care of their neighbors. «Ukraine must win. That’s the most important thing for everyone,” Selenski said in the video.

The exact human losses of Ukraine as a result of the war started by Russia are not known. The number of soldiers killed is kept secret. However, it is estimated that tens of thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of civilians have been killed. There are millions of internally displaced persons in the country, and millions more have fled abroad.(dpa)

New US military package worth $250 million for Ukraine

The United States continues to provide military aid to Ukraine to ward off Russian war of aggression. The US State Department announced in Washington on Tuesday that the package was worth 250 million dollars (around 230 million euros). It includes, among other things, ammunition for the Himars multiple rocket launchers, missiles for air defense and artillery ammunition.

The United States is considered Ukraine’s main ally in the defense against d he Russian invasion. According to the Department of Defense, the United States has provided or pledged more than $43 billion in military aid to Kiev since the war began in late February 2022.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a written statement: “Russia started this war and could end it at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and halting its brutal attacks.” As long as this does not happen, the USA and its partners stand united with Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the US and President Joe Biden for the aid. “Artillery. Missiles, ammunition for the Himars, demining equipment – that’s what our fighters need,” Zelensky wrote on the social network X (formerly Twitter). “Freedom needs protection, and that protection is getting stronger.”(dpa)

General: Ukraine continues to make progress in the south

(dpa) According to the Ukrainian army, it is making further progress in its advance on the southern front. “We are pushing back the enemy,” wrote the commander of the troops deployed in the Zaporizhia region, Brigadier General Oleksander Tarnavskyi, on his Telegram channel on Tuesday.

He did not give any details, but Ukrainian troops broke through a first strong Russian line of defense by capturing the town of Robotyne. According to consistent reports, they are now attacking the next Russian line blocking the way to the occupied cities of Tokmak and Melitopol. The aim is to reach the Sea of ​​Azov, about 90 kilometers away, and to cut off the Russian troops from each other.

The artillery under his command carried out about 1,200 fire orders in one day, wrote Tarnawskyj – an indication of heavy artillery combat. Ukrainian troops continued their offensive in the Melitopol sector, consolidated positions they had reached and eliminated enemy artillery positions, according to the evening report of the General Staff in Kiev. The information provided by the military can usually only be checked with a delay when experts can analyze photos or videos from the front.

Russia reports dead from Ukrainian shelling of border area

Russia accuses Ukraine of artillery shelling on a border village in the Bryansk region with fatalities. Several people were killed and five others injured in the village of Klimovo, about 15 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, the governor of the region, Alexander Bogomas, wrote in his Telegram channel. Children are said to be among the victims.

The information cannot be independently verified at this time. Initially, there was no comment from Kiev. According to the governor, the shelling damaged a school building, as well as several residential buildings and administrative facilities.

In the past few weeks there have been repeated reports of suspected Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory. Most recently, Moscow reported on Sunday and Monday that drone attacks had been repelled over the Bryansk and Kursk border regions. However, the consequences of the attacks bear no relation to the consequences of the war in Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia and where thousands of civilians have already been killed. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for around 18 months.(dpa)

Underground defense ministers discuss support for Ukraine

At an informal meeting of EU defense ministers this Wednesday, further support for Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia, is to be discussed. The talks in the Spanish city of Toledo are based, among other things, on proposals by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Last month he suggested assuring the government in Kiev a significant expansion of the military training program for the Ukrainian armed forces. If circumstances allow, a gradual transfer of training activities to Ukraine could even be considered.

In addition, Borrell recommends making longer-term financing commitments for military aid and using EU money to support the delivery of modern fighter jets and missiles. Specifically, he wants to mobilize five billion euros annually from 2024 to the end of 2027. This emerges from a proposal paper sent to the member states, which is available to the German Press Agency.

The situation in Niger after the military coup will be another topic at the defense ministers’ meeting. The EU had previously supported the security forces in the West African country with money and training in the fight against terrorist groups, among other things. The Bundeswehr also maintains an air transport base in the capital Niamey. In the past, it was the central hub for German soldiers in the region.

State Secretary Siemtje Möller is taking part in the deliberations on behalf of the federal government, since Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is at the government meeting in Meseberg. However, no formal decisions can be made anyway, as this is only an informal meeting within the framework of the current Spanish EU Council Presidency. Following the deliberations of the defense ministers, the foreign ministers of the EU countries will meet in Toledo on Wednesday evening and on Thursday. They will discuss support for Ukraine and the situation in Niger from a foreign policy perspective.(dpa)

Ukraine wants to intensify attacks on Russian targets

In the future, Ukraine wants to become one of the largest producers of weapons and ammunition and also target Russian targets more closely. The Ukrainian attacks are carried out exclusively for “defense motives,” said the advisor in the presidential office, Mykhailo Podoliak, on Tuesday night on Ukrainian television. In contrast to a year ago, the western allies have now also accepted attacks on Russian objects on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.

“Today there is an absolute consensus that we can destroy everything Russian in the occupied territories, for example in Crimea,” said Podoliak. At the same time, the adviser announced that the number of drone strikes will increase as the Russian leadership is increasingly losing control of both the airspace and the power apparatus. In addition to primarily military objects in Crimea, Kiev is now also attacking military airports and the capital Moscow with drones.

Podoljak also referred to a recent statement by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens). Asked about Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow reported by Russia, Baerbock said on Monday: “Russia attacked Ukraine.” The Green politician added: “Russia is constantly bombing civilian targets in Ukraine, grain elevators, hospitals, churches. And Ukraine defends itself within the framework of international law.” Podoliak continued: “We didn’t start this war.”

Russian authorities now report defenses against Ukrainian drone attacks almost every day. The Defense Ministry in Moscow announced that a drone attack on Russian territory in the Black Sea was prevented on Tuesday. The drone crashed in the sea area. The ministry did not give any details.(dpa)

According to the press service, mercenary chief Prigozhin has already been buried

According to his press service, the Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has already been buried in his hometown of St. Petersburg. The 62-year-old was said goodbye at a funeral service in the closest circle without public, said the press service of the head of the private army Wagner on Tuesday. Interested parties who now also want to say goodbye to the businessman who died in a plane crash on Wednesday could do so at the Porokhovskoye cemetery, it said.

Observers expect that the tomb could become a place of pilgrimage for thousands of Prigozhin’s followers. There has been speculation across Russia for days about a date and place for the funeral. The cause of the crash of the private jet with ten people on board is still unclear. The machine crashed on Wednesday last week on the way from Moscow to St. Petersburg in the Tver region.(dpa)

Military observers spot more Russian soldiers in Belarus

Another group of Russian soldiers arrived in Brest in western Belarus on Tuesday, military observers said. According to the opposition Belarusian military observation platform “Belaruski Hayun”, the soldiers are to take part in a joint maneuver of the military alliance Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The first group reportedly arrived in the Belarusian border town with Poland on August 18.

The joint exercise of the Russian-dominated military alliance will start on September 1st. According to the Belarusian state media, around 2,500 soldiers from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will take part. Moscow makes around 300 soldiers available.

Regardless of the upcoming exercise, according to estimates by “Belaruski Hayun”, another 2,000 Russian soldiers are stationed at four bases in the country. According to Ukrainian General Serhiy Nayev, who is responsible for defending the border with Belarus, Moscow has withdrawn all ground forces from Belarus to take part in the attacks on Kupyansk and Lyman in eastern Ukraine. This information cannot be independently verified.

Russia has been waging a war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine for around 18 months. The Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko has made his authoritarian country available as a deployment area for the Russian military. Kyiv sees Minsk as a war party. In the course of the tensions, Russia recently had Iskander missiles that can be equipped with nuclear warheads stationed in Belarus. Concern is also growing in the NATO countries bordering Belarus: Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have threatened to completely close their borders to the ex-Soviet republic should military incidents occur.

Meanwhile, a mined railway bridge detonated at a border crossing between Ukraine and Belarus on Tuesday. According to the Ukrainian border guard, a lightning strike is said to have been the cause of the explosion. Nobody was injured.(dpa)

Ukraine receives dead bodies from Russia

Russia handed over 84 dead soldiers to Ukraine. The handover took place in accordance with the standards of the Geneva Conventions, the Ministry of Reintegration in Kiev announced on Tuesday. After the bodies have been identified, they are handed over to the relatives for burial.

It was not disclosed where the handover took place and whether the Russian side also got their dead fighters back. According to official reports, Russia has so far transferred around 1,500 Ukrainian soldiers killed in action. (dpa)

Ukraine: Western states have allowed attacks on Crimea

According to its own statements, Ukraine has received approval from Western states for attacks on Russian objects in occupied Crimea. “Today there is an absolute consensus that we can destroy everything Russian in the occupied territories, for example in Crimea,” said adviser in the presidential office, Mykhailo Podoliak, on Ukrainian television on Tuesday night. A year ago, the western Partner has spoken out against attacks on the Black Sea Peninsula, which has been annexed by Russia since 2014.

Podoljak also referred to a recent statement by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens). Asked about Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow reported by Russia, Baerbock said on Monday: “Russia attacked Ukraine.” The Green politician added: “Russia is constantly bombing civilian targets in Ukraine, grain elevators, hospitals, churches. And Ukraine defends itself within the framework of international law.” Podoliak continued: “We didn’t start this war.”

The Ukrainian attacks are carried out exclusively for “defense motives”, according to Podolyak. He stated that the drones used in attacks in Russia were “of unknown origin”. At the same time, the adviser announced that the number of drone strikes will increase as the Russian leadership is increasingly losing control of both the airspace and the power apparatus. In addition to primarily military objects in Crimea, Kiev is now also attacking military airports and the capital Moscow with drones.

The former Russian head of state, Dmitry Medvedev, interpreted the statement on Telegram as “direct legally weighty evidence of the West’s involvement in the war against Russia”. This gives Moscow the opportunity to take action “against everyone in the NATO countries”. “The predictions of the apocalypse draw ever closer,” he wrote, alluding to the threat to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine and its Western backers. (dpa)

Kremlin: Putin does not attend Prigozhin’s funeral

According to official information, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin will not attend the funeral of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. “The President’s participation is not planned,” said his spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday, according to the Interfax news agency. The Russian leadership also has no concrete information about the funeral, the relatives would decide on the date, said Peskov.

Prigozhin’s private jet crashed last week. According to the authorities, all ten occupants on board the machine died. In the morning, the independent Internet portal Fontanka from St. Petersburg reported that Prigozhin’s funeral was to take place on Tuesday in the metropolis. Preparations were underway, mourners had arrived at several cemeteries.

Prigozhin’s plane crashed about halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg in the Tver region. According to official information, he was on board. The cause of the crash has not yet been clarified. However, large parts of the Russian public as well as Western governments assume that the private jet of the Wagner boss was deliberately brought down.

Priogoshin (62), whose fighters fought alongside the regular Russian army against Ukraine for months, had instigated a mutiny against the military and state leadership in Moscow in June out of frustration at the lack of supplies. However, this was over after about a day. (dpa)

Erdogan wants to meet Putin in Russia “in the near future”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to travel to Russia and discuss the currently suspended grain agreement with President Vladimir Putin. Erdogan will travel to the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi “in the near future”, said AK party spokesman Ömer Celik on Monday evening, according to the state news agency Anadolu.

At the end of July, Russia withdrew from the grain agreement, which is important for world food security and was concluded through the mediation of Turkey and the UN. Among other things, the agreement made it possible to export Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed an “imminent meeting” between Erdogan and Putin on Monday, but did not want to give any details about the time and place. That will be done in due course, he said. Previously, Russian media had speculated that Erdogan could travel to Sochi on the Black Sea on September 4 to talk to Putin about the future of the agreement. (dpa)

London: Pay in the Russian army has risen sharply since the beginning of the war

Since the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine, pay in the Russian army has increased significantly, according to British sources. “Military service in the Russian armed forces has become increasingly lucrative since the invasion,” the British Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday. Wages and bonuses are strong motives for joining the military, “especially for those from the poorer areas of Russia”. At the same time, the authority emphasized: “However, it is still unlikely that Russia will achieve its goals in recruiting volunteers for the armed forces.”

The British ministry referred to statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who on February 4, 2022 – just under three weeks before the start of the war – gave a lieutenant’s salary at 81,200 rubles a month. In the meantime, however, even privates who had already been mobilized received 195,000 rubles (currently 1,887 euros) according to official figures. And many NCOs fighting in Ukraine earn more than 200,000 rubles a month. “This is more than 2.7 times the average Russian wage of 72,851 rubles,” it said in London. Applied to the UK, that means an annual salary of more than £90,000 (€105,000). (dpa)

Russia: Two Ukrainian drones destroyed

According to official information, Russia has repelled another Ukrainian drone attack on its territory. Air defense destroyed two unmanned aerial vehicles over the Tula region south of Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on its Telegram channel on Tuesday morning.(dpa)

Selenski wants to maximize weapon production – The night at a glance

After more than a year and a half of war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a maximum increase in arms production to fight the Russian invasion. In addition to artillery weapons and ammunition, drones, rockets and armored vehicles should also be manufactured in the country. «We are increasing the production volume to a maximum. Ukraine can do that. The funding is in place. Our defense industry will bring good results,” Zelensky said in his nightly video message broadcast in Kiev on Monday.

The Ukrainian leadership has repeatedly announced that it will turn the country into one of the largest arms producers. According to Selenski, he met with representatives of the defense industry so that production could be further ramped up.

The country is dependent on huge amounts of ammunition and weapons in its counter-offensive to liberate the occupied areas, which has been sluggish for weeks. The country relies primarily on the military aid of Western allies.

At the same time, Zelensky instructed the military to make preparations for the winter, for example to protect the energy infrastructure that Russia has repeatedly shelled in the past.

According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksey Resnikov, there is currently no need for renewed mobilization in Ukraine. The Ukrainian losses are many times lower than those of the Russian occupiers. He did not name numbers. “But there is no reason to say that our situation is critical and that we need to increase,” the minister told journalists, according to the Interfax-Ukraina news agency.

According to conflicting information from Kiev, Resnikov stated that further mobilizations were planned, that there were already established benchmarks for conscription to military service that first had to be met. It is therefore not necessary to set new quotas.

Most recently, when asked whether more recruits should be called up in the future in view of the high losses, Selenski also explained that the military leadership was asking for more soldiers to be mobilized. Above all, however, those men are now to be called up for military service who are already subject to the previous mobilization but have not yet been drafted. In addition, after numerous scandals in district military replacement offices, Selenski had the leadership changed there. (dpa)

Kremlin: Prigozhin’s burial date has not yet been set

Several days after the death of Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, the date of his burial remains unclear. “I still have no information about the funeral,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday, according to the Interfax agency, who asked about the funeral of the ten victims of last Wednesday’s plane crash. “Once a decision has been made, it will probably be made public,” Peskow added.

Kremlin spokesman Peskov did not answer the question of whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would come to the funeral. There is also confusion as to how large the funeral will be, which according to Russian Orthodox tradition should have taken place a few days after death. Prigozhin was once awarded the Order of Hero of Russia. (dpa)

Zelensky: The West would have to finance possible elections during the war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky only wants to hold elections during the war if the US or the EU help with the financing. “By law, it is forbidden to hold elections (during martial law),” he said in an interview published on Monday night. Implementation is very difficult and expensive. The prerequisite is the financial support of the election process by the USA and the EU. “I will not hold elections on credit, nor will I withdraw funds from the defense for the elections,” emphasized Zelensky.

To do this, Parliament would have to change the relevant laws “quickly”. According to him, the main problem for legitimate elections is how to ensure that the soldiers can vote. To do this, election observers would also have to be sent into the trenches. It would also have to be made possible for the millions of refugees scattered throughout Europe to take part. «Seven million (refugees) must be able to vote. We need every vote, »emphasized Zelenskyj. Earlier, during a visit to Kiev, Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham called for Ukraine to hold elections by 2024 at the latest, despite the war.

According to observers, Zelensky could currently count on a clear victory in the presidential elections. For parliamentary elections, however, he would have to run with a new party project. His “Servants of the People” party, which was specially founded before the 2019 elections, could no longer gain a majority due to constant scandals. In Parliament, the faction of the President’s Party is already dependent on the support of other MPs. (dpa)

Dead after rocket hits Ukrainian cooking oil factory

At least two workers were killed in a Russian rocket fire at an edible oil factory in the central Ukrainian region of Poltava. According to Ukrainian authorities, five other people were injured on Monday night. At the time of the attack, all of the victims were working night shifts in the company, which is around 250 kilometers east of the capital Kiev, wrote the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, on Telegram.

According to the local military administration, the missile impact completely destroyed the factory’s production workshop. searches and Debris clearing continued in the morning.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia fired a total of four cruise missiles and two rockets at Ukraine during the night. According to media reports, some houses near Kryvyi Rih – the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy – were damaged by crashed rocket parts. People shouldn’t have been hurt.

In addition, the Russian army shelled the village of Sadowe near the southern Ukrainian city of Cherson on Monday morning. According to the regional military administration, a 63-year-old woman was killed and a 58-year-old man injured. (dpa)

Belarusian opposition figure: Minsk gives new passports to Wagner fighters

According to the Belarusian opposition figure Pavel Latuschko, the fighters of the Russian mercenary group Wagner will receive new passports from the Interior Ministry in Minsk. The former Belarusian culture minister told the Polish news agency PAP on Monday that these are genuine documents with new first and last names. With the new documents, the Wagner fighters could, for example, enter the EU and carry out terrorist attacks here, according to the politician, who lives in exile. He did not say how many fighters had already received new passports.

After a failed uprising by the Wagner army against Moscow’s military leadership in June, many fighters moved into quarters in Belarus at the invitation of ruler Alexander Lukashenko. According to Russian authorities, mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash last week. According to Latuschko, there are still thousands of Wagner fighters in Belarus.

The ruler Lukashenko would like to keep the Wagner fighters in the country, but there are not enough funds for this, Lautschko said. However, several hundred fighters have already signed contracts with the Belarusian Defense Ministry. “They could be used in special units of the Belarusian army to create problems at the border and work with illegal migrants who attack the borders of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia every day,” Latushko said. (dpa)

Ukrainian Defense Minister: Army liberates village of Robotyne

According to Ukraine, after weeks of fighting, the Russian occupiers have been driven out of a village in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia. “After the liberation of Robotyne, our troops are advancing southeast of it,” Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar said on Monday, according to a statement. Russian resistance continues to be fierce. The next destinations in the direction of the city of Tokmak are the towns of Novoprokopivka and Ocheretuvate. Information from the war zone often cannot be verified directly and independently.

According to their statements, the Ukrainian troops also continued to advance in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. “We have some advance on the southern flank of Bakhmut,” Maljar said. In the past week, a square kilometer had been liberated. Ukrainian units advanced in the village of Klishchiyivka. A total of 44 square kilometers had been wrested from the Russian enemy on this front section.(dpa)

Great Britain: Russia probably cancels major military exercise

The British Ministry of Defense believes it is very likely that Russia has canceled a military exercise planned for September. The exercise Zapad (“West”) 23 should actually have been the highlight of the military training year, the British wrote on Monday in their daily update on the short message service X. The previous Zapad 21 operation was the largest Russian exercise since Soviet times.

“The underperformance of the Russian military in Ukraine showed that joint strategic exercises had limited value and were mainly for show,” the ministry wrote. Russia probably canceled Zapad 23 due to insufficient troops and equipment. The leadership may also fear criticism in the country if they hold another brilliantly presented military exercise in times of war.

The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Moscow accuses London of disinformation. (dpa)

Russian intelligence arrests ex-US consulate employee

The Russian secret service FSB has arrested a former employee of the US consulate in Vladivostok on allegations of espionage. The Russian citizen collected information on the course of the “military special operation” on behalf of the US embassy, ​​the FSB said on Monday. Russian officials describe the country’s war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine as a special military operation.

In addition, the man is accused of having passed on information about the mobilization processes in the regions and the potential for protests before the presidential elections in Russia to the political department of the embassy for a fee. In this context, the FSB says it also wants to interrogate two US diplomats. If convicted of colluding with foreign powers to harm national security, the suspect faces up to eight years in prison.

The incident threatens to further strain the already tense relationship between Russia and the United States. Moscow has used such arrests in the past to exchange its own agents abroad. Earlier this year, the Russian secret service arrested US correspondent Evan Gershkovich from the Wall Street Journal on allegations of espionage. The accused and the newspaper deny the allegations, Gershkovich has been in custody since the end of March. (dpa)

Zelensky hints at possible political solution around Crimea

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy believes a negotiated solution for Crimea, which has been annexed by Russia since 2014, is possible. “If we’re on the administrative borders of Crimea, I think you can politically force Russia’s demilitarization on the territory of the peninsula,” he said in an interview on Sunday, which was picked up by several Ukrainian media outlets on Monday morning. In the past, Kiev has repeatedly stressed its determination to retake Crimea militarily.

Ukrainian soldiers are currently on the offensive in the south of the country, trying to win back occupied areas and push forward to the Crimean coast. After that, the peninsula could also be conquered.

According to Zelensky, however, a political solution for Crimea would be better because it would involve fewer victims. At the same time, Zelensky emphasized in the interview that he did not want to shift the war to Russian territory. The aim is the liberation of their own territories. If, on the other hand, Ukraine advances far into Russian territory, there is a risk of quickly losing the support of Western partners and having to fight Russia alone.

Russian propagandists have repeatedly justified the need to continue the war with the fact that if Russia were to lose, there would be a risk of division and occupation by foreign forces.(dpa)

Kiev’s defense minister sees F-16 fighter jets as a “game changer” – the night at a glance

According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia repelled another drone attack in the Bryansk region on Monday night. Two drones were destroyed by anti-aircraft defenses over the south-western area near the border with Ukraine, the ministry announced on its Telegram channel on Monday morning. Moscow accused Kiev of perpetrating the attack. Another attempt by Kiev to “carry out a terrorist attack with aircraft-like drones against facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation” was foiled, it said. The information could not be independently verified.

Nothing was initially known about damage or victims. There have been repeated reports from Russia of such drone attacks in recent weeks.

Defense Minister Resnikov called the forthcoming deployment of Western-style fighter jets a “serious game changer” – a groundbreaking innovation in the defense against Russian attackers. The F-16 machines, which Ukraine’s western allies have promised, could probably be deployed in Ukraine next spring, Resnikov said, according to “Bild”.

Ukraine has started training pilots, engineers and technicians. Now the infrastructure for the F-16 in Ukraine must be prepared. “It should take at least six months, maybe a little longer. That’s why I think it will be in the spring of next year,” said Resnikov in the Ronzheimer podcast by the Axel Springer company, to which “Bild” also belongs.

Resnikov emphasized that it was about “ending Russia’s supremacy in the sky”. The F-16 jets would become part of anti-aircraft defenses, including to protect Ukrainian cities. “That would be a serious game changer. A serious one,” he said.

What will be important on Monday

The UN commissioners of inquiry into the Ukraine war, Erik Møse, Pablo de Greif and Vrinda Grover, begin their third visit to the country on Monday. Until September 4, they will visit several cities and meet government officials, civil society officials and victims and victims to investigate alleged human rights abuses and war crimes, according to the United Nations. As chairman of the UN commission of inquiry, Møse had previously accused Russia of numerous war crimes in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky is receiving his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Prague. The Czech Republic is seen as a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion and has supplied arms and ammunition to the country. (dpa)

Selenski wants to equate corruption with treason for the duration of the war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wants corruption to be equated with treason for the duration of the war. In an interview published on Sunday, Zelensky said he wanted to submit such a bill to Parliament. “I don’t know whether the legislature will support this proposal – but I will definitely propose it,” he said. Zelensky was convinced that such legal equality could be helpful for the duration of the Russian war of aggression against his country.

A successful fight against corruption and the informal economy is also in the hands of citizens and companies, he warned. “We have to be honest, we have to pay taxes,” he said in an interview with journalist Nataliya Mossejchuk.

So far, Ukrainian legislation has provided for various penalties for corruption, ranging from a fine to four years in prison. In particularly severe cases, it can be up to twelve years. Treason, on the other hand, is punishable by 15 years to life imprisonment.

Improving the fight against corruption is an important part of the European Commission’s requirements for Ukraine’s possible EU accession. The EU is also demanding that standards in the fight against money laundering be observed and that a law against the excessive influence of oligarchs be implemented.

When asked about the conduct of the next presidential and parliamentary elections in the coming year, Zelenskyy said that he would like to hold them. However, changes in the law, money are out partners and international election observers – also directly on the front line – are required.

According to many experts, no elections can be held during the war for constitutional reasons. For example, because of martial law, a number of basic human rights – such as freedom of speech and freedom of assembly – may be restricted, which would contradict a democratic election.(dpa)

Russia: Fighter jet rises over Black Sea because of US drone

Because of a US reconnaissance drone over the Black Sea, the Russian military says it has launched a fighter jet. Air surveillance systems have detected a target moving towards Russian airspace, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. A Su-30 fighter plane was then dispatched to identify the flying object and prevent the border from being breached. According to the Russian military leadership, the MQ-9A “Reaper” drone then turned away and the fighter jet also returned.

Initially, there was no comment from Washington. After earlier incidents over the Black Sea, the USA had emphasized that its reconnaissance drones were lawfully in international airspace. In March, a US military drone collided with a Russian fighter jet in international airspace over the Black Sea. The US blamed “unsafe and unprofessional” actions on the part of the Russian side. US forces should have brought the drone down, it said.

Russia has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine for a good 18 months and uses its own Black Sea fleet to shell the area, among other things.(dpa)

Ukrainian Army: We are advancing south from Robotyne

According to a spokesman, the Ukrainian army is working its way south after breaking through the Russian defense line at Robotyne. The next targets are the villages of Novoprokopivka, Mala Tokmachka and Ocheretuvate. Officer Oleksander Shtupun, spokesman for the troops in this sector of the front, said this on Ukrainian television on Sunday. Although the Russian air force was stepping up its attacks there, Schtupun interpreted this as a sign that the exhausted Russian artillery and infantry no longer had much to oppose the Ukrainian advance.

This information could not initially be verified. However, military observers agree that after weeks of fighting, Robotyne in the Zaporizhia region is actually in the hands of Ukrainian troops. The advance continues south. At Robotyne, the Ukrainians broke through a mined and fortified Russian defense line. The success is also psychologically important in the face of criticism, especially in the US, that the Ukrainian counter-offensive is making no progress.

To the south, the occupied cities of Tokmak and Melitopol come into view for the Ukrainian troops. Their artillery is also moving closer to Russian supply lines. In this region, Ukraine hopes to advance to the Sea of ​​Azov and cut off the land connection to the Crimean Peninsula for the Russians.

Russian troops in turn attacked near the cities of Avdiivka and Mariinka in Donetsk region, army spokesman Shtupun said. However, it is possible to fend off these attacks. (dpa)

Ukraine and Moscow report attacks

Several regions in Ukraine reportedly came under fire from Russian cruise missiles on Sunday morning. Among other things, air defenses were activated in the outskirts of Kiev, as the military administration of the Ukrainian capital announced on Telegram. In the area around Kiev, ten houses, two cars and a hall with agricultural machinery were damaged by falling rocket parts. Two people were slightly injured.

The Ukrainian Air Force said the cruise missiles were launched by Russian fighter jets near the town of Engels on the Volga. Eight missiles were observed, but no impacts were reported.

There have been reports from Moscow of Ukrainian drone strikes over the Bryansk and Kursk regions. The ministry announced on its Telegram channel that the unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed over the border regions in the south-west of the country.

However, the administration of the Kursk region announced that a drone had hit a high-rise building in the city. Nobody was injured. The details of the attacks could not be independently verified. (dpa)

Official: Yevgeny Prigozhin is dead

Four days after a mysterious plane crash, Russian authorities have officially confirmed the death of the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin. The Tass agency reported this on Sunday, citing the State Investigative Committee. After identifying all ten victims of a plane crash, it is clear that Prigozhin is one of them.

“As part of the clarification of the plane crash in the Tver region, a molecular-genetic expertise was carried out,” the investigative committee said. «According to their results, the identity of all ten dead was established. It corresponds to the published passenger list.»

After the plane crash, news of Prigozhin’s death was based primarily on the fact that his name was on the airline’s list. The military leader of the mercenary troupe, the ex-secret service officer Dmitry Utkin, and other leading figures of Wagner were also killed.

The cause of the crash is not officially clear. However, large parts of the Russian public and Western governments assume that the private jet was deliberately brought down. Priogoshin (62) had instigated a mutiny against the Russian military and state leadership two months earlier in June. President Vladimir Putin called him a traitor at the time.

After the first news about Prigozhin’s death, Putin spoke of a talented man who made serious mistakes. An involvement of the Kremlin in the crash was denied.

Prigozhin was popular with many Russians because of his criticism of corruption and the inability of the military leadership in the aggressive war against Ukraine. The Wagner mercenaries fought in the Ukraine, but also in Syria and in many African countries. (dpa)

Russia repels drone strikes again

According to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, the Russian air defense repelled Ukrainian drone attacks over the Bryansk and Kursk regions overnight. The unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed over the border regions in the south-west of the country, the ministry announced on Sunday morning in its Telegram channel.

However, the administration of the Kursk region announced that a drone had hit a high-rise building in the city. No one was injured, Governor Roman Starovojt wrote on Telegram. The windows were shattered on several floors.

The information could not be independently verified. There have been repeated reports from Russia of such drone attacks in recent weeks. The Defense Ministry in Moscow speaks of terrorism. So far, Ukrainian drones have done no more than damage civilian buildings, while Russian airstrikes on Ukraine have killed thousands and caused severe devastation. (dpa)

Ukraine: Russian cruise missile attack

Several regions in Ukraine reportedly came under fire from Russian cruise missiles early Sunday morning. Among other things, air defenses were activated in the outskirts of Kiev, as the military administration of the Ukrainian capital announced on Telegram.

The Ukrainian Air Force said the cruise missiles were launched by Russian fighter jets near the town of Engels on the Volga. A total of eight missiles were observed. Four of them were shot down over northern and central Ukraine. Despite this, no impacts or damage were reported. Some of the guided missiles could have been dummies, it said. Such military information can usually not be independently verified.

The governor of Cherkasy, Ihor Taburez, also wrote in his Telegram channel that the central Ukrainian region had activated air defenses. (dpa)

The night on Sunday at a glance

According to official information, three pilots were killed in a collision between two planes in Ukraine. Two L-39 training aircraft collided in mid-air in the Zhytomyr region. The accident itself happened on Friday evening, but was not known until the following day. The pilot Andriy Pilschchykov, known under his pseudonym “Juice”, is among the victims.

President Volodymyr Zelensky commemorated the three pilots who died on Ukrainian Aviation Day. “My condolences to the relatives and confidants, to all those who knew the young men,” he said in his daily video speech on Saturday. Zelensky recalled that Pilschchykov in particular had made a significant contribution to Ukraine’s air defenses in its defense against Russian aggression. He promised a full explanation of the incident.

For Kiev, the reputation of its own fighter pilots is of great importance, as Ukraine has been asking its Western allies for modern fighter jets for months. In the meantime, Kiev has received commitments from several countries for the training of fighter pilots and the delivery of F-16 fighter jets.

Just the day before, the Ukrainian state leadership had once again urged urgency to use the F-16 fighter jets it had promised against the aggressor Russia as soon as possible. “Our goal is to get closer to the time when the F-16s will help us keep the Russian terrorists out. As soon as possible, »Wrote Selenskyj there on Platform X, formerly Twitter.

General Staff speaks of Ukrainian progress at Melitopol

Several regions in Ukraine, meanwhile, reportedly came under rocket fire early Sunday morning. Among other things, air defenses were activated in the outskirts of Kiev, as the military administration of the Ukrainian capital announced on Telegram. The governor of Cherkasy, Ihor Taburez, also wrote in his Telegram channel that the central Ukrainian region had activated air defenses. Nothing was initially known about damage or victims. The information could not be independently verified. Russia has been waging a brutal war of aggression against the neighboring country for around 18 months.

On Saturday, Selenski only touched on the ongoing fighting at the front. He thanked the soldiers for their dedication to the various battlefields, highlighting the battles around Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine and near the village of Robotyne in the south of the country. However, he did not give details of developments at the front.

The general staff spoke of further progress towards the city of Melitopol – this also means the front section near Robotyne, where the Ukrainian soldiers are now fortifying new lines. The military did not make any more concrete statements either.

Second ship leaves Odessa port – despite Russian blockade

Despite the end announced by Russia for the grain agreement mi t Ukraine, a bulk carrier has left the port of Odessa. According to the ship data recorder Marinetraffic, the ship left Odessa on Saturday morning and is on its way to Varna in Bulgaria. The “Primus” is already the second freighter to set off from Odessa via Ukrainian ports despite the naval blockade that has been reinstated by Russia.

The “Primus” is flying the Liberian flag. The ship has been in port since the end of February. At that time it still arrived there under the name “Polarstar”. During that time it changed hands and now belongs to a shipping company from Singapore. It is unclear what cargo the “Primus” has on board. In mid-July, Moscow withdrew its security guarantees for a grain corridor to Türkiye. Instead, all ships calling at Ukrainian ports would be considered as carrying military cargo, it said. (dpa)

Ukraine prepares further mobilization

According to the Ukrainian leadership, they are preparing further conscriptions for the defensive fight against Russia. “Yes, the military have contacted us and there will probably be an additional convocation,” Secretary of the National Council for Security and Defense Oleksiy Danilov told Ukrainian radio on Saturday. However, he assured that the mobilization would not go beyond the parameters already set at the beginning of the war on February 24, 2022.

According to Danilov, this is not an unscheduled measure. The mobilization has been going on for a year and a half, and several stages have already been completed. “You don’t have to make a fuss about it, everything is going according to the plan that we are currently pursuing,” said the top Kiev official.

After the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine declared martial law. All men between the ages of 18 and 60 are therefore generally obliged to do military service and can be called up – unless they are exempt from service for health or social reasons, for example because they are single fathers. The exact number of those called up so far is not known. A year ago, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar put the number at several hundred thousand. Because of the losses at the front, new recruits have to be trained and sent into battle again and again.

Recently, Ukraine has been shaken by conscription scandals. After the media publicized a case in which a corrupt civil service officer bought property in Spain – apparently with a bribe he received for declaring wealthy young Ukrainians unfit for service – President Zelensky called for the entire conscription system to be checked for corruption.

At a press conference on Wednesday, when asked whether more recruits should be called up in view of the high losses, Zelensky also stated that the military leadership was asking for more soldiers to be mobilized. (dpa)

Second ship leaves Odessa port – despite Russian blockade

Despite the end of the grain agreement with Ukraine announced by Russia, a bulk carrier has left the port of Odessa. According to the ship data recorder Marinetraffic, the ship left Odessa on Saturday morning and is on its way to Varna in Bulgaria. The “Primus” is already the second freighter to set off from Odessa via Ukrainian ports despite the naval blockade that has been reinstated by Russia.

The “Primus” is flying the Liberian flag. The ship has been in port since the end of February. At that time it still arrived there under the name “Polarstar”. During that time it changed hands and now belongs to a shipping company from Singapore. It is unclear what cargo the “Primus” has on board. In mid-July, Moscow withdrew its security guarantees for a grain corridor to Türkiye. Instead, all ships calling at Ukrainian ports would be considered as carrying military cargo, it said.

But the naval blockade has already been circumvented. The German container freighter “Joseph Schulte” set the precedent. The ship left the Ukrainian port of Odessa in mid-August and was the first to use a maritime corridor designated by Ukraine for merchant ships. According to Ukrainian information, civilian ships navigate the established corridor at their own risk. The crossing went without incident. (dpa)

Three Ukrainian pilots die in plane crash

According to media reports, three pilots were killed in a collision between two planes in Ukraine on Saturday. In the Zhytomyr region, two L-39 training aircraft collided in the air on Friday evening, it is said. The pilot Andriy Pilschchykov, known under his pseudonym “Juice”, is among the victims.

His friend Pavlo Pozeluyev confirmed Pilschchykov’s death on social media. Pilshchykov was a pilot of the Mig-29 fighter jet and had taken part in a number of air battles since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including in the defense of Kiev. In interviews with Western media, he had repeatedly asked for the delivery of Western F-16 fighter jets.(dpa)

Dead and injured after shelling of Kupyansk

According to official sources, at least two civilians died when a suburb of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupyansk was shelled. “The enemy hit a civilian object, a café, where residents stayed during the day,” said the governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Synehubov, via telegram on Saturday. In addition to the two fatalities, there is also one other injured.

The village of Podoly, a suburb of Kupyansk on the eastern bank of the Oskil, was hit. The Russian troops have increased their military efforts in the area – as a counterweight to the Ukrainian offensive in the south of the country. As a result, the Russians have recently advanced further in the region in north-eastern Ukraine. Kupjansk, which was liberated during the Ukrainian counter-offensive last fall, has come under fire several times. (dpa)

London: Russia could step up attacks on Kupyansk and Lyman

According to British military experts, Russia could intensify its attacks in the area east of the cities of Kupyansk and Lyman in north-eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian counter-offensive has put Russian forces under pressure in eastern Bakhmut and southern Ukraine, the Defense Ministry wrote in London on Saturday. However, Russia continued minor attacks in the north-east in the Kupyansk-Lyman sector and made limited local progress there.

While Ukraine continues to gain ground in the south, Britain says Russia may try to regain the initiative by reverting to an “operational-level offensive.”

“Kupyansk-Lyman is a possible area for this,” the British wrote in their daily update on the short message service X. It is therefore possible that Russia will increase the intensity of its offensive efforts on the Kupyansk-Lyman axis in the next two months – “probably with the goal to advance west to the Oksil River and create a buffer zone around the Luhansk region.”

Ukraine liberated the Russian-occupied city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region last year. The city and the surrounding area were then repeatedly the target of Russian shelling. (dpa)

The night on Saturday at a glance

The Ukrainian government is rushing to deploy the F-16 fighter jets it has been promised against Russia as soon as possible. “Our goal is to get closer to the time when the F-16s will help us keep the Russian terrorists out. As soon as possible,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on Platform X (formerly Twitter) on Friday evening. In addition to the Netherlands and Denmark, Norway has also pledged F-16 deliveries to Ukraine.

In total, dozens of planes are involved. The exact delivery time is not clear. With the fighter jets, Ukraine wants to increase the effectiveness of its counter-offensive against the Russian attacks and, above all, protect its airspace – together with the air defense systems – better than before. Russia, on the other hand, is threatening that the use of fighter jets will make the war even bloodier.

“Our foreign team is working on expanding the training missions as much as possible,” said Selenski in his evening video message. “Our military is preparing the infrastructure as quickly as possible and is sending pilots and engineers for training. We need to make sure that Ukraine is fully prepared.” He had previously said the F-16s would be delivered once the pilots had completed training.

After a conversation with US President Joe Biden the day before, Zelenski said that the US was also involved in the training of pilots and engineers. He also announced that new defense packages would be prepared to meet the needs of soldiers at the front. He did not give details.

Ukrainian media: Drone strikes in Crimea

According to Ukrainian media, the Ukrainian secret service SBU and Kiev’s armed forces attacked military positions with drones on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia. There are dozens of dead and injured, reported the “Ukrajinska Pravda” on Friday, citing informed circles at the SBU. A photo of clouds of smoke was also published. Accordingly, the 126th Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is said to have been attacked in the village of Perevalnoe not far from the Crimean capital Simferopol. The information was not independently verifiable. There was initially no information on this from the Russian side.

According to the reports, the drones also hit an ammunition depot, bypassing Russian air defense systems. Military technology was also badly damaged, it said. The Russian occupiers were not prepared for the special operation of the SBU and the Ukrainian armed forces.

Selenski relies on cooperation with Türkiye

In his video message, Zelenski informed about a meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who was making his first official visit to Kiev. “Together with Turkey, we can restore security step by step,” said Zelenskiy, also with a view to the canceled by Russia agreement to ship Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea to Turkey. Ukraine is aiming to resume exports without involving Russia in negotiations.

At the end of July, Russia withdrew from the agreement, which is important for world food security and was concluded through the mediation of Turkey and the UN. Since then, there has been no safe sea corridor for exports. NATO member Turkey maintains close ties with both Ukraine and Russia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly offered to mediate in the conflict between Kiev and Moscow, but he is also pursuing his own interests.

Zelensky also announced further initiatives at the diplomatic level for the autumn, “new steps with our partners to strengthen Ukraine”. Domestically, there will be new legislative initiatives against state officials, which will not strengthen Ukraine, but rather weaken it. Selenski did not give any details. However, he had repeatedly announced a more determined fight against corruption in the state apparatus. (dpa)

Ukrainian media: Drone strikes in Crimea

On the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea annexed by Russia, the secret service SBU and Kiev’s armed forces na According to a report in Ukrajinska Pravda, military positions were attacked with drones. There are dozens dead and injured, the Internet portal reported on Friday, citing informed circles at the SBU secret service. A photo of clouds of smoke was also published. Accordingly, the 126th Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is said to have been attacked in the village of Perevalnoe not far from the Crimean capital Simferopol.

Other Ukrainian media also reported about it. There was initially no information on this from the Russian side. The information was not independently verifiable.

According to the reports, the drones also hit an ammunition depot, bypassing Russian air defense systems. Military technology was also badly damaged, it said. The Russian occupiers were not prepared for the special operation of the secret service SBU and the Ukrainian armed forces.

In the past, the Russian Ministry of Defense and the authorities in Crimea had repeatedly reported the shooting down of Ukrainian drones. For weeks, Ukraine has been increasingly targeting targets on the Black Sea Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014. The country, which has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression with Western military aid for more than a year and a half, wants to liberate all occupied territories, including Crimea, as part of its ongoing counter-offensive. (dpa)

Selenski urges hurry for F-16 deployment

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging the use of F-16 fighter jets against Russian aggression. “Our goal is to get closer to the time when the F-16s will help us keep the Russian terrorists out. As soon as possible,” he shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday evening. After the announced delivery of the fighter jets by the Netherlands and Denmark, the agreements made there during his recent visits would be implemented, Zelensky said in his evening video message distributed in Kiev. Norway had also announced F-16.

In total, dozens of planes are involved. The exact delivery time is not clear. With the fighter jets, Ukraine wants to increase the effectiveness of its counter-offensive against the Russian attacks and, above all, protect its airspace – together with the air defense systems – even better than before. Russia, on the other hand, warns that the use of fighter jets will increase violence in the war.

“Our foreign team is working on expanding the training missions as much as possible,” said Selenski. “Our military is preparing the infrastructure as quickly as possible and is sending pilots and engineers for training. We need to make sure that Ukraine is fully prepared.” He had previously said the F-16s would be delivered once the pilots had completed training.

After a conversation with US President Joe Biden the day before, Selenski said that the US was also involved in the training of pilots and engineers. “There will be more news in this and other areas,” he said. Zelensky also announced that new defense packages would be prepared to meet the needs of soldiers at the front. He did not give details. (dpa)

Zelensky receives Turkish Foreign Minister in Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Kiev. The meeting was about the grain agreement, among other things, Selenskyj wrote on Platform X on Friday. Further details were not known for the time being.

At the end of July, Russia withdrew from the agreement, which is important for world food security and was concluded through the mediation of Turkey and the UN. The agreement had enabled Ukrainian grain to be exported across the Black Sea.

NATO member Turkey maintains close ties with both Ukraine and Russia. Ankara has not imposed any sanctions on Russia. At the same time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly called for maintaining Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Foreign Minister Fidan traveled to Ukraine for the first time since taking office in June. (dpa)

Kremlin: Putin is not going to the G20 in India

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be going to the Group of Twenty Summit (G20) in India in early September. Travel is currently not on the calendar, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday in Moscow. Putin is concentrating on the military special operation, as Moscow calls the war of aggression against Ukraine.

According to Russian agency reports, Peskov said that Putin had just attended the summit of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) via video link. The form of his participation in the G20 summit will be clarified. The meeting will take place on September 9th and 10th. September in New Delhi. Putin also did not fly to Indonesia for the group’s summit last year. (dpa)

Kremlin denies involvement in Prigozhin’s death

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman has denied allegations of Kremlin involvement in the alleged death of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. “This is an absolute lie,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow on Friday. There is a lot of speculation about the plane crash that “is fueled from a certain corner in the West,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

The Kremlin has not yet confirmed Prigozhin’s death either. Peskov advised waiting for the results of the investigations, as Putin said the previous evening. “When the official results are ready for publication, they will be published.”

A plane crashed halfway from Moscow to St. Petersburg on Wednesday. All people on board perished. According to the passenger list, Prigozhin, head of Wagner’s private army, was also on the plane. Two months earlier, he and his gunmen had mutinied against Putin and the military leadership. Allegations are made on the Russian Internet that the flight was sabotaged out of revenge. Western governments also do not assume a technical cause.

Peskow said he could say nothing about the future of the Wagner gunmen. According to Russian law, there is no private military company Wagner. Nevertheless, of course, the group existed. The shadow army was deployed in Syria and many African countries, and also fought openly in Ukraine. (dpa)

US Institute: Prigozhin’s death ends Wagner’s independence

According to US military experts, the presumed death of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin means the end of the Wagner Group as a quasi-independent private army. The loss of the central leader weakens their ability to confront the campaign by the Kremlin and the Russian Defense Ministry to destabilize and destroy the group after its rebellion on June 24, the US Institute for War Studies ISW wrote in its analysis on Thursday (local time). .

The ministry has reportedly set up private military groups of its own, which recruit current and former Wagner personnel, it said. It is about the control of Wagner operations abroad. It is unclear whether the Kremlin wants to dissolve Wagner completely or set it up as a smaller organization under the Ministry of Defense. It is possible as a third option that Wagner will remain as a quasi-independent group with a new leadership loyal to the Kremlin, but according to the ISW it is unlikely.

The US experts pointed out that Wagner’s commander’s council has not publicly commented on the group’s future since Prigozhin’s alleged deadly plane crash. This could speak for a general chaos within the command ranks or for an explicit silence instruction from Russian authorities, wrote the ISW. Vladimir “Putin’s almost certain assassination of Wagner’s leadership has made it very clear that the Kremlin will be outwardly hostile to those trying to secure the independence of their own parallel military structures,” the analysis said.

A successor to Prigozhin personally chosen by Putin would in turn run the risk of incurring the wrath of the Wagner base. After the Wagner uprising, the Kremlin will likely judge any future formation of military groups based on its experience with Wagner and Prigozhin, Washington said. The alleged murder of the mercenary leader became a standing threat to everyone who tried to set up similar parallel structures.(dpa)

Chechen leader Kadyrov publicly mourns the loss of Prigozhin

Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov has publicly mourned the alleged death of Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. “His death is a great loss for the whole state,” he wrote on Friday night on his Telegram channel, shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of a tragedy. He expressed his condolences to the family. Kadyrov and Prigozhin were both involved with troops under their command in Russia’s aggressive war in Ukraine. They were united in their criticism of the Russian military leadership for a while, but ended up falling out badly.

“We’ve been friends for a long time,” Kadyrov claimed two days after Prigozhin was believed to have died in a plane crash. He posted a photo on Telegram that shows him receiving a medal from the Wagner mercenary group from Prigozhin’s hands. He only touched on the conflict in passing. In recent months, Prigozhin has lost sight of the big picture. “I have asked him to put his personal ambitions aside in favor of matters of the greatest importance to the state,” he wrote.

In fact, Kadyrov and Prigozhin were both seen as hardliners and called for even tougher action by Moscow in Ukraine. However, many observers described the alliance between the two as temporary, as their criticism of the military leadership was primarily about gaining advantages for their own troops. In fact, the alliance ended when Prigozhin criticized Kadyrov’s Akhmat forces for never fighting in the front lines. The Chechen units then threatened the Wagner boss with violence, among other things.

The mutiny initiated by Prigozhin in June promised to put down Kadyrov “with harsh methods”. However, there was no conflict between the Wagner and Achmat units; Prigozhin called off the uprising himself.(dpa)

London: Prigozhin is “very likely” dead

According to British intelligence services, the Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is “very likely” dead. The British Ministry of Defense emphasized on Friday that there is still no definitive proof that Prigozhin was on board the crashed plane, especially since he always takes extraordinary security measures. But Prigozhin’s death would profoundly destabilize Wagner’s private army en, it was said in London.

“His personal characteristics such as hyperactivity, extraordinary boldness, result orientation and extreme brutality have shaped Wagner and should not be equaled by any successor,” the British ministry said. The leadership vacuum at Wagner would be exacerbated if reports were true that founder and field commander Dmitry Utkin and logistics chief Valery Chekalov are dead.

The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow accuses London of disinformation. (dpa)

Prigozchin’s death continues to pose a mystery – the night at a glance

Two days after the alleged death of Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash, the circumstances are still unclear. On Thursday evening, Russian President Vladimir Putin only indirectly confirmed the death of his former favorite, who had mutinied against him two months earlier as head of Wagner’s private army. However, according to media reports, the US government also assumes that Prigozhin died in the crash on Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, the United States announced that it would begin training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 fighter jet in September. Kiev had been asking for this aircraft for a long time, and now the Ukrainian Air Force should finally get it – after the Netherlands and Denmark, Norway also announced on Thursday that it would make F-16 jets available.

President Vladimir Putin had his army invade the neighboring country on February 24, 2022. A year and a half later, Ukraine’s Independence Day was celebrated on Thursday, when President Volodymyr Zelensky received a congratulatory call from what is probably his most important supporter. According to the White House, US President Joe Biden promised to support Ukraine’s defense efforts against Russia for as long as necessary. Meanwhile, air alerts were raised over Odessa and the Russian-occupied Black Sea peninsula of Crimea on Friday night. (dpa)

Ukrainian military repels Russian attacks on the ground

According to the military, Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks on several front sectors on Thursday. The situation report of the General Staff in Kiev on the evening of the national holiday mentioned, among other things, the sections Kupyansk in the east of the country and Avdiivka north of the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk. At Marjinka, southwest of Donetsk, the Russians were on the offensive; but they managed to hold them back. The military information was not independently verifiable.

The counter-offensive at Robotyne in the Zaporizhia region is continuing, and the positions that have been reached are being expanded. The deployment of Russian artillery and air force was reported from all sectors of the front. (dpa)

Putin indirectly confirms Prigozhin’s death

Russian President Vladimir Putin has indirectly confirmed the death of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash. He called Prigozhin a “talented person,” Russian agencies reported on Thursday. “He was a person with a difficult fate and he made serious mistakes,” Putin said. At the same time, the businessman and mercenary leader achieved results – for himself and for the common cause.

Putin carefully formulated that, according to initial findings, a plane carrying members of Wagner’s private army had crashed the previous evening. Wagner made an important contribution to the fighting in Ukraine that will not be forgotten.

Putin expressed his condolences to the relatives. He announced a comprehensive investigation into the crash. This has already begun, but will take a while, he said at a meeting with Donetsk’s Russian head of administration, Denis Puschilin.

An official identification of the ten crash victims by the Russian authorities is still pending. Two months ago, Prigozhin and his gunmen briefly mutinied against the Russian leadership. (dpa)

UN complains about deliberate attacks on civilians in Ukraine

In the wake of Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine, the United Nations deplores deliberate attacks against civilians. “Dozens of civilians have also been killed in attacks in recent weeks,” UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the UN Security Council in New York on Thursday. In some cases, consecutive or double-tap attacks, known as “double-tap” attacks, not only killed and injured civilians, but also first responders who rushed to help.

These “heinous attacks” constitute a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, are unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. “Double-tap” attacks are a war tactic aimed at killing approaching aid workers and civilians after an initial bombardment. To do this, the target that has already been hit – for example a building – is targeted again after a short time. (dpa)

Zelensky: Ukraine has nothing to do with Prigozhin’s death

According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine has nothing to do with the possible death of the leadership of the Russian Wagner mercenary group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin. “Everyone understands who is involved,” he told reporters on Thursday. At the same time, the death of the mercenary leadership benefited Kiev “in a certain sense”.

The day before, a private jet operated by Prigozhin’s company had crashed in the Tver region of Russia. Both Prigozhin himself and the actual commander Dmitri Utkin are said to have been on board. (dpa)

Shootout in Crimea?

In the west of the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia since 2014, there have been skirmishes between Russian forces and a Ukrainian commando unit. “Units of the (Ukrainian military intelligence) HUR carried out a landing as part of a special operation, all tasks were completed,” HUR spokesman Andriy Yusov confirmed the operation in the Ukrainian media. Russian media reported Thursday the attack was repelled and the attackers were killed.

The fighting broke out at Cape Tarhankut in the extreme west of the peninsula near the village of Mayak. According to the Russian Telegram news channels “Mash” and “Shot”, the attackers landed with inflatable boats near a campsite. The vacationers there were startled by shots and explosions. “Shot” reported, citing Russian intelligence circles, that the crews of four inflatable boats – around 15 to 20 men – were later killed.

Yussow, on the other hand, denied Ukrainian losses in the course of the commando action. Rather, it had succeeded in weakening Russian forces. However, he said he could not provide precise information on Russian losses. The information provided by both warring parties cannot be independently verified. (dpa)

Ukrainian army apparently landed in Crimea

Part of the Ukrainian army is said to have advanced to Crimea. According to the Ukrainian authorities. These are supposed to be units of the secret service, as the representative of the Ukrainian military secret service, Andriy Yusov, told the state broadcaster Suspilne.

«The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Service conducted a special operation in cooperation with the Navy. The goal was achieved, there were no casualties among the forces,” said Jusow. “We do not disclose all the details, there are losses among the opposing staff.”

Zelensky adviser: “Putin does not forgive anyone his own fears”

For the adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, Mykhailo Podoliak, the death of mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, reported from Russia, was foreseeable since his mutiny against the Kremlin in June. “Prigozhin signed his own death warrant the moment he stopped 200 kilometers from Moscow,” Podoliak told the “Bild” newspaper on Wednesday evening.

“The uprising in Prigozhin in June really frightened (Russian President Vladimir) Putin” and was bound to have consequences in the foreseeable future, because: “Putin doesn’t forgive anyone his own fears.”

If the thesis is confirmed that the crash of the plane with Prigozhin on board goes back to a murder plot, it is a matter of a “demonstrative elimination” and “a direct signal to the elites (…) that the brutal murders of the ” own people» in Russia». From Podoljak’s point of view, Moscow would have sent a signal to its own army that “there are really no heroes there and that any disloyalty will be punished with death”. (dpa)

Biden not surprised by Prigozhin plane crash

US President Joe Biden has reacted with little surprise to the plane crash in Russia that is said to have killed Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. He didn’t know exactly what happened, but he wasn’t surprised, Biden said on Wednesday while on vacation in the US state of California. When asked by reporters if he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the crash, Biden said, “There’s not much that’s happening in Russia that Putin isn’t behind.” But he doesn’t know enough to answer that. (dpa)

Prigozhin’s death is official

Wagner boss Prigozhin died in a plane crash. This was announced by the Russian aviation authority on Wednesday evening.

Selenski rejects criticism of the formation of his army

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kursk region on the border with Ukraine on Wednesday and commemorated the great tank battle 80 years ago in World War II. At a ceremony, he honored soldiers defending the country against Russian invaders. They deserved the same fame “as the heroes of the Battle of Kursk, who fought the Nazis in 1943,” Putin said, according to the state news agency TASS.

The importance of the Soviet victory in the Battle of Kursk is difficult to overestimate, Putin said. “It destroyed the attacking power of the Nazis, turned them into dust and brought about the turning point in World War II,” he said. About 3.5 million soldiers and 10,000 tanks took part in the battle in August 1943. It is considered the largest tank battle in history. (dpa)

Private jet crashed: Wagner boss Prigozhin should be on the passenger list

According to the state news agency Tass, a plane en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg has crashed in Russia. Ten people died as a result. The head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is said to be on the passenger list.

According to a source, three pilots and seven passengers were on board. All had died. Four bodies have been found so far. The plane crashed less than 30 minutes after takeoff and then caught fire. It is still unclear whether Prigozhin was actually on board. (zen)

Zelensky: «Crimea will be liberated»

At a summit meeting of the so-called Crimea Platform, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy promised that Crimea, which Russia had annexed in 2014, would be taken back. «Crimea will be liberated. As well as all other parts of Ukraine that are now under the (Russian) occupiers, »said the head of state on Wednesday at the meeting in Kiev. The main task of the meeting is to prepare for the liberation.

Dozens of companies are already ready to invest in the peninsula once Ukrainian control has been restored. Zelensky again rejected the idea of ​​ceding territory in exchange for peace. “Ukraine doesn’t trade in territory, because Ukraine doesn’t trade in people, period,” the President stressed.

The Crimea Platform has been held annually since 2021 on August 23, one day before Ukraine’s Independence Day. With this initiative, Zelensky wanted to raise international awareness of the situation around the annexed peninsula even before the Russian invasion. Moscow saw the initiative as a provocation. (dpa)

Kiev secret service lured Russian helicopters to Ukraine

According to media reports, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter and its crew have been lured onto Ukrainian territory by the Ukrainian secret service. The pilot was persuaded to defect, several Ukrainian media reported on Wednesday, citing intelligence sources. Military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yussow confirmed the incident on television, but gave no details: “Work is in progress, including with the crew. Everything is fine and there will be news,” he said.

According to the Internet portal “Ukrajinska Pravda”, the helicopter landed in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv. Two uninitiated members of the crew were killed. The pilot is still in Ukraine, as is his family, who previously fled Russia. Confirmations for this were not available for the time being.

Russian military bloggers had previously reported on a Mi-8 helicopter that had gone missing several weeks ago. This is said to have lost orientation and landed at a Ukrainian airfield near the central Ukrainian city of Poltava. In the fight that followed, the pilot was wounded and the rest of the crew killed. (dpa)

Brics summit: Brazil’s president calls for the end of the Ukraine war

At the Brics summit in South Africa, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva once again called for a quick end to the war in Ukraine. The conflict has global implications that cannot be ignored, Lula said Wednesday. The group of important emerging countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, from which the acronym Brics derives, is an important forum for discussing questions of world security and peace, according to Lula.

“We see it as positive that a growing number of countries, including Brics countries, are in direct contact with Moscow and Kiev,” said Lula on the second day of the summit in the South African economic metropolis of Johannesburg. “We don’t underestimate the difficulties of achieving peace, but neither can we be indifferent to the death and destruction that happens every day,” Lula added.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa also advocated solving the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine through negotiations. “The Brics countries will support efforts to end this conflict through dialogue, mediation and negotiations,” said the 70-year-old. Ramaphosa leads an African peace initiative to end the war. However, recent mediation efforts by the initiative in Moscow and Kiev have had no discernible success. (dpa)

Putin invites to Brics summit 2024 in Russia

At this year’s summit of the Brics countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin is not personally present because of his war against Ukraine – he wants to organize the next one himself. In his speech, which was video-transmitted to the meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa on Wednesday, Putin invited the representatives of the other member states Brazil, India, China and South Africa to the Russian city of Kazan for October 2024. The specific date should be discussed through diplomatic channels.

Putin announced that there will be more than 200 political, economic and social events under the Russian Brics presidency in the coming year.

Putin did not come to this year’s summit of important emerging countries, which runs until Thursday, because the International Criminal Court is looking for him on an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. In Johannesburg, the 70-year-old head of the Kremlin was therefore threatened with arrest. (dpa)

Dead and injured in Russian attacks in Ukraine

At least six civilians have been killed in Ukraine by Russian shelling and drone attacks. At least two teachers were killed in a drone attack on a school in the city of Romny in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Wednesday. At least three other people were injured.

There were also civilian casualties in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. According to the authorities, three civilians were killed and another four injured by artillery fire the day before. One person was injured in the neighboring Kharkiv region. At least one person was killed and another eleven injured in attacks with glide bombs and artillery in the southern Ukrainian region of Cherson. There were also massive artillery, drone and rocket attacks in the neighboring Zaporizhia region. According to the authorities, there were no civilian casualties there. (dpa)

Ukrainian army reports gaining ground in southern Ukraine

According to its own statements, the Ukrainian army has made further gains in advance in the Zaporizhia region in southern Ukraine. Not far from the settlement of Novoprokopivka, south-east of the long-fought village of Robotyne, Ukrainian units are establishing themselves in newly reached positions, General Staff Spokesman Andriy Kovalyov said on Wednesday, according to a statement. At the same time, artillery duels take place. Information provided by the warring parties cannot be independently verified. Kiev has not yet announced the taking of Robotyne itself. (dpa)

London: Russian supplies sometimes have to take long detours

The Russian troops in southern Ukraine sometimes have to take long supply routes after Ukrainian attacks on bridges. This emerges from the daily intelligence report from the Ministry of Defense in London on Wednesday. Accordingly, two bridges between the Russian-occupied Black Sea peninsula of Crimea and southern Ukraine were hit and damaged by precision strikes in early August. The British announced that floating bridges were still in use at the crossings from Tschonhar and Henichesk in the middle of the month.

“The pontoon bridges should not be able to withstand the entire volume of heavy vehicles with ammunition and weapons,” the statement continued. The resulting bottleneck meant that Russian forces were partially dependent on a long detour via Armiansk in northern Crimea. “This places an additional burden on Russia’s logistical network in the south,” the statement said. (dpa)

Ukrainians reject compromises for peace – the night at a glance

In a survey, a large majority of Ukrainians spoke out against compromises with war opponent Russia in exchange for a peace agreement. According to the results of two well-known institutes published on Tuesday, more than 90 percent of the approximately 2,000 respondents are against the transfer of territory. Almost 74 percent ruled out the option of joining NATO.

Meanwhile, the presidents of Ukraine and Russia sought broad support from the heads of state and government of other countries. According to the authorities, the air defense in Moscow fended off new Ukrainian drone attacks.

Moscow currently controls almost 20 percent of Ukrainian territory – but is increasingly confronted with pinprick counterattacks on its own soil. As on Tuesday morning, crashing explosions echoed through the metropolis of Moscow on Wednesday night.

Two Ukrainian drones were shot down, the Russian Defense Ministry said, according to the state news agency TASS. The air defense system disrupted the control system of a third flying robot, after which it crashed into an unfinished building in a high-rise district of the city. So there were no victims. Operations at the capital’s airports have resumed after a brief interruption.

Selenski thanks EU countries for military and reconstruction aid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was satisfied with the results of his multi-day trip through European capitals and thanked the countries for the promised military and reconstruction aid. «There are planes for Ukraine. There is additional armor technology and we are strengthening air defenses,” he said in his daily video speech on Tuesday. This time it was recorded on a train that Selenski was taking back to Kiev after traveling through various EU countries.

After stays in Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark, he finally visited Greece and spoke to several heads of state and government in the Balkan region, explained Zelenski. Denmark and the Netherlands recently promised Ukraine the delivery of Western F-16 fighter jets. Zelenski thanked Greece not only for the arms aid, but also for the promise to take over the patronage for the reconstruction of the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, which had been hit several times by Russian rocket and drone attacks.

Putin dismisses Schul d for breach of grain agreement by himself

Meanwhile, during an appearance at the Brics summit in South Africa, Russian President Vladimir Putin renewed his criticism of the West and Ukraine. For example, the grain agreement with Ukraine was suspended because none of the conditions stipulated in the agreement to facilitate the export of Russian grain and fertilizers had been met. “Commitments to Russia in this regard have simply been ignored,” he claimed in a video-transmitted speech at the Brics Group’s meeting of key emerging economies in South Africa on Tuesday.

Moscow will only lift the blockade of Ukrainian ports and return to the agreement once all Russian demands have been met, Putin said. At the same time, he offered to replace Ukrainian deliveries of grain on the world market with Russian transports, “both on a commercial basis and through free aid to the needy countries”. Despite international warnings of a food crisis, Moscow suspended the agreement concluded last summer on the export of Ukrainian grain, mediated by the UN and Turkey.

Media: Senior Russian General Surovikin deposed

According to the media, the head of the Russian aerospace troops, General Sergei Surovikin, who was important in the war against Ukraine, was relieved of his office two months after the uprising of the Wagner mercenary group. The former editor-in-chief of the dissolved liberal radio station Echo Moskvy, Alexey Venediktov, wrote on his Telegram channel on Tuesday, citing an official decree, that Surovikin remains under the control of the Defense Ministry. The decree itself was not initially published, although several nationalist Russian military blogs reported on Surovikin’s replacement.

From October 2022 to January 2023, Surovikin was the supreme commander of Russian units in Ukraine. He was considered one of the most important allies of the mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in the regular Russian army in his power struggle with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov. Although Surovikin publicly condemned the uprising of the Wagner troops at the end of June, according to political observers he was subsequently sidelined.

Biden adviser: Continued US bipartisan support for Kyiv

The US government continues to pledge long-term support to Ukraine – despite contradictory tones from parts of the Republican Party. US President Joe Biden’s National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Tuesday there are strong Republican and Democratic voices in key leadership positions in both the House and Senate that are committed to continuing financial support for Kiev. The government therefore assumes that aid to Kiev will be maintained, even if there are some dissenting voices on the Republican side.

What will be important on Wednesday

The summit of the Brics countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa continues in South Africa’s economic metropolis Johannesburg. Kremlin chief Putin wants to be connected to the plenary session again via video. (dpa)

Majority of Ukrainians against compromises for peace with Russia

In Ukraine, an overwhelming majority voted against making compromises with wartime opponent Russia in exchange for a peace deal. According to the results of two well-known institutes published on Tuesday, more than 90 percent of the approximately 2,000 respondents were against the transfer of territory. Just under 74 percent ruled out joining the NATO military alliance. A reduction in the number of troops in the army in peacetime was rejected by 80 percent.

At the same time, only just under 49 percent of Ukrainians saw a positive development of events in their own country. In December last year, after the successful expulsion of the Russian occupiers from northern Ukraine and large parts of the Kharkiv and Cherson regions, almost 60 percent still believed that.

Ukraine has been repelling a Russian invasion for almost 18 months with massive Western aid. Russian demands include relinquishing Ukrainian territory in the east and south, including the Crimean peninsula annexed in 2014. Ukraine should also refrain from joining the western military alliance NATO, which is enshrined in the constitution. In addition, Kiev should agree to extensive demilitarization and grant the Russian minority in the country more rights. Moscow currently controls almost 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory.

The survey was conducted from August 9 to 15 in the government-controlled regions excluding Luhansk Oblast, Donetsk Oblast and the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. In total, 2019 adult Ukrainians were personally interviewed. The error tolerance should not exceed 2.3 percent.(dpa)

Selenski is happy about military aid and commitments for reconstruction

After his return from Greece, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked European countries for new commitments regarding military and reconstruction aid. «There are planes for Ukraine. There is additional armor technology and we are strengthening air defenses,” he said in his daily video speech on Tuesday. This time, the video was recorded on a train that Zelenskiy was taking back to Kiev after a journey of several days through various EU countries.

He visited Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark and finally Greece, where he spoke to several heads of state and government from the Balkan region, explained Zelenski. In the past few days, Denmark and the Netherlands had promised Ukraine the delivery of Western F-16 fighter jets.

Zelenski thanked Greece not only for the arms aid, but also for the promise to take over the patronage for the reconstruction of the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, which had been hit several times by Russian rocket and drone attacks. “This is not only a meaningful, but also a very symbolic decision” with historical and cultural significance, he praised.

In ancient times, the Greeks had opened up the Black Sea region. Ancient settlements also existed in the territory of today’s city of Odessa. However, Odessa itself was not founded until 1794 on the orders of Tsarina Catherine the Great.(dpa)

Ukraine meets again long-haul airfield in Russia

“This is at least the third successful attack on a long-range airfield, again raising questions about Russia’s ability to protect strategic locations deep in the country,” the UK MoD said. Ukrainian military intelligence also said at least one strategic bomber had been destroyed. “We are talking about the destruction of a Tu-22M3 bomber and damage to at least two bombers,” military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov told Hromadske. The destroyed bomber was ready to take off. The boarding ladder for the crew and the strong fire from presumably full fuel tanks in the photos that were distributed testified to this. Jussow did not say who committed the act of sabotage.

According to several Ukrainian media, sabotage squads at least damaged four or five aircraft at two Russian military airfields. The attacks took place on Saturday and Monday in the Kaluga and Novgorod oblasts.

Asked about Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow reported by Russia, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday: “Russia attacked Ukraine. The Green politician added: “Russia is constantly bombing civilian targets in Ukraine, grain elevators, hospitals, churches. And Ukraine defends itself within the framework of international law.” (dpa)

Russia repels alleged incursion by armed men

According to the authorities, Russian border guards prevented a group of armed men from Ukraine from entering the Bryansk region. The attack was repelled, regional governor Alexander Bogomas wrote on Telegram on Tuesday. The incident happened in the Klimovo district. This borders on Ukraine, but also on Belarus. The information could not be independently verified. Bogomas spoke of a “well-coordinated and heroic approach” by the border troops, who are subordinate to the FSB secret service. “Measures are currently underway to ensure the safety of the civilian population,” he wrote.

In May and June, Russian partisan groups fighting against the Kremlin entered the Belgorod region from Ukraine. They fought battles with the army for days. So far, there have been no indications of regular Ukrainian soldiers encroaching on Russian territory. However, drone attacks on Russian air bases in recent days suggest that the Ukrainian military intelligence service is controlling sabotage groups in Russia.(dpa)

EU pays out billions in loan to Ukraine

Ukraine has received another €1.5 billion bailout loan from the EU. As Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Tuesday, he should help the country attacked by Russia to keep the state running and repair infrastructure. “We are doing everything we can to support Ukraine,” said the former German defense minister.

The money is part of a loan program of up to €18 billion agreed by EU member states last December for this year. With the financial aid, the EU wants to enable the Ukrainian state to continue paying wages and pensions. In addition, the operation of hospitals, schools and emergency shelters for resettled people should be guaranteed. In addition, the money can also be used to restore infrastructure destroyed by the Russian war of aggression. These include, for example, power lines, water systems, roads and bridges.

Despite the ongoing war, the loans are linked to 20 reform commitments and reporting obligations. They deal, for example, with the rule of law and the fight against corruption. Ukraine has up to 35 years to repay the money, which is scheduled to start in 2033. The interest costs are borne by the member states of the EU.

According to EU figures on Tuesday, total EU support for Ukraine since the beginning of the war now amounts to around 76 billion euros. This includes financial, humanitarian and military support to Ukraine from the EU, Member States and European financial institutions. It also takes into account EU funds made available to member states to care for Ukrainian war refugees.

Von der Leyen recently proposed the creation of a new financing instrument to support Ukraine in the coming years. It is to be provided with up to 50 billion euros for grants and loans for the period 2024 to 2027. (dpa)

Russia wants to multiply drone production

Russia wants to expand the production of drones for the military as well as for the civilian sector. The country currently manufactures around 6,000 of the around 30,000 drones required for civilian use, said Deputy Industry Minister Wassili Schpak in an interview with the state agency TASS. “If we talk about military needs, then the level of production is much higher.” He did not name any numbers.

In airstrikes in its war against Ukraine, Russia often uses Iranian-made combat drones be destroyed on target. These drones are now also being produced in Russia. Ukraine is also developing its combat drones. For reconnaissance over the battlefield, both sides fly hundreds of small aircraft that have been converted for military use.

By 2024, the production of civilian drones in Russia should increase to 18,000 units a year, Shpak said in an interview on Tuesday. In 2030 there should be 30,000 units. This includes all types of aircraft or helicopter-like drones to multi-rotor multicopters. They should be used in agriculture, on construction sites or for transport in inaccessible regions.

Piloting drones and reconnaissance of the terrain should also be practiced in military studies at Russian schools in the future. This was announced by the Ministry of Education in Moscow on Monday. The teaching module also covered the basics of drone defense. (dpa)

London: Russian long-range bomber destroyed in attack

According to British estimates, a Russian long-range bomber was destroyed in an attack on a Russian military airfield. The British Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday that it was a Tupolev Tu-22M3 (NATO code: Backfire) machine that would fire inaccurate Ch-22 Burya (NATO: AS-4 Kitchen) cruise missiles at Ukrainian targets with.

“This is at least the third successful attack on a long-range airfield, again raising questions about Russia’s ability to protect strategic locations deep inland,” the UK ministry said.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that a Ukrainian drone had attacked the Solzy airfield in western Russia’s Novgorod region, around 650 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. A fire broke out, damaging a machine.

The British Ministry referred to the Russian statement that the attack was flown by a “helicopter-like drone”. “If true, it underscores the assessment that some drone attacks on Russian military targets are being launched from Russian territory,” London said. Because such drones would not have enough range to reach Solzy if they were launched outside of Russia.

The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line. Moscow accuses London of a disinformation campaign. (dpa)

Russia: Ukrainian reconnaissance boat wrecked in Black Sea

According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, the crew of a Russian fighter jet destroyed a reconnaissance boat belonging to the Ukrainian armed forces near Russian gas production facilities in the Black Sea. The ministry reported this on Tuesday morning on Telegram. The fighter jet was a Su-30 machine. The information could not be independently verified. Russia has been waging a war of aggression against its neighbor for 18 months now.(dpa)

Greece offers fighter jet training – the night at a glance

Greece has offered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. On Monday evening in Athens, Selenski thanked him for the offer, which he gladly accepted. In the meantime, a new video of the Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has appeared on the Internet. His whereabouts since his brief uprising at the end of June have been the subject of repeated speculation.

Ukraine has been defending itself against Russian war of aggression for 18 months now. A counter-offensive that began eleven weeks ago has so far fallen short of the high expectations. Drone attacks on both sides reportedly erupted again during the night.

Russia: Kiev drone attacks averted – damage in Krasnogorsk

The Russian air defense repelled four Ukrainian drones on Tuesday morning, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow. Two drones were destroyed over the Moscow region, two more crashed over the Bryansk border region in the south-west of the country, the ministry said on Telegram. There were no dead or injured.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also told Telegram that the two drones in the Moscow region were shot down near the satellite city of Krasnogorsk and in a settlement west of the capital. Emergency services are on site.

A high-rise building was damaged in Krasnogorsk, the Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency services. The window panes on several floors of the apartment building were broken. Several cars parked near the building were also damaged. According to initial information, however, there were no dead or injured. The information could not be independently verified.

According to Tass, flight operations at all three Moscow airports had been temporarily suspended or delayed during the night. Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo airports resumed air traffic after a brief interruption. Vnukovo remained closed for the time being. The reason for the suspension of flight operations was not initially given.

According to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, Russia had already fended off two other Ukrainian drones near the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula on the Black Sea late Monday evening. The two unmanned aircraft crashed about 40 kilometers northwest of Crimea over the Black Sea, the ministry said on Tuesday night on Telegram. This information has not been independently verified.

Reports: Shahed drone attack on Zaporizhia

According to media reports, the city of Zaporizhia in southeastern Ukraine was attacked with Shahed drones on Tuesday night. Explosions could be heard in the area. Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force told Telegram that a group of attack drones had been spotted near the city. An air alert was therefore declared in the region. The information could not be independently verified. There was initially no information about damage or injuries.

Zelensky: Ukraine needs Greek support

“We need Greece’s support in preparing our pilots for the F-16 planes,” Zelensky said after talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Most of the Greek Air Force consists of F-16 jets, the pilots are considered to be extremely experienced. Only on Sunday did Denmark and the Netherlands pledge to deliver dozens of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to counter Russian attackers. However, the training of Ukrainian pilots must first be completed.

US approves sale of military helicopters to Poland

The US State Department has approved the sale of military helicopters to Poland, which the EU and NATO country intends to use to strengthen its army. The estimated cost of the 96 helicopters and related equipment was $12 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Monday. The arms deal will improve the security of the NATO ally and increase Poland’s ability to counter current and future threats. Warsaw had applied to the United States to buy the combat helicopters last year. Poland feels threatened by Russia and is massively rearming.

New video: mercenary chief Prigozhin speaks of deployment in Africa

Around two months after his failed short-term uprising in Russia, a new video of mercenary boss Prigozhin has appeared on the Internet. The approximately 40-second clip, which shows Prigozhin in camouflage clothing and with a gun in his hand, was recorded in an African country, said the “Grey Zone” telegram channel, which is close to the Wagner mercenary group. More detailed information was not given. The location of the recording could not be independently verified.

“We work. The temperature is more than 50 degrees, »says Prigozhin in the video. Then he explains that his Wagner troupe is carrying out reconnaissance work – and adds: “It makes Russia even bigger on all continents. And Africa even freer.” Notorious for their brutality, Russian fighters are active in several African countries.

Talks on military cooperation: Iranian commander in Moscow

In the midst of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, an important Iranian general has also traveled to Moscow. The commander of the Iranian ground forces, Kiumars Heydari, spoke with his Russian colleague Oleg Salyukov about military cooperation between the two countries, the Defense Ministry said in Moscow.

Iran is considered an important military partner of Russia. In its war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia repeatedly fired at the neighboring country with Iranian-made combat drones. Tehran has only admitted to having supplied drones to Russia before the war began. However, Ukraine and Western experts see it as proven that military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran is much more extensive.

What will be important on Tuesday

The summit of the Brics countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa begins this Tuesday in Johannesburg, South Africa’s business metropolis. Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin only wants to connect via video. Since the International Criminal Court based in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes, Putin would have to fear arrest if he traveled to South Africa. (dpa)

New video of Prigozhin surfaced

Around two months after his failed short-term uprising in Russia, a new video of mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has appeared on the Internet. The approximately 40-second clip, which shows Prigozhin in camouflage clothing and with a gun in his hand, was recorded in an African country, said the “Grey Zone” telegram channel, which is close to the Wagner mercenary group, on Monday evening. More detailed information was not given. The location of the shooting could not be independently verified.

“We work. The temperature is more than 50 degrees, »says Prigozhin in the video. Then he explains that his Wagner troupe is conducting reconnaissance work and adds: “It makes Russia even bigger on all continents. And Africa even freer.” Notorious for their brutality, Russian fighters are active in several African countries.

For many months, Prigozhin’s mercenaries had fought alongside the regular Russian army in the war of aggression against Ukraine that had been ongoing since February 2022. At the end of June, out of frustration at the ineffective Russian military leadership, Prigozhin mobilized his men for a march on Moscow, which he stopped again a few hours later after negotiations. The Kremlin promised Prigozhin impunity on condition that he emigrate to neighboring Belarus.

A little later, however, the 62-year-old reappeared in Russia – on the sidelines of the Africa summit in St. Petersburg at the end of July. There he showed himself with a representative from the Central African Republic. There has also recently been concern that West African Niger could now be moving closer to Russia after the recent military coup. Prigozhin had welcomed the overthrow in Niger. (dpa)

Greece to offer fighter pilot training to Ukraine

Greece has offered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. On Monday evening in Athens, Selenski thanked him for the offer, which he was happy to accept. “We need Greece’s support in preparing our pilots for the F-16 planes,” he said after speaking with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Most of the Greek Air Force consists of F-16 jets, the pilots are considered to be extremely experienced. Only on Sunday did Denmark and the Netherlands pledge to deliver dozens of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to counter Russian attackers. However, the training of Ukrainian pilots must first be completed. (dpa)

Zelensky arrived in Athens

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Athens early Monday evening. There he wanted to take part in an informal meeting of the heads of government and state of the Balkan countries and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Selenksi’s stay in Greece was kept secret until the end and is taking place under strict security measures. Greek media showed in the evening how the Ukrainian head of state was received by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The heads of government and state of Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Moldova as well as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel will take part in the informal meeting in Athens. One of the topics is the path taken by non-EU countries and EU accession candidates into the alliance of states.

According to Greek media reports, the bilateral meeting between Mitsotakis and Zelenski will focus on the situation in Ukraine and the delivery of ammunition from Greece to Ukraine. So far, the Greeks have been supplying Kiev with artillery shells and mortar shells, among other things.

In October, the European Commission will decide whether to recommend EU leaders to start accession talks with Ukraine, which is under Russian attack. The EU officially made the country a candidate for membership last year. (dpa)

Iranian commander traveled to Russia

In the midst of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, a key Iranian general has traveled to Moscow. The commander of the Iranian ground forces, Kiumars Heydari, spoke with his Russian colleague Oleg Salyukov about the military cooperation between the two countries, the Defense Ministry said in Moscow on Monday. Iran is “a strategic partner of Russia,” Salyukov said.

Iran is considered an important military partner of Russia. In its war of aggression against Ukraine, which has been going on for almost a year and a half, Russia has repeatedly fired at the neighboring country with Iranian-made combat drones. Tehran has only admitted to having supplied drones to Russia before the war began.

However, Ukraine and Western experts see it as proven that military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran is much more extensive. In return for continued deliveries of drones, Russia is offering Iran cooperation in the areas of missiles, electronics and air defense, among other things. (dpa)

Selenski siegessicher

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has once again underlined the importance for Europe of defending his country against the Russian war of aggression. “Today we are confident that Russia will lose this war,” said Zelenskiy in a speech to the Danish people on Monday in front of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, the seat of the Danish parliament. However, this is not the only important thing that will be proved with a Ukrainian victory and support of Ukraine, he said. «Together we prove that life is worthwhile. That people matter. freedom matters. Europe counts.”

War always brings with it the question of the value of life, Zelenski said in front of a large crowd in which many Danish red-white and blue-yellow Ukraine flags were waving. Russian soldiers feared stopping the aggression and returning home more than being killed on the battlefield, he said. As a free person one could hardly imagine such a thing. “This is the worst thing tyranny can do to its people: it completely eliminates the value of life,” Zelensky said.

Selenski had previously expressed his gratitude in a speech in the Danish Parliament before he and his wife Olena Selenska also met Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II. Denmark and the Netherlands pledged to deliver dozens of F-16 fighter jets during Zelenski’s visits on Sunday. From the Danish side, Ukraine is to receive 19 F-16s, the first six around the turn of the year, then eight more in the course of 2024 and the last five in 2025. (dpa)

Moscow has apparently repelled drone attacks again

The Russian army says it fended off another Ukrainian drone attack on the capital Moscow on Monday. A plane-like drone was shot down over Istra County to the west of the city, the Defense Ministry said. Falling debris injured a man and a woman, Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov wrote on Telegram. Window panes were shattered in some houses. According to the military, another drone also crashed west of Moscow in the Rusa district due to electronic jamming.

Because of the danger in the air, the airports of Vnukovo in the southwest of Moscow and Domodedovo in the south temporarily did not allow take-offs and landings, as reported by Russian agencies. About 50 flights were diverted or delayed. In its defense against the Russian invasion, Ukraine has flown drones to Moscow several times in recent weeks. Among other things, they damaged skyscrapers in the modern business district Moskva-City. (dpa)

Ukrainian army reports further gains in territory near Bakhmut

According to the Ukrainian army, it has gained further territory near the Russian-controlled city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. “In the past week, the Ukrainian armed forces advanced further on the southern flank around Bakhmut and liberated three square kilometers,” said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar, according to a statement on Monday. A total of 43 square kilometers around Bakhmut had been recaptured by the Russian troops. Counterattacks by the Russian side were successfully repelled.

Fighting continues near Klishchiyivka, south of Andriyivka and north of Kurdyumivka. “There is hot fighting going on there as of now, and the army is advancing gradually and steadily,” Maljar said. There was also hard fighting on the southern sections of the front. A total of 44 prisoners were taken in the past week. (dpa)

London: Russia builds new army in southern Ukraine

According to British secret services, Russia is reacting to the Ukrainian offensive in the south of the country by forming a new army. The British Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that Russia was reacting to the “reality of war”. The aim is to be able to use more experienced units to fight on key axes. It is very likely that airborne troops have recently been transferred from the Cherson region to the heavily contested Orikhiw sector.

The new 18th Army is made up of various units that are currently deployed in the Kherson region, it said. Among them is the 22nd Army Corps, which actually forms the occupation force on the annexed Crimean Peninsula. “The 18th Army is likely to consist primarily of mobilized personnel and will focus on defensive security operations in southern Ukraine,” London said. At the beginning of August, the British Ministry announced that Russia had recently built new combat units on a larger scale. (dpa)

Moscow allegedly fends off further drone attacks

The Russian army says it fended off another Ukrainian drone attack on the capital Moscow on Monday. A plane-like drone was intercepted to the west of the city over Istra County, the Defense Ministry said. “Air defense shot down a drone attempting to approach Moscow. There is no damage or injuries,” Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. According to the military, another drone also crashed west of Moscow in the Rusa district due to electronic jamming.

Because of the danger in the air, the airports of Vnukovo in the southwest of Moscow and Domodedovo in the south temporarily did not allow take-offs and landings, as reported by Russian agencies. In its defense against the Russian invasion, Ukraine has flown drones to Moscow several times in recent weeks. Among other things, they damaged skyscrapers in the modern business district Moskva-City. (dpa)

Selenski calls F-16 deliveries historical – the night at a glance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the planned F-16 fighter jet deliveries by the Netherlands and Denmark as “historic”. “The F-16 will bring fresh confidence and motivation to the fighters and ordinary citizens,” said Selenski on Monday night at X (formerly Twitter). The fighter jets would help protect Ukrainian cities from Russian attacks.

According to the President’s Office in Kiev, the Netherlands and Denmark had previously promised to deliver a total of 61 fighter jets. “They will bring fresh results for Ukraine and the rest of Europe,” Selenski said after a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

After visiting both countries, the Ukrainian President, who boarded a jet himself in Denmark, thanked the Netherlands for providing 42 and Denmark 19 US F-16 fighter jets. However, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defence, only 24 of the 42 F-16 jets in the Netherlands are currently operational. Together with the anti-aircraft defenses already supplied by the West, Ukraine sees them as part of a protective shield against Russian attacks.

Kiev hopes to regain control of its own airspace. Ukraine also wants to use the planes to breach Russian defenses in the occupied territories in the east and south of the country. There, the troops on the ground are making slow progress in their counter-offensive, also because of the mined fields.

Selenski sees F-16 as a breakthrough – Russia warned of escalation

The Ukraine is to receive the first F-16 at the turn of the year – later than hoped. The fighter jets are to be delivered as soon as the Ukrainian pilots have completed their training on the machines. According to Prime Minister Frederiksen, 70 Ukrainian pilots are currently being trained on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark. Selenski emphasized in a statement that they are working to speed up the training. “We also talked today about the possibility of expanding the training mission,” he said.

«The Ukrain e will have a modern air force, our pilots will fly F-16s, the sky will be better protected, we will throw the Russians out of our airspace,” wrote the head of the Kyiv Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, who accompanied Zelensky on the trip. in the news service Telegram.

A coalition led by the two countries formed within NATO in the summer to train Ukrainian pilots to use the F-16. Belgium and Norway are also considered possible suppliers of the US jets. Initially, however, the delivery of F-16s to the USA failed, where the aircraft were developed. However, Washington recently cleared the way for supplies from third countries.

There was initially no reaction from Russia to the news that Selenski described as a breakthrough, for which he also thanked US President Joe Biden. Since the start of the Russian war of aggression almost 18 months ago, the Russian air force has largely controlled Ukraine’s airspace.

However, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had previously warned of the risk of a further escalation of violence in the war, with a view to the debate in the West about fighter jet deliveries to Ukraine. The military leadership in Moscow had also made it clear that it would not allow itself to be dissuaded from its war goals in Ukraine by the arms deliveries from the West. This includes, for example, the complete occupation of the previously partially controlled areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Cherson.

What will be important on Monday

Selenski continues his visit to the Danish capital, Copenhagen. He will be a guest at the Folketing, the Danish Parliament, in the morning. After his visit to Parliament, he is received by Queen Margrethe II. Parallel to Zelensky’s trip abroad, the Ukrainian counter-offensive to liberate the areas from Russian occupation, which has been sluggish up to now, is continuing. (dpa)

Frederiksen: Denmark will give 19 F-16 fighter jets to Kiev

Ukraine will receive 19 US F-16 fighter jets from Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Sunday at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the Skrydstrup airbase in Denmark. The first six aircraft are to be delivered around the turn of the year, as Frederiksen said. The plan is to deliver eight next year and five more the following year.

The Ukrainian had previously secured the commitment for further F-16 fighter jets at a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the Netherlands. He had spoken of a breakthrough there.

“I’m very grateful,” said Selenski to Frederiksen’s commitment. 19 F-16 aircraft are a very effective support. The social democrat praised Selenski as “one of the greatest heroes of our time”. The Ukrainian had already completed a trip to Sweden on Saturday. According to the Ritzau news agency, he should continue his visit to Denmark on Monday. (dpa)

Netherlands to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine

During a visit to the Netherlands, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke of a breakthrough for the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Kiev. He therefore expects 42 jets to be delivered to the country after the training of the Ukrainian pilots, as he announced on Sunday after talks with Prime Minister Mark Rutte on the Telegram news channel. He also posted a selfie of himself with a big smile and Rutte in front of a fighter jet.

“Today it becomes concrete. You will be in the Ukrainian sky. Thank you Netherlands! Thanks Mark! Thank you to everyone who is helping,” he said. Rutte and he had agreed on the delivery of the jet. “This is just the beginning,” he said.

In addition to the Netherlands, Denmark had also declared its willingness to deliver the F-16 fighter jet from the USA. A coalition led by the two countries formed within NATO in the summer to train Ukrainian pilots to use the F-16. Belgium and Norway are also considered possible suppliers of the US jets. (dpa)

Selenski in the Netherlands

After a visit to Sweden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has now arrived in the Netherlands for previously unofficially announced talks with Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The main goal of the trip is the delivery of F-16 fighter jets “to protect our people from Russian terror,” said Zelensky on Sunday in the Telegram news channel. “We’re getting stronger,” he said.

The talks are also about preparing a peace summit and bringing the terrorist state to justice, said Zelenski, who was traveling with his wife. The Criminal Court in The Hague had issued an arrest warrant for war crimes against Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, who ordered the attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

On Saturday, Selenski agreed further military cooperation with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in the Swedish capital Stockholm. He announced on Sunday “to hold talks with other countries that support us so that they can provide us with the necessary equipment to win this war”. In addition to the Netherlands, Denmark had also declared its willingness to deliver the F-16 fighter jet from the USA. (dpa)

LONDON: Kiev’s strikes on Russian territory are strategically important

According to British intelligence experts, the Ukrainian strikes deep in Russian territory are strategically important in repelling Moscow’s war of aggression. This emerges from the daily report on the course of the war by the Ministry of Defense in London on Sunday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin almost certainly invaded Ukraine with his troops on the assumption that it would have little impact on the people of Russia, the statement said. Now Moscow is regularly hit by drones.

“The leadership of Russia’s air and space forces is most likely under great pressure to improve air defenses over western Russia,” the statement said. The range of threats on Russian territory has widened. In addition to drones, there are also reports of Soviet-made anti-aircraft missiles that are used as missiles for ground targets. (dpa)

Western Russian Kursk hit by Ukrainian drone

According to official information, the western Russian city of Kursk was hit by a Ukrainian drone on Sunday night. According to preliminary information, the projectile fell on the roof of a station building, regional governor Roman Starowoit reported to Telegram early in the morning.

The roof caught fire and five people were slightly injured by broken glass. The information could not be independently verified. Kursk is the capital of the border region of the same name with Ukraine. The city is a good 500 kilometers south of Moscow.

Moscow fends off drone attack

According to official information, the Russian capital claims to have fended off another drone attack. During the night there was an attempt to fly a drone from the south over Moscow, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram early on Sunday morning. The air defense thwarted this. This, too, could not be verified independently.

The two Moscow airports, Vnukovo and Domodedovo, temporarily suspended take-offs and landings on Sunday night. A representative of the air traffic services told the Russian state news agency Tass, without giving a reason for the suspension of flight operations.

Seven dead in Russian attack on Chernihiv in northern Ukraine

In Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, the number of victims after the devastating Russian rocket attack on the city center initially continued to rise until Saturday evening. Meanwhile, on a trip to Sweden, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked for warplanes for his attacked country.

At least seven people, including a child, were killed in Chernihiv as a result of the heavy Russian rocket attack. Another 144 people were injured by the shelling in the busy city center, said Selenski in his video speech on Sunday night. 15 children were also among the injured. The Ukrainian head of state also announced retaliation: “Our soldiers will give Russia an answer to this terrorist attack,” he said.

A rocket landed near the Chernihiv Theater on Saturday afternoon. The city center was particularly busy that day because many people were celebrating a harvest festival and were walking back from the church when the attack took place.

UNICEF Regional Director: Keeping children out of the line of fire

Following the Russian attack on Chernihiv, which also left children dead or injured, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Regina De Dominicis once again called on all parties to protect civilians and keep children out of the line of fire. More than 1,700 children have lost their lives or been injured in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, De Dominicis said in a statement on Saturday evening.

“The attacks must stop. Children need to be protected. This country must be given the chance for peace and its children the chance for a future.”

(dpa)

F-16 training of Ukrainians started

The planned delivery of western F-16 fighter jets is likely to take months – but according to information from Kiev, the training of Ukrainian pilots has already begun. “The training has already started,” said Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov on Saturday on the “24 Kanal” television station. Engineers and technicians in the country attacked by Russia are also receiving training. Where exactly these take place, Resnikov did not say.

Denmark and the Netherlands have agreed to supply Ukraine with F-16s and train Ukrainian pilots. However, since this is a weapon system from the USA, Washington’s approval is required. The US government said last Thursday that they wanted to enable Denmark and the Netherlands to quickly transfer the F-16. Nevertheless, it should still be several months before the aircraft can actually be delivered. (dpa)

Ukrainian President Zelenskiy visits Sc the den

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the Swedish capital Stockholm on Saturday. At a press conference with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the Ukrainian thanked the Scandinavian country for the support and condemned a Russian rocket attack on the city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine that killed several people and injured many.

According to Kristersson, the two signed a letter of intent to jointly produce, train and maintain the Combat Vehicle 90, a Swedish tank. “Ukraine is fighting for us, for all European democracies,” said Kristersson. However, Kristersson did not respond to Selenski’s demand for the delivery of the Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet.

However, Denmark and the Netherlands had already declared their willingness to deliver the F-16 fighter jet from the USA. A coalition led by the two countries formed within NATO in the summer to train Ukrainian pilots to use the F-16. Belgium and Norway are also considered possible suppliers of the US jets. (dpa)

Killed in Russian attack on Chernihiv in northern Ukraine

According to official sources, several people were killed and injured as a result of a Russian rocket attack in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv. A rocket fell right in the center of the city, where a university and a theater are located, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. “It’s an ordinary Saturday that Russia turned into a day of pain and loss. There are dead and injured.” In addition, Selenski published a short video showing debris on the sidewalk.

According to the governor of the Chernihiv region, Vyacheslav Tschaus, the city was hit by a ballistic missile. He called on the population to stay in shelters for the time being. (dpa)

London: Russians and Ukrainians Face Similar Challenge in War

The Russian invading forces and the Ukrainian defenders face similar challenges, according to British government experts. That is to defeat well-entrenched forces along the front lines while there are only limited forces available to launch new attacks, the Defense Ministry’s intelligence report in London said on Saturday.

According to the British statement, there were largely no changes on the front line in the past week. Only in the south are the Ukrainians making advances along the Mokri Jaly River, where they are able to recapture the village of Urozhaine despite vehement Russian resistance. The Russians, on the other hand, had not achieved any significant success with attempted advances in the Kupyansk area. (dpa)

Putin meets senior commanders in southern Russia

According to official sources, Russian President Vladimir Putin met high-ranking commanders in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don. At the headquarters of the “special military operation”, as the war against Ukraine is also called in Russia, Putin met Chief of Staff Valeri Gerasimov, among others, the Kremlin said on Saturday night. He also had reports from commanders and officers. It was unclear when exactly the meeting should have taken place. A reason for Putin’s visit was not given either.

Rostov-on-Don, not far from the Ukraine, has also gained international notoriety because the Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigoschin had it occupied for several hours at the end of June as part of his short-term uprising. Out of frustration at what he saw as ineffective Russian military leadership, Prigozhin had his fighters march from Rostov in the direction of Moscow. After negotiations with the Kremlin, in which the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko acted as mediator, the 62-year-old then ordered the withdrawal. (dpa)

German arms company will soon begin servicing tanks in Ukraine

The German armaments group Rheinmetall wants to start servicing tanks in Ukraine in the coming days. “We will start the service this month,” said Armin Papperger, CEO of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper”. The first twelve employees from the Ukraine have already started their training in Germany, and another twelve will be added. Germany is supplying Leopard main battle tanks, among other things, to support Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Since wear and tear in combat is high, regular maintenance is important.

The head of the Düsseldorf-based group also confirmed its intention to start producing tanks in Ukraine as soon as possible. “It can happen quickly, there are enough well-equipped Soviet-era tank factories there,” he said. The company wants to rent these and then manufacture vehicles with the NATO standard on one or two production lines. Ukraine must eventually become independent in arms production. “The West cannot settle all the scores forever, President Zelenskiy sees it that way too.” (dpa)

Kiev Sees Advances in Security Guarantees – Night at a Glance

According to the Ukrainian leadership, it is making progress in its quest for Western security guarantees against future Russian aggression. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke of a “diplomatic success” in his video message distributed in Kiev on Friday evening. In the meantime, 18 states have joined the declaration of the group of seven leading industrial nations (G7) on such security guarantees. He did not give details.

Zelenski also emphasized on Friday that work on the “peace formula” was continuing. A core goal is the withdrawal of Russian troops before the start of possible negotiations. Russia rejects this as unrealistic. According to Selenski, 63 diplomatic missions are now working on his “peace formula”.

According to a media report, according to US estimates, almost half a million soldiers on both sides could have been killed or wounded in the Ukraine war. The total number of Ukrainian and Russian troops killed or wounded since the beginning of the war is approaching 500,000, the New York Times quoted US government officials as saying on Friday. At the same time, they warned that the losses are difficult to estimate because Kiev has not published any figures and it is suspected that Moscow is underestimating the number of deaths and injuries.

According to the report, unnamed US officials on the Russian side estimate 120,000 soldiers killed and 170,000 to 180,000 wounded. For Ukraine, they spoke of around 70,000 soldiers killed and 100,000 to 120,000 injured. These numbers cannot be independently verified.

Former US General Ben Hodges, meanwhile, has accused Germany and the US of a lack of determination in helping Ukraine. «Does the West want Ukraine to win? My faith is fading,” said the former commander of US forces in Europe in an interview with the “Tagesspiegel” (Saturday). While the US government is now allowing its allies to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, their long delay before delivery is “an example of a lack of determination to help Ukraine win,” Hodges said.

Hodges criticized that Germany was also reluctant to decide on the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles. Should Ukraine’s counter-offensive fail, “the governments of the United States and Germany must be held responsible.”

The United States has agreed to the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, according to the Netherlands and Denmark on Friday. The two countries previously agreed to deliver F-16s to Ukraine. They also want to train Ukrainian pilots. However, it should take several months before the F-16 can actually be delivered. Since this is a weapon system from the USA, it needs Washington’s approval. The US government said on Thursday that they wanted to enable Denmark and the Netherlands to quickly transfer the F-16.

According to US President Joe Biden, the Russian invasion of Ukraine does not only affect Europe. “This type of invasion hasn’t happened since World War II,” Biden said Friday after a summit with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David. After the war began, it was crucial “to make it clear that the consequences of a war go far beyond Europe,” he said, also with a view to what it would mean if an Asian country were to attack another country in the region in this way.

Ukraine sees progress on security guarantees

According to the Ukrainian leadership, it is making progress in its quest for Western security guarantees against future Russian aggression. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke of a “diplomatic success” in his video message distributed in Kiev on Friday evening. In the meantime, 18 states have joined the declaration of the group of seven leading industrial nations (G7) on such security guarantees. He did not give details.

Speaking of Independence Day next Thursday (August 24), Zelensky said Ukraine has taken a step forward to become part of the strongest states in the world. The war-ravaged country has been defending itself, with help from the West, for almost 18 months against the Russian war of aggression that began on February 24, 2022. By Independence Day, the war will have lasted exactly a year and a half to the day.

The head of the presidency in Kiev, Andriy Yermak, informed the Telegram news channel that negotiations for security guarantees are ongoing with the United States and Great Britain. Accordingly, talks with other G7 countries should soon begin. The first bilateral agreements should be signed by the end of the year, he said. It is about not allowing a new war and a repetition of Moscow’s aggression after the end of the Russian invasion.

Selenski and Yermak emphasized on Friday that work on the “peace formula” was continuing. A core goal is the withdrawal of Russian troops before the start of possible negotiations. Russia rejects this as unrealistic. According to Selenski, 63 diplomatic missions are now working on his “peace formula”. The number of participating ambassadors from different countries is increasing, Yermak said. He expects the national security advisers to meet again within a month to prepare for a peace summit.

According to earlier statements by Yermak, the summit should be organized by the end of the year. A location is now also being sought, he said earlier this month after a meeting in Saudi Arabia of advisors from more than 40 countries. At a second summit, Russia should also be involved. According to the president’s office in Kiev, it hopes that Russia will have capitulated by then.(dpa)

Russia imposes entry bans on another 54 Britons

Moscow again has 54 British citizens, including Members of the government, journalists and PR people have been banned from entering London because of an “anti-Russian course”. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that Culture Minister Lucy Frazer and Defense Ministry politician Annabel Goldie, who is responsible for the delivery of uranium ammunition to Ukraine, were blacklisted. More than 300 Britons are now listed there.

Representatives of the security apparatus and from the legal sector, including Karim Khan as chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, are also subject to sanctions. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Because of military support for the “regime” in Kiev, for example, the management of a consulting firm specializing in dangers in war zones is now subject to sanctions. The company supplies Ukraine with intelligence information and has prepared sabotage and reconnaissance groups for use in the war zone, it said.

Other journalists from the BBC, the Guardian group and the newspaper “The Daily Telegraph” were also listed. The ministry in Moscow claimed that they were involved in the “fabrication of anti-Russian slanders,” without citing any examples. Work on the “stop list” continues, it said in Moscow. There are also lists of names for other countries such as the USA or Canada. They are seen as a reaction to a large number of Western sanctions in the wake of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow also informed about the sanctions against citizens of the Republic of Moldova, which is striving to join the EU and recently expelled employees of Russian diplomatic missions. Several representatives of Moldova are now prohibited from entering Russia, it said. The pro-Western government in the neighboring country of EU member Romania accuses Russia of attempts to exert political influence. For example, Russian soldiers control the conflict region of Transnistria, which has broken away from Moldova.(dpa)

Netherlands prepare F-16 delivery for Ukraine

According to the Netherlands, the US has agreed to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. “We welcome the US decision to clear the way for the delivery of F-16 jets to Ukraine,” Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday.

The Netherlands and Denmark had previously agreed to deliver F-16s to Ukraine. Both countries also want to train Ukrainian pilots. Once the training is complete, the fighter jets could also be sent, Ollongren said. It will probably take several months before the F-16 can actually be delivered. She did not give an exact time.

Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra also thanked his US colleague Antony Blinken on X for the good and speedy cooperation.

Since this is a weapon system from the USA, it needs Washington’s approval. Ukraine has long been pushing for supplies of western fighter jets to break Russian air superiority. Currently, Kiev only has obsolete Soviet machines. The current ground offensive by Ukrainian troops is suffering from the lack of air protection and is progressing less quickly than Kiev had hoped. (dpa)

Is Ukraine not achieving its goals in the counter-offensive?

The Ukrainian troops are after a report by the Washington Post cannot reach the strategically important city of Melitopol in the south-east of the country. The newspaper reported on Thursday evening (local time) that Ukraine would thus miss the main goal of its counter-offensive, the interruption of the Russian land connection to the Crimean peninsula, which had been illegally annexed since 2014. She referred to US intelligence circles.

Ukrainian forces advancing from the settlement of Robotyne toward Melitopol, some 75 kilometers away, are expected to remain several kilometers outside the city. According to the intelligence services, the reason for this is the minefields and trenches laid out by Russia in the region, according to the Washington Post report.

Melitopol is of crucial importance for Ukraine’s counter-offensive, which has been going on for more than two months, as the city is considered the gateway to the Crimean peninsula, it said. It lies at the intersection of two major highways and a railway line that have enabled Russia to move military and equipment from Crimea to other occupied territories in southern Ukraine. (dpa)

Moscow reports repelled drone attack in the city center

According to official information, Russia’s capital Moscow has repelled another drone attack not far from the central skyscraper district of Moskva City. The unmanned missile was shot down by anti-aircraft defense around 4:00 a.m. on Friday morning (3:00 a.m. CEST) and then crashed into debris on an exhibition site on the waterfront, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram. Nobody was injured.

Russia’s Defense Ministry also confirmed the incident and once again blamed Ukraine. Initially, there was no official reaction from Kiev.

All Moscow airports temporarily restricted flight operations during the night. Videos circulated on social networks showing the moment of the explosion and then a column of smoke in the Moscow sky. There were also photos of a damaged facade of an exhibition pavilion.

The skyscraper district of Moskwa City, where several ministries are also based, was attacked by drones at night at the end of July and the beginning of July. At that time, the glass facades of two towers were hit. However, this damage is disproportionate to the consequences of the war in Ukraine, which Russia attacked almost 18 months ago, where thousands of civilians have already been killed and numerous residential areas destroyed. (dpa)

The night on Friday at a glance

The government in Kiev expects that Ukraine will be able to meet all the requirements for the start of the planned EU accession negotiations by October. Work continues on implementing the conditions of the EU Commission, said Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanischyna on Thursday in Kiev.

Stefanishyna said at a conference in the capital Kiev that Ukraine will have taken all the agreed legislative and institutional steps for the start of EU accession negotiations by October. However, it would take years for these fundamental reforms to be fully implemented.

In October, the European Commission will decide whether to recommend EU leaders to start accession talks with Ukraine, which is under Russian attack. The EU officially made the country a candidate for membership last year.

Before the start of the actual accession negotiations, which do not guarantee membership, Ukraine must meet seven requirements set by the EU Commission. It is about the procedure for selecting Ukrainian constitutional judges and better fight against corruption – especially at high level. The EU is also demanding that standards in the fight against money laundering be observed and that a law against the excessive influence of oligarchs be implemented.

Lithuania closes two border crossings with Belarus

In response to the presence of Russian Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, Lithuania has temporarily closed two of its six border crossings with the neighboring country. By decision of the government of the Baltic EU and NATO country, the two checkpoints Sumskas and Tverecius will be tight from Friday until further notice. According to the Ministry of the Interior, concrete blocks and rolls of barbed wire should be erected there. The other four border crossings to authoritarian Belarus should remain open.

USA: Denmark and Netherlands should be able to pass on F-16s quickly

The US government announced it would allow Denmark and the Netherlands to quickly transfer F-16 jets to Ukraine. The two countries have received formal assurances that applications for permits will be expedited so that the fighter jets can be delivered to Kiev once the training of Ukrainian pilots and technicians is complete, a US State Department spokesman confirmed. The United States must approve the handover of the military jets to Ukraine because the machines are being built by the US company Lockheed Martin and have sensitive technology on board.

Selenski welcomes ambassadors and announces an arms show

In his evening speech via Telegram, President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Germany for the recent delivery of additional launch devices for the Iris-T air defense system. «It is a powerful and necessary anti-aircraft system. I thank Germany for helping to protect against Russian terrorism,” said Zelenski.

He also announced a “defense industry forum” in the fall. At the event, Ukrainian and foreign arms manufacturers will present their production. According to Selenski, possibilities for new production facilities in Ukraine can also be explored. (dpa)

Russian planes avoid thunderstorms in EU airspace

While avoiding thunderstorms, three Russian passenger planes escaped into the airspace of Finland and Estonia with a special permit. In a statement on Thursday in Moscow, the Russian aviation authority Rosawiazija thanked the EU for the help of neighboring countries. The EU actually closed its airspace to Russian planes as part of sanctions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine. According to the information, it was about three flights by the Russian companies Rossija, Ural Airlines and Nordwind from or to Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea on Wednesday.

On the route to the Kaliningrad exclave, Russian pilots have to take a detour via the Baltic Sea due to the blocking of EU airspace. Over the Gulf of Finland there is only a narrow corridor of international airspace between Finland to the north and Estonia to the south.

The Finnish traffic authority Fintraffic confirmed the exemptions. Because of the thunderstorms, the planes were forced to deviate from the planned routes, said spokeswoman Leena Huhtamaa, according to the Yle radio. Russian and Belarusian aircraft are only allowed to use Finnish airspace in an emergency; this includes flying around dangerous weather conditions. Estonia allowed the evasive maneuver, reported the radio in the capital Tallinn without further details. (dpa)

G20 host India confirms Ukraine not invited to summit

India has not invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the upcoming summit of key G20 countries. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said so to selected foreign journalists, as reported by the Russian state news agency Tass and the Spanish news agency EFE.

The summit for heads of state and government will take place on September 9th and 10th in the capital New Delhi – under the motto “One Earth, One e family, one future». The G20 includes the European Union and the strongest economies on all continents, including Russia, Germany and the United States.

Jaishankar said India did not invite Ukraine because the G20 is about growth and development, not global security issues, according to the reports. That is a matter for the UN Security Council. The summit will deal with the topics of energy security, fertilizers and food supply, among other things. (dpa)

Ukraine no longer expects F-16 fighter jets in 2023

Ukraine is no longer counting on the long-awaited US F-16 multirole fighters this year. “It is obvious that we cannot defend Ukraine with F-16s this fall and winter,” Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on Ukrainian television. “There was great hope that this aircraft would become part of our air defense and could protect us against rocket and drone terror from Russia.”

After all, it is progress that Ukrainian pilots and technicians could start training on the jets “in the near future”, Ihnat was quoted as saying by the Kiev media on Thursday night.

A coalition led by Denmark and the Netherlands formed within NATO in the summer to train Ukrainian pilots for the F-16. The USA also agreed to this. Aircraft could also be handed over later from stocks in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark or Norway. However, the promised training between those involved has not yet been organized. The current ground offensive by Ukrainian troops suffers from the lack of air protection.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba later tried to present a more positive picture. “I think there will be good news soon,” he said on Ukrainian television on Thursday. The leadership around President Volodymyr Zelensky is working on accelerating the process. Politically, it has been clarified that Ukraine should get the F-16; technical details remained, said Kuleba. He expects that the aircraft will be delivered quickly after the training. “I think that the Ukrainian pilots will return from training and the planes will come with them.” (dpa)

Ukrainian army advances further south of Uroshayne

After the liberation of the Ukrainian village of Uroshayne in the Zaporizhia region, the Ukrainian army claims to have advanced further. “They were successful in the section south of Uroshayne and they are establishing themselves in the newly reached positions,” said General Staff spokesman Andriy Kovalyov on Thursday, according to a statement. The Ukrainian artillery engages enemy targets and in particular positions of enemy guns.

Russian attacks on the eastern sections of the front near Kupjansk and Lyman were also repelled. “The enemy launched unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of ​​Senkivka in Kharkiv region and Bohdanivka in Donetsk region,” said Kovalyov. The “heavy fighting” continued.

Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for more than 17 months with Western military support. In their counter-offensive, which began a good ten weeks ago, Ukrainian troops liberated almost a dozen villages in the south-east of the country. (dpa)

London: Ukraine has enough energy reserves for winter

According to British estimates, despite the war, the energy supply in the Ukraine is secured for the coming winter. Ukraine will probably have sufficient fuel reserves, the Ministry of Defense said in London on Thursday. In addition, the Ukrainian government has “effectively mobilized” the mining sector and can manage a continuous supply of coal for thermal power plants and combined heat and power plants. “Significant gas reserves” would also be available.

“Although Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure are expected to continue this winter, Ukraine proved last winter that it has the skilled workforce and expertise needed to operate and maintain the power grid, even in wartime conditions », it was said in London.

Russia had repeatedly targeted power plants and other energy infrastructure last winter. (dpa)

The night of Thursday at a glance

Several hours after leaving the southern Ukrainian port of Odessa, the German cargo ship “Joseph Schulte” successfully crossed the Ukrainian part of the Black Sea. Meanwhile, the United States has criticized the recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian Danube ports.

“I can confirm that the ship left Ukrainian waters,” said a spokeswoman for the Bernhard Schulte shipping company in Hamburg. According to the ship information service “Marine Traffic”, the freighter “Joseph Schulte” was sailing in Romanian waters at the time.

A little later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Platform X, formerly known as Twitter: “Ukraine has taken an important step towards restoring freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.”

The Hong Kong-flagged ship had docked in Odessa the day before the Russian invasion began and was then stranded there for a year and a half because of the war of aggression. It left the port on Wednesday morning – and was the first ship to use a temporary corridor set up by Ukraine, which leads to and from Ukrainian seaports. It can be used by merchant ships at their own risk.

Zelensky: Ukraine increases drone production

In his evening video address, Zelenski also emphasized the importance of drones for the defense of his country. “Drones are the “eyes” and protection at the front. (…) Drones are a guarantee that people will not have to pay with their lives in cases where drones can be used,” he said. Ukraine is in the process of significantly increasing the production of unmanned objects. Zelenski also underlined the importance of drone deliveries by international partners.

USA: Putin doesn’t care about global food security

The US, meanwhile, condemned Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube estuary, which are important for grain exports. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin does not care about global food security, said a spokesman for the US State Department. The attacks further escalated the global food crisis and kept food prices high. This affects those who are particularly dependent on grain and Ukrainian farmers. (dpa)

USA: Attacks on Ukrainian Danube ports unacceptable

The US has condemned the Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports at the mouth of the Danube, which are important for grain exports. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin does not care about global food security, a spokesman for the US State Department said on Wednesday. The attacks further escalated the global food crisis and kept food prices high. That was “unacceptable” and an escalation. It affects those who are particularly dependent on grain and Ukrainian farmers.

Russia has been blocking Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea since mid-July. The ports on the Danube, which are an important alternative route, have also been attacked several times from the air – the attacks often take place only a few hundred meters from NATO territory because Romania is on the other bank of the Danube. The Odessa region administration did not name the exact location of the night attacks on Wednesday. However, videos on social networks showed how the port of Reni was attacked. (dpa)

Romania condemns Russian attacks on Ukrainian Danube ports

Romania’s government has sharply condemned recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian Danube ports and grain silos near the EU country’s border. “I strongly condemn Russia’s ongoing attacks on innocent people, on civilian infrastructure, including the grain silos in the ports of Reni and Ismail,” Romania’s Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu wrote on the online platform X (formerly Twitter). Russia is thus endangering “the security of the food supply and shipping in the Black Sea,” the minister continued.

The Ukrainian Danube ports of Reni and Ismail are located directly on the border with Romania. They were attacked by Russian drones on Wednesday night, and grain silos were also damaged. Some of the Ukrainian grain exports pass through these ports. (dpa)

Russia welcomes new German ambassador with reproaches

The new German ambassador in Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, has been welcomed by the Russian Foreign Ministry with fierce accusations against Germany. The previous FDP member of the Bundestag handed over his credentials to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow on Wednesday.

The Russian side criticized the “confrontational and unfriendly character” of German policy in bilateral relations, the ministry said. Germany’s anti-Russian policy is destroying decades of mutually beneficial cooperation; there is an “unreasonable Russophobia”. (dpa)

Ukrainian Danube ports attacked with combat drones

The ports of Ukraine at the mouth of the Danube, which are important for grain exports, were attacked by the Russian army with combat drones on Wednesday night. As reported by the administration of the Odessa region, warehouses and grain silos were damaged in a port. The place was not named. The fires were extinguished by the fire department, Governor Oleh Kniper wrote on Telegram. There were no dead or injured.

The Ukrainian Air Force announced that 13 Iranian-made combat drones were shot down overnight over the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions. Russia has been blocking Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea since mid-July. The ports on the Danube, which are an important alternative route, were also attacked from the air several times. These attacks often take place just a few hundred meters from NATO territory because Romania is on the other bank of the Danube.

Nocturnal drone strikes were also reported from the Kharkiv region in the east. Ukraine has been repelling a Russian invasion for almost 18 months. (dpa)

Ukraine reports recapture of Uroshayne in the south

According to its own statements, the Ukrainian army has taken complete control of the village of Uroshayne, which has been fought over for days, during its counter-offensive in the south. “Uroshayne is freed,” Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar wrote on Wednesday on the social network Telegram. The Ukrainian soldiers therefore fortified their positions on the outskirts. The general staff in Kiev said in its morning report that Russian counter-attacks on the site had been repelled.

Military information about changes at the front can often not be confirmed immediately; However, experts analyze the movements with the help of photos or videos from the combat area. Uroshayne in the Donetsk region is one of the points where the Ukrainian army pushed furthest into the mined Russian defenses has advanced. Russian military bloggers complained that reserves were too weak to hold the village. (dpa)

Ukraine moves reserves to Kupyansk – the night at a glance

In view of the advance of Russian troops in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, the Ukrainian army has moved reserves to the Kupyansk sector. Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky visited soldiers at the front in the south-eastern region of Zaporizhia. And Latvia is stepping up border protection with Russia’s ally Belarus.

Ukraine wants to prevent Russian advances in Kupyansk

“Positions were strengthened, certain methodological recommendations were made and reserves were moved,” said the spokesman for Army Group East, Serhiy Cherevatyy, on Ukrainian news television on Tuesday with a view to troop reinforcements near Kupyansk. This prevents further advances by the enemy.

According to Ukrainian and Russian military observers, the Russian army has advanced to within about seven kilometers of the city of Kupyansk. The local authorities have also already ordered an evacuation of civilians around the city. Kupyansk was only liberated from Russian occupation last year as part of a successful Ukrainian counter-offensive.

Selensky on a front visit in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia

Zelensky, who only traveled to the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine at the beginning of the week, now also visited positions close to the front in the south-eastern region of Zaporizhia. “Thank you for the service, thank you for defending Ukraine on this important southern stretch,” he said at a field hospital.

In his evening video speech, Zelenskiy said he had been informed by the commanders about the use of weapons and equipment that international partners had supplied to Ukraine.

Latvia is also increasing protection of the border with Belarus

After Poland and Lithuania, Latvia is now stepping up protection of its border with neighboring Belarus. According to the border guards of the Baltic EU and NATO countries, additional officers will be deployed in the future because there is a “rapidly increasing hybrid threat”. Within 24 hours, 96 people tried to illegally cross the border from Belarus to Latvia. The authorities of the authoritarian neighboring country are also increasingly involved in organizing irregular border crossings by migrants, according to a statement.

UN organization counts nearly 10,000 civilians killed in Ukraine

In the almost 18 months of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has registered the deaths of almost 10,000 civilians. A new report Tuesday gave a figure of 9,444 confirmed civilian deaths. 16,940 people were injured.

The census cannot be complete because information is missing from many regions, the High Commissioner (OHCHR) commented on the numbers. This applies above all to cities such as Mariupol, Lysychansk and Sievjerodonetsk, which were occupied by Russian troops after long periods of shelling and heavy fighting. In Kiev it is feared that thousands or even tens of thousands more Ukrainians have actually been killed.

What will be important on Wednesday

In the east and south of Ukraine, Kiev’s counter-offensive to liberate the areas occupied by Russia continues. (dpa)

Ukrainian army moves reserves to front near Kupyansk

In view of the advance of Russian troops in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, the Ukrainian army has moved reserves to the Kupyansk sector. “Positions were strengthened, certain methodological recommendations were made and reserves were moved,” said the spokesman for Army Group East, Serhiy Cherevatyy, on Ukrainian news television on Tuesday. This prevents further advances by the enemy.

According to Ukrainian and Russian military observers, the Russian army has advanced to within about seven kilometers of the city of Kupyansk. The local authorities have also already ordered an evacuation of civilians around the city. Kupyansk was only liberated from Russian occupation last year as part of a successful Ukrainian counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region. (dpa)

Ukraine again threatens to boycott the Olympics if Russia participates

Ukraine has again threatened an Olympic boycott for 2024 if Russia and Belarus are involved in the summer games in Paris. “States that have stained themselves with the blood of Ukrainians cannot take part in the Olympic Games,” Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal wrote on Telegram on Tuesday night. 35 other countries are ready to join the boycott for “fair sport”, explained Schmyhal, but did not name them. He expects the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to make a “right decision” and thus exclude Russia.

According to a statement, the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine has not yet made a final decision. Currently, Ukrainians only compete in the qualifiers when Russians and Belarusians are involved as individual athletes under a neutral flag. It was not said whether this was also an acceptable option for the Olympics. The IOC has not yet decided on this and has not formally invited the National Olympic Committees of Russia and Belarus to the Games.

Sports Minister Wadym Hutzajt, who is also President of the NOK, had already threatened an Olympic boycott in January if Russian and Belarusian athletes participated. Ukraine has been repelling a Russian invasion, also launched from Belarusian territory, for over 17 months. The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are scheduled from July 26 to August 11.

Ukraine ranked 44th in the medal table at the previous Summer Games in Tokyo two years ago, with 19 medals and one gold. The Russian athletes, on the other hand, were the fifth strongest team with 71 medals, 20 of which were gold. Even then, Russia could not compete under its own flag because of the state doping scandal. Instead, the Russians took part as representatives of the Russian Olympic Committee.

Moscow Security Conference: Putin laments Western conspiracy

Russian President Vladimir Putin once again used a security conference in Moscow to attack the West. Conflicts in many regions of the world were only caused by the “geopolitical adventures and the selfish, neo-colonial behavior of the West,” said the Kremlin chief on Tuesday in a video message at the XI. Moscow Conference on International Security. According to the Russian state media, more than 800 representatives from 76 nations are taking part. China’s new Defense Minister Li Shangfu was also a guest.

Putin said there are anonymous backers who play peoples off against each other and force states into vassal obedience in order to “mercilessly exploit their resources within the framework of a neocolonial system”. Russia under Putin has been waging a war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine for more than 17 months. The Kremlin boss has long accused the West of conspiring against everything Russian. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz described this world view last year as “great power mania and imperialism”.

Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said his country wants to increase cooperation with Asian countries such as India, Vietnam, Myanmar, Mongolia, Laos, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu said his country has established military cooperation with more than 150 countries around the world and wants to strengthen it. According to a Russian transcript of his opening speech, Beijing wants to raise the level of military ties with European states and the EU and strengthen traditional friendships with Latin American, Caribbean and South Pacific states. Li Shangfu, who took office in March 2023, is traveling through Russia and Belarus for several days to meet the two countries’ military leaders.

Night Russian air raid on western Ukraine

According to the authorities, western Ukraine was heavily fired at on Tuesday night with Russian cruise missiles. At least three people were killed in the city of Lutsk, according to the head of the administration of the Volyn region, Yuriy Pohulyaiko. Several injured were taken to hospitals.

The city of Lviv and its environs were also hit. In Lviv, 15 people were injured, said the regional governor, Maxym Kosytskyi. 40 buildings were damaged. In a video, Mayor Andrij Sadowyj showed a deep bomb crater that was said to have formed on the grounds of a kindergarten. The affected areas of western Ukraine border on Poland and thus on NATO and the EU.

During the night there was an air alert over the whole of Ukraine. 24 cruise missiles of various types were fired by Russian fighter bombers over the Caspian Sea, the Ukrainian Air Force said in the morning. In addition, a Russian frigate fired four Kalibr cruise missiles on the Black Sea. The air defense intercepted 16 of these missiles.

Rocket hits were also reported from the major cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhia, as well as from Kramatorsk, which are closer to the front lines. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, these were converted Russian anti-aircraft missiles of the S-300 and S-400 systems. The military information is usually not independently verifiable. According to the prosecutor’s office, at least one man died in Kramatorsk.

London: Chechen leader Kadyrov wants to prove his loyalty to Putin

According to London, Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov wants to highlight the role played by his fighters in Ukraine in order to demonstrate his loyalty to Russian President Vladimir Putin. This emerges from the secret service report on the war in Ukraine by the Ministry of Defense in London on Tuesday. Kadyrov recently recognized the efforts of a Chechen battalion in the heavily contested sector of Orikhiv in Zaporizhia Oblast, according to the British post on platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Chechen forces represent a relatively small but prominent part of the Russian forces in Ukraine,” the British statement said. It also said: “Kadyrov praises the role of his units in part because he wants to polish his credibility as a Putin loyalist.”(dpa)

Selenski visits the front near Bachmut – the night at a glance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has visited positions of several units of his army north of the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. “Thank you for protecting the lives of our people,” said Zelenski in a video released on Monday, which was recorded in an initial reception center for the wounded.

Meanwhile, the US announced that it would continue to provide military aid to Ukraine. And Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner expressed sympathy for the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to the attacked country.

Ukraine reports minor successes at Bachmut

During his visit to the front, Zelensky presented awards to soldiers. He was accompanied by the boss s of an office, Andriy Yermak, his deputy Roman Mashovets and Brigadier General Artem Bohomolow. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar had previously announced that the Ukrainian units south of Bakhmut had recaptured three square kilometers of land last week.

It is important to talk to the soldiers personally, Zelensky said in his evening video speech, which he apparently recorded on the train on the way back from the eastern region of Donetsk. In it he also stated that Ukraine must produce and import more drones in order to protect human lives on the front lines.

New US military aid of $200 million

The US is providing Ukraine with another US$200 million (€183 million) in military aid. The new package includes ammunition for the Patriot air defense system, Himars multiple rocket launchers, Javelin anti-tank missiles and spare parts, the Ministry of Defense said. In addition, additional artillery ammunition and mine clearance equipment from US military stocks will be delivered.

The United States is considered Ukraine’s main ally in defending against the Russian invasion. According to the Pentagon, the United States has provided or pledged more than $43 billion in military aid to Kiev since the war began at the end of February 2022.

Lindner expresses sympathy for Taurus deliveries to Ukraine

During his visit to Kiev, Federal Finance Minister Lindner expressed his support for a possible delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to the Ukraine. The FDP leader said: “Ukraine must win this war. That’s why it’s also part of our responsibility that Ukraine’s staying power is always greater than the evil that emanates from Putin’s war.” The federal government therefore wants to continue to do everything in its power to strengthen Ukraine’s military capabilities. Much has already been done to this end.

With regard to the Taurus debate, Lindner said that the usual procedure applies. Germany will discuss with its allies what is needed and what is possible. “Since I know that many people, like myself, are sympathetic to such support, I hope that these questions will be clarified soon, very soon.”

Russian fighter jet crashed in southern Krasnodar Territory

According to official information, a fighter jet crashed in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar. According to initial findings, one inmate died, the Interfax agency reported, citing the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. The L-39 training aircraft was about to land during a training flight when it crashed onto the airfield for reasons that have not yet been clarified. Russian warplanes repeatedly launch their attacks on Ukraine from Krasnodar.

What will be important on Tuesday

In the east and south of Ukraine, Kiev’s counter-offensive to liberate the areas occupied by Russia continues.

Zelensky visits East Ukrainian front north of Bakhmut

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has visited several units’ positions north of the Russian-held town of Bakhmut in eastern Donetsk Oblast. “Thank you for protecting the lives of our people,” Zelenski said in a video released on Monday, which was recorded at an initial reception center for the wounded.

The head of state then presented awards to soldiers. He was accompanied by the head of his office, Andriy Yermak, his deputy Roman Mashovets and Brigadier General Artem Bohomolow. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar had previously announced that the Ukrainian units south of Bakhmut had recaptured three square kilometers of land last week.

It is important to talk to the soldiers personally, said Selenski in his evening video speech, which he apparently recorded on the train on the way back. In it he also stated that Ukraine must expand drone production and imports. Protect human life at the front. (dpa)

Ukraine reports progress on Bakhmut section

Ukrainian troops are making progress in retaking territory near the Russian-controlled city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, officials said. “The area of ​​the liberated area was three square kilometers in the past week,” said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar on Monday, according to a statement. Overall, the Ukrainian troops around Bakhmut have recaptured 40 square kilometers since the start of their counter-offensive a good ten weeks ago. In addition, there is also “very hot fighting” in the Kharkiv and Luhansk regions on the Kupyansk and Lyman sectors.

In the southern part of the Donetsk region, according to Malyar, the Ukrainian units have established themselves in the village of Uroshayne. This had previously been acknowledged by Russian military observers. There is also fierce fighting south of the neighboring town of Staromajorske, which was liberated a good two weeks ago. She did not provide information on land gains.

The Deputy Defense Minister confirmed advances by Ukrainian units on the Russian-held bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region. But they hadn’t settled there yet, she made it clear. “In order to get established, you have to push the enemy out, clear the territory,” Maljar said. Earlier, Ukrainian media circulated video footage showing a Russian major allegedly captured during one of the raids. In the recording, he provides detailed information on Russian defense positions.

Ukraine has been repelling a Russian invasion for more than 17 months, with Western support. A counter-offensive launched about ten weeks ago has so far fallen short of the high expectations. (dpa)

Renewed attacks on Odessa – The night at a glance

According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia again attacked the southern Ukrainian region of Odessa on the Black Sea on Monday night with rockets and kamikaze drones. The air defense in the region and over the port city of the same name had been activated, the news portal “Ukrajinska Pravda” reported early Monday morning, citing the air force and the regional military administration.

Several explosions were heard in Odessa. The head of the regional military administration, Oleh Kiper, also reported in the morning that houses had been damaged by rocket debris. Three people were injured. The information could not be independently verified.

After Russia announced the end of the agreement on shipping Ukrainian grain in July, the Ukrainian Black Sea ports around Odessa have come under heavy scrutiny. The port facilities and the city itself have been shelled several times since then.

On the night of Monday, air alarms were triggered again in large parts of Ukraine. The country has been defending itself against Russian war of aggression for more than 17 months.

Explosions in Zaporizhia

Explosions are also said to have occurred in the city of Zaporizhia in the region of the same name in south-eastern Ukraine on Monday night. According to “Ukrajinska Pravda”, local media reported that explosions could be heard repeatedly in the early hours of the morning. There was an air alert throughout the region.

Sumy border region under heavy shelling

According to the Sumy regional military administration, Russia again attacked the Ukrainian region near the Russian border. On Sunday alone, the enemy fired at the region in north-eastern Ukraine 21 times with mortars and artillery, the military administration said on Facebook on Monday night. A total of 144 explosions were registered. At least two residential buildings were damaged in the attacks. The information could not be independently verified.

Kyiv announces response to Russian terror

Russian artillery fire killed seven people and injured around 15 others in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson on Sunday – now Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a “response” to Russia. “Every occupier destroyed, every burned Russian vehicle, fires in their headquarters and warehouses, the highly telling ‘fogging’ of the Crimean bridge and more – all of this proves that we will not leave any crime committed by Russia unanswered,” Zelensky said in his video message on Sunday evening.

In the village of Schyroka Balka in the Cherson region alone, according to Ukrainian authorities, Russian artillery killed five people on Sunday, including a family of four with a father, mother, a twelve-year-old son and a baby just over three weeks old. The region was shelled 17 times during the day, Zelensky said in his speech.

Ukrainian Defense Minister: “five mines per square meter”

In the current counter-offensive, the Ukrainians repeatedly encounter minefields, anti-tank ditches and other obstacles, as well as Russian defenses in layers. According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, the Russian defense lines are so densely mined that in some parts of the front there are up to five mines per square meter.

In a conversation with the British “Guardian” published on Sunday, he spoke of millions of explosive devices along the front. There are minefields stretching over hundreds of kilometers. This represents a serious obstacle to the counter-offensive of the Ukrainian troops.

According to the Guardian, Reznikov was convinced that the huge minefields could be conquered by Ukrainian troops. However, he stressed that it was vitally important that allies expand and accelerate the training already offered by some nations to Ukraine’s deminers.

What will be important on Monday

In the east and south of Ukraine, Kiev’s counter-offensive to liberate the areas occupied by Russia continues. The extent of the damage caused by the night attacks should also become clearer in the morning. (dpa)

Ukraine: Seven dead in artillery shelling of villages on Dnipro River

At least seven people were killed by Russian artillery fire on villages in the southern Ukrainian region of Cherson on Sunday morning, according to the authorities. Five people – including a family of four with a father, mother, a 12-year-old son and a 23-day-old girl – died in the village of Schyroka Balka, Ukrainian authorities said. The 12-year-old was taken to hospital with injuries and later died there.

Two adults were killed in the neighboring village of Stanislav, wrote the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak. “The enemy continues to shell the Kherson region.” The villages are located on the north bank of the Dnipro River at its confluence with the Black Sea. Russian troops withdrew from this area last fall. It’s still within range of their artillery though. (dpa)

Russian military reports four drones shot down

According to the Russian military, a total of four Ukrainian drones were shot down over the Belgorod and Kursk regions on the border with Ukraine on Sunday. In none of the cases was there any damage or injuries, the Ministry of Defense said in Moscow. No further details were given. The information could not be independently verified.

According to the ministry, three of the drones were shot over Geb iet Belgorod intercepted, one of them already in the night to Sunday. In the past few weeks, several suspected Ukrainian combat drones have flown to the Russian capital Moscow and caused property damage there. (dpa)

Russian warship is said to have stopped freighters with warning shots

According to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, a Russian warship is said to have stopped a cargo ship bound for Ukraine on the Black Sea with warning shots. The Russian patrol boat “Vassily Bykov” and a freighter flying the flag of Palau, which the ministry called “Sukra Okan”, were involved in the incident on Sunday. What was probably meant was the Turkish freighter “Sukru Okan”, which sails under the flag of the Pacific state of Palau and was on the Black Sea on Sunday. Initially, there were no confirmations of the incident from Turkish or other sources.

The freighter was on its way to the Ukrainian port of Ismail at 6:40 a.m. Moscow time (5:40 a.m. CEST) and did not respond to stop signals, the Russian military said. Warning shots were then fired from automatic weapons. The ship stopped. Soldiers were transferred with a helicopter to check the cargo. After the check, the ship was able to continue the journey to Ismail. Russia has been blocking Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea since mid-July. Moscow threatened to consider all ships calling at Ukraine as hostile.

The Russian ministry only roughly named the south-west of the Black Sea as the location of the incident. According to the online ship tracker Vesselfinder, the “Sukru Okan” headed north off the Turkish coast on Sunday morning and reached Bulgarian territorial waters around noon. Accordingly, the incident is likely to have occurred just off the Turkish coast. Vesselfinder did not list Ismail as the destination of the “Sukru Okan”, but Sulina in Romania. (dpa)

Scholz reluctant to deliver cruise missiles to Ukraine

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed reservations about a possible delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. The SPD politician said on Sunday in the ZDF “summer interview” of the program “Berlin direct”, as in the past, the federal government will always check every single decision very carefully – what is going, what makes sense, what the German contribution could be.

Germany will continue to make things difficult for itself, said Scholz. His impression is that the vast majority of citizens find that very correct. “Decisions must always be weighed carefully,” said the Chancellor. “And I will continue to do that and say it very clearly.” Scholz continued: “We deal with all the questions that are brought to us and can then say something about it if there is something to say about it.”

Scholz said Germany is the country that supports Ukraine the most after the US. “We do it mainly with tanks, with artillery. We did that with a lot of air defense.” Scholz pointed out that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj had thanked Germany for the two additional launch pads for the Patriot air defense system. (dpa)

Continue talks on peace settlement for Ukraine

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke out in favor of further international talks on ways to end the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In the “summer interview” of the ZDF program “Berlin direct”, the SPD politician described a meeting in Saudi Arabia last weekend as “very important”. This is “really just the beginning, unfortunately”. Nevertheless, the talks at the level of foreign policy advisers are something very special.

More countries took part, including China, said the Chancellor, with a view to a similar meeting in Copenhagen in June. “So it makes sense that we continue these talks because they are concretely increasing the pressure for Russia to realize it’s on the wrong track and needs to withdraw troops and peace will be possible.” (dpa)

Six dead in artillery shelling of villages on the Dnipro

At least six people were killed by Russian artillery fire on villages in the southern Ukrainian region of Cherson on Sunday morning, according to the authorities. This includes a baby who is only 22 days old, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram. The child’s parents also died in the village of Schyroka Balka. A 12-year-old son of the family was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Two adults were killed in the neighboring village of Stanislav, wrote the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak. “The enemy continues to shell the Kherson region.” The villages are located on the north bank of the Dnipro River at its confluence with the Black Sea. Russian troops withdrew from this area last fall. It’s still within range of their artillery though. (dpa)

Russian military reports two more drones shot down

The Russian military said it shot down two more Ukrainian drones on Sunday over the Kursk and Belgorod regions on the border with Ukraine. In both cases there was no damage or injuries, the Ministry of Defense said in Moscow. No further details were given. The information could not be independently verified.

According to the ministry, a drone from Ukraine was shot down over the Belgorod region on Sunday night. In the past few weeks, several suspected Ukrainian combat drones have flown to the Russian capital Moscow and caused property damage there. (dpa)

Great Britain: Wagner troupe must save costs

After the brief uprising against the Russian military leadership, the Wagner mercenary group is under financial pressure, according to British intelligence. The Wagner Group is likely to be downsizing and restructuring, primarily to save on payroll costs, the British Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday in its daily intelligence update on the online platform X.

Since the uprising in June, the Russian state has acted against other business interests of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, the ministry reported. “There is a realistic possibility that the Kremlin will no longer fund the group,” it said. If the Russian state stops paying the mercenaries, the authorities in Belarus would be the second most likely donor. However, this would place a significant and potentially unwelcome strain on manageable Belarusian funds, the British wrote. (dpa)

Ukrainian judiciary has counted 500 children killed

At least 500 children fell victim to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, according to the ongoing count of the Ukrainian judiciary. The Prosecutor General’s Office announced this on Sunday in the capital Kiev. In addition, almost 1,100 children suffered injuries of various degrees of severity, the authority wrote on Telegram. She pointed out that the census was incomplete. It is being investigated in the combat zone, in the areas liberated from Ukraine and in the areas occupied by Russian troops, and other cases are being sought.

Most of the children killed and injured were in the eastern areas of Donetsk and Kharkiv close to the front, followed by the capital region of Kiev and Cherson in the south. The most recent known case was an eight-year-old boy who, according to Ukrainian sources, was fatally injured in a rocket attack on western Ukraine on Friday.

The Ukrainian judiciary documents civilian deaths and injuries. She collects material that could serve as evidence of alleged war crimes by Russian soldiers in later trials. Ukraine has been repelling a Russian invasion for almost a year and a half. (dpa)

Kiev continues to advertise German cruise missiles – night at a glance

Ukraine is continuing to put pressure on the German government to supply Kiev with German Taurus cruise missiles for defense against Russia. Ukraine needs them “to save more lives of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians and to speed up the liberation of their areas,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the “Bild am Sonntag”.

“The formula is simple: a longer range of the missiles means a shorter duration of the war,” said Kuleba. With the weapon, Ukraine could “reach the Russian occupying forces on Ukrainian soil far beyond the front line, disrupt their logistics and destroy command centers and ammunition depots.”

According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia shot down a Ukrainian drone over the Russian region of Belgorod. At around 4:00 a.m. (3:00 a.m. CEST) in the morning, the attack in the region bordering Ukraine was thwarted, the Russian state news agency Tass reported on Sunday, citing the ministry. The Russian missile defense discovered and destroyed the drone. There are no reports of damage or casualties. The information could not be independently verified.

According to a media report, a Ukrainian drone attack in Crimea on Saturday night was aimed at a logistics base of Russian troops near Yevpatoria in the west of the peninsula. 17 drones were used in the night attack, the internet portal “Ukrajinska Pravda” reported on Saturday evening, citing sources at the Ukrainian secret service SBU. According to preliminary information, “dozens of occupiers” were killed or injured. Equipment was also destroyed. The exact extent of the damage is still being investigated.

According to reports, anti-aircraft defenses were activated over parts of Crimea on Saturday night. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the military fended off 20 Ukrainian drones. The ministry claimed there were no casualties or damage.

According to official information, a Russian fighter plane crashed during training in the Russian Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad. “The crew of the plane died,” the Russian Defense Ministry said, according to the Interfax agency. It was initially unclear how many inmates were involved. The exact crash site was also not mentioned. The Sukhoi Su-30 machine was said to be flying over an uninhabited area when technical problems arose. (dpa)

“Thank you Olaf!” – Selenski welcomes further German anti-aircraft defense

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Germany for the two additional launch pads of the Patriot anti-aircraft system that his country, which had been attacked by Russia, had received. “That’s very important,” said Selenski in his evening speech on Saturday. “Thanks! Thank you Germany. Thanks to the people,” said Selenski – and added to Chancellor Olaf Scholz: “Thank you, Olaf!”

The delivery of the new Patriot systems by Germany became known a few days ago. Immediately afterwards, Selenskyj also thanked Scholz. For the Ukraine The Patriot systems built in the USA are particularly valuable because, according to Kiev sources, they have already intercepted Russian hypersonic missiles several times. Every strengthening of Ukraine’s air defense means saving thousands of lives, stressed Zelenskiy.

The new German deliveries also include ten more Bandvagn 206 multi-purpose tracked vehicles, six heavy-duty trailer trucks and around 6,000 rounds of smoke ammunition for artillery pieces with a caliber of 155 millimeters. Germany also provided machine guns, shooting glasses, binoculars and mine clearance equipment.

In addition to help with air defense, support for mine clearance is currently particularly important, said Selenski. Due to mines and unexploded ammunition, around 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory are currently dangerous for people. (dpa)

Explosions at the Crimean bridge – Russia speaks of averted missiles

There have been renewed explosions at the Kerch Bridge between mainland Russia and Crimea, which was illegally annexed from Ukraine by the Black Sea. The Russian air defense shot down two enemy missiles on Saturday afternoon, Moscow’s governor of the peninsula, Sergey Aksyonov, said on Telegram. “The Crimean bridge is not damaged,” he wrote. This could not initially be checked independently. Car traffic over the 19-kilometer structure has been temporarily suspended.

In the meantime, photos and videos have been published on social networks showing high columns of smoke on the bridge, which is strategically important for Russia. Local residents reported explosion noises. (dpa)

US experts see Ukrainian advances on the front line in Zaporizhia

US experts have certified the Ukrainian army’s successes in the counteroffensive in the Zaporizhia region. Ukrainian troops made “tactically significant advances” in western Zaporizhia on Friday, the US Institute for War Studies ISW wrote. Footage showed that the Ukrainians had reached the northern outskirts of the settlement of Robotyne, some 10 kilometers south of the city of Orikhiv. At the same time, the report spoke of intensified Russian attacks near Kupjansk in the Kharkiv region.

The British Ministry of Defense, in turn, reported that Russia was sending more troops to Zaporizhia in the face of Ukrainian pressure. The Russians may have moved airborne troops from the Kherson region to the Orikhiv area, the ministry said in its regular intelligence update.

It is possible that the arrival of these troops will ultimately allow parts of two motor gunner regiments to be withdrawn to the front for rest and relaxation, the British wrote. However, the move weakens Russia near the east bank of the Dnipro River, where it is increasingly being harassed by Ukrainian amphibious assaults. (dpa)

Poland’s police are investigating recruiting stickers for the Wagner mercenary group

In Poland, the police seized stickers advertising service in the Russian mercenary group Wagner. The stickers in A5 format were noticed by citizens in several parts of Kraków, a spokeswoman for the local police said on Saturday of the German Press Agency. The logo of the Wagner people is shown on the slips of paper, with the following in English: “We are here. Join me.” According to the police, the QR code printed underneath leads to a recruitment website for the mercenary force.

Nervousness has grown in Poland since troops from the private army of mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin set up camp in neighboring Belarus after a failed uprising against Moscow. According to the leadership in Minsk, the Wagner fighters are supposed to train the Belarusian army.

“We don’t know if the sticker campaign is a joke or if there is something more serious behind it,” said the police spokeswoman in Kraków. The public prosecutor’s office was informed that the police were trying to identify and arrest the perpetrators. According to Polish criminal law, both recruitment for foreign armies and mercenary troops and service in such organizations are prohibited. Violations are punishable by up to five years in prison. (dpa)

Ukraine Addresses German Concerns – The Night at a Glance

Ukraine reiterates its demand for Taurus cruise missiles from Germany and is attempting to allay concerns in Berlin about the delivery. Because of their long range, the Taurus are urgently needed militarily – just like the ATACMS from the USA, which have also been requested, said Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kiev. He assured: “Both will only be used within our borders.” Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar made a similar statement.

The fear that Ukraine could shell Russian territory with the bunker-busting weapons is the reason for the hesitation in Berlin. However, the pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to deliver the Taurus guided missiles with a range of 500 kilometers to Ukraine is increasing. According to a “Spiegel” report, it is being considered to program the weapons so that they cannot be aimed at targets in Russia.

Heavy fighting continued on the front in eastern and southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian General Staff reported on Friday evening. The military administration of Sumy also reported again Russian shelling of the Ukrainian territory in the northeast near the border with Russia. Anti-aircraft defenses were activated during the night over parts of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea annexed by Russia.

A Russian missile attack succeeded in intercepting one of four Kinzhal-type hypersonic missiles. According to the information, there were impacts in the west of the country, where the Ukrainian air force has its bases.

“The greater the range, the shorter the war,” Kuleba wrote on Friday on the social network X (formerly Twitter) about the requested cruise missile. “We ask our partners to make them available as soon as possible.”

Zelensky: Working on alternative export routes

Because of the blockade of the Black Sea ports by Russia, Ukraine is working intensively on developing alternative export routes for grain, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. “We are doing everything possible to ensure that Ukraine continues to be a guarantor of food security,” said Zelenskiy in his evening video address on Friday. The people of Ukraine also need access to world markets.

The President reported in Kiev that he had discussed the issue with the heads of the army, the secret service and the Navy, as well as government officials. In mid-July, Russia withdrew its security guarantees for Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea. Moscow then tried to destroy the infrastructure for such exports with air raids on ports like Odessa. Ukrainian ports on the Danube, through which an alternative route runs, were also attacked.

Transporting grain, corn, fertilizer and other agricultural products by rail or truck is more complicated and expensive than shipping. Ukraine has been fighting off a Russian invasion for almost a year and a half. (dpa)

US government imposes sanctions on Russian oligarchs

The US government has imposed sanctions on four “prominent members of Russia’s financial elite”. They are all linked to the Alfa Group, one of the largest financial and industrial groups in Russia, the US State Department said on Friday. “The United States will continue to take all appropriate measures to hold accountable those who enable and benefit from Russia’s war against Ukraine,” it said.

Affected by the sanctions are the oligarchs Mikhail Fridman, co-founder of the Alfa Group, German Khan, Alexei Kuzmichov and Pyotr Aven. As a result of the sanctions, possible assets of those affected will be blocked in the USA. US citizens or people located in the United States are prohibited from doing business with the sanctioned companies and individuals. Alfa-Bank, considered Russia’s largest privately owned financial institution, is already under sanctions. (dpa)

Ukrainian Foreign Minister: Taurus not on Russian territory

According to Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine does not want to use the requested cruise missiles from Germany and the USA against Russian territory. The weapons with their long range are urgently needed, Kuleba wrote on Friday on the social network X, which was formerly known as Twitter. He added: “The greater the range, the shorter the war.” The Russian war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine has been going on for almost a year and a half.

Ukraine is hoping for Taurus cruise missiles with a range of up to 500 kilometers from Germany, and the similar ATACMS weapon system from the USA. “Both will only be used within our borders,” assured Kubela. Ukraine needs the weapons to take out Russian bases and supply lines far behind the front lines. The German government fears that targets on Russian territory will also be attacked. (dpa)

Eight people still missing after explosion in city near Moscow

Days after an explosion at a suspected arms factory near Moscow, Russia, eight people are still missing. Most of the clean-up work on the territory of the Zagorsk optical-mechanical plant in the town of Sergiyev Posad, about 70 kilometers northeast of Moscow, has been completed, the city administration announced on Friday on its Telegram channel.

On Wednesday there was a violent explosion in Sergiyev Posad – according to official information in a pyrotechnics warehouse that was housed on the factory premises. Accordingly, human error should have been the cause. Since, according to a media report, the optical-mechanical factory was involved in the development of a new combat aircraft, it was also speculated that it could have been targeted, for example by a drone.

The Russian authorities recently spoke of a woman killed and more than 80 injured. In the Russian telegram channel Baza, on the other hand, there was talk of more than 150 body parts found in the rubble. Against this background, Baza assumed that in reality 15 or more people could have been killed.

According to the city administration, around 440 apartments and 20 private houses in the area were damaged by the explosion. In some nearby houses, the hot water supply was interrupted, it said. (dpa)

Ukraine reports deaths and injuries in the south and east of the country

According to official sources, civilians have again been killed and injured by Russian shelling in southern and eastern Ukraine. According to the local military administration, a 53-year-old died on Friday in the southern Ukrainian city of Cherson after his home was hit by Russian artillery.

In the village of Beryslav, around 70 kilometers to the east, two police officers are said to have been injured after a Russian drone attacked their service vehicle. In the past 24 hours, the Russians are said to have shelled the Kherson region a total of 60 times, according to the local authorities on Telegram.

According to the authorities, a civilian was also killed by Russian artillery on Thursday and Friday in the contested eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk and nine others were injured – including a child. More than 80 buildings in the surrounding area were damaged.

The military administration of the north-eastern region of Kharkov meanwhile reported massive Russian shelling within the past few hours. A woman is said to have been killed and a man injured near the frontline town of Kupyansk. A 73-year-old is also said to have been wounded in a village near the Russian border. Information from the war zone often cannot be checked directly independently.

Russia has been waging a war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine for more than 17 months. Again and again, Russian troops fired on civilian objects, cities and towns. The United Nations has so far officially registered more than 9,000 civilians killed in the conflict, but the actual number is likely to be significantly higher. (dpa)

Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses repel “Kinzhal” missile attack on Kiev

According to the authorities, the Ukrainian capital Kiev was attacked with Russian hypersonic missiles “Kinzhal”. “We have to thank the anti-aircraft defense for the missiles fired,” said the spokesman for the Kiev military administration, Mykhailo Shamanov, on television on Friday.

In the city of three million, almost half a dozen explosions from anti-aircraft missiles could be heard beforehand. Rocket debris was found in a northern borough, authorities said. They fell, for example, on the grounds of a children’s hospital and the roof of a private house. Nothing was known about injuries for the time being.

The Ukrainian Air Force had previously announced that Russian hypersonic missiles of the type “Kinzhal” (Dagger) were fired. There were also reports of anti-aircraft operations in the western Ukrainian regions of Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi. The air alert had been triggered nationwide because of Russian MiG-31K jets that had risen.

Ukraine has been repelling the Russian invasion for more than 17 months with Western help. Especially around Kiev, the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense is equipped with modern Western defense systems, including some from Germany. (dpa)

Moscow reports drone attack repelled after explosion

According to authorities, the Russian capital Moscow has again been attacked by a drone. On Friday morning, photos and videos of a column of smoke that rose on Karamyshevskaya Promenade in the west of the metropolis were shared on social networks. Eyewitnesses reported an explosion. A little later, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced that a drone had been successfully repelled there. Debris fell, but nobody was injured.

The Moscow Vnukovo Airport and the airport in the city of Kaluga, located almost 200 kilometers south-west of Moscow, temporarily ceased operations. Planes are now taking off and landing again, according to the state agency Tass.

In recent weeks, Moscow has repeatedly become the target of drone attacks, some of which penetrated the city center and caused damage to buildings there. Ukraine is suspected to be behind the attacks, against which Russia has been waging a war of aggression for more than 17 months. However, the number of victims and damage in Russia are disproportionate to the consequences of the war in Ukraine, where thousands of civilians have already been killed. (dpa)

UN condemns Russian attack on hotel in Zaporizhia

The UN coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, has strongly condemned the Russian rocket attack on a hotel in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia. The shelling of a hotel, which is often used by UN workers to support victims of war, was absolutely unacceptable, Brown wrote in a statement published on the United Nations website. According to the city authorities, the Hotel “Reikartz” was hit by an Iskander rocket on Thursday evening. One person died and 14 others were injured, including children.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry tweeted that the hotel housed a daycare center. Only thanks to the fact that the facility closed an hour before the rocket hit did the children survive. According to the UN, the hotel has been used in the past, among other things, for the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal plant in the Russian-occupied port city of Mariupol last May.

According to the UN, attacks on such civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. In the meantime, they have assumed enormous proportions in Ukraine. Brown called on Russia to “immediately stop indiscriminate attacks against Ukraine.”

Russia has been waging a war of aggression against its neighbor for more than 17 months. The capital of the Zaporizhia region of the same name is also repeatedly the target of Russian airstrikes and artillery. Only on Wednesday did Russian rockets kill at least three people in the city. According to Ukrainian reports, two of the dead were young street musicians who had just been making music. (dpa)

Germany considers delivering cruise missiles to Ukraine

According to media reports, there are signs of movement in the debate about the Ukrainian demand for German Taurus cruise missiles. The government is examining how Germany can supply Ukraine with Taurus from Bundeswehr stocks in the coming months, reported the “Spiegel”. Talks were being held between the Ministry of Defense and the defense industry. The news portal “t-online” reported on Thursday, citing SPD circles, that the government wanted to announce the delivery “soon”.

The “Spiegel” also said that the Ministry of Defense had asked the Taurus manufacturer to integrate a limitation for target programming in the cruise missile. Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to use technical modifications to prevent Ukraine from carrying out attacks on Russian territory with the long-range weapon systems. According to the report, industry circles said that such a restriction of the system is certainly possible, but will take a few weeks.

The Ukraine demands Taurus-type cruise missiles from Berlin in order to be able to attack positions of the Russian armed forces far behind the front line. The federal government has so far been reluctant because the projectiles can also reach Russian territory.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said last week that “this is not our top priority right now”. The concerns about the delivery were obvious, but he did not categorically rule out a delivery for the future. “The time for a decision has not yet come for us,” he said. (dpa)

Face Russian hackers Swiss plans for tank deal online

Is Switzerland planning a ring exchange with locally produced wheeled armored vehicles in favor of the Ukraine? On Friday, the Tamedia newspapers. The background is a document that has been published on a Telegram channel in the past few days. A Russian hacker group is said to be behind the publication of the document from the Federal State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco), which is classified as “confidential” and in places “secret”.

According to Seco, the seven-page report, written partly in German and English, dates from the beginning of the year. According to the newspaper report, the content is about the question of how Ukraine could still benefit from piranha wheeled armored vehicles, which Switzerland had once sold to Denmark. As is well known, the Danish government already wanted to hand over 22 Piranha III vehicles from the Swiss company Mowag to the Ukraine a year ago. But Bundesbern waved it off.

As is now known, this spring a so-called ring exchange between Denmark, a Baltic country like Latvia and the Ukraine was an issue. Latvia was supposed to deliver military vehicles from its own stock to Ukraine and in return receive Swiss-made Piranhas from Denmark.

In other words, thanks to the so-called ring exchange, no Swiss piranhas would end up in Ukraine, but the country attacked by Russia would still benefit from Swiss war material. This was previously not publicly known. The situation is different after violent back and forth for 25 Leopard 2 main battle tanks, which Switzerland now wants to deliver to Germany. They are intended to replace war material in the northern neighboring country, which Germany in turn is making available to Ukraine.

How far the plans for a ring exchange with Denmark have actually progressed is difficult to estimate. The Seco paper that has now been published only states that this “seems to be emerging”. According to the newspaper report, Bern has still not received an official request from the Nordic country.

A Seco spokesman told the Tamedia newspapers that the document that has now been published is a “language regulation on questions relating to the re-export of war material in connection with Ukraine”. Recipients were “various departments of the federal administration and embassies”. Nevertheless, Seco “takes this matter very seriously” and has already initiated clarifications through various channels. According to the newspaper report, however, the federal government found out about the publication on Telegram through the editors. (sat)

Huge US arms package for Ukraine – the night at a glance

Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia, can count on another multi-billion dollar aid package from the USA. Senior government officials announced in Washington on Thursday that President Joe Biden would ask Congress for a total of around $13 billion in military aid. The money will also be used to replenish the US Department of Defense stocks, from which some of the military equipment for Kiev comes. It was unclear whether part of the money would also go into the military support of other countries should flow.

“We do not forget our main goal – to win the war and not lose the country,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his evening video address in Kiev. His troops were under pressure on many front sectors in the south and south-east. According to the General Staff report in Kiev, the Ukrainian troops themselves only advanced in two places. Friday marks the 534th day of the country’s defense against the Russian invasion.

In the discussion about German military aid, Union politicians called on the federal government to send Ukraine the long-awaited Taurus cruise missiles. The FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann also advocated this.

The United States is considered Ukraine’s main ally in defending against the Russian invasion. According to the Pentagon, since the war began in February 2022, the United States alone has provided or pledged more than $43 billion (around €35 ​​billion) in military aid to Kiev.

In addition to the new arms package, there will be $7.3 billion (€6.6 billion) in economic and humanitarian support for Ukraine and other countries affected by the war. Additional billions are to be made available via the World Bank, for example.

Another rocket hit on Zaporizhia

The Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia was again hit with rockets on Thursday evening. At least one person was killed, Selenski wrote on Telegram. According to local authorities, 16 people were also injured. The day before, Russian missiles had killed at least three people in the city. According to Ukrainian reports, two of the dead were young street musicians who had just been making music. According to the information, civilian targets were hit, including a hotel and a church. In Zaporizhia there is also the aircraft engine plant Motor Sich.

Ukrainian army under pressure

According to the General Staff in Kiev, Russian troops attacked on the Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Marjinka and Shakhtarsk sectors. The attacks were supported by artillery and air force. But it was always possible to stop the attackers, it said. The military information is not independently verifiable.

The report only mentioned two sections where Ukraine itself is attacking – towards Melitopol and Berdyansk in the south. There, the Ukrainian army hopes with its counter-offensive to reach the Sea of ​​Azov and cut off Russia’s land connection to the Crimean Peninsula. In the region, however, the Russian troops have entrenched themselves particularly heavily. The Ukrainian offensive has been running for two months, but so far has not met the high expectations.

German discussion about Taurus cruise missiles

Union security politicians in Germany have called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to help Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles. There should be no “further traffic light theater” on this question, said parliamentary group leader Johann Wadephul of the German Press Agency in Berlin. “It is important for us that a decision to supply Taurus missiles must be carefully considered. It must be clear that there must be no involvement of German soldiers and that the subsequent delivery for the Air Force must be initiated at the same time as the delivery.”

Defense expert Florian Hahn recalled the protracted debates in the coalition over tank deliveries to Ukraine. Neither Scholz nor Defense Minister Boris Pistorius learned from mistakes. «We have enough Taurus. A good part is immediately ready for use. Ukraine needs them urgently, »said Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the defense committee, to the Phoenix television station.

The Ukraine demands from Berlin the cruise missiles with a range of up to 500 kilometers in order to be able to attack Russian positions far behind the front. The federal government is reluctant because the projectiles could also reach Russian territory. However, Great Britain and France have already sent missiles with a similar range, and there are signs of a rethink in Berlin.

Ukrainian marines trained in Britain

Britain has trained around 900 marines from Ukraine in recent months. After six months of training, the soldiers returned soon, the PA news agency reported on Friday night. According to the British Ministry of Defence, there were also volunteers with no military experience. More than 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained in Britain since the war began in February 2022, according to the PA. (dpa)

Ukrainian troops under pressure on many sectors of the front

The Ukrainian army is facing heavy attacks from Russian troops on many front sectors in the east and south. This emerges from the report of the General Staff in Kiev on Thursday evening. The front sectors Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Marjinka and Shakhtarsk were named. The Russian army accompanied the attacks with artillery fire and airstrikes. But it was always possible to stop the attackers, it said. The military information is not independently verifiable.

However, the report only mentioned two sections where Ukraine itself is attacking – towards Melitopol and Berdyansk in the south. There, the Ukrainian army hopes with its counter-offensive to reach the Sea of ​​Azov and cut off the Russian land connection to the Crimean peninsula, which has been illegally annexed since 2014. In the region, however, the Russian troops have entrenched themselves particularly heavily.

The Ukrainian offensive has been running for two months, but so far has not met the high expectations. Russia’s war of aggression against the neighboring country has been going on since February last year.

The Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia was again hit with rockets on Thursday evening. At least one person was killed, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram. The day before, Russian missiles had killed at least three people in the city. According to Ukrainian reports, two of the dead were young street musicians who had just been making music. (dpa)

Estonia will supply small arms to Ukraine

Estonia will continue to provide military aid to Ukraine to fight against Russia. The government of the Baltic EU and NATO state decided on Thursday to hand over small arms and ammunition to Kiev. “Once again we have found a way for Estonia to help,” Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in Tallinn. “Ukraine must be supported against the ongoing aggression by the Russian Federation.”

According to its own statements, Estonia, which borders Russia, has so far provided military aid for Ukraine worth more than 400 million euros – or the equivalent of more than one percent of gross domestic product. The small Baltic state has around 1.2 million inhabitants and is one of Ukraine’s most important supporters.

«The Russian Federation must not benefit from aggression. To do this, Ukraine’s supporters must speed up the delivery of military aid and improve the capabilities of their own defense industry,” Pevkur said in a statement from his ministry. (dpa)

Ukraine reports attacks around Kupyansk

In the face of fierce fighting near the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupyansk, the Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of 37 towns in the region. According to a list published by the city’s military administration on Thursday, these include smaller villages in the northern and southern outskirts as well as parts of the city on the east bank of the Oskil River. More than 11,000 people, including 600 children, were affected, wrote the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Synyehubov.

Ukraine liberated the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkov region from Russian occupation last year. The city and the surrounding area were then repeatedly the target of Russian shelling. On Thursday night, a Fab-25 aerial bomb is said to have damaged the city administration building, as Synyehubov reported on his Telegram channel. In addition, two civilians are said to have been injured by Russian fire that same night in the village of Kindrashivka, just a few kilometers away. The village is now also on the list of towns to be evacuated.

Russian attacks were also reported far away from the front in western Ukraine. According to the local authorities, an oil depot near Dubno in the Rivne region was destroyed by a Russian drone attack during the night.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia used ten Iranian-made kamikaze drones against the neighboring country during the night. Seven of them were shot down by the air defenses. Information from the war zone often cannot be checked directly independently.

In its war of aggression, which has been going on for more than 17 months, Russia has repeatedly bombarded Ukraine with cruise missiles, rockets and drones. Thanks to international help, the air defenses of the capital Kiev are now considered to be well protected. In other cities and at the front, repelling Russian air attacks is more difficult. (dpa)

German Patriot air defense systems will remain in Poland until the end of the year

German Patriot air defense systems will remain stationed in Poland until the end of the year. A corresponding offer from the German government had been accepted, Poland’s Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told Polish public broadcaster on Thursday. By the end of the year, Poland will be ready to integrate its own Patriot systems into its air defense.

The three German Patriot squadrons have been deployed in Zamosc in south-eastern Poland since January to protect the country’s airspace. The city is not far from the border with Ukraine. The Patriot systems were originally supposed to be stationed there for a maximum of six months. At a meeting with Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) in early July, Blaszczak had already expressed the hope that the stationing would be extended. (dpa)

London: Russia takes more action against virtual private networks

According to British secret services, the Russian authorities have recently taken significantly stronger action against the use of virtual private networks (VPN). “VPNs represent probably the greatest single vulnerability in the Russian state’s attempts to comprehensively control domestic information,” the British MoD wrote in its on Thursday daily update.

Protected network connections allow access to websites and social media that are blocked in Russia and thus to objective information about state repression or the war of aggression against Ukraine. Although VPNs have been illegal in Russia since 2017, they are still very popular, it said in London.

But now many of the best-known connections are useless, the ministry quoted media reports as saying. “Besides increasing technical glitches, the Russian state has also launched a public campaign trying to lure citizens into avoiding VPNs by claiming their personal information is at risk.”

The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Moscow accuses London of disinformation. (dpa)

Moscow: Another drone attack repelled – the night at a glance

According to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, the Russian capital Moscow was again the target of a drone attack in the early hours of the morning. Two unmanned aircraft were shot down by anti-aircraft defense around 4:00 a.m. local time (3:00 a.m. CEST), Sobyanin said on Telegram on Thursday morning.

Moscow had already reported a repelled drone attack on Wednesday morning. The metropolis of millions has recently become the target of enemy drone attacks. However, these are disproportionate to the mass attacks by Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine.

To better defend itself against Russian air raids, Germany has meanwhile strengthened Ukraine’s air defenses with two more launch pads for the Patriot weapon system. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked several times for the military aid on Wednesday. It was agreed with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, he wrote in German on Twitter: “Fulfilling our agreement will save thousands of our people’s lives.” At the same time, the attacked Ukraine needs many more anti-aircraft weapons, he said in his evening video address.

According to the Ukrainian general staff on Wednesday evening, there was heavy fighting on all sections of the front. During the night, air alerts were raised across Ukraine.

On Thursday, the country is defending itself against the invasion for the 533rd day. In the Russian city of Sergiyev Posad near Moscow, the clean-up work and the search for missing people continued after an explosion at a suspected armaments factory.

“Thank you, Olaf!” – Germany sends more weapons

Selenski also addressed the new Patriot launch pads in his video address and even addressed the chancellor on first-name terms, with whom relations at the beginning of the war were still strained. “Thank you, Olaf, for that – it’s necessary to protect our people from Russian terror,” he said.

Russia repeatedly bombards Ukraine with cruise missiles, missiles and drones. Their air defenses have improved significantly with international help since autumn 2022. The capital Kiev is now considered to be well protected. In other cities and at the front, repelling air raids is more difficult. At least three people were killed in rocket fire on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia, according to Zelenskiy.

The US-built Patriot systems are particularly valuable for Ukraine because, according to Kiev, they have intercepted Russian hypersonic missiles several times. Germany also sent the newly developed Iris-T, which is not yet in use in its own country. The Gepard anti-aircraft vehicles have proven to be an effective weapon against Iranian-built Russian drones.

The new German deliveries also include ten more Bandvagn 206 multi-purpose tracked vehicles, six heavy-duty trailer trucks and around 6,000 rounds of smoke ammunition for artillery pieces with a caliber of 155 millimeters. This emerges from the official list of military aid to Ukraine. The federal government in Berlin updates the list weekly. According to this, Germany also provided 100 machine guns, thousands of shooting glasses, binoculars and mine clearance equipment this week.

Battles on all front sectors

Zelensky reported that he and his military leadership analyzed the ongoing Ukrainian counter-offensive. «What works well. What needs to be strengthened. What are we planning for the near future,” he said. In the evening, the general staff in Kiev listed heavy fighting on all front sectors in the east and south of the country.

At Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, the Ukrainian army is defending the recaptured positions against Russian attacks. At Kupyansk, the Russians tried to gain the initiative with a massive use of artillery and air force, a Ukrainian military spokesman said. This military information could not be verified directly.

Missing after explosion in Russian armaments factory

According to official figures, 56 people were injured in the powerful explosion in the Russian city of Sergiyev Posad, about 70 kilometers north-east of Moscow. However, eight missing persons were not found by Wednesday evening, according to the Interfax agency, Mayor Dmitry Akulov. An injured worker at the affected factory died in hospital. Critical Russian media reported that there were allegedly several deaths.

Photos and videos showed how a large column of smoke rose over the city on Wednesday morning. There was speculation on the Internet that the Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant (SOMS) had become the target of a drone attack. The company manufactures optical equipment for military use.

According to Russian authorities, the explosion happened in a warehouse of the pyrotechnics manufacturer Piro-Ross. The company was founded in 1994 by four armaments companies. According to the address, the company is also on the SOMS site.

The city administration declared a disaster. She spoke of a violation of security measures as the cause. The version of a drone attack was rejected by official bodies. However, this information could not be independently verified. Russia has been systematically shelling Ukraine for 17 months. For several months there have been suspected Ukrainian counterattacks with drones, which have hit the border regions, but also Moscow. (dpa)

Zelenskiy: Ukraine needs many more anti-aircraft weapons

According to its President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine needs many more weapons to defend against Russian air attacks. “We work every day, every week to ensure that our defenders of the sky get more anti-aircraft systems and missiles,” said Zelenskiy in his evening video address on Wednesday. That is why he also paid tribute to the delivery of two more launch pads for the Patriot air defense system from Germany. “This definitely brings the creation of a full-fledged air defense shield for Ukraine closer.”

In his own words, Zelenskiy also expects progress in the plan to equip the Ukrainian Air Force with western F-16 fighter jets. In its war of aggression, Russia repeatedly bombards Ukraine with cruise missiles, rockets and drones. Ukraine’s air defenses have greatly improved with international help. The capital Kiev is now considered to be well protected. In other cities and at the front, repelling Russian air attacks is more difficult. (dpa)

Another two German Patriot launch pads in Ukraine

Germany has strengthened Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defenses with two more launch pads of the Patriot anti-aircraft system. This emerges from the official list of military aid to the country attacked by Russia. The federal government in Berlin updates the list weekly. The US-built Patriot systems are particularly valuable for Ukraine because, according to Kiev, they have intercepted Russian hypersonic missiles several times.

This help was agreed with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter: “Fulfilling our agreement will save thousands of our people’s lives. We continue to work to strengthen Ukraine and protect it from Russian terror.”

The new German deliveries also include ten more Bandvagn 206 multi-purpose tracked vehicles, six heavy-duty trailer trucks and around 6,000 rounds of smoke ammunition for artillery pieces with a caliber of 155 millimeters. Germany also provided machine guns, shooting glasses, binoculars and mine clearance equipment. (dpa)

Three dead in air raid on Zaporizhia

At least three people were killed in a Russian airstrike on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia on Wednesday, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. He expressed his condolences to the family. Russia will be sentenced for such crimes, the head of state wrote on Telegram.

According to information from the city near the front in southern Ukraine, a residential area was hit. A church and several small shops were damaged. The Ukrainian side did not provide any information about the type of weapon used to shell the city.(dpa)

Explosion near Moscow: Authorities declare a disaster

After a violent explosion on the site of a suspected armaments factory near Moscow, the Russian authorities declared a disaster on Wednesday. This was announced by the city administration of Sergiyev Posad, a city about 70 kilometers northeast of the capital. The official number of injured rose to 56 by the evening. One worker at the plant died of her injuries, according to state media reports. Five other injured are said to be in mortal danger.

Photos and videos showed how a large column of smoke rose over the city in the morning. There was speculation on the Internet that the Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant (SOMS) was the target of a drone attack. The company manufactures optical equipment for military use. According to Russian authorities, the explosion happened in a warehouse of the pyrotechnics manufacturer Piro-Ross. The U The company was founded in 1994 by four armaments companies. According to the address, the company is located on the SOMS site.

The city administration spoke of a violation of security measures as the cause. The version of a drone attack was rejected by official bodies, and the information cannot be independently verified. Russia has been systematically shelling the neighboring country’s territory since the start of its war of aggression against Ukraine 17 months ago. For several months there have been suspected Ukrainian counterattacks with drones, which have hit the border regions, but also Moscow. (dpa)

Interview with Zelensky’s most important adviser: “There will be no peace with Putin”

Mihajlo Podoliak is the man behind Volodymyr Zelensky. The adviser to the Ukrainian president talks about the counter-offensive, regime change in the Kremlin and how Switzerland can help end the war. (chmedia)

Poland sends 2,000 more soldiers to the border with Belarus

Poland wants to increase guarding of its border with Belarus with another 2,000 soldiers. That’s twice as many as the border guards had requested. The soldiers would arrive at the border in the next two weeks, Deputy Interior Minister Maciej Wasik told the PAP news agency on Wednesday. At the beginning of the week, border guards asked for 1,000 more soldiers. Like Lithuania, Poland is concerned about the activities of Russian Wagner mercenaries in Belarus.

EU and NATO member Poland shares a 418-kilometer border with Belarus. According to earlier information, 5,000 Polish border guards and 2,000 soldiers are already deployed there. They should also get help from 500 police officers. Poland has feared provocation since troops from mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s private army set up camp in Belarus after a failed uprising against Moscow. According to the leadership in Minsk, the Wagner fighters are supposed to train the Belarusian army.

Poland is currently in election campaign mode, and a new parliament will be elected on October 15. The former commander of the land forces, General Waldemar Skrzypczak, accused the national conservative PiS government of scaremongering. “We should be aware of the fact that they will not invade us. They don’t stand a chance and they know it,” Skrzypczak told the Rzeczpospolita newspaper, referring to the Wagner fighters. The idea that a few hundred Wagner fighters would attack the so-called Suwalki gap is laughable.

NATO describes a corridor on Polish and Lithuanian territory between Belarus and Kaliningrad as the “Suwalki Gap”. By taking it, Russia could cut off the Baltic states from the other NATO countries. The corridor is named after the Polish town of Suwalki. (dpa)

Russia announces troop reinforcements on “western borders”.

In the midst of the war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia has spoken of an intended strengthening of its “western borders”. According to the Interfax news agency, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday at a meeting with colleagues from the ministry in Moscow that he wanted to discuss “strengthening the troop formations of the Russian Federation army on our western borders”.

The minister did not say which areas he meant exactly. As a result of the war that has been going on for more than 17 months, Russia has illegally annexed several Ukrainian regions. According to Moscow’s logic, parts of Russia’s “western borders” therefore run in the attacked neighboring country. Shoigu’s words could also mean that Russia wants to send more troops into the combat zone.

Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin had around 300,000 recruits drafted for combat use last fall. Since then, many Russians fear that there could be another wave of mobilization in the future. The maximum draft age for conscripts was recently raised by three years.

Once again, Shoigu portrayed Russia as an alleged victim and spoke of an increased threat in the west and north. He also referred to the relatively new NATO membership of northern neighbor Finland. This had been a reaction to the Ukraine war. (dpa)

Ukraine opens border crossing to Russia for refugees returning home

Ukraine has reported the opening of a border crossing with Russia, closed since the start of the war, to allow Ukrainian refugees displaced to Russia to return home. “It is possible and necessary to leave the country via the humanitarian corridor Kolotilovka – Pokrovka (from Russia)!” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Wednesday, according to a statement. The crossing point between the Ukrainian region of Sumy and the Russian region of Belgorod has been open since Saturday.

According to Wereshchuk, hundreds of people use this option every day. A contact point for refugees and options for onward travel to the capital Kiev or to Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine have also been set up. An identity document is not absolutely necessary for entry. Other documents, such as birth certificates, would also be accepted by border authorities.

More than 17 months ago, Russia launched a war of aggression against Ukraine and occupied larger parts of Ukrainian territory. Because the direct route to the areas controlled by Ukrainian troops is often blocked by front lines, many Ukrainians in the occupied regions were forced to seek protection from the heavy fighting in the war enemy Russia of all places. In addition, Kiev and Western observers repeatedly point out that Ukrainians have been kidnapped by Russian troops.

In order to get back from Russia to the Ukrainian-controlled part of their country, refugees previously had to accept detours via the EU states or Georgia. Kiev has repeatedly asked Ukrainians living in the occupied parts of the country to flee to government territory because of the ongoing attempts at recapture. (dpa)

Ukraine reports repelled Russian attacks in the east

According to the Ukrainian military, it has successfully repelled Russian attacks in the east. “Heavy fighting is taking place,” said General Staff spokesman Andriy Kovalyov on Wednesday, according to a statement. Over the past day there have been over 30 skirmishes. He emphasized Russian advances in the village of Synkivka, almost ten kilometers from the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region, which was liberated by the Ukrainians last year. In addition, there were Russian counterattacks in the neighboring Donetsk region south of the Russian-controlled town of Bakhmut near Klishchiivka.

According to Kovalyov, the Ukrainian troops are continuing their own offensive efforts in the Zaporizhia and Donetsk regions. However, he did not give any more specific information about gains in terrain. (dpa)

More German Leopard tanks are being prepared for Ukraine

According to a media report, the German armaments group Rheinmetall is preparing another export of Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine.

For this purpose, the company has acquired 50 tanks of the older Leopard 1 type from the Belgian company OIP Land Systems, reported the “Handelsblatt”, citing industry circles.

OIP Land Systems CEO Freddy Versluys told UK newspaper The Guardian that he had sold 49 tanks to another European government, which he could not name due to a confidentiality clause. He couldn’t reveal the price either. Versluys added that it could take up to six months for them to be on the battlefield in Ukraine.

The “Handelsblatt” reported that the tanks should now be re-equipped at the German sites of the Düsseldorf Rheinmetall Group for use in the Ukraine. Ultimately, around 30 of the 50 vehicles could be delivered.

The Leopard 1 is the forerunner of the Leopard 2 currently used by the Bundeswehr. (dpa)

Kiev accuses Moscow of attacking helpers – the night at a glance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of a targeted attack on rescue workers in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk on Monday. The number of dead has now risen to 9, and 82 other people were injured, as Selenski said in his video speech on Tuesday evening. The President announced this year’s meeting of the Crimean International Platform for August 23. Drones flew over Moscow again on Wednesday night. Poland, meanwhile, announced that it would strengthen its border with neighboring Belarus.

The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has now lasted more than 17 months. During this time, Russian troops repeatedly fired on civilian objects, cities and towns. At the end of July, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNCHR) estimated the number of Ukrainian civilian deaths at more than 9,300 since the beginning of the Russian invasion. The actual number is likely to be higher.

Zelensky condemns Russian attack on rescue workers

After the double rocket attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, President Zelenskiy accused Russia of a targeted attack on rescue workers. “It was a conscious decision by the terrorists to cause as much pain and damage as possible,” said Zelensky in his evening video message on his Telegram channel on Tuesday. According to local authorities, two Iskander missiles hit the city center 40 minutes apart on Monday evening.

The second impact is said to have occurred when the Ukrainian first responders had already started the rescue work. Security and rescue workers who rushed to help after the first attack were among the victims. According to the President, a total of 9 people were killed and 82 injured.

Crimean International Platform meeting announced for August 23

In his evening address, Zelensky also announced this year’s meeting of the Crimean International Platform for August 23. The platform was launched in 2021 by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to diplomatically reverse the incorporation of the Black Sea Peninsula by Russia if possible. The campaign is supported by well over 40 countries, and NATO, the EU and the G7 countries are also involved.

Moscow: Another enemy drone strike repelled

The Russian capital Moscow has again become the target of an attempted enemy drone attack, according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Two drones were shot down by anti-aircraft defenses, Sobyanin said on Wednesday morning in his blog on the Telegram news service. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, there were no injuries or damage. The ministry in Moscow blamed the “Kiev regime” for the attacks. The metropolis has been the target of drone attacks several times.

This was the last time at the end of July/beginning of August, when the façade of a glass tower was hit in the Moskva City skyscraper district. However, the attacks are disproportionate to the mass attacks by Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly bombarded the capital Kiev with drones, rockets and cruise missiles.

Poland strengthens border guards with Belarus with more soldiers

To strengthen border protection, Poland is moving more soldiers to its border with neighboring Belarus. Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak has approved a request from the border guards, the ministry told the PAP news agency on Tuesday. The Ministry of Defense did not say how many soldiers should be seconded to reinforce the border. The border guard had asked for 1,000 more men and women on Monday. Like Lithuania, Poland is concerned about the activities of Russian Wagner mercenaries in Belarus.

EU and NATO member Poland shares a 418-kilometer border with Belarus. The situation there escalated in 2021: Thousands of people tried to enter the EU illegally. The European Union accused the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko of having organized migrants from crisis regions to the EU’s external border in order to put pressure on the West.

According to earlier information, 5,000 border guards and 2,000 soldiers are already deployed on Poland’s eastern border with Belarus, which is also the external border of the EU and NATO. They should also get help from 500 police officers.

What will be important on Wednesday

The counter-offensive to recapture occupied areas is continuing in the east and south of Ukraine. (dpa)

Zelensky condemns Russian attack on rescue workers

President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of targeting rescue workers after the double rocket attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk. “It was a conscious decision by the terrorists to cause as much pain and damage as possible,” said Zelensky in his evening video message on his Telegram channel on Tuesday. According to local authorities, two Iskander missiles hit the city center 40 minutes apart on Monday evening.

The second impact is said to have occurred when the Ukrainian first responders had already started the rescue work. Security and rescue workers who rushed to help after the first attack were among the victims. According to the President, a total of nine people were killed and 82 injured – previously there had been seven fatalities.

Zelenskiy announced this year’s meeting of the Crimean International Platform for August 23. The platform was launched in 2021 by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to diplomatically reverse the incorporation of the Black Sea Peninsula by Russia if possible. The campaign is supported by well over 40 countries, and NATO, the EU and the G7 countries are also involved. (dpa)

Germany offers Poland a longer Patriot deployment

The German government has offered Poland the possibility of extending the deployment of German Patriot air defense systems until the end of the year. This was announced by the Federal Ministry of Defense on Tuesday. The systems made a valuable contribution to protecting the civilian population and our alliance area on the eastern flank as part of the integrated NATO air defense system.

The three German Patriot squadrons have been deployed in Zamosc in south-eastern Poland since January to protect the country’s airspace. The city is not far from the border with Ukraine. The Patriot systems were originally supposed to be stationed there for a maximum of six months. At a meeting with Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) in early July, his Polish counterpart Mariusz Blaszczak expressed hope that the stationing would be extended.

With the offer, the security needs of the Polish friends are taken into account, Pistorius said according to the announcement. «We will continue to be at your side as a reliable partner. During my recent visit to Poland, I experienced the close cooperation between the armed forces on site – I saw how the German-Polish relationship has grown in this joint project.”

According to the ministry, an extension beyond the current year is not planned. In 2024, as part of the NATO Crisis Response Force (NATO Response Force), the Patriot systems would make an important contribution to the deterrence and defense capabilities of the alliance, the ministry said. The preparations for this are already beginning. “Urgently needed personnel and material regeneration measures are necessary for this”. (dpa)

Putin freezes tax agreements with “unfriendly countries”.

Amid his war of aggression against Ukraine, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin has suspended tax deals with more than 30 countries that Russia has classified as “unfriendly”. The corresponding decree was published on Tuesday on the Russian legal portal. Accordingly, double taxation agreements with the USA and several EU countries, including Germany, and Switzerland are affected.

Moscow justified the move with alleged “violations against the legitimate economic and other interests of the Russian Federation”. Putin instructed the government to draw up a corresponding bill and submit it to parliament.

Relations between Moscow and the West have been at an all-time low since Russia attacked neighboring Ukraine more than 17 months ago. The European Union, but also the USA and Great Britain reacted to the brutal war with far-reaching economic sanctions against Russia, among other things.

Moscow, on the other hand, repeatedly portrays itself as an alleged victim of the West’s anti-Russian policy. The Kremlin has now branded 50 countries as “unfriendly states”, including Germany, the entire EU, the USA and Australia. (dpa)

Rescue workers among victims in Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine

The death toll has risen after a Russian missile attack on the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. As of Tuesday afternoon, at least seven people were killed and another 88 were injured. Security and rescue workers who rushed to help after the first attack are also among the victims of the double attack. Meanwhile, according to British estimates, Russia is increasingly relying on an upgrade of the National Guard.

Dead in attack on residential area in Pokrovsk

According to local officials, civilians, police officers and rescue workers are among the victims of rocket attacks in a residential area dozens of kilometers from the front in Pokrovsk. They came under fire in the second attack, which authorities said took place about 40 minutes after the first, while they were in the process of helping on the spot after the first impact. A military member and a rescue worker died, 31 police officers, seven members of the civil defense and four soldiers were injured.

According to the head of the military administration of the Donetsk region Pavlo Kyrylenko, a dozen high-rise buildings were damaged, as well as a hotel, pharmacies, shops and cafes.

A spokesman for Ukraine’s civil defense authority said at a press conference on Tuesday that since the war began in February 2022, at least 78 civil defense workers have been killed by Russian fire during clean-up and rescue work after attacks. At least 280 others were injured. He pointed out that rescue workers are protected in their work by international conventions.

London: Kremlin increasingly relies on National Guard for power

According to information from London, President Vladimir Putin recently signed a law that allows the troops that report directly to the Kremlin chief to be equipped with heavy combat equipment. According to the British Ministry of Defense on Tuesday, the Kremlin is increasingly basing its power on the National Guard (Rosgwardiya) with the rearmament law. “The move indicates that the Kremlin is stepping up equipment for Rosgvardiya as one of the key organizations ensuring the security of the regime.”

After the mutiny of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner private army in June, Rosgwardiya chief Viktor Solotov, a confidant of Putin, called for tanks and long-range heavy weapons.

US institute sees China’s dissatisfaction with Russia

After the Ukraine meeting in Saudi Arabia, US experts see China’s dissatisfaction with the Russian war of aggression. After China’s participation in the talks in Jeddah over the weekend, the US Institute for War Studies ISW notes that the relationship between Beijing and Moscow is not a partnership without borders, as desired by the Kremlin. As in previous assessments, the analysis published in Washington on Monday (local time) said that China is not in line with Russia on the issue of Ukraine.

At the weekend meeting, senior officials from around 40 countries discussed a peace plan for the country. Russia was not invited. The main focus was on the ten-point “peace formula” presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, which also stipulates that Russian troops should be withdrawn from Ukraine before negotiations begin. Other states – such as China – had also proposed their own peace plans.(dpa)

Poland strengthens border guards with Belarus with more soldiers

To strengthen border protection, Poland is moving more soldiers to its border with neighboring Belarus. Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak has approved a request from the border guards, the ministry told the PAP news agency on Tuesday. The Ministry of Defense did not say how many soldiers should be seconded to reinforce the border. The border guard had asked for 1,000 more men and women on Monday. Like Lithuania, Poland is concerned about the activities of Russian Wagner mercenaries in Belarus.

EU and NATO member Poland shares a 418-kilometer border with Belarus. The situation there escalated in 2021: Thousands of people tried to enter the EU illegally. The European Union accused the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko of having organized migrants from crisis regions to the EU’s external border in order to put pressure on the West.

According to earlier information, 5,000 border guards and 2,000 soldiers are already deployed on Poland’s eastern border with Belarus, which is also the external border of the EU and NATO. They should also get help from 500 police officers. (dpa)

Russian missile attack on Pokrovsk: number of victims further increased

A day after the heavy Russian rocket attacks on the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, the number of victims has continued to rise. As of Tuesday afternoon, the authorities counted seven dead and 88 injured, according to the head of the military administration of the Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko. At least 67 people were said to have been injured after the two rocket hits in the residential area on Monday evening.

According to the information, the victims included many police officers and rescue workers in addition to civilians. They therefore came under fire in the second attack while they were in the process of helping on the ground after the first impact. According to Kyrylenko, a dozen high-rise buildings were damaged, as well as a hotel, pharmacies, shops and cafes. (dpa)

New British sanctions over military aid to Russia

Britain wants new sanctions to hit individuals and companies in several countries that help Russia acquire military equipment. “Today’s landmark sanctions will further weaken Russia’s arms arsenal and shut down the supply chains that support (Kremlin chief Vladimir) Putin’s flagging arms industry,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday. “There is nowhere for those who keep the Russian military machine alive to hide.”

Accordingly, two companies in Turkey and one in Dubai are affected, which, according to British information, supply microelectronics or drones and drone parts to Russia. Sanctions have also been imposed on three Russian companies from the electronics industry. There is also a Slovakian who is said to have been involved in an attempted arms deal between North Korea and Russia, and a Swiss man because of his role in the Russian financial services sector. The United States had already imposed sanctions on both men a few months ago.

London is also cracking down on several Iranian individuals and organizations involved in the research, development and production of drones for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, as well as organizations in Belarus that manufacture military technology. The “regime” in Belarus directly facilitated “Putin’s illegal war,” the statement said. (dpa)

The night on Tuesday at a glance

According to official Ukrainian figures, at least seven people were killed and 57 others injured as a result of a Russian rocket attack on the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine on Monday evening.

Two rockets hit a residential area in Pokrovsk, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram. Among the injured are a child, police officers and rescue workers. They came under fire in the second attack while they were helping the victims of the first attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said rescue work was ongoing. The Russians fired Iskander missiles at Pokrovsk during their attack, he said in his video address that evening.

Meanwhile, Russian shelling was also reported from the Kharkiv region bordering Donetsk. According to the authorities, two civilians were killed and seven others injured by bombs in the village of Kruglyakivka.

Foreign ministers of Russia and China on the phone about the war in Ukraine

Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov was once again on the phone with his Chinese colleague Wang Yi. A number of “hot topics” were discussed, including the “Ukrainian crisis”, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The phone call between the two chief diplomats followed a Ukraine summit in Saudi Arabia last weekend, to which Russia was not invited but China was. Because Beijing is considered one of Moscow’s most important partners, the participation was considered a particular success.

Russia’s judiciary sentences author Glukhovsky to prison in absentia

The Russian cult author Dmitry Glukhovsky (“Metro”), who lives in exile, has been sentenced in his homeland to eight years in a prison camp in absentia. A Moscow court found the 44-year-old guilty of allegedly spreading “false news” about Russia’s army, as reported by the Interfax agency. Glukhovsky, who has been denouncing the authoritarian policies of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin for years, had sharply criticized Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on social networks. (dpa)

Eastern Ukraine: dead and injured in Russian attack on residential area

At least five people have been killed and 18 others injured as a result of a Russian rocket attack on the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, according to official Ukrainian figures.

Two rockets hit a residential area, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram on Monday evening. Earlier, the head of the military administration of the Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said that there were also hotels, restaurants and shops in the shelled area. He also published photos showing, among other things, a completely destroyed building.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also reported on the Russian attack and said the rescue work was ongoing. “We must stop Russian terror,” he wrote. Russia has been waging a war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine for more than 17 months. (dpa)

Foreign ministers of Russia and China on the phone about the war in Ukraine

More than 17 months after the start of the war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has once again called his Chinese colleague Wang Yi. A number of “hot topics” were discussed, including the “Ukrainian crisis”, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday. The phone call between the two chief diplomats followed a Ukraine summit in Saudi Arabia last weekend, to which Russia was not invited but China was. Beijing is considered one of Moscow’s most important partners.

Russia, which currently occupies around 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, had criticized the summit. Such meetings without Moscow’s participation would have “not the slightest added value,” complained the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.

At the two-day meeting in Saudi Arabia, representatives from around 40 countries – including Ukraine itself – discussed possible peace solutions for the country attacked by Russia. Diplomats rated China’s participation as a particular success. (dpa)

Russia’s judiciary sentences author Glukhovsky to prison in absentia

The Russian cult author Dmitry Glukhovsky (“Metro”), who lives in exile, has been sentenced in his homeland to eight years in a prison camp in absentia. A Moscow court found the 44-year-old guilty on Monday of allegedly spreading “false news” about Russia’s army, as reported by the Interfax agency. Glukhovsky, who has been denouncing the authoritarian policies of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin for years, had sharply criticized Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on social networks.

For the science fiction author, who published the book “Stories from Home” last year and who lives in exile in Spain, a return to Russia is virtually impossible in the foreseeable future. He had previously been branded a “foreign agent” by the authorities in his home country. Since the beginning of the war, repressions against members of the opposition and dissidents in Russia have increased sharply. (dpa)

Russian shelling casualties – heavier attacks on Kharkiv

The military governor of the region, Olexander Prokudin, spoke of a difficult night for Cherson in the south of the country. The Russian army fired on houses in the center of the city of Cherson, injuring twelve citizens. Yermak also spoke of a woman who was killed in the city in a nine-story apartment building. Cherson was liberated from Russian occupation last year.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar said in Kiev on Monday that Russian troops had also intensified their fire in eastern Ukraine. In the Kharkov region they tried to regain positions lost last autumn. (dpa)

Dead and injured after Russian shelling in Ukraine

According to information from Kiev, several people were killed and injured in renewed Russian shelling in the Kharkiv region and in the southern Ukrainian city of Cherson. Two people were killed in the village of Kucherivka in the Kupyansk district of the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv and three others were injured, said the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, in Kiev on Monday. He had previously reported on a dead and injured in Cherson. Yermak published a photo of a house on fire. A woman was killed in the nine-story apartment building in Cherson, and two firefighters suffered heat stroke.

The military governor of the region, Olexander Prokudin, spoke of a difficult night for Kherson. The Russian army fired on houses in the center of Cherson. Twelve citizens were injured.

Russia occupies most of the area and from there repeatedly shells Cherson, which was liberated by Ukrainian troops last year. Moscow had announced that it would wage war in the annexed regions of Cherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhia until the areas were completely under Russian control. Russia had included the four regions in its constitution as new parts of the state in the course of the war that began on February 24, 2022.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar said in Kiev on Monday that Russian troops had also intensified their fire in eastern Ukraine. In the Kharkov region they tried to regain positions lost last autumn. “They have a plan, they want to take back those areas in the Kharkiv region that they lost after we liberated them,” she said. Meanwhile, Ukraine is continuing to try to liberate all occupied territories with a counter-offensive, including the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed in violation of international law in 2014. (dpa)

Ukraine recovers 22 soldiers from Russian captivity

According to Ukraine, another 22 soldiers were returned from Russian captivity. The wounded were among those released, the men had previously fought on different sections of the front, said the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, in his blog on the Telegram news channel on Monday. “The oldest of our soldiers is 54 years old, the youngest 23,” said Yermak, who also published pictures and a video with the men. They would now receive psychological and medical help.

Russia and Ukraine had repeatedly exchanged prisoners in their war, which had lasted more than 17 months. There was initially no comment from the Russian side. Ermak said that Kiev is continuing to work on the release of all Ukrainian prisoners on behalf of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to previous information from Kiev, around 2,600 Ukrainians have returned from captivity since Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022. In most cases, the warring factions hand over roughly the same number of fighters as the other side. (dpa)

US Institute: Strikes against Crimean bridges complicate Russian logistics

After the Ukrainian shelling of Russian-controlled bridges between the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea and the Kherson region, US experts see Moscow’s military transports in the region as more difficult. The Russian occupying forces are now forced to divert their traffic over the longer routes in western Crimea because of the damage to the Chonhar and Henichesk car bridges, the US Institute for War Studies ISW in Washington said on Sunday (local time). The strikes against key transport routes created the conditions for future decisive operations of the ongoing Ukrainian counter-offensive, it was said.

The Russian troops in the occupied part of the Cherson region receive supplies primarily via Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Earlier, Ukraine had also shelled the Crimean bridge from Kerch to Russia in an attempt to cut off troops in Kherson from the vital supply line. However, road and rail traffic continued there.

The strikes on the bridges of Chonhar and Henichesk also made it difficult for an indefinite period to transport personnel, materials and equipment for the Russian defense positions in the west of the Zaporizhia region and in the Zaporizhia-Donetsk border area, the ISW analysis said. It is unclear how quickly the Russian occupiers will be able to repair it. It is also not clear whether the railway bridge near Tschonhar, which was fired upon at the end of July, has already been repaired and is operational.

The US experts also pointed out that Ukrainian forces appear to have expanded their efforts to stop Russian supplies to include naval targets in the Black Sea. On the night of Saturday, a Russian tanker off the Crimea was shot at with a sea drone and the engine room was severely damaged. The tanker is said to have also supplied the Russian military with fuel. According to the Russian authorities, repair work was being carried out on the ship.

Ukraine has been defending itself against Russian war of aggression for more than 17 months with massive Western military aid. In the current counter-offensive, Kiev wants to liberate all areas occupied by Moscow, including the Crimean peninsula. (dpa)

Cherson: One dead and many wounded after Russian shelling

According to information from Kiev, a woman was killed and at least twelve people injured in Russian shelling in the southern Ukrainian city of Cherson. The head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak, published a photo of a house on fire on Monday. A woman was killed in the nine-story apartment building and two firefighters suffered heat stroke, he said. The military governor of the region, Olexander Prokudin, spoke of a difficult night for Kherson. The Russian army fired on houses in the center of Cherson. Several citizens were injured.

Russia occupies most of the area and from there repeatedly shells Cherson, which was liberated by Ukrainian troops last year. Moscow had announced that it would wage war in the annexed regions of Cherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhia until the areas were completely under Russian control. Russia had included the four regions in its constitution as new parts of the state in the course of the war that began on February 24, 2022.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar said in Kiev on Monday that Russian troops had also intensified their fire in eastern Ukraine. In the Kharkov region they tried to regain positions lost last autumn. “They have a plan, they want to take back those areas in the Kharkiv region that they lost after we liberated them,” she said. Meanwhile, Ukraine is continuing to try to liberate all occupied territories with a counter-offensive, including the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed in violation of international law in 2014. (dpa)

London: Russian Air Force with a lot of effort but little return

According to British assessments, the Russian Air Force achieved only minor successes in the war of aggression against the Ukraine, despite great effort. The Air Force flew more than 100 missions a day during the summer, the Ministry of Defense said in London on Monday. “However, due to the threat posed by Ukrainian air defenses, these were almost always limited to operations over Russian-controlled areas.”

Russia is trying to solve this problem by increasingly using so-called free-fall bombs with sliding attachments to extend the range. These bombs could be dropped from planes many kilometers from the target, but have not yet consistently proven their accuracy, London said.

“At the beginning of Ukraine’s counter-offensive in the south from June 2023, Russian attack helicopters were very effective,” the British ministry further commented. However, Russia has apparently not recently managed to build up an effective tactical air force in the south. (dpa)

The night of Monday at a glance

In another attempt to cut off Russian troops from vital supply routes, Ukraine has attacked two bridges to the Crimean peninsula. Late on Sunday afternoon, the Russian occupation authorities reported hits and damage to the car bridges at Chonhar and near Henichesk on Sunday. After a major Ukraine summit in Saudi Arabia at the weekend, Kiev is talking about important bilateral meetings with more than 30 delegations, which are said to have been about security guarantees for the country, among other things.

In particular, diplomats rated China’s participation in Saudi Arabia, which was not represented at a meeting of a similar format in Copenhagen in June, as a success.

According to observers, the theaters of war have recently shifted somewhat away from the front line. According to this, Kiev chooses more eye-catching targets such as Russian warships, or fires drones at the capital Moscow. The Russian armed forces, on the other hand, have recently resorted to regular attacks on the Black Sea – and are thus targeting one of the country’s most important economic lifelines.

Kiev and Moscow: Attacks on two car bridges near Crimea

According to the occupation chief of the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, the Chonhar bridge between Crimea and mainland Ukraine was hit by a missile and damaged. As a result, traffic had to be blocked. A little further north-east near Henichesk, a bridge was fired at with several rockets, Saldo wrote on Telegram.

According to the Russian occupation authorities in Crimea, car traffic to the peninsula in the north was only possible on two connecting routes to the mainland after the attacks. In the evening, the Russian civil defense also announced the blocking of the ferry connection to Crimea via the Kerch Strait until Monday morning.

In an unusual move, the Ukrainian armed forces claimed responsibility for the attacks a few hours later. According to them, the “two important supply routes of the Russian occupiers” were attacked on Sunday afternoon. Before that, Kiev had only admitted attacks on bridges to Crimea much later. The information could not initially be checked independently.

The Chonhar Bridge is an important supply route for the Russian army, which has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine for more than 17 months. It has already been attacked several times by the Ukrainians as part of their counter-offensive this summer. Kiev wants to liberate all parts of its territory occupied by Russia – including Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow in violation of international law in 2014.

Participants agree to continue Ukraine talks

According to the head of the Presidential Office in Kiev, Andriy Yermak, representatives of Ukraine also held numerous bilateral meetings at the level of advisers on national security and foreign policy on the implementation of the Ukrainian peace formula in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah over the weekend. “We discussed defense, security guarantees, the importance of a global peace summit and a grain agreement with representatives of other countries,” Yermak wrote on Telegram on Sunday evening.

The core of the peace formula of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is the demand for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the entire national territory of Ukraine. But also hosts Saudi Arabia en is said to have circulated a peace plan. Russia did not participate.

After the end of the meeting, Riyadh said that the participants had agreed to continue international consultations in order to pave the way to peace on a common basis, as the SPA state agency reported on Sunday evening.

Zelensky: More than 14,000 combat missions by the air force

On the Day of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, President Zelensky congratulated the country’s air force. The pilots have flown more than 14,000 combat missions since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression, Zelensky wrote on Telegram on Sunday. Shared pictures and videos show how the President writes “Glory to Ukraine” on a suspected French Scalp/EG cruise missile attached to the fighter plane at an unknown air force base and signs it.

The designation of the missile type is printed on the cruise missile in the colors of the French flag, and an Eiffel Tower can also be seen next to it. Scalp/EG is the French name for the Storm Shadow cruise missile developed jointly with Great Britain. After French President Emmanuel Macron announced the delivery of the weapons at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, Ukrainian media now take the French’s proven delivery of these cruise missiles, which have a range of more than 250 kilometers. London had already confirmed the delivery of Storm Shadow to Kiev in May. (dpa)

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