Indian prime minister Nardendra Modi is visiting the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv as Russian forces suffer significant losses defending against a cross-border assault in Kursk.
In what is the first time an Indian leader has visited Kyiv since Ukraine gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Modi has met with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. The pair visited a memorial to children killed during Russia’s invasion. They both laid soft toys at a shrine to those killed.
The visit, which follows a trip by Modi to Moscow in July, is important for Western-backed Kyiv, which has been trying to nurture diplomatic relations in the Global South in its efforts to secure a fair settlement to end the war.
It comes as Russian troops suffered “tangible” losses in Kursk as Ukraine carried on pushing forward into the region, according to Kyiv’s army.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelesnky visited Ukraine’s Sumy region where his troops launched a shock incursion into Russia’s Kursk region on 6 August.
Zelensky said he had met his top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, during the visit, nearly two weeks after the cross-border offensive.
Key Points
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Indian PM visits Kyiv, meets with Zelensky
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Russian ambassador to US says Putin has plan of action for Kursk incursion
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Satellite imagery shows extent of damage on Russian ferry targeted by Ukraine
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Putin manipulated Trump’s ego and insecurities with flattery, former security adviser claims
Ukraine says high-voltage line at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant back in operation
15:31 , Tom Watling
Ukraine has resumed electricity supply to the Europe biggest Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant via a high-voltage line, Ukrainian nuclear power form Energoatom said on Friday.
Russia’s Rosatom nuclear company said earlier on Friday that automatic systems of the station in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine, switched off one of the lines.
The US is sending $125 million in new military aid to Ukraine, officials say
15:03 , Tom Watling
The US is sending $125 million in new military aid to Ukraine, officials say
Ukraine says it has recaptured land in the Kharkiv region, reversing some Russian gains there
14:45 , Tom Watling
Ukraine says it has recaptured land in the Kharkiv region, reversing some Russian gains there
Zelensky hosts India PM Modi in Kyiv – pictures
14:23 , Tom Watling
People visit former Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on anniversary of death
13:56 , Tom Watling
Indian PM urges Zelensky to sit down for talks with Russia
13:32 , Tom Watling
India’s Narendra Modi has urged President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday to sit down for talks with Russia to end the war and offered to act as a “friend” to help bring peace as the two leaders met in wartime Kyiv.
The first visit by an Indian prime minister in modern Ukrainian history comes at a volatile juncture in the war launched by Russia in February 2022, with Moscow making slow gains in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv presses a cross-border incursion.
During joint statements to reporters, Modi said he had come to Kyiv with a message of peace and called for dialogue between Russia and Ukraine the earliest opportunity.
“The road to resolution can only be found through dialogue and diplomacy. And we should move in that direction without wasting any time. Both sides should sit together to find a way out of this crisis,” Modi said.
“I want to assure you that India is ready to play an active role in any efforts towards peace. If I can play any role in this personally, I will do that I want to assure you as a friend,” he said.
Ukraine has seen the trip as an important opportunity for Kyiv to put across its position on Russia’s invasion to a country with traditionally close economic and defence ties with Moscow.
Both leaders hailed the visit as “historic”.
“This visit is very friendly and important for all Ukrainians,” Zelensky told reporters.
The Ukraine border village facing up to Russia’s wrath over Kursk
13:20 , Tom Watling
The Ukraine border village facing up to Russia’s wrath over Kursk attack
Ukraine ratifies the statute for joining the International Criminal Court
13:00 , Tom Watling
Ukraine ratifies the statute for joining the International Criminal Court
Russian attack kills two in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, governor says
12:40 , Tom Watling
A Russian attack on Ukraine‘s northeastern Kharkiv region on Friday killed at least two civilians and injured two more, the regional governor said.
The attack hit the village of Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi, some 16 km (10 miles) from the front line, governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram. He did not specify the weapon used in the strike.
Russia denies deliberately attacking civilians but thousands have been killed and injured in its strikes on Ukraine during the 30-month-old war.
Earlier, we reported that two more people were killed on Friday night in the frontline settlement of Izyum in the Kharkiv region after a Russian glide bomb destroyed their home. Their bodies were later discovered in the rubble.
Russian ambassador to US says Putin has plan of action for Kursk incursion
12:21 , Tom Watling
Russian President Vladimir Putin has prepared a response to the ongoing Ukrainian incursion in the Kursk region and those responsible for attacking Russia will be punished, Russian ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said.
“I tell you sincerely that the president has made a decision,” the Tass state news agency quoted Antonov as saying late on Thursday. “I am firmly convinced that everyone will be severely punished for what has happened in the Kursk region.”
The comments by Antonov, who did not provide further details on Putin’s plans, came after the Kremlin leader held a meeting on Thursday with senior officials, including the governors of border regions, over two weeks after Ukraine launched its lightning attack, the biggest incursion into Russia by a foreign power since World War Two.
Antonov, who has served in his post since 2017, also warned in comments published by the RIA state news agency that the US will at some point remove all restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukraine.
Zelensky and Modi honour children killed in Ukraine
12:00 , Tom Watling
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has hosted Indian prime minister Narerndra Modi in Kyiv as the pair paid their respects to children killed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Разом із Прем’єр-міністром Індії Нарендрою Моді вшанували пам’ять дітей, життя яких забрала російська агресія.
Діти кожної країни заслуговують на безпеку. Ми повинні зробити її можливою. pic.twitter.com/UMhpKstLOg
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 23, 2024
Fire at Russian oil depot expands after six days of blaze – image
11:40 , Tom Watling
A fire at a Russian oil depot in the southwest Rostov region has expanded six days after Ukrainian drones struck the facility.
Satellite imagery published today showed the blaze had spread as of yesterday. That photo can be seen below.
The facility is the Russian Federal Agency for State Reserves oil depot near Proletarsk, Rostov oblast.
Emergency services have been unable to contain the flames for almost a week.
Satellite imagery shows extent of damage on Russian ferry targeted by Ukraine
11:20 , Tom Watling
Satellite imagery has shown the extent of damage caused by a reported Ukrainian missile strike on a ferry in the Russian port of Kavkaz that was used to deliver fuel and weapons to occupied Crimea.
Planet Labs images from 23 August showed the port charred black by the attack.
Earlier, we reported that the Ukrainian Navy claimed responsibility for the attack.
“Another undoubtedly military objective has been destroyed. Its purpose was to provide fuel for the invaders. The ferry sank and this port (Kavkaz) is not usable until the ferry is removed,” Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk told Ukrainian television.
“It was the ferries that accounted for three quarters of all logistics and were the main channel (of supply),” he added.
The ferry was carrying 30 fuel tanks, said Fyodor Babenkov, district head of the town of Temryuk which includes the port.
The port of Kavkaz is one of Russia’s largest outlets on the Black Sea. It handles ships both for exports and for fuel supplies to Crimea, seized by Russian forces in 2014.
Russia suspends ferry service to Crimea after Ukrainian port attack
11:00 , Tom Watling
Russia has suspended a ferry service operating between southern Russia and Crimea after a Ukrainian attack the previous day, Russia’s Transport Ministry announced.
Ukraine‘s Navy said on Friday that it had destroyed a ferry at Port Kavkaz in Russia’s Krasnodar region which it said was used to deliver fuel and weapons to Crimea, which Russia seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
The Russian Transport Ministry was cited in a statement from local authorities as saying that the ferry service to Crimea had been temporarily suspended while clear-up work took place.
Russian MoD issues photos from the frontline
10:45 , Tom Watling
Putin manipulated Trump’s ego and insecurities with flattery, former security adviser claims
10:20 , Tom Watling
Putin exploited Trump’s ego and insecurities, former security adviser claims
Two killed in Russian glide bomb attack in northeast Ukraine
10:00 , Tom Watling
Two bodies have been found under the rubble of a house region destroyed by a Russian glide bomb on Thursday night in Ukraine’s northeast Kharkiv, state emergency officials have announced.
The two people, in their late 50s and early 60s, were killed after Russia hit their home in a front-line settlement of the Izyum district in the Kharkiv region.
Russia has used glide bombs, which are cheap, Soviet-era dumb munitions weighing up to 1,500kg and retrofitted with GPS navigation systems and fixed wings, to aggressively bomb areas near the front in Ukraine.
Residents in the Kharkiv region’s namesake capital describe life under the threat of glide bombs as “hell”.
Вночі ворог попередньо вдарив керованою авіабомбою по прифронтовому населеному пункту Ізюмського р-ну на Харківщині.
З-під завалів зруйнованої оселі рятувальники вилучили тіла двох загиблих осіб: чоловіка 1963 та жінки 1965 р.н.
Також постраждала 78-річна жінка. pic.twitter.com/BMbbobLS0t
— DSNS.GOV.UA (@SESU_UA) August 23, 2024
Hungary says it will provide free tickets to Brussels for migrants
09:35 , Tom Watling
Hungary says it will provide free tickets to Brussels for migrants trying to enter EU
Unit of Russia’s Kursk nuclear plant to be put on maintenance, state firm says
09:11 , Tom Watling
A power unit at Russia’s Kursk nuclear plant will be put on scheduled maintenance on 25 August, Rosenergoatom, a unit of state nuclear firm Rosatom, said on Friday.
Ukraine has been conducting an incursion in Kursk region since 6 August and Russia has accused it of attacking the plant, which the head of the UN nuclear watchdog is due to visit next week.
Will Modi’s Ukraine visit change his mind on support for Putin?
08:45 , Tom Watling
Will Modi’s Ukraine visit change his mind on support for Russia’s Putin?
Footage shows India PM arriving in Kyiv
08:23 , Tom Watling
Footage published online has shown Indian prime minister Narendra Modi arriving in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
The footage was published by Ukrainian railway company Ukrzaliznytsia, since Modi arrived on one of their trains.
“For the first time in the history of our countries’ bilateral relations, the Prime Minister of India personally visited Ukraine,” the train company wrote on the Telegram messenger app.
“Before his visit to Kyiv by Ukrzaliznytsia train, Narendra Modi called India a ‘friend and partner’ of Ukraine and expressed hope for a ‘quick restoration of peace’ and a deepening of ‘Indian-Ukrainian friendship.’”
For the first time in history, the Prime Minister of India visited Ukraine personally. Before arriving to Kyiv by our train, @narendramodi called India a “friend&partner” of Ukraine, hoping for a “restoration of peace” and “strengthening of IND-UA friendship.”#IronDiplomacy🇺🇦🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/EFBzoFeCH9
— Ukrainian railways || Укрзалізниця (@Ukrzaliznytsia) August 23, 2024
Ukraine’s Navy says Russian ferry sunk during Ukrainian attack
08:10 , Tom Watling
Ukraine‘s Navy confirmed on Friday that they destroyed a ferry in the Russian port of Kavkaz on Thursday which was used to deliver fuel and weapons to the occupied Crimea.
“This ferry is one of the most important chains of Russian military logistics to supply the occupation forces. First of all with fuel, but in addition it transported of course weapons,” Ukraine‘s Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk told Radio Liberty.
Mapped: Ukraine’s incursion into the Russian Kursk region explained
08:00 , Alexander Butler
Mapped: Ukraine’s incursion into the Russian Kursk region explained
Indian PM Modi arrives in Kyiv for talks with Ukraine’s Zelensky
07:50 , Tom Watling
India’s Narendra Modi has arrived in Kyiv for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, the first trip by an Indian prime minister to Ukraine since Kyiv gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The visit, which follows a trip by Modi to Moscow in July, is important for Western-backed Kyiv, which has been trying to nurture diplomatic relations in the Global South in its efforts to secure a fair settlement to end the war.
Modi’s visit to Moscow last month coincided with a heavy Russian missile strike on Ukraine that hit a children’s hospital. The attack prompted Modi to use emotive language to deliver an implicit rebuke to Putin at their summit.
But the trip elicited fierce criticism from Zelensky who said it was a “huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day”.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser in the Ukrainian president’s office, told Reuters Modi’s visit to Kyiv was significant because New Delhi “really has a certain influence” over Moscow.
“It’s extremely important for us to effectively build relations with such countries, to explain to them what the correct end to the war is – and that it is also in their interests,” he said.
Here are some of the latest photos from Ukraine and Russia
07:37 , Tom Watling
Good morning.
Below are some of the latest photos coming out of Ukraine and Russia.
Narendra Modi urges Zelensky to hold talks with Russia to end war
15:30 , Tom Watling
Narendra Modi urges Zelensky to hold talks with Russia to end war
What is happening in Ukraine’s east frontline as Putin’s forces advance?
07:00 , Alexander Butler
What is happening in Ukraine’s east frontline as Putin’s forces advance?
Why is Ukraine destroying bridges in Russia’s Kursk?
05:00 , Alexander Butler
Why is Ukraine destroying bridges in Russia’s Kursk?
European country to reintroduce compulsory military draft
04:00 , Alexander Butler
Another European country to reintroduce compulsory military draft as tensions soar
Zelensky needles Putin with largest drone attack aimed at Moscow
03:00 , Alexander Butler
Zelensky needles Putin with largest drone attack aimed at Moscow
Ukraine says it sees no Belarusian troop movements near border
02:00 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine’s border guard service said on Thursday that Kyiv had seen no signs of Belarusian troop or military hardware movements near their shared border since Minsk announced it was sending additional forces to the area.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Sunday the country had deployed nearly a third of its armed forces along the border, claiming that Kyiv had stationed more than 120,000 troops there.
“We do not see any movement directly near our border – neither equipment nor personnel,” Andriy Demchenko, Ukraine’s border guard service spokesman, told national television.
He added that the situation near the Belarus border “generally has not changed”.
Ukraine ratifies the statute for joining the International Criminal Court
01:00 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, taking a step toward membership and opening the possibility of more prosecutions of Russian officials for war crimes.
Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, voted Wednesday to ratify the ICC statute.
Membership of the ICC is a requirement for joining the European Union, which Ukraine hopes to do. It was formally accepted as a candidate in June 2022, four months after Russia began its full-scale invasion.
Ukraine ratifies the statute for joining the International Criminal Court
Russian guided bombs kill two in Ukraine’s Sumy region
Thursday 22 August 2024 23:00 , Alexander Butler
A Russian guided bomb attack in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region bordering Russia’s region of Kursk killed two people, prosecutors said on Thursday.
Moscow troops dropped two guided bombs on civilian infrastructure, according to the regional prosecutors’ statement on Telegram.
One person was injured in the attack, it added.
Russia has been pummelling Ukrainian border regions with strikes, and Kyiv said its shock incursion into the Kursk region was aimed at cutting off Moscow’s ability to stage such attacks.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday he had visited the Sumy region and added there had been a decrease in shelling and in civilian casualties since the Kursk operation.
Watch: Zelensky confirms Ukraine strengthens position in Russia’s Kursk region
Thursday 22 August 2024 22:00 , Alexander Butler
Watch: Ukraine strike destroys second Kursk bridge
Thursday 22 August 2024 21:00 , Alexander Butler
Watch: Russian military airbase left ablaze after drone attack
Thursday 22 August 2024 20:00 , Alexander Butler
Can Ukraine visit change Modi’s mind on support for Russia’s Putin?
Thursday 22 August 2024 19:00 , Alexander Butler
India has chosen to stay on the sidelines since its close ally Russia invaded Ukraine, dismissing pressure from Western nations to join in condemnation of Vladimir Putin’s war while still seeking deeper trade ties with the likes of the US and UK.
This tricky balancing act is one that prime minister Narendra Modi is expected to keep up during his visit to Kyiv this week, the first by an Indian prime minister since the two countries established diplomatic relations over 30 years ago.
Mr Modi was in Poland on Thursday for the first leg of his Europe trip and is expected to depart for the Ukrainian capital by train later in the day, with talks in Kyiv taking place on Friday.
Can Ukraine visit change Modi’s mind on support for Russia’s Putin?
Zelensky has humiliated Putin, but what good can his ‘buffer zone’ do?
Thursday 22 August 2024 18:00 , Alexander Butler
Zelensky has humiliated Putin, but what good can his ‘buffer zone’ do?
Ukraine’s soldiers seek revenge against Putin’s forces in Kursk
Thursday 22 August 2024 17:00 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine’s soldiers seek revenge against Russia in Kursk: ‘We laughed on enemy soil’
The Ukraine border village facing up to Russia’s wrath over Kursk attack
Thursday 22 August 2024 16:00 , Alexander Butler
The Ukraine border village facing up to Russia’s wrath over Kursk attack
Russia opens criminal case against British journalist for reporting on Ukraine’s attack across border
Thursday 22 August 2024 15:35 , Alexander Butler
Russia opens criminal case against UK reporter for reporting on Ukraine Kursk attack
Russian guided bombs kill two in Ukraine’s Sumy region
Thursday 22 August 2024 15:30 , Alexander Butler
A Russian guided bomb attack in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region bordering Russia’s region of Kursk killed two people, prosecutors said on Thursday.
Moscow troops dropped two guided bombs on civilian infrastructure, according to the regional prosecutors’ statement on Telegram. One person was injured in the attack, it added.
Putin accuses Ukraine of trying to strike Russia’s Kursk nuclear power plant
Thursday 22 August 2024 15:00 , Alexander Butler
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused Ukraine of trying to strike Russia’s Kursk nuclear power plant in an overnight attack and said Moscow had informed the UN nuclear safety watchdog about the situation.
Putin, who did not provide further details about the incident or provide documentary evidence to back up his assertion, made the comments at a meeting of senior officials.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine whose lightning incursion into Kursk, the biggest into Russia by a foreign power since World War Two, saw thousands of Ukrainian troops punch through Russia’s western border on 6 August, apparently catching Moscow by surprise.
Ukraine ratifies the statute for joining the International Criminal Court
Thursday 22 August 2024 14:00 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, taking a step toward membership and opening the possibility of more prosecutions of Russian officials for war crimes.
Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, voted Wednesday to ratify the ICC statute.
Membership of the ICC is a requirement for joining the European Union, which Ukraine hopes to do. It was formally accepted as a candidate in June 2022, four months after Russia began its full-scale invasion.
Ukraine ratifies the statute for joining the International Criminal Court
Watch: Russian military airbase left ablaze after drone attack
Thursday 22 August 2024 13:32 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine says it sees no Belarusian troop movements near border
Thursday 22 August 2024 13:07 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine’s border guard service said on Thursday that Kyiv had seen no signs of Belarusian troop or military hardware movements near their shared border since Minsk announced it was sending additional forces to the area.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Sunday the country had deployed nearly a third of its armed forces along the border, claiming that Kyiv had stationed more than 120,000 troops there.
“We do not see any movement directly near our border – neither equipment nor personnel,” Andriy Demchenko, Ukraine’s border guard service spokesman, told national television.
He added that the situation near the Belarus border “generally has not changed”.
Zelensky has humiliated Putin, but what good can his ‘buffer zone’ do?
Thursday 22 August 2024 13:00 , Alexander Butler
Zelensky has humiliated Putin, but what good can his ‘buffer zone’ do?
Putin makes surprise trip to Chechnya for first time in 13 years
Thursday 22 August 2024 12:30 , Alexander Butler
Putin makes surprise trip to Chechnya – three weeks into Ukraine’s Kursk incursion
India’s Modi visits Ukraine this week, after a recent trip to Moscow. Here’s what it could mean
Thursday 22 August 2024 11:39 , Alexander Butler
India’s Modi visits Ukraine this week, after a recent trip to Moscow. Here’s what it could mean
Russia investigates British journalist
Thursday 22 August 2024 11:00 , Alexander Butler
Russia has opened a criminal case against a British journalist for allegedly illegally crossing the Ukrainian-Russian border into Kursk.
The FSB named the journalist as Nick Paton Walsh, a British citizen who works as CNN’s Chief International Security Correspondent.
In the CNN broadcast, journalists travelled with a Ukrainian military convoy from Ukraine to Sudzha, where they encountered a nearly deserted town with a few dozen elderly residents remaining.
The FSB said in a statement that Moscow would soon issue an international arrest warrant related to the three journalists’ cases.
The maximum punishment for anyone found guilty of illegally crossing the border is five years in jail, it said.
The Ukraine border village facing up to Russia’s wrath over Kursk attack
Thursday 22 August 2024 10:37 , Alexander Butler
The Ukraine border village facing up to Russia’s wrath over Kursk attack
Zelensky visits Sumy near Russian border
Thursday 22 August 2024 10:21 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday he and his army chief had visited the border region of Sumy near the border with Russia, two weeks after Kyiv’s incursion into the Kursk region.
Zelensky said Ukrainian troops had taken control of one more village in the Kursk region. Ukrainian officials have previously said Kyiv controls more than 90 settlements there.
What is happening in Ukraine’s east frontline as Putin’s forces advance?
Thursday 22 August 2024 10:19 , Alexander Butler
Ukrainian forces are advancing through Russia’s Kursk region as part of their historic cross-border assault, concentrating their resources on this attack but Moscow’s forces are doing the same in eastern Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted this week the situation on Ukraine’s eastern frontline was “difficult”. Ukraine’s general staff, meanwhile, reported that there had been dozens of combat clashes on several hot points of the frontline in that direction.
As reports surface that Ukraine may have shifted some military resources from the eastern Donetsk region, the site of the most intense fighting in Ukraine, to help prosecute their Kursk incursion, concerns abound that such a move could prove a fatal miscalculation.
What is happening in Ukraine’s east frontline as Putin’s forces advance?
US embassy warns of possible Russian attacks around Ukraine’s Independence Day
Thursday 22 August 2024 09:51 , Alexander Butler
The US embassy in Kyiv said there was a heightened risk of Russian missile and drone attacks throughout Ukraine in the coming days as the country prepares to mark 33 years since its independence from the Soviet Union on Saturday.
Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said earlier this week that Russia had launched 9,600 missiles and 14,000 drones during strikes on Ukraine since it launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
“The US Embassy in Kyiv assesses that during the next several days and through the weekend there is an increased risk of Russian drone and missile attacks throughout Ukraine in connection with Ukraine’s Independence Day on 24 August,” it said.
Russian military airbase left ablaze
Thursday 22 August 2024 09:29 , Alexander Butler
A Russian military airbase was left ablaze after Ukraine launched a massive drone barrage over Russia in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The Marinovka airfield in Volgograd was attacked at around 3.30am on Thursday, with Moscow claiming it shot down a drone with a fire started by falling debris.
Up to 28 drones were launched across Russia by Ukraine in the attack, according to the Russian defence ministry.
“Most of the drones were destroyed. As a result of the UAV crash, a fire broke out on the territory of a defense ministry facility,” Andrei Bocharov, the region’s governor, said.
Zelensky needles Putin with largest drone attack aimed at Moscow
Thursday 22 August 2024 08:47 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine has launched the largest drone attack on Moscow since Vladimir Putin’s invasion – its latest attempt to bring the war to Russia as it continues an audacious cross-border incursion in Kursk.
For months, Ukraine has targeted Russian refineries and airfields with drones but assaults on the capital – some 300 miles from the Ukrainian border – have been rarer.
One Russian dissident told The Independent that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was seeking to land a “serious psychological blow to Russians”.
Zelensky needles Putin with largest drone attack aimed at Moscow
Russia begins installing concrete shelters in Kursk region
Thursday 22 August 2024 08:03 , Alexander Butler
Russian authorities in the western Kursk region have begun installing concrete shelters to help protect civilians amid an ongoing Ukrainian incursion, the acting regional governor said on Thursday.
Governor Alexei Smirnov wrote on Telegram that city officials in Kursk, the regional capital, were installing the shelters in crowded places, including in 60 bus stations. Similar shelters will be placed in two other towns, he said
Russian soldier blows up military base before defecting to Ukraine
Thursday 22 August 2024 08:00 , Alexander Butler
A Russian soldier blew up his assault unit’s headquarters before escaping and defecting to Ukraine, Kyiv has revealed.
The soldier, an FPV drone pilot identified only by his call-sign “Silver”, said the operation was meticulously planned with Ukraine’s military intelligence and the Freedom of Russia Legion, a pro-Kyiv Russian partisan group.
Footage showed the moment Silver threw a grenade into a basement where his commander and fellow officers were sleeping, before he disappeared amidst the confusion.
Ukraine halted at Bryansk border, Russia claims
Thursday 22 August 2024 07:42 , Alexander Butler
Vladimir Putin’s forces prevented a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance team from piercing the border in the western Bryansk region, about 240 km (150 miles) from Kursk, a Russian official claimed.
Bryansk governor Alexander Bogomaz said troops repelled Kyiv’s attack in the region on Wednesday, with Moscow claiming it had began to push back Ukrainian forces in Kursk.
He said the attempted incursion took place in the Klimovo district which borders Ukraine’s Chernihiv region. The Bryansk region lies northwest of the Kursk region where a Ukrainian incursion has been underway since early August.
Ukraine smashed through the Russian border in the Kursk region on Aug. 6 in an attempt to force Moscow to divert troops from the rest of the front, though Russian forces have continued to advance in eastern Ukraine in recent days.
Putin meets China’s Premier Li in new display of autocrat friendship
Thursday 22 August 2024 07:14 , Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin met with Chinese premier Li Qiang yesterday as he hailed growing trade relations between the two countries, even as Moscow has become increasingly dependent on Beijing for political and economic support.
“Our trade relations are developing, developing successfully… The attention that the governments of the two countries on both sides are paying to trade and economic ties is yielding results,” Mr Putin said at the meeting in the Kremlin.
He also said that Russia and China have developed “large-scale plans” for economic and other projects.
“Chinese-Russian relations are at an unprecedentedly high level,” said Mr Li, who earlier had met with his Russian counterpart, prime minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The meeting took place as Russia struggled to push back a Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region now in its third week. And overnight, Moscow experienced one of the largest waves of drone attacks on the Russian capital since the start of the Ukraine conflict.
Russian news reports did not indicate whether Mr Putin discussed Ukraine with Mr Li.
Ukraine attempts to pierce Russian border again near Kursk, says Russia
Thursday 22 August 2024 07:01 , Arpan Rai
Russian forces prevented a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance team from piercing the border in the western Bryansk region, about 240km (150 miles) from the site of Ukraine’s incursion into the neighbouring Kursk region, a Russian official said.
Bryansk governor Alexander Bogomaz said that Federal Security Service border guards and Russian military units repelled an attack by a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance team yesterday.
He said the attempted incursion took place in the Klimovo district which borders Ukraine’s Chernihiv region. The Bryansk region lies northwest of the Kursk region where a Ukrainian incursion has been underway since early August.
Ukraine smashed through the Russian border in the Kursk region on 6 August in an attempt to force Moscow to divert troops from the rest of the front, though Russian forces have continued to advance in eastern Ukraine in recent days.
This comes as Russia’s defence ministry said it had shot down 28 drones over Russian territory in the early hours today, including 13 in the Volgograd region, seven in Rostov, four in Belgorod, two in Voronezh and one each in Bryansk and Kursk regions.
German support for Moldova strengthens Ukraine and regional security, country claims
Thursday 22 August 2024 07:00 , Alexander Butler
Moldovan President Maia Sandu said after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday that Berlin’s support for her country strengthened neighbouring Ukraine and security in the region.
She also said Moldova was open for investment and invited German businesses to participate in the country’s first tender for renewable energy production.
India’s Modi visits Ukraine this week. Here’s what it could mean
Thursday 22 August 2024 06:47 , Arpan Rai
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is set to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky in a historic visit tomorrow to Ukraine, a month and a half after he travelled to Moscow to hold talks with president Vladimir Putin.
Officials in India and Ukraine have said the visit will focus on boosting economic ties and cooperation in defence, science and technology.
Modi’s landmark visit is the first to Ukraine from a prime minister of India since the country established diplomatic relations with Ukraine over 30 years ago. He will arrive in Kyiv after a two-day visit to Poland.
Analysts say the timing of the trip is aimed at controlling fallout from the Indian leader’s 8-9 July trip to Russia.
The visit could also be an attempt to have India strike a more neutral stance after what has been seen as a lean toward Russia, given Modi’s recent Moscow visit, his country’s historic, Cold War-era relationship with Russia and New Delhi’s avoidance of directly criticising Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
India’s Modi visits Ukraine this week, after a recent trip to Moscow. Here’s what it could mean
Britain keeps poking the Russian bear – don’t be surprised if it lashes out
Thursday 22 August 2024 06:00 , Alexander Butler
Britain keeps poking the Russian Bear – don’t be surprised if it lashes out
Ukraine strikes Putin’s military facility in Volgograd region
Thursday 22 August 2024 05:44 , Arpan Rai
A fire broke out at a military facility in Russia’s southern Volgograd region after a Ukrainian drone crashed into it on Thursday, regional governor Andrei Bocharov said on Telegram.
The Russian official claimed there were no casualties and did not specify what facility had been attacked, but said the attack focused on the area of the Marinovka village, where a military airbase is located.
Russian priests bless fire trucks tackling massive blaze caused by Ukrainian attack
Thursday 22 August 2024 05:19 , Arpan Rai
Orthodox priests deployed an icon at the scene of a huge fuel depot fire – raging since Sunday in southern after a Ukrainian drone attack – hoping it would help tame its flames, the local diocese said yesterday.
The icon of the Unburnt Bush is considered by Christians in Russia as a talisman against fire.
The fire at the Proletarsk fuel depot in Rostov has been burning since Sunday despite a major operation by Russian firefighters to douse it.
“The (priests) spoke with the firefighters and blessed all the fire equipment,” the local Volgodonsk eparchy told Reuters in emailed comments.
An image released yesterday showed two Orthodox priests standing in a field on either side of a wooden stand holding the large icon as a thick plume of black and grey smoke rose into the sky from the depot behind them.
Local people have complained on social media about how polluted the air has become due to the fire. The authorities have said the level of harmful substances in the air is within permitted norms.
Around 20 of 74 storage tanks were on fire, the RIA news agency reported on Tuesday, citing local administration boss Valery Gornich. More than 500 firefighters were tackling the blaze, he said.
Vasily Golubev, the regional governor, said on Monday that 41 firefighters had sought medical treatment, including five who had been placed in emergency care.
UN nuclear watchdog chief to visit Kursk nuclear plant at end of August, says Russia
Thursday 22 August 2024 05:00 , Alexander Butler
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has confirmed he is ready to visit the Kursk nuclear power plant in Russia at the end of August, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
Russia’s Defence Ministry last week accused Ukraine of planning to attack the Kursk plant as part of its ongoing incursion into the Russian region, an assertion Kyiv denied.
“We expect that an understanding of the danger that Ukrainian provocations against Russian nuclear power plants represent will prompt the IAEA’s management to take concrete action to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants in Zaporizhzhia and Kursk,” Zakharova said at a weekly news briefing.
Kyiv says inflicted losses on Russian troops in clashes in east Ukraine
Thursday 22 August 2024 04:52 , Arpan Rai
Ukrainian forces came under repeated attack yesterday around the town of Pokrovsk, where Russian forces are pressing for a breakthrough, military officials said but added that they were inflicting losses on the attackers.
In a statement, the military general staff said there were 46 Russian attacks on the Pokrovsk front over the past 24 hours; of these, 44 were repelled and two were still underway as of 7pm GMT.
It also said 238 Russian troops were killed or wounded in the same area yesterday. It did not disclose Ukrainian losses.
Scholz says Ukraine did not consult Germany over Kursk
Thursday 22 August 2024 04:42 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine had not consulted Berlin about its shock incursion into Russia, said German chancellor Olaf Scholz, adding that he expected the military operation to be limited in terms of both time and territory.
“Ukraine has prepared its military operation in the Kursk region very secretly and without feedback, which is certainly due to the situation,” Mr Scholz said. “This is a very limited operation in terms of space and probably also in terms of time.”
Separately Mr Scholz said Germany would continue to be what he said was Ukraine’s biggest supporter in Europe after controversy in recent days over what some have called wavering German support for Kyiv over domestic politicking.
Speaking at a press conference after talks with Moldovan president Maia Sandu in Chisinau, Mr Scholz said Berlin was monitoring further developments around the incursion closely.
Ukrainian leaders have cast the attack as proof that their military can still succeed in offensive operations, and still surprise. Russia has vowed to repel the incursion.
Ukraine says it hits pontoon bridges in Russia with US-made weapons
Thursday 22 August 2024 04:19 , Arpan Rai
Ukraine said it had destroyed Russian pontoon bridges with US-made weapons to defend its incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, while Moscow said its forces had halted Kyiv’s advance there and gained ground in eastern Ukraine.
Kyiv has announced a string of battlefield successes since it crossed unexpectedly into Kursk region on 6 August. Moscow has steadily inched forward in eastern Ukraine, pressuring troops worn down by two and a half years of fighting.
The Ukrainian statement said US-manufactured HIMARS rocket systems had been used as part of operations to disrupt Russian logistics in the Kursk region, Kyiv’s first official statement acknowledging its use of the weapon during its incursion.
Washington has not commented directly on the use of US-made weapons in Kursk region, while saying US policies have not changed and Ukraine was defending itself from Russia’s ongoing all-out invasion.
A video posted by Ukrainian special forces showed strikes on several pontoon crossings in Kursk region, where Russia has reported that Ukraine has destroyed at least three bridges over the Seym river as it seeks to hold the captured land.
“Where do Russian pontoon bridges ‘disappear’ in the Kursk region? Operators… accurately destroy them,” Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces said on Telegram.
Ukraine minister says Kursk attack aims to protect border area
Thursday 22 August 2024 04:11 , Arpan Rai
Kyiv’s attack on Russia’s Kursk region was intended to protect Ukraine, the country’s defence minister Rustem Umerov told a visiting delegation of US Congressmen.
Referring to Kursk region, Mr Umerov said in a statement released by his ministry: “Our goals there are to clear the border from Russian military threats and make enemy shelling and attacks on our towns and villages impossible.”
Watch: Ukraine hits second bridge in Russia’s Kursk region
Thursday 22 August 2024 04:00 , Alexander Butler
Putin ally Chemezov says West risks global war over Ukraine
Thursday 22 August 2024 03:00 , Alexander Butler
A close ally of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin warned the US risked triggering a global war if it continued to “provoke” the conflict in Ukraine.
Sergei Chemezov, CEO of the Rostec corporation which supplies many of Russia’s arms for the war, said the world could be drawn into a mass conflict and Moscow was ready for confrontation.
“In a situation where the West, led by the United States, provokes war, we must be ready. The third year of the special operation is under way. Russia feels confident,” Mr Chemezov said.
“The further it goes, the greater the risk that the world will be drawn into a global conflict. It looks strange, but Western countries do not seem to understand just how fraught this is for them.”
Watch: Zelensky criticises UK for ‘slowing down’ support for fight against Russia
Thursday 22 August 2024 02:00 , Alexander Butler
Zelensky has humiliated Putin, but what good can his ‘buffer zone’ do?
Thursday 22 August 2024 01:00 , Alexander Butler
Zelensky has humiliated Putin, but what good can his ‘buffer zone’ do?
Ukraine’s soldiers seek revenge against Putin’s forces in Kursk
Thursday 22 August 2024 00:01 , Alexander Butler
Ukraine’s soldiers seek revenge against Russia in Kursk: ‘We laughed on enemy soil’
The Ukraine border village facing up to Russia’s wrath over Kursk attack
Wednesday 21 August 2024 23:00 , Alexander Butler
The Ukraine border village facing up to Russia’s wrath over Kursk attack
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