Ukraine has targeted Moscow in what officials described as the largest drone attack on the city of the war so far.
Russian air defences destroyed at least 11 drones headed for Moscow and 45 in total across the country, Russian officials said.
It is not known how many were launched in total. “This is one of the largest attempts to attack Moscow using drones ever. We continue to monitor the situation,” Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.
Russian officials did not immediately report any damage or injuries from the overnight attack, while Ukraine is yet to comment.
It comes as Ukraine’s special forces claimed they had “destroyed” several bridges and pontoon crossings on the Seym River in Kursk using US-supplied rockets.
"Where do Russian pontoon bridges ‘disappear’ in the Kursk region? Operators ... accurately destroy them," Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces said on Telegram messenger.
The statement said U.S.-manufactured HIMARS rocket systems were used. It was the first official statement from Kyiv that Western weapons are part of the unprecedented offensive.
Key Points
- Ukraine launches ‘one of largest ever’ drone attacks on Moscow
- Footage shows Ukrainian destruction of Russian pontoon crossings in Kursk
- Putin ally says West risks global war over Ukraine
- Zelensky calls out Putin’s ‘red line' bluff via Kursk attack
Photos from the frontline in eastern Ukraine
16:09
Tom Watling
High resolution image shows extent of damage to Kursk bridge
15:50
Tom Watling
A high resolution satellite image of the third bridge to be targeted by Ukraine in Russia’s Kursk region shows it has been significantly damaged.
Karyzh Bridge
— MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) August 21, 2024
Glushkovsky District, Kursk Oblast
Ultra high resolution gives a view of the damage to the bridge over the Seym at Karyzh
It is not completely destroyed but I do wonder if any heavy equipment can cross, IMO it would be dicey
20 August 2024 pic.twitter.com/3eNQ1kIRID
Putin makes surprise trip to Chechnya for first time in 13 years - three weeks into Ukraine’s Kursk incursion
15:20
Tom Watling
Firefighters tackle blaze in eastern Ukraine after home destroyed
14:50
Tom Watling
What is happening in Ukraine’s east frontline as Putin’s forces advance?
14:30
Tom Watling
UN nuclear watchdog chief to visit Kursk nuclear plant at end of August, says Russia
14:11
Tom Watling
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.
Why is Ukraine destroying bridges in Russia’s Kursk?
14:00
Alexander Butler
Ukraine has damaged or destroyed three bridges in the Russian region of Kursk as they attempt to consolidate positions gained during their ambitious cross-border assult and cut off supplies to Moscow’s troops.
The first bridge was destroyed in the village of Glushkovo, around eight miles west of Ukrainian troops inside of Russia, on Friday.
The second was destroyed on Saturday in the village of Zvannoye, a further five miles westward.
Putin ally Chemezov says West risks global war over Ukraine
13:30
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.”
Pictured: Russia and China bemoan Western sanctions
13:00
Alexander Butler
Ukraine’s soldiers seek revenge against Putin’s forces in Kursk
12:30
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian forces have damaged or destroyed three bridges in Russia’s Kursk region – aiming to cut crucial Russian supply lines in the latest chapter in Kyiv’s daring assault across the border, which the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky says is achieving its military aims.
Ukraine’s troops know Russia will respond but want to take as much revenge against Vladimir Putin’s forces as they can. Soldiers from one of the brigades that spearheaded the offensive into Kursk have told The Independent how they laughed in disbelief and joy as they dug trenches inside Russia.
“It was an incredible feeling to realise that this time we were invading them and we laughed like madmen as we dug trenches on enemy land, Russian soil,” said a soldier with the codename Lyasha.
Mapped: Ukraine’s incursion into the Russian Kursk region explained
12:00
Alexander Butler
Ukraine says it destroyed 50 out of 69 Russian drones in overnight strike
11:30
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian forces destroyed 50 out of 69 attack drones launched by Russia during an overnight strike, Kyiv’s military said on Wednesday.
The air force said another 16 drones were likely downed by electronic warfare during the attack, which also included two ballistic and one cruise missiles. It said it shot down only the latter.
The military added that one drone had entered Ukraine from Belarus and another had returned to Russia.
Ukraine ratifies Rome Statute
11:00
Alexander Butler
Ukraine’s parliament voted to ratify the Rome Statute in a move set to pave the way for Kyiv to join the International Criminal Court.
In a Telegram post, Yaroslav Zhelezniak said 281 deputies had voted for the measure, a key requirement for Ukraine to eventually join the European Union.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and tries individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
Ukraine’s soldiers seek revenge against Putin’s forces in Kursk: ‘We laughed digging trenches on enemy soil’
10:32
Tom Watling
Eastern Ukrainian town under siege - footage
10:15
Tom Watling
A video published online has shown the devastation wrought up on the eastern Ukrainian town of Myrnohrad as Russian forces advance towards it.
The town, which sits next door to the city of Pokrovsk, has come under siege from Russian forces in recent months.
Moscow’s troops are around four miles from Myrnohrad and six from Pokrovsk, which is seen as a linchpin of Ukraine’s defence of the wider Donetsk region.
Myrnohrad, Ukraine pic.twitter.com/uSi6iw9LXJ
— Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) August 21, 2024
Mapped: Ukraine’s incursion into the Russian Kursk region explained
10:00
Tom Watling
West African juntas write to UN over Ukraine's alleged rebel support
09:37
Tom Watling
The juntas of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have written to the United Nations Security Council to denounce Ukraine‘s alleged support of rebel groups in West Africa’s Sahel region, a copy of their letter showed.
Mali cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine at the start of the month over comments by a spokesperson for Ukraine‘s military intelligence agency about fighting in Mali’s north that killed Malian soldiers and Russian Wagner mercenaries in late July.
The military government of Niger followed suit days later in solidarity with its neighbour.
The dispute broke out after the Ukrainian military intelligence agency spokesperson said Malian rebels had received “necessary” information to conduct the July attack.
Tuareg rebels said they killed at least 84 Wagner mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers over days of fierce fighting, potentially Wagner’s heaviest defeat since it stepped in two years ago to help Mali’s junta fight insurgent groups.
Mali and Niger accused Ukraine of supporting “international terrorism”.
Ukraine has repeatedly called the allegations groundless and untrue. A Tuareg rebel alliance has also said it did not receive any Ukrainian support.
Footage shows destruction of Russian pontoon crossings in Kursk
09:18
Tom Watling
Footage released by Ukraine’s special forces has shown the systematic targeting of Russian bridges, pontoon crossings and Moscow’s engineering units responsible for their construction in the Kursk region.
“The video shows the effective impressions of [special forces] operators of enemy engineering equipment in the Kursk region, as well as the detection and correction of Hymars fire on bridges and pontoon crossings,” they wrote on their Telegram channel.
Ukrainian forces have destroyed three permanent bridges over the Seym River in Kursk over the past six days, as well as an unknown number of pontoon crossings built by the Russians to replace the bridges.
Russian troops south of the Seym in Kursk, to the west of Ukrainian forces in the Russian region, are reliant on these bridges and crossings for vital supplies.
WARNING: This footage contains depictions of active combat.
Ukrainian SOF in concert with Defense forces successfully destroyed pontoon crossings in Kursk region.
— SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES OF UKRAINE (@SOF_UKR) August 21, 2024
Moreover, russian field ammunition depot, EW vehicle as well as 152 mm howitzer were damaged. pic.twitter.com/VjMzIdLFvr
Photo shows a Ukrainian military campaign in Kursk
09:00
Tom Watling
Russian Rostov region on fire after Ukrainian claims of strike
08:50
Tom Watling
Footage has emerged online appearing to show a facility in the Russian Rostov region on fire after the Ukrainian military claimed they had struck a military complex in the area.
We reported earlier that Ukraine’s general staff reported they had struck an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system near the settlement of Novoshakhtinsk in Russia’s southwestern Rostov region.
The fire seen below is also from the settlement of Novoshakhtinsk.
S-300 air defence destroyed near Novoshakhtinsk, #Rostov Region pic.twitter.com/t9qQV0JXpS
— C4H10FO2P ☠️ (@markito0171) August 21, 2024
Here are some of the latest photos from the frontline
08:43
Tom Watling
The Ukraine border village facing up to Russia’s wrath over Kursk attack: ‘The worst bombing I’ve faced’
08:35
Tom Watling
Russia's Medvedev says there will no talks with Ukraine after Kursk incursion
08:25
Tom Watling
Ukraine‘s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region means there will be no talks between Moscow and Kyiv until Ukraine is completely defeated on the battlefield, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, has said.
“The casual chit-chat of self-proclaimed intermediaries on the virtuous subject of peace has ceased. Even if they cannot say it out loud, everyone recognises the reality of the situation,” Medvedev, who wrote on his official account on the Telegram messaging app.
“They understand that there will be NO NEGOTIATIONS UNTIL THE ENEMY IS COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY DESTROYED!”
Medvedev, who has styled himself as one of the Kremlin’s toughest anti-Western hawks, said that the “premature and unnecessary peace” talks that had previously been suggested “had vague prospects and no tangible outcomes.”
The Russian politician, who assumed the presidency from 2008 to 2012 between Vladimir Putin’s first and second stints as leader, has a habit of posting expletive-laden, brazen messages on social media.
Satellite image shows smoke in Kursk region on Seym River
08:13
Tom Watling
Satellite images have shown smoke rising in the air in the Kursk region near the Seym River, just a day after Ukrainian forces reportedly bombed another crossing.
The image, taken on Tuesday, shows fires near the village of Krasnooktyabrskoe, located just outside the area of Ukrainian control in the Kursk region.
Since last Friday, Kyiv’s troops have destroyed three permanent bridges over the Seym and reportedly one pontoon crossing as well in an attempt to sever supply lines to the Russian forces south of the river.
Ukraine says it struck S-300 missile system in Russia's Rostov region
07:48
Tom Watling
Ukraine‘s military has claimed to have struck an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system based in Russia’s southern Rostov region overnight.
Kyiv’s General Staff said the attack took place near the settlement of Novoshakhtinsk, and that S-300s had been used to attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
“Explosions were observed at specified targeting points,” the General Staff said in a statement. “The accuracy of the strike is being assessed.”
Rostov governor Vasily Golubev said air defence forces had destroyed a Ukraine-launched missile over his region, but Russia’s defence ministry made no mention of the incident in its daily statement on destroyed air weapons.
We have some of the latest photos from the war in Ukraine
07:43
Tom Watling
Good morning.
Below we have some of the latest pictures concerning the war in Ukraine.
Why is Ukraine destroying bridges in Russia’s Kursk?
07:22
Arpan Rai
Ukraine has damaged or destroyed three bridges in the Russian region of Kursk as they attempt to consolidate positions gained during their ambitious cross-border assult and cut off supplies to Moscow’s troops.
The first bridge was destroyed in the village of Glushkovo, around eight miles west of Ukrainian troops inside of Russia, on Friday.
The second was destroyed on Saturday in the village of Zvannoye, a further five miles westward. The third bridge reportedly destroyed on Sunday night is in the village of Karyzh, a further four miles westward.
All three bridges run over the Seym river that runs through the Kursk region. If Ukraine confirms the destruction of the third bridge, that would mean that Russian forces are now reliant on receiving military equipment via a makeshift pontoon bridge, according to analysts.
The purpose of targeting these bridges is to sever Russian supply lines and trap Moscow’s troops.
Tom Watling reports:
Comment: Zelensky has humiliated Putin, but what good can his ‘buffer zone’ do?
07:00
Jabed Ahmed
Russia says it destroyed 45 Ukraine-launched drones overnight
06:58
Arpan Rai
Russia’s air defence units destroyed 45 drones that Ukraine launched overnight targeting Moscow and several other regions, Russia’s defence ministry said today.
Of these, 11 of the drones were destroyed over the Moscow region, 23 over the border Bryansk region, six over the Belgorod region, three over the Kaluga region and two over the Kursk region, the ministry said in a statement.
Putin makes surprise trip to Chechnya for first time in 13 years
06:37
Arpan Rai
Russian president Vladimir Putin made an unscheduled trip to Chechnya, a mainly Muslim republic within the Russian Federation, his first visit in nearly 13 years, as Ukraine‘s stunning cross-border incursion into western Russia entered its third week.
Putin was greeted by Chechnya’s self-styled strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov, before visiting a special forces academy bearing his own name and speaking with volunteer fighters who train there prior to being deployed in Ukraine.
Putin praised the volunteers and said that as long as Russia has men like them, it will be “invincible,” according to reports by Russian state agencies.
Headed for Kyiv, Modi to discuss resolution of Ukraine conflict
06:29
Arpan Rai
India prime minister Narendra Modi said he will “share perspectives” on the peaceful resolution of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia during his visit to Kyiv this week.
Mr Modi departed for Poland today and will visit Kyiv on Friday, a first visit to Ukraine by an Indian prime minister since diplomatic relations were established 30 years ago.
“As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region,” Mr Modi said in a statement before his departure, without using the term “war” or “invasion”.
India has presented itself as a neutral party to war, repeatedly urging Ukraine and Russia to use dialogue and diplomacy to resolve their differences without condemning Putin’s invasion. Both Ukraine and its Western allies have urged Modi to help in isolating Russia on the world stage for its actions, but New Delhi has rebuffed these calls.
Mr Modi’s two-day visit to Russia last month coincided with a lethal strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv, following which he told Putin that the death of innocent children was painful and terrifying and urged resolution of the conflict.
The Ukrainian government has also pitched for India to help rebuild the country’s war-torn economy.
Mr Modi met Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Italy last month.
Britain keeps poking the Russian bear – don’t be surprised if it lashes out
16:38
Alexander Butler
Mapped: Ukraine hits Kursk bridges
06:00
Jabed Ahmed
Now Russia claims Nato helped Kyiv prepare for Kursk incursion
05:04
Arpan Rai
Russia believes Ukraine’s incursion into its Kursk region was prepared with intelligence from the United States, Britain and Poland, the newspaper Izvestia reported today, citing Russia’s foreign intelligence agency.
“The Ukrainian Armed Forces operation in the Kursk region was prepared with the participation of the US, UK and Polish intelligence services,” Izvestia cited the Foreign Intelligence Service as saying, who claimed to have “reliable information” but did not provide evidence to back their claims.
It also claimed that the units involved underwent combat coordination in training centres in the UK and Germany.
Ukraine’s Western allies have issued a number of statements flatly denying any involvement in the Kursk incursion.
Last week, the White House said Ukraine did not provide advance notice of the operation. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, said Washington had no involvement. “We had nothing to do with this,” she said.
“We have no involvement. We’ll continue to have conversations with the Ukrainians about their approach, but it is really for them to speak to,” she added.
Mapped: Russian soldiers risk becoming trapped
05:04
Jabed Ahmed
Russian sources confirm 3 bridges over Russia’s Seym River either destroyed or damaged
04:46
Arpan Rai
Ukrainian forces have either destroyed or damaged all three of the bridges over the Seym River in western Russia, according to Russian sources, as Kyiv’s incursion into western Russia entered its third week yesterday.
A Russian military investigator confirmed that Ukraine had “totally destroyed” one bridge and damaged two others in the area. The full extent of the damage remained unclear.“As a result of targeted shelling with the use of rocket and artillery weapons against residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in the Karyzh village... a third bridge over the Seym River was damaged,” the unnamed representative for Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a video published on the Telegram channel of Russian state TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov.Russian military bloggers Vladimir Romanov and Yuri Podolyaka and several high-profile pro-war Telegram channels in Russia also claimed that the third bridge had been targeted and damaged. Podolyaka’s post was shared by Roman Alekhin, an advisor to Kursk’s acting regional governor.
Ukraine’s attacks on the three bridges over the Seym River in Kursk could potentially trap Russian forces between the river, the Ukrainian advance and the Ukrainian border. Already they appear to be slowing down Russia’s response to the Kursk incursion, which Ukraine launched on 6 August.
Putin makes a surprise trip to Chechnya
04:32
Arpan Rai
Vladimir Putin made an unscheduled trip to Chechnya, a mainly Muslim republic within the Russian Federation, his first visit in nearly 13 years, as Ukraine’s stunning cross-border incursion into western Russia entered its third week.
Putin was greeted by Chechnya’s self-styled strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov, before visiting a special forces academy bearing his own name and speaking with volunteer fighters who train there prior to being deployed in Ukraine.
The Russian president praised the volunteers and said that as long as Russia has men like them, it will be “invincible,” according to reports by Russian state agencies.
Kadyrov said in a post on his official Telegram channels that more than 47,000 fighters, including volunteers, have trained at the facility since Moscow began what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Fighters from Chechnya, whose bid for independence after the Soviet Union’s collapse led to years of war with Russian government forces, are participating on both sides of the conflict in Ukraine.
Ukraine launches ‘one of largest ever’ drone attacks on Moscow
04:12
Arpan Rai
At least 11 Ukrainian drones flying towards Moscow were destroyed as Ukraine launched one of the largest ever drone attacks on the Russian capital this morning, the city’s mayor said.
Some of the drones were destroyed over the city of Podolsk, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. The city in the Moscow region is some 38 km (24 miles) south of the Kremlin.
“The air defence systems of the defence ministry continue to repel enemy UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) attacks,” Sobyanin said on his Telegram channel at 4.43 am (0143 GMT). “This is one of the largest attempts to attack Moscow using drones ever. We continue to monitor the situation,” he added.
He said that according to preliminary information, there were no injuries or damage in the aftermath of the attacks.
Ukraine has often launched one or two drones targeting Moscow in recent months, causing no substantial damage.
The Wednesday attack, however, seems to have been larger than a May 2023 attack when at least eight drones were destroyed over the capital in an attack president Vladimir Putin said was Kyiv’s attempt to scare and provoke Russia.
Russian officials rarely disclose the full size of the attacks, reporting only drones that its air defence units destroy.
Ukraine ratifies Rome Statute
16:33
Alexander Butler
Ukraine’s parliament voted to ratify the Rome Statute in a move set to pave the way for Kyiv to join the International Criminal Court.
In a Telegram post, Yaroslav Zhelezniak said 281 deputies had voted for the measure, a key requirement for Ukraine to eventually join the European Union.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and tries individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
Ukraine has destroyed or damaged all three bridges over Russia's Seym River, Russian sources say
04:00
Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian forces have either destroyed or damaged all three of the bridges over the Seym River in western Russia, according to Russian sources, as Kyiv’s incursion into western Russia entered its third week.
Kyiv’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is changing the trajectory of the war and boosting morale among Ukraine‘s war-weary population, though the ultimate outcome of the incursion — the first attack on Russia since World War II — remains impossible to predict.
Even as Ukraine hails its success on Russian territory, the Russian push in eastern Ukraine is poised to claim another key center, the city of Pokrovsk.
Ukraine‘s attacks on the three bridges over the Seym River in Kursk could potentially trap Russian forces between the river, the Ukrainian advance and the Ukrainian border. Already they appear to be slowing down Russia’s response to the Kursk incursion, which Ukraine launched on 6 August.
A Russian military investigator confirmed Monday that Ukraine had “totally destroyed” one bridge and damaged two others in the area. The full extent of the damage remained unclear.
Pictured: Fenix team rescue in Pokrovsk, Donetsk
03:00
Jabed Ahmed
Ukraine adopts 'historic' law to ban Russia-linked minority church
02:00
Jabed Ahmed
Ukrainian lawmakers passed a law envisaging a ban on the activities of a Russia-linked branch of the Orthodox church, paving the way for a historic rupture with an institution that Kyiv has accused of complicity in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
A majority of Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians but the faith is split into one branch traditionally tied to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and an independent church, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, recognised by the world Orthodox hierarchy since 2019.
Ukrainian leaders have accused the Moscow-linked UOC of abetting Russia’s 30-month-old war on Ukraine by spreading pro-Russian propaganda and housing spies.
The bill passed by 265 lawmakers bans the Russian Orthodox Church on Ukrainian territory and said that a government commission will assemble a list of “affiliated” organisations whose activities are not allowed. The list is expected to target the UOC specifically.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the vote as a step to strengthen Ukraine‘s “spiritual independence”.
Lawmaker Iryna Herashchenko said it was the issue of national security.
“This is a historic vote. Parliament approved a legislation which bans a branch of the aggressor country in Ukraine,” she wrote on Telegram.
Zelensky has humiliated Putin, but what good can his ‘buffer zone’ do?
16:26
Alexander Butler
Russia's FSB detains scientist on suspicion of treason
01:00
Jabed Ahmed
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a scientist in Moscow on suspicion of treason, it said in a statement.
The FSB did not name the scientist, who it said had carried out distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on critical infrastructure on behalf of Ukrainian security services.
The domestic security agency said that the scientist had also sent money to the Ukrainian military, as well as gathering information on the Russian armed forces. The suspect had confessed, it said.
It was not immediately clear when the arrest was made. Russian media outlets published what they said was footage of the scientist’s detention.
The video, which shows a man arrested in a snow-covered city, suggested that the scientist may have been detained some time ago.
Ostorozhno Novosti, a Telegram channel that covers Russian politics, identified the scientist as Artyom Khoroshilov, a physicist who state news agency RIA previously reported was arrested on suspicion of staging DDoS attacks in December 2023.
Ukraine’s soldiers seek revenge against Putin’s forces in Kursk
16:26
Alexander Butler
