Russian forces are suffering around 1,000 casualties a day, more than it is able to recruit back, a western official has reported.
Russia has suffered significant losses following a Ukrainian cross-border assault into the Kursk region and fierce fighting in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow is having some success.
A western official speaking on the condition of anonymity said Russia was losing around 1,000 casualties, which are dead and wounded, every day.
“Russia is losing more now than it is able to recruit,” the official said, adding that there was no sign of any ability to scale up recruitment to offset these losses despite the introduction of more lucrative sign-up bonuses.
It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the incursion into Russia’s border region of Kursk as a “boomerang for evil” in a statement marking Ukraine’s Independence Day.
Speaking during an impassioned video speech filmed in the Sumy region bordering Russia to mark 33 years since Ukraine became independent from the Soviet Union, Mr Zelensky hailed the resilience of his nation.
Key Points
- Zelensky issues statement to mark Independence Day
- UK defence secretary 'salutes the fearless resolve’ of Ukrainian people
- Russia, Ukraine set to swap 115 prisoners, UAE official says
- What is happening in Ukraine’s east frontline as Putin’s forces advance?
Russian attack kills five people in eastern Ukraine town, governor says
12:30
Tom Watling
A Russian attack killed at least five civilians and wounded five others on Saturday in the eastern Ukrainian town of Kostiantynivka, a regional governor said.
Vadym Filashkin, governor of the Donetsk region, said rescuers and police were working at the scene of the attack, which took place early on Saturday.
“I urge you all again: take care of yourselves, evacuate,” Filashkin wrote on the Telegram messaging app, without giving further details about the attack.
Kostiantynivka is located close to the active combat zone in Donetsk, where Russian forces have been inching forward for months.
The Russian advance quickened in recent weeks as Moscow’s troops are mounting relentless attacks in the direction of the strategic logistics hub of Pokrovsk.
Moscow and Kyiv exchange attacks as Ukraine marks independence anniversary
12:02
Tom Watling
Russia, Ukraine set to swap 115 prisoners, UAE official says
11:38
Tom Watling
Russia and Ukraine are set to exchange 115 prisoners on Saturday following mediation from the United Arab Emirates, an Emirati official has told Reuters
It would be the first such prisoner swap between the countries since the Ukrainian military launched its offensive inside Russia on 6 August.
Zelensky signs law banning Moscow-linked religious institutions and ratifying Rome Statue
11:04
Tom Watling
Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a law banning Moscow-linked religious organisations, the parliament website said on Saturday.
The bill approved by parliament earlier this month created the legal tools for the government to ban activities of a Russia-linked branch of the Orthodox church and paved the way for a historic rupture with an institution that Kyiv has accused of complicity in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
He also signed a law on Ukraine ratifying the Rome Statute, allowing the country to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The law published on the parliament's website was also a key to Ukraine's efforts to move closer to the European Union.
Will Modi’s Ukraine visit change his mind on support for Russia’s Putin?
10:46
Tom Watling
What is happening in Ukraine’s east frontline as Putin’s forces advance?
10:24
Tom Watling
Zelensky issues statement marking Independence Day
10:00
Tom Watling
Ukraine. Our land. Given by God. Kissed by the sun. Rocked by the winds. Tempered by fire. Defended by its sons and daughters.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 24, 2024
It cannot be mistaken for anything else.
It can never be given away to anyone.
Happy Independence Day of Ukraine! pic.twitter.com/LwnRAjnZnc
EU review does not recommend sending military trainers to Ukraine for now, media report says
09:38
Tom Watling
The EU’s diplomatic service has called on member states to better adapt a military training mission for Ukraine to Kyiv’s needs but stopped short of recommending the bloc send military instructors to the war-torn country, German weekly Welt am Sonntag reported on Saturday.
The EUMAM mission, launched in November 2022, has trained some 60,000 Ukrainian troops mainly in Poland and Germany and is set to be extended by another two years once the current mandate runs out in mid-November.
“It is imperative to train AFU (Ukraine) soldiers on the same equipment that they will use later in combat,” the report cited a review of the mission by the EU’s diplomatic service as saying, adding that EU defence ministers would discuss the topic next week.
The EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the review, which has also been seen by Reuters.
It said that a shortage of Soviet-style equipment was one of the challenges of the current training in the EU.
Kyiv asked the EU in May to conduct some training on Ukrainian soil but member states are divided with sceptics warning that the bloc could be drawn into the war and raising doubts about Kyiv’s ability to protect training sites against Russian attacks given its severe shortage of air defences.
Russia declares emergency in part of Voronezh region after drone attack
09:13
Tom Watling
Russia has declared a state of emergency in part of the Voronezh region bordering Ukraine after an overnight drone attack, local governor Alexander Gusev said in his Telegram channel.
According to Gusev, Russian forces intercepted five drones. Falling debris ignited a fire, leading to the detonation of explosive materials.
The incident damaged no civilian buildings, but prompted authorities to impose emergency measures in three settlements in the Ostrogozhsky district and evacuate 200 people, he said.
UK defence secretary “salutes the fearless resolve” of Ukrainian people
08:49
Jabed Ahmed
Defence Secretary John Healey has said “Britain is united for Ukraine” to mark Ukrainian Independence Day.
“On their Independence Day, we salute the fearless resolve of the Ukrainian people. They fight for freedoms that we must never take for granted”, he said in a statement on X.
“Ukraine has no firmer friend than the UK and we will stand with them for as long as it takes. Britain is united for Ukraine.”
Ministry of defence launches campaign to celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day
08:35
Jabed Ahmed
#MakeNoiseForUkraine
— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) August 24, 2024
Don't let your support for Ukraine fall silent. Post your message of support on Ukrainian Independence Day.
The louder the better! Join in: https://t.co/IZdYbYcebd#SlavaUkraini pic.twitter.com/gRXxp06ySe
Russia loses over 600,000 troops since beginning of war, Ukraine army says
08:18
Jabed Ahmed
Russia has lost 606,490 troops since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, according to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
This number includes 1,160 casualties Russian forces suffered in the past 24 hours.
The General Staff also reported Russia has also lost 8,542 tanks and 16,620 armored fighting vehicles sine the beginning of the invasion.
Sir Keir Starmer says ‘slava Ukraini’ in solidarity message to mark 33 years of Ukraine’s independence
08:03
Jabed Ahmed
Sir Keir Starmer has issued a statement of support as Ukraine marks 33 years since it declared independence from the Soviet Union.
The prime minister told Ukrainians the UK will back them “today and always”, offering a “crystal clear” message of solidarity to the war-torn nation.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
CNN backs reporter facing Russian charges
07:30
Stuti Mishra
CNN has defended its journalist Nick Paton Walsh after Russia filed criminal charges against him for allegedly crossing the border illegally to report in the Kursk region.
The network said that Walsh's reporting was legitimate and in line with international law, despite Russia's accusations.
"CNN's team has consistently provided factual, impartial coverage of the war, reflecting both Ukrainian and Russian perspectives," the network said in a statement.
The network added that its team, along with other international journalists, was invited by the Ukrainian government and escorted by the Ukrainian military to view territory recently reclaimed by Ukraine.
"This is protected activity in accordance with the rights afforded to journalists under the Geneva Convention and international law," CNN stated.
During the broadcast, CNN journalists accompanied a Ukrainian military convoy to the town of Sudzha, where they found a nearly deserted settlement with only a few elderly residents remaining.
Narendra Modi urges Zelensky to hold talks with Russia to end war
07:00
Tom Watling
Russia files criminal charges against CNN reporter for alleged border violation
06:30
Stuti Mishra
Russia's FSB security service has opened a criminal case against a CNN journalist, accusing him of illegally crossing the country's border to film a report in the Kursk region following a Ukrainian incursion.
Nick Paton Walsh, a British citizen who is CNN's chief international security correspondent, was banned from entering Russia due to ongoing tensions between Moscow and the West. Despite this, the FSB alleged, he entered the country illegally.
In addition to Walsh, the FSB said it had initiated similar criminal cases against Ukrainian journalists Diana Butsko and Olesya Borovik.
The FSB said that international arrest warrants for all three journalists would be issued soon. If found guilty of illegally crossing the Russian border, they could face up to five years in prison, according to the FSB.
Russia had summoned a senior US diplomat earlier this week in Moscow to protest the "provocative actions" of American journalists reporting from Kursk.
Ukraine says it has recaptured land in the Kharkiv region, reversing some Russian gains there
06:00
Tom Watling
US was in talks with Ukraine to understand Kursk goals before aid
05:30
Stuti Mishra
The US has been in discussions with Ukrainian leaders to better understand their long-term goals for the Kursk operation, particularly as Russia advances near Pokrovsk, according to Pentagon officials.
If Pokrovsk falls, it could weaken Ukraine's defences and bring Russia closer to capturing the Donetsk region, with Russian troops now just 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) away.
Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said on Thursday that the US is still working with Ukraine to see how the Kursk operation aligns with their overall battlefield strategy. While the US recognises Ukraine's aim to create a buffer zone along the border, there are still questions about how this fits into Ukraine's broader war efforts.
On Thursday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the border area where his forces launched the offensive on 6 August. He said that Ukraine's military had taken control of another Russian village and captured more prisoners of war.
The latest US aid package brings the total security assistance to Ukraine to over $55.7 billion since Russia's invasion in February 2022.
What is happening in Ukraine’s east as Putin’s forces advance?
05:00
Tom Watling
US to send $125m in new military aid to Ukraine, officials say
04:30
Stuti Mishra
The Biden administration is set to send approximately $125m in new military aid to Ukraine, according to US officials.
This decision comes as Washington seeks to gain a clearer understanding of Kyiv's recent incursion into Russia and its implications for the broader battlefield strategy, now over two years into the conflict.
The new aid package is expected to include air defence missiles, munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), Javelins, a range of other anti-armour missiles, counter-drone and counter-electronic warfare systems, as well as 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, vehicles, and additional equipment.
The officials, who requested anonymity because the aid has not yet been officially announced, told The Associated Press that a formal announcement could be made as early as Friday, just before Ukraine's Independence Day.
The weapons are being provided through presidential drawdown authority, which means they are taken from Pentagon stockpiles and can be delivered more quickly.
European country to reintroduce military draft as tensions soar
04:00
Tom Watling
The US is sending $125 million in new military aid to Ukraine, officials say
03:00
Tom Watling
Why is Ukraine destroying bridges in Russia’s Kursk?
02:00
Tom Watling
Mapped: Ukraine’s incursion into the Russian Kursk region explained
01:00
Tom Watling
The Ukraine border village facing up to Russia’s wrath over Kursk
Saturday 24 August 2024 00:00
Tom Watling
Ukraine’s soldiers seek revenge against Putin’s forces in Kursk
Friday 23 August 2024 23:00
Tom Watling
What good will Zelensky’s ‘buffer zone’ actually do?
Friday 23 August 2024 22:00
Tom Watling
European country to reintroduce military draft as tensions soar
Friday 23 August 2024 21:00
Tom Watling
What is happening in Ukraine’s east as Putin’s forces advance?
Friday 23 August 2024 20:00
Tom Watling
Narendra Modi urges Zelensky to hold talks with Russia to end war
Friday 23 August 2024 19:00
Tom Watling
‘Today, history was made’: Zelensky issues statement and video after India PM visit
Friday 23 August 2024 18:00
Tom Watling
Today, history was made. The Prime Minister of India @narendramodi made his first visit to Ukraine since our country's independence, on the eve of our Independence Day.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 23, 2024
Today, we reached an agreement on four documents between Ukraine and India, covering the medical field,… pic.twitter.com/I65cVWkbw7
British MoD issues update map of the frontline in Ukraine
Friday 23 August 2024 17:00
Tom Watling
The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is continuing.
— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) August 23, 2024
The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 23 August 2024.#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/AqT34biqaO
Volunteers in Moscow collect humanitarian aid for residents of Russia's Kursk region
Friday 23 August 2024 16:00
Tom Watling
Ukraine says high-voltage line at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant back in operation
Friday 23 August 2024 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
Friday 23 August 2024 15:03
Tom Watling
Ukraine says it has recaptured land in the Kharkiv region, reversing some Russian gains there
Friday 23 August 2024 14:45
Tom Watling
Zelensky hosts India PM Modi in Kyiv - pictures
Friday 23 August 2024 14:23
Tom Watling
People visit former Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on anniversary of death
Friday 23 August 2024 13:56
Tom Watling
Indian PM urges Zelensky to sit down for talks with Russia
Friday 23 August 2024 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
Friday 23 August 2024 13:20
Tom Watling
Ukraine ratifies the statute for joining the International Criminal Court
Friday 23 August 2024 13:00
Tom Watling
Russian attack kills two in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, governor says
Friday 23 August 2024 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
Friday 23 August 2024 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
Friday 23 August 2024 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.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 23, 2024
Діти кожної країни заслуговують на безпеку. Ми повинні зробити її можливою. pic.twitter.com/UMhpKstLOg
Fire at Russian oil depot expands after six days of blaze - image
Friday 23 August 2024 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.
The fire at the oil depot near Proletarsk expanded based on yesterday's Sentinel's imagery. https://t.co/F1cT0FHb54 pic.twitter.com/OuSwaMfeQY
— Konrad Muzyka - Rochan Consulting (@konrad_muzyka) August 23, 2024
Satellite imagery shows extent of damage on Russian ferry targeted by Ukraine
Friday 23 August 2024 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.
Satellite imagery of a destroyed Russian train ferry “Conro Trader”. Which was targeted yesterday by supposedly Ukrainian Neptune anti ship missile in port Kavkaz, Kerch strait. https://t.co/OGh9AIgpwI https://t.co/syLt4NaQmP pic.twitter.com/rjE98RZ1q6
— Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) August 23, 2024
Russia suspends ferry service to Crimea after Ukrainian port attack
Friday 23 August 2024 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
Friday 23 August 2024 10:45
Tom Watling
Putin manipulated Trump’s ego and insecurities with flattery, former security adviser claims
Friday 23 August 2024 10:20
Tom Watling
Two killed in Russian glide bomb attack in northeast Ukraine
Friday 23 August 2024 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.
— DSNS.GOV.UA (@SESU_UA) August 23, 2024
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
Hungary says it will provide free tickets to Brussels for migrants
Friday 23 August 2024 09:35
Tom Watling
Unit of Russia's Kursk nuclear plant to be put on maintenance, state firm says
Friday 23 August 2024 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?
Friday 23 August 2024 08:45
Tom Watling
Footage shows India PM arriving in Kyiv
Friday 23 August 2024 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