Ukrainian troops dramatically downed a Russian fighter jet over eastern Ukraine as Kyiv claimed Western-supplied F-16s were used to destroy Putin’s missiles.
The Soviet-designed Su-25, nicknamed “Frogfoot” by Nato, was downed over Kramatorsk, Donetsk, as it fired on Ukrainian troops on Wednesday.
In footage released by Ukraine’s 28th Brigade, it was seen bursting into flames mid-air and crashing into the ground while flying alongside another aircraft.
It comes after Kyiv said F-16 fighter jets have been used to shoot down Russian missiles during Vladimir Putin’s massive air attack this week.
Russia targeted 15 of Ukraine’s 24 oblasts on Monday, launching over 200 missiles and drones as part of the largest-ever aerial attack against Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky said the aircraft, donated by Denmark earlier this year, gave a “very good result” but urged Western countries to provide more of them.
Meanwhile, a top military commander claimed Ukraine has taken control of 100 Russian settlements as it continued an offensive into Russia’s Kursk region.
Ukrainian general Oleksandr Syrskyi said his troops now control 1,294 sq km (500 sq miles) of Russian territory and have taken 594 prisoners of war.
Key Points
- Ukraine downs Russian jet in Donetsk
- F-16 jets shoot down Russian missiles, Kyiv says
- Kyiv ‘takes control of 100 Russian settlements’
- Ukraine drone sets Russian oil depot on fire
- Clear risk of ‘nuclear incident’ at Russia’s Kursk power plant
Zelensky says many killed in Kupiansk after Russian-guided bomb strike
05:07
Shweta Sharma
A number of people were killed and at least 14 were injured in the eastern town of Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, officials said.
Kupyansk, which is located 22 miles (35 km) from the border with Russia, was hit in the afternoon, damaging a hotel, residential buildings, cars, shops and other civilian infrastructure.
“There was a strike with a guided aerial bomb on Kupyansk - right in the city centre, people were under the rubble. Unfortunately, there are fatalities,” Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address.
He did not confirm the number of deaths.
Drone debris falls on Kyiv playground as explosions heard
04:49
Shweta Sharma
Several explosions were heard in Kyiv this morning amid an air raid alert, and drone debris fell on a playground.
Ukraine’s air defences have been active in the capital and the wider Kyiv Oblast, officials said, according to Kyiv Independent.
Debris from the drones fell on a playground in the capital’s Dniprovskyi district, but no one has been injured, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Nato members call for lifting restriction on long-range strikes against Russia
04:42
Shweta Sharma
Some Nato member countries have called for clearing restrictions on the use of long-range missiles against Russia, according to reports.
The Nato-Ukraine Council met yesterday and Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said: “Allies today reaffirmed they are stepping up their military aid to Ukraine.
“We must continue to provide Ukraine with the equipment and munitions it needs to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. This is vital for Ukraine’s ability to stay in the fight,” he said.
Several Nato countries called for allowing Ukraine to use weapons supplied by western allies, specifically long-range missiles, a diplomatic source told AFP.
Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski highlighted that Russia was using long-range weapons against Ukraine.
He urged allies to “let Ukraine fight with whatever it has, with whatever we have delivered them and let’s deliver them more”.
The US restricts the use of long-range ballistic missiles it provides to Ukraine, which wants to aim them at military targets inside Russia.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, in his latest address, called on the West to lift restrictions on long-range airstrikes by Ukraine.
“We continue to insist that decisiveness now, removing restrictions on Ukraine for long-range strikes now, will help us end the war as quickly as possible in a just manner for Ukraine and the entire world,” he said.
Russia says it defused unexploded munitions fired by Ukraine near Kursk nuclear power plant
04:00
Alexander Butler
Russia said its forces had defused unexploded US-supplied munitions fired by Ukraine that were shot down just 5 km (3 miles) from Russia’s Kursk nuclear power plant, which Moscow has accused Ukrainian forces of trying to strike.
The announcement was made by Russia’s National Guard and accompanied by a video of the unexploded munitions and of sappers blowing them up.
It came a day after Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, inspected the plant, which he said was vulnerable due to a lack of a protective dome that could shield it from missiles, drones or artillery.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the purported Russian find, and Reuters could not independently verify the location of the video.
Russia bans entry to 92 US journalists, including WSJ, NYT and Washington Post
03:56
Shweta Sharma
Russia’s foreign ministry has banned 92 American citizens including journalists, lawyers, and the heads of what it said were key military-industrial firms from entering Russia over Washington’s Russophobic stance, it said.
The list, published on Telegram by the ministry, included 14 Wall Street Journal employees, five senior journalists from the New York Times and four from the Washington Post.
The Wall Street Journal, whose journalist Evan Gershkovich was freed this month in a prisoner exchange after 16 months in Russian detention, described the bans as “laughable” and part of attacks on free press.
Russia’s foreign ministry said it was targeting editorial staff and reporters from “leading liberal-globalist publications” involved in producing and disseminating what it described as “fakes” about the Russian armed forces.
It said the bans were in response to the Biden administration’s “Russophobic course”, a key part of which has been sweeping sanctions on Russian politicians, business figures, scientists and journalists.
“We remind the current US authorities about the inevitability of punishment for hostile actions, whether it is direct encouragement of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky and his henchmen to commit acts of aggression and terrorist attacks, or attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation,” the ministry said.
In a statement, a Wall Street Journal spokesperson said: “The Putin regime is farcically consistent in its all-out assault on free press and truth. This laughable list of targets is no exception.”
Ukraine downs Russian jet in Donetsk
03:00
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Su-25 jet aircraft in the Kramatorsk sector in Donetsk Oblast, the Khortytsia group of forces reported.
Anti-aircraft units of the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade reportedly downed the plane with a Man-Portable Air-Defence System (MANPADS) as it was attempting to fire at Ukrainian troops.
The Soviet-designed Su-25, nicknamed “Frogfoot” by NATO, is a heavily armored ground-attack aircraft. It has seen extensive use by both sides in Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
UK and Germany pledge 'unyielding' support for Ukraine
02:00
Alexander Butler
Sir Keir Starmer and Olaf Scholz have said the UK and Germany’s support for Ukraine remains “unyielding”.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Berlin, the prime minister said Ukraine was not just fighting to defend itself from Russian aggression but also “for all the people across Europe”.
Mr Scholz, the German chancellor, said both countries would continue to lend “financial, economic, political and military support” for “as long as this is necessary”.
Moscow dismissed Kyiv’s peace plan
01:00
Alexander Butler
Moscow has vowed to carry on fighting in Ukraine and dismissed Volodymyr Zelensky’s suggestion Kyiv was submitting a plan to Washington outlining how to end the war.
Mr Zelensky previously said Russia’s invasion would eventually end in dialogue, but that Kyiv had to be in a strong position and that he would present a plan to US President Joe Biden and his two potential successors.
“This is not the first time that we have heard such statements from representatives of the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
“We are aware of the nature of this Kyiv regime. We are continuing our special military operation and will achieve all of our goals.”
Pictured: Experts examine blast site of Russian attack in Kryvyi Rih
Wednesday 28 August 2024 23:30
Alexander Butler
Watch: Zelensky pays tribute to British ex-soldier killed in attack on journalists’ hotel in Ukraine
Wednesday 28 August 2024 22:30
Alexander Butler
Ukraine intent on keeping Russian territory, US intelligence official says
Wednesday 28 August 2024 20:30
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian troops are intent on retaining the Russian territory they have seized for “some period of time” and an expected Russian counteroffensive will be a difficult fight, CIA Deputy Director David Cohen said on Wednesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will have to “deal with reverberations back in his own society” over the loss of Russian territory, Cohen said at an intelligence conference.
Ukraine launched a major cross-border incursion on 6 August into Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine has claimed the capture of 100 settlements, while Russian forces continue to inch forward in the eastern Donetsk region.
Ukraine says fear of escalation among allies is major problem
Wednesday 28 August 2024 19:30
Alexander Butler
Ukraine’s top diplomat said on Wednesday that the biggest problem faced by Kyiv as it battles Russia is that its allies are afraid of approving new policies to support Ukraine out of a fear of escalation.
“Ever since the beginning of the large-scale invasion, the biggest problem Ukraine has been facing is the domination of the concept of escalation in the decision-making processes among our partners,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
Poland to increase its spending on defense in 2025 to a record high
Wednesday 28 August 2024 18:30
Alexander Butler
Russian fighter jet downed over eastern Ukraine as oil depot set ablaze
Wednesday 28 August 2024 17:30
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian troops have dramatically downed a Russian fighter jet over eastern Ukraine as an oil depot was set ablaze by a drone strike more than 100 miles away in Russia.
The Soviet-designed Su-25, nicknamed “Frogfoot” by Nato, was downed over Kramatorsk, Donetsk, as it fired on Ukrainian troops.
In footage released by Ukraine’s 28th Brigade, it was seen bursting into flames mid-air and crashing into the ground while flying alongside another aircraft.
Why is Russia launching massive airstrikes across Ukraine?
Wednesday 28 August 2024 16:30
Alexander Butler
In recent days, Vladimir Putin’s forces launched their biggest air attack on Ukraine since the war began as more 200 missiles and drones struck towns and cities across the country.
Seven people were killed in the strikes, as well as four more in a fresh attack on Tuesday, Ukrainians also faced power cuts and water outages with Moscow deliberately hitting Kyiv’s energy grid.
Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal said 15 regions had sustained damage and Zelensky warned the energy sector had suffered serious harm while vowing revenge for what he called Putin’s war crimes.
So why is Russia launching so many air attacks - the biggest since Putin’s illegal invasion in February 2022 - and how much of an impact on Ukraine are they likely to have?The Independent takes a look below.
Russian fighter jet downed over eastern Ukraine as oil depot set ablaze
Wednesday 28 August 2024 15:30
Alexander Butler
Why is Russia launching massive airstrikes across Ukraine?
Wednesday 28 August 2024 14:30
Alexander Butler
In recent days, Vladimir Putin’s forces launched their biggest air attack on Ukraine since the war began as more 200 missiles and drones struck towns and cities across the country.
Seven people were killed in the strikes, as well as four more in a fresh attack on Tuesday, Ukrainians also faced power cuts and water outages with Moscow deliberately hitting Kyiv’s energy grid.
Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal said 15 regions had sustained damage and Zelensky warned the energy sector had suffered serious harm while vowing revenge for what he called Putin’s war crimes.
So why is Russia launching so many air attacks - the biggest since Putin’s illegal invasion in February 2022 - and how much of an impact on Ukraine are they likely to have?The Independent takes a look below.
ICYMI: Ukraine takes 100 Russian settlements in Kursk as Zelensky vows revenge for airstrikes
Wednesday 28 August 2024 13:30
Alexander Butler
Ukraine claims to have taken control of 100 settlements in Russia’s Kursk region during its surprise cross-border assault – while facing massive airstrikes from Russian forces for the second day running.
Kyiv’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said his troops now control 1,294 sq km (500 sq m) of Russian territory in Kursk with up to 594 Russian prisoners of war taken.
Three weeks ago, Russia was caught by surprise in neighbouring Kursk region when thousands of Ukrainian soldiers punched through the border in an unprecedented move.
UK and Germany pledge 'unyielding' support for Ukraine
Wednesday 28 August 2024 13:19
Alexander Butler
Sir Keir Starmer and Olaf Scholz have said the UK and Germany’s support for Ukraine remains “unyielding”.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Berlin, the prime minister said Ukraine was not just fighting to defend itself from Russian aggression but also “for all the people across Europe”.
Mr Scholz, the German chancellor, said both countries would continue to lend “financial, economic, political and military support” for “as long as this is necessary”.
Watch: Kyiv residents sing city's anthem while sheltering in subway during rocket attack
Wednesday 28 August 2024 12:30
Alexander Butler
Moscow dismissed Kyiv’s peace plan
Wednesday 28 August 2024 11:47
Alexander Butler
Moscow has vowed to carry on fighting in Ukraine and dismissed Volodymyr Zelensky’s suggestion Kyiv was submitting a plan to Washington outlining how to end the war.
Mr Zelensky previously said Russia’s invasion would eventually end in dialogue, but that Kyiv had to be in a strong position and that he would present a plan to US President Joe Biden and his two potential successors.
“This is not the first time that we have heard such statements from representatives of the Kyiv regime,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
“We are aware of the nature of this Kyiv regime. We are continuing our special military operation and will achieve all of our goals.”
Russia says it defused unexploded munitions fired by Ukraine near Kursk nuclear power plant
Wednesday 28 August 2024 10:31
Alexander Butler
Russia said its forces had defused unexploded US-supplied munitions fired by Ukraine that were shot down just 5 km (3 miles) from Russia’s Kursk nuclear power plant, which Moscow has accused Ukrainian forces of trying to strike.
The announcement was made by Russia’s National Guard and accompanied by a video of the unexploded munitions and of sappers blowing them up.
It came a day after Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, inspected the plant, which he said was vulnerable due to a lack of a protective dome that could shield it from missiles, drones or artillery.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the purported Russian find, and Reuters could not independently verify the location of the video.
Ukraine downs Russian jet in Donetsk
Wednesday 28 August 2024 10:06
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian Su-25 jet aircraft in the Kramatorsk sector in Donetsk Oblast, the Khortytsia group of forces reported.
Anti-aircraft units of the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade reportedly downed the plane with a Man-Portable Air-Defence System (MANPADS) as it was attempting to fire at Ukrainian troops.
The Soviet-designed Su-25, nicknamed “Frogfoot” by NATO, is a heavily armored ground-attack aircraft. It has seen extensive use by both sides in Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
F-16 jets shoot down Russian missiles, Kyiv says
Wednesday 28 August 2024 09:53
Alexander Butler
Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets have been used to shoot down Russian missiles during Vladimir Putin’s massive air attack, Kyiv has claimed.
Russia targeted 15 of Ukraine’s 24 oblasts on Monday, launching over 200 missiles and drones as part of the largest-ever aerial attack against Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky said the aircraft, donated by Denmark earlier this year, gave a “very good result” but urged Western countries to provide more of them.
Ukraine says it has downed a Russian jet over Donetsk
Wednesday 28 August 2024 09:19
Alexander Butler
Ukrainian forces claim to have shot down a Russian Su-25 jet aircraft in the Donetsk region.
Anti-aircraft units reportedly downed the plane with a man-portable air-defence system as it was attempting to fire at Ukrainian troops.
Posting on Telegram, the Ukrainian brigade that claimed responsibility for shooting down the jet said: “The fate of the crew is still unknown, but we know for sure that it is one less problem for our infantry.”
Kyiv residents sing city’s anthem while sheltering in subway during rocket attack
Wednesday 28 August 2024 08:15
Alexander Butler
UN warns Russian nuclear plant is at risk
Wednesday 28 August 2024 08:00
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Flighting between Russia and Ukraine has left a nuclear plant located in western Russia vulnerable as it lacks a protective dome that could shield it from missiles, the UN nuclear watchdog said.
Rafael Grossi, director general at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the “danger or possibility of a nuclear accident has emerged near here”, during his visit to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant outside Kurchatov town.
He said the nuclear facility, similar to the Chornobyl plant in Ukraine, lacks the containment dome and protective structure found in modern nuclear power plants.
“This means that the core of the reactor containing nuclear material is protected just by a normal roof. This makes it extremely exposed and fragile, for example, to an artillery impact or a drone or a missile,” Mr Grossi said.
“So this is why we believe that a nuclear power plant of this type so close to a point of contact or a military front is an extremely serious fact that we take very seriously.”
Nato-Ukraine Council to meet today at Kyiv’s request
Wednesday 28 August 2024 07:40
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg will convene a meeting of the Nato-Ukraine Council today at Kyiv’s request, a spokesperson for the military alliance said.
“The meeting will be held at the ambassadorial level,” said the spokesperson, Farah Dakhlallah.
“Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov is expected to brief Allies via video-link on the battlefield situation and priority capability needs,” she added.
The Nato-Ukraine Council was established last year to enable closer coordination between the alliance and Kyiv.
Ambassadors from Nato’s member countries and Ukrainian officials normally attend meetings of the council.
The “meeting comes after recent waves of heavy Russian strikes against Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure,” Ms Dakhlallah said in an emailed statement.
“Nato Allies have delivered substantial support to Ukraine’s air defence and they are committed to further bolstering Ukraine’s defences,” she added.
Ukraine says it has captured nearly 600 Russian soldiers
Wednesday 28 August 2024 07:20
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Ukraine has taken 594 Russian soldiers prisoner during its three-week military operation in the Kursk region and now controls 100 settlements inside Russia, according to the country’s commander-in-chief.
General Oleksandr Syrskyi yesterday said Ukrainian troops control 1,294 sq km (500 sq miles) of Russian territory.
He said Moscow has deployed 30,000 troops to fortify the border region and to encircle Ukraine’s forces to stop them from making further inroads.
Everything we know about British national killed in Ukraine
Wednesday 28 August 2024 07:00
Andy Gregory
Ryan Evans, a British safety adviser for the Reuters news agency, has been identified as the man killed in a missile strike on Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine on Saturday.
Evans had extensive experience advising journalists on safety in conflict zones, including Ukraine and Israel. He also worked on coverage of the Paris Olympics.
He had previously worked as an operations manager for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in Libya for nine years. According to his LinkedIn profile, Evans was originally from Cheshire in the UK.
My colleague Maroosha Muzaffar has more in this report:
Ukraine has invested $7bn in home-grown arms, says minister
Wednesday 28 August 2024 06:40
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Ukraine has invested $7bn in domestic arms procurement in 2024 so far, according to defence minister Rustem Umerov.
The spending was largely focused on drones, robotic and electronic warfare systems, which have “already yielded tangible results on the battlefield”, he said at a Ukraine 2024 Independence event in Kyiv.
“One of our priorities is long-term planning; we are creating a Defence Forces model based on Nato standards, implementing digital solutions, and modernising the military,” Mr Umerov said.
“We are also deepening cooperation with allies in the Ramstein format [Ukraine Defence Contact Group]. The key task is to obtain permission to strike Russian targets with [Western] long-range weapons.”
In pics: Search and rescue underway as Russian strike brings down hotel in Ukraine
Wednesday 28 August 2024 06:20
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
‘Olympics are over, but the ping pong continues,’ says Zelensky
Wednesday 28 August 2024 06:00
Andy Gregory
Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that “the Olympics are over, but the ping pong continues” as he urged Western allies to allow Kyiv to let Ukraine strike deep inside Russia to hit military infrastructure responsible for strikes on Ukraine.
Russia fired dozens of missiles and drones across Ukraine for a second day on Tuesday, including some that Ukraine’s president said were shot down by Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets before they reached their targets.
The onslaught killed at least five people, destroying a hotel, homes and residential buildings as well as critical infrastructure in multiple Ukrainian regions. Kyiv and other cities had power outages in sweltering heat.
As it often does in statements after Russian bombing raids, Ukraine’s military listed the Russian regions and occupied territories where the weapons were launched.
“[The allies] try not to speak with me about it. But I keep raising this topic. Generally, that’s it. The Olympics are over, but the ping-pong continues,” Mr Zelensky said.
Three dead in Russian strike on hotel in Ukraine
Wednesday 28 August 2024 05:40
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
At least three people have died in a Russian strike on a hotel in Kryvyi Rih, a mining and industrial city in Ukraine’s south.
The airstrike injured five others yesterday and destroyed shops and four multi-storey buildings, according to governor Serhii Lysak.
Pokrovsk: Zelensky’s key city Russia is desperate to take next
Wednesday 28 August 2024 05:20
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Residents are evacuating their homes as Russia closes in on the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.There are fears the city will fall in the coming weeks.
Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub and a city with a pre-war population of 60,000 people, tens of thousands of whom remain even as many evacuate.
Moscow says it has annexed Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, a claim Kyiv rejects as illegal, and sees taking control of Pokrovsk as an important stepping stone to incorporating the entire region into Russia.
More here.
Ukraine shares powerful art installation at Burning Man festival
Wednesday 28 August 2024 05:00
Andy Gregory
This year’s annual Burning Man festival features a powerful art installation by Ukrainian artist Oleksiy Sai about humanity’s growing insensitivity to the damage of war.
Titled “I’m Fine,” the massive 7-meter high and 19-ton installation is made up of various real war artifacts from liberated territories, according to Ukrainian World Congress. Among the objects that make up the sculpture’s enormous lettering are shattered fences, satellite dishes and street signs peppered with bullet holes.
Its message is said to be a play on the Ukranian response to the question: “How are you?”
Our culture reporter Inga Parkel has more details:
Kyiv residents sing city’s anthem while sheltering in subway during rocket attack
Wednesday 28 August 2024 15:19
Alexander Butler
Russia launches hundreds of missiles and drones at Ukraine in ‘biggest attack of war’
Wednesday 28 August 2024 04:44
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Russia has launched a major barrage of missiles and drones across Ukraine, killing four people, injuring more than a dozen and damaging energy facilities in what has been called its biggest attack of the war.
The bombardment, condemned as “vile” by Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, involved the firing of more than 100 missiles and a similar number of drones at more than half the country on Monday, with Ukraine’s air force commander describing it as Moscow’s biggest air assault of the war so far.
In attacks that began at around midnight and continued through daybreak, Ukraine’s air force said swarms of Russian drones fired at eastern, northern, southern and central regions were followed by volleys of cruise and ballistic missiles.
Tara Cobham reports.
Ukraine drone sets Russian oil depot on fire
Wednesday 28 August 2024 04:05
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Ukrainian drones have set a number of oil tanks on fire at the Glubokinskaya depot in Russia’s Rostov region, according to several Russian Telegram channels.
Rostov’s governor, Vasily Golubev, said that four Ukraine-launched drones were destroyed over the region, but made no mention of an attack on an oil depot.
Watch: Zelensky pays tribute to British ex-soldier killed in attack on journalists’ hotel in Ukraine
Wednesday 28 August 2024 04:00
Andy Gregory
Kyiv takes control of 100 Russian settlements, commander claims - ICYMI
Wednesday 28 August 2024 03:00
Athena Stavrou
Kyiv has taken control of 100 Russian settlements as troops continued its offensive into Russia’s Kursk region, a top military commander claimed.
Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops control 1,294 sq km (500 sq miles) of Russian territory and has taken 594 prisoners of war.
Last week, President Zelensky said Ukraine controlled more than 1,250 sq km of Russian territory.
Full report: Ukraine takes 100 Russian settlements in Kursk as Zelensky vows revenge for airstrikes
Wednesday 28 August 2024 02:00
Andy Gregory
Ukraine claims to have taken control of 100 settlements in Russia’s Kursk region during its surprise cross-border assault – while facing massive airstrikes from Russian forces for the second day running.
Kyiv’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said his troops now control 1,294 sq km (500 sq m) of Russian territory in Kursk with up to 594 Russian prisoners of war taken.
Colonel General Syrskyi said Kyiv’s objective in Kursk of distracting Russian troops by pulling them back from eastern Ukrainian regions like the Donbas had been successful.
However, Col Gen Syrskyi also warned Moscow was building up its forces on the eastern frontline, around the important logistics hub of Pokrovsk, where Russian troops have been advancing.
Our reporter Alexander Butler has more in this report:
NATO-Ukraine council to meet today
Wednesday 28 August 2024 01:00
Athena Stavrou
The NATO-Ukraine council will meet on Wednesday at Kyiv’s request, a spokesperson has confirmed.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will convene the meeting which will brief allies on the frontline situation, spokesperson for the Western military alliance said on Tuesday.
“The meeting will be held at ambassadorial level,” said the spokesperson, Farah Dakhlallah. “Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is expected to brief Allies via video-link on the battlefield situation and priority capability needs,” she added.
The NATO-Ukraine Council was established last year to enable closer coordination between the alliance and Kyiv. Ambassadors from NATO’s member countries and Ukrainian officials normally attend meetings of the council.
“Tomorrow’s meeting comes after recent waves of heavy Russian strikes against Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure,” Dakhlallah said in an emailed statement seen by Reuters.
Ukraine to temporarily suspend payments on GDP warrants next year
Tuesday 27 August 2024 23:59
Andy Gregory
Ukraine has announced that it will temporarily suspend payments on GDP warrants – an instrument created to restructure its debt following Russia’s annexation of Crimea – starting from May 2025.
According to JPMorgan, Ukraine owes around $2.6bn on this instrument, which is linked to its economic output growth and was created in 2015 as a sweetener to Kyiv’s creditors. Some $700m is owed to US firm Cargill, while the state grid company Ukrenergo has a government guarantee on a $830m note.
Kyiv will also temporarily suspend payments for loans from Cargill Financial Services International, Inc, starting from 3 September, and on government-guaranteed bonds of Ukrainian power firm Ukrenergo starting from 9 November, according to a document on the Ukrainian government website.
The GDP warrants and private debt obligations are not part of the country’s sovereign restructuring deal that Kyiv is expected to finalise imminently, Reuters reports.
Zelensky confirms use of Western-supplied jets to down Russian drones
Tuesday 27 August 2024 23:00
Athena Stavrou
Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed Ukraine used Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets to down Russian drones and missiles during recent attacks.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the Ukrainian prime minister urged Ukraine’s allies to send more of the jets. Kyiv received the first batch earlier this month.
“Nobody talked about it, but we destroyed already, in this huge attack of Russians, we destroyed already some missiles and drones using F-16,” he said.
“I will not share how many, but we did it thanks to partners who gave us F-16, provided to us. But again it’s not enough, we have a small number of F-16.”
Sixth Ukrainian dead after overnight attack
Tuesday 27 August 2024 21:30
Athena Stavrou
A sixth person has now died in Ukraine after Russia launched an overnight attack for the second night in a row.
Three people were killed when a hotel was “wiped out” by a missile in the central city of Kryvyi Rih, regional officials said. Five people were injured and one person was still missing after the strike, Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region that includes Kryvyi Rih, said on Telegram.
Separately, three people were killed in drone attacks on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia.
Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed Ukraine will respond after Russian launched 10 missiles and 81 drones during the assault.
New solutions needed for energy security, CEO of Ukraine’s state energy company says
Tuesday 27 August 2024 20:30
Athena Stavrou
The CEO of Ukraine’s largest state energy company has said that that new solutions are needed for the energy security of Ukraine and Slovakia.
Oleksiy Chernyshov, CEO of Naftogaz, made the remarks on Tuesday at a meeting with Slovak officials.
“For now, a priority is to implement new solutions for the energy security of our countries. It is about new suppliers and, in the future, about exports of Ukrainian fuel,” Naftogaz cited Chernyshov as saying at a meeting with Slovak officials in Bratislava.
Slovakia and Hungary said last month they had stopped receiving oil from key Russian supplier Lukoil, whose exports via Ukrainian territory were banned by Kyiv.
Slovak oil transporter Transpetrol said at the time that supplies from other Russian exporters were continuing to arrive in Slovakia via Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Naftogaz says new solutions needed to secure energy supplies
Latest pictures from Ukraine
Tuesday 27 August 2024 19:30
Athena Stavrou
Zelensky to present plan to Biden to end war with Russia
Tuesday 27 August 2024 18:30
Athena Stavrou
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that the war with Russia would eventually end in dialogue, but that Kyiv had to be in a strong position and that he would present a plan to U.S. President Joe Biden and his two potential successors.
The Ukrainian leader, addressing a news conference, said Kyiv’s three-week-old incursion into Russia’s Kursk region was part of that plan, but that it also comprised other steps on the economic and diplomatic fronts.
“The main point of this plan is to force Russia to end the war. And I want that very much - (that it would be) fair for Ukraine,” he told reporters in Kyiv of the war launched by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
He did not elaborate further on the next steps, but said he would also discuss the plan with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and probably also with Republican Donald Trump, the two nominees for the U.S. presidential election
Zelenskiy said he hoped to go to the United States in September to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York and that he was preparing to meet Biden.
UN watchdog says Russian nuclear plant 'extremely exposed' if attacked
Tuesday 27 August 2024 17:30
Athena Stavrou
The head of the international nuclear watchdog has said Russia’s Kursk power plant is especially vulnerable to a serious accident after visiting on Tuesday.
The UN nuc