Russian troops are continuing to advance on the key Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk as Moscow begins a fightback.
Vladimir Putin’s forces have encroached on Ukrainain territory near the strategic hub in the east of the country, which is home to a railyway yard and other important logistical assets.
Meanwhile, Kyiv launched waves of drone attacks targeting power and refinery plants in the Moscow region and neighbouring Tver, sparking fires, while tens of drones were destroyed across other parts of the country, Russian officials said on Sunday.
Russia's defence ministry said on the Telegram messaging app that its air defence units had destroyed 158 drones launched by Ukraine overnight, including nine over Moscow and its surrounding region, in one of the biggest Ukrainian drone attacks of the war.
It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired the commander of the country's air force in the wake of a deadly F-16 crash.
The order to dismiss Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk was published on the presidential website on Friday, four days after an F-16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed during a Russian bombardment and killed the pilot, Colonel Alexei “Moonfish” Mes.
Key Points
- Ukraine fires drones at refinery and power plants in Moscow and Tver regions, says Russia
- Russia says it downed over 150 drones in one of biggest Ukrainian drone attacks of war
- Russia says it has captured two more settlements in east Ukraine
- Ukraine's top general says situation 'difficult' around main Russian attack
- One killed and four injured in Russian shelling of Sumy region, Ukraine says
- Ukrainian president fires air force commander after fatal F-16 crash
Russian attack damages one of Kyiv’s water plants
04:42
Arpan Rai
A boiler house at a water plant in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district was partially destroyed by a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian capital early this morning, mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Emergency and rescue services are working, he said. The impact and any injuries in the strike are not immediately clear.
The boiler was attacked in the early morning strikes by Russia against Ukraine. The strikes also damaged a metro station serving as a shelter for displaced people during strikes.
Putin fired more than 1,300 missiles, drones and bombs on Ukraine last week
04:31
Arpan Rai
Russian forces fired more than 1,300 missiles, drones and bombs at Ukraine in the past week alone, president Volodymyr Zelensky said in yesterday.
“Just in the past week, Russia has launched over 160 missiles of various types, 780 guided aerial bombs, and 400 strike UAVs of different kinds against our people. To fully protect and safeguard our cities from this aggression, we need greater support for Ukraine’s rightful response,” he said sharing a video yesterday showing the attacked Ukrainian sites.
He asked his allies to allow Kyiv to carry out long-range strikes on Russia’s missile launch sites.
“It is entirely justified for Ukrainians to respond to Russian terror by any means necessary to stop it. Every day and night, our cities and villages endure enemy attacks,” he said.
Poland activates warplanes amid Russian missile attack on Ukraine
04:08
Arpan Rai
Polish and allied aircraft were activated early this morning to ensure the safety of Polish airspace after Russia launched air strikes on Ukraine, the Operational Command of the Polish armed forces said.
“In the southeastern part of the country there may be an increased noise level related to the commencement of operations in our airspace by Polish and allied aircraft,” it said in a statement.
The southeastern part of Poland borders Ukraine and has previously witnessed airspace violations by Russian jets in the course of the invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine helicopter crashes during military training flight, killing two
03:51
Arpan Rai
At least two were killed after a Ukrainian helicopter on a military training flight crashed yesterday, the Air Force’s university said.
The two dead were the helicopter’s crew members. The Kharkiv Air Force University in a post on Facebook said investigators and officials from Ukraine’s defence ministry were working to determine the cause of the crash
Russia fires fresh missile attack on Kyiv, blasts heard
03:44
Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s air defence units were engaged in repelling a Russian missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine’s military officials said this morning on Telegram.
Witnesses in Kyiv heard several loud explosions in what sounded like the work of air defence units, reported Reuters.
Recap: With men at the front lines, women watch over Ukraine’s night sky for Russian drones
Sunday 1 September 2024 23:00
Rebecca Thomas
When the air raid siren bellows in the dead of night, the women in arms rush to duty.
Barely two months since joining the mobile air-defense unit, 27-year-old Angelina has perfected the drill to a tee: Combat gear fitted, anti-aircraft machine gun in place, she cruised behind the wheel of a pickup, singing along to a Ukrainian song about rebellion.
The rest unfolded in seconds: Under a tree-lined position near Kyiv’s Bucha suburb, she and her five-woman unit mounted the gun, checked the salvo and waited. The chirp of crickets filled the silence until the Russian-launched Shahed drone was shot down — on this August night, by a nearby unit — another menace to near daily life in Ukraine eliminated.
To shoot down a drone brings her joy. “It’s just a rush of adrenaline,” said Angelina, who like other women in the unit spoke to The Associated Press on condition only their first names or call signs be used, in keeping with military policy.
Women are increasingly joining volunteer mobile units responsible for shooting down Russian drones that terrorize Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure as more men are sent east to the front line.
No surviors found in wrekage of Russian helicopter crash
Sunday 1 September 2024 22:00
Rebecca Thomas
Searchers found no survivors among the wreckage of a Russian helicopter that crashed in the far eastern peninsula of Kamchatka with 22 people on board, state news agency TASS said on Sunday.
Kremlin spokesman says Harris is more predictable than Trump
Sunday 1 September 2024 21:00
Rebecca Thomas
Russia sees U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris as a more predictable opponent than Republican Donald Trump, though in any case there is no prospect of an improvement in relations with Washington, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
According to reports from Rueter’s, in an interview with Pavel Zarubin, a TV reporter with favoured access to the Kremlin, Peskov appeared dismissive of Trump’s boast that he could end the Ukraine war within 24 hours if U.S. voters returned him to the White House.
Peskov reportedly said “the Democrats are more predictable. And what Putin said about Biden’s predictability applies to almost all Democrats, including Ms. Harris.”
Ukrainian children join parade marking first day of school near frontline
Sunday 1 September 2024 20:00
Tara Cobham
Just hours after a dawn air raid alarm rang through the city, Zaporizhzhia schoolchildren celebrated the traditional first day of school on Sunday.
A mere 25 miles from the front line, the war is never far from the minds of teachers and families at one school in the city. Because of a ban on large gatherings in the city, which is regularly struck by Russian artillery and missiles, only students starting their first and last years were allowed in the celebratory parade.
Wearing traditional embroidered Ukrainian shirts and carrying roses, the children lined up in pairs and held hands - each small student with a teenager. Despite the wartime restrictions, the entire ceremony was a celebration of Ukraine's future.
Of the school's 800 students, around 300 fled the war for safety abroad or elsewhere in Ukraine. The rest alternate one week of in-person study with one week online because the recently renovated bomb shelter can only accommodate around 250 people.
Zaporizhzhia routinely spends hours each day under air raid alerts.
The school's bomb shelter is about 75 metres away from the main school building, across an open playground. School director Kostiantyn Lypskyi said the youngest students attend in person every day and work in a classroom created just above the basement rooms, while the rest of the school operates in the main building.
Mr Lypskyi said: "We prepared everything for the new school year. We equipped the bunker in case of air alarms, so children will have a safe space because our school will continue lessons during the air raid alarms in the bunker."
Sunday's ceremony unfolded without problems and Olha Komarova-Lesko, the mother of two pupils, said she is optimistic for the coming school year, which she described as the best solution under the circumstances.
"We are happy that the children had the chance go to the celebration today just as in the pre-war times," she said. "This is really exciting and joyful."
The school has not been identified for security reasons.
Russian shelling of Kharkiv injures 41 on Sunday, say Ukrainian officials
Sunday 1 September 2024 19:00
Tara Cobham
On Sunday, 41 were injured when Russia shelled the regional capital of Kharkiv, also called Kharkiv.
A shopping centre, a sports facility and residential buildings were damaged, said Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Russia says it has captured two more settlements in east Ukraine
Sunday 1 September 2024 18:48
Rebecca Thomas
Russia said on Sunday its forces had captured two more settlements in eastern Ukraine and Kyiv’s top commander acknowledged his army was under heavy pressure, reports Rueters.
The Russian defence ministry said its units had taken Ptyche, about 21 km (13 miles) southeast of the important Ukrainian logistical hub of Pokrovsk, and were “continuing to advance deep into the enemy defences”.
It said Russia had also seized Vyimka, another settlement in the Donetsk region.
Kremlin spokesman says Harris is more predictable than Trump
Sunday 1 September 2024 18:00
Tara Cobham
Russia sees US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris as a more predictable opponent than Republican Donald Trump, though in any case there is no prospect of an improvement in relations with Washington, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
In an interview with Pavel Zarubin, a TV reporter with favoured access to the Kremlin, Peskov also appeared dismissive of Trump's boast that he could end the Ukraine war within 24 hours if US voters returned him to the White House.
Before Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from November's election and threw his support behind Harris, Russian President Vladimir Putin had said that Moscow preferred Biden over Trump, describing the former as an experienced "old school" type of politician.
With Biden out of the running, Zarubin asked Peskov, laughing: "Then who is our candidate now?"
Peskov, also laughing, replied: "We have no candidate. But, of course, the Democrats are more predictable. And what Putin said about Biden's predictability applies to almost all Democrats, including Ms Harris."
While stating that the election was an internal US matter, Putin and Peskov have offered a variety of opinions at different times. In February, for example, Putin praised Biden for his predictability but also discussed the sensitive topic of his mental fitness for office in comments that appeared designed to sow mischief.
In June, he said Russia did not care who the next US president was, but that the US court system was clearly being used in a political battle against Trump.
Peskov, in the interview published on Sunday, said US steps to "trample on our country's interests" had exceeded acceptable limits. Bilateral relations were at a historic low point, with "no prospects" at the moment of setting them on a path towards recovery.
The Kremlin spokesman said there was no "magic wand" to resolve the Ukraine crisis overnight in the way that Trump has promised.
He said it was "fantasy" to imagine that the next US president would announce in their inauguration speech that Washington was halting military aid to Ukraine and calling for peace negotiations, and that this would change mindsets in Kyiv.
Zelensky again calls for permission to use Western-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia
Sunday 1 September 2024 17:00
Tara Cobham
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that last week alone Russia had used 160 missiles, 780 guided aerial bombs and 400 attack drones against cities and troops across Ukraine, and he again called for permission to use Western-supplied weapons to strike deep inside Russia.
"To give full defence and secure our cities from this aggression, more support is needed for a just Ukrainian response," he said on Telegram.
Zelenskiy called for "a decision on long-range strikes on missile launch sites from Russia, destruction of Russian military logistics, joint shooting down of missiles and drones".
UK and Ukraine make AI deal to help post-war rebuild
Sunday 1 September 2024 16:00
Tara Cobham
The UK and Ukraine have signed one of the world’s first digital-only trade deals to benefit both countries with physical trade is disrupted by the Russian invasion.
Businesses in the allied countries are expected to be boosted when the UK-Ukraine Digital Trade Agreement (DTA) comes into force.
Ukraine was one of the largest exporters of IT services globally, with areas such as outsourcing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and mobile applications in rapid development before the war.
Barney Davis reports:
Recap: Watch as Zelensky pays tribute to Briton killed in hotel attack in Ukraine
Sunday 1 September 2024 15:00
Tara Cobham
EU’s top diplomat ramps up pressure on Ukraine’s backers to permit strikes inside Russia
Sunday 1 September 2024 14:00
Tara Cobham
The European Union’s top diplomat on Thursday ramped up pressure on Ukraine’s international backers to lift restrictions on the use of weapons they provide to the conflict-ravaged country to allow its armed forces to strike targets inside Russia.
The US restricts the use of long-range ballistic missiles it provides to Ukraine and some EU members also limit the use of their weapons. Ukraine is desperate to target airfields and other military installations inside Russia that are used to stage attacks on its armed forces and civilians.
“We need to lift restrictions on the use of weaponry against Russian military targets, in accordance with international law,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said as the bloc’s foreign ministers gathered in Brussels to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Lorne Cook reports:
Russia will change nuclear doctrine due to West's actions in Ukraine, official says
Sunday 1 September 2024 13:28
Tara Cobham
Russia will make changes to its nuclear doctrine in response to the West's actions over the conflict in Ukraine, the TASS state news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Sunday.
Ryabkov did not say what the changes would entail.
Russia's existing nuclear doctrine, set out in a decree by President Vladimir Putin in 2020, says it may use nuclear weapons in the event of a nuclear attack by an enemy or a conventional attack that threatens the existence of the state.
Russia, which accuses the West of using Ukraine as a proxy to wage war against it, has said before that it is considering changes. Ryabkov's was the most categorical statement yet that it would proceed with them.
"The work is at an advanced stage, and there is a clear intent to make corrections", TASS cited Ryabkov as saying.
He said the decision is "connected with the escalation course of our Western adversaries" in connection with the conflict in Ukraine.
Kyiv is pressing US for permission to use allied-supplied weapons to strike deep inside Russia
Sunday 1 September 2024 13:00
Tara Cobham
Kyiv is pressing the United States for permission to use allied-supplied weapons to strike deep inside Russia.
With the domestic drone industry growing rapidly, Kyiv has been stepping up its attacks on Russia, striking energy, military and transport infrastructure – sectors vital to Moscow's war efforts.
Kyiv says, however, that it needs to be allowed to use more powerful Western-supplied weapons to inflict greater damage inside Russia and impair Moscow's abilities to continue its attacks on Ukraine, which it invaded in February 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's senior officials were in Washington last week, appealing to the United States for what Zelenskiy called, "capabilities to truly and fully" protect the country.
Five wounded in Kharkiv as Ukraine says Russia launches 11 drones overnight
Sunday 1 September 2024 12:00
Tara Cobham
Eight drones were shot down by Ukraine out of 11 launched by Russia overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force.
Five people were wounded in shelling in the country's northeastern Kharkiv region, local officials said.
Russia says it has captured two more settlements in east Ukraine
Sunday 1 September 2024 11:11
Tara Cobham
Russia said on Sunday its forces had captured two more settlements in eastern Ukraine and Kyiv's top commander acknowledged his army was under heavy pressure.
The Russian defence ministry said its units had taken Ptyche, about 21 km (13 miles) southeast of the important Ukrainian logistical hub of Pokrovsk, and were "continuing to advance deep into the enemy defences". It said Russia had also seized Vyimka, another settlement in the Donetsk region.
Reuters could not independently confirm battlefield reports.
Ukraine's top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on Sunday the situation was "difficult"around Russia's main line of attack in eastern Ukraine, but that all the necessary decisions were being taken.
Russia has been pressing its offensive in the Donetsk region while trying to repel a surprise Ukrainian incursion into western Russia that began on 6 August.
Ukraine's top general says situation 'difficult' around main Russian attack
Sunday 1 September 2024 11:00
Tara Cobham
Ukraine's top commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Sunday the situation was "difficult" around Russia's main attack, which is focused in eastern Ukraine, but that all the necessary decisions were being taken.
Syrskyi did not give the exact location of the main Russian offensive, but earlier both he and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian forces were targeting the strategically important city of Pokrovsk.
"The situation is difficult in the direction of the enemy's main attack. But all the necessary decisions at all levels are being made without delay," Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging app.
Syrskyi said last week he spent several days on the eastern front near Pokrovsk and described fighting there as "exceptionally tough".
Russia, which has captured swathes of eastern Ukraine since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022, continues to inch forward there in heavy fighting.
The gains have continued since Ukraine launched a surprise incursion into Russia's west Kursk region on 6 August, apparently aimed at diverting Russian resources and strengthening Kyiv's position in any future negotiations.
One killed and four injured in Russian shelling of Sumy region, Ukraine says
Sunday 1 September 2024 10:00
Tara Cobham
One civilian was killed and four others injured in Russian shelling overnight on Ukraine's Sumy region on the border between the two warring countries, the local Ukrainian administration said on Sunday.
"During the night and morning, the Russians carried out 18 shellings of border territories and settlements of the Sumy region. 47 explosions were recorded," the administration said on Telegram.
It said nine districts of the region were under attack.
Local prosecutors clarified later on Sunday that Russia had launched a missile attack on a convoy of grain trucks on the Sumy-Kharkiv route in Sumy district and a 23-year-old truck driver was killed.
It said one truck caught fire and about 20 others were damaged.
Ukraine's air force said in a separate statement it had destroyed eight out of eleven Russian attack drones used overnight.
"This time, the occupiers targeted Ukrainian grain and the logistics of the agricultural sector, particularly in Mykolaiv and Sumy regions," the air force said, giving no more details.
The Sumy region borders Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a major cross-border incursion on 6 August. Russian troops, meanwhile, continue to press towards the strategic hub of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine fires drones at refinery and power plants in Moscow and Tver regions, says Russia
Sunday 1 September 2024 09:23
Tara Cobham
Ukraine launched waves of drone attacks targeting power and refinery plants in the Moscow region and neighbouring Tver, sparking fires, while tens of drones were destroyed across other parts of the country, Russian officials said on Sunday.
Drone debris sparked fires at the Moscow Oil Refinery and at the Konakovo Power Station in the Tver region, one of the largest energy producers in central Russia, officials and media said.
Russia's defence ministry said on the Telegram messaging app that its air defence units had destroyed 158 drones launched by Ukraine overnight, including nine over Moscow and its surrounding region.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said earlier that several drones targeted the Moscow refinery and a fire was being extinguished at a "separate technical room" at the plant.
Russia's TASS news agency, citing fire emergency officials, said the fire was assigned the highest level of complexity but has since ben contained.
The refinery in the southeast of the Russian capital is owned by Gazprom Neft, the oil arm of Russian gas giant Gazprom. Gazprom Neft declined to comment.
The Baza Telegram news channel, which is close to Russia's security services, said loud blasts were heard near the Konakovo power plant.
Tver Governor Igor Rudenya said there was a fire in the town of Konakovo but that electricity and gas supplies were uninterrupted. He did not say what was burning.
Ukraine also attempted to strike the Kashira Power Plant in the Moscow region with three drones, Mikhail Shuvalov, head of the Kashira city district said on Telegram. There was no fire, damage or casualties as a result of the attack, he said.
"Electricity is being supplied without problems," Shuvalov posted on Telegram.
Fire at Moscow refinery contained, TASS reports
Sunday 1 September 2024 09:10
Tara Cobham
A fire caused by an overnight drone attack at the Moscow Oil Refinery has been contained, the TASS state news agency reported on Sunday, citing emergency services.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said debris from several Ukrainian-launched drones targeted the Moscow refinery, sparking a fire at a "separate technical room" at the plant.
Russia says it downed over 150 drones in one of biggest Ukrainian drone attacks of war
Sunday 1 September 2024 08:54
Tara Cobham
The Russian Ministry of Defense said air defences had intercepted and destroyed 158 drones overnight into Sunday, including two over the city of Moscow and nine over the surrounding Moscow region.
Forty-six were over the Kursk region, where Ukraine has sent its forces in recent weeks in the largest incursion onto Russian soil since World War II.
The defence ministry said 34 more drones were destroyed over Bryansk, 28 over Voronezh and 14 over the Belgorod regions. Several more were downed over Kaluga, Lipetsk, Ryazan and a score of other Russian regions, the ministry said.
There were no injuries as a result of any of the attacks, according to preliminary information. Russia rarely discloses the full extent of damage inflicted by Ukraine’s air attacks.
Ukrainian drone strikes have brought the fight far from the front line into the heart of Russia. Since the beginning of the year, Ukraine has stepped up aerial assaults on Russian soil, targeting refineries and oil terminals to slow down the Kremlin's assault.
Ukrainians evacuate from Pokrovsk
Sunday 1 September 2024 08:10
Shahana Yasmin
Zelensky proposes India summit to discuss Ukraine peace plan
Sunday 1 September 2024 07:50
Shahana Yasmin
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed a summit in India pushing forward a plan to end the war with Russia, according to Bloomberg.
People asking not to be identified said that Zelensky’s proposal was put to Modi during his visit to Ukraine last week.
The Indian prime minister has shown his willingness to play a “constructive role” in a peace process, even though it is too early to comment on specific modalities and pathways at this stage,” Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesman for India’s ministry of external affairs.
All nations of the Global South have insisted that without Russia’s inclusion at any proposed peace talks there can be no way ahead.
Ukraine calls for Putin’s arrest when he visits Mongolia next week
Sunday 1 September 2024 07:30
Shahana Yasmin
Ukraine urged Mongolia to arrest Russian president Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes when he visited the country on 3 September.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant in March last year accusing Mr Putin of the war crime of unlawfully deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine to Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian side hopes that the government of Mongolia is aware of the fact that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal,” the Ukrainian foreign ministry said on Telegram.
The Kremlin responded saying it was “not worried”.
At least 16,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since April
Sunday 1 September 2024 07:10
Shahana Yasmin
At least 16,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since April, according to a data project by the BBC’s Russia service and independent Russian media outlet Mediazona.
The project records deaths from official reports and media and satellite analysis of Russian graveyards.
Fire breaks out at Moscow oil refinery after Ukrainian drone attack, say Russian officials
Sunday 1 September 2024 06:50
Tara Cobham
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that a fire has broken out in the Moscow Oil Refinery following a drone attack from Ukraine.
The fire has been assigned the highest level of complexity, Russia’s state news agency TASS reported.
Earlier, the mayor had said that a Ukraine-launched drone was destroyed near the Moscow Oil Refinery, and no damage to the refinery’s production process had been caused.
Ukraine had launched several overnight drone attacks targeting power and refinery plants in Moscow and Tver.
Vladimir Putin ‘gifts Kim Jong-un 24 purebred horses in exchange for artillery shells used in Ukraine war’
Sunday 1 September 2024 06:30
Shahana Yasmin
Vladimir Putin has reportedly gifted Kim Jong-un 24 purebred horses in exchange for artillery shells used in the Ukraine war, signalling the two leaders’ increasingly close bond.
The new consignment of Orlov Trotters, which are said to be the North Korean leaders’ favourite breed, were brought over the narrow land border on Sunday, according to an announcement made by the veterinary authorities in Primorsky Krai, which is the Russian Far East region connected by rail to North Korea, reported The Times.
The delivery of the 19 stallions and five mares is reported by South Korean media to be partial payment for North Korean artillery shells sent to Russia for use in its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia claims Ukrainian drones target power and refinery plants in Moscow, Tver
Sunday 1 September 2024 06:10
Shahana Yasmin
Ukraine launched several drone attacks targeting power and refinery plants in Moscow and Tver regions, Russian officials and local media reported today.
Loud blasts were heard near the Konakovo Power Station in the Tver region, posted the Baza Telegram news channel. The Konakovo Power Station is one of the largest energy producers in central Russia.
A Ukraine-launched drone was destroyed near the Moscow Oil Refinery, said Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin. He added that there was no damage to the refinery’s production process.
Ukraine also launched three drones at the Kashira Power Plant in the Moscow area, Kashira city district head Mikhail Shuvalov said on Telegram. No damage or casualties were caused, he said.
“Electricity is being supplied without problems,” Shuvalov said.
Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is legitimate, says NATO’s Stoltenberg
Sunday 1 September 2024 05:50
Shahana Yasmin
Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is legitimate and covered by Kyiv’s right to self-defence, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told German weekly Welt am Sonntag in his first reaction to the advance into Russian territory.
“Ukraine has a right to defend itself. And according to international law, this right does not stop at the border,” Stoltenberg told the paper, adding that NATO had not been informed about Ukraine’s plans beforehand and did not play a role in them.
The NATO chief said Ukraine was running a risk with the advance onto Russian territory but that it was up to Kyiv how to conduct its military campaign.
“(Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelensky has made clear that the operation aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further Russian attacks from across the border,” he said.
“Like all military operations, this comes with risks. But it is Ukraine’s decision how to defend itself.”
Kyiv launched a major cross-border incursion into the Kursk region on Aug. 6, while Moscow’s troops keep pressing towards the strategic hub of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine.
Russia has called the Kursk operation a “major provocation” and said it would retaliate.
Recap: Seven killed by Russian attacks in Ukraine towns
Sunday 1 September 2024 05:15
Shahana Yasmin
Russian shelling in the Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar on Saturday killed five people, when it hit a high-rise building and a private home, said regional governor Vadym Filaskhin.
The victims were men aged 24 to 38, he added.
“Normal life has been impossible in Chasiv Yar for more than two years. Do not become a Russian target — evacuate,” Filaskhin wrote on social media.
Two more died by Russian shelling in Kharkiv. One victim was pulled from rubble in Cherkaska Lozova, and a woman died of her wounds on the way to the hospital, said governor Oleh Syniehubov.
UK and Ukraine make AI deal to help post-war rebuild
Sunday 1 September 2024 05:00
Shahana Yasmin
The UK and Ukraine have signed one of the world’s first digital-only trade deals to benefit both countries with physical trade is disrupted by the Russian invasion.
Businesses in the allied countries are expected to be boosted when the UK-Ukraine Digital Trade Agreement (DTA) comes into force.
Ukraine launches five drones in Tver region near Moscow
Sunday 1 September 2024 04:30
Shahana Yasmin
Ukraine launched five drones overnight in Russia’s Tver region just northwest of the Moscow region, said regional governor Igor Rudenya.
“According to preliminary information, there were no injuries. Emergency services are on the scene,” said Rudenya on Telegram, speaking of the Konakovo town. Russia claimed to have destroyed all five drones.
Reuters reported that multiple other Russian Telegram channels reported loud blasts near the Konakovo Power Station, one of the largest energy producers in central Russia.
Ukraine launches drone attacks on Moscow, say Russian officials
Sunday 1 September 2024 04:15
Shahana Yasmin
Ukraine launched overnight drone attacks on Moscow and several other targets across Russia today, said regional officials.
This comes as Kyiv continued to press the US for permission to use weapons supplied by allies to strike targets deeper inside Russia.
At least five drones flying towards Moscow were destroyed in the region surrounding the Russian capital, Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on Telegram.
At least 26 drones fired by Ukraine were destroyed over the border region of Bryansk in Russia’s southwest, governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram.
Over 10 drones were destroyed over Voronezh, and several downed over Kursk, Lipetsk, Ryazan and Tula regions, updates from governors said on Telegram.
Preliminary information said there were no injuries or damages from the attacks.
Russia’s army is closing in on Pokrovsk, a critical logistics hub for the Ukrainian defence
Sunday 1 September 2024 04:00
Barney Davis
Russian forces have been driving deeper into the partly occupied eastern region, the total capture of which is one of the Kremlin’s primary ambitions.
At the same time, Ukraine has sent its forces into Russia’s Kursk region in recent weeks in the largest incursion onto Russian soil since the Second World War.
The move is partly an effort to force Russia to draw troops away from the Donetsk front.
Elsewhere, the number of wounded following a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Friday continued to rise.
Six people were killed, including a 14-year-old girl, when glide bombs struck five locations across the city, said regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. Writing on social media on Saturday, he said that the number of injured had risen from 47 to 96.
Mr Syniehubov also confirmed that the 12-storey apartment block that was hit by one bomb strike, setting the building ablaze and trapping at least one person on an upper floor, would be partly demolished.
Ukrainian officials have previously pointed to the Kharkiv strikes as further evidence that Western partners should scrap restrictions on what the Ukrainian military can target with donated weapons.
Zelensky puts pressure on United States to let Kyiv strike military targets deep inside Russian territory
Sunday 1 September 2024 03:00
Barney Davis
Washington has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion worth of military aid since 2022, but has limited the use of its weapons to Ukrainian soil and defensive crossborder operations.
Zelensky said guided aerial bombs killed six people and injured 97 in Kharkiv on Friday, with more attacks on Saturday. These could be averted only “by striking Russian military airfields, their bases, and the logistics of Russian terror.”
In his nightly video address, he said, “We talk about this every day with our partners. We persuade. We present arguments.”
He said that clearing the Ukrainian sky of Russian guided aerial bombs would be “a strong step to force Russia to seek an end to the war and a just peace.”
Appealing to the United States, Britain, France and Germany, he said, “We need the capabilities to truly and fully protect Ukraine and Ukrainians.
“We need both the permissions for long-range capabilities and your long-range shells and missiles.”
Without providing specifics, he said his representatives had “provided all the necessary details” to Ukraine’s partners.
Russia says it has captured Pivnichne in Ukraine’s Donetsk region
Sunday 1 September 2024 02:00
Joe Middleton
Russia’s ministry of defence said that it had captured the town of Pivnichne, also in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
Russian forces have been driving deeper into the partly occupied eastern region, the total capture of which is one of the Kremlin’s primary ambitions.
Russia’s army is closing in on Pokrovsk, a critical logistics hub for the Ukrainian defence in the area.
At the same time, Ukraine has sent its forces into Russia’s Kursk region in recent weeks in the largest incursion on to Russian soil since the Second World War. The move is partly an effort to force Russia to draw troops away from the Donetsk front.
Ukraine's Zelenskiy presses US to greenlight deeper strikes into Russia
Sunday 1 September 2024 16:39
Rebecca Thomas
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy increased pressure on the United States to let Kyiv strike military targets deep inside Russian territory after his representatives met senior U.S. officials in Washington on Saturday.
In his nightly address on Saturday he said: “I appeal to the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, we need the abilities to really and fully protect both Ukraine and Ukrainians.
“We need both the permissions for long-range capabilities and your long-range shells and missiles.”
He said his representatives had “provided all the necessary details” although did not detail the specifics.
Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk region is legitimate, says NATO's Stoltenberg
Sunday 1 September 2024 01:00
Joe Middleton
Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is legitimate and covered by Kyiv’s right to self-defence, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told German weekly Welt am Sonntag in his first reaction to the advance into Russian territory.
“Ukraine has a right to defend itself. And according to international law, this right does not stop at the border,” Stoltenberg told the paper, adding that NATO had not been informed about Ukraine’s plans beforehand and did not play a role in them.
The NATO chief said Ukraine was running a risk with the advance onto Russian territory but that it was up to Kyiv how to conduct its military campaign.
“(Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy has made clear that the operation aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further Russian attacks from across the border,” he said.
“Like all military operations, this comes with risks. But it is Ukraine’s decision how to defend itself.”
Kyiv launched a major cross-border incursion into the Kursk region on Aug. 6, while Moscow’s troops keep pressing towards the strategic hub of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine.
The incursion was also discussed at a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine-Council on Wednesday that was requested by Kyiv amid Moscow’s biggest wave of air attacks on its neighbour.
The council, grouping members of the Western military alliance and Ukraine, was established last year to enable closer coordination between the alliance and Kyiv.
Russia has called the Kursk operation a “major provocation” and said it would retaliate.
RECAP: Russia says five killed and 46 injured in Ukraine strike on Belgorod
Sunday 1 September 2024 00:02
Joe Middleton
Five people were killed and 46 injured in Ukrainian attack on the southwestern Russian city of Belgorod late on Friday, the local governor said.
Vyacheslav Gladkov also said 37 people, including seven children, were taken to hospital.
Video from a car dashboard, posted on social media and purporting to demonstrate the attack, showed another car being blown up while moving on the road. Seconds later an explosion is seen on the other side of the road.
Ukraine has staged frequent attacks on Belgorod and other Russian border regions in recent months.
Ukraine and Russia say they do not deliberately target civilians in the war that began when Russia sent thousands of troops into its smaller neighbour in February 2022. Moscow has called the invasion a “special military operation”.
41 people injured in Kharkiv following Russian air strikes
Sunday 1 September 2024 16:29
Rebecca Thomas
Russian air strikes have injured at least 41 people in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, according to officials.
Reg