Ukraine Latest: Weekly Digest for August 12-18

VIDEO

August 12/ Dutchak: The Kursk region is historically Ukrainian land, but Ukraine never claims what doesn’t belong to it

August 12/ Lyashko: New competition for a contract to restore Okhmatdyt: when?

August 13/ Hetman: Russia was certain we were preparing for a defensive in Sumy Oblast

August 14/ Dutchak: Defense of Ukraine is in good hands - Azov Battalion has compiled an updated curriculum for high school students

August 14/ Seleznyov: The Kursk operation will secure Sumy Oblast and residents

August 15/ Pekhno: A total of around two thousand Russian soldiers have surrendered since the start of Kursk incursion

August 16/ Consolidated by war: Krasnenkova: Ukrainians in Ireland are waiting for the end of hostilities to get back home

August 16/ Bratchuk: The adversary isn’t seen redeploying any of its combat units from Donbas front towards Kursk

PHOTO

August 12/ Front-line town of Kramatorsk

August 12/ Ukrainian soldiers farewelling their loved ones at Kramatorsk central station as they depart on deployment

August 13/ Gunners from the Prince Kostyantyn Ostrozky 30th OMBr at combat work  

August 14/Ukrainian soldier from the 24th Separate Motorized Brigade loading his mortar on Chasiv Yar front line

August 14/ Preliminary clean-up operation at the site of apartment blocks destroyed by a Russia airstrike, Dnipro City

August 14/Kamyanka village, the Kharkiv region

August 15/ Construction site of an underground school, the Zaporizhzhia region

August 15/ A stabilization point, Donetsk front line

August 15/ Soldiers from motorized rifle battalion, 93rd Brigade, Armed Forces of Ukraine in combat position

August 15/ The aftermath of a Russian missile strike on a supermarket in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk Oblast

August 16/ The town of Sudzha, Kursk Oblast

August 16/ Stela at the entrance to the front-line Orihiv District

August 17/ Inauguration ceremony for the photo display titled "Don't be Silent", Vinnytsia City

HOSTILITIES

The General Staff has reported 972 frontline engagements over the week from August 12 through 18.

The Security Service of Ukraine, supported by the Defense Forces (Special Operations Forces, the Armed Forces’ Center for Unmanned Systems, the Main Intelligence Directorate at the Ministry of Defense (GUR) and other military branches) mounted most massive attacks with long-range drones on several military airfields in Russia since the inception of the all-out war in February 2022. The attacks targeted four different military air bases, namely Khalino, Savasleyka, Borisoglebsk, and Baltimore, located, respectively, in the Russian regions of Voronezh, Kursk, and Nizhny Novgorod overnight on August 14. The aftermath of the attack is being verified.

The Ukrainian flag flies over the currently Russian held Kinburn Spit, planted by GUR soldiers at the end of a special operation on August 9.

GUR units destroyed or damaged a total of 18 Russian Navy watercraft in the Black Sea using Ukrainian-made MAGURA V5 marine drones over the past 18 months.

Russia’s Kasta radar station deployed in the Zaporizhzhia region was destroyed in a joint operation by the SBU Counter-Intelligence and the Defense Forces.

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Kursk Incursion

August 12

Ukrainian Armed Forces Chief Commander, Oleksandr Syrsky reported that the Ukrainian army had held around 1,000 square kilometers in Russia’s Kursk region under its control as of August 12.

China is closely monitoring the situation in Russia’s Kursk region and urges both parties to de-escalate.

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called Ukraine's shock cross-border operation into Russia's Kursk region "brilliant", “beautiful”, and "bold" in a visit to Kyiv on Monday, and he urged the Biden administration to provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs.

Aleksey Smirnov, the interim governor of Russia’s Kursk region, bordering Ukraine to the south, said at a meeting with Putin that 28 villages and towns in the region had been under Ukrainian military control as of August 12.

August 13

The Ukrainian military holds control of a total of 74 communities in the Kursk region. 

John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Advisor, has said that Vladimir Putin could pull his troops out of Ukraine and end the war if he is really concerned about the situation in Kursk Oblast.

Heorhiy Tyhiy, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaking at a news briefing, said that Ukraine’s military incursion into the Kursk region is not aimed to capture foreign territories, but to preserve the lives of our people and to secure Ukrainian territory from Russian attacks. “These actions by Ukraine are fully legitimate, and the Ukrainian army does not violate international humanitarian law”, he said.

Ukraine has been able to capture as much of the adversary’s territory in just 10 days as the Russian army has occupied in Ukraine since early 2024.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called Ukraine’s Kursk incursion “a defensive action”.

August 14

Ukraine’s military incursion into Russia has "created a real dilemma" for Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Joe Biden said on Tuesday, adding that U.S. officials are in constant touch with the Ukrainians about the move.

Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky reported that the Armed Forces had advanced "from one to two kilometers into different parts of the Kursk region and captured over a hundred Russian soldiers since the start of the day".

Russia has pulled part of its troops out of Ukraine to defend Russian territory against the cross-border assault.

Ukrainian President Zelensky hosted a meeting addressing the possibility for representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN and other impartial international organizations to enter the "buffer (sanitary) zone" the Ukrainian army has created in the parts of the Kursk region it controls.

The Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets had a talk (requested by the Russian side – ed.) with his Russian counterpart, Tatiana Moskalkova to discuss potential exchanges of war prisoners as the Ukrainian military continues with its offensive operation into the Kursk region.

August 15

Since the start of the day, Ukrainian troops had advanced from 500 meters to 1.5 kilometers deep into the Kursk region, repelled three counterattacks and continued advancing further.

The Armed Forces have had 82 communities in Russia’s Kursk region under their control: Syrsky.

At a meeting at the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Headquarters, General Syrsky reported that a military commander’s office has been set up in the Ukraine captured part of the Kursk region, with Major General Moskalyov appointed as the commandant. The mission assigned to the new office is to maintain law and order and provide for the essential needs of communities under Ukrainian military control.

Civilians willing to evacuate from the Kursk region can do so using a humanitarian corridor to Sumy City.

August 16

Russia has begun withdrawing some troops from Ukraine in an effort to repel Ukraine’s offensive into the Russian territory and prevent further advances.

The Ukrainian military have destroyed a bridge over the Seim River located in the village of Hlushkovo, Kursk Oblast.

August 17

At a meeting with President Zelensky, the Armed Forces Chief Commander, Oleksandr Syrsky reported that invading Ukrainian forces have been gaining ground in the Kursk region and expending the area of stabilized territory.

August 18

Another one of the bridges over the Siem River in Russia’s Kursk region was destroyed by a Ukrainian airstrike.

Soldiers from the Halych 80th Separate Ground Assault Brigade seized Russia’s newest T-90M Proryv (“breakthrough") MBT in a raid into Kursk.

Frontline situation by days of the week and sectors of the front line

August 12

Kharkiv Sector: the enemy mounted three assaults targeting the approaches to Tykhe and Vovchansk neighborhoods.

Lyman Sector: the adversary mounted 17 assaults on Ukraine’s defending positions located in the areas of Makiivka, Nevske, Terny, and Torske, which all ended without success.

Siversk Sector: The day saw three combat encounters, with the invading forces vainly seeking to advance closer towards Verkhnyokamyanske and Spirne communities.

Toretsk Sector: The enemy intensified the number of attacks to reach eight per that day, continued advancing towards Zalizne and Toretsk communities.

Pokrovsk Sector: the Russian invading forces were assaulting towards Kalynove, Sukha Balka, Elizavetivka, Zelene Pole, Novooleksandrivka, Hrodivka, Mykolaivka, Zhelanne, and Skuchne communities.

August 13

Russia’s fighter bombers dropped multiple guided aerial bombs targeting Ukrainian defenses in Pokrovsk and Toretsk sectors of the front line.

Pokrovsk Sector: the invading forces were attacking towards Sukha Balka, Vozdvyzhenka, Novooleksandrivka, Elizavetivka, Zelene Pole, Malynivka, Hrodivka, Zhelanne, and Skuchne communities. Ukrainian defenders were able to contain the enemy’s offensive, having fended off 22 attacks.

Kharkiv Sector: the adversary mounted 12 offensive attacks targeting Lyptsi, Hlyboke, Tykhe, and Vovchansk neighborhoods.

Siversk Sector saw five combat encounters over the day. The adversary was struggling to advance towards Spirne and Verkhnyokamyanske neighborhoods, but failed to succeed.

Lyman Sector: The invading forces mounted six assaults on Ukrainian defensive lines located near the neighborhoods of Makiivka, Nevske, and Terny, as well as Serebryansky Forest.

August 14

Kharkiv Sector: Russian invaders launched three assaults targeting Ukrainian entrenchments defending the approaches to Vovchansk town, pounded Kozacha Lopan and Lyptsi neighborhoods with glide bombs.

Lyman Sector: The enemy was attacking towards the neighborhoods of Makiivka, Nevske, and Terny, with nine combat encounters reported to have occurred over that day.

Siversk Sector: The adversary continued with attempts to break through Ukrainian defenses, but failed to succeed; mounted 17 assaults aimed to force Ukrainian troops out of their defending positions located near the neighborhoods of Bilohorivka, Verkhnyokamyanske, Spirne, and Vyimka.

Toretsk Sector: The adversary intensified the number of attacks to fourteen per that day; using air fire support, was assaulting towards New York community, with three assaults successfully repelled, as well as towards Zalizne, Pivnichne, and Toretsk communities, with nine assaults repelled.

Pokrovsk Sector: The invading forces escalated the number of attacks to 37 per that day, assaulting towards the neighborhoods of Vozdvyzhenka, Hrodivka, Zhelanne, Zelene Pole, Vodyane, Skuchne, Karlivka, and Ptyche.

August 15

The adversary increased the intensity of its assaults on the surrounding of Krynky, a key village in the heavily-contested Dnipro bridgehead in the Russian-occupied part of the Kherson region.

Kharkiv Sector saw five combat engagements waged near Lyptsi, Starytsia, and Vovchansk communities.

Kupyansk Sector: the invaders mounted five assaultive attacks targeting the approaches to Hlushkivka, Andriivka, Kruhlyakivka, Stelmakhivka, and Berestove communities.

Lyman Sector: Russian military launched four attacks targeting Ukrainian entrenchments located near the villages of Makiivka and Nevske. All the four had been repelled.

Kramatorsk Sector: two combat encounters occurred near Chasiv Yar, both resulted in enemy retreat.

Toretsk Sector: The occupying forces escalated the number of attacks to ten per that day; were advancing towards Zalizne, New York, and Toretsk communities; failed eight attacks.

Pokrovsk Sector: the invaders mounted 23 assaultive attacks aimed to advance towards the neighborhoods of Panteleimonivka, Vozdvyzhenka, Kalynove, Zelene Pole, Novotoretske, Mykolaivka, Novohrodivka, and Skuchne.

August 16

Kharkiv Sector saw the ongoing of three combat engagements waged near Vovchansk and Lyptsi neighborhoods; the enemy undertook a force regrouping.

Kupyansk Sector: The Russians seven times attacked Ukrainian defending positions; the defense forces effectively repelled the attacks and were able to maintain control over Hlushkivka, Kruhlyakivka, and Andriivka villages.

Siversk Sector: The adversary seven times assaulted Ukrainian entrenchments defending the approaches to the neighborhoods of Verkhnyokamyanske, Spirne, and Pereizne. All the assaults had failed.

Pokrovsk Sector: The enemy had staged 23 attacks since the start of the day, targeting Ukrainian defense lines near the villages of Vozdvyzhenka, Vodyane, Novohrodivka, Hrodivka, Zhelanne, Kalynivka, Ptyche; was assaulting towards Zelene Pole.

August 17

Kharkiv Sector: the occupying forces four times stormed Ukrainian defending positions near Vovchansk and Lyptsi neighborhoods.

Toretsk Sector remains to be one of the hottest and the enemy’s most prioritized spots of the front line, with the enemy’s attacks focused on the approaches towards Pivnichne, Toretsk, and Zalizne neighborhoods.

Pokrovsk Sector: the occupying forces staged 25 attempted attacks to knock defending Ukrainian units out of their entrenchments located near the neighborhoods of Vozdvyzhenka, Myrolyubivka, Novotroitske, Novohrodivka, Hrodivka, Mykolaivka, Zhelanne, and Zavitne, and were also assaulting towards Zelene Pole village.

August 18

Kharkiv Sector: the adversary had downgraded the intensity of its offensive on individual stretches of the front line.

In the morning hours, Russian units mounted a massive assault towards Pivnichne and Zalizne communities in the Donetsk region; supported by a 12-vehicle armored group, they attempted to breach out through Ukrainian defenses and advance towards Toretsk. Ukrainian soldiers were able to keep their defenses and repel the attackers.

Kramatorsk Sector: the occupying forces were advancing towards the neighborhoods of Hryhorivka, Kalynivka, Chasiv Yar, Klishchiivka, and Predtechne.

Toretsk Sector: Russian troops mounted 15 assaultive attacks towards Zalizne, Toretsk, Dilyivka, and Nelipivka communities.

Pokrovsk Sector: the Russian army staged 24 assaultive attacks targeting the approaches to Vozdvyzhenka, Kalynove, Zelene Pole, Myrolyubivka, Hrodivka, Mykolaivka, Ptyche, Novohrodivka, Zavitne and Mykhailivka neighborhoods.

On August 12, the operational force grouping Tavria reported that the Russian army had been noticed redeploying troops, in particular, from the Pre-Dnieper sector, towards other areas of the fighting, including Kursk.

WAR: LOSSES AND AFTERMATH

ENEMY LOSSES

Russia’s war toll in personnel and equipment over the week from August 12 through 18, 2024 had totaled:

8,430 personnel

61 tanks

117 armored combat vehicles

393 artillery gun systems

18 MLRS launchers

5 air defense missile launchers and radars

1 warplane

353 tactical-operational UAVs

6 cruise missiles

468 automobiles and fuel tanks

46 units of special-purpose equipment.

A military training ground located outside of currently Russian-held Mariupol city came under a drone attack that injured a dozen and a half Russian soldiers.

A hacker team affiliated with the Main Intelligence Directorate at the Ministry of Defense (GUR) launched a cyber attack targeting a Russian company involved in the development of nuclear munitions. The attack resulted in a large amount of classified data hacked and the company’s operations disrupted.

Overnight on August 18, the Defense Forces of Ukraine attacked the Kavkaz plant in Russia’s Rostov region, which stored oil and petroleum products and supplied them to the Russian army. The attack, which was carried out using Ukrainian-made suicide drones, resulted in at least two fires at the site.

UKRAINE: LOSSES AND AFTERMATH

Russian drone, missile, and shelling attacks on the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv regions left 16 people dead and 84 others injured over the week under review.

The Russian military launched over 40 missiles and 200 strike drones, dropped 750 guided aerial bombs on Ukraine over the week from August 12 through 18.

The recent fire at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NP) in southern Ukraine has been extinguished, with no reported impact on nuclear safety. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, involved a cooling tower and other equipment at the plant. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which maintains a presence at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, confirmed that the fire had no impact on nuclear safety. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that the team witnessed thick dark smoke coming from the northwestern area of the plant after hearing multiple explosions. The team was informed about an alleged drone attack on one of the plant’s cooling towers, which was confirmed to have been extinguished. Grossi emphasized that any military action against the plant violates the five concrete principles for protecting the facility, established by the United Nations Security Council in May 2023. One of the cooling towers at the Zaporizhzhia NPP was damaged in the incident, but the IAEA confirmed that there was no risk of elevated radiation levels as there is no radioactive material in the vicinity of the alleged attack area. Despite the recent fire at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, nuclear safety has not been compromised, according to the IAEA.

Russia detains in captivity 1,917 employees of Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

A total of 1,646 health care establishments in Ukraine sustained damage and 215 others have been destroyed beyond repair by Russian attacks over the time since the all-our war broke out in February 2022. 

August 13 missile and drone attacks on Ukraine

Russia attacked Ukraine with two Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles launched from the Voronezh region and 38 Shakhed strike UAVs launched from Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Kursk. Thirty out of the 38 drones had been shot down by Ukrainian air defenses.

The enemy pounded Chernihiv Oblast; infrastructure facilities sustained damage, but no casualties were reported resulting from the attack.

August 14 attack with Shakhed drones

Ukrainian Defense Forces downed 17 out of 23 Shakhed drones Russia launched against Ukraine overnight on August 14.

The Russians hit and damaged a power transmission grid in southern Ukraine.

An infrastructure facility located in the Zhytomyr region came under a Russian drone attack.

A Russian drone hit an infrastructure facility located in the town of Nizhyn outside of Chernihiv city.

August 18 missile and drone attack

Ukrainian Defense Forces shot down all of the eight assault drones Shakhed and five out of eight missiles Russia launched against Ukraine in the early morning hours of the day.  The other three missiles failed to reach their targets.

The falling debris from downed Russian missiles damaged or destroyed 18 private households, power transmission lines, and vehicles in the Kyiv region.

A 35-year old medic, Oleksandra “Mike” Mulkevych, of the Hospitallers volunteer paramedic organization, was killed in a drone attack on August 14. Mulkevych’s vehicle was targeted with an enemy First Person View or FPV-drone near the village of Bilyi Kolodyaz in the Kharkiv region. She and her passenger were killed instantly. Drone debris also hit a passing car, injuring its three occupants.

WAR: POLITICAL DECISIONS, TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGHS, ARMAMENTS, ALLIED AID

Ukrainian home front

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky:

August 12: chaired a meeting at the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Headquarters, during which he spoke with the Armed Forces Chief Commander Oleksandr Syrsky about the progress of Ukraine’s offensive into the Russian region of Kursk.

August 15: chaired a meeting at the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Headquarters addressing the exchange of war prisoners among other issues.  The meeting also discussed a strategy for the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity.

August 15: submitted to parliament a bill on the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) with amendments. Ukraine signed the statute in January 2000, but has not ratified it, even though ratification is a condition for the country's 2014 Association Agreement with the European Union. The ratification will "increase the effectiveness of the International Criminal Court's work in relation to Ukraine, will help prosecute the crimes committed by Russian citizens on the territory of Ukraine," Iryna Mudra, a deputy head of Zelensky’s administration said.

August 13: met with the Minister of National Defense of Lithuania Laurynas Kasčiūnas to discuss issues relating to Ukraine’s arms manufacturing capability development and essential defense needs of Ukraine;

stated that every Ukrainian service man and woman performing combat tasks on the territory of the aggressor state must be provided, in a guaranteed and timely manner, with all the payments and bonuses they are eligible for.

August 15: requested the Verkhovna Rada to urgently consider a defense-related legislative package, particularly a bill amending the procedures for payments to military personnel participating in the Kursk operation.

August 16: appointed Vladyslav Vlasyuk as Presidential Adviser and Envoy for the enforcement of sanctions policy.

August 17: unveiled new Ukrainian-made weapon products that are already used against the enemy.

August 17: hosted a meeting with representatives of the nation-wide Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations and thanked them for the support they have been giving to legislative initiatives aimed to ban the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) on the territory of Ukraine.

During the Ukrainian Youth Forum "Free to Dream":

unveiled three updated government programs on support for the younger generation, which are set to be launched this fall;

thanked the young for countering Russian propaganda and communicating to the world about developments in Ukraine and the suffering Russia’s invasion has brought along.

Visits to Ukraine

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal:

met with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to discuss Ukraine’s needs for air defense capability enhancements;

held a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky where the President expressed his gratitude to the U.S. for the support it is giving to Ukraine to help it resist Russian invasion;

Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, at a meeting with the US Senators, urged lifting of all restrictions on Ukraine’s use of US-provided weaponry against military targets in Russia so that to enable Ukraine to effectively defend itself.

Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are advocating for the removal of all restrictions on Ukraine's use of US-supplied weaponry for strikes on military targets inside Russia.

***

Sabine Lackner, head of the German Technical Assistance Agency, visited Kyiv on August 14 to discuss humanitarian aid for the the cold season. THW has already provided €120 million worth of assistance to Ukraine and plans to continue its support.

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has announced the development of new flight procedures for tactical aircraft, including Western-made brands. The procedures are based on NATO standards and have been drawn up in a collaboration with the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine. The new guidelines aim to enhance the safe operation of domestic and Western tactical aircraft. A dedicated working group within the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is already implementing these procedures, and plans are underway to develop additional sets for other types of aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles. The move is part of Ukraine’s effort to strengthen the capabilities of its Armed Forces and achieve the edge on the battlefield.

Heorhiy Tykhy, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, denied Russian allegations that Ukraine was purportedly planning to use "dirty bombs" or mount an attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The Ministry of Health of Ukraine has endorsed updated recommendations for coronavirus vaccination. For most people, one vaccination is enough, and revaccination is recommended after 6-12 months, not for everyone, but for people at risk.

Ukraine has received €4.2 billion worth of macro-financial aid from the European Union under the €50 billion Ukraine Facility for 2024-20274. The funds will be used for priority social and humanitarian expenditures of the State Budget.

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is working on the integration of ground and air robotic and unmanned systems into a centralized command and control infrastructure for all drones on the battlefield.

Cabinet of Ministers:

endorsed three options for ground shelters for schools, which will allow around a thousand schools to start offline education as early as this year;

accepted a proposal from the Energy Ministry to hold a competition for contracts to build new power generating capacities;

endorsed the National Renewable Energy Action Plan to boost the proportion of "green" energy in gross final consumption of renewable energy sources to 27% by 2030;

signed a document that bans the issuance of online ordered driver’s licenses to male Ukrainians aged 18-60 who are staying abroad and failed to provide Ukrainian military draft authorities with updated personal data in due time.

During the second quarter of 2024, Ukraine’s State and State-guaranteed debt grew by UAH 243.7 billion (USD 1.1 billion). At the same time, the cost of the State debt servicing has declined by more than 10 percent in 2024 so far.

Ukraine exported 64.4 million tons of products through the Black Sea corridor over the time from August 16, 2023 to August 16, 2024, of which 43.5 million tons were accounted for by agricultural produce.

A solar power plant KP Vodokanal built in the western town of Dolyna began selling electricity to Ukraine’s domestic market on July 1.

Ternopil Oblast hosted a meeting of the Congress of local and regional authorities under the aegis of the President of Ukraine, focused on preparations for the upcoming school year and the heating season.

Volodymyr Zhovnir, CEO at the National Specialized Children's Hospital Okhmatdyt has been suspended of his duties pending completion of investigative measures being carried out by the National Police of Ukraine, other law enforcement agencies, as well as the investigative team of the Ministry of Health.

On August 12, the High Anti-Corruption Court chose a pre-trial restriction measure for deputy energy minister Oleksandr Kheilo, a suspect in a briary case, in the form of detention with the possibility of UAH 25mn bail, and ordered the suspect to remain in custody until October 8, 2024.

Investigators from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) discovered that the deputy minister, Oleksandr Kheilo proposed the transfer of equipment from  a state coal mining company in the east of Ukraine to a state coal mine in the west.

The deputy minister asked for a USD 500,000 bribe in exchange. The official was caught when he was receiving one of the five USD 100,000 instalments.

Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers later said that Deputy Energy Minister Oleksandr Kheilo had been dismissed from his post.

The Energy Ministry assisted the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) in the investigation.

Allies and partners

The European Union announced the allocation of EUR 2 million to finance a new humanitarian mine action mission in Ukraine, to be carried out by female instructors assisted by mine-detecting dogs.

Estonia has permitted Ukraine to use its supplied weaponry for strikes on military targets inside Russia.

The weapons provided by Germany to the Ukrainian side, from the moment of their transfer, become the property of Ukraine and can be used as Kyiv deems necessary and appropriate, Germany’s defense ministry said in a statement August 12.

 British weapons can be used by Ukrainian forces in operations on Russian territory, Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Thursday, but restrictions on the use of long-range Storm Shadow missiles remain in effect.

Setting out the use of weapons deliveries in some of the most explicit terms to date, a spokesperson for Britain's Ministry of Defence said that Ukraine had a "clear right of self-defence against Russia's illegal attacks" and "that does not preclude operations inside Russia".

Ukraine can use Canadian tanks and armored vehicles in its ongoing special military operation on Russian soil, Ottawa said.

Ukraine can defend itself on the territory of the aggressor country, and that would not be a violation of international law, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Jan Lipavsky said in a statement.

The President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, stated that Ukraine has the right to defend itself and can use the weapons provided by Finland on the territory of the Russian Federation.

US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, during a phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umyerov, discussed security aid priorities among other issues.

The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) announced that it had blocked 1.3 billion Swiss francs, equivalent to €1.4 Billion, potentially connected to Suleiman Kerimov, a high-profile member of the Russian Federation Council.

This development is part of an ongoing investigation being led by the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office, which is probing allegations of money laundering and violations of sanctions against four individuals associated with Kerimov.

Vice-presidential candidates JD Vance, Donald Trump's running mate, and Tim Walz, Kamala Harris's running mate have agreed to a debate on 1 October.

Germany is investigating possible Russian sabotage at two military bases where attempts were apparently made to contaminate drinking water, according to a senior lawmaker in Berlin.

Austria has decided to implement a new law to grant internally displaced Ukrainians unrestricted access to the Austrian job market.

The Austrian Federal Council has approved a bill revising the existing regulations on foreign employment.

Following the new law, Ukrainians can obtain a “Red-White-Red Plus Card” (RWR+), allowing them to live and work in Austria as self-employed or employed individuals.

The RWR+ offers several significant rights and benefits for Ukrainian refugees in Austria,

Sweden has reported a case of a more severe strain of mpox, claiming it is the first clade I variant to be detected outside of an ongoing outbreak in African countries.

It was diagnosed in a person who sought care in Stockholm after being infected in an area of Africa where this strain of the virus is spreading, according to the country's public health agency.

 PUBLICATIONS AND INTERVIEWS

August 12/A veteran’s path: from the front line to military recruitment agency

August 12/ Ukrainian strongmen: how sports help bring the wounded back to life

August 12/ Decentralization of the energy system is a recipe for salvation in wartime and beyond

August 13/ Into the battle even on a prosthesis: how soldiers from the Chimera Battalion are fighting in Kherson sector of the front line

August 13/ Turmoil surrounding the National Military Memorial Cemetery construction: is there a Russian hand?

August 13/ Maksym Skrypchenko, political scientist: Outcome of US presidential elections is hard to predict, everything can change in just five minutes

August 15/ The success of Ukrainian offensive into Russia triggered the outcry over fakes about "huge losses" purportedly being suffered by our army in Kursk

August 15/ Nelly Yarovenko, volunteer, adviser to the patronage service within the Mykolayiv regional military administration: Veteran's assistant’s job should be taught as a university course

August 16/ Kursk Incursion: what the goal is and what caused Russian defenses to fail

August 16/ Volodymyr Ohryzko, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2007-2009): We don't need a peace plan, but a victory plan

August 16/ "I want to get back on my feet." Since the beginning of the war, more than a hundred Ukrainian soldiers have underwent rehabilitation treatment at the Dolyna Hospital in the Carparthian region

August 16/ Sudzha: a comeback story?

Compiled by Maryna Dmytriv, Kyiv