Ukraine war – live: Russia closes major airports as Moscow apartments hit in drone strike

Russia has again been forced to shut down its air space over the three biggest airports in Moscow, where arrivals and departures were suspended in the early hours of this morning after a swarm of Ukrainian drones reportedly hit buildings in the capital region, officials said.

“Flights are not being received, departures are delayed,” a person aware of the situation told the Russian news agency TASS.

This comes right after the Russian military claimed to have brought down four Ukrainian drones near Moscow and over the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine.

At least one drone was shot down in the Odintsovo district near Chastsy settlement to the west of Moscow and four blasts were heard shortly after 3am local time (00.00 GMT).

Videos published by Russian media outlet Baza showed broken windows in a high rise apartment building, debris on a pavement and a car with a hole in its glass roof hatch. “Windows were shaking,” a witness said.

Ukraine has never taken responsibility for drone strikes on Russian and Russia-controlled territory that have surged recently.

Key Points

• Moscow closes air space as Ukrainian drone hits capital region

• Ukrainian drone strikes apartments near Moscow, leaves windows ‘shaking’

• Zelensky says F-16s make him ‘confident’ Russia will lose the war

• Putin visits top military brass in Rostov-on-Don

Moscow closes air space after Ukrainian drone attacks

04:07 , Arpan Rai

Russia has again been forced to shut down its air space over the three biggest airports in Moscow, where arrivals and departures were suspended in the early hours of this morning, Russia’s TASS news agency reported.

“The air space is closed over Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo,” an unnamed official told the agency.

“Flights are not being received, departures are delayed,” the person said.

This comes after Russia reported a series of Ukrainian drone attacks including over Moscow, which had struck a building.

Ukrainian drone strikes apartments near Moscow, leaves windows ‘shaking’

04:01 , Arpan Rai

The Russian military has brought down four Ukrainian drones near Moscow and over the Bryansk region that borders Ukraine, officials said today.

At least one drone was shot down in the Odintsovo district near Chastsy settlement to the west of Moscow and four blasts were heard shortly after 3am local time (00.00 GMT).

Broken windows in a high rise apartment building, debris on a pavement and a car with a hole in its glass roof hatch could be seen in videos and pictures from the scene published by Russian media outlet Baza.

“Windows were shaking,” a witness said.

Russia’s defence ministry said there were no injuries in the latest attack.

One of the drones was shot down over Krasnogorsk, a town outside Moscow, that hosts the Moscow regional government.

Ukraine has never taken responsibility for drone strikes on Russian and Russia-controlled territory that have increased recently but its leaders, including Volodymyr Zelensky, have expressed satisfaction on the attacks.

Full report: Russian space agency chief blames decades of inactivity for Luna-25 lander's crash on the moon

04:00 , AP

The head of Russia’s space agency said on Monday that the Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after its engines failed to shut down correctly, and he blamed the country’s decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mishap.

The pilotless Luna-25 had been scheduled to land on Monday while aiming to become the first spacecraft to touch down on the south pole of the moon, an area where scientists believe important reserves of frozen water and precious elements may exist.

Roscosmos director general Yury Borisov said the spacecraft’s engines were turned on over the weekend to put Luna-25 into a “pre-landing orbit” but did not shut down properly, plunging the lander onto the moon.

“Instead of the planned 84 seconds, it worked for 127 seconds. This was the main reason for the emergency,” Mr Borisov told Russian state news channel Russia 24.

Emma Burrows has the full report here:

Russian space agency chief blames decades of inactivity for Luna-25 lander's crash on the moon

Independent TV | What Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska wants the world to know

03:02 , Andy Gregory

Russian artillery within five miles of Kupiansk

02:04 , Andy Gregory

Russian artillery is within five miles of Kupiansk. Intense fighting is taking place in the outlying villages, with recently-acquired cluster ammunition used by the Ukrainians to repulse repeated enemy attacks.

More than 11,000 residents have been moved out under a mandatory evacuation order, with families with children and the elderly categorised as a priority. Some have stubbornly refused to move, despite first-hand experience of the violence.

Our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta has more in this special report from Kupiansk:

On the ground in Ukraine, the battle to beat ‘Putin’s thugs’ | Kim Sengupta

Pope Francis discusses Ukraine war and peace with US military chief

01:01 , Andy Gregory

Pope Francis and Washington’s top general discussed the war in Ukraine and hopes for peace there during a private audience at the Vatican on Monday.

General Mark Milley, who is Catholic and is visiting several European countries, said the Pope was deeply concerned about the loss of life in Ukraine, particularly of civilians, since Russia invaded in February 2022.

A strong advocate for Ukraine’s defence against Russian forces, the general has championed sending billions of dollars in arms to Kyiv and has sharply criticised Moscow as mounting “a campaign of terror” against civilians in Ukraine

The Pope has condemned the international arms trade in general but said last year that it is morally legitimate for nations to supply weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against Russian aggression.

US State Department approves possible sale of Apache helicopters to Poland

Tuesday 22 August 2023 00:02 , Andy Gregory

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of AH-64E Apache helicopters and related equipment to Poland in a deal valued at up to $12bn (£9.4bn), the Pentagon has said

Poland – which has prioritised boosting its military since Russia’s invasion of neighbouringUkraine – has requested 96 of the Apache attack helicopters and related equipment, including 1,844 Hellfire missiles and 508 Stinger missiles, the Pentagon said.

While the Pentagon notified the US Congress of the possible sale on Monday, this does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded.

Boeing and Lockheed Martin are the prime contractors for the weapons, according to the Pentagon.

Prigozhin claims he is in Africa in new clip

Monday 21 August 2023 23:06 , Andy Gregory

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has claimed to be in Africa as he posted the first video clip of himself in weeks on Telegram channels affiliated with the mercenary group.

Prigozhin is seen standing in a desert area in camouflage and with a rifle in his hands, with more armed men in the distance. In the distance, there are more armed men and a pickup truck.

“The temperature is +50 - everything as we like. The Wagner PMC makes Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa – more free. Justice and happiness – for the African people, we’re making life a nightmare for Isis and Al-Qaeda and other bandits,” he says in the clip.

He then says Wagner is recruiting people and the group “will fulfil the tasks that were set”. The video is accompanied by a telephone number for those who want to join the group.

Experts have suggested in the weeks since Wagner’s brief mutiny against Russia’s military leadership that the mercenary group’s activities in Africa and the Middle East will return to the fore, given their diplomatic and potentially financial value to the Kremlin.

Putin was meant to be at a summit in South Africa this week. Why was he asked to stay away?

Monday 21 August 2023 22:18 , Andy Gregory

Vladimir Putin will be the odd one out when leaders from the BRICS economic bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa meet in Johannesburg this week.

While all the others are set to attend the meetings in person, Putin will dial in on a video call.

The reason? An International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued for the Russian president put summit host South Africa in a sticky situation and ultimately resulted in Putin staying at home.

Gerald Imray has the full report:

Putin was meant to be at a summit in South Africa this week. Why was he asked to stay away?

Greece will help train Ukrainian F-16 pilots, Zelensky says

Monday 21 August 2023 21:32 , Andy Gregory

Greece will take part in the training of Ukrainian air force pilots for F-16 jets, Volodymyr Zelensky has said during a joint press conference with Greek premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens.

Denmark and the Netherlands announced on Sunday that they would supply the first F-16s to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president told a crowd in Denmark on Monday that promised deliveries of F-16 had made him confident Ukraine could end Russia’s invasion, and at a later conference in Athens expressed his gratitude for Greece’s involvement in the corresponding training.

He did not provide details of the training programme. Officials from a coalition of 11 nations have said F-16 training will take place in Denmark and Romania.

Russian space chief blames decades of inactivity for Luna-25 crash

Monday 21 August 2023 20:43 , AP

The head of Russia's space agency said that the Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Moon after its engines failed to shut down correctly, and he blamed the country's decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mishap.

The pilotless Luna-25 had been scheduled to land on Monday while aiming to become the first spacecraft to touch down on the south pole of the Moon, an area where scientists believe important reserves of frozen water and precious elements may exist.

Sanctions imposed on Russia since it launched a war in Ukraine nearly 18 months ago have affected its space programme, making it more difficult to access Western technology.

More than 100,000 Russian troops amassing in northeast, says Ukraine

Monday 21 August 2023 20:01 , Andy Gregory

Our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta reports:

The Russian force amassed near Kupiansk contains more than 100,000 troops, 900 tanks, 555 artillery systems and 375 self-propelled guns, according to Serhiy Cherevaty, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern front.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of the armed forces, has stressed the threat to the defence lines in the northeast is very real. “The enemy’s goal is to break through and go directly to Kupiansk. The fighting is extremely intense, some positions have changed hands several times. We are making all the necessary preparations,” he says.

Hanna Maliar, the deputy defence minister, says that “the hottest direction remains Kupiansk”. It is plain the Russians “want to retake the territories in the Kharkiv region that they lost”.

On the ground in Ukraine, the battle to beat ‘Putin’s thugs’ | Kim Sengupta

Wagner ‘a victim of its own brand name’, says analyst

Monday 21 August 2023 19:23 , Andy Gregory

The Wagner mercenary group is in some ways “a victim of its own brand name”, one analyst has suggested.

Mark Galeotti, director of the Mayak Intelligence consultancy, told The Independent that he believed Kyiv’s military was not “in the slightest bit worried” about the threat of Wagner fighters in Belarus attempting to cross Ukraine’s northern border.

Speaking of claims the mercenaries could try to cross into Poland or Ukraine, he said: “In some ways, Wagner is a victim of its brand name, and people are suggesting it’s going to do all types of crazy things that are totally beyond their capabilities, but also which frankly no one would even try.”

Wagner has “lost all of its heavy equipment”, he added, with Russia’s defence ministry making “damn sure” to reclaim tanks and artillery handed to the mercenaries while in Ukraine, meaning “we’re talking about a bunch of guys with Kalashnikovs, rather than a sort of fully coherent mechanised force”.

Citing reports that funding disputes have already seen some mercenaries bussed back to Russia, Mr Galeotti said Ukraine has “ample forces to stop 2,000 guys with guns wandering over” a border “carefully watched” due to its proximity to Kyiv, most likely including by Nato.

How much of a threat does Wagner pose in Belarus?

Monday 21 August 2023 18:51 , Andy Gregory

The newfound presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, exiled from Russia after their mutinous march on Moscow, has fuelled fresh anxieties in Ukraine and on Nato’s eastern flank.

But the true extent to which Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s guns for hire are now operating in Belarus – and their aims there – remains hard to determine.

“We are dealing with layer upon layer of disinformation,” Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House, told The Independent.

“Not only the repeated information campaign trying to convince Ukraine that there is a renewed threat from the north, but also confusion over exactly what Wagner is doing, who they are reporting to, who they are following orders from, and where they might be.”

Wagner threat in Belarus explained as mercenary group ‘a victim of its brand name’

Special report: On the ground in Ukraine, the desperate fight to protect a key city from 100,000 of ‘Putin’s thugs’

Monday 21 August 2023 18:20 , Andy Gregory

“We were born here, lived here all our lives, and we’ll die here,” says Antonia Samuelska as she trudges along with the aid of a walking stick on a deserted street in Kupiansk. “We have no other home anywhere else, we’ll have to accept what comes.”

The stillness of a hot afternoon under a blazing sun is broken by the sudden roar of artillery fire, three rounds landing one after the other in quick succession, not far away, spraying dust and debris up into the air with plumes of flame and smoke.

“See that? That’s what’s happening every day now. They get closer and closer, what are they trying to hit? Those are just empty houses, most people have left”, says Samuelska. “This place has been attacked since the start of the war. We had a little bit of peace after that, and then it started again”.

The attacks are continuing. On Sunday, 11 people were injured, seven severely, after Kupiansk, in northeastern Ukraine, was hit by artillery strikes. The shelling went on intermittently for several hours, setting cars and buildings on fire.

The city, less than two hours tank drive from Kharkiv – the second city of Ukraine – changed hands after Vladimir Putin’s invasion. It was captured early on by the Russians and remained under occupation for six months. It was retaken last autumn in a Ukrainian assault that blitzed through the region making sweeping gains.

Now, while international focus has been on the much-publicised Ukrainian summer counteroffensive, in which progress has been slow, Moscow has amassed a huge force – mounting its own offensive towards Kharkiv. Kupiansk, a key logistics hub, is the first objective.

Read more in this special report from our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta:

On the ground in Ukraine, the battle to beat ‘Putin’s thugs’ | Kim Sengupta

Ukraine mulling new Black Sea corridor for grain exports, official claims

Monday 21 August 2023 17:55 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine is considering using its newly-tested wartime Black Sea export corridor for grain shipments after the first successful evacuation of a vessel along the route last week, a senior agricultural official has said.

Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports since invading last February, and threatened to treat all vessels as potential military targets last month as it pulled out of a UN-backed deal providing Black Sea grain export ships safe passage.

In response, Ukraine announced a “humanitarian corridor” hugging the western Black Sea coast near Romania and Bulgaria. A Hong Kong-flagged container ship stuck in Odesa port since the invasion travelled the route last week without being fired upon.

“Only one commercial vessel has passed through so far, [and this] has shown readiness to move by alternative routes,” Denys Marchuk, deputy head of the Agrarian Council, Ukraine’s largest agribusiness group, told national television.

“Further, there should be a movement of potentially 7-8 more ships ... then perhaps in the future these alternative routes will become a corridor for the movement of ships that are travelling with cargoes of grain and oilseeds,” he said.

The Financial Times reports that Kyiv is finalising a scheme with global insurers to cover grain ships travelling to and from its Black Sea ports, citing Ukrainian deputy economy minister Oleksandr Gryban.

Zelensky vows retaliation for Chernihiv attack that killed seven people and wounded almost 150

Monday 21 August 2023 17:00 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian oresident Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday vowed stern retaliation for a Russian missile strike in the center of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv that killed seven people and wounded almost 150 others the day before.

“I am sure our soldiers will respond to Russia for this terrorist attack. Respond tangibly,” Zelensky said in a video address published in the early hours of Sunday at the end of a visit to Sweden, his first foreign trip since attending a NATO summit in Lithuania last month.

He identified a 6-year-old girl named Sofia as among the dead in the attack and confirmed that the wounded included 15 children.

Zelenskyy vows retaliation for Chernihiv attack that killed seven people and wounded almost 150

Ukraine’s elite armoured brigade hit with ‘five airstrikes a day'

Monday 21 August 2023 16:44 , Martha Mchardy

An elite Ukrainian unit equipped with British Challenger 2 tanks is being hit with “five airstrikes a day,” Ukraine’s deputy Ukrainian defence minister has said.

The The 82nd air assault brigade is deployed on the southern front and is equipped with German Marder vehicles and American Stryker armoured personnel carriers.

“The price of the headlines about where the 82nd brigade was moved in the south is five airstrikes on the brigade per day,” said Hanna Maliar, deputy Ukrainian defence minister.

In pictures: Zelensky visits Copenhagen

Monday 21 August 2023 16:30 , Martha Mchardy

Zelensky meets Greek PM

Monday 21 August 2023 16:00 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky flew to Greece on Monday for talks with the country’s leadership and to attend an informal meeting of Balkan leaders with top European Union officials.

Zelensky met with Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and also was scheduled to meet the country’s figurehead president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

In the evening, Mitsotakis’ office said, Zelensky was to join in an informal dinner organized by Mitsotakis for top officials from nine Balkan nations as well as European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Charles Michel.

The dinner was scheduled to discuss the Western Balkans region’s future in the EU, which many countries have already joined and the rest are jockeying to enter.

Greece has joined its Nato and EU partners in strongly backing Ukraine against the Russian invasion, and has provided material military assistance in the form of armored personnel carriers and ammunition.

But Athens has resisted pressure to provide Kyiv with a Russian-made air defence missile system stationed on the southern island of Crete.

Zelensky thanks Danish royals for 'humanitarian efforts'

Monday 21 August 2023 15:57 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska thanked the Danish royals for their “humanitarian efforts” as they visited Copenhagen today.

The Ukrainian president and his wife met with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and other members of the Royal Family during their trip.

In a tweet president Zelensky said: “We are thankful for the Royal Family’s support of all the important humanitarian efforts. We thank the Danish government, parliament, and all Danes for standing with Ukraine.”

German prosecutors raid home of pro-Kremlin activists

Monday 21 August 2023 15:33 , Martha Mchardy

German prosecutors said on Monday they searched the home of two pro-Kremlin activists under suspicion that they violated a law that regulates the production and transfer of war weapons.

The activists - Max Schlund and his romantic partner Elena Kolbasnikova - have organised multiple rallies protesting Germany’s support of Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion last year.

Reuters reported in January that Schlund and Kolbasnikova donated funds collected from supporters in Germany to a Russian army division fighting in Ukraine, and the money was used to purchase walkie-talkie radios, headphones and telephones.

German prosecutors searched the couple’s home in March as they looked for evidence to corroborate Reuters’ reporting.

Ulf Willuhn, a representative of the Cologne public prosecutors, confirmed on Monday the raid was conducted over suspicions of a violation of the War Weapons Control Act, but denied it was connected to their aid for Donbas in eastern Ukraine. Willuhn declined to comment further on the investigation.

Germany’s war weapons law regulates the production, sale and transfer of weapons ranging from hand grenades and automatic rifles to combat aircraft.

One of Kolbasnikova and Schlund’s supporters wrote in a Telegram chat on Monday that the police “smashed” into the couple’s apartment and injured Schlund during their search. Willuhn said he was not aware of Schlund’s injuries and could not comment.

Schlund and Kolbasnikova could not be immediately reached for comment. Kolbasnikova has previously said that the German authorities were “committing lawlessness” to try to silence political opponents.

Markus Beisicht, the couple’s lawyer who has been involved in the pair’s past rallies, told Reuters the apartment was damaged during the search on Monday and said Schlund was left with small bruises and wounds after the raid.

Watch: Ukrainian troops fight on the frontline in Kupiansk

Monday 21 August 2023 15:15 , Martha Mchardy

Hiding beneath normality, daily life in Kyiv conceals the burdens of war

Monday 21 August 2023 14:45 , Martha Mchardy

Life in the capital of a war-torn country seems normal on the surface. In the mornings, people rush to their work holding cups of coffee. Streets are filled with cars, and in the evenings restaurants are packed. But the details tell another story.

Numerous buildings across Kyiv bear the scars of Russian bombardment. Sandbags are stacked around monuments, museums and office buildings to protect from possible attack. At nights, streets are empty after the midnight curfew comes into force.

Read more:

Hiding beneath normality, daily life in Kyiv conceals the burdens of war

On the ground in Ukraine, the desperate fight to protect a key city from 100,000 of ‘Putin’s thugs’

Monday 21 August 2023 14:15 , Martha Mchardy

The northeastern city of Kupiansk is a key target for Russia as it attempts to fight back against Ukraine’s summer offensive. As relentless shelling bombards the city, Kim Sengupta meets residents and soldiers facing daily assault.

On the ground in Ukraine, the battle to beat ‘Putin’s thugs’ | Kim Sengupta

Ukraine’s Zelensky says F-16s make him ‘confident’ that Russia will lose the war

Monday 21 August 2023 13:44 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky told a crowd in Denmark on Monday that promised deliveries of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets had made him confident Ukraine could end Russia’s invasion.

Denmark and the Netherlands on Sunday announced they would supply the first F-16s to Ukraine, with the initial six due to be delivered around New Year. Washington had approved the delivery of the jets ahead of Zelensky’s trip to Copenhagen.

“Today we are confident that Russia will lose this war,” Zelensky told thousands of people who gathered outside the Danish parliament to hear his speech.

Russia warned earlier that supplying the jets to Ukraine would only escalate the war, which has dragged on for almost 18 months. Russian forces are occupying almost a fifth of Ukraine’s territory and Kyiv is battling hard to push them out.

Iranian delegation arrives in Moscow to discuss ground forces cooperation -TASS

Monday 21 August 2023 12:45 , Martha Mchardy

An Iranian military delegation has arrived in Moscow to discuss cooperation between Iranian and Russian ground forces, state news agency TASS reported on Monday, citing Russia’s Defence Ministry.

Russia and Iran, both under Western economic sanctions, have forged closer relations in military and other areas since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.

The West has accused Iran of selling large numbers of drones for use against Ukraine, something Tehran denies.

Zelensky warns that Russia’s neighbours are ‘under threat’ if Ukraine does not win war

Monday 21 August 2023 11:48 , Martha Mchardy

President Zelensky warned that Russia’s neighbours are “under threat” if Ukraine does not win the war.

The Ukrainian president thanked Danish lawmakers on Monday for helping his country resist Russia’s invasion, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will provide Kyiv with American-made F-16 warplanes that could be delivered around the end of the year.Addressing the Danish parliament in Copenhagen, he said: “All of Russia’s neighbours are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail.

“International law will not be resuscitated, democracies of the world, each of them can become a target – either for missiles, or for mercenaries, or for destabilisation, and I am sure you can fill it.

But Ukraine will prevail. Thankyou for all the help provided to Ukraine.”

Four killed and 25 wounded in latest Russian attacks in Ukraine, says presidential office

Monday 21 August 2023 11:13 , Martha Mchardy

At least four civilians were killed and 25 others wounded by the latest Russian attacks in Ukraine, according to the country’s presidential office.

The dead included a 71-year-old man killed by Russian shelling in the north-eastern Kharkiv region, near the border with Russia.

Watch live: Zelensky speaks to Danish people after addressing parliament in Copenhagen

Monday 21 August 2023 11:08 , Martha Mchardy

Watch live as Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to Danish people outside the parliament in Copenhagen on Monday, 21 August, after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in what he called a “historic” pledge.

Denmark will deliver 19 jets, with the first six due to be shipped around New Year, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said.

Live: Zelensky speaks to Danish people after addressing parliament in Copenhagen

Watch: Ukrainian troops fight on the frontline in Kupiansk

Monday 21 August 2023 10:47 , Martha Mchardy

RECAP: Ukraine’s Zelensky in Netherlands after US approved sending Dutch F-16 jets to Ukraine

Monday 21 August 2023 10:15 , Martha Mchardy

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday, two days after the country said the United States had given its approval for Dutch and Danish authorities to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine‘s air force.

Zelensky met Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte at a military air base in the southern city of Eindhoven. The Ukrainian leader was in Sweden a day earlier.

The U.S. approval Friday for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver American-made F-16s to Ukraine was seen as a major boost for Kyiv, even though the fighter jets won’t have an impact any time soon on the almost 18-month war.

Ukraine's Zelenskyy in Netherlands after US approved sending Dutch F-16 jets to Ukraine

Russia warns F-16 donations will escalate war with Ukraine

Monday 21 August 2023 09:48 , Martha Mchardy

Russia has condemned a decision by Denmark and the Netherlands to donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, saying the move would escalate the conflict.

“The fact that Denmark has now decided to donate 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine leads to an escalation of the conflict,” Russian ambassador Vladimir Barbin said in a statement cited by the Ritzau news agency.

“By hiding behind a premise that Ukraine itself must determine the conditions for peace, Denmark seeks with its actions and words to leave Ukraine with no other choice but to continue the military confrontation with Russia,” he said.

Danish defence minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Ukraine may only use the donated F-16s within its own territory.

“We donate weapons under the condition that they are used to drive the enemy out of the territory of Ukraine. And no further than that,” Ellemann-Jensen said on Monday.

“Those are the conditions, whether it’s tanks, fighter planes or something else,” he said.

Denmark will deliver 19 jets in total. The Netherlands has 42 F-16s available in all but has yet to decide whether all of them will be donated.

Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky said on Sunday the planes would strengthen Ukraine’s air defences and help its counter-offensive against Russian forces.

Domino’s franchisee to declare Russian business bankrupt

Monday 21 August 2023 09:35 , Martha Mchardy

The Russian arm of fast food chain Domino’s is likely to close after its London-listed parent company decided to put it into bankruptcy.

Apparently failing to find a buyer for the Russian business, DP Eurasia said it has decided its subsidiary should instead file for bankruptcy

The franchisee runs around 170 Domino’s pizza sites in the country, and had previously said it was “evaluating its presence” there.

Domino’s franchisee to declare Russian business bankrupt

Drone attack thwarted over Russia’s Kaluga region ‘without casualties or damage,’ governor claims

Monday 21 August 2023 09:11 , Martha Mchardy

The governor of Russia’s Kaluga region, south of Moscow, said on Monday that a drone attack had been repelled without casualties or damage.

Two injured in Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow region

Monday 21 August 2023 08:58 , Martha Mchardy

At least two people were injured on Monday when parts of a Ukrainian drone destroyed by Russian air defences fell on a house in the Moscow region, the regional governor said.

Ukraine may use new Black Sea route for grain shipments

Monday 21 August 2023 08:40 , Martha Mchardy

Ukraine is considering using its newly-tested wartime Black Sea export corridor for grain shipments, a senior agricultural official said on Monday.

It follows the first successful evacuation of a vessel on the route last week.

Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports since it invaded its neighbour in Feb. 2022 and threatened to treat all vessels as potential military targets after pulling out of a U.N.-backed safe passage deal last month.

In response, Ukraine announced a “humanitarian corridor” hugging the sea’s western coastline near Romania and Bulgaria. A Hong Kong-flagged container ship stuck in Odesa port since the invasion travelled the route last week without being fired upon.

“Only one commercial vessel has passed through so far, it has shown readiness to move by alternative routes,” Denys Marchuk, deputy head of the Agrarian Council, Ukraine’s largest agribusiness organisation, told national television.

“Further, there should be a movement of potentially 7-8 more ships... then perhaps in the future these alternative routes will become a corridor for the movement of ships that are travelling with cargoes of grain and oilseeds,” he said.

The Financial Times said Kyiv was finalising a scheme with global insurers to cover grain ships travelling to and from its Black Sea ports, citing Ukraine’s deputy economy minister Oleksandr Gryban.

Ukraine is a global major grain grower and exporter and normally ships millions of metric tons of food from its deep-water Black Sea ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv, but has had to rely on its Danube river ports after Russia pulled out of the deal.

To attract ship owners to Ukrainian ports which have come under fire from Russian forces, Marchuk said Ukraine had already allocated 20 billion hryvnias ($547 million) for ship insurance.

“Not all ship owners will dare to put their ships in an uncertain environment,” he added.

Watch live: Zelensky addresses Danish parliament after ‘historic’ fighter jets pledge

Monday 21 August 2023 08:27 , Martha Mchardy

Watch live as Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the Danish parliament on Monday, 21 August, after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in what he called a “historic” pledge.

Denmark will deliver 19 jets, with the first six due to be shipped around New Year, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said.

A further eight will be sent in 2024 and five in 2025.

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said the Netherlands has 42 jets but some will be needed for training purposes.

It is not confirmed when the Netherlands will send the aircraft.

Watch live: Zelensky addresses Danish parliament after ‘historic’ fighter jets pledge

Ukraine says it repels Russian attacks in Kharkiv region, gains in east

Monday 21 August 2023 08:07 , Maanya Sachdeva

The situation in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv is “difficult” but Ukraine‘s forces are repelling Russian attacks and have re-taken several square kilometres on the eastern front over the past week, a deputy defence minister said on Monday.

The Ukrainian military said last week that Russia was attacking towards Kupiansk, a town in the Kharkiv region.

“The situation in the Kupiansk direction is difficult. The enemy is not leaving plans to move forward, the enemy is pulling up additional forces,” Hanna Maliar told the national television broadcaster.

“We are confident in our defenders, but it is very difficult for them there and the enemy is not advancing there,” she said.

Maliar said that Ukrainian forces were advancing south of Bakhmut, the city occupied by Russian forces in May after a bloody months-long struggle, and had liberated another three square kilometres over the past week.

These reports could not be independently verified at the time.

Maliar said there were no significant changes in the situation in the south, where Ukrainian forces are trying to split Russian forces and reach the Sea of Azov.

“We should not underestimate the enemy,” Maliar said. “We should all be patient and support our armed forces.”

Russia says two Ukrainian drones jammed over Moscow region

Monday 21 August 2023 07:37 , Maanya Sachdeva

Two Ukrainian drones were reportedly downed on Monday in the Moscow region, briefly disrupting flights at two of the capital’s airports, according to Russian officialds.

Russia‘s defence ministry said it jammed a Ukrainian drone in the Ruzsky district west of the capital and later destroyed another one in the Istrinsky district nearby.

Arrivals and departures from Moscow’s Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were briefly halted but later restarted.

Ukrainian drone strikes both on border regions and on the Russian capital have become increasingly common in recent months, with repeated strikes on Moscow’s financial district.

Ukraine typically does not comment on who is behind attacks on Russian territory, although officials have publicly expressed satisfaction over them.

Russia reshuffles army formations to target key hotspots, says UK MoD

Monday 21 August 2023 07:07 , Arpan Rai

Russia is expanding and reorganising its military structures to cope with its losses in key fighting hotspots, according to the UK’s MoD.

“One new formation is highly likely – the 18th Combined Arms Army (18 CAA). The formation is likely to be an amalgamation and uplift of other units currently operating in Kherson Oblast, including 22nd Army Corps, the force which usually constitutes Russia’s garrison in occupied Crimea,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

It added that the 18 CAA is “likely to consist mostly of mobilised personnel and to focus on defensive security operations in the south of Ukraine”.

Russia likely aims to free up more experienced units to fight on key axes, the MoD said.

“There is a realistic possibility that this has led to the recent re-deployment of airborne forces from Kherson to the heavily contested Orikhiv sector,” it added.

Moscow’s Domodedovo airport restricts flight – reports

Monday 21 August 2023 06:37 , Arpan Rai

Moscow’s Domodedovo airport has restricted arrivals and departures shortly after a Ukrainian drone was jammed and crashed over the capital region, Russian news agencies said.

The step was taken “in order to ensure additional flight safety measures”, TASS and RIA said, citing the airport’s press service.

Arrivals and departures from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport were suspended in the morning.

Russia claims Ukrainian drone jammed over Moscow region

Monday 21 August 2023 06:17 , Arpan Rai

A Ukrainian drone was jammed over the Moscow region causing it to crash, Russia’s defence ministry said today.

There were no casualties, the ministry added. Officials suspended arrivals and departures from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport shortly after, local news agencies reported.

In pics: Zelensky marks successful trip to Denmark

Monday 21 August 2023 06:06 , Arpan Rai

F-16 training underway for Ukrainian pilots as Kyiv’s allies rally to air defence

Monday 21 August 2023 05:34 , Arpan Rai

On Saturday, Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov announced F-16 training had begun for Ukrainian pilots, but added that it would take at least six months and possibly longer to also train engineers and mechanics.

After delivering a big boost for Kyiv with the announcement of the planned delivery of dozens of F-16s, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said more than 70 Ukrainian military officials had arrived in Denmark for training. Officials from a coalition of 11 nations have said training will take place in Denmark and Romania.

The Netherlands and Denmark have led a months-long push to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s and to ultimately deliver the jets to help counter the air superiority of Russia, whose forces invaded Ukraine in February last year.

While Ukraine has said it expects several dozen pilots to be trained, it remains unclear how many pilots had arrived in Denmark.Both the Netherlands and Denmark have F-16s available to donate as their armed forces are transitioning to newer F-35 fighters.

Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft suffers technical glitch in pre-landing maneuver

Monday 21 August 2023 04:30 , Matt Drake

Russia reported an “abnormal situation” Saturday on its moon-bound Luna-25 spacecraft, which launched earlier this month.

The country’s space agency, Roscosmos, said the spacecraft ran into unspecified trouble while trying to enter a pre-landing orbit, and that its specialists were analyzing the situation.

“During the operation, an abnormal situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the maneuver to be performed with the specified parameters,” Roscosmos said in a Telegram post.

Roscosmos did not specify whether the incident will prevent Luna-25 from making a landing.

Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft suffers technical glitch in pre-landing maneuver

Dozens of F-16s ready for Kyiv once crew finishes training

Monday 21 August 2023 04:10 , Arpan Rai

Ukraine is set to receive dozens of F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and Denmark in a sign of “unwavering support” once the pilot training of Ukrainian troops has been satisfactorily completed, their respective leaders announced.

Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will get 42 jets, but the Netherlands and Denmark, in a joint statement announcing the deliveries, did not specify numbers.

Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen said 19 jets will “hopefully” be sent to Kyiv, of which six will arrive around the new year, eight more next year and the remaining five will be sent in 2025 as he asked Ukraine to “please take this donation as a token of Denmark’s unwavering support for your country’s fight for freedom”.

Danish defence minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Denmark’s support for Ukraine is unwavering and with the donation of F-16s, the country is now leading the way.

“It makes me proud that Denmark, together with the Netherlands, will donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine‘s fight for freedom against Russia and its senseless aggression,” he said in a statement.

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said the Netherlands has 42 of the jets, but said some will be needed for training purposes.

The timeline of dispatching these to Kyiv will depend on how soon Ukrainian crews and infrastructure are ready for the powerful US-made jets.

Mr Zelensky welcomed the ‘’historic” announcement and praised Mr Rutte for making the Netherlands the first country to offer the planes. The announcement came minutes after the two leaders inspected two grey F-16 jets parked in a hangar at a Dutch base in the southern city of Eindhoven.

Russia 'fired on its own side' during counteroffensive

Monday 21 August 2023 03:30 , Matt Drake

Ukrainian soldiers who served on the frontline have described some of the desperate measures used by Russia.

A deputy battalion commander of 129th Territorial Defense Brigade told The New York Times: "The Russians attempted counterattacks, tried to squeeze us out, to encircle us but everything happened as we envisioned.

"They buried quite a lot of their own guys."

Russia is said to have resorted to firing rockets at the battlefield indiscriminately, killing many of their own soldiers.

What each of the Republican candidates have said about the war in Ukraine

Monday 21 August 2023 02:30 , Matt Drake

As President Joe Biden likes to remind anyone who’ll listen, “This is not your grandfather’s Republican Party”.

One of the issues where that’s becoming more evident by the day is Ukraine.

John McCain, the late Arizona Senator and 2008 GOP presidential candidate, sounded the alarm about Russia for years, making him one of President Vladimir Putin’s “greatest antagonists,” the Arizona Republic noted in February 2022, days after the Russian invasion began.

During the last year of his presidency in 2008, George W Bush said he “strongly supported” eventual Nato membership for Ukraine and Georgia. Last year, in a viral gaffe, he mistakenly said Iraq when he meant to call the war in Ukraine “unjustified and brutal”.

His younger brother, Jeb Bush, a former Florida Governor, went to Europe in 2015 shortly before announcing his presidential campaign.

Read the full report below.

What each of the Republican candidates have said about the war in Ukraine

Ukraine has only moved six miles behind Russian lines

Monday 21 August 2023 01:30 , Matt Drake

Ukraine's counteroffensive isn't progressing as well as many had hoped, US officials have warned.

Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and principal research scientist at the Center for Naval Analyses, told the Financial Times: "It’s been about 10km of advance at most no matter where you look in this offensive."

Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the Rand Corporation, said: "I don’t think that you’ll hear an argument from anyone that this is going well right now or that this is heading to a place that people would view as good, but there is not much by way of plan B."

Holland and Denmark in coalition to train Ukrainian pilots

Monday 21 August 2023 00:30 , Matt Drake

The Netherlands and Denmark announced Sunday they will give F-16 warplanes to Ukraine, in a long-awaited announcement that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an important motivation for his country’s forces that are embroiled in a difficult counteroffensive against Russia.

The Dutch and Danish governments are also involved in a coalition that is working to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the advanced fighter jets.Zelenskyy declined to say how many Ukrainian pilots would undergo training in Denmark and later in Romania, citing security reasons. However, Denmark said Friday that the training is starting this month.Officials have previously said that Ukrainian pilots will need six to eight months of training.

Ukrainians torn by evacuation calls as Russian shells fall in northeast

Sunday 20 August 2023 23:40 , Matt Drake

Ukrainians living in the northeastern Kupiansk district close to Russia’s border on Sunday found themselves torn between the will to stay and protect what they have built and the desire to flee from Russian artillery fire.

“If you said the evacuation is going well,” Dmytro Lozhenko, who runs a volunteer group that helps civilians flee the fighting, said on television, “It would sound like a bit of sarcasm.”

Regional authorities announced a mandatory evacuation of civilians from near the Kupiansk front earlier this month due to daily Russian shelling.

The artillery toll on Sunday, Ukraine‘s prosecutor general said, began in the morning with an attack on the city of Kupiansk that sent a 45-year-old man to hospital in serious condition.

In an interview on Ukrainian television, Lozhenko said about 600 people had been evacuated from the area in the past 10 days, more than 120 of them children.

But what is now a mandatory evacuation, he said, may yet become a forced one, “at least for families with children and for people with reduced mobility, who cannot look after themselves.”

In one village in Kupiansk district, he said, it was only after Russia bombed out almost two entire streets that people started to leave. “The worst thing about evacuation is that people have been living in this war for a long time, and many of them are very used to shelling.”

F-16s ‘crucial’ to Ukraine long term, says Washington

Sunday 20 August 2023 22:33 , Matt Drake

On Friday, the Netherlands and Denmark said the US had authorised them to deliver American-made F-16s to Ukraine.

Washington’s approval was seen as a major boost for Kyiv, even though the fighter jets won’t have an impact any time soon on the almost 18-month war.Washington says the F-16s, like the advanced US Abrams tanks, will be crucial in the long term as Kyiv faces down Russia.Ukraine has been relying on older aircraft, such as Russian-made MiG29 and Sukhoi jets. F-16s have newer technology and targeting capabilities. They are also more versatile, experts say.In a video message earlier Sunday, Zelenskyy vowed a stern retaliation for a Russian missile strike the previous day in the center of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv that killed seven people and wounded over 100 others.

‘Wagner is victim of its own brand name’: How much of a threat does mercenary group pose in Belarus?

Sunday 20 August 2023 21:37 , Matt Drake

The newfound presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, exiled from Russia after their mutinous march on Moscow, has fuelled fresh anxieties in Ukraine and on Nato’s eastern flank.

Belarus’s neighbours have moved to a heightened state of alert since dictator Alexander Lukashenko appeared to broker a last-minute deal with the Kremlin to defuse the short-lived mutiny on 23 June and host Wagner troops on Belarusian soil.

During a recent meeting at the strategically important Suwalki Gap, a sparsely populated land corridor near their countries’ borders with Belarus and Russia’s enclave of Kaliningrad, Lithuania’s president Gitanas Nauseda warned that north of 4,000 mercenaries were believed to be in Belarus, while Poland’s premier Mateusz Morawiecki branded them “extremely dangerous”.

Read full article below.

Wagner threat in Belarus explained as mercenary group ‘a victim of its brand name’

Russian-occupied Crimea facising petrol shortages

Sunday 20 August 2023 21:17 , Matt Drake

Crimea is facing a gasoline shortage following Ukraine's attack on the bridge last month.

Now petrol stations in Crimea have run out of petrol over the past months, according to Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty.

Residents said one of the leading petrol chains in Crimea sent a text message urging people to stockup on fuel amid concerns of a shortfall.

Ukrainian pilots 'already begun training on F-16s'

Sunday 20 August 2023 20:38 , Matt Drake

The Defence of Ukraine Twitter announced that pilots have already begun their training.

It comes after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will donate F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv.

The tweet reads: “Our pilots and engineers have already began their training in Denmark.

“Denmark will provide Ukraine with 19 F-16s. We are working on the speed of preparations.

“During the talks we also discussed the possibility of expanding training missions — the algorithm is clear. Our F-16 coalition is proving its efficiency.

“Thank you, Denmark!”

Zelenskyy vows retaliation for Chernihiv attack that killed seven people and wounded almost 150

Sunday 20 August 2023 20:00 , Matt Drake

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday vowed stern retaliation for a Russian missile strike in the center of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv that killed seven people and wounded almost 150 others the day before.

“I am sure our soldiers will respond to Russia for this terrorist attack. Respond tangibly,” Zelenskyy said in a video address published in the early hours of Sunday at the end of a visit to Sweden, his first foreign trip since attending a NATO summit in Lithuania last month.

He identified a 6-year-old girl named Sofia as among the dead in the attack and confirmed that the wounded included 15 children.

The governor of the Chernihiv region, Vyacheslav Chaus, said Sunday that the total number of people confirmed to have been wounded had risen to 148.

Zelenskyy vows retaliation for Chernihiv attack that killed seven people and wounded almost 150

Ukraine's Zelenskyy in Netherlands after US approved sending Dutch F-16 jets to Ukraine

Sunday 20 August 2023 19:31 , Matt Drake

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday, two days after the country said the United States had given its approval for Dutch and Danish authorities to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine‘s air force.

Zelenskyy is meeting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at a military air base in the southern city of Eindhoven. The Ukrainian leader was in Sweden a day earlier.

The U.S. approval Friday for the Netherlands and Denmark to deliver American-made F-16s to Ukraine was seen as a major boost for Kyiv, even though the fighter jets won’t have an impact any time soon on the almost 18-month war.

Ukraine has long pleaded for the sophisticated fighter to give it a combat edge. It recently launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive against the Kremlin’s forces without air cover, placing its troops at the mercy of Russian aviation and artillery.

Ukraine's Zelenskyy in Netherlands after US approved sending Dutch F-16 jets to Ukraine

Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was ‘the apple of his eye’

Sunday 20 August 2023 19:00 , Matt Drake

Donald Trump has doubled down on claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin “would have never” launched a war on Ukraine if the four-times indicted former American president was still in power.

Mr Trump’s remarks came during his appearance on Fox Businnes’Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show aired on Friday. He went on to make bizarre comments about his relationship with Putin.

“Putin would’ve never gotten into Ukraine, but that’s just on my relationship with him. My personality over his,” Mr Trump said. “I was the apple of his eye and I would say, ‘Don’t ever do it.’ It was tough stuff there but he would have never done it.”

Read the full report below.

Trump boasts about his relationship with Putin saying he was ‘the apple of his eye’

Pictured, Ukrainian troops on the frontline

Sunday 20 August 2023 18:36 , Matt Drake

Pictures have emerged of Ukrainian servicemen of the 28th brigade using small multiple rocket systems.

They are shown targeting Russian troops at the frontline close to Bakhmut.