Ukraine-Russia war – latest: Putin’s forces strike eastern towns after Kyiv makes gains in Bakhmut

Ukrainian forces have made incremental gains in blood-stained Bakhmut, provoking a wave of revenge attacks from Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, said the Ukrainian military managed to retake nearly two square miles during the past week around the ruined eastern city of Bakhmut.

But Russian troops were continuing their assault around the eastern towns of Kupyansk and Lyman, where she said they were regrouping.

“The Russians have intensified these offensives after success of the Ukrainian army on Bakhmut axis,” she said.

She added: “The Armed Forces are facing complete mining of the territory, cement fortifications of the key heights, (and) constant mortar and artillery shelling,” she said. “Additionally the Russians are densely using aviation.”

Troops were also fighting for control of the neighbouring settlement of Urozhaine, the deputy defence minister said.

A Moscow-installed official in an occupied part of Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia region said on Sunday that Kyiv was attempting to pierce Russian lines by gaining a foothold in both villages.

Key Points

• Putin’s forces strike eastern towns after Kyiv makes gains in Bakhmut

• Russia to equip new nuclear submarines with hypersonic missiles

• Ukraine reports fierce fighting, 'some success' in counteroffensive

• Baby among seven killed as Russia strikes Kherson

• Russian troops ‘forced to retreat’ as Ukraine ‘retakes key Donetsk village’

Russia responds to ‘false flag’ claims - reports

13:31 , William Mata

Vladimir Putin’s defence minister has reportedly claimed that Ukraine is subjecting its own Zaporizhzhia power plant to regular shelling.

The Mail Online reported that Sergei Shoigu said: “The actions by the Ukrainian armed forces could trigger a nuclear catastrophe.”

Mr Shoigu spoke after the West claimed that Russia is planning a “false flag operation” - in blaming Ukraine for a potentially deadly nuclear leak.

Kyiv has denied the reports, the Mail said.

Poland’s military show of force in parade

13:20 , William Mata

Poland has staged a military parade to showcase its state-of-the-art weapons and defence systems as war rages across its south-eastern border in Ukraine.

The show of force is also ahead of parliamentary elections on October 15.

Crowds gathered in scorching temperatures, that are expected to reach 35C, to see US-made Abrams tanks, Himars mobile artillery systems and Patriot missile systems, as well as South Korean FA-50 fighter jets and K9 howitzers.

Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland’s right-wing government has spent more than 16 billion dollars (£12.6bn) on tanks, missile interceptor systems and fighter jets, many purchased from the US and South Korea.

Poland, a Nato member, supports Kyiv in its war against Russia.

Live video: Poland stages military parade

13:16 , William Mata

Watch live as Poland celebrates Armed Forces Day with military parade.

The parade is being held in Poland's capital on the anniversary of the 1920 Battle of Warsaw, in which Polish troops defeated Bolshevik forces advancing on Europe.

Follow the live video here.

Power line supplying Chornobyl power station shut down due to damage in Belarus - reports

12:40 , William Mata

The power line that is supplying Chernobyl power station in central Ukraine has reportedly been shut down due to damage in Belarus.

The Kyiv Independent said on Tuesday that the 330 kV power line was stopped - and that this has been confirmed by the Ukraine Energy Ministry.

The report could not be independently verified.

Update: Three suspected Russian spies arrested in Britain

12:16 , William Mata

British police have said they had charged two men and a woman with identity document offences after the BBC reported the group were accused of spying for Russia.

The individuals are Bulgarian nationals, who were alleged to be working for Russian security services, the BBC said in its report.

The broadcaster said they had been held as part of a major national security investigation.

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed five people had been arrested by counter-terrorism officers in February under the Official Secrets Act and three had since been charged with possession of false identity documents with improper intention.

Orlin Roussev, 45, Biser Dzambazov, 42, and Katrin Ivanova, 31, appeared at the Old Bailey Court in July and were remanded in custody until a future date.

The police declined to comment on whether they were suspected of being Russian spies.

Sweden prepares military support package for Ukraine

12:10 , William Mata

Sweden has announced a military support package worth 3.4 billion Kr (£240 million) to support Ukraine’s defence.

Defence minister Pal Jonson said on Tuesday the package would be consisting mainly of ammunition and spare parts to previously delivered weapon systems.

Mr Jonson told a news conference: “We have to prepare ourselves for the fact this could be a long-lasting war and we also have a long-term perspective so that we can support those platforms that we are sending to Ukraine in a lasting manner.”

The new military aid package will be Sweden’s 13th to Ukraine since the start of the war.

Problems for Germany - including Ukraine invasion - allowing China to catch up

11:41 , William Mata

Germany’s economy is reportedly suffering as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - which is allowing Chinese manufacturers an increasing share of the market.

Reuters has reported that China is catching up with the Germans in the field of advanced industrial goods where Germany is a leader.

A study by the employers’ economic think tank IW found that in some sectors China’s share of EU imports had risen as much as or more in the two years to 2022 as they had in the preceding decade, prompting the think tank to warn that there was a risk of Germany’s economic motor stalling.

After years of growth, Germany’s economy entered recession in May as its champion exporters were battered by supply chain woes, inflation and rising energy costs after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prompting much debate on the industrial future of Europe’s economic powerhouse.

“These findings give cause to worry given the challenges of the energy change and problems with Germany’s competitiveness,” said researcher Juergen Matthes.

Volodymyr Zelensky meets with brigades in Donetsk

11:16 , William Mata

Volodymyr Zelensky has met with brigades in Donetsk to “speak with warriors” directly.

The president of Ukraine shared the video on Twitter on Monday.

Mr Zelensky tweeted: “Today, I visited our brigades in the Donetsk region to speak directly with our warriors.

“Third and 5th Assault, 80th Airborne, 57th Motorized, 22nd and 24th Mechanized, 26th Artillery, 92nd Mechanized.

“I was honored to thank each of them for their bravery and results for Ukraine.”

Hopes of ‘Hollywood’-style breakthrough in Ukraine ‘unrealistic’

10:21 , Tara Cobham

Western pressure on Ukraine’s counteroffensive to achieve a “Hollywood”-style breakthrough against Russia was “unrealistic” from the outset, and Kyiv’s allies must be prepared for the war to “drag on far longer” than they imagined, analysts have said.

With rains expected to muddy the battlefield in Zaporizhzhia as soon as September, the “odds are getting longer” on the “triumphant breakthrough” many in the West were hoping for, experts told The Independent.

Facing heavily fortified Russian defences, including vast minefields, Ukraine has been forced to broaden its focus away from the frontlines to wider attacks, which are having “real successes” in degrading Russia’s military capabilities and zapping the morale of its increasingly stretched forces.

Andy Gregory reports:

Ukraine’s frontline push damaged by Western pressure for ‘Hollywood’ breakthrough

Putin and Kim Jong Un exchange letters pledging to develop ties

09:15 , Tara Cobham

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged letters on Tuesday pledging to develop ties into what Kim called a "long-standing strategic relationship", Pyongyang's state media KCNA said.

The United States has accused North Korea of providing weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine, including artillery shells, shoulder-fired rockets and missiles. Pyongyang and Moscow have denied any arms transactions.

This comes as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Tuesday that this week’s summit with the leaders of the United States and Japan will set a new milestone in trilateral cooperation in the face of North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.

Russian air strikes on western Ukraine kill at least three, say officials

08:29 , Tara Cobham

Three people were killed and scores of others wounded in a large-scale air Russian attack on Ukraine's western region of Lviv and the northwestern region of Volyn, officials said.

Three people were killed and several hospitalised in Lutsk after a business enterprise was hit, Yuriy Pohulyaiko, governor the Volyn region of which Lutsk is the administrative centre, said on the Telegram messaging app.

The Volyn region borders NATO-member Poland to its west.

There were no casualties in Russia's air attack on the western region of Lviv, according to preliminary information, but more than 100 residential houses were damaged, 500 windows broken and a kindergarten playground was destroyed.

"Many missiles were shot down, but there were also hits in Lviv," city mayor Andriy Sadovyi said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that orders were given to evacuate at least one burning apartment building.

Sadovyi posted a video standing at a crater in front of a multi-storey building with all windows blasted out and scattered debris from what appearted to be a playground.

Ukraine's Air Force said that its forces had destroyed 16 of at least 28 Russia-launched air and sea-based missiles. It was not immediately clear how many missiles were launched at Lviv and Volyn.

Prague government opposes local performance by Russian soprano

07:00 , Namita Singh

The local government in Prague said Monday that it “unequivocally” opposes a scheduled performance by Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko in the Czech capital while Russia wages war on Ukraine.

Deputy mayor Jiri Pospisil, who oversees culture in the city, said that all the members of Prague’s governing coalition shared the same view.

“All the parties perceive that at a time when the war (in Ukraine) has been ongoing and we read every day about the victims of the Russian attacks in the media, it is insensitive for such a singer to perform here in Prague,” Mr Pospisil said.

Report:

Prague government opposes local performance by Russian soprano Anna Netrebko

British and Dutch jets scrambled to intercept Russian bombers

06:40 , Namita Singh

The UK’s Royal Air Force and the Dutch defence ministry said on Monday they scrambled fighter jets when Russian bombers were tracked flying toward the airspace off Scotland and the Netherlands, respectively.

The pair of Russian warplanes spotted in each location were flying in international airspace.

Britain’s air force said two Typhoon fighters were launched from RAF Lossiemouth to monitor the Russian bombers as they flew north of the Shetland Islands off Scotland. The Russian Tu-142 Bear-F and Tu-142 Bear-J, which are used for maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare, were in airspace that is part of Nato’s northern air policing area, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

Russian aircraft entering the UK’s zone of international airspace can pose a hazard to other planes because they often don’t communicate with air traffic control or broadcast their coordinates, the military said.

The Typhoons stayed with the Russian planes until they were out of the UK’s area of interest, according to a statement from the lead pilot, who wasn’t named.\

Denmark’s air force said its fighter jets identified the Russian bombers flying over the Baltic Sea toward the Netherlands. The Dutch defence ministry said it then scrambled two of its own F-16 fighters.

“This doesn’t happen often, but today’s incident demonstrates the importance of rapid deployment,” the ministry said. “The F-16s are on standby 24 hours a day and can take off within minutes and intercept an unidentified aircraft.”

RAF jets launched to intercept Russian bombers off coast of UK

Ukraine says it stopped air attacks on Odesa

06:20 , Namita Singh

Russia launched three waves of drones and missiles against the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa, officials said Monday, though the Ukrainian air force said it intercepted all the airborne weapons fired during the nighttime attacks.

Falling debris from the interceptions of 15 Shahed drones and eight Kalibr missiles damaged a residential building, a supermarket and a dormitory of an educational facility in the city, Odesa governor Oleh Kiper said.

Two employees of the supermarket were hospitalised, Mr Kiper said. Video showed a huge blaze at the store during the night and, the next day, the large building’s charred and mangled wreckage.

Meanwhile, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, rebuked critics who suggest a two and half month-old counteroffensive aimed at dislodging Russian forces from occupied areas of Ukraine should be advancing more quickly.

The Ukrainian army does not intend to engage in conspicuous “large-scale battles” against the Russians as the operation moves forward, Mr Podolyak said on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.

The goal, he said, is a piecemeal and systematic destruction of “the capabilities of the enemy army: its logistics, technical potential, officers and personnel.”

Tirade launched against Russia’s central bank governor as rouble tumbles

06:00 , Namita Singh

Central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina won plaudits for her handling of the economy in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion, but she may be being lined up as a scapegoat ahead of next March’s presidential election, as the weak rouble and stubbornly high inflation hurt consumers.

Popular pro-Kremlin television presenter Vladimir Solovyev, whose Rossiya 1 shows are watched by millions of Russians, launched into an aggressive, expletive-ridden criticism of the central bank late last week.

“...every other country is laughing at us, at our rouble being one of the three weakest currencies, thanks to the ‘genius’ policy of the central bank,” he said.

The population is feeling the pinch, too, according to Russians Reuters spoke to in Moscow on Monday.

“Of course, rising prices affect us, regular citizens, a lot,” said Ivan, a Moscow resident. “Because our salaries aren’t growing, and it takes a bite out of (what’s in) our wallets.”

Putin responds to Kim’s letter pledging to strengthen bilateral cooperation

05:40 , Namita Singh

Vladimir Putin, in his response to a letter from North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, also vowed to bolster bilateral ties.

“I am sure that we will strengthen the bilateral cooperation in all fields for the two peoples’ well-being and the firm stability and security of the Korean peninsula and the whole of Northeast Asia,” Putin said, according to KCNA.

The letter exchange comes as the leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan are set to discuss security cooperation over North Korea, Ukraine and other issues at a trilateral summit on 18 August at Camp David.

North Korea's Kim vows stronger ties to Russia in letter to Putin

05:20 , Namita Singh

North Korea leader Kim Jong-un in a letter to Vladimir Putin on Tuesday pledged stronger ties with Russia, Pyongyang’s state media KCNA said.

The letters mark the 78th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule, which is also celebrated as a national holiday in South Korea.

In his letter to Mr Putin, he said the two countries’ friendship was forged in World War II with victory over Japan and is now “fully demonstrating their invincibility and might in the struggle to smash the imperialists’ arbitrary practices and hegemony,” KCNA said.

“I am firmly convinced that the friendship and solidarity ... will be further developed into a long-standing strategic relationship in conformity with the demand of the new era,” Kim was quoted as saying in the letter.

“The two countries will always emerge victorious, strongly supporting and cooperating with each other in the course of achieving their common goal and cause.”

ICYMI: Ukraine pushes back Putin’s troops around Bakhmut

05:00 , Namita Singh

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday visited troops close to the frontline in eastern Ukraine, with his military reporting gains around the town of Bakhmut.

The deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, said that Kyiv’s troops had managed to retake nearly 2 square miles during the past week around the ruined Bakhmut – the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of Russia’s near 18-month war, which has gained symbolic significance for both nations.

Mr Zelensky visited brigades involved in attacks on the section of the frontline facing Soledar, the Russian-held town north of Bakhmut.

Our international editor Chris Stevenson has more:

Ukraine pushes back Putin’s troops around Bakhmut – as Zelensky visits frontline

Jailed WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich ‘remains strong’, says American ambassador

04:40 , Namita Singh

US ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy on Monday made her third visit to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been behind bars in Russia since March on charges of espionage.

Ms Tracy last visited Gershkovich in early July.

“Ambassador Tracy said that Evan appears in good health and remains strong, despite his very challenging circumstances. Embassy officials will continue to provide all appropriate support to Evan and his family. And we expect Russian authorities to provide continued consular access,” said State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.

More in this report:

Jailed WSJ reporter ‘remains strong’ and in ‘good health’, American ambassador says

As Russia’s rouble hits lowest level since early in war, central bank plans to step in

04:20 , Namita Singh

The Russian rouble on Monday reached its lowest value since the early weeks of the war in Ukraine as Moscow increases military spending and Western sanctions weigh on its energy exports.

It led Russia’s central bank to announce an emergency meeting for Tuesday to review its key interest rate, raising the likelihood of an increase in borrowing costs that would support the flagging rouble.

The Russian currency had passed 101 roubles to the dollar, continuing a more than one-third decline in its value since the beginning of the year and hitting the lowest level in almost 17 months. The ruble recovered slightly after the central bank’s announcement.

The meeting was set after president Vladimir Putin’s economic adviser, Maksim Oreshkin, blamed the weak rouble on “loose monetary policy” in an op-ed Monday for state news agency Tass.

He said a strong rouble is in the interest of the Russian economy and that a weak currency “complicates economic restructuring and negatively affects people’s real incomes.”

Blasts heard in Ukraine's western region of Lviv - officials

04:00 , Namita Singh

Explosions were heard earlier today in the western Ukrainian region of Lviv that borders with Poland, local officials said.

“Explosions again in Lviv,” Lviv city mayor Andriy Sadovyi said on the Telegram messaging app.

It was not immediately clear whether the explosions were air defence systems engaged in repelling an attack or ground targets being hit.

Urging people to seek shelter, the Lviv region’s governor Maxim Kozitsky said on Telegram earlier that Russia-launched missiles were heading towards the region.

Recap: RAF jets launched to intercept Russian bombers off coast of UK

03:45 , Sam Rkaina

Royal Air Force jets intercepted Russian bombers just north of Scotland, the government said on Monday.

Typhoon fighters were scrambled to intercept two Russian long-range maritime patrol bombers that were travelling north of the Shetland Islands in Scotland in the early hours of Monday.

The jets, which were launched from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, monitored the Russian Tu-142 Bear-F and Tu-142 Bear-J aircraft – used for reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare – as they passed north of the UK.

Click here for the full story.

Prague government opposes local performance by Russian soprano Anna Netrebko

02:45 , Sam Rkaina

The local government in Prague has said it “unequivocally” opposes a scheduled performance by Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko in the Czech capital while Russia wages war on Ukraine.

Deputy Mayor Jiri Pospisil, who oversees culture in the city, said that all the members of Prague’s governing coalition shared the same view.

“All the parties perceive that at a time when the war (in Ukraine) has been ongoing and we read every day about the victims of the Russian attacks in the media, it is insensitive for such a singer to perform here in Prague,” Pospisil said.

The Czech Republic has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine during the war. The governing coalition in Prague is made up of the same political parties that comprise the Czech government.

The view from City Hall does not necessarily mean Netrebko’s Oct 16 performance at Prague’s Municipal House won’t take place as planned. The management of the venue, which is a civic building as well as a concert venue, has the final say.

Pospisil acknowledged it would be “very difficult” to find a legal reason to cancel the soprano’s contract. Netrebko sued the Metropolitan Opera in New York City over its decision to cut ties with her last year for refusing to repudiate her support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Her 2023-24 season includes engagements with Berlin’s Staatsoper unter den Linden, the Vienna State Opera, Milan’s Teatro alla Scala and the Paris Opera.

Ukraine pushes back Putin’s troops around Bakhmut – as Zelensky visits eastern frontline

01:45 , Sam Rkaina

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday visited troops close to the frontline in eastern Ukraine, with his military reporting gains around the town of Bakhmut.

The deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, said that Kyiv’s troops had managed to retake nearly 2 square miles during the past week around the ruined Bakhmut – the scene for some of the bloodiest fighting of Russia’s near 18-month war, which has gained symbolic significance for both nations.

Mr Zelensky visited brigades involved in attacks on the section of the frontline facing Soledar, the Russian-held town north of Bakhmut.

Click here for the full story.

Watch: Newborn among those killed in ‘brutal’ strikes on Kherson region, Zelensky says

Tuesday 15 August 2023 00:45 , Sam Rkaina

Russia’s rouble sinks to 16-month low amid invasion of Ukraine

Monday 14 August 2023 23:45 , Sam Rkaina

Russia’s central bank is due to hold an unscheduled meeting to discuss the level of its key interest rate – in the wake of the rouble falling to its lowest value for more than 16 months.

Pressure on the Russian economy is growing as the Kremlin continues pumping vast sums into its invasion of Ukraine. The country has been targeted with sanctions led by Western nations since the invasion began.

Imports are also rising faster than exports sending the rouble past 100 per US dollar. The rouble plummeted as low as 119 per US dollar shortly after President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion in February 2002, but was later stabilised through capital controls and Russia’s lucrative oil and gas exports. The rouble has lost about a quarter of its value against the dollar since the start of the war.

Click here for the full story.

ICYMI: Russia fires warning shots at ‘Ukraine-bound’ international cargo ship in Black Sea

Monday 14 August 2023 22:45 , Eleanor Noyce

A Russian warship fired warning shots at a dry cargo ship in the Black Sea on Sunday, after the Russian defence ministry said it intercepted the Palau-flagged “Sukru Okan” ship heading towards Ukraine.

Issuing a statement, Russia said its Vasily Bykov patrol ship open fired with an automatic weapon at the vessel after its captain did not respond to their request to halt for an inspection.

“To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons,” the Russian defence ministy said. A Ka-29 helicopter carrying Russian soldiers was then scrambled to inspect the ship.

While Russia claims the ship was heading towards Ukraine’s port of Izmail, Refinitiv shipping data showed the ship was heading north towards the coast of Bulgaria, reported Reuters.

Read more here:

Russia fires warning shots at ‘Ukraine-bound’ cargo ship in Black Sea

Ukraine’s Zelensky visits troops near eastern frontline - president’s website

Monday 14 August 2023 21:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelensky visited troops at brigade headquarters in the eastern Ukrainian frontline region of Donetsk on Monday, his website said.

According to the site, Zelensky visited brigades involved in attacks on the section of the frontline facing Soledar, the Russian-held town north of Bakhmut.

Pictures on the website showed the president and his top aide talking to soldiers in a room with screens which had been pixellated out.

ICYMI: Newborn girl killed alongside parents and brother as Putin’s troops bombard Kherson village

Monday 14 August 2023 20:45 , Eleanor Noyce

An entire family including a newborn girl and her 12-year-old brother were among seven people killed during intense Russian shelling in a village in southern Kherson on Sunday.

Russian shells hit the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River, and killed a family that included a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old baby girl, Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Ministry said.

Another resident was also killed, as well as two men in the neighbouring village of Stanislav.

Ukraine’s interior minister Igor Klymenko said the shells hit the family’s home in Shiroka Balka, adding: “Terrorists must be stopped. They must be stopped by force. They don’t understand anything else.”

Matt Drake reports:

Newborn girl killed as Putin’s troops bombard Kherson village

Romania deploys ship, chopper to find stray Black Sea mines

Monday 14 August 2023 19:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Romania’s navy said it deployed a ship and a helicopter on Monday to scout for stray mines on the country’s Black Sea coast, after a pier in the seaside resort of Costinesti was lightly damaged in an explosion.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and mines have since then been laid in the Black Sea by the combatants. Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish military diving teams have been defusing those that have drifted into their waters.

The sea is crucial for shipments of grain, oil and oil products and is shared by Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Turkey, as well as Ukraine and Russia.

Romania’s navy said its divers were still investigating whether the explosion at the pier, which claimed no victims, was caused by a mine.

Reports of a separate mine drifting near the port of Mangalia were unfounded, it said.

Romania, both a European Union and NATO member, shares a 650-km (400 mile) border with Ukraine, is host to a U.S. ballistic missile defence system and, as of last year, has a permanent alliance battlegroup stationed on its territory.

US to send Ukraine new security aid worth $200 million - State Dept

Monday 14 August 2023 18:45 , Eleanor Noyce

The United States said on Monday it will send Ukraine new security assistance valued at $200 million.

The aid includes air defence munitions, artillery rounds, anti-armour capabilities, and additional mine-clearing equipment, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

Two U.S. officials told Reuters last Monday that they would begin to dole out $6.2 billion of funds discovered after a Pentagon accounting error that overvalued billions of dollars of Ukraine aid.

In May, the Pentagon announced it had mistakenly assigned a higher-than-warranted value to the U.S. weaponry shipped to Kyiv when staff used “replacement value” instead of “depreciated value” to tabulate the billions’ worth of ammunition, missiles and other equipment sent to Ukraine.

Ukraine needs weaponry that can be shipped from U.S. stocks in a matter of days or weeks so it can continue to repel Russia’s invasion. The accounting error works to Kyiv’s benefit because more equipment can be sent.

Beginning to use these discovered funds is significant because they represent the last of the previously congressionally authorised $25.5 billion worth of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) the administration can utilise to ship weapons from U.S. stocks in the event of an emergency, the U.S. officials said.

Washington is currently working on a supplemental budget request to continue to aid Kyiv, the U.S. officials said.

Monday’s announcement of $200 million would be the first tranche of a $6.2 billion windfall of previously authorised Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), the officials said.

Latvia leader to step down this week after coalition partners oppose government reshuffle

Monday 14 August 2023 17:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Latvia’s centre-right prime minister, Krisjanis Karins, said Monday he will step down later this week after the two other members of his three-party governing coalition refused a reshuffle.

Karins said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the two other parties — the conservative National Alliance and the centrist electoral alliance United List — were “blocking work for welfare and economic growth.”

Karins, 56, had planned to stay on as prime minister after announcing a new round of coalition talks, but the two partners said it was against the Latvian Constitution to do so, the Baltic News Service said.

Following last October’s general election, the three parties signed a deal in December to form a coalition government. Together they have 54 seats in Latvia’s 100-seat parliament, the Saeima.

Read more:

Latvia leader to step down this week after coalition partners oppose government reshuffle

Ships backed up in Black Sea lanes as Russia warning shots raise tensions

Monday 14 August 2023 16:44 , Eleanor Noyce

Merchant ships remained backed up in lanes around the Black Sea on Monday as ports struggled to clear backlogs amid growing unease among insurers and shipping companies a day after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo vessel.

Russia said its Vasily Bykov patrol ship on Sunday fired on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel after the ship’s captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection. After an inspection, the vessel continued its journey towards the Ukrainian port of Izmail along the Danube river, Russia said. Kviv on Monday condemned what it called “provocative” Russian actions and called for decisive countermeasures by the international community.

Insurance industry sources said rates for additional war risk premiums remained stable on Monday, although there was a possibility of a rise if a ship was damaged or sunk.

The cost of a Black Sea war risk premium, which is typically renewed every seven days and is in addition to annual insurance expenses, was estimated at tens of thousands of dollars per ship for the voyage.

At least 30 ships had dropped anchor around Musura Bay in the Black Sea, which leads into a channel that links up with Izmail further along the waterway, tracking data from analytics company MarineTraffic showed on Monday.

There were at least 20 ships anchored leading up to Izmail. In addition, there were at least 35 commercial ships waiting close to the Romanian port of Constanta, 15 more than last week, the MarineTraffic data showed.

Many of the vessels had reported their destination as Romanian ports. Romania on Monday said that it aimed to double the monthly transit capacity of Ukrainian grain to Constanta to 4 million tonnes in the coming months. Sunday’s incident cast a pall over plans announced by Ukraine last week for a “humanitarian corridor” in the Black Sea to release cargo ships trapped in Ukraine‘s ports since the outbreak of war.

There are an estimated 60 vessels still stuck inside Ukrainian ports including Odesa, one of three terminals that were part of UN backed grain initiative (BSGI) that Moscow exited.

Newborn girl killed alongside parents and brother as Putin’s troops bombard Kherson village

Monday 14 August 2023 15:49 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

An entire family including a newborn girl and her 12-year-old brother were among seven people killed during intense Russian shelling in a village in southern Kherson on Sunday.

Russian shells hit the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River, and killed a family that included a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old baby girl, Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Ministry said.

Another resident was also killed, as well as two men in the neighbouring village of Stanislav.

Ukraine’s interior minister Igor Klymenko said the shells hit the family’s home in Shiroka Balka, adding: “Terrorists must be stopped. They must be stopped by force. They don’t understand anything else.”

A photo shared by Mr Klymenko on Telegram showed plumes of smoke rising from the family’s home in the aftermath of the attack.

Newborn girl killed as Putin’s troops bombard Kherson village

Putin’s forces strike eastern towns after Kyiv makes gains in Bakhmut

Monday 14 August 2023 15:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian forces have made incremental gains in blood-stained Bakhmut, provoking a wave of revenge attacks from Vladimir Putin’s forces.

Deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, said the Ukrainian military managed to retake nearly two square miles during the past week around the ruined eastern city of Bakhmut.

But Russian troops were continuing their assault around the eastern towns of Kupyansk and Lyman, where she said they were regrouping.

“The Russians have intensified these offensives after success of the Ukrainian army on Bakhmut axis,” she said.

She added: “The Armed Forces are facing complete mining of the territory, cement fortifications of the key heights, (and) constant mortar and artillery shelling,” she said. “Additionally the Russians are densely using aviation.”

What are hypersonic missiles and how do they work?

Monday 14 August 2023 14:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia is in the process of equipping its new nuclear submarines with hypersonic Zircon missiles, the head of Russia’s largest shipbuilder has said.

“Multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will ... be equipped with the Zircon missile system on a regular basis,” , Alexei Rakhmanov, chief executive officer of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), told RIA.

“Work in this direction is already underway.”

Yasen-class submarines, also known as Project 885M, are nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines, built to replace Soviet-era nuclear attack submarines as part of a programme to modernise the army and fleet.

The sea-based Zircon hypersonic missiles have a range of 900 km (560 miles), and can travel at several times the speed of sound, making it difficult to defend against them.

What are hypersonic missiles and how do they work?

Twenty-two Russian diplomats leave Moldova as relations slide

Monday 14 August 2023 14:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Twenty-two Russian diplomats flew out of the Moldovan capital of Chisinau on Monday, leaving behind a skeleton staff as relations between the two countries deteriorate.

Moldovan officials have said the reduction of staff at the Russian embassy to 25 from 80 will establish parity with Moldova’s embassy in Moscow.

Ex-Soviet state Moldova has been buffeted by Russia‘s war in neighbouring Ukraine and its pro-European President Maia Sandu has denounced the invasion and accused Moscow of trying to destabilise her country.

Moldovan media outlets published a video of two buses being escorted out of the Russian embassy by police and driving in the direction of the airport.

A source at Chisinau airport told Reuters that the plane carrying the embassy staff had left for the Russian city of Sochi, from where it would continue to Moscow.

Twenty-three technical support staff and their families were also asked to leave along with the diplomats.

Two Russian citizens held in Poland on claims of spreading propaganda for Wagner

Monday 14 August 2023 14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Two Russian citizens have been arrested on allegations of spreading propaganda for Russia‘s Wagner mercenary group, Poland’s security authorities said.

The Internal Security Agency, or ABW, alleged the men had been acting on behalf of Russia‘s secret services and were distributing leaflets in Warsaw and Krakow advocating joining the mercenaries.

The two, identified only as Alexei T and Andrei G, were to receive the equivalent of some 5,000 dollars (£3,940) for their work, the agency alleged.

They were arrested on Friday on allegations of working for a foreign intelligence agency and participation in an organised group having terrorist goals.

If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison.

In recent months Poland has arrested 22 people suspected of spying for Russia or for its ally, Belarus, in what Warsaw sees as part of a hybrid war on Poland due to its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia‘s aggression.

In pictures: Aftermath of Russian shelling

Monday 14 August 2023 13:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Pictures show local residents search for their belongings in the ruins of a house destroyed by recent shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine.

Russia targets Odesa again

Monday 14 August 2023 12:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia launched three waves of night-time air attacks against the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa, officials said on Monday, but the Ukrainian air force said it intercepted all 15 incoming Shahed drones and eight Kalibr missiles.

Falling debris from the interceptions damaged the dormitory of an educational facility in the city, a residential building and a supermarket, Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said.

Two employees of the supermarket were taken to hospital, he said.

The Kremlin’s forces have pummelled Odesa recently, aiming at facilities that transport Ukraine‘s crucial grain exports and also wrecking Ukrainian historical sites.

The stepped-up barrage followed Moscow’s decision to break off a landmark agreement that had allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia and help reduce the threat of hunger.

Following that withdrawal, Russia carried out repeated strikes on Ukrainian ports, including Odesa, and declared wide areas of the Black Sea unsafe for shipping.

On Sunday, a Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the south-western Black Sea.

Russia‘s Defence Ministry said the ship was heading north to the Ukrainian Danube River port of Izmail.

Russian forces fired shots from automatic small arms to force it to stop, the ministry said on Telegram.

Ukraine‘s presidential office reported on Monday that at least eight civilians were killed and 23 others injured in Ukraine over the previous 24 hours.

Ukraine reports fierce fighting, 'some success' in counteroffensive

Monday 14 August 2023 12:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine on Monday reported fierce fighting along its entire front line and “some success” in pushing back Moscow’s troops in one part of the southeast where Ukrainian forces are trying to retake Russian-occupied territory.

Progress has been hampered by widespread Russian-laid minefields and strong fortifications, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said.

But the Ukrainian military had pushed forward around the village of Staromaiorske, around 60 miles southwest of Russian-held Donetsk, and was pressing on two fronts in the south, Maliar said.

Troops were fighting for control of the neighbouring settlement of Urozhaine, she said. A Moscow-installed official in an occupied part of Ukraine‘s Zaporizhzhia region said on Sunday that Kyiv was attempting to pierce Russian lines by gaining a foothold in both villages.

“Hostilities are taking place in the vicinity of Urozhaine and the fight is for this particular locality,” Maliar said in a statement to an official military platform. “There is some success on the southern and southeast axes in the vicinity of Staromaiorske.”

Russia's weapons showing effectiveness in Ukraine, Shoigu says

Monday 14 August 2023 11:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday that Russian weapons were showing their effectiveness in Ukraine.

In remarks shown on state television, Shoigu said that “much-hyped” Western weaponry had shown itself to be “far from perfect” in the course of fighting in Ukraine.

Russia supplying S-400 air defence systems to India on schedule - defence official

Monday 14 August 2023 11:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia will deliver an order of S-400 anti-aircraft systems to India within the agreed timeframe, Interfax news agency quoted a senior Russian defence export official on Monday as saying.

India is the world’s biggest arms importer and still mostly uses Russian technology for traditional arms, but officials in New Delhi have expressed concern that Russia‘s war in Ukraine could delay planned deliveries of weapons and equipment.

“The production of S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile systems is being carried out according to schedule,” Interfax quoted Dmitry Shugaev, head of Russia‘s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, as saying.

“The delivery of the equipment of the S-400 Triumf system is expected to be completed within the agreed time frame,” he said in comments made during an armed forces event.

India purchased the S-400 Triumf air defence system units in 2018 for $5.4 billion. Three of the systems have been delivered and two more are still awaited.

The deliveries are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024, according to Interfax.

The Indian Air Force said in March that the war in Ukraine was holding up vital defence supplies from Russia.

New Delhi has been seeking in recent years to diversify imports or replace them with home-built hardware.

It is buying French fighter jets, Israeli drones and U.S. jet engines. But Russia still accounted for $8.5 billion of the $18.3 billion India has spent on arms imports since 2017, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Wagner tracker: Charting Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mercenary group through the Ukraine war

Monday 14 August 2023 10:36 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Since Vladimir Putin rose to power as Russia’s president 23 years ago, few things have rocked his leadership as much as Saturday 24 June when Wagner mercenaries barrelled towards Moscow.

The “army within an army” who had been ruthlessly grinding away for months at the vanguard of some of the bloodiest fighting in eastern flanks Ukraine were now on the verge of triggering a war within a war - this time, against the Kremlin.

But the Russian president was spared that when the mutiny was halted in its tracks about 125 miles from the capital, in a deal between the leader of the mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin and Putin – brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Prigozhin himself was due to head to Belarus – although he has been pictured in Russia since – with an invitation for Wagner fighters to gather in Belarus. Thousands are set to entered the country since.

Below we track Wagner’s involvement in the invasion of Ukraine and their infamous- but failed- march to Moscow:

Charting Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary group through the Ukraine war

Danish air force intercepts Russian bombers headed to Dutch NATO airspace

Monday 14 August 2023 10:14 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Danish air force has intercepted two Russian bombers that were identified over Denmark and flying towards the area that the Netherlands monitors for the NATO military alliance, the Dutch Royal Airforce said on Monday.

It added that Dutch F-16s were called into action Monday morning, but the Russian bombers were intercepted before they could enter Dutch NATO airspace and have now turned back.

A spokesperson for the Dutch Royal Airforce said that planes are intercepted if they do not have a unique identifying code, did not provide a flight plan, and if there is no two-way conversation.

He also said that it’s not rare for Russian airplanes to violate a European country’s airspace or approach it.

Reuters could not immediately reach the Danish Ministry for Defence for comment.

German network regulator names 2nd managing director of Rosneft Deutschland

Monday 14 August 2023 09:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Germany’s network regulator on Monday said it had appointed Udo Giegerich as a second managing director of the German subsidiary of Russia‘s Rosneft , Rosneft Deutschland, which Berlin put under a trusteeship last year.

The regulator said Giegerich was a proven financial expert as a former finance chief at various companies and would be responsible for Rosneft Deutschland’s finance department.

Chinese Defense Minister Li to visit Russia and Belarus in show of support despite West's objections

Monday 14 August 2023 09:39 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu is visiting Russia and Belarus in a show of support for those nations which the West has sought to isolate over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Li departed Monday on the six-day trip, during which he will deliver an address at the Moscow Conference on International Security and meet with defense leaders from Russia and other nations, the Defense Ministry said on its social media account, citing spokesperson Col. Wu Qian.

Russian Foreign Ministry Sergey Lavrov is due to speak at the conference on the topic of the “Majority World countries’ search for ways to development outside Western mechanisms, including strengthening multilateral associations of a new type,” Russia’s official TASS news agency reported.

It said representatives from about 100 countries and eight international organizations had been invited to attend.

Chinese Defense Minister Li to visit Russia and Belarus in show of support despite West's objections

Ukraine condemns 'provocative' Russian actions in Black Sea

Monday 14 August 2023 09:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine on Monday condemned what it called “provocative” Russian actions and called for decisive countermeasures by the international community, a day after Moscow said one of its warships had fired warning shots at a cargo vessel in the Black Sea.

Moscow said in a statement on Sunday that its Vasily Bykov patrol ship fired automatic weapons on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel after the ship’s captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection.

Russia has said it will treat any ships approaching Ukrainian ports as potential military vessels after it left a U.N.-brokered deal last month that allowed the safe passage through the Black Sea of Ukrainian grain.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns the provocative actions carried out by the Russian Federation on August 13 in the Black Sea in relation to the Turkish dry cargo vessel ‘Sukru Okan,’ which was en route to the port of Izmail,” the ministry said in a statement.

Kyiv said the incident was a gross violation of international law and “exemplified Russia‘s deliberate policy of endangering the freedom of navigation and safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea”.

“We express our support and solidarity with Turkiye, our strategic partner, and we call on the international community to take decisive action to prevent Russian Federation’s actions that impede the peaceful passage of vessels through the Black Sea,” the ministry said.

Russia to equip new nuclear submarines with hypersonic missiles

Monday 14 August 2023 08:28 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia is in the process of equipping its new nuclear submarines with hypersonic Zircon missiles, the head of Russia‘s largest shipbuilder told the RIA state news agency in an interview published on Monday.

“Multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will ... be equipped with the Zircon missile system on a regular basis,” , Alexei Rakhmanov, chief executive officer of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), told RIA.

“Work in this direction is already underway.”

Yasen-class submarines, also known as Project 885M, are nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines, built to replace Soviet-era nuclear attack submarines as part of a programme to modernise the army and fleet.

The sea-based Zircon hypersonic missiles have a range of 900 km (560 miles), and can travel at several times the speed of sound, making it difficult to defend against them.

President Vladimir Putin said earlier this year that Russia would start mass supplies of Zircon missiles as part of the country’s efforts to boost its nuclear forces.

The Russian multi-purposes frigate Admiral Gorshkov, which has tested its strike capabilities in the western Atlantic Ocean earlier this year, has been already equipped with Zircon missiles

Ukraine condemns 'provocative' Russian actions in Black Sea

Monday 14 August 2023 08:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukraine has condemned Russia for its "provocative" actions, a day after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo vessel in the Black Sea.

"The ministry of foreign affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns the provocative actions carried out by the Russian Federation on August 13 in the Black Sea in relation to the Turkish dry cargo vessel 'Sukru Okan,' which was en route to the port of Izmail," the ministry said in a statement today.

"The Russian Navy grossly violated the UN Charter, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and other norms of international law. These actions exemplified Russia's deliberate policy of endangering the freedom of navigation and safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea."

Purported video shows huge fire as Russia strikes Odesa

Monday 14 August 2023 07:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukrainian forces blow up minibus used to transport Russian soldiers

Monday 14 August 2023 07:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Footage shows the Russian vehicle being hit and exploding, with black smoke rising into the air as it burns.

The images were shared by Colonel General Oleksandr Stanislavovych Syrskyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Wednesday saying: “The 63rd OMBr destroys the minibus that the Russians used to transport their personnel. Good job.”

Ukrainian forces blow up minibus used to transport Russian soldiers

Search teams comb rubble after factory explosion close to Moscow

Monday 14 August 2023 06:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Rescuers in Russia combed through the rubble following an explosion on the grounds of a factory in Sergiev Posad, north of the capital Moscow.

Twelve people remained missing after the explosion on Wednesday at a factory that makes optical equipment for Russian security forces, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing emergency officials.

Russia’s Emergency Ministry released footage showing crews clearing the debris, with excavators and heavy machinery being used to comb through the site.

Watch: Search teams comb rubble after factory explosion close to Moscow

Russia fires warning shots at ‘Ukraine-bound’ international cargo ship

Monday 14 August 2023 06:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A Russian warship fired warning shots at a dry cargo ship in the Black Sea yesterday, after the Russian defence ministry said it intercepted the Palau-flagged “Sukru Okan” ship heading towards Ukraine.

Issuing a statement, Russia said its Vasily Bykov patrol ship open fired with an automatic weapon at the vessel after its captain did not respond to their request to halt for an inspection.

"To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons," the Russian defence ministy said. A Ka-29 helicopter carrying Russian soldiers was then scrambled to inspect the ship.

While Russia claims the ship was heading towards Ukraine’s port of Izmail, Refinitiv shipping data showed the ship was heading north towards the coast of Bulgaria, reported Reuters.

"After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail," the Russian defence ministry said.

Namita Singh has more.

Russia fires warning shots at ‘Ukraine-bound’ cargo ship in Black Sea

Russia equipping new nuclear submarines with zircon missiles, says shipbuilder

Monday 14 August 2023 05:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia is in the process of equipping its new nuclear submarines with hypersonic Zircon missiles, the head of Russia’s largest shipbuilder has said.

“Multi-purpose nuclear submarines of the Yasen-M project will ... be equipped with the Zircon missile system on a regular basis,” Alexei Rakhmanov, chief executive officer of the United Shipbuilding Corporation told RIA state news agency.

“Work in this direction is already underway.”

Yasen-class submarines, also known as Project 885M, are nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines, built to replace Soviet-era nuclear attack submarines as part of a programme to modernise the army and fleet.

Russian president Vladimir Putin said earlier this year that Russia would start mass supplies of Zircon missiles as part of the country’s efforts to boost its nuclear forces.

Russia vows retaliation after Ukraine attack on Crimea bridge

Monday 14 August 2023 05:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia has vowed revenge after claiming to have shot down Ukrainian missiles targeting a key bridge linking them with the annexed Crimea.

Videos on social media appeared to show smoke rising from near Kerch Bridge, an important resupply route for Russian forces.

The Kremlin accused Ukraine of terrorism, while also claiming to have thwarted an attack by 20 drones targeting Crimea overnight.

Russian foreign spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram: “There can be no justification for such barbaric actions and they will not go unanswered.”

More here.

Russia vows retaliation after Ukraine launches attack on key Crimea bridge

Three injured in Russian attack on Odesa

Monday 14 August 2023 04:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

At least three people sustained injuries in Russia’s overnight attack on the port city of Odesa, the governor of the Ukrainian region said.

“As a result of the enemy attack in Odesa, several fires broke out from falling rocket fragments,” the governor, Oleh Kiper, said today.

“Windows in buildings were blown out by the blast wave.

Baby dead in Russian attack on Kherson

Monday 14 August 2023 04:19 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Artillery shelling in the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River killed a family — a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old girl — and another resident.

Two men were killed in the neighboring village of Stanislav, where a woman was also wounded.

The attack on Kherson province followed Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar’s comments on Saturday attempting to quell rumors that Ukrainian forces had landed on the occupied left (east) bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.

“Again, the expert hype around the left bank in the Kherson region began. There are no reasons for excitement,” she said.

7 killed in Ukraine's Kherson region, including a 23-day-old baby girl

Ukraine is the most mined country in the world, claims defence minister

Monday 14 August 2023 04:00 , Matt Drake

Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces have been laying down landmines year after year in an effort to thwart any counteroffensive.

The Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov claimed that millions of explosive devices have been placed along the frontline which extends roughly 600 miles.

Speaking to The Guardian, he said: "Russian minefields are a serious obstacle for our troops, but not insurmountable.

"We have skilled sappers and modern equipment, but they are extremely insufficient for the front that stretches hundreds of kilometres in the east and south of Ukraine.”

Polish minister says reinforcement at the border with Belarus is due to hostile rhetoric and actions

Monday 14 August 2023 03:00 , Matt Drake

Poland’s defense minister said Saturday that the country has increased the number of troops protecting its border with Belarus as a deterrent amid “destabilizing” actions by its pro-Russian neighbor.

Mariusz Blaszczak met in Jarylowka, in eastern Poland, with some of the troops recently deployed close to the Belarus border.

He insisted that the increased military presence is purely a deterrent move, not a hostile act, as Minsk and Moscow are claiming.

“There is no doubt that the Belarus regime is cooperating with the Kremlin and that the attacks on the Polish border are intended to destabilize our country,” Blaszczak said.

Read the full report by Rafal Niedzielski below.

Polish minister says reinforcement at the border with Belarus is due to hostile rhetoric and actions

Further shelling in Kherson region

Monday 14 August 2023 02:00 , Matt Drake

There has been further shelling in the village of Bilozerka on the outskirts of Kherson.

It comes after reports that shelling in Shikora Balka killed seven people, including a 23-day-old baby.

Air raid sirens were reported across the region for the rest of Sunday.

According to military officials on Telegram, 12 houses were damaged, injuring a man and a 31-year-old woman.

Ukrainian troops shoot flyers at Russian positions urging them to surrender

Monday 14 August 2023 01:00 , Matt Drake

Images show Ukrainian soldiers preparing artillery shells filled with flyers near Bakhmut, Donetsk region.

The flyers have messages urging Russian troops to give up and are then fired towards enemy positions using a Grad multiple-launch rocket system.

Russia says it has foiled Ukraine drone attack over Belgorod region

Monday 14 August 2023 00:00 , Matt Drake

Russia’s defence ministry claimed on Sunday that their air defences shot down another drone over the western Belgorod region at around 10 pm Moscow time.

The ministry said in a post on its Telegram channel: “There were no casualties or destruction.”

Newborn baby girl killed alongside parents and brother as Putin’s troops bombard Kherson village

Sunday 13 August 2023 23:00 , Matt Drake

An entire family including a newborn baby girl and her 12-year-old brother were among seven people killed during intense Russian shelling in a village in southern Kherson on Sunday.

Russian shells hit the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River, and killed a family that included a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old baby girl, Ukraine’s Internal Affairs Ministry said.

Another resident was also killed, as well as two men in the neighbouring village of Stanislav.

Ukraine’s interior minister Igor Klymenko said the shells hit the family’s home in Shiroka Balka, adding: “Terrorists must be stopped. They must be stopped by force. They don’t understand anything else.”

Read the full report by Matt Drake below.

Newborn baby girl killed as Putin’s troops bombard Kherson village

Torture is ‘antithesis of a peaceful settlement,’ warns UN special rapporteur

Sunday 13 August 2023 22:26 , Andy Gregory

War crimes such as torture are “the antithesis of a peaceful settlement”, the UN’s special rapporteur on torture has warned, after writing to Russian authorities to detail allegations brought to her concerning Moscow’s forces in Ukraine.

“Torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of your enemy is one of the crimes which is so hard for societies and individuals to recover from. That is the antithesis of a peaceful settlement,” said Dr Alice Jill Edwards, in an exclusive interview with The Independent.

“It’s not the investigations into these allegations, it’s the actual acts themselves. There really is never any peace without justice, and I think the Ukraine context is very interesting how this [bid] to investigate crimes of torture is being carried out in real-time while a war is underway. That is rare.”

Ukrainian accounts of torture ‘go way beyond rogue Russian troops’, UN warns

Charting the Wagner mercenary group’s movements through the Ukraine war

Sunday 13 August 2023 21:29 , Andy Gregory

The UK’s Ministry of Defence first reported that Wagner mercenaries had been deployed in Ukraine on 28 March 2022, little over a month into Moscow’s invasion – after Russian losses had already begun to hamper the pace of the initial assault.

Military consultant Nicholas Drummond told The Independent: “Wagner was involved from the start but the group started to become a key player when the initial assault ran into difficulty. By the end of March, it was very evident that the invasion had gone wrong. Putin used Prigozhin as a troubleshooter and Wagner was there to fill the gaps.”

But despite handing Mr Putin the rare opportunity to vaunt a military success in Ukraine with the grinding and costly capture of Bakhmut, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin would ultimately turn on the Kremlin, and his exact whereabouts now are up for debate, as his mercenaries’ presence in Belarus raises concerns across the border with Nato.

My colleague Maryam Zakir-Hussain takes a look below at Wagner’s movements since the war’s outset:

Charting Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary group through the Ukraine war

Russian scientists ‘begin processing first data’ from Luna-25 space mission

Sunday 13 August 2023 20:22 , Andy Gregory

Russia has switched on the scientific instruments aboard its lunar lander and scientists began processing its first data, as the space craft sped towards the moon in a bid to be first to find ice on the Earth’s only natural satellite.

The Russian Luna-25 mission, the first since 1976, is racing against India, which launched its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander last month, to complete a soft landing on the moon’s south pole where scientists believe there are pockets of water ice.

A Soyuz 2.1 rocket carrying the Luna-25 craft blasted off from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East at 2:11am on Friday Moscow time and was boosted out of Earth’s orbit an hour later.

There is much riding on the Luna-25 mission for Russia – if it succeeds, Moscow is likely to say it shows that the West’s sanctions over the Ukraine war cannot hold it back, while failure would again raise questions over Russia’s space ambitions after decades of superpower competition with the US during the Cold War.

Seven killed in Ukraine’s Kherson region, including a 23-day-old baby girl

Sunday 13 August 2023 19:26 , Andy Gregory

Seven people – including a 23-day-old baby girl – were killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region on Sunday, the country’s Internal Affairs Ministry said.

Artillery shelling in the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River killed a family — a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old girl — and another resident.

Two men were killed in the neighbouring village of Stanislav, where a woman was also wounded.

Susie Blann has the full report:

7 killed in Ukraine's Kherson region, including a 23-day-old baby girl

Ukraine claims to have ‘liquidated’ 560 Russian troops in 24 hours of fighting

Sunday 13 August 2023 18:31 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine claims to have “liquidated” a further 560 Russian troops in its daily roundup of Moscow’s losses.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also claimed to have destroyed 20 vehicles and fuel tanks, 11 armoured personnel vehicles, three tanks, and 19 artillery systems.

Ukraine’s count of Russian losses is somewhat higher than estimates by Western allies, media outlets and other analysts, which in turn are significantly higher than those admitted to by Moscow.