Ukraine war live: Kyiv to fortify borders with Russia and Belarus as Putin’s forces unleash missile barrage

The Ukrainian government is set to build new fortifications and military infrastructure in northeast regions that border Russia and Belarus at a cost of nearly $35m, prime minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

“At the request of Kharkiv and Chernihiv...we are allocating 911.5m hryvnias ($24.7m) for Kharkiv and 363m ($9.8m) for Chernihiv to build military engineering and fortification structures,” Mr Shmyhal said on Telegram.

Earlier on Tuesday, Vladimir Putin’s defence minister 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.

Meanwhile, three people have been killed and dozens more wounded in large-scale Russian air strikes that have hit two western regions of Ukraine that border Nato member Poland overnight.

Key Points

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

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

• Putin and Kim Jong Un exchange letters pledging to develop ties

• Russia to equip new nuclear submarines with hypersonic missiles

Captured Ukrainian soldiers ‘tortured’ in Russian prison

06:07 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Former Ukrainian captives have alleged they were subjected to torture, including electric shocks, while they were held at a detention facility in Russia.

Speaking to the BBC over a dozen former detainees detailed the alleged physical and psychological abuse they suffered at the hands of Russian officers and guards at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility Number Two in Taganrog.

They have since been released in prisoner exchanges.

Guards at the facility carry black batons and metal bars to beat the captives in the legs, arms, or “anywhere they wanted”, senior lieutenant Artem Seredniak was quoted as saying. “It’s what they call ‘reception’,” he said.

The captives were left under-nourished and the injured were not provided appropriate medical assistance, according to the report, which details a number of potential serious violations of international law.

Ukraine's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, told BBC that nine in every 10 former detainees claimed they had been tortured while in Russian captivity. "This is the biggest challenge for me now: how to protect our people on the Russian side," Mr Lubinets said. "Nobody knows how we can do it."

Watch: Russian navy officers point guns at crew after ordering ship to halt

08:30 , Tara Cobham

This is the moment armed Russian naval inspectors storm a cargo ship in the Black Sea after the vessel allegedly failed to stop when told to by a Kremlin warship.

Moscow said it fired warning shots at the Sukru Okan after it failed to respond to a demand for it to halt on Sunday.

In the video, released by Moscow, the servicemen make their way down a corridor carrying automatic weapons. They enter the vessel’s bridge and question the captain on why the ship had not stopped.

It appears the vessel’s failure to stop may have been caused by a language barrier.

Lucy Leeson reports:

Watch: Russian navy officers point guns at crew after ordering cargo ship to halt

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

08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

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 tha start of the war.

Matt Mathers has more.

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

Russia likely aiming for self-sufficiency in Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles, says UK

07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia is likely aiming for self-sufficiency in Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (OWA-UAVs) in the coming months, the British military has said.

Russia has almost certainly started to deploy domestically produced one-way attack OWA-UAVs based on Iranian Shahed designs, the defence ministry said today in its daily intelligence.

“Indigenous manufacturing will likely allow Russia to establish a more reliable supply of OWA-UAVs,” it said, adding, “the performance of these weapons has been variable and Ukraine has proved effective in neutralising the majority of incoming OWA-UAVs.”

Kyiv slams Nato official over land ceding row

07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Ukraine has slammed a top Nato official for suggesting that Kyiv may have to cede territory to Russia in order to join the military bloc.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, dismissed the idea suggested by Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg’s chief of staff.

“Trading territory for a NATO umbrella? It is ridiculous,” Mr Podolyak wrote on X, previously known as Twitter.

That means deliberately choosing the defeat of democracy, encouraging a global criminal, preserving the Russian regime, destroying international law, and passing the war on to other generations.

“Obviously, if Putin does not suffer a crushing defeat, the political regime in Russia does not change, and war criminals are not punished, the war will definitely return with Russia’s appetite for more.”

He made the remarks in response to Stian Jenssen’s suggestion that Kyiv might have to cede land to become a Nato member.

“I’m not saying it has to be like this,” he told Norwegian newspaper VG. “But that could be a possible solution.”

American band apologises for bringing Russian fan on stage

06:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Alternative rock band, the Killers, has apologised for bringing a Russian drummer on stage during a show in Georgia while describing fans as “brothers and sisters”.

The seven times Grammy nominated band performed yesterday in the Black Sea resort of Batumi during a European tour.

“Good people of Georgia, it was never our intention to offend anyone!” the band said in a statement on its Facebook page, adding that it had a longstanding tradition of inviting people to play the drums.

“We recognise that a comment, meant to suggest that all of the Killers’ audience and fans are ‘brothers and sisters,’ could be misconstrued,” it added.

The reference was to a remark band leader Brandon Flowers made to the crowd, saying he did not want the situation to turn “angry”.

“I see you as my brothers and my sisters,” he added to the sound of boos and whistles.

Russia ‘downs’ three alleged Ukrainian drones

06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia’s air defence systems destroyed three Ukrainian drones early this morning over the Kaluga region, the country’s defence ministry said.

There were no casualties and no damage in the attempted attack which took place at around 5am (local time), the ministry added, according to Reuters.

The Kaluga region borders the Moscow region to the north.

Poland holds massive military parade as war rages in Ukraine

06:15 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Poland held its biggest military parade since the Cold War to showcase its state-of-the-art weapons as war rages in neighbouring Ukraine.

President Andrzej Duda, the commander in chief of the armed forces, said in his opening speech that the protection of Poland’s eastern border is a key element of state policy.

He also noted that Poland, a Nato member, is supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Russia’s aggression of almost 18 months.

“The defence of our eastern border, the border of the EU and of Nato is today a key element of Poland’s state interest,” Mr Duda said.

Some 2,000 troops, 200 vehicles and almost 100 aircraft took part in the parade to mark the 103rd anniversary of Poland’s victory over the Soviet Union’s Red Army in the Battle of Warsaw in 1920.

Poland’s armed forces have more than 175,000 troops, up from some 100,000 eight years ago, Mr Duda said.

Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland’s conservative government has focused on strengthening the armed forces and has spent more than $16bn on tanks, missile interceptor systems and fighter jets, many purchased from the US and South Korea.

US warns Russia and North Korea against military ties

06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The US has warned Russia and North Korea against military cooperation between the countries, arguing it would violate UN resolutions aimed at restricting Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.

“Our concerns persist as North Korea continues its assistance to Russia’s invasive war against Ukraine,” US state department official Vedant Patel said yesterday.

He said Moscow is compelled to rely on countries such as North Korea and Iran for military support. “Any security cooperation or arms trade between North Korea and Russia will violate a series of UN Security Council resolutions,” he added.

North Korea leader Kim Jong-un and Russian president Vladimir Putin exchanged letters yesterday pledging to develop their ties into what Mr Kim called a “long-standing strategic relationship”, according to Pyongyang’s state media KCNA.

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

Putin’s exploding mines are washing up on busy tourist beaches

05:45 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russian mines are washing up on busy Black Sea tourist beaches, frequently exploding, and sometimes even killing holidaymakers.

A Russian mine exploded in the Romanian Black Sea resort of Costinesti as recently as Monday, although it caused no injuries or damage, according to local reports.

Another mine was also discovered in the water there.

“It is believed that a Russian sea mine exploded,” said the spokesman of the Romanian Navy, Colonel Corneliu Pavel, Sofia News Agency reported. “These sea mines are a danger not only to shipping but also to shore-based activities.”

Tara Cobham has more.

Putin’s exploding mines are washing up on busy tourist beaches

Aftermath of the Russian missile attack in Lviv

05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia's ruble has tumbled. What does it mean for the wartime economy?

05:05 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia's ruble has fallen a long way in recent months, and the country’s central bank has stepped in to try to halt the slide.

Until now, the government stood aside as the declining ruble helped its budget. But a weaker currency also poses the threat of higher prices for everyday people in Russia — and the government has finally moved to halt the drop.

Here are key things to know about the ruble:

Why is the ruble falling?

Economic fundamentals play a role, though they aren't the whole story. Russia is selling less abroad — mainly reflected in falling revenue from oil and natural gas — and it's importing more.

More here.

Russia's ruble has tumbled. What does it mean for the wartime economy?

Kindergarten and residential building hit in overnight Russian strike

05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A kindergarten and a residential building were damaged as a result of the overnight missile attack in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv.

The multi-story residential building caught fire due to the falling missile debris yesterday, according to regional governor Maxim Kozytskyi.

Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi said one of the strikes hit the yard of a local nursery, injuring four people.

“Two hours ago, this place was a children’s pavilion of our kindergarten. A missile directly hit the pavilion, creating a crater that is nine meters deep and 20 meters wide,” he claimed, in a video message from the site.

Kindergarten and residential building hit in overnight Russian strike on Lviv

Russian drones threaten key port for grains export, says Ukraine

04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A large group of Russian army drones entered the mouth of the Danube River and headed toward the Izmail river port near the border with Romania, the Ukrainian armed forces said today.

Social media groups reported hearing air defence systems firing in the area near two Danube ports - Izmail and Reni.

The governor of the southern Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, asked residents of Izmail district to take shelter at around 1.30am (local time) and cancelled the air raid alert one hour later.

The Danube port accounted for around a quarter of grain exports before Russia pulled out of a UN-backed deal to provide safe passage for the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea.

Russia launches air strikes on Ukraine regions bordering Nato

03:58 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Russia has launched its largest aerial attack on regions bordering Nato in western Ukraine since the beginning of its invasion nearly 18 months ago.

Russian air strikes hit two western regions of Ukraine bordering Poland – a Nato member – and other areas yesterday, killing three people in a factory and wounding more than a dozen, according to officials.

The deaths were reported in the northwestern region of Volyn. Officials said an industrial enterprise in the regional capital Lutsk was struck in the overnight attack. Several people also needed hospital treatment, governor Yuriy Pohulyaiko said.

Swedish industrial bearings maker SKF said its factory in Lutsk was hit by a missile overnight, killing three employees. Footage released by Ukraine’s state emergency service showed rescuers pulling a man from the rubble.

More here.

Putin’s forces step up air strikes on Ukraine regions bordering Nato

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

02:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

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.

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

Experts warn Ukraine’s frontline push is being damaged by West

01:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

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

Facing heavily fortified Russian defences, including vast minefields and heavy shelling during its summer counteroffensive, Ukraine has been forced to broaden its focus away from the front lines

With rains expected to muddy the battlefield in areas of the south and east of the country – including Zaporizhzhia – as soon as September, the “odds are getting longer” on the “triumphant breakthrough” many in the West were hoping for, analysts have told The Independent.

Experts warn Ukraine’s frontline push is being damaged by West

Fifteen wounded as Russian missiles hit Lviv

Wednesday 16 August 2023 00:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Fifteen people were also wounded in the Lviv region, Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said, as Russian strikes hit western Ukraine.

Six missiles damaged dozens of buildings and a kindergarten playground in and around the regional capital. Kozytskyi said the youngest victim was 10 years-old.

Both Volyn and Lviv border Poland and are hundreds of miles from the front line, where Ukraine‘s military is fending off Russian troops in the nearly 18-month-old war.

“The children are very scared. They were hysterical, they were shaking. One of them even vomited from fear,” said Lviv resident Dmytro Ivaschyshyn outside an apartment block as firemen dug through debris. “Thank God we are all alive.”

National grid operator Ukrenergo said power lines in the region were also damaged but that electricity was being restored to those affected.

“These are the parts of the country where millions of people are seeking safety and refuge after fleeing the horrors of Russia‘s invasion,” Denise Brown, the United Nations resident coordinator in Ukraine, said in a statement condemning the attacks.

“Russia‘s persistent attacks hitting essential infrastructure in populated areas cause immense human suffering.”

At least two people were also wounded in the southeastern city of Dnipro, where Governor Serhiy Lysak said a business enterprise and a sports complex had been hit.

Russian air strikes hit two Ukraine regions bordering Poland

Tuesday 15 August 2023 23:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian air strikes hit two western regions of Ukraine bordering NATO member Poland and other areas on Tuesday, killing three people in a factory and wounding more than a dozen, Ukrainian officials said.

Local media said the attacks were the largest air assault on the Lviv region since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

The fatalities were reported in the northwestern region of Volyn. Officials said an industrial enterprise in the regional capital Lutsk was struck in the overnight attack. Several people were also hospitalised, Governor Yuriy Pohulyaiko said.

Swedish industrial bearings maker SKF said its factory in Lutsk was hit by a missile overnight, killing three employees.

Footage released by Ukraine‘s state emergency service showed rescuers pulling a man from the rubble. Reuters was able to confirm the location as the SKF factory.

The ‘Russian spies’ next door: Neighbours reveal suburban lives of trio charged in police probe

Tuesday 15 August 2023 22:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Neighbours have revealed the suburban lives of suspected Russian spies who lived next door to a police officer for years.

Bulgarian nationals Orlin Roussev, 45, Biser Dzhambazov, 42, and Katrin Ivanova, 31, were arrested in February as part of a major police sting but before that appeared to have held down ordinary jobs.

The trio have been charged with possessing false passports and ID cards and other documents “with improper intention” after counterterrorism police swooped on homes in Harrow and Great Yarmouth.

The ‘Russian spies’ next door: Neighbours on lives of trio charged in police probe

Ex-FBI agent pleads guilty over illegal work for Russian oligarch under US sanctions

Tuesday 15 August 2023 21:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A former FBI agent admitted to working for Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska while he was under U.S. sanctions and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in a New York court on Tuesday, in exchange for prosecutors dropping other charges.

Prosecutors in January said Charles McGonigal, who led the FBI’s counterintelligence division in New York before retiring in 2018, received concealed payments from Deripaska in exchange for investigating a rival businessman and unsuccessfully pushed in 2019 to have Deripaska’s sanctions lifted.

At the time, McGonigal pleaded not guilty to four criminal counts including sanctions violations and money laundering.

McGonigal, 55, said in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday that he worked for Deripaska between spring and autumn of 2021 to find negative information on Vladimir Potanin in an attempt to have the Deripaska rival put on the U.S. sanctions list.

The former FBI agent received $17,500 for that work, which was routed from Russia through accounts in Cyprus and New Jersey in an attempt to mask the source of the payments, he said.

McGonigal told the court he was “deeply remorseful” for his actions. His attorney Seth DuCharme told reporters after the hearing that his client was treated fairly.

Kindergarten and residential building hit in overnight Russian strike on Lviv

Tuesday 15 August 2023 20:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A kindergarten and a residential building were damaged as a result of the overnight missile attack in Ukraine’s western city of Lviv.

The multi-story residential building caught fire due to the falling missile debris early Tuesday morning (15 August) according to regional governor Maxim Kozytskyi.

Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi said one of the strikes hit the yard of a local nursery, injuring four people.

“Two hours ago, this place was a children’s pavilion of our kindergarten. A missile directly hit the pavilion, creating a crater that is nine meters deep and 20 meters wide,” he claimed, in a video message from the site.

Kindergarten and residential building hit in overnight Russian strike on Lviv

Why tensions have been growing along NATO’s eastern border with Belarus

Tuesday 15 August 2023 19:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Poland is deploying thousands of troops to its border with Belarus, calling it a deterrent move as tensions between the two neighbors ratchet up.

Those tensions between Poland — a NATO and European Union country — and Belarus, which is Russia’s ally in its war on Ukraine, have been building up in recent months on the border. Here is why:

Poland has been backing the Belarusian opposition ever since the 2020 presidential elections, where pro-Russian Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth term in a vote that Poland and the wider Western community saw as rigged.

In 2021, Belarus began organising and pushing thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa across the border into Poland.

Read more:

Why tensions have been growing along NATO’s eastern border with Belarus

Russia's ruble has tumbled. What does it mean for the wartime economy?

Tuesday 15 August 2023 19:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s ruble has fallen a long way in recent months, and the country’s central bank has stepped in to try to halt the slide.

Until now, the government stood aside as the declining ruble helped its budget. But a weaker currency also poses the threat of higher prices for everyday people in Russia — and the government has finally moved to halt the drop.

Here are key things to know about the ruble:

Russia's ruble has tumbled. What does it mean for the wartime economy?

Russia says it damaged Ukrainian military sites in high-precision strike -Ifax

Tuesday 15 August 2023 18:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia‘s defence ministry on Tuesday said its forces had hit key military industrial facilities in Ukraine during the night with high-precision missiles, inflicting “significant damage”, the Interfax news agency reported.

Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield report.

Russia also said it had for the first time intercepted SCALP cruise missiles supplied to Ukraine by France.

Putin accuses West of ‘adding fuel to fire’ with conflict in Ukraine

Tuesday 15 August 2023 18:21 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Vladimir Putin has accused Western countries of adding ‘fuel to the fire’ by funding the conflict in Ukraine.

Addressing participants of an international security forum, the Russian president shifted the blame for Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Putin said countries that were “pumping billions of dollars into the neo-Nazi regime” were “igniting the conflict even more, to draw other states into it.”

It comes as experts told The Independent that Western pressure on Ukraine’s counteroffensive to achieve a “Hollywood”-style breakthrough against Russia’s forces is “unrealistic.”

Putin accuses West of ‘adding fuel to fire’ with conflict in Ukraine

Putin’s forces step up air strikes on Ukraine regions bordering Nato

Tuesday 15 August 2023 18:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia has launched its largest aerial attack on regions bordering Nato in western Ukraine since the start of its invasion nearly 18 months ago.

Russian air strikes hit two western regions of Ukraine bordering Poland – a Nato member – and other areas on Tuesday, killing three people in a factory and wounding more than a dozen, according to officials.

The deaths were reported in the northwestern region of Volyn. Officials said an industrial enterprise in the regional capital Lutsk was struck in the overnight attack. Several people also needed hospital treatment, Governor Yuriy Pohulyaiko said.

Swedish industrial bearings maker SKF said its factory in Lutsk was hit by a missile overnight, killing three employees. Footage released by Ukraine’s state emergency service showed rescuers pulling a man from the rubble.

Putin’s forces step up air strikes on Ukraine regions bordering Nato

Latvia sends army to guard border with Belarus as illegal crossing attempts mount

Tuesday 15 August 2023 17:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Latvia’s defence minister ordered the army to help guard the Baltic country’s border with Russian ally Belarus on Tuesday, after 96 attempts by illegal immigrants to cross in 24 hours.

Border Guard officers have also been recalled from their holidays to help with patrols.

Latvia has “information about a possible increase in hybrid threats”, the Border Guard said in a statement. Belarusian authorities were increasingly involved in organising the flow of illegal immigrants, it said.

EU members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which share a border with Belarus, have worried increasingly about border crossings since hundreds of Russian battle-hardened Wagner mercenaries arrived Belarus last month at the invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko.

Lukashenko has said several times that he has been restraining Wagner fighters who want to attack Poland.

Poland has also seen an increase in the number of mainly Middle Eastern and African migrants trying to cross the border in recent months.

Poland is planning to move up to 10,000 additional troops to the border with Belarus to support the Border Guard, Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Thursday.

In 2021, Latvia, Poland and Lithuania faced an immigration crisis when thousands of people, mostly from the Middle East and Africa, sought to cross into Poland from Belarus but were pushed back.

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

Tuesday 15 August 2023 17:19 , 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.

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

Poland showcases military might in a parade as war rages in neighboring Ukraine

Tuesday 15 August 2023 16:53 , William Mata

Poland staged a massive military parade on Tuesday to showcase its state-of-the-art weapons and defence systems, as war rages in neighboring Ukraine.

With an eye on the October elections in Poland, president Andrzej Duda, the chief commander of the armed forces, said in his opening speech that the protection of Poland’s eastern border is a key element of state policy.

He also noted that Poland is supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Russia‘s aggression of almost 18 months.

“The defense of our eastern border, the border of the European Union and of NATO is today a key element of Poland’s state interest,” Mr Duda said.Some 2,000 troops, 200 vehicles and almost 100 aircraft took part in the parade. Poland’s armed forces have more than 175,000 troops, up from some 100,000 eight years ago, Mr Duda said.

Latvia increases Belarus border protection after 96 illegal crossing attempts

Tuesday 15 August 2023 16:36 , William Mata

Latvia has recalled border guards from holidays on Tuesday to strengthen the patrol of its border with Belarus.

The update was given after 96 attempts to cross illegally in 24 hours, the border guard service said.

Border guard officers have also been recalled from their holidays to patrol the border, the service said in a statement.

Latvia has "information about a possible increase in hybrid threats" and that Belarus authorities are increasingly involved in organising the flow of illegal immigrants, the statement from the border guard service said.

Putin accuses West of ‘adding fuel to fire’ with conflict in Ukraine

Tuesday 15 August 2023 16:21 , William Mata

Vladimir Putin has accused Western countries of adding ‘fuel to the fire’ by funding the conflict in Ukraine.

Addressing participants of an international security forum, the Russian president shifted the blame for Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Mr Putin said countries that were “pumping billions of dollars into the neo-Nazi regime” were “igniting the conflict even more, to draw other states into it”.

Experts warn Ukraine’s frontline push is being damaged by West

Tuesday 15 August 2023 16:13 , William Mata

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

Facing heavily fortified Russian defences, including vast minefields and heavy shelling during its summer counteroffensive, Ukraine has been forced to broaden its focus away from the front lines

With rains expected to muddy the battlefield in areas of the south and east of the country – including Zaporizhzhia – as soon as September, the “odds are getting longer” on the “triumphant breakthrough” many in the West were hoping for, analysts have told The Independent.

See Andy Gregory’s full story here.

‘Ukraine will boycott Olympics if Russia or Belarus take part’

Tuesday 15 August 2023 16:03 , William Mata

A member of Ukrainian Parliament has said her country will miss next year’s Olympics if Russia and Belarus take part.

Kira Rudik is the leader of the liberal Golos party and spoke after a Russian missile destroyed a sports hall in Dnipro.

“Ukraine will be boycotting Olympic Games if Russia and Belarus take part in the competition.

“The fact that Russia has killed 340 Ukrainian athletes and coaches completely dispels the myth that sport is out politics.”

‘Step by step, we are resolutely moving towards the necessary result’ - Zelensky

Tuesday 15 August 2023 15:50 , William Mata

President Volodymyr Zelensky has commented on Ukraine’s progress in trying to win back settlements from Russian control.

Ukraine launched a counter-offensive against Russian forces in the south and southeast at the start of June, hoping to cut Russian forces in half by advancing south towards the Sea of Azov.

More than two months into the operation, Kyiv has retaken a string of villages but no major settlements.

The country has said that its progress has been slower than desired because of prepared Russian defences and what it says is a shortage of weapons.

“Step by step, they are resolutely moving towards the necessary result,” Mr Zelensky said of brigades trying to make headway towards the southern, occupied city of Melitopol.

Kyiv has repeatedly said that it needs more Western armoured vehicles, tanks and new aircraft.

“The military emphasised the need for electronic warfare and frontline air defence systems to counter enemy aircraft and drones.

“There is also a need for drones, as they are quickly consumed in offensive operations,” the office said.

Zelensky in Zaporizhzhia

Tuesday 15 August 2023 15:24 , William Mata

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky visited the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia and met troops involved in the counter-offensive in the south, the president’s office said on Tuesday.

“The president listened to reports by the commanders on the course of combat actions in frontline areas ... and discussed the most problematic issues of their units together with the brigades and combatants,” it said in a statement.

Kyiv to fortify borders with Russia and Belarus as Putin’s forces unleash missile barrage

Tuesday 15 August 2023 15:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Ukrainian government is set to build new fortifications and military infrastructure in northeast regions that border Russia and Belarus at a cost of nearly $35 million (£30 million), prime minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

“At the request of Kharkiv and Chernihiv...we are allocating 911.5 million hryvnias ($24.7 million) for Kharkiv and 363 million ($9.8 million) for Chernihiv to build military engineering and fortification structures,” Mr Shmyhal said on Telegram on Tuesday.

The Chernihiv region that borders Russia and Belarus was partially occupied at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, but it was later liberated.

Belarus, the Kremlin’s closest ally, initially supported the Russian invasion, opening its borders to Russian troops marching on Ukraine‘s capital Kyiv.

Minsk also provided its territory to fighters from the Wagner mercenary group whose move to Belarus was part of a deal that ended their attempted mutiny in June.

The eastern Kharkiv region, which borders the Russian region of Belgorod, is still partially occupied and has been the site of active fighting in recent weeks.

Since the liberation of its territories, Ukraine has been actively building defences on its borders to prevent being invaded again. It maintains a significant force in the north.

Moscow’s forces control a swathe of southern and eastern Ukraine.

Headlines from today

Tuesday 15 August 2023 14:58 , William Mata

Here are some of the main news stories from the Ukraine - Russia crisis on Tuesday.

Experts warn Ukraine’s frontline push is being damaged by West

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

Putin’s exploding mines are washing up on busy tourist beaches

Russian mines are washing up on busy Black Sea tourist beaches, frequently exploding, and sometimes even killing holidaymakers.

Why tensions have been growing along NATO’s eastern border with Belarus

Poland is deploying thousands of troops to its border with Belarus, calling it a deterrent move as tensions between the two neighbors ratchet up. Those tensions between Poland — a NATO and European Union country — and Belarus, which is Russia’s ally in its war on Ukraine, have been building up in recent months on the border.

Russia's ruble has tumbled. What does it mean for the wartime economy?

Russia's ruble has fallen a long way in recent months, and the country’s central bank has stepped in to try to halt the slide.

Dnipro update: Two people wounded after business enterprise and a sports complex hit

Tuesday 15 August 2023 14:48 , William Mata

At least two people have been wounded in the southeastern city of Dnipro.

Governor Serhiy Lysak said a business enterprise and a sports complex had been hit in Russian attacks on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said civilian infrastructure including schools and a hospital had been damaged in a total of eight regions in Tuesday’s attacks.

Part of the central town of Smila was left without water after two missiles struck the Cherkassy region, the governor said.

“The daily terror of the Russians has a single goal: to break us, our spirit for fighting,” Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, wrote on Telegram.”This will not happen.”

‘Blast caused significant damage’

Tuesday 15 August 2023 14:25 , William Mata

The Ukraine ministry of defence has said a significant damage was caused to a nursery and nearby buildings after an attack in Lviv.

The account tweeted: “During today's Russian attack on Lviv, one of the missiles hit the yard of the "Kazka" kindergarten, creating a nine-meter-deep crater.

“The explosion caused significant damage to both the kindergarten and the surrounding buildings.”

Russia ‘damaged Ukrainian military sites in high-precision strike'

Tuesday 15 August 2023 14:00 , William Mata

Russia's defence ministry on Tuesday said its forces had hit key military industrial facilities in Ukraine during the night with high-precision missiles, inflicting "significant damage", the Interfax news agency reported.

Reuters reported that Russia also said it had for the first time intercepted SCALP cruise missiles supplied to Ukraine by France.

The battlefield report could not be independently verified.

Pictures: Ukraine conflict August 15

Tuesday 15 August 2023 13:40 , William Mata

Russia responds to ‘false flag’ claims - reports

Tuesday 15 August 2023 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

Tuesday 15 August 2023 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

Tuesday 15 August 2023 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

Tuesday 15 August 2023 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

Tuesday 15 August 2023 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

Tuesday 15 August 2023 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

Tuesday 15 August 2023 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

Tuesday 15 August 2023 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’

Tuesday 15 August 2023 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

Tuesday 15 August 2023 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

Tuesday 15 August 2023 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.