Ukraine-Russia war – live: Putin suffering ‘mounting casualties’ as Zelensky sacks defence minister

Russia is suffering “mounting casualties” on the battlefield in Ukraine and is trying to recruit foreigners to replace its depleted troop numbers, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said.

The Kremlin has tried to sign up salaried recruits from Armenia, Kazakhstan and Uzbek migrant builders, the MoD said in a statement.

“Russia likely wishes to avoid further unpopular domestic mobilisation measures in the run-up to the 2024 presidential elections,” it added.

Earlier, Russia targeted Ukraine’s Odesa region with a sustained three-and-a-half-hour drone attack in the early hours yesterday morning, the Ukrainian military says, hitting key port infrastructure on the Danube River.

The Danube River is Ukraine’s main route for exporting grain to the world, after Russia pulled out of a UN deal allowing it to safely ship its produce via the Black Sea.

And, Volodymyr Zelensky announced he would replace defence minister Oleksii Reznikov setting the stage for the biggest shake-up of his defence team since Russia’s invasion.

“I believe the ministry needs new approaches,” he said on Sunday.

Key Points

Russian tries to recruit foreign fighters to replace depleted troop numbers
Russia bombards Ukraine’s Odesa region with 3-hour drone attack
Ukrainian tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky detained in fraud case
Ukraine counteroffensive ‘breaks through’ in several locations
Russia accuses Ukraine of trying to attack Crimea bridge
Russia puts ‘Satan II’ sarmat nuclear missile ‘on combat duty’

Zelensky to replace wartime defence minister

Sunday 3 September 2023 22:05 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he had decided to dismiss Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov from his post and would ask parliament this week to replace him with Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine‘s main privatisation fund.

The announcement, made in his nightly video address to the nation, sets the stage for the biggest shakeup of Ukraine‘s defence establishment during the war launched by Russia in February 2022.

Reznikov, who was named defence minister in November 2021, has helped secure billions of dollars of Western military aid to help the war effort, but been dogged by graft allegations surrounding his ministry that he described as smears.

“I’ve decided to replace the Minister of Defense of Ukraine. Oleksii Reznikov has been through more than 550 days of full-scale war,” Zelenskiy said.

“I believe the ministry needs new approaches and other formats of interaction with both the military and society as a whole.”

The change of defence minister must be approved by parliament, but is likely to be supported by a majority of lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada. Zelensky said he expected parliament to approve Umerov’s appointment.

Umerov, a 41-year-old ex-lawmaker who is a Crimean Tatar, has headed Ukraine‘s State Property Fund since September 2022 and has played a role in sensitive wartime negotiations on, for instance, the Black Sea grain deal.

Russia says four Ukraine inflatable boats in Black Sea destroyed

05:17 , Arpan Rai

Four US-made inflatable boats with Ukraine’s landing forces in the northwestern part of the Black Sea has been destroyed by Russia’s naval force, the Russian defence ministry said on its Telegram channel.

The ministry said the US-made Willard Marine Sea Force inflatable boats were heading in the direction of Cape Tarkhankut on the Crimean Peninsula.

Military offensive and combat in the Black Sea waters has picked up in the recent weeks with Russia regularly claiming to strike Ukrainian forces.

Kyiv has not issued a comment on the reports of growing offensive in its southern waters it shares with Russia.

Putin awards first crew who used hypersonic Kinzhal missile in Ukraine – report

05:09 , Arpan Rai

The first Russian crew to use hypersonic, air-launched Kinzhal missiles during Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine has been presented with state awards, the Russian TASS state news agency reported today.

“The Su-34 aircraft used the Kinzhal hypersonic missile during the special military operation,” TASS cited an unnamed military source as saying.

“The first crew that successfully completed this task was presented with state awards.”

While Moscow has said very little so far about the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile, Ukraine’s military says Russia uses them frequently in the continuing invasion against civilian targets.

TASS did not say when Russia used the Kinzhal missiles for the first time in Ukraine. The Russian defence ministry said in March that the missiles had been deployed to destroy Ukrainian targets, according to the ministry’s Telegram channel.

The Kinzhal is one of six “next generation” weapons unveiled by Vladimir Putin in a speech in March 2018.

Russia claims Ukraine launched drone attacks on Kursk region

04:48 , Arpan Rai

The Russian defence ministry has blamed Ukraine for launching drone attacks on the Kursk region of Russia overnight from yesterday to this morning.

The ministry claimed its forces had shot down two drones after midnight today.

Kursk region, bordering Ukraine to its west, saw attacked around 1am, the ministry said on its Telegram channel.

Last evening, regional governor claimed debris from a downed drone sparked a fire at a non-residential building in the city of Kurchatov.

The site of attack is about 4km from one of Russia’s biggest nuclear plants, but there were no reports the plant was affected or targeted.

Who is Oleksii Reznikov, the war-time defence face of Ukraine?

04:38 , Arpan Rai

Volodymyr Zelensky has said time has come for Ukraine for new changes, which will involve exit of Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s defence minister since November 2021.

The 57-year-old former lawyer turned defence minister has helped secure billions of dollars of Western military aid to help the war effort, but has been dogged by graft allegations surrounding his ministry that he has described as smears.

In the continuing war, Mr Reznikov’s defence ministry lobbied the West to overcome taboos on supplying powerful military gear to Ukraine, including German-made main battle tanks and HIMARS rocket artillery. And after much bidding and pushing, Kyiv now looks poised to receive US-made F-16 fighter jets soon.

An English-speaker, Mr Reznikov is seen as having built up a strong rapport with allied defence ministers and military officials.

One member of parliament has tipped him as Ukraine’s possible new ambassador to London.

His apparent exit appears to bring an end to months of domestic media pressure that began in January when Mr Reznikov’s ministry was accused of buying food at inflated prices.

Though he was not personally involved in the food contract, some Ukrainian commentators said he should take political responsibility for what happened.

Last month, a Ukrainian media outlet accused his ministry of corruption during the procurement of winter coats for the army. He has denied any wrongdoing and repeatedly said he was being targeted by a smear campaign.

Why did Russia invade Ukraine?

03:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine has been raging for one year now as the conflict continues to record devastating casualties and force the mass displacement of millions of blameless Ukrainians.

Vladimir Putin began the war by claiming Russia’s neighbour needed to be “demilitarised and de-Nazified”, a baseless pretext on which to launch a landgrab against an independent state that happens to have a Jewish president in Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine has fought back courageously against Mr Putin’s warped bid to restore territory lost to Moscow with the collapse of the Soviet Union and has continued to defy the odds by defending itself against Russian onslaughts with the help of Western military aid.

Read more:

Here’s why Putin really invaded Ukraine

The key to Ukraine punching through Russia’s defences – and putting Putin’s forces on the back foot

02:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Long-range strikes by drone and missile and a raid on territory in occupied Crimea that took Russian forces by surprise – all part of Kyiv’s recent push towards the peninsula that is a symbol of Vladimir Putin‘s territorial ambitions.

Perhaps most significant of all is the capture of the key village of Robotyne, about three hours drive east of Crimea. Gaining that foothold will help Ukraine build a foundation to punch through to the coastline of the Sea of Azov.

Kyiv has been stepping up drone attacks on Crimea as it looks to break key supply lines from the Russian-occupied peninsula, writes Askold Krushelnycky in Ukraine:

The key to Ukraine punching through Russia’s defences | Askold Krushelnycky

What is Russia’s ‘Satan II’ hypersonic intercontinental nuclear missile?

01:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia has said that Moscow’s RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), nicknamed “Satan II” – capable of carrying ten or more nuclear warheads – has been rolled out on “combat duty”.

The head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos said that the missiles had entered active duty, the state-run news agency RIA reported. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Sarmat missiles would be deployed for combat duty “soon”.

Prior to that, defence committee deputy chairman Aleksey Zhuravlyov had used it as a threat when he was interviewed by state broadcaster TV Russia 1 in May regarding Sweden and Finland’s aspirations towards joining Nato in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined the alliance earlier this year, while Sweden is still waiting to be ratified.

Joe Sommerlad has more:

What is Russia’s ‘Satan II’ intercontinental nuclear missile?

Dodging a constant assault of Russian missiles – the war weary keep fighting in Ukraine’s blood-soaked east

Monday 4 September 2023 00:01 , Eleanor Noyce

The missile aimed at the mayor’s office took an estimated 64 seconds to fly 55 miles and detonate in shrapnel and flames after being fired by Russian forces.

Thankfully for Oleksandr Goncharenko, the mayor of Kramatorsk – near the frontline in east Ukraine – it missed the target by 200 metres, hitting a garden square.

The municipal headquarters was swiftly moved to another building for safety. But that building was bombed as well, resulting in a move to yet another location, dodging the missiles coming from the city of Horlivka which has been captured by Vladimir Putin’s forces.

There is plenty of pride in the cities around the frontline in managing to keep Putin’s forces at bay, writes Kim Sengupta from Druzhkivka. But it has come at the cost of crushing loss:

Dodging Russian missiles, the war weary keep fighting in Ukraine’s blood-soaked east

Zelensky says he struck key deal on pilot training in France

Sunday 3 September 2023 23:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had struck a “very important agreement on training our pilots in France” in conversation with President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday.

“Our coalition of modern fighters is becoming stronger,” he said in his nightly video address.

He did not elaborate on what training would be undertaken. France does not have the F-16 fighter jets Ukraine has recently been promised by Denmark and the Netherlands. It does have French-made Rafale warplanes and previous-generation Mirage 2000 jets.

Zelensky said he and Macron had also discussed what France could do to help protect the Ukrainian city and region of Odesa, critical to grain exports, but did not elaborate.

The French foreign ministry said last month that it would reinforce its military support for Ukraine, notably in strengthening air defence capabilities.

Ukraine drone sparks fire in Russia's Kurchatov - governor

Sunday 3 September 2023 21:25 , Eleanor Noyce

A non-residential building in the western Russian city of Kurchatov caught fire on Sunday after an attack by a Ukrainian drone but emergency services put the fire out and there were no casualties, Roman Starovoit, governor of the Kursk region, said.

In a post on the Telegram messaging app, Starovoit did not say which building was affected. Ukraine‘s Babel online outlet quoted an unnamed source as saying a drone hit a building belonging to the FSB security service.

Starovoit also blamed a Ukrainian drone for damage to a building facade in Kurchatov on 1 September.

Kurchatov is home to one of Russia’s biggest nuclear plants, but there were no reports it was affected in either incident.

South Africa says inquiry found no evidence of arms shipment to Russia

Sunday 3 September 2023 20:45 , Eleanor Noyce

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday an inquiry into a U.S. allegation that a Russian ship had picked up weapons in South Africa late last year found no evidence the vessel had transported weapons to Russia.

“None of the allegations made about the supply of weapons to Russia have been proven to be true,” Ramaphosa said in an address to the nation.

ICYMI: Russians press Ukraine in the northeast to distract from more important battles in counteroffensive

Sunday 3 September 2023 20:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Concealed under pine branches in the forests of northeast Ukraine, the muzzle of a Soviet-era howitzer rises, aiming for a group of approaching Russian infantrymen many kilometers away.

A Ukrainian soldier signals to fire, then swiftly runs for cover. The thunderous crash of the unleashed projectile sends a pall of black smoke billowing above jabs of yellow flames. A pile of spent shells in the nearby foliage grows by the day.

Here, along a small section of the 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) front line, Moscow’s army is staging a ferocious push designed to pin down Ukrainian forces, distract them from their grinding counteroffensive and minimize the number of troops Kyiv is able to send to more important battles in the south.

Read more:

Russians press Ukraine in the northeast to distract from more important battles in counteroffensive

Russian cyber-attacks ‘relentless’ as threat of WW3 grows, expert warns

Sunday 3 September 2023 19:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Cyberattacks by the UK’s enemies are becoming “relentless” as we enter a “new era” of global conflict, an expert has warned.

It comes after Russian hackers allegedly acquired top-secret security information on some of the country’s most sensitive military sites, including the HMNB Clyde nuclear submarine base on the west coast of Scotland and the Porton Down chemical weapon lab.

The “potentially very damaging” attack last month by hacking group LockBit, which has known links to Russian nationals, saw thousands of pages of data leaked onto the dark web after private security firm Zaun was targeted, the Sunday Mirror newspaper reported.

Joseph Draper reports:

Russian cyber-attacks ‘relentless’ as threat of WW3 grows, expert warns

Ukraine drone attacks Russia’s Kurchatov - governor

Sunday 3 September 2023 19:19 , Eleanor Noyce

A non-residential building in the Russian city of Kurchatov was on fire on Sunday following an attack by a Ukrainian drone, said Roman Starovoit, governor of the Kursk region.

In a post on the Telegram messaging app, he said there were no casualties and that security forces were on the scene.

Dodging a constant assault of Russian missiles – the war weary keep fighting in Ukraine’s blood-soaked east

Sunday 3 September 2023 19:15 , Eleanor Noyce

The missile aimed at the mayor’s office took an estimated 64 seconds to fly 55 miles and detonate in shrapnel and flames after being fired by Russian forces.

Thankfully for Oleksandr Goncharenko, the mayor of Kramatorsk – near the frontline in east Ukraine – it missed the target by 200 metres, hitting a garden square.

Read more:

Dodging Russian missiles, the war weary keep fighting in Ukraine’s blood-soaked east

Ukraine expects boom in drone production, defence minister says

Sunday 3 September 2023 18:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine intends to increase drone production as early as this autumn, the Ukrainian defence minister was quoted as saying on Sunday, as the country conducts more frequent drone attacks on Russian territory.

Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory have picked up in recent weeks, with dozens of drones striking Russia at once on some days, reaching as far as the western city of Pskov, 400 miles (600 km) from Ukraine.

Kyiv has used both aerial drones to attack airfields and aquatic drones to attack ships and the bridge to Crimea.

“I think this autumn there will be a boom in the production of various Ukrainian drones: flying, floating, crawling, etc., and this will continue to grow in volume,” Oleksii Reznikov told the state-run Ukrinform news agency.

He said one reason for the growth of production was that authorities had reduced various regulations and laws.

“So we rewrote regulations... and simplified the processes. And I believe that we also succeeded in that and gave us the opportunity for such a booster. Especially for drone manufacturers who started production from garages,” he said.

Ukraine is significantly dependent on supplies of modern Western weapons, but Kyiv has pledged not to use them on Russian territory and for such attacks it uses only domestically produced weapons, primarily drones.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Friday it had destroyed a total of 281 Ukrainian drones over the past week, including 29 over the western regions of Russia, indicating the scale of the drone war now under way between Russia and Ukraine.

Ukraine has attacked several airfields deep inside Russia, the centre of Moscow and military bases both in occupied Crimea and in regions close to the Ukrainian border.

Ukrainian officials normally say little or nothing about attacks on Russian targets, but say that destroying Russian infrastructure is vital for the country’s war effort.

Ukraine expects boom in drone production, defence minister says

Sunday 3 September 2023 18:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Kyiv has used both aerial drones to attack airfields and aquatic drones to attack ships and the bridge to Crimea.

He said one reason for the growth of production was that authorities had reduced various regulations and laws.

Ukraine has attacked several airfields deep inside Russia, the centre of Moscow and military bases both in occupied Crimea and in regions close to the Ukrainian border.

Ukrainian officials normally say little or nothing about attacks on Russian targets, but say that destroying Russian infrastructure is vital for the country’s war effort.

Russia signs 280,000 for contract military service this year - Medvedev

Sunday 3 September 2023 17:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Some 280,000 people have signed up so far this year for professional service with Russia’s military, the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, former President Dmitry Medvedev, said on Sunday.

Visiting Russia’s Far East, Medvedev said he was meeting local officials to work on efforts to beef up the armed forces.

“According to the Ministry of Defence, since Jan. 1, about 280,000 people have been accepted into the ranks of the Armed Forces on a contract basis,” including reservists, state news agency TASS quoted Medvedev as saying.

Last year Russia announced a plan to expand its combat personnel more than 30% to 1.5 million, an ambitious task made harder by its heavy but undisclosed casualties in Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

Some Russian lawmakers suggested Russia needs a professional army 7-million strong to ensure the country’s security - a move that would require a huge budget allowance.

President Vladimir Putin ordered a “partial mobilisation” of 300,000 reservists in September 2022, prompting hundreds of thousands of others to flee Russia to avoid being sent to fight. Putin has said there is no need for any further mobilisation.

108 Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure in July 2023

Sunday 3 September 2023 17:30 , Eleanor Noyce

There were 108 Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine in July 2023, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has stated.

The numbers were identified by The Centre for Information Resilience, which used open-source data to verify the attacks.

“The Kremlin continues to attack civilians in Ukraine, despite claiming it only targets military sites”, a tweet from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office read.

The Kremlin continues to attack civilians in Ukraine, despite claiming it only targets military sites.@Cen4infoRes used open-source data to verify 108 attacks on civilian infrastructure in July alone.

See the research yourself ↓
— Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) September 3, 2023

Russian drone attack hits Danube port infrastructure - Ukraine

Sunday 3 September 2023 17:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Russian drones hit Danube River port infrastructure that is critical to Ukraine‘s grain exports, injuring at least two people in the attack on southern parts of the Odesa region on Sunday, Ukrainian officials said.

The Danube has become Ukraine‘s main route for exporting grain since July, when Russia quit a U.N. and Turkey-brokered deal that had given safe passage to Kyiv’s exports of grains, oilseeds and vegetables oils via the Black Sea.

Sunday’s attack took place the day before Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan are due to hold talks in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. Turkey has been pressing to revive the grain deal.

Ukraine‘s South Military Command said on social media that at least two civilians were injured in the early morning attack on what it called “civil infrastructure of the Danube”.

The Ukrainian Air Force said air defence systems shot down 22 of the 25 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Russia.

Officials did not give details of which port facility was hit but some Ukrainian media reported blasts in the Reni port, which along with Izmail is one of Ukraine‘s two major ports on the Danube. The military said a fire that resulted from the attack at the facility was quickly extinguished.

The Russian Defence Ministry was quoted by Interfax as saying that a group of Russian drones successfully struck fuel depots at the Reni port used by the Ukrainian military.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Reni and Izmail have been repeatedly attacked by Russian drones in recent weeks.

“Russian terrorists continue to attack port infrastructure in the hope of provoking a food crisis and famine in the world,” the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram.

He posted a photo of a firefighter directing water at the burning ruins of concrete structures.

Erdogan's Russia visit vital for grain deal, Turkish leader's chief aide says

Sunday 3 September 2023 16:47 , Eleanor Noyce

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will focus on the Black Sea grain deal during their meeting on Monday as Turkey seeks to bring Moscow back to the deal, Erdogan’s chief foreign policy advisor said.

“We play a leading role here. We see strong support from all around the world for the realisation of the grain corridor,” Erdogan’s chief foreign policy and security advisor Akif Cagatay Kilic told an interview on A Haber television channel.

“The current status (of the grain deal) will be discussed at the summit on Monday. We are cautious, but we hope to achieve success because this is a situation that affects the entire world,” Kilic said.

Ankara acknowledged the technical complexities surrounding the agreement, particularly concerning Russian grain and payment mechanisms, Kilic said. The issue also involves international payment systems such as SWIFT, posing a multifaceted challenge, Kilic added.

“Here, the decision of Russian leader is important. I believe that the bilateral meeting between President Erdogan and Putin will play the most important role in this issue.”

ICYMI: Russian students are returning to school, where they face new lessons to boost their patriotism

Sunday 3 September 2023 16:15 , Matt Mathers

Clad in white shirts and carrying bouquets, children across Russia flocked back to school Friday, where the Kremlin‘s narratives about the war in Ukraine and its confrontation with the West were taking an even more prominent spot than before.

Students are expected each week to listen to Russia’s national anthem and watch the country’s tricolor flag being raised. There’s a weekly subject loosely translated as “Conversations about Important Things,” which was introduced last year with the goal of boosting patriotism.

Dasha Litvinova reports:

Russian students are returning to school, where they face new lessons to boost their patriotism

French companies to take part in Ukraine defence forum - Zelensky

Sunday 3 September 2023 15:42 , Matt Mathers

Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron have agreed that French companies will take part in Ukraine’s upcoming Defence Industries Forum.

The Ukraine and French presidents spoke by phone earlier on Sunday.

“We also discussed ways to ensure the functioning of the grain corridor and enhance the security of the Odesa region,” Zelensky said.

Macron and Zelensky in talks about securing Odesa

Sunday 3 September 2023 14:57 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron are in talks about enhancing the security of port city Odesa in Ukraine’s southeast.

The leaders held talks on Sunday about the “functioning” of a sea corridor set up by Kyiv for safe navigation of ships after Moscow exited a landmark grain deal enabling cargo ships to leave the port.

“We also discussed ways to ensure the functioning of the grain corridor and enhance the security of the Odesa region,” Mr Zelensky said on social media after a phone call with Mr Macron.

I had a focused call with @EmmanuelMacron.

I thanked France for its support, including crucial military aid. We discussed the next packages.

We agreed that France and French companies will take part in Ukraine’s upcoming Defense Industries Forum.

We also discussed ways to…
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 3, 2023

ICYMI: Dodging a constant assault of Russian missiles – the war-weary keep fighting in Ukraine’s blood-soaked east

Sunday 3 September 2023 14:29 , Matt Mathers

There is plenty of pride in the cities around the frontline in managing to keep Putin’s forces at bay, writes Kim Sengupta from Druzhkivka. But it has come at the cost of crushing loss.

Read Kim’s full piece here:

Dodging Russian missiles, the war weary keep fighting in Ukraine’s blood-soaked east

Armenian PM says depending solely on Russia for security was ‘strategic mistake’

Sunday 3 September 2023 13:30 , Matt Mathers

Armenia’s prime minister has said his country’s policy of solely relying on Russia to guarantee its security was a strategic mistake because Moscow has been unable to deliver and is in the process of winding down its role in the wider region.

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica published on Sunday, Nikol Pashinyan accused Russia of failing to ensure Armenia’s security in the face of what he said was aggression from neighbouring Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Pashinyan suggested that Moscow, which has a defence pact with Armenia and a militray base there, did not regard his country as sufficiently pro-Russian and said he believed Russia was in the process of leaving the wider South Caucasus region.

Yerevan was therefore trying to diversify its security arrangements, he said, an apparent reference to its ties with the European Union and the United States and its attempts to forge closer ties with other countries in the region.

"Armenia’s security architecture was 99.999% linked to Russia, including when it came to the procurement of arms and ammunition," Pashinyan told La Repubblica.

"But today we see that Russia itself is in need of weapons, arms and ammunition (for the war in Ukraine) and in this situation it’s understandable that even if it wishes so, the Russian Federation cannot meet Armenia’s security needs.

"This example should demonstrate to us that dependence on just one partner in security matters is a strategic mistake."

Erdogan’s Russia visit vital for grain deal, Turkish leader’s chief aide says

Sunday 3 September 2023 13:08 , Matt Mathers

Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will focus on the Black Sea grain deal during their meeting on Monday as Turkey seeks to bring Moscow back to the deal, Erdogan’s chief foreign policy advisor said.

"We play a leading role here. We see strong support from all around the world for the realisation of the grain corridor," Erdogan’s chief foreign policy and security advisor Akif Cagatay Kilic told an interview on A Haber television channel.

"The current status (of the grain deal) will be discussed at the summit on Monday. We are cautious, but we hope to achieve success because this is a situation that affects the entire world," Kilic said.

Nobel Foundation retracts invite to Russia, Belarus and Iran representatives to attend ceremonies

Sunday 3 September 2023 12:40 , Matt Mathers

The Nobel Foundation on Saturday retracted its invitation for representatives of Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend this year’s Nobel Prize award ceremonies after the controversial decision “provoked strong reactions”.

Several Swedish lawmakers said Friday they would boycott this year’s Nobel Prize award ceremonies in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, after the private foundation that administers the prestigious awards changed its position from a year earlier and invited representatives of the three countries to attend.

Full report:

Nobel Foundation retracts invite to Russia, Belarus and Iran representatives to attend ceremonies

ICYMI: More cargo ships from Ukraine use a civilian corridor despite Russian threats

Sunday 3 September 2023 12:20 , Matt Mathers

Two cargo vessels have left Ukraine despite Russian threats and are in the Black Sea, maritime officials said Saturday.

The Anna-Theresa, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier carrying 56,000 tons of pig iron, left the Ukrainian port of Yuzhny on Friday and is now close to Bulgarian territorial waters, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.

Full report:

More cargo ships from Ukraine use a civilian corridor despite Russian threats

Hackers linked to Russia leak secret information about British military and intelligence sites

Sunday 3 September 2023 11:41 , Matt Mathers

Hackers linked to Russia have leaked online secret security information about British military and intelligence sites, according to a report.

The Sunday Mirror reports thousands of pages of data was released that could help criminals get into the HMNB Clyde nuclear submarine base, the Porton Down chemical weapon lab and a GCHQ listening post.

Information about high-security prisons and a military site key to our cyber defences was also stolen in the raid by group LockBit, the paper added.

Hackers targeted the databases of Zaun, a firm which makes fences for maximum security sites. The information was then placed onto the internet’s dark web, which can be accessed using special software.

File photo: A GCHQ listening post was targetted (PA Media)

Dodging a constant assault of Russian missiles – the war-weary keep fighting in Ukraine’s blood-soaked east

Sunday 3 September 2023 11:10 , Matt Mathers

There is plenty of pride in the cities around the frontline in managing to keep Putin’s forces at bay, writes Kim Sengupta from Druzhkivka. But it has come at the cost of crushing loss.

Read Kim’s full report here:

Dodging Russian missiles, the war weary keep fighting in Ukraine’s blood-soaked east

'Russian terrorists continue to attack port infrastructure’

Sunday 3 September 2023 10:14 , Matt Mathers

"Russian terrorists continue to attack port infrastructure in the hope of provoking a food crisis and famine in the world," the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram.

He posted a photo of a firefighter directing water at the burning ruins of concrete structures.

Ukraine’s South Military Command said on social media at least two civilians were injured in the attack on what it said was the "civil infrastructure of the Danube".

Chief of Staff of Ukrainian Presidential Office Andriy Yermak (REUTERS)

ICYMI: Ukraine ‘targets critical bridge’ built by Putin as counteroffensive ‘breaks through on southern front’

Sunday 3 September 2023 09:11 , Matt Mathers

Russia says Ukraine has targetted a critical bridge that links the country to annexed Crimea, as Kyiv says its counteroffensive has broken through on the southern front.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had destroyed three Ukrainian drones attempting to attack the Kerch bridge – forcing closure for the third time in a year – with one drone intercepted late on Friday and two others early on Saturday.

Eleanor Noyce reports:

Ukraine ‘targets Crimea bridge’ built by Putin as counteroffensive ‘breaks through’

Russians press Ukraine in the northeast to distract from more important battles in counteroffensive

Sunday 3 September 2023 08:51 , Matt Mathers

Concealed under pine branches in the forests of northeast Ukraine, the muzzle of a Soviet-era howitzer rises, aiming for a group of approaching Russian infantrymen many kilometers away.

Full report:

Russians press Ukraine in the northeast to distract from more important battles in counteroffensive

Russia trying to exploit foreigners in army recruitment drive to replace ‘mounting casualties’

Sunday 3 September 2023 08:23 , Matt Mathers

Russia is trying to exploit foreigners in an army recruit drive to replace its “mounting casualties” on the battlefield in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.

“Online adverts have been observed in Armenia and Kazakhstan offering 495,000 roubles ($5,140 USD) in initial payments and salaries from 190,000 roubles ($1,973 USD),” it said in its latest war update.

“There have been recruitment efforts in Kazakhstan’s northern Qostanai region, appealing to the ethnic Russian population.

“Since at least May 2023, Russia has approached central Asian migrants to fight in Ukraine with promises of fast-track citizenship and salaries of up to $4,160 USD.

“Uzbek migrant builders in Mariupol have reportedly had their passports confiscated upon arrival and been coerced to join the Russian military. There are at least six million migrants from Central Asia in Russia, which the Kremlin likely sees as potential recruits.

“Russia likely wishes to avoid further unpopular domestic mobilisation measures in the run up to the 2024 Presidential elections. Exploiting foreign nationals allows the Kremlin to acquire additional personnel for its war effort in the face of mounting casualties.”

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 03 September 2023

Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/vWtgS987MP

🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/uUofSsu6hU
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) September 3, 2023

Russia signs 280,000 for contract military service this year - Medvedev

Sunday 3 September 2023 08:04 , Matt Mathers

Some 280,000 people have signed up so far this year for professional service with Russia’s military, the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, former president Dmitry Medvedev, said on Sunday.

Visiting Russia’s Far East, Medvedev said he was meeting local officials to work on efforts to beef up the armed forces.

"According to the Ministry of Defence, since 1 Jan, about 280,000 people have been accepted into the ranks of the Armed Forces on a contract basis," including reservists, state news agency TASS quoted Medvedev as saying.

Last year Russia announced a plan to expand its combat personnel more than 30 per cent to 1.5 million, an ambitious task made harder by its heavy but undisclosed casualties in Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

Dmitry Medvedev (SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia bombards Ukraine’s Odesa region with 3-hour drone attack

Sunday 3 September 2023 07:16 , Adam Withnall

Russia targeted the Odesa region with a sustained three-and-a-half hour drone attack in the early hours of this morning, Ukraine says, hitting some key port infrastructure.

Ukraine said its air defences succeeded in shooting down 22 of the 25 Iranian-made kamikaze Shahed drones fired by Russia.

At least two civilians were injured in the attack, according to Ukraine’s South Military Command.

The bombardment targeted “civil infrastructure of the Danube [River]”, it said.

Some Ukrainian media reported explosions at the port in Reni, one of the two major Ukrainian facilities on the river, though this was not immediately confirmed by the authorities.

The Danube is now Ukraine’s main route for crucial grain exports, after Russia pulled out of a UN deal that had allowed Kyiv to ship grain via the Black Sea.

Ukraine is the world’s largest wheat producer and its failure to export grain has been one of the key drivers of global food inflation since Russia’s invasion.

The key to Ukraine punching through Russia’s defences – and putting Putin’s forces on the back foot

Sunday 3 September 2023 07:00 , Stuti Mishra

Kyiv has been stepping up drone attacks on Crimea as it looks to break key supply lines from the Russian-occupied peninsula, writes Askold Krushelnycky in Ukraine:

The key to Ukraine punching through Russia’s defences | Askold Krushelnycky

Drone attacks inside Putin’s Russia will only increase, says senior Ukraine official

Sunday 3 September 2023 06:30 , Stuti Mishra

Drone strikes on Russian soil are only set to increase as Ukraine brings Moscow’s invasion home, a senior Kyiv official has said.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to president Volodymyr Zelensky said that it has increased strikes on Russian-occupied areas and would also ramp up attacks within Russia itself. Kyiv does not generally directly claim attacks outside of Ukraine, with Mr Podolyak saying such strikes would be carried out by “agents” or “partisans”.

“As for Russia ... there is an increasing number of attacks by unidentified drones launched from the territory of the Russian Federation, and the number of these attacks will increase,” Mr Podolyak told Reuters. “This is the stage of the war when hostilities are gradually being transferred to the territory of the Russian Federation.”

Chris Stevenson reports:

Drone attacks inside Putin’s Russia will only increase, says senior Ukraine official

Russian air strike on high rise building kills two

Sunday 3 September 2023 06:00 , Stuti Mishra

A Russian air strike on a high rise residential building has killed a married couple, according to the Donetsk regional prosecutor's office.

Ukraine has opened a war crimes investigation into the attack on Vuhledar, which left the couple's 19-year-old daughter and another resident, 53, injured.

Explosions destroyed the entrance to the building and damaged windows and balconies.

Zelensky thanks legal bodies for bringing long-running cases to justice after Ukraine's richest man held

Sunday 3 September 2023 05:30 , Stuti Mishra

President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an oblique reference to legal proceedings against the Ukrainian business magnate, Ihor Kolomoisky, thanked law enforcement bodies yesterday for their resolve in bringing long-running cases to justice.

"I thank Ukrainian law enforcement officials for their resolve in bringing to a just outcome each and every one of the cases that have been hindered for decades," Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

Ukrainian tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky detained in fraud case

Sunday 3 September 2023 05:00 , Stuti Mishra

A Ukrainian court ordered tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky to be held in custody for two months on suspicion of fraud and money laundering yesterday, a striking move against one of the country's most powerful businessmen.

The detention of Mr Kolomoisky, who is under US sanctions and is a one-time supporter of president Volodymyr Zelensky whose election he backed in 2019, comes as Kyiv is trying to signal progress during a wartime crackdown on corruption.

Defence lawyers said Mr Kolomoisky would appeal the ruling, questioning its legality, but that he would not post bail of almost $14 million in order to secure his release, broadcaster Radio Liberty reported.

After a hearing at a district court in Kyiv late yesterday, Mr Kolomoisky, one of Ukraine's richest men, was shown being led away in a blue tracksuit jacket in television footage. He could not be reached for comment.

The Security Service of Ukraine announced the case against Mr Kolomoisky yesterday morning, publishing photographs on Telegram Messenger showing him being served documents by security officers and signing them.

"It was established that during 2013-2020, Ihor Kolomoisky legalised more than half a billion hryvnias ($14 million) by withdrawing them abroad and using the infrastructure of banks under (his) control," the agency said in a statement.

Two more ships pass through Black Sea corridor

Sunday 3 September 2023 04:33 , Stuti Mishra

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that two more ships had passed through a "temporary" Black Sea shipping corridor established since Russia withdrew from a UN-backed grain export deal in July.

"Two ships have successfully passed through our temporary 'grain corridor'," Mr Zelensky posted on X, previously known as Twitter.

The president did not identify the vessels involved or say when they had completed their passage. Officials on Friday said two vessels had cleared the corridor - bringing to four the number that have used it.

Mr Zelensky said Ukraine was "restoring true freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. Freedom requires determination."

On Friday, a Ukrainian deputy prime minister said two vessels had passed through the corridor from the port of Pivdenny: one flagged in Liberia, the other in the Marshall Islands. The vessels were carrying pig iron and iron concentrate.

Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports since it invaded its neighbour in February 2022, and threatened to treat all vessels as potential military targets after pulling out of the UN-backed deal.

Crimean Bridge traffic resumes after brief suspension

Sunday 3 September 2023 04:00 , Stuti Mishra

Traffic on the main bridge linking the Russian mainland with the Crimean Peninsula resumed after a brief suspension early today, the Russian-installed operator of the bridge said on the Telegram messaging app.

The administration did not disclose the reason for the suspension. Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 in a move condemned by many Western governments as illegal.

The Crimean Bridge has been a target of increased air and sea drone attacks in recent months.

What next for the Wagner Group in Russia?

Sunday 3 September 2023 03:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The Wagner founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is confirmed to have died in a plane crash – a turn of events that appears to leave his Wagner Group fighters rudderless and facing a highly uncertain future.

Prigozhin, a convict, turned gourmet restaurateur, turned warlord, was onboard an Embraer private jet flying from Moscow to St Petersburg when it came down over the Tver region, killing everyone on board. Two other senior commanders, Dmitry Utkin and Valery Chekalov, were also on the passenger list.

The crash came exactly two months after Prigozhin led his men in a mutiny that gravely embarrassed Russian president Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, his fighters leaving their posts in southern Ukraine to occupy the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don before marching on Moscow along the M4 highway.

Read more:

What next for the Wagner Group in Russia?

Drone attacks inside Putin’s Russia will only increase, says senior Ukraine official

Sunday 3 September 2023 03:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Drone strikes on Russian soil are only set to increase as Ukraine brings Moscow’s invasion home, a senior Kyiv official has said.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky said that it has increased strikes on Russian-occupied areas and would also ramp up attacks within Russia itself. Kyiv does not generally directly claim attacks outside of Ukraine, with Mr Podolyak saying such strikes would be carried out by “agents” or “partisans”.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Drone attacks inside Putin’s Russia will only increase, says senior Ukraine official

Why did Russia invade Ukraine?

Sunday 3 September 2023 02:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Read more:

Here’s why Putin really invaded Ukraine

Two more ships pass through Black Sea corridor - Zelensky

Sunday 3 September 2023 01:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that two more ships had passed through a “temporary” Black Sea shipping corridor established since Russia withdrew from a U.N.-backed grain export deal in July.

“Two ships have successfully passed through our temporary ‘grain corridor’,” Zelensky posted on X, previously known as Twitter.

The president did not identify the vessels involved or say when they had completed their passage. Officials on Friday said two vessels had cleared the corridor -- bringing to four the number that have used it.

Zelensky said Ukraine was “restoring true freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. Freedom requires determination.”

Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports since it invaded its neighbour in February 2022, and threatened to treat all vessels as potential military targets after pulling out of the U.N.-backed deal.

In response, Ukraine announced a “humanitarian corridor” hugging the western Black Sea coast near Romania and Bulgaria.

The grain agreement had allowed Ukraine, a major agricultural exporter, to ship tens of millions of metric tons of produce to other countries during Russia’s invasion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan on Monday in the Black Sea resort of Sochi as Ankara and the United Nations seek to revive the grain export deal.

Russia quit the deal in July after it had been in effect for a year, complaining that its own food and fertiliser exports faced obstacles and that not enough Ukrainian grain was going to countries in need.

More cargo ships from Ukraine use a civilian corridor despite Russian threats

Sunday 3 September 2023 00:01 , Eleanor Noyce

Two cargo vessels have left Ukraine despite Russian threats and are in the Black Sea, maritime officials said Saturday.

A second vessel — the Ocean Courtesy, traveling under a Marshall Islands flag — left the same port on Friday with 172,000 tons of iron ore concentrate. That ship arrived at the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta shortly before noon on Saturday, according to the global ship tracking website MarineTraffic. The website does not state whether the vessel is set to move on from the Romanian port.

Read more:

More cargo ships from Ukraine use a civilian corridor despite Russian threats

Ukrainian tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky detained in fraud case - court

Saturday 2 September 2023 23:00 , Eleanor Noyce

A Ukrainian court ordered tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky to be held in custody for two months on suspicion of fraud and money laundering on Saturday, a striking move against one of the country’s most powerful businessmen.

The detention of Kolomoisky, who is under U.S. sanctions and is a one-time supporter of President Volodymyr Zelensky whose election he backed in 2019, comes as Kyiv is trying to signal progress during a wartime crackdown on corruption.

Defence lawyers said Kolomoisky would appeal the ruling, questioning its legality, but that he would not post bail of almost $14 million in order to secure his release, broadcaster Radio Liberty reported.

After a hearing at a district court in Kyiv late on Saturday, Kolomoisky, one of Ukraine‘s richest men, was shown being led away in a blue tracksuit jacket in television footage. He could not be reached for comment.

The Security Service of Ukraine announced the case against Kolomoisky on Saturday morning, publishing photographs on Telegram Messenger showing him being served documents by security officers and signing them.

“It was established that during 2013-2020, Ihor Kolomoisky legalised more than half a billion hryvnias ($14 million) by withdrawing them abroad and using the infrastructure of banks under (his) control,” the agency said in a statement.

After the ruling, Zelensky appeared to allude obliquely to the case in his evening address, thanking law enforcement agencies for showing resolve in bringing long-running cases to justice.

“Without a doubt, there will be no more decades-long ‘business as usual’ for those who plundered Ukraine and put themselves above the law and any rules... The law must work,” he said.

Drone attacks inside Putin’s Russia will only increase, says senior Ukraine official

Saturday 2 September 2023 22:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Drone strikes on Russian soil are only set to increase as Ukraine brings Moscow’s invasion home, a senior Kyiv official has said.

Chris Stevenson has more:

Drone attacks inside Putin’s Russia will only increase, says senior Ukraine official

The key to Ukraine punching through Russia’s defences – and putting Putin’s forces on the back foot

Saturday 2 September 2023 21:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Kyiv has been stepping up drone attacks on Crimea as it looks to break key supply lines from the Russian-occupied peninsula, writes Askold Krushelnycky in Ukraine:

The key to Ukraine punching through Russia’s defences | Askold Krushelnycky

What is Russia’s ‘Satan II’ hypersonic intercontinental nuclear missile?

Saturday 2 September 2023 20:40 , Eleanor Noyce

Joe Sommerlad reports:

What is Russia’s ‘Satan II’ intercontinental nuclear missile?

Zelensky thanks legal bodies for bringing long-running cases to justice

Saturday 2 September 2023 20:22 , Eleanor Noyce

President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an oblique reference to legal proceedings against a Ukrainian business magnate, thanked law enforcement bodies on Saturday for their resolve in bringing long-running cases to justice.

“I thank Ukrainian law enforcement officials for their resolve in bringing to a just outcome each and every one of the cases that have been hindered for decades,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address.

Russian students are returning to school, where they face new lessons to boost their patriotism

Saturday 2 September 2023 20:00 , Eleanor Noyce

A new high school history textbook has a chapter on the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and the “special military operation” — the Kremlin’s euphemism for the war, and some basic military training is included in a course on self-defense and first aid.

Dasha Litvinova has the full story:

Russian students are returning to school, where they face new lessons to boost their patriotism

Ukraine ‘targets critical bridge’ built by Putin as counteroffensive ‘breaks through on southern front’

Saturday 2 September 2023 19:21 , Eleanor Noyce

Russia claims Ukraine has targeted a critical bridge that links the country to annexed Crimea, as Kyiv says its counteroffensive has broken through on the southern front.

Serving as a key supply route for Kremlin forces during its war in Ukraine, the bridge has been attacked repeatedly, Russian authorities claim. In October, an explosion involving a truck bomb purportedly killed three people, with a subsequent attack in July killing a couple and seriously injuring their daughter. A part of the road was further left hanging in a precarious position.

Read more:

Ukrainian business magnate Kolomoisky taken into custody for two months

Saturday 2 September 2023 19:11 , Eleanor Noyce

A Ukrainian court on Saturday ordered business magnate Ihor Kolomoisky, accused of fraud and money laundering, taken into custody for two months with the option to post bail of more than 509 million hryvnias, equivalent to more than $13 million.

Bosnian Serbs stage protests in support of their separatist leader

Saturday 2 September 2023 18:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Hundreds of Bosnian Serbs waved flags of Serbia and Russia and banners of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday as they staged a protest in support of their separatist leader who seeks union with neighboring Serbia.

The protests were held at the unmarked internal border in Bosnia that separates the country into two entities — the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat federation — as called for under the U.S.-mediated peace deal that ended the country’s 1992-95 war.

The Serb protesters chanted slogans against Bosnia being a single state. They briefly blocked traffic between the two entities, but there were no major incidents reported.

Read more:

Bosnian Serbs stage protests in support of their separatist leader

ICYMI: Nobel Foundation retracts invite to Russia, Belarus and Iran representatives to attend ceremonies

Saturday 2 September 2023 18:10 , Eleanor Noyce

Some of the lawmakers cited Russia’s war on Ukraine and the crackdown on human rights in Iran as reasons for their boycott.

The Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told media outlets Friday that he wouldn’t allow Russian representatives to attend the ceremony to attend Nobel award ceremonies this year if given the choice.

Read more:

Nobel Foundation retracts invite to Russia, Belarus and Iran representatives to attend ceremonies

More cargo ships from Ukraine use a civilian corridor despite Russian threats

Saturday 2 September 2023 17:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Two cargo vessels have left Ukraine despite Russian threats and are in the Black Sea, maritime officials said Saturday.

A second vessel — the Ocean Courtesy, travelling under a Marshall Islands flag — left the same port on Friday with 172,000 tons of iron ore concentrate. That ship arrived at the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta shortly before noon on Saturday, according to the global ship tracking website MarineTraffic. The website does not state whether the vessel is set to move on from the Romanian port.

Read more:

More cargo ships from Ukraine use a civilian corridor despite Russian threats

Dodging a constant assault of Russian missiles – the war weary keep fighting in Ukraine’s blood-soaked east

Saturday 2 September 2023 16:50 , Eleanor Noyce

The missile aimed at the mayor’s office took an estimated 64 seconds to fly 55 miles and detonate in shrapnel and flames after being fired by Russian forces.

Thankfully for Oleksandr Goncharenko, the mayor of Kramatorsk – near the frontline in east Ukraine – it missed the target by 200 metres, hitting a garden square.

There is plenty of pride in the cities around the frontline in managing to keep Putin’s forces at bay, writes Kim Sengupta from Druzhkivka. But it has come at the cost of crushing loss:

Dodging Russian missiles, the war weary keep fighting in Ukraine’s blood-soaked east

Ukraine tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky named suspect in fraud probe - SBU

Saturday 2 September 2023 16:20 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine‘s main security agency accused tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky of fraud and money laundering on Saturday, naming one of the country’s most prominent businessmen a suspect in a criminal investigation.

The move against Kolomoisky, one of Ukraine‘s richest men and a one-time supporter of President Volodymyr Zelensky whose election he backed in 2019, comes as Kyiv is trying to signal progress during a wartime crackdown on corruption.

Kolomoisky, who has previously denied allegations of wrongdoing, could not be reached for comment.

The SBU published pictures on the Telegram messaging app of a group of detectives at the door of his home, with Kolomoisky being served documents and signing them.

The businessman, who has been under U.S. sanctions since 2021, is seen as one of the class of oligarchs who amassed huge industrial wealth after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and have wielded outsize political and economic influence.

Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Zelensky and his team tried to clip their wings with legislation requiring oligarchs to register and stay out of politics.

The war has eroded their power as lucrative industrial assets have been destroyed in the east and south, and their television channels have been broadcasting under a centralised wartime signal.

Before he won the presidency, Zelensky rose to prominence as a comedian and played the role of president on a show aired on a Kolomoisky-owned TV channel. He denies Kolomoisky has had any influence over the government.

EU's Gentiloni confident over budget rule deal by year-end deadline

Saturday 2 September 2023 15:50 , Eleanor Noyce

European Union Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni said on Saturday he was confident an agreement over re-implementing EU budget rules would be reached by year-end, ruling out an extension of their suspension into 2024.

The EU rules, called the Stability and Growth Pact, have been on hold since 2020 to help governments deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine on energy and food prices.

The rules, which limit budget deficits and debt, are due to be re-implemented in 2024 and the EU is racing to establish a new rule book acceptable to all member states, with Italy favouring a more lenient approach than some northern European governments.

“I’m confident, I’d say I have to be confident, that a deal (over the new budget rules) can be reached by year-end,” Gentiloni told reporters on the sidelines of the European House Ambrosetti economic forum in Cernobbio.

“Suspension won’t be extended to 2024,” he added.

Gentiloni’s comments appeared to contrast with remarks on Monday by Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, who said a deal was probably out of reach by the end-2023 deadline, something the European Commission was now coming to terms with.

Italy is preparing a difficult 2024 budget in which it will seek to meet Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s tax-cutting promises while at the same time reducing the deficit while faced with an economic slowdown.

Gentiloni said failing to reach a deal on reviving the rules would mean a return to previous budget rules that did not help promote economic growth and cut sovereign debt in the bloc.

He said European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde “often reminds us that reaching this agreement is also fundamental in the overall assessment that the ECB makes of the market situation”.

State support and investment programmes to counter COVID’s economic impact sent many EU states’ debt levels soaring beyond the Stability Pact’s current 60% of GDP limit.

Russian-made combat trainer aircraft joins Iran’s Air Force

Saturday 2 September 2023 15:19 , Matt Mathers

Iran’s news agencies are reporting that a Russian-made YAK-130 combat trainer aircraft is in the country and has joined the Air Force.

The report by ISNA said the advanced combat trainer aircraft is able to meet the training needs of pilots to learn to fly 4th-generation fighters.

In April, Iran announced that it had finalized a deal to buy Su-35 fighter jets from Russia.

Iran and Russia have a close relationship, especially in military equipment.

Iranian drones have been a key element of Russia’s continued war on Ukraine.

Nobel Foundation withdraws invitation to Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend ceremonies

Saturday 2 September 2023 14:46 , Matt Mathers

The Nobel Foundation on Saturday withdrew its invitation for representatives of Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend this year’s Nobel Prize award ceremonies after the decision announced a day earlier "provoked strong reactions."

Some of the lawmakers cited Russia’s war on Ukraine and the crackdown on human rights in Iran as reasons for their boycott. Belarusian opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Friday called on the Swedish Nobel Foundation and the Norwegian Nobel Committee not to invite representatives of Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko’s "illegitimate regime to any events."

Ukraine troops ‘moving forward’ - Zelensky

Saturday 2 September 2023 13:38 , Matt Mathers

Ukrainian troops are “moving foward”, president Zelensky has said as he hit out at critics in the West who claimed his counteroffensive was not moving quickly.

"Ukrainian forces are moving forward. Despite everything, and no matter what anyone says, we are advancing, and that is the most important thing. We are on the move," he wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Some fear the West’s support could begin to falter as colder and wetter weather slows progress on the battlefield later in the year.

The West has poured in many billions of dollars to help the counteroffensive and Kyiv says it needs more.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky clenches his fist as he speaks to the crowd in front of the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 August 2023 (Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima)

Saturday 2 September 2023 13:00 , Matt Mathers

Full report:

Bosnian Serbs stage protests in support of their separatist leader

Scholz dismisses talk of keeping nuclear energy option open in Germany

Saturday 2 September 2023 12:45 , Matt Mathers

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed a suggestion by a junior coalition partner that the country should keep open the option of using its closed nuclear power plants, declaring that atomic energy is a “dead horse” in Germany.

Germany switched off its last three nuclear reactors in April, completing a process that received wide political support after Japan‘s Fukushima nuclear reactor disaster in 2011. But some argued for a rethink after energy prices spiked because of the war in Ukraine.

Full report:

Scholz dismisses talk of keeping nuclear energy option open in Germany

Dodging a constant assault of Russian missiles – the war weary keep fighting in Ukraine’s blood-soaked east

Saturday 2 September 2023 12:17 , Matt Mathers

There is plenty of pride in the cities around the frontline in managing to keep Putin’s forces at bay, writes Kim Sengupta from Druzhkivka. But it has come at the cost of crushing loss

Read Kim’s full piece here.

Investigate disappearance of British military volunteer in Ukraine - father

Saturday 2 September 2023 11:44 , Matt Mathers

Scotland Yard must investigate the disappearance of a British military volunteer in Ukraine, his father has said.

Daniel Burke, 36, has not been seen since leaving his flat in southeast Ukraine on 11 August.

“We want the investigation to be kept going as much as possible, and I would love to see a British police investigation too,” his father Kevin told The Daily Telegraph.

Cargo ships depart Ukraine despite Russian threats

Saturday 2 September 2023 11:20 , Matt Mathers

Two cargo vessels have left Ukraine despite Russian threats and are in the Black Sea, maritime officials said.

The Anna-Theresa, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier carrying 56,000 tons of pig iron, left the Ukrainian port of Yuzhny on Friday and is close to Bulgarian territorial waters, Ukrainian infrastructure minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.

A second vessel - the Ocean Courtesy, travelling under a Marshall Islands flag - left the same port on Friday with 172,000 tons of iron ore concentrate.

It arrived at the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta shortly before noon on Saturday, according to global ship tracking website MarineTraffic. The website does not say if the vessel is to move on from the Romanian port.

The two vessels sailed through a temporary corridor for civilian ships from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports to the Bosporus, Mr Kubrakov tweeted.

Two vessels are sailing through a temporary corridor from Ukraine's Black Sea ports to the Bosphorus.

The bulk carriers ANNA-THERESA (Liberia) and OCEAN COURTESY (Marshala Islands) have left the port of Pivdennyi and are moving along the established corridor. They are carrying… pic.twitter.com/oRtTlbQ3CU
— Oleksandr Kubrakov (@OlKubrakov) September 1, 2023

ICYMI: Foreign Office confirms death of British volunteer in Ukraine

Saturday 2 September 2023 11:01 , Matt Mathers

The Foreign Office has confirmed the death of a British man who, his family said, had been fighting in Ukraine.

Samuel Newey, 22, from Solihull in the West Midlands, was “killed in action” on Wednesday in eastern Ukraine, his brother, Daniel Newey, said in a social media post.

He wrote on Facebook: “I cannot put into words how broken I feel.”

Ellie Ng reports:

Foreign Office confirms death of British volunteer in Ukraine

Russia’s pro-war influencers cashing in on Ukraine conflict

Saturday 2 September 2023 10:40 , Matt Mathers

Pro-war influencers in Russia are raking in big advertising revenues from their social media coverage of the conflict, it has been reported.

A BBC investigation found they share ads for anything from cryptocurrency to fashion, next to graphic videos of drone strikes and false claims about Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Pro-war influencers, often embedded within the Russian army, have gained millions of followers on Telegram after president Vladimir Putin banned Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, the report said.

Putin has banned Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (Copyright 2023 Sputnik)

With its leader dead, can the Wagner group rise and ride again?

Saturday 2 September 2023 10:20 , Matt Mathers

Russian authorities recently confirmed that Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash near Moscow.

But can the mercenary group, which operates in several African countries, rise again under a new leader?

The answer is critical for its arch-nemesis Vladimir Putin, writes Mary Dejevsky:

The RAAC concrete ‘ticking time bomb’ that schools were warned about years ago

Ex-Zelensky ally facing charges over ‘financial manipulation’ of oil and gas holdings

Saturday 2 September 2023 09:58 , Matt Mathers

A former ally of Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has been charged with the “financial manipulation” of his oil and gas holdings.

Oligarch Igor Kolomoisky was charged and had his home raided by security forces.

The Security Service said in its official statement that Mr Kolomoisky is accused of laundering over Hr 500 million ($13.5 million) in 2019-2020.

Mr Kolomoisky backed Mr Zelenksy in his campaign for president in 2019.

Putin to meet Erdogan in Russia for talks on grain deal

Saturday 2 September 2023 09:30 , Matt Mathers

Russian president Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan on Monday in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, the Kremlin said on Friday.

Two Turkish sources said on Thursday that the meeting would primarily discuss Black Sea grain exports.

UN secretary-general, António Guterre, said on Thursday that he had sent Russia "a set of concrete proposals" aimed at reviving a deal that allowed the safe export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, where Russia controls Ukraine’s sea lanes.

ICYMI: Russian students are returning to school, where they face new lessons to boost their patriotism

Saturday 2 September 2023 09:00 , Matt Mathers

Dasha Litvinova reports:

Russian students are returning to school, where they face new lessons to boost their patriotism

Russia trying to ‘distract’ Ukraine counteroffensive - MoD

Saturday 2 September 2023 08:34 , Matt Mathers

Russia is trying to “distract” Ukraine’s counteroffensive by attacking in different locations, thereby dividing its own troops, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has said.

“Ukrainian Forces continue to take offensive action on the Orikhiv axis in southern Ukraine, with units reaching the first Russian main defensive line,” the MoD said in a statement.

“Russian forces, primarily composed of the 58 Combined Arms Army and Russian Airborne Forces elements, seek to halt the Ukrainian counter-offensive whilst maintaining their own offensive on the northern axis around Kupiansk.

“Russian forces are likely seeking to distract Ukraine from its counter-offensive, thereby forcing it to divide its forces between Orikhiv and Kupiansk.

“Given that Russia has made modest gains near Kupiansk since the Ukrainian counter-offensive began in June, they are highly likely seeking to capitalise on these by continuing to resource the axis.

“However, Russia risks dividing its forces as it seeks to prevent a Ukrainian breakthrough.”

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 02 September 2023

Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/nn0rHmtwtn

🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/2fmbkCBLNs
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) September 2, 2023

Kremlin - Two drones downed near border as Ukraine shells village

Saturday 2 September 2023 08:09 , Matt Mathers

The Russian defence ministry said on Saturday that it had downed two Ukrainian drones over Belgorod region, a border province that comes under regular attack from Kyiv’s forces.

Separately, the governor of neighbouring Kursk region said that a village on the border had come under shelling from Ukraine, with one woman injured.

Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory have picked up in recent weeks, with dozens of drones striking Russia at once some days.

Drone attacks inside Putin’s Russia will only increase, says senior Ukraine official

Saturday 2 September 2023 07:36 , Matt Mathers

Drone strikes on Russian soil are only set to increase as Ukraine brings Moscow’s invasion home, a senior Kyiv official has said.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Drone attacks inside Putin’s Russia will only increase, says senior Ukraine official

Kremlin designates Nobel Prize-winning journalist a ‘foreign agent'

Saturday 2 September 2023 07:15 , Matt Mathers

Russian authorities on Friday designated Nobel Prize-winning journalist Dmitry Muratov as a "foreign agent," a move often aimed at critics of Kremlin policies.

Russian news agencies quoted the justice ministry as saying Muratov, editor of the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper and a co-laureate of the 2021 Nobel peace prize, was one of several Russian nationals added to the list.

So-called foreign agents have been subjected to police searches and other punitive measures. While Muratov is still in Russia, many on the list have left the country since the February 2021 invasion of Ukraine, dubbed a "special military operation" by the Kremlin.

The justice ministry said Muratov "created and disseminated material (produced by) foreign agents and used it to spread negative opinions of Russia’s foreign and domestic policies on international platforms".

Under Russian law, individuals and organizations receiving funding from abroad can be declared foreign agents, potentially undermining their credibility with the Russian public. Those deemed foreign agents must mark their published work with a disclaimer noting their status.

Novaya Gazeta and Muratov earned a reputation abroad for investigative reporting that was often critical of the Kremlin.

Dmitry Muratov (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Putin says Russia's ICBM will make enemies 'think twice'

Saturday 2 September 2023 06:30 , Stuti Mishra

The head of Russia's Roscosmos space agency said that the country has deployed an advanced intercontinental ballistic missile that president Vladimir Putin once said will make Russia's enemies "think twice."

Agency head Yuri Borisov said Sarmat missiles have been placed on combat duty, according to Russian news agencies. Further details were not reported.

The Sarmat is one of several advanced weapons whose development Mr Putin announced in 2018. The silo-based missile, capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, is intended to replace the R-36 ICBMs that are known by the NATO reporting name of Satan.

The Sarmat reportedly has a short initial launch phase, allowing little time for surveillance systems to track it.

In 2022, about two months after sending troops into Ukraine, Mr Putin said the Sarmat would "reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those who, in the heat of aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country, think twice."

Bosnian Serbs stage protests in support of their separatist leader

Saturday 2 September 2023 06:00 , Stuti Mishra

Hundreds of Bosnian Serbs waved flags of Serbia and Russia and banners of Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday as they staged a protest in support of their separatist leader who seeks union with neighbouring Serbia.

The protests were held at the unmarked internal border in Bosnia that separates the country into two entities — the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat federation — as called for under the US-mediated peace deal that ended the country’s 1992-95 war.

Bosnian Serbs stage protests in support of their separatist leader

Crowd flocks to see Putin in Russian village

Saturday 2 September 2023 05:30 , Stuti Mishra

A crowd of dozens thronged and cheered Russian president Vladimir Putin as he made an unannounced visit to a village near Moscow yesterday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that Mr Putin visited the village of Turginovo, where he has ancestral ties, to see places associated with his family.

Video posted by local news sites showed dozens of residents flocking to the beaming president after he emerged from a car in the village square at dusk.

"Good health, strength and good luck," one woman said. "Thank you for coming to see us. For remembering us."

During a stop lasting only a few minutes, Mr Putin expressed surprise that a science teacher at the local school was undertaking a doctoral degree and promised improved conditions to attract qualified people to the area.

Residents told him they needed more and better housing.

"Yes, yes, I agree, We'll do everything gradually," Mr Putin told them during the encounter lasting only a few minutes.

"My best wishes on the start of the school year."

🇷🇺 **Putin Makes Surprise Visit to Ancestral Village in Tver Region**

Summary 🎭:
Russian President Vladimir Putin made an unannounced visit to Turginovo, a village in the Kalininsky district of the Tver region. During the visit, he interacted with locals who thanked him and… pic.twitter.com/JynqHVCDkS
— KNOWN STUDIO NEWS (@_KNOWN_STUDIO_) September 1, 2023

Ukraine says counteroffensive has 'broken through' on southern front

Saturday 2 September 2023 05:00 , Stuti Mishra

Ukraine says its troops have broken through Russia's first line of defence in several places, though they then encountered even more heavily fortified Russian positions.

Deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said Kyiv's troops, in a much-vaunted counteroffensive against Russian forces, were advancing in the Zaporizhzhia region. Washington also said yesterday that Kyiv had made notable progress on the southern front in the last 72 hours.

"There is an offensive in several directions and in certain areas. And in some places, in certain areas, this first line was broken through," Ms Maliar told Ukrainian television yesterday night.

She added, however, that Kyiv's troops battling to advance through heavily mined areas for almost three months had now run into major defensive Russian fortifications.

"Our armed forces have to overcome a lot of obstacles in order to move forward," she said.

Russia labels Nobel-winning journalist 'foreign agent'

Saturday 2 September 2023 04:30 , Stuti Mishra

Russian authorities designated Nobel Prize-winning journalist Dmitry Muratov as a "foreign agent," a move often aimed at critics of Kremlin policies.

Russian news agencies quoted the Justice Ministry as saying Mr Muratov, editor of the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper and a co-laureate of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, was one of several Russian nationals added to the list.

So-called foreign agents have been subjected to police searches and other punitive measures. While Mr Muratov is still in Russia, many on the list have left the country since the February 2021 invasion of Ukraine, dubbed a "special military operation" by the Kremlin.

The justice ministry said Mr Muratov "created and disseminated material (produced by) foreign agents and used it to spread negative opinions of Russia's foreign and domestic policies on international platforms".

Under Russian law, individuals and organisations receiving funding from abroad can be declared foreign agents, potentially undermining their credibility with the Russian public. Those deemed foreign agents must mark their published work with a disclaimer noting their status.

Russia accuses Ukraine of trying to attack Crimea bridge

Saturday 2 September 2023 03:53 , Stuti Mishra

The Russian defence ministry has claimed this morning that its forces have destroyed "three unmanned boats being used in an attempt to target the Crimea bridge".

The ministry alleged Ukraine was behind the attack, the Kyiv Independent reported.

⚡️Russia claims 3 unmanned boats destroyed trying to attack Crimea bridge.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported in the early hours of Sept. 2 that its forces had destroyed three unmanned boats being used in an attempt to target the Crimea bridge. The ministry accused Ukraine of…
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) September 2, 2023

What is Russia’s ‘Satan II’ hypersonic intercontinental nuclear missile?

Saturday 2 September 2023 02:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Joe Sommerlad reports:

What is Russia’s ‘Satan II’ intercontinental nuclear missile?

White House official discusses anti-corruption efforts with Ukraine delegation

Saturday 2 September 2023 01:30 , Eleanor Noyce

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan met on Friday with a delegation comprised of the heads of Ukrainian anti-corruption institutions and reiterated American support for anti-corruption reforms in Ukraine, the White House said in a statement.

KEY QUOTE

“Mr. Sullivan underscored the vital importance to any democratic society of independent, impartial law enforcement and judicial institutions capable of investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating corruption cases no matter where they lead,” the White House said on Friday after the meeting.

“Mr. Sullivan also reiterated steadfast U.S. support for anti-corruption reforms in Ukraine and for Ukraine‘s brave defense of its democracy against Russian aggression.”

THE TAKE

Ukraine has made a crackdown on graft a priority as it presses on with a counteroffensive 18 months into Russia’s invasion.

Uprooting corruption is also a key element in the country’s bid to join the European Union and to seek more assistance from partners to support its fight against Russia and its rebuilding efforts that will cost billions of dollars.

BY THE NUMBERS

Ukraine ranks 116th out of 180 countries on campaign group Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index.

A Transparency-commissioned opinion poll in June found that at least 77% of Ukrainians believe corruption is among Ukraine‘s biggest problems.

U.S. to send its first depleted uranium rounds to Ukraine - sources

Saturday 2 September 2023 00:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The Biden administration will for the first time send controversial armor-piercing munitions containing depleted uranium to Ukraine, according to a document seen by Reuters and separately confirmed by two U.S. officials.

The rounds, which could help destroy Russian tanks, are part of a new military aid package for Ukraine set to be unveiled in the next week. The munitions can be fired from U.S. Abrams tanks that, according to a person familiar with the matter, are expected be delivered to Ukraine in the coming weeks.

One of the officials said that the coming aid package will be worth between $240 million and $375 million depending on what is included.

The value and contents of the package were still being finalized, the officials said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Although Britain sent depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine earlier this year, this would be the first U.S. shipment of the ammunition and will likely stir controversy. It follows an earlier decision by the Biden administration to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine, despite concerns over the dangers such weapons pose to civilians.

The use of depleted uranium munitions has been fiercely debated, with opponents like the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons saying there are dangerous health risks from ingesting or inhaling depleted uranium dust, including cancers and birth defects.

A by-product of uranium enrichment, depleted uranium is used for ammunition because its extreme density gives rounds the ability to easily penetrate armour plating and self-ignite in a searing cloud of dust and metal.

While depleted uranium is radioactive, it is considerably less so than naturally occurring uranium, although particles can linger for a considerable time.

The United States used depleted uranium munitions in massive quantities in the 1990 and 2003 Gulf Wars and the NATO bombing of former Yugoslavia in 1999.

Belarus says Polish helicopter crossed border, Warsaw denies it

Friday 1 September 2023 23:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Belarus, Russia’s closest ally, summoned a Polish diplomat to protest what it said was a Polish military helicopter’s violation of its border on Friday, but a military official in Warsaw denied any incursion had occurred.

The Belarusian State Border Commission said the Polish Mi-24 military helicopter crossed the border “at an extremely low altitude, flew to a depth of up to 1,200 metres into the territory of Belarus, and then turned back”.

Belarus’ Foreign Ministry, in a statement quoted by the official BelTA news agency, said it had summoned the Polish charge d’affaires and demanded an investigation.

“Appropriate explanations were demanded from the Polish side and the conduct of a thorough investigation into the incident,” the ministry statement said.

In Warsaw, Lieutenant Colonel Jacek Goryszewski, a Polish military operational command spokesman, flatly denied the Belarusian allegation.

“I do not confirm this information. None of the Polish helicopters crossed the border into Belarus. Such a border crossing could not have happened and it did not happen. Our radar systems are unambiguous,” Goryszewski said.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski had earlier called for “great caution” in considering statements by the Belarus military, led by President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994.

“These services are a direct extension of Lukashenko’s regime,” Jablonski told private broadcaster Polsat.

Poland’s longstanding poor relations with Belarus have deteriorated further in recent weeks, and Warsaw, along with the Baltic states of Latvia and Lithuania, has suggested Poland could close its borders if ties worsen further.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in July accused NATO member Poland of harbouring territorial ambitions in Belarus.

NASA spacecraft around moon spots likely crash site of Russia's lost lunar lander

Friday 1 September 2023 22:40 , Natalie Crockett

A NASA spacecraft around the moon has found the likely crash site of Russia’s lost lunar lander.

The Luna 25 lander slammed into the moon last month, a harsh end to Russia’s first moon mission in almost half a century. Based on observations by its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA said Thursday that it appears the impact created a crater 33 feet (10 meters) across.

This fresh crater is about 250 miles (400 kilometers) short of the spacecraft’s intended landing site at the lunar south pole, and farther north. NASA’s spacecraft found no evidence of a crater in this spot in pictures taken during a flyover last year.

Russia declares Nobel-winning editor Dmitry Muratov to be a foreign agent

Friday 1 September 2023 21:55 , Natalie Crockett

Russian authorities on Friday declared newspaper editor Dmitry Muratov, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, to be a foreign agent, continuing the country’s moves to suppress critics and independent reporting.

Russian law allows for individuals and organizations receiving funding from abroad to be declared foreign agents, a pejorative term that potentially undermines their credibility with the Russian public. The status also requires designees to mark any publications with a disclaimer stating they are foreign agents.

Muratov was chief editor of Novaya Gazeta, which was widely respected abroad for its investigative reporting and was frequently critical of the Kremlin. Muratov was a co-laureate of the 2021 Nobel prize; he later put up his Nobel medal for auction, receiving $103.5 million which he said would be used to aid refugee children from Ukraine.

Bosnian Serbs stage protests in support of their separatist leader

Friday 1 September 2023 21:15 , Natalie Crockett

The protests were held at the unmarked internal border in Bosnia that separates the country into two entities — the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat federation — as called for under the US-mediated peace deal that ended the country’s 1992-95 war.

The Serb protesters chanted slogans against Bosnia being a single state. They briefly blocked traffic between the two entities, but there were no major incidents reported.

Poland's military denies that Polish helicopter crossed Belarus border

Friday 1 September 2023 20:40 , Eleanor Noyce

A Polish helicopter did not cross the Belarus border on Friday, a Polish military operational command spokesman said, denying a claim from Minsk that such an incursion took place.

“I do not confirm this information, none of the Polish helicopters crossed the border into Belarus, such a border crossing could not have happened and it did not happen, our radar systems are unambiguous,” Lieutenant Colonel Jacek Goryszewski said.

Drone attacks inside Putin’s Russia will only increase, says senior Ukraine official

Friday 1 September 2023 20:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Drone strikes on Russian soil are only set to increase as Ukraine brings Moscow‘s invasion home, a senior Kyiv official has said.

“As for Russia... there is an increasing number of attacks by unidentified drones launched from the territory of the Russian Federation, and the number of these attacks will increase,” Mr Podolyak told Reuters. “This is the stage of the war when hostilities are gradually being transferred to the territory of the Russian Federation”.

Chris Stevenson reports: