Ukraine-Russia war – live: Second ‘sabotage’ attack across Russian border in two days as Moscow says four dead

Reports of a Ukrainian “sabotage” attack across the Russian border on Wednesday morning are coming in, as Moscow has claimed four people were killed in the incident.

According to Sky News, Bryansk regional governor Aleksandr Bogomaz wrote on Telegram that an “attempt by a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group consisting of six militants to penetrate the territory of the Bryansk region was foiled at 7am today”.

Russia usually blames these attacks on Ukraine, who rarely claims responsibility for these cross-border incursions.

Earlier today, Russian troops were reportedly seen fleeing cluster bombs as a Ukrainian drone was reportedly downed over Crimea.

Footage released by the Ukrainian defence ministry shows US-supplied cluster munitions, which spray “bomblets” across a wide area, hitting Russian forces amid Kyiv’s recapturing of the key strategic settlement of Urozhaine in the Donetsk region.

“Ukrainian troops have liberated Urozhaine village, Donetsk region!” the Ukrainian defence ministry posted on X on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday its forces had shot down a Ukrainian drone over Crimea, Interfax reported, the latest in a flurry of what Moscow calls "terrorist attacks".

Key Points

• Russian troops flee cluster bombs as Ukraine says recaptures settlement

• Ukraine hits out at ‘ridiculous’ suggestion it could give up land to Russia

• Captured Ukrainian soldiers ‘tortured’ in Russian prison

• US warns Russia and North Korea against military ties

• Russia ‘downs’ three alleged Ukrainian drones

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

FSB 'thwarts attack' on comms station at uranium-enriching town in Siberia

09:29 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have thwarted a planned attack on communications stations in a uranium-enriching town in Siberia, Russian state news agencies reported.

The FSB claimed to have detained two members of the “Citizens of the USRR” collective, who supposedly planned to blow up communications stations of the state-controlled telecoms operator Rostelecom and the TransTelecom telecommunications company.

The “Citizens of the USRR,” a collective name for disparate groups, was deemed extremist by Russia’s justice ministry in 2022.

The purported attack is claimed to have been targeting Zelenogorsk, a town of around 65,000 people in the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk, which has been involved since Soviet times in enriching uranium for Russia’s nuclear programme. It still remains a closed town, requiring a special entry permit to enter.

EU diverts funds aimed at Russia and Belarus towards Ukraine and Moldova

09:11 , Andy Gregory

The EU has transferred €135m (£115m) initially allocated for programmes with Russia and Belarus towards strengthening cooperation with Ukraine and Moldova, Brussels has announced.

“The decision ... is the result of the brutal war of Russia against Ukraine”, said the EU’s commissioner for cohesion and reforms, Elisa Ferreira.

The EU also decided that regions in Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Poland which were supposed to participate in cooperation programs with Russia and Belarus may participate in other existing programs.

Wagner mercenaries issue chilling message on Poland’s doorstep: ‘We are here’

08:50 , Andy Gregory

Our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta reports from the Suwalki Gap:

Thousands of battled-hardened Wagner fighters arrived in Belarus under a deal ending the attempted coup against Vladimir Putin by the group’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. No one thought that we had seen the last of them.

The mercenaries have moved towards the city of Grdno, according to the Polish military, and set up camp in the Brestsky area around six miles (10km) from Poland’s border.

And now, in a menacing turn, posters have begun to appear stuck next to Polish border posts with pictures of the fighters holding up signs in English saying “We are here. PMC [private military company] Wagner Group: Join us” with a QR code for would-be recruits. They have also appeared in Warsaw and Krakow. Poland’s interior minister Mariusz Kaminski said two Russians have been arrested over the matter.

Krakow is popular with British and other Western holidaymakers. Videos are circulating on social media of the poster being torn down by local people. Lukasz Wantuch, a councillor in Krakow, who published one of the photos said: “This is a provocation and this is happening here in Krakow”. Pyotr Komorowski, a student, said: “The aim is obvious, to scare tourists. That’s why they need to be removed quickly”.

Wagner mercenaries issue chilling message on Poland’s doorstep: ‘We are here’

Russia claims to shoot down drone over Belgorod

08:32 , Andy Gregory

Russia’s defence ministry claims to have thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack on Russian territory, the state-backed RIA news agency reported.

Interfax also said a drone had been downed over Russia’s southern Belgorod region, citing the defence ministry.

Ukraine has exported 820,000 tonnes of grain via Danube ports this month

08:21 , Andy Gregory

Ukraine exported 820,000 metric tonnes of grain in the first half of August via its ports on the Danube River, which is currently its main export route, the APK-Inform consultancy has said.

No comparative figures for previous periods were offered, but the data provides some insight into the extent to which Kyiv has been forced to adapt its export business in the face of Russia’s war.

Ukraine traditionally uses the Black Sea ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv to export most of its grain, but it was forced to switch to the Danube after Russia pulled out of the UN-brokered deal to keep those routes open in mid-July.

However, the exports through Danube could be affected by the recent Russian attacks on port infrastructure.

Kyiv said on Wednesday that Russian drone strikes damaged grain silos and warehouses at the river port of Reni on the Danube. Earlier this month, Russia attacked the Danube port of Izmail.

Ukraine’s first deputy farm minister Taras Vysotskiy told Kyiv’s national broadcaster that up to 5,000 tonnes of grain was destroyed in the attack on Reni.

Ukraine gearing up for winter with stockpiling fuel reserves – UK MoD

07:13 , Arpan Rai

Ukrainian efforts to build up fuel stockpiles will likely be successful in ensuring that it will have sufficient fuel reserves during the approaching winter period despite the consistent pressures of war, the British Ministry of Defence said.

The war-hit nation has been “effective in mobilising its mining sector to maintain output, ensuring a continuous supply of coal is available for thermal power and heating plants in the winter, with substantial gas stocks providing a further reserve,” it said in its intelligence update.

It credited Ukraine’s endurance last winter where the country weathered Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with the help of skilled workforce and “expertise needed to operate and maintain the power network, even in wartime conditions”.

The attacks will likely continue this winter, the MoD said.

Sweden to explore whether Russia sanctions are complied with

06:24 , Arpan Rai

Officials in the Swedish government have instructed the National Board of Trade to explore whether a rise in exports to countries bordering Russia was triggered by attempts to circumvent sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine.

“The increase (in exports) has given rise to suspicions that the sanctions are not fully complied with,” the Swedish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Ukraine struggling to defend northeast against Putin’s forces – 'mostly convicts' – says general

05:59 , Arpan Rai

The situation on the Kupiansk front in the northeastern region of Kharkiv is growing more difficult for Ukraine, says senior general Oleksandr Syrskyi, with Putin’s forces led by Russian assault squads “consisting mainly of convicts”.

“Due to the complication of the situation in the Kupiansk direction, I worked most of the day with units that lead the defence on the approaches to the city,” General Syrskyi was quoted as saying by Ukraine’s Military Media Centre.

“The enemy is trying to break through the defences of our troops every day, in different directions, with assault squads consisting mainly of convicts, with the aim of blockading and then capturing Kupiansk,” he said.

Kupiansk, a town with a pre-war population of around 27,000, was seized by Russia in the early days of the February 2022 invasion before Ukrainian troops recaptured it in a lightning offensive last September that embarrassed Moscow.

Losing Kupiansk a second time would be a major blow to Kyiv’s battlefield momentum at a time when its summer counter-offensive has so far failed to deliver significant territorial gains, except for a few villages such as Urozhaine in Luhansk.

Russia controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine, including the peninsula of Crimea, most of the Luhansk region and large tracts of the regions of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Putin scrambles to convene currency control meeting over economic fears

04:47 , Arpan Rai

Vladimir Putin was expected to speak to Russian policy makers yesterday over currency controls as the rouble continued to slide despite an extraordinary 3.5 percentage point interest rates hike, in signs of Moscow’s full-scale war weighing down its own economy.

The Russian president was expected to hear proposals from the finance ministry to require exporters to convert a chunk of the country’s foreign earnings into roubles, two people aware of the developments told the Financial Times.

Proposals drawn up by the Russian finance ministry would require exporters to sell up to 80 per cent of their foreign currency revenue within 90 days after delivery, the newspapers reported. It also sought a ban on companies that refused to comply from receiving government subsidies.

This is the first such proposal on increased currency control being debated in the Kremlin since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was launched in February last year.

In recent months, Russia’s rouble has become one of the world’s worst-performing currencies and the country’s central bank has stepped in to try to halt the slide.

The rouble’s decline is “not very welcome” to the Kremlin, said Janis Kluge, a Russian economy expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

While not a full-blown crisis, “this is the closest we came to a real economic problem since the start of the war,” he said.

The chaos at the start of sanctions was far worse, but since then, the rouble’s decline “is the first time that something seems to be not so much under control,” he said.

US condemns Russia’s attacks on grain infrastructure: ‘Putin doesn’t care'

03:56 , Arpan Rai

The United States has slammed Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine’s grain infrastructure and called on Moscow to return immediately to the grain deal.

Russian president Vladimir Putin does not care about global food security, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters after Ukraine earlier yesterday said Russia had attacked its grain storage facilities overnight.

Ukraine loses hope of using F-16 fighter jets this year

03:53 , Arpan Rai

A Ukrainian air force spokesperson has said Ukraine will not be able to defend itself using F-16 fighter jets during this autumn and winter against the continuing Russian invasion.

“It’s already obvious we won’t be able to defend Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets during this autumn and winter,” spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said at a joint telethon broadcast by Ukrainian channels.

“We had big hopes for this plane, that it will become part of air defence, able to protect us from Russia’s missiles and drones terrorism,” Mr Ihnat said, confirming Kyiv’s awareness of delays in receiving the warplanes it has been seeking from its Western allies.

Earlier in August, Mr Zelensky had announced training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets this month and said that the “delivery and combat use of F-16s by our pilots should take place as soon as possible”.

The supply of top-tier warplanes to the war-hit nation would be a signal that Russia’s invasion would end in defeat, Mr Zelensky had said. However, a former Nato commander has said the West’s promised assistance with F-16s for Ukrainian pilots has been slowed down as the war-hit nations’ allies do not wish to provoke Russia and launch a direct confrontation between nuclear powers.

US says working to identify alternative paths for Ukraine grain exports

02:30 , Maanya Sachdeva

The United States on Wednesday condemned Russia‘s continued attacks on Ukraine‘s grain infrastructure and said it was working with partners to identify alternative options to ensure Ukrainian grain exports.

“The United States ... calls for Russia to immediately return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a briefing, referring to a pact that had allowed export of Ukraine grain by the Black Sea.

Russia quit the deal on 17 July.

Patel said the US was seeking “to possibly find ways and corridors in which we can continue to get grain to the places it needs to go,” without providing details. He added that Washington has not seen any indication from the Russians that they wanted to go back to the deal.

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

01:20 , Maanya Sachdeva

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:

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

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

Thursday 17 August 2023 00:20 , Maanya Sachdeva

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.”

Watch the video here;

ICYMI: Warning as unexploded Russian mines wash up on Europe’s tourist beaches

Wednesday 16 August 2023 23:20 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

As recently as Monday, a Russian mine exploded in the Romanian Black Sea resort of Costinesti, although it caused no injuries or damage, according to local reports. Meanwhile, another mine was also discovered in the water there.

My colleague Tara Cobham reports:

Warning as unexploded Russian mines wash up on Europe’s tourist beaches

Wagner mercenaries issue a chilling message on Poland’s doorstep: ‘We are here’

Wednesday 16 August 2023 22:20 , Maanya Sachdeva

Warsaw is sending 10,000 troops to its border with Belarus, with the mercenary group setting up camp and recruitment posters appearing announcing their presence. Kim Sengupta reports from the Suwalki Gap in Poland, a key spot in Nato’s defence of Europe, as provocations from Russia and Belarus also ramp up.

Full story for Premium subscribers here:

Wagner mercenaries issue chilling message on Poland’s doorstep: ‘We are here’

Sweden to explore whether Russia sanctions are complied with

Wednesday 16 August 2023 21:20 , Maanya Sachdeva

Sweden’s government said on Wednesday it had instructed the National Board of Trade to explore whether a rise in exports to countries bordering Russia was triggered by attempts to circumvent sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine.

“The increase (in exports) has given rise to suspicions that the sanctions are not fully complied with,” the Swedish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Ukraine’s intelligence service claims responsibility for Crimean Bridge drone attack

Wednesday 16 August 2023 20:49 , Maanya Sachdeva

The head of the country’s security service confirmed Ukraine’s involvement the attack on the vital bridge between Russia and Crimea, warning Moscow that similar strikes will follow.

Full story here:

Ukraine’s intelligence service claims responsibility for Crimean Bridge drone attack

Ukraine announces first cargo ship passes through Black Sea corridor

Wednesday 16 August 2023 20:20 , Maanya Sachdeva

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed the first civilian vessel has passed through the country’s humanitarian corridor, departing from the port of Odesa.

Ukraine announced a “humanitarian corridor” in the Black Sea on 11 August to release cargo ships trapped in its ports since the war began, a new test of Russia’s de facto blockade since Moscow abandoned a deal last month to let Kyiv export grain.

The ship that left passed through the corridor on Wednesday had been stuck in Odesa since February 2022.

My Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Ukraine has just made an important step toward restoring the freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.

“The first civilian vessel has passed through Ukraine’s new humanitarian corridor, departing from the port of Odesa. It’s currently on its way to the Bosporus.

He continued: “A safe sea for all. This is Ukraine’s and our partners’ principled stance.”

Kremlin expels Dutch journalist amid crackdown on critical voices

Wednesday 16 August 2023 19:50 , Maanya Sachdeva

Russian authorities refused to renew the visa for Dutch journalist Eva Hartog, who has lived and worked in the country for 10 years, and gave her six days to leave Russia, she said in a column.

Her effective expulsion is one of several in recent years and comes amid a crackdown that the Kremlin has unleashed on independent journalists, critical news outlets, opposition activists and human rights groups.

The pressure has mounted further since Moscow launched its war on Ukraine almost 18 months ago.Hartog, a Dutch national, has in recent years been writing for the Dutch news magazine De Groene Amsterdammer and for POLITICO Europe.

She first came to Moscow in 2013, POLITICO said, and worked as a web editor and then chief editor for The Moscow Times.Hartog said in a column in De Groene Amsterdammer that Russia‘s Foreign Ministry informed her last Monday her visa would not be renewed and gave her six days to leave.

It is believed Hartog has since left the country.

US slaps sanctions on entities over alleged arms deals between North Korea, Russia

Wednesday 16 August 2023 19:20 , Maanya Sachdeva

The United States imposed sanctions on three entities it accused of being tied to arms deals between North Korea and Russia as Washington cracked down on those seeking to support Russia‘s war in Ukraine.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said that Russia has increasingly been forced to turn to North Korea and other allies to sustain its war in Ukraine as it expends munitions and loses heavy equipment on the battlefield.

The entities targeted in Wednesday’s action are Limited Liability Company Verus, Defense Engineering Limited Liability Partnership and Versor S.R.O.

The Treasury said Slovakian national Ashot Mkrtychev, already under US sanctions, is the president of Versor, founder and owner of Verus and director of Defense Engineering.

Washington accused Mkrtychev of negotiating with North Korean and Russian officials to organise potential plans to transfer over two dozens kinds of weapons and munitions to Russia in exchange for goods to North Korea.

Wednesday’s action freezes any US assets of those designated and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. Those that engage in certain transactions with the sanctioned entities can also be hit with punitive measures.

“The United States continues to root out illicit financial networks that seek to channel support from North Korea to Russia‘s war machine,” the treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said/

Russia‘s embassy in Washington and North Korea’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

US condemns Russia's attacks on Ukraine's grain infrastructure

Wednesday 16 August 2023 18:50 , Maanya Sachdeva

The United States condemns Russia‘s continued attacks on Ukraine‘s grain infrastructure, the State Department said on Wednesday as it called for Moscow to return immediately to the Black Sea grain deal.

Russian president Vladimir Putin does not care about global food security, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters after Ukraine earlier on Wednesday said Russia had attacked its grain storage facilities overnight.

Ukraine claims responsibility for Kerch Bridge drone attack

Wednesday 16 August 2023 17:50 , Maanya Sachdeva

Ukraine has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Crimean Bridge – connecting Russia to the annexed peninsula – last month, explaining sea surface drones were used to target the landmark.

Two people were killed after the bridge was hit by multiple explosions on 17 July, as Russian-placed Crimean officials blamed Kyiv for the attack.

At the time, neither the Ukrainian government nor the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed responsibility for it.

Now, the SBU has released new footage showing the moment an indigenously-developed sea drone hit the bridge, warning Russia more attacks will follow.

The agency’s head, Vasyl Maliuk told CNN the drone used to drop 850 kilograms of explosives on the bridge is called “Sea Baby” and is a “unique invention” of the SBU.

During the interview, Mr Maliuk said sea surface drones were also used to attack a Russian oil tanker and the warship Olenegorsky Gornyak, earlier this month.

“We are working on a number of new interesting operations, including in the Black Sea waters. I promise you, it’ll be exciting, especially for our enemies,” Mr Maliuk issued a thinly-veiled threat to Moscow.

ICYMI: Prague government opposes local performance by Russian soprano Anna Netrebko

Wednesday 16 August 2023 17:20 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

You can read the full story here:

Prague government opposes local performance by Russian soprano Anna Netrebko

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

Wednesday 16 August 2023 16:50 , Maanya Sachdeva

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

Russian missiles killed three in the region of Volyn, with other strikes hitting Lviv – both bordering Poland, a NATO member.

More here:

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

Lithuania to temporarily close two checkpoints with Belarus amid tensions on border

Wednesday 16 August 2023 16:20 , Maanya Sachdeva

Lithuania on Wednesday decided to temporarily close two of its six checkpoints with Belarus later this week amid growing tensions with its eastern neighbor, an ally of Russia.

The Lithuanian government has said that the crossings at Tverecius and Sumskas will be closed, and traffic will be diverted to the Medininkai border checkpoint, which is the largest of Lithuania’s six checkpoints.

The decision came as Lithuanians grow increasingly worried about the presence of Russia-linked Wagner group mercenaries in Belarus.

Full story here:

Lithuania to temporarily close two checkpoints with Belarus amid tensions on border

Germany walks back plan to meet NATO spending target on annual basis

Wednesday 16 August 2023 15:50 , Maanya Sachdeva

The German government has retreated from a plan to legally commit itself to meeting NATO’s two per cent military spending target on an annual basis, a government source told Reuters on Wednesday.

A corresponding clause in a draft of the budget financing law passed by the cabinet of Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday was deleted at short notice, the source said.

The change means that Germany will be able to stick to its current pledge of meeting the two per cent target on average over a five-year period.

This wording is softer than Scholz’s original pledge in a speech on 27 February 2022, in which he announced a “Zeitenwende” or sea change three days after Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.

“From now on, we will invest more than two per cent of the GDP into our defence year after year,” Scholz said at the time.

A German government spokesperson declined to comment on the particulars of the draft law.

NATO allies have criticised Berlin strongly in the past for not meeting the annual defence spend target. on defence annually.

It is unclear whether Berlin will keep military spending over this threshold once a €100bn ($101bn) special fund to bring the country’s armed forces, Bundeswehr, back up to standard is used up.

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

Wednesday 16 August 2023 15:20 , Maanya Sachdeva

The Russian ruble has fallen a long way in recent months, and the country’s central bank is stepping in to halt the slide.

Here’s everything you need to know:

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

What are cluster bombs and why are they banned in some countries?

Wednesday 16 August 2023 14:50 , Maanya Sachdeva

Earlier this year, the US made the decision to supply the weapons to Ukraine – even as human rights groups oppose their use.

Over the past few days, fierce fighting has been taking place in and around Urozhaine and Staromaiorske and according to reports Vladimir Putin’s soldiers have been seen fleeing the US-supplied cluster munitions.

Footage released by the Ukrainian defence ministry shows these cluster bombs hitting Russian forces amid Kyiv’s recapturing of Urozhaine in the Donetsk region on Wednesday.

Find out more about cluster munitions, why they’re controversial, and where they have been used:

What are cluster bombs and why are they banned in some countries?

Reports of a second ‘sabotage’ attack across Russian border in two days

Wednesday 16 August 2023 14:20 , Maanya Sachdeva

Russian state media has reported a second “sabotage” attack across its border in two days.

Earlier this afternoon, Russian state news agency TASS claimed the country’s security service had “foiled an attempt by Ukrainian saboteurs” trying to cross into the Bryansk region.

Four people were reportedly killed in the incident, that reportedly occurred at 7am this morning.

Moscow blames Ukraine for such attacks, consistently claiming they are “foiled”.

There has been an increase in such cross-border incursions in recent months, but Ukraine rarely claims to be involved, often stating they are run by Russian partisans.

How many casualties has Russia suffered in Ukraine?

Wednesday 16 August 2023 13:50 , Eleanor Noyce

Establishing accurate data on the number of military casualties sustained since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022 is difficult for two reasons. The severity of the fighting on the ground and the fact that both sides are inclined to keep their cards close to their chests to avoid damaging morale – especially at a time when the war is entering a pivotal new stage.

The Kremlin, in particular, is unlikely to admit to high fatality rates among its troops because to do so would amount to a confession that Vladimir Putin’s spurious war to “de-Nazify” Russia’s neighbour state is not going according to plan and, in fact, represents a monumental miscalculation on the part of its leader, who is already under pressure at home over the attempted uprising by Wagner Group mercenaries.

Moscow is more likely to downplay its own (rarely offered) numbers – putting the official number at around 6,000 – and accuse its enemies of dishonestly briefing against it whenever outside estimates are offered that imply significant Russian losses.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

How many casualties has Russia suffered in Ukraine?

Czechs ratify defense treaty with US that makes it easier to deploy US troops in Czech territory

Wednesday 16 August 2023 13:30 , Eleanor Noyce

The Czech Republic on Wednesday completed the ratification of a defense treaty with the United States that deepens military cooperation and makes it easier to deploy U.S. troops in Czech territory.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s signature was the final step in the ratification process of the Defense Cooperation Agreement, which had been endorsed by both houses of Parliament in July and by President Petr Pavel on Aug 1.

The document sets a legal framework for possible deployment of U.S. troops in the country at a time of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Read more below:

Czechs ratify defense treaty with US that makes it easier to deploy US troops in Czech territory

Why did Russia invade Ukraine?

Wednesday 16 August 2023 13:10 , 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

Ukraine reports new attack on grain silos but cargo ship sets sail

Wednesday 16 August 2023 13:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine said Russia had attacked its grain storage facilities overnight, but a container ship left the Black Sea port of Odesa on Wednesday despite Moscow’s threat to target shipping after it abandoned an export deal.

In the Russian capital, five sources said authorities were considering reimposing stringent capital controls as the rouble showed the strains of Russia’s invasion of its neighbour, which has brought huge military spending and Western sanctions.

The departure from Odesa of the Hong-Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte, trapped in the port since the day before Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February last year, followed the latest in a string of Russian attacks on the country’s grain export infrastructure.

Overnight air strikes damaged silos and warehouses at Reni on the Danube river, a vital wartime route for food exports, Ukrainian officials said. They posted photos of destroyed storage facilities and piles of scattered grain and sunflowers.

There was no comment from Moscow. An industry source said the port was continuing operations. Benchmark Chicago wheat futures were up about 1% after the news broke on Wednesday morning, adding to a slight earlier gain as they recovered from a two-month low on Tuesday.

Russia has made regular air strikes on Ukrainian ports and grain silos since mid-July, when it pulled out of the U.N.-backed deal for Ukraine to export grain. It has threatened to treat any ships leaving Ukraine as potential military targets. On Sunday it fired warning shots at a ship travelling towards Ukraine.

Despite the threats, Ukraine last week announced a “humanitarian corridor” in the Black Sea to release cargo ships that have been trapped in its ports by a de facto Russian blockade, pledging full transparency to make clear they were serving no military purpose.

“A first vessel used the temporary corridor for merchant ships to/from the ports of Big Odesa,” Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Facebook.

Warning as unexploded Russian mines wash up on Europe’s tourist beaches

Wednesday 16 August 2023 12:51 , Eleanor Noyce

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

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

Warning as unexploded Russian mines wash up on Europe’s tourist beaches

Romanian Black Sea port shipped 8.1 mln tonnes of Ukrainian grain in January-July

Wednesday 16 August 2023 12:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Ukraine shipped 8.1 million tonnes of grain through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta in the first seven months of the year, the port authority told Reuters, with the pace slowing in July when Russia began attacking infrastructure at its inland ports.

The Danube river is Ukraine‘s last waterborne route to export grain after access to its own Black Sea ports was cut off after Russia in mid-July left a safe passage grain corridor agreement brokered by the United Nations and Turkey. Since then, Russia has attacked Danube ports repeatedly.

Constanta Port Authority data showed 8.1 million metric tonnes of Ukrainian grain left port in the first seven months, compared with 7.5 million tonnes by end-June.

Ukrainian grain competes for space in Constanta, which traditionally handles Romania’s crop exports and those of its landlocked neighbours, including Hungary and Serbia.

Overall, it handled 18.9 million tonnes of grain in the first seven months of this year, the Constanta port authority told Reuters.

At its peak before the war in Ukraine, Constanta has handled 25 million tonnes in a year, but some port operators said the record will be topped as many have invested in boosting their capacity.

Ukraine‘s Danube ports accounted for around a quarter of grain exports before Russia withdrew from the U.N.-backed deal.

Its Danube ports have since become the main route out, with grain also sent on barges to Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta for shipment onwards.

Earlier this month, Romanian Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu said European Union and NATO state Romania aimed to double the monthly transit capacity of Ukrainian grain to Constanta to 4 million tonnes in the coming months.

Various EU-funded connecting infrastructure projects were underway or pending in Romania, Ukraine and neighbouring Moldova, Grindeanu and representatives from the European Commission and the U.S. State Department said.

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

Wednesday 16 August 2023 12:15 , Eleanor Noyce

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.

David McHugh reports:

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

What are cluster bombs and why are they banned in some countries?

Wednesday 16 August 2023 12:02 , Eleanor Noyce

Cluster bombs have been banned by more than 120 countries, with many allies and humanitarian groups also opposing the use of the bomb.

However, the use of cluster bombs does not violate international law when used on the battlefield, but any use in populated areas is considered a war crime.

Earlier this year, Ukraine welcomed the Biden administration’s decision to provide the weapon and said it needed “weapons, more weapons, and more weapons, including cluster munitions” if it is to defeat Russia.

Over the past few days, fierce fighting has been taking place in and around Urozhaine and Staromaiorske and according to reports Vladimir Putin’s soldiers have been seen fleeing the US-supplied cluster munitions.

Read more:

What are cluster bombs and why are they banned in some countries?

Lithuania closes two Belarus border crossings after Wagner took refuge there

Wednesday 16 August 2023 11:45 , Tara Cobham

The Lithuanian government said on Wednesday it had decided to close two of the country's six border crossing points with Belarus due to "geopolitical circumstances", weeks after Russian Wagner Group mercenaries took refuge in the country.

The two rural crossing points, which were not used by commercial vehicles, will be closed from Friday, Lithuania announced.

Neighbouring Poland has closed all but one border crossing point with Belarus this year following the imprisonment of a journalist of Polish origin and expulsions of Polish diplomats.

Poland announced plans last week to move 10,000 additional troops to the Belarus border to support existing guards.

Russia says Ukrainian drone downed over Crimea, according to agency

Wednesday 16 August 2023 11:00 , Tara Cobham

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday its forces had shot down a Ukrainian drone over Crimea, Interfax reported, the latest in a flurry of what Moscow calls "terrorist attacks".

Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Russian troops flee cluster bombs as Ukraine says recaptures settlement

Wednesday 16 August 2023 10:46 , Tara Cobham

Russian troops have been seen fleeing cluster bombs as Ukraine has said it has recaptured a key strategic settlement.

Footage released by the Ukrainian defence ministry shows US-supplied cluster munitions, which spray “bomblets” across a wide area, hitting Russian forces amid Kyiv’s recapturing of Urozhaine in the Donetsk region.

“Ukrainian troops have liberated Urozhaine village, Donetsk region!” the Ukrainian defence ministry posted on X on Wednesday.

Cargo ship leaves Ukrainian port despite Russian threat of attack

Wednesday 16 August 2023 10:07 , Tara Cobham

A container ship set off from Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa en route to Istanbul on Wednesday in a test of Russia's threat to attack shipping after it abandoned a deal last month allowing Ukraine to export grain.

The Joseph Schulte vessel, jointly owned by a Chinese bank and Bernhard Schulte, is using the established corridor and is travelling via territorial waters of Ukraine, Romania and Turkey "to allow for a safe passage of southbound vessels", Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) said in a statement.

Ukraine last week announced a "humanitarian corridor" in the Black Sea to release cargo ships that have been trapped in its ports since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 Feb, 2022.

The departure of the Hong-Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte, which had been in the port since 23 Feb, 2022, followed a new Russian attack on Ukraine's grain export infrastructure.

Russian air strikes damaged grain silos and warehouses at one of the Danube river ports, the governor of the Odesa region said, releasing photos showing destroyed storage facilities and piles of scattered grain and sunflowers.

Governor Oleh Kiper said it was a key facility for grains shipments and the president's chief of staff Andriy Yermak named the port as Reni. There was no immediate comment from Moscow. An industry source said the port was continuing operations.

Ukraine says it retakes southeast village of Urozhaine from Russian forces

Wednesday 16 August 2023 09:38 , Tara Cobham

Ukrainian forces have recaptured the village of Urozhaine from Russian troops in the southeast and dug in on its outskirts, Kyiv's deputy defence minister said on Wednesday.

"Urozhaine liberated," Hanna Maliar said on Telegram. "Our defenders are entrenched on the outskirts."

The village in Donetsk region is part of a cluster of small rural settlements that Ukraine has declared liberated since early June when it started a push against Russian troops who control swathes of the south and east.

There was no immediate comment from Russia. Russian military bloggers said fierce fighting raged near the village and that Russian units were trying to prevent Ukraine strengthening its positions in Urozhaine.

The village's recapture would indicate Ukraine is pressing ahead with an offensive drive south towards the Sea of Azov that aims to cut Russian occupying forces in half. Urozhaine lies just over 90 km (55 miles) from the Sea of Azov.

In a sign of the difficulty of the battlefield operations, Urozhaine is the first village Ukraine says it has retaken since June 27 when it announced the recapture of neighbouring Staromaiorske. Kyiv says its counteroffensive push is progressing slower than it wanted because of vast Russian minefields and prepared Russian defensive lines.

The battlefield reports could not be independently verified.

Ukraine hits out at ‘ridiculous’ suggestion it could give up land to Russia

Wednesday 16 August 2023 08:56 , Tara Cobham

Ukraine has hit out at a NATO official’s suggestion the country could give up land to Russia as “ridiculous” amid a brewing diplomatic row.

Stian Jenssen, who is chief of staff to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, suggested to reporters on Tuesday that Kyiv might have to cede territory occupied by Moscow in exchange for NATO membership, according to the Norwegian newspaper VG.

"There is significant movement in the question of future NATO membership for Ukraine," he said. "It is in everyone's interest that the war does not repeat itself.

"Russia is struggling enormously militarily, and it seems unrealistic that they can take new territories. Now it is rather a question of what Ukraine manages to take back.”

This provoked a strong reaction from Mykhailo Podolyak, who is an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on X. He wrote: “Trading territory for a NATO umbrella? It is ridiculous.”

"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.”

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

Wednesday 16 August 2023 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

Wednesday 16 August 2023 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

Wednesday 16 August 2023 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.”

American band apologises for bringing Russian fan on stage

Wednesday 16 August 2023 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.