Friday, September 1

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

Man runs past remains of a missile on riverfront after Russian shelling on August 30, 2023 in Kyiv. (Photo by Yevhenii Zavhorodnii/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

UK Defense Ministry: 25 drone attacks on Russia in August. Russia has been hit by 25 drone attacks this month alone, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported in its intelligence update on Aug. 31. The fact that many drones have struck their targets means that Russian air defense “is having difficulty detecting and destroying them.”

Media: Defense Minister likely to be replaced. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov is likely to soon be dismissed following a procurement scandal in the ministry, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Aug. 31, citing government sources.

Media: Zelensky says Ukraine needs 160 F-16 fighter jets. Kyiv has agreed with allies on the supply of 50-60 U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview published on Aug. 30. However, Ukraine needs around 160 planes “to have a powerful air force that prevents Russia from dominating the airspace,” Zelensky told the Portuguese public broadcaster RTP.

Russia claims drone shot down over Bryansk region. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed a Ukrainian drone was destroyed over Russia’s Bryansk region at around 8 p.m. local time on Aug. 31. Moscow didn’t provide any further details on the alleged attack.

BAE Systems to produce L119 howitzers in Ukraine. The U.K.’s largest arms company, BAE Systems, has opened an office in Ukraine to launch weapons production in partnership with domestic manufacturers, the Ministry of Strategic Industries reported on Aug. 31.

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Zelensky: Ukrainian-made weapon has proven 700 km range. A new Ukrainian-made long-range weapon successfully reached a target 700 kilometers away, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 31.

Kuleba: Ukraine’s ambitions to acquire aircraft go beyond F-16s. Ukraine’s ambitions to acquire aircraft are not limited by the delivery of F-16s, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview published by Le Monde on Aug. 31.

Media: Education Minister says 76% of institutions in Ukraine have bomb shelters. Ukrainian authorities have equipped 76% of educational institutions with bomb shelters ahead of the new academic year, Education Minister Oksen Lisovy told Suspilne media outlet.

SBU accuses Russian commander of giving order to shoot at civilians in Kyiv Oblast. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported on Aug. 31 that it had identified another Russian serviceman involved in the massacre of civilians in Kyiv Oblast.

UK Energy Secretary Grant Shapps announced as new Defense Minister. U.K. Energy Secretary Grant Shapps is replacing Ben Wallace as Defense Minister, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Aug. 31.

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Ukraine war latest: Russia delivers tactical nukes to Belarus

Russia recently delivered nuclear weapons to Belarus, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with 1+1 channel, published on Aug. 31.

Photo: Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP via Getty Images

Wagner boss Prigozhin is dead. Here’s what it means for Africa

Just two days before a plane carrying Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin crashed over Russia, a video appeared online in which Prigozhin claimed to be somewhere on the African continent.

Photo: Issouf Sanogo / AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Interfax Ukraine: 75 Ukrainian children tortured by Russian forces, prosecutor says. Ukrainian prosecutors discovered that Russian forces had tortured 75 children throughout the full-scale invasion, Interfax Ukraine reported on Aug. 31. Most cases of torture took place in Chernihiv Oblast’s village of Yahidne, which was under Russian occupation for about a month.

General Staff: Russia has lost 263,020 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. This number includes 610 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

International response

Stoltenberg: ‘Ukrainians exceed expectations again and again.’ NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told CNN on Aug. 30 that it is “even more important” to support Ukraine as its forces push through heavily defended Russian-occupied territory.

EU rep supports Ukraine peace plan as Hungary vetoes funding. After Hungary blocked an agreement on Ukrainian funding at an Aug. 31 meeting, European Union High Representative Josep Borrell reiterated his support for Ukraine’s peace formula during a press conference in Toledo, Spain.

Lithuanian foreign minister urges EU to drop the phrase ‘supporting Ukraine as long as it takes.’ European countries should stop saying that they will “support Ukraine for as long as it takes” and plan for a Ukrainian victory, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Aug. 31.

Nobel Foundation invites Russia and Belarus to award celebrations. The Nobel Foundation announced on Aug. 31 that it will invite all diplomats represented in Sweden to its Nobel Prize award ceremony, an expansion that includes representatives from Russia and Belarus.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Elsa Court, Toma Istomina, Dinara Khalilova, Teah Pelechaty, Francis Farrell, Artem Mamadzhanov, and Abbey Fenbert.

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