Saturday, August 19

Russia’s war against Ukraine

The aftermath of Russian strikes against a village near Kherson, Aug. 18, 2023. (Source: Prosecutor General’s Office)

Zelensky signs budget bill in line with IMF program.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bill designed to ensure the predictability of budget policy and to strengthen debt sustainability, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak announced on Aug. 18.

Russian strike against village near Kherson kills 1, injures 2.

Russian forces launched a strike against a village near Kherson on Aug. 18, killing an elderly man and injuring two other civilians, local officials reported.

General Staff: Russia fails another counterattack at Urozhaine, Ukraine advances in south.

Russian forces launched further unsuccessful counterattacks against the recently liberated Urozhaine in Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 18, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported.

Russian court liquidates major human rights NGO.

The Moscow City Court on Aug. 18 liquidated the Sakharov Center, a non-governmental organization focused on human rights, education, and culture.

Southern Command: Russia disperses ships in fear of Ukrainian strikes.

Russia has dispersed its naval forces in the Black Sea between the southeastern coast of Crimea and Novorossiysk in fear of Ukrainian surface drone strikes, Southern Command spokesperson Natalia Humeniuk said on Aug. 18.

Washington Post: US intelligence thinks Ukraine will fail to reach counteroffensive’s key goal.

The U.S. intelligence assesses that Ukrainian forces will fail to reach the key southeastern city of Melitopol in this year’s counteroffensive, the Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the forecast.

Governor: Teenage girl injured in Russian attack on Kherson Oblast village.

Russian troops struck the village of Virivka in Kherson Oblast, wounding a 17-year-old girl, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Aug. 18.

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Official: Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia damages homes, educational facilities.

Russian forces hit the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on Aug. 18, damaging three apartment buildings and two educational facilities, reported acting mayor Anatolii Kurtiev.

UK Defense Ministry: Russia increases propaganda activities in occupied Ukrainian territories.

Russia seeks to create a pro-Kremlin information space in occupied parts of Ukraine “to erode Ukrainian national identity,” the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote on Aug. 18.

Defense Ministry: 2 killed, 4 injured in Russian attacks over past day.

Russian attacks against Ukraine killed two civilians and wounded four over the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry’s Military Media Center reported on Aug. 18.

Russia claims naval drone tried to attack Black Sea Fleet ships.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed a Ukrainian naval drone had attempted to attack Russian ships in the Black Sea late on Aug. 17 but was allegedly destroyed.

Zelensky signs law changing constitutional court selection procedure.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 17 that he had signed a law changing how Constitutional Court judges are chosen, which is necessary to launch EU membership talks.

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Ukraine war latest: US confirms F-16s to be provided to Ukraine via third-party transfers once training completed

Washington will approve the third-party transfer of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine after Ukrainian pilots complete training.

Photo: John Thys/AFP via Getty Images

International response

White House: Ukraine to receive F-16 fighter jets after pilots complete training.

The U.S. will greenlight the transfer of F-16 fighter jets by third countries to Ukraine after Ukrainian pilots complete their training on the aircraft, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Aug. 18.

Bulgarian minister: ‘We cannot rule out’ clash between NATO, Russia in Black Sea.

Bulgaria works to prevent tensions from escalating in the Black Sea, but an open clash between NATO and Russia in the region cannot be ruled out, Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev said, the NOVA TV channel reported on Aug. 18.

Media: Russia, Turkey, Qatar prepare new agreement on grain exports.

The governments of Russia, Turkey, and Qatar are preparing a new agreement on grain exports following Moscow’s termination of the grain deal, the German newspaper Bild reported on Aug. 18, citing official correspondence it has obtained.

Denmark, Netherlands confirm receiving US approval to send Ukraine F-16 jets.

Copenhagen sent a request to Washington regarding the aircraft supply to Kyiv and received a “friendly response,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told state-owned broadcaster TV 2.

UK court rejects Russian businessman’s suit to overturn sanctions.

Eugene Shvidler, a partner of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, has lost a lawsuit at London’s High Court to overturn British sanctions imposed due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported on Aug. 18.

Sandu: Moldova to help Ukraine export its grain.

Moldova is working with partners to help Ukraine export its grain while taking into account the interests of Moldovan farmers, the country’s President Maia Sandu said in an interview with the Romanian-language service of the French public broadcaster RFI on Aug. 18.

Romania wants to transit 60% of Ukrainian grain.

Bucharest hopes that around 60% of Ukrainian grain exports could transit through Romanian territory following Russia’s unilateral termination of the grain deal, the country’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Aug. 18, Reuters reported.

WSJ: US concerned over Turkish companies helping Russia evade sanctions.

The U.S. is concerned that Turkey has become a hub for Russian sanctions evasion, including a ghost fleet for Russian oil and port calls for Russian vessels carrying weapons and sanctioned goods, the Wall Street Journal reported on Aug. 18.

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