11:37 a.m. – Blinken returns to Kiev and will announce a new $1 billion military aid package
(from Marta Serafini, our correspondent) ODESSA – Blinken returns to Kiev for the fourth time since the start of the war. The US Secretary of State arrived in the Ukrainian capital this morning for a renewed visit to his Ukrainian ally. The arrival came minutes after an air alert ended after the capital was hit by a Russian attack overnight with 8 missiles and 16 drones shot down.
Blinken’s visit, confirmed just last night, follows that of President Joe Biden in February and precedes that of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the US, who will address the United Nations General Assembly alongside Biden on September 19.
Blinken, who laid a wreath at Berkovetske Cemetery in memory of fallen Ukrainians, will announce a new military aid package worth $1 billion. The agenda includes meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss the counteroffensive and ongoing reconstruction efforts. In the background is Russia’s failure to rejoin the wheat agreement and the new raids that again rocked the port of Ismail on the Danube on the Ukraine-Romania border in the Odessa region that night, causing one death. Also on the table is the study of new sea and land routes for Ukrainian wheat.
11:36 a.m. – Kremlin: “US aid will not change the outcome of the special military operation in Ukraine”
11:28 a.m. – “Telephone conversation between Putin and Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman”
Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Saudi Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Topics covered include cooperation in OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) and cutting oil production to stabilize the market. The Kremlin reported the call.
11:01 a.m. – Surovikin’s biography disappears from the Defense Ministry website
The biography of Wagner-linked Russian General Sergei Surovikin has disappeared from the Defense Ministry’s official website. This was noted by several independent media outlets, including the Dozhd channel, after which the general’s photo with his CV was visible online at least until August 22. Yesterday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to answer a question about the fate of Surovikin, who was rumored to have been released from house arrest to which he was sentenced following Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny.
10:59 a.m. – Von der Leyen: “One thousand laptops delivered, they will help Kiev stay connected”
“Our Laptops for Ukraine initiative has delivered the first shipment of over 1,000 devices to Ukraine. People from across the EU generously contributed to making this possible, once again underlining our strong solidarity with Ukraine. This will help keep the most affected areas of Ukraine connected.” This was announced by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on X.
10:58 a.m. – NATO: “Stoltenberg will receive the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands tomorrow”
Tomorrow NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will receive Netherlands Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot at NATO headquarters. Allianz announced this in a statement. The Netherlands was a stop on a European tour by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In particular, a Dutch Air Force base in Eindhoven in the south of the Netherlands, two days after the United States gave the green light to send American F-16 fighter jets to Kiev.
10:25 a.m. – Blinken in Kiev, announcement of over $1 billion in aid expected
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will announce a new aid package for Ukraine worth over $1 billion during his visit to the Ukrainian capital today. CNN reports this, citing a State Department official. During his visit, he will again meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and other senior officials and civil society figures, according to CNN. Anthony Blinken is expected to stay in Kiev for two days.
10:22 a.m. – Zelensky: “Protect the internal electricity system.”
The Ukrainian government will pay “special attention” to protecting critical infrastructure from Russian bombing during the winter season. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote this on Telegram. «Prepare the electrical system for winter. “A comprehensive plan to protect critical infrastructure from anything a terrorist country could come up with,” says Zelensky. “Reports from Prime Minister Shmyhal, Deputy Prime Minister Kubrakov, the entire energy sector, the Special Service for State Communications, the General Staff and regional military administrations,” the Ukrainian leader continues. Its a lot to do. All those involved in the process were assigned specific tasks with deadlines. We will pay particular attention to this issue.”
10:07 a.m. – Britain delivers armored reconnaissance vehicles to Kiev
Great Britain supplies Ukraine with Scimitar armored reconnaissance vehicles. This was manufactured by Rheinmetall Bae Systems Land, a joint venture between the British Bae Systems and the German Rheinmetall, as Rbc-Ukraine reports. RBSL officials were in Germany to assist the British Army in preparing assets to be shipped. A total of 23 armored vehicles were prepared.
9:00 a.m. – Russian cluster munitions banned against Chuguyiv
The Ukrainian settlement of Nova Hnylytsia in Chuguyiv District was attacked with banned cluster munitions. This was stated by the head of the Kharkiv military administration, Oleg Sinegubov. According to the head of the region, a 50-year-old civilian was injured by shrapnel. “Today, at around 7 a.m. local time, the Russian occupiers fired cluster munitions at the village of Nova Hnylytsia in the Chuguyiv district. “A private residential building was damaged,” he said, according to Rbk-Ukraine.
08:34 – Kiev: “We are advancing to the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions”
Ukrainian forces are advancing south of Robotyne in the Zaporizhia region and on the flanks of Bakhmut in Donetsk, Army General Staff spokesman Pavlo Kovalchuk announced, local media reported. Kovalchuk stated that the Kiev troops had gained ground in the Robotyne-Novoprokopivka area and were pressuring the enemy south of Bakhmut. In addition, Ukrainian forces are slowing the Russian offensive in the directions of Avdiivka, Maryinka, Lyman and Bakhmut.
8:26 a.m. – Ukrainian media: “Blinken has arrived in Kiev”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kiev this morning: Ukrainska Pravda and Rbc-Ukraine reported on it. Ukrainska Pravda quotes European Pravda, while Rbc-Ukraine cites its own sources and publishes a video of a street closed to traffic in Kiev.
8:21 a.m. – Kiev: “610 Russian soldiers killed in 24 hours, total 266,290”
In the last 24 hours, 610 Russian soldiers were killed in Ukraine. This was announced by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army and spoke of a total of 266,290 Moscow soldiers killed since the start of the war on February 24 last year. However, 315 aircraft were destroyed and 316 helicopters were shot down by Ukrainian anti-aircraft fire, while nearly 4,500 tanks were destroyed.
7:37 a.m. – Kiev: “23 of 33 air targets were shot down during the night”
Last night, Ukrainian armed forces shot down 23 of a total of 33 drones and missiles fired by Russia: this was announced by the Air Force, Rbc-Ukraine reported. In total, Russian forces used seven X-101/X-555/X-55 missiles, one Iskander-M ballistic missile and 25 Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones to attack Ukraine.
7:09 a.m. – White House: North Korea will pay if it supplies weapons to Russia
North Korea will pay if it decides to supply Russia with weapons and ammunition for the war in Ukraine. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan explained this, saying that supplying weapons to Russia “will have no positive impact on North Korea and will pay a price in the international community.” Ahead of an upcoming meeting between Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Sullivan said Russia was now looking for “every source it can find” for goods such as ammunition. “We will continue to demand that North Korea fulfill its public commitments not to provide Russia with weapons that would ultimately lead to the killing of Ukrainians,” Sullivan added.
6:17 a.m. – Odessa, one dead in the latest Russian drone attack
A man has reportedly died in the latest drone strike by Russian troops in the Odessa region. The head of the regional state administration, Oleg Kiper, wrote this on Telegram. “For almost three hours, Russian terrorists attacked Ismail with drones,” in the Odessa region. «Unfortunately one person died. The seriously injured employee of an agricultural company died in hospital. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends,” he continued. “Destruction and fires were recorded in several settlements. The port and agricultural infrastructure was damaged: elevators, administrative buildings, farms.” Ismail is a river port on the border with Romania and has become the main export route for Ukrainian goods since Russia withdrew from a deal in July that allowed grain transit the Black Sea made possible.
06:13 a.m. – Ukraine: Air defense activated over Kiev
The attack on the Ukrainian capital is confirmed by local authorities. “Air defense was activated in Kiev. Stay in the shelters. The rockets continue to hit the capital, writes Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko on his Telegram channel. “An air alert was declared over the capital.” The city would be attacked with cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. The military administration says that Ukrainian air defenses have destroyed all enemy targets moving towards the Ukrainian capital and that no casualties or significant damage have been recorded so far.
5:59 a.m. – A British Challenger 2 tank is destroyed for the first time
A Challenger 2 tank supplied by Britain to the Ukrainian armed forces has been destroyed in combat in Ukraine. This is evidenced by photos and videos from the battlefield in the partially occupied Zaporizhzhia region, where the Ukrainian armed forces are concentrating their best offensive units to break through the Russian defense lines. The Challenger 2 is considered one of the best tanks in the world and is the pride of the British armed forces: on its website, the Anglo-Saxon Defense states that the vehicle has never suffered any casualties in combat. The first photographic evidence of the destruction of a Challenger 2 tank circulated on Monday and experts consulted by British and US media have since confirmed its authenticity. To date, Challenger 2s have been deployed in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq. London delivered 14 examples of the armored vehicle to the Ukrainian armed forces, which assigned them to the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, which was held in reserve until last week. However, the Challenger 2s delivered to Ukraine do not have the most modern passive protection systems installed on vehicles of the British Armed Forces.
5:39 a.m. – Explosions in Kiev, air raid warnings throughout Ukraine
A series of explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Wednesday morning, local media reported. Air alerts were sounded in all regions of the country.
05:22 a.m. – Moscow: A Ukrainian drone is shot down over the Bryansk region
Moscow said a Ukrainian drone was shot down by air defense forces over the Bryansk region of western Russia late on Tuesday. “At around 11:40 p.m., the Kiev regime’s attempt to carry out a terrorist attack using a fixed-wing drone against structures on the territory of the Russian Federation was foiled – explains the Moscow Defense Ministry –. The unmanned vehicle was destroyed on the territory of the Bryansk region by air defense units on duty.”
5:20 a.m. – Zelensky dismisses Kyrylenko as governor of Donetsk
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has removed Pavlo Kyrylenko as governor of the state administration of Donetsk Oblast. This was reported by Ukrainska Pravda. Kyrylenko, the decree states, was removed “in accordance with the request for resignation he submitted.” According to the newspaper, he could be appointed head of the Antimonopoly Committee.
5:19 a.m. – Explosions in the Odessa region: The air raid alarm goes off
Explosions were reported in the Odessa region of southern Ukraine. An air raid alarm was sounded in the oblast. The explosions occurred on the border with Romania: in the port of Reni, in the city of Kilia and in the Izmail district. Two days ago, Kiev said that Russian drones had crashed and exploded on Romanian territory in a massive attack by Moscow the night before in the area of the river port of Ismail. However, Bucharest categorically denied this and announced that it would “monitor” the situation.
05.05 – Great Britain declares Wagner a terrorist group
Wagner, the Russian mercenary group, is declared a terrorist group by the British government – it will be illegal to be a member of or support the organization. The BBC writes it. A draft regulation to be submitted to Parliament will allow its assets to be classified and seized as terrorist property. The interior minister said the Wagner group was “violent and destructive… a military tool of Vladimir Putin’s Russia.” He said his work in Ukraine and Africa posed a “threat to global security.” Minister Suella Braverman added: “The Wagner Group’s ongoing destabilizing activities only continue to serve the Kremlin’s political goals.” They are simple and simply terrorists, and this banning order makes that clear in UK law.”