Because the warfare enters its 888th day, listed here are the highest developments.
Right here is the scenario on Thursday, August 1, 2024.
Wrestle
- Ukraine’s air drive mentioned it repelled one in all Russia’s largest long-range drone assaults of the warfare, capturing down all 89 drones launched at Kiev, the encircling area and different areas. The assault primarily focused the capital and its surrounding area, the place officers mentioned greater than 40 drones have been shot down. An airstrike alert remained in impact for many of the evening. No civilian or essential infrastructure was immediately hit, however particles broken the roofs, home windows and facades of 13 non-public residences within the area, officers mentioned.
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The Ukrainian army mentioned it had attacked a weapons and army gear depot within the Kursk area of western Russia in a single day and was assessing the injury. Russia, it mentioned, activated its air defences to attempt to counter the assault, however explosions have been seen on the goal websites. The Russian defence ministry earlier mentioned it had destroyed a drone and a Ukrainian Neptun guided missile over the Kursk area.
- Romania’s Ministry of Nationwide Protection mentioned it had discovered drone fragments at a 3rd location close to the border after final week’s Russian assaults on Ukrainian port infrastructure. The particles was discovered close to the village of Ceatalchioi, throughout the Danube River from Ukraine.
Politics and diplomacy
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned in an interview with French media that kyiv doesn’t need China to behave as a mediator within the battle with Russia, however expects Beijing to place extra strain on Moscow to finish the warfare. China has a “boundless” relationship with Russia and didn’t attend the primary peace summit on Ukraine held final month in Switzerland, however has lately stepped up diplomatic efforts and hosted Ukrainian International Minister Dmytro Kuleba final week. Zelenskyy additionally mentioned Ukraine would really like Russia to attend the following summit.
- A Russian court docket has ordered Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher arrested in Russia in June, to stay in custody pending trial on expenses of illegally gathering info on army issues. Vinatier, an adviser to the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, was arrested in Moscow as tensions rose over feedback by French President Emmanuel Macron about the potential for deploying French troops in Ukraine.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has doubled the preliminary cost for volunteers who go to battle in Ukraine. All Russians who signal a contract with the military will now obtain an preliminary cost of 400,000 rubles ($4,651). The decree additionally recommends that regional authorities contribute at the very least the identical quantity from their budgets to this cost.
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Ukraine’s human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets has demanded explanations from Russian authorities over the demise in captivity of Oleksandr Ishchenko, one in all 22 Ukrainian prisoners on trial for his or her hyperlinks to the Azov Brigade. The unit, listed by Russia as a “terrorist” group, performed a key function in defending the port of Mariupol for 3 months in 2022.
Weapons
- The primary batch of long-awaited F-16 fighters, geared up with a 20mm cannon and able to carrying bombs, rockets and missiles, has arrived in Ukraine. “F-16 in Ukraine. One other inconceivable factor that has develop into completely doable,” Lithuanian International Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis wrote on X, previously referred to as Twitter. Denmark has pledged to donate 19 plane in complete, whereas the Netherlands has promised to ship 24 and Norway six.
