Wednesday, August 28

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A girl forms her hand into the shape of a heart to her acquaintances as they see her off amidst evacuation of civilians to a safer area of Ukraine, at the Pokrovsk train station on August 27, 2024. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Russia redeploys 30,000 troops to Kursk Oblast amid Ukraine’s incursion, Syrskyi says. One of the objectives of Ukraine’s Kursk Oblast operation was to divert a significant number of Russian forces from other sectors, primarily from the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors in Donetsk Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Aug. 27.

Zelensky to present US with victory plan in September. Speaking at the Ukraine 2024 Independence forum in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the ongoing Kursk incursion was one of the parts of this plan.

Ukraine used F-16s to repel Russia’s mass missile attack, Zelensky confirms. Ukraine’s Air Force used F-16 jets as part of its defense against Russia’s mass missile and drone attack on Aug. 26, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed during a press conference on Aug. 27.

Kyiv to present US list of targets in Russia it wants to hit with long-range arms, Politico reports. Ukraine is planning to submit a list of targets in Russia that Kyiv could strike with American-supplied long-range weapons to the top U.S. national security officials, Politico reported on Aug. 27 citing unnamed sources.

Russian advance towards Pokrovsk slowed down after Ukraine’s Kursk incursion, Zelensky claims. Russian troops were advancing faster in the Pokrovsk sector before the Kursk operation started, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference on Aug. 27 in response to a question by the Kyiv Independent.

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Kursk operation is related to Ukraine’s 2nd peace summit, Zelensky says. “The Kursk operation is not related to any of the points of (Ukraine’s) peace formula. Is the Kursk operation connected to the second peace summit? Yes, it is. Because the Kursk operation is one of the points of Ukraine’s victory plan,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukraine tests its first ballistic missile, Zelensky says. A day earlier, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that Ukraine is preparing a response to Russian aerial strikes with weapons of its own production.

Russia claims Ukraine attempting to break through to Belgorod Oblast. Ukrainian forces may be attempting to break through the border into Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed on Aug. 27.

EU considers Kyiv’s request to train soldiers inside Ukraine, media reports. Some EU member nations fear that trainings on Ukrainian soil will lead to escalated conflict with Russia, according to a document obtained by Politico.

Russia struck energy substations with cluster munition missiles for first time, PM Shmyhal says. “Yesterday, Russia attacked our power distribution substations with missiles for the first time. The facilities were targeted by tens of cluster missiles, but we lost a relatively small amount of equipment during that attack. All due to the (heightened) protection of the facilities,” said Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

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Ukraine war latest: Russia redeploys 30,000 troops to Kursk Oblast; Ukraine tests its first ballistic missile, Kyiv says

One of the objectives of Ukraine’s Kursk Oblast operation was to divert a significant number of Russian forces from other sectors, primarily from the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors in Donetsk Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Aug. 27.

Photo: Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Civilians killed, injured as Russia launches large-scale attack on Ukraine for second night in a row. Russia launched a combined wave of attacks against Ukraine for the second night in a row, reportedly using 81 Shahed-type attack drones and 10 missiles.

3 Poltava Oblast residents injured in Russian Aug. 26 attack die in hospital. Three out of the five residents of Ukraine’s Poltava Oblast injured in a mass Russian attack on Aug. 26 have died in the hospital, Governor Filip Pronin announced on Aug. 27.

Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast town kills 1, injures 6, including pregnant woman. One of the missiles hit near a bus stop, killing a 71-year-old man. Six people suffered injuries, among them three men, one woman, a 15-year-old boy, and a pregnant woman, according to the prosecutors.

Unknown assailant shoots at enlistment office in Lutsk, wounding soldier. Soldiers on guard duty outside an enlistment office in Lutsk were shot at by an unknown person during the night, leaving one soldier injured, Ukraine’s Western Operational Command reported on Aug. 27.

At least 4 dead, 5 injured in Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih hotel. Search and rescue workers discovered under the rubble the body of a fourth person killed in the attack, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service confirmed on overnight on Aug. 28. Five others were also injured in the attack.

International response

Stoltenberg to convene NATO-Ukraine Council at Kyiv’s request. The news come a day after Russia’s largest drone and missile attack against Ukraine since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion. The strikes hit several civilian, energy, and fuel facilities, including a dam in Kyiv that is part of the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant.

Ukraine may face $15 billion budget gap next year, PM Shmyhal says. Ukraine’s budget deficit for 2025 will be $35 billion, but assistance from partners will cover roughly $20 billion, PM Denys Shmyhal said on Aug. 27.

IAEA chief warns about safety risks after visiting Kursk nuclear power plant. For now, the facility was “operating in very close to normal conditions,” International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said on Aug. 27.

At least 6 Russian drones flew into Belarus during mass attack on Ukraine, monitoring group says. At least six Russian Shahed-type kamikaze drones flew off course and entered Belarus during Russia’s mass attack on Ukraine on Aug. 26, the Belarusian Hajun monitoring group reported on Aug. 27.

North Korea could have sent over 6 million artillery shells to Russia, Seoul says. North Korea sent containers to Russia that could contain as many as more than 6 million artillery shells, Yonhap reported on Aug. 27, citing South Korea’s military intelligence report.

Norway’s energy sector under threat of Russian sabotage, Norwegian security chief says. Norway’s energy sector is under threat of sabotage from Russia, Norwegian security chief Beate Gangaas told Reuters on Aug. 27, as European security services briefed Norwegian energy officials on potential Russian threats.

Russia testing Poland’s air defense system, Polish general says. Russia is likely testing Poland’s air defense system, Polish Brigadier General Tomasz Drewniak told Radio RMF24 on Aug. 27, after a likely Russian drone flew into Polish airspace on Aug. 26 amid a mass attack on Ukraine.

In other news

Drone swarms play key role in Ukraine’s Kursk incursion, Times reports. Swarms of drones were crucial in helping Ukraine identify possible areas for ground attacks during the Kursk incursion and in isolating Russian forces, The Times reported on Aug. 26.

Blackouts, electricity restrictions may last up to 2 weeks, former energy minister says. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said that it was one of the largest attacks on energy infrastructure and said that the consequences were still being determined.

Zelensky defends controversial deputy chief of staff: He was ‘killing Chechens in Kyiv’ in 2022. Presidential Office deputy head Oleh Tatarov and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) chief Vasyl Maliuk were “killing Chechens in Kyiv,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 27.

Ukraine uses over 170 different unmanned systems at front, commander says. Ukraine has taken into service more than 170 samples of unmanned systems which are used at the front, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Vadym Sukharevskyi said in an interview with Ukrinform published on Aug. 27.

Ukraine to resume construction of unfinished nuclear power plant, Energoatom says. According to Energoatom, the plant will be equipped with AP1000 reactors built by U.S. company Westinghouse.

New Palianytsia missile-drone costs less than $1 million, official says. It costs less than $1 million to produce each new Palianytsia, Fedorov told the Associated Press. The military aims to further decrease costs by collaborating with private companies.

Russia moves 90% of military planes beyond ATACMS range, US official claims. Russia has responded to Ukraine’s acquisition of ATACMS by moving most of its aircraft beyond the missiles’ range, the unnamed official told the WSJ, citing a new U.S. intelligence report.

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