Ukraine War News from August 16
- The first shipment of grain to Africa from Ukraine has embarked on its journey. The Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure confirmed that the cargo ship will transport over 23,000 tons of wheat which it said is “aiming to solve hunger in east Africa”.
- The Ukraine War Has Reached A Stalemate — So What Happens Now? It’s been more than 150 days of Putin’s relentless invasion, and a clear-eyed view of the war now is neither side is winning. This will make bold decisions by Ukraine’s allies essential to any hope for victory.
- Demand is so high for the legendary Bayraktar drones used to defend against Russia’s Ukraine invasion that their Turkish maker has a 3-year waitlist.
- Russian media and Local residents report clouds of black smoke over the military airfield in the village of Hvardiiske, Simferopol district of Russian-occupied Crimea.
- Satellites owned by private companies have played an important role in the war in Ukraine. In early August 2022, images from Planet Labs showed that a recent attack on a Russian military base in Crimea caused more damage than Russia had suggested in public reports.
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- The first shipment of grain to leave Ukraine under a wartime deal appears to have ended up in Syria. The arrival of the cargo ship Razoni in Syria comes after the government in Kyiv praised the ship’s initial departure from the port of Odesa as a sign that Ukraine could safely ship out its grain harvests to a hungry world.
- Military experts loyal to the Kremlin recognize that Russia does not have the resources to implement Putin’s ambitious plans. Several experts from a website closely tied to the Russian Ministry of Defense warned that to switch to a full-scale offensive in Ukraine, Moscow would have to double or even triple its troop numbers.
- A Russian court has fined Yury Shevchuk, the lead singer for the classic Russian rock group DDT, 50,000 rubles ($800) for harshly criticizing President Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine during a concert.
- A munitions depot in Russian-annexed Crimea exploded early Tuesday in the village of Mayskoye, prompting a senior Ukrainian official to declare it “Demilitarization in action.” Taunting Russian President Vladimir Putin over the destruction, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted: “A reminder: Crimea […] is about the Black Sea, mountains, recreation and tourism, but Crimea occupied by Russians is about warehouses [sic] explosions and high risk of death for invaders and thieves. Demilitarization in action.”
- In Latvia, a fundraising campaign has kicked off for the purchase of a Bayraktar strike drone for the needs of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
- Between February 24, the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and August 7, at least 5,401 civilians in Ukraine have been killed and 7,466 injured, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. These figures are likely a significant undercount.
- Three captured British men have denied they are mercenaries fighting with Ukrainian forces in a Russian proxy court. John Harding, Andrew Hill and Dylan Healy are among five European men who appeared in a court administered by Moscow-backed separatists in the eastern Ukraine city of Donetsk.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday accused Washington of seeking to prolong the conflict in Ukraine and of fueling conflicts elsewhere in the world, including with the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. “The situation in Ukraine shows that the US is trying to prolong this conflict. And they act in exactly the same way, fuelling the potential for conflict in Asia, Africa and Latin America,” Putin said.
- The Finish government has decided to significantly reduce the number of Russian tourist visas compared to the current number. Finland also supports the termination of the visa facilitation agreement with Russia.
- The U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor fighters are participating in a NATO Air Shielding mission over the Alliance’s eastern flank amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The F-22s assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska currently deployed at the 32nd Tactical Air Base (AB) in Łask, to support Nato’s Air Shielding mission in Poland.
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