After explosions at a Russian base in Crimea, London sees the operational capability of Moscow's Black Sea fleet impaired. The Russian armed forces are making up ground in the Donbass. According to Kiev, Kremlin units are storming fortifications near the town of Horlivka.
After the explosions at a Russian base in Crimea, the British Ministry of Defense sees the operational capability of Moscow's Black Sea Fleet as impaired. The Russian armed forces in the Donbass are making up ground for this. According to Kiev, units from the Kremlin are storming Ukrainian fortifications near the town of Horlivka. The 170th day of the war at a glance.
According to the USA, Russia is preparing several mock referendums
According to information from the US secret service, Russia has started concrete plans for referendums in several cities in eastern Ukraine. The aim is to join Russia. A senior National Security Council official said in Washington that Russia wants to hold mock referendums in Kherson, Zaporizhia, the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, and parts of Kharkiv.
"The Russian leadership has instructed officials to start holding referendums in these areas and also in parts of Kharkiv," he said. "We have information that officials are reviewing candidates to serve as administrators of these areas. And that this could happen as early as the coming weeks."
Secret service sees Russian Black Sea Fleet weakened
After the explosions at the Russian military base in Saki on Tuesday, the operational capability of the Black Sea Fleet has been impaired, according to British information. The airfield is probably still operational, the Ministry of Defense in London said, citing intelligence information. However, eight fighter jets were almost certainly either destroyed or badly damaged. This has significantly weakened the Black Sea Fleet's capabilities in airspace.
Russia uses Crimea as a base for its Black Sea Fleet and as a main supply route for its invading forces in southern Ukraine. The Saki base plays a central role in this. The cause of the explosions is still unclear, the British Ministry of Defense said. Russia spoke of an accident. Ukraine has not made itself clear publicly.
Ukraine: Russian army advances further in Donbass
According to Ukrainian sources, the Russian military has made progress in heavy attacks in eastern Ukraine. "The enemy partially succeeded in advancing towards Horlivka-Zaytseve," the Ukrainian General Staff said. The city of Horlivka north of Donetsk has been controlled by the pro-Russian separatists since 2014. Now the heavily fortified Ukrainian positions north of the city in the Donbass were obviously being stormed.
Fighting was also reported off Donetsk and south of the Bakhmut transport hub, which is part of the defensive wall around the last Kyiv-controlled Donbass conurbation, Sloviansk-Kramatorsk. In both cases, according to Ukrainian sources, the fighting is continuing while it has been repulsed elsewhere. The reports cannot be verified independently.
Russia fires at nuclear power plant again
Ukraine again accuses Russia of shelling the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and preventing an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission. "Russia resorted to dangerous provocations and staged the shelling of the nuclear power plant itself," Ukrainian Ambassador Serhiy Kyslytsia said at a UN Security Council meeting in New York. The destructive Russian position, unjustified conditions and the shelling have so far prevented a visit by IAEA experts.
At the same time, Kyslytsia warned of the possible consequences of a nuclear accident. "None of us can stop the wind when it spreads radioactivity, but together we can stop the terrorist state (Russia)". The 52-year-old called on Russia to demin the nuclear facility. Moscow should also withdraw all soldiers, weapons and technology from the power plant site. Kyiv is ready to guarantee the security of an IAEA mission in Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Klitschko poisoned against Scholz because of visas for Russians
Meanwhile, Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his refusal to stop issuing visas to Russians. "Russian citizens are fighting in Ukraine, torturing and killing peaceful Ukrainians and children, destroying our cities and villages," the 51-year-old wrote on social media. The majority of Russian citizens would support "Putin's policies and his bloody imperial ambitions," Klitschko said in justifying his call for a freeze on issuing visas.
Yushchenko sends soldiers honey with nationalist logo
Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko wants to strengthen the fighting spirit of Ukrainian soldiers with honey bars and nationalist logos. "This is honey loved by everyone, coming from the beehives of the homeland of great Ukrainians," the 68-year-old wrote on Facebook. In a first delivery, 25,000 packs with portraits of the national poet Taras Shevchenko and the controversial Ukrainian nationalist and anti-Semite Stepan Bandera are to go to the front.
Bandera was the ideological leader of the radical wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). Nationalist partisans from western Ukraine were responsible for ethnically motivated expulsions in 1943, during which tens of thousands of Polish civilians were murdered. Bandera fled to Germany after World War II, where he was murdered by the KGB in 1959. Some researchers refer to Bandera as a fascist.
Russian economy shrinks significantly
The Russian economy experienced a steep downturn in the second quarter. Gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 4.0 percent from April to June compared to the same period last year, according to preliminary data from the Rosstat statistical office. At the beginning of the year, there was still an increase in GDP of 3.5 percent. Nevertheless, the decline is not as great as experts had expected. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects a deep and long recession in Russia.
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