Air raid alerts on across Ukraine

Meanwhile, Finnish President Alexander Stubb voiced doubts about Russia's readiness for peace in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat, saying, "They (Russia) want to continue the war at least until the fall to maximize their own territorial gains."

A 31-year-old Russian serviceman claimed in an interview to have participated in the May 2024 killing of five captured Ukrainian soldiers in Donetsk Oblast, according to Polish-Belarusian media outlet Vot Tak.

German media outlet Welt reported, citing anonymous EU sources, that China has signalled it is prepared to send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. However, China is prepared to do so only "if the peacekeeping forces were deployed on the basis of a mandate from the United Nations (UN)," the sources told Welt.

A Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot was killed after completing a combat mission early on Aug. 23, according to a statement by Ukraine's Air Force.

The number includes 840 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg is reportedly traveling to Kyiv to mark Ukraine's 34th Independence Day, Reuters journalist Graham Slattery reported Aug. 21 on X.

The European Union disbursed more than 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) in financial aid to Ukraine ahead of its 34th Independence Day, underscoring the bloc's continued support for Ukraine amid the ongoing invasion.

"I told (Putin) I'm not happy about it," Trump claimed a day after a Russian missile hit an American electronics plant in western Ukraine.

Italian police have arrested a Ukrainian national under a European arrest warrant in connection with the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, German prosecutors announced on Aug. 21.

"This year, up to 30,000 troops are expected to participate, significantly fewer than in previous exercises. Around 6,000–8,000 will be stationed in Belarus, with several thousand in Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave," Lithuanian intelligence said in a press release.

Estonia is ready to send up to one company of troops to partake in peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said.

Russia's top military and political officials joined Putin in the closed city of Sarov, which houses the Russian Federal Nuclear Center, on Aug. 22.