Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova denied on Aug. 18 a report that the country was entering indirect talks with Ukraine in Qatar on mutually halting strikes on energy infrastructure.
Russian forces attacked civilian infrastructure in the town of Bilopillia in Sumy Oblast on Aug. 18, killing one person and injuring three others, including an 11-year-old girl, the Sumy Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported.
Key developments on Aug. 17-18: * Ukraine claims another key bridge destroyed in Kursk Oblast * Syrskyi says Ukrainian forces 'strengthen' their positions in Kursk Oblast * Belarus moved third of its army to Ukraine border due to what Lukashenko claims was misunderstanding * German Foreign Ministry refutes claims that Berlin will not provide
In his address, President Volodymyr Zelensky also said that the "coming weeks will be crucial for our diplomatic efforts with various partners in Europe, America, and the Global South."
Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear energy company, uses a Dutch subsidiary to move "hundreds of millions in profits," Dutch news outlet NOS reported, citing a report from Uranium One Cooperative.
Russian troops attacked different settlements in Donetsk Oblast, killing four people and injuring four more on Aug. 18, Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported.
Russia has launched 40 missiles, 750 guided aerial bombs, and 200 combat drones against Ukrainian cities and villages over the past week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 18.
The German Foreign Ministry refuted claims that Berlin will not provide Kyiv with assistance next year, Suspilne media outlet reported on Aug. 18.
This number includes 1,170 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
A fire broke out at an oil depot in the city of Proletarsk in Russia's Rostov Oblast following a drone strike overnight on Aug. 18, Governor Vasily Golubev reported.
Anna Tsyvilova has been sanctioned by both the United Kingdom and the European Union over her connections to Putin and her support for the invasion of Ukraine.
"I had the pleasure of testing the new technology and saw for myself that it is not by chance that it is called 'Cyberbeast.' ... I am sure this 'beast' will be of great use to our fighters," Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov said on Aug. 17.
The RAI news team were the first to publish a foreign media report of Ukraine's incursion in Kursk Oblast.
"Nuclear power plants are designed to be resilient against technical or human failures and external events including extreme ones, but they are not built to withstand a direct military attack."
An unfinished nine-story building came under the Russian attack in Myrnohrad, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin said.
Volodymyr Zhovnir, CEO of the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv, was suspended until all inspections related to the hospital's reconstruction are completed, Health Minister Viktor Liashko said on Aug. 17.
According to FAZ, Ukraine will receive previously approved assistance, but additional requests from the German Defense Ministry will not be supported.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Kyiv announced a general mobilization, thousands of Ukrainians have been called up to defend their homeland. In Ukraine, conscription is mandatory only for men. Despite that, more than 45,000 women have voluntarily joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine
"According to Russian social media reports, the Russian Armed Forces are expected to launch a counteroffensive soon. However, there are no indications yet that the Russian Armed Forces have enough forces and areas to deploy such significant actions."
SLB, the world's largest oilfield services company, signed new government contracts and posted over 1,000 job postings in Russia within the last year.
Russia's Foreign Ministry claimed that the journalists crossed the border into Kursk Oblast illegally while reporting on Ukraine's ongoing offensive in the region.
"We officially refute these false reports. Ukraine has neither the intention nor the ability to carry out any such actions. Russia must stop spreading dangerous lies," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said.
"In general, the situation is under control. All activities are being carried out according to the plan, the logistics system is working smoothly," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a report to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine can determine how and when to use Spanish-supplied equipment, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said during her visit to the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps in Spain, EFE news agency reported on Aug. 16.
Ukrainian forces destroyed a bridge over the Seim River in the Glushkovsky district in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Alexey Smirnov, the region's acting governor, claimed on Aug. 16.
Kazakhstan will review its approach to enforcing sanctions against Russia, prioritizing its economic interests, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Serik Zhumangarin said in an interview with Bloomberg on Aug. 16.
Hungary's decision to ease entry rules for Russians "may constitute a serious security risk," leaders of Nordic and Baltic countries said in a joint letter to European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson on Aug. 16.
"People are leaving, but not as quickly or urgently as we would like and as the situation requires," administration head Yurii Tretiak said on air on RFE/RL, adding that 20,000 remain there, including around 1,000 children.
"Ukrainians know best how to defend their homeland, and we're committed to supporting their capacity," said Andrée-Anne Poulin, a spokesperson for the Canadian Defense Ministry, as reported by CBC News.
Russia downed 12 ATACMS launched overnight by Ukraine as part of an attack on the Crimean Bridge, Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti reported on Aug. 16, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.
The Magura drone can cover a distance of more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) at a speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) and is capable of carrying a 250-kilogram warhead.
The legion called upon Russian soldiers to "surrender to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as (their) comrades did." Those who "want to continue fighting for the normal future of Russia" were invited to join the unit.
