Thursday, August 24

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda (L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) at the Crimean Platform summit on Aug. 23, 2023. (Source: Presidential Office)

Russian media: Private jet crashes in Russia, warlord Prigozhin listed among passengers. A private plane has reportedly crashed in Russia’s Tver Oblast, with the Wagner Group’s boss Yevgeny Prigozhin listed as one of the passengers, the state-owned news agency TASS reported on Aug. 23.

Poll: Less than ten percent of Ukrainians speak primarily Russian at home.

About 9% of Ukrainians communicate primarily in the Russian language at home, according to a survey published by the Sociological Group Rating on Aug. 23.

Zelensky meets Hungarian president in Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky met with his Hungarian counterpart Katalin Novak as she arrived in Kyiv for the third Crimean Platform summit on Aug. 23.

Russia launches 20 drones overnight, strikes Odesa grain storage. Russia launched an overnight drone attack on Odesa Oblast and damaged a grain storage facility on the Danube, Governor Oleh Kiper said on Aug. 23.

Media: Russian helicopter pilot surrenders to Ukraine. A Russian pilot landed his Mi-8 helicopter at an airfield in Ukraine to give himself up to the authorities, Ukrainian media reported on Aug. 23. The landing was part of a long-term Ukrainian operation, according to Ukrainska Pravda media outlet.

Zelensky at Crimean Platform: Ukraine has clear plan for restoring democracy in Crimea. Ukraine has a clear vision for how to restore “democratic life” in Crimea upon its liberation from Russian occupation, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his address at the Crimean Platform on Aug. 23.

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Intelligence chief: Russia has 27 operable Tu-22M3 bombers left following recent strikes. Following recent strikes against Russian military airports in Soltsy and Shaykovka, the Russian Air Force currently fields 27 operable Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said on Aug. 23.

UK Defense Ministry: Russian use of pontoon bridges indicates logistical bottlenecks. As of mid-August, the use of pontoon bridges indicate that Russian forces occupying Crimea and Kherson Oblast face logistical issues, weeks after Ukrainian attacks on the bridges that link the two occupied regions, the U.K. Defense Ministry said on Aug. 23.

Shmyhal: Ukraine wants to use frozen Russian assets for reconstruction of Crimea. Ukraine is looking for ways to confiscate Russian assets frozen in the West and use them to cover recovery and reconstruction in Crimea and elsewhere in Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Aug. 23.

Russia wants to swap frozen assets with foreign investors. Russia wants to offer to swap assets of foreign investors frozen in Russia for some of the Russian assets frozen by the West, the Interfax news agency reported on Aug. 22, citing Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.

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Ukraine war latest: Wagner warlord reportedly killed in plane crash 2 months after staging mutiny

Russian state media reported on Aug. 23 that a private plane crashed in Russia’s Tver Oblast, with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary group, listed as one of the passengers on board.

Photo:  Wagner Telegram Account/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Explaining Ukraine: Everything you didn’t know about Ukraine’s flag

Why is the Ukrainian flag blue and yellow? Why do we see a black and red flag in Ukraine sometimes? Learn the history and significance of Ukraine’s flag and its symbols of resistance.

Photo: Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian strike on school in Sumy Oblast kills 4, injures 4. An Iranian-made Shahed-type drone struck a school in Romny, Sumy Oblast. The Aug. 23 Russian attack killed four people and injured four others, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported.

Russian shelling injures woman in Kherson. Russian shelling of a residential district in Kherson on Aug. 23 injured a woman around the age of 80, the Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported.

Kyiv council member killed fighting on front line. Serhii Ilnytskyi, a Kyiv City Council member, was killed fighting in the Donbas, the council announced on Aug. 23.

General Staff: Russia has lost 258,820 troops in Ukraine. This number includes 480 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

International response

Ukraine’s partners pledge new aid at Crimean Platform. Ukraine’s partners attending the Crimea Platform on Aug. 23 have pledged new assistance to Kyiv, including military aid, reconstruction support, and fresh sanctions against Russia.

Finnish PM arrives in Kyiv, 18th military aid package to be announced.

Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo arrived in Kyiv on Aug. 23 ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day. At a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Orpo said that his government is preparing to send its 18th defense package to Ukraine, and details will be announced this week.

Lithuania to deliver NASAMS launchers to Ukraine in September. Lithuania will deliver the previously pledged NASAMS launchers to Ukraine already in September, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said during his visit to Kyiv on Aug. 23.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Elsa Court, Oleksiy Sorokin, Sofiya Tryzub-Cook, Toma Istomina, Martin Fornusek, Teah Pelechaty, Rachel Amran, and Abbey Fenbert.

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