August 18, 2023 at 2:05 a.m. EDT
In Moscow, officers reported early Friday {that a} drone was shot down. Russia’s Protection Ministry accused Ukraine of launching “one other terrorist assault.”
Right here’s the newest on the struggle and its ripple results throughout the globe.
Ukraine’s forces, that are pushing towards Melitopol from the city of Robotyne greater than 50 miles away, will stay a number of miles outdoors the town, U.S. officers predicted. In the event that they fail to eject Russian troops from Melitopol, it’ll imply Ukraine will fail to realize certainly one of its key targets within the ongoing counteroffensive: to sever the land bridge connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow seized from Kyiv in 2014.
The drone that was shot down in Russia’s capital fell on a nonresidential constructing, Russia’s Protection Ministry stated. There have been no casualties or fires ensuing from the interception, the ministry stated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday signed laws extending martial regulation till mid-November. If martial regulation will not be lifted, nationwide parliamentary elections scheduled for the autumn might be delayed. The structure stipulates that parliamentary elections ought to happen no later than Oct. 29 and presidential elections early subsequent yr.
Gene Spektor, a U.S. citizen in Russia, was taken into custody on espionage prices Thursday, in response to Russian state media. Spektor had beforehand been convicted of bribery. A State Division spokesperson, who spoke on the situation of anonymity to debate a delicate diplomatic concern, stated officers have been monitoring the scenario. “When a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, the Division works to offer all acceptable help,” the spokesperson stated.
Ukraine stated it doesn’t anticipate to fly U.S.-built F-16 fighter jets in battle this yr. “We had large hopes for this aircraft, that it’s going to change into a part of air protection, capable of defend us from Russia’s missiles and drones terrorism,” Ukrainian air pressure spokesman Yuriy Ihnat instructed a joint telethon broadcast by native channels. “It’s already apparent that we will be unable to guard Ukraine with F-16 plane this fall and winter,” he stated. The primary batch of pilots coaching on the plane have confronted delays.
Ukraine will host a protection industries discussion board within the fall, Zelensky stated. “It is going to be the primary time such a large-scale occasion might be held on the state stage.” Ukrainian and overseas arms producers might be invited, he stated. The occasion will search to spice up arms manufacturing inside Ukraine “via localization with companions,” he added.
A brand new Pentagon evaluate of organic threats says Russia in all probability maintains the flexibility to create lethal toxins and pathogens, The Washington Put up reported. Moscow additionally has an lively offensive organic weapons program, in response to the report. In March 2022, the White Home warned that Russia may make use of bioweapons in Ukraine. There’s some restricted proof that Russia has used low-grade chemical assaults in Ukraine, and Zelensky stated final yr that Moscow had used bombs that dispersed white phosphorus, a extremely incendiary chemical. Moscow on the time denied it had violated worldwide conventions.
Germany unveiled a brand new safety help bundle to Ukraine. Berlin will ship Kyiv two IRIS-T SLS air protection techniques, 10 floor surveillance radars and a number of other thousand rounds of smoke ammunition, in response to an up to date checklist of Germany’s navy assist to Ukraine. Zelensky expressed thanks in his nightly deal with for the brand new provides.
Turkey criticized Russia’s raid of a ship final week that occurred close to Turkey’s coast within the Black Sea. In a publish on X, previously referred to as Twitter, a Turkish presidential workplace stated Russia had been warned to keep away from such makes an attempt as a result of they’d “escalate tensions within the Black Sea.” Russia has described the incident as an “inspection” of the ship, earlier than it sailed on to Ukraine.
The Czech Republic put the top of the Russian-owned Tactical Missiles Corp. on its sanctions checklist alongside along with his daughter and son-in-law after a marketing campaign by Russian activists. Boris Obnosov, whose firm produces missiles and aerial bombs which were destroying Ukrainian cities, continued to dwell in Prague, the Czech capital, after Russia’s invasion. He and different members of the family reportedly personal actual property in Prague value greater than $8 million.
Russia recruited operatives on-line to focus on weapons crossing Poland: Polish authorities suspect that Russia’s navy intelligence company constructed a community of amateurs to hold out espionage and sabotage missions inside Poland, Greg Miller, Loveday Morris and Mary Ilyushina report. Russia’s purpose was to disrupt a weapons pipeline via Poland that accounts for greater than 80 % of the navy {hardware} delivered to Ukraine, Polish and Western officers say.
The foiled operation posed probably the most critical Russian risk on NATO soil since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine final yr, in response to Polish officers. “That is the primary signal that the Russians are attempting to arrange sabotage — even terrorist assaults — in Poland,” stated Stanislaw Zaryn, who oversees the nation’s safety providers.
