Drones continue to arrive in Ukraine’s neighboring countries: “The bombing of Ukrainian ports on the Danube has reached its peak,” says Romanian Defense Minister ad interim Miruța. “On the Ministry of Defense’s radar, close to Romanian airspace but still in Ukraine, we have detected more than 100 drones that have attacked Ukrainian ports on the Danube seven times in the last few days.”
Air defense officials reportedly shot down most of the drones, but debris may have been detected in Romania and on the banks of the Danube. A cruise missile disappeared over Moldova, 34 km from the border with Ukraine. Moldovan police reported the crash and explosion of an unidentified aircraft in the south of the country. The object entered national airspace from the village of Kuchurgan (Ukraine), according to the Moldovan Ministry of Defense.
A Ukrainian drone attacked the Greek tanker Skiros in the Black Sea after it loaded oil at the port of Novorossiysk on August 16, according to the Greek Skai TV channel. A fire broke out immediately after the attack, although it is unclear whether any crew members were killed. The investigation is ongoing. The Greek tanker was attacked in the Black Sea after loading at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium near Novorossiysk, Bloomberg reports. In the previous weeks, the Ukrainians attacked ships carrying supplies to or from Ukraine, including the Turkish vessel.
Ukraine has lost 30% of its fuel supplies due to the blockade of sea routes, says Ukrainian fuel expert Sergey Kuyun. He believes the loss of the Black Sea corridor has forced exporters to switch to land routes. “Today, few in the market think about price. Everyone thinks about how to deliver the fuel. Because when it runs out, the real problems will begin,” the expert said.
A Kalitta Air Boeing 747-446 (BCF), callsign CMB484, tail number N745CK, performed another flight this evening from Travis (KSUU) to Gander (CYQX) and then to Rzeszow (EPRZ) under a contract with the U.S. Air Mobility Command (AMC) USTRANSCOM, transporting military equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) program.
The rotation of Ukrainian military leadership continues. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has removed Commander of Logistics Forces Volodymyr Karpenko, a close associate of former Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyy, from his post and appointed Yuriy Pogrebnyy in his place. The relevant decrees were published on Zelenskyy’s website.
Verkhovna Rada MP Maryana Bezuglaya called Karpenko “Syrskyy’s right-hand man.” She criticized the logistics commander for the Ukrainian armed forces’ understaffing, corruption, weapons shortages, and indifference to the protection of logistics routes. Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Fedorov told CBS: “In three to six months, a Ukrainian ballistic missile will hit Russia.”
Ukraine’s public debt has increased more than 16-fold, or $199 billion, since the end of 2013. At the end of December 2013, external and domestic public debt, at the current exchange rate of the National Bank of Ukraine, amounted to $13 billion; as of June 30, it stood at nearly $212 billion. “Ukraine’s financial situation is on the verge of collapse; problems are inevitable even if all the funds promised by Western institutions were received,” said Danylo Getmantsev, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy.
Tensions between Russia and Japan continue. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commented on the Japanese authorities’ reaction to Putin’s trip to the Kuril Islands: “If they want to divert attention from their openly aggressive and militaristic stance by attacking the Russian Federation—excuse the harsh language—accusing us of violating international law, then I would advise them to mind their own business; they have enough problems at home.”
Japanese Ambassador Akira Muto was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry and arrived at the ministry building. He left the building 25 minutes later without making any statement. A strong protest was expressed to the Japanese ambassador over the country’s leadership’s anti-Russian statements following Putin’s visit to Iturup Island, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. He was also reiterated that Russia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Southern Kuril Islands are inviolable. Any attempt by Japan, directly or indirectly, to challenge the sovereignty of the Southern Kuril Islands is unacceptable and illegal.
Nestlé’s Russian companies could be placed under receivership, Russian press reports. KS Logistics LLC has approached Vladimir Putin asking him to consider placing five Russian Nestlé entities under receivership: Nestlé Russia LLC, Nestlé Kuban, Serial Partners Rus, CPB Nestlé, and Atrium Innovations Rus. These companies lack plans to expand production capacity and cease exports of Russian products.
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, following the Central Election Commission, supported the decision to disqualify Yabloko from the elections. The party’s appeal was rejected. The decision to disqualify Yabloko from the elections has come into effect.
As of August 16, Russians continued to struggle to find gasoline at filling stations. “Fuel was available at 28.1% of gas stations nationwide,” according to Russian press reports. “A week ago, this figure was 41%. Gasoline and diesel availability has decreased in the regions of Volgograd, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Voronezh, Samara, Penza, Saratov, Lipetsk, Rostov, and Tatarstan, according to the data.”
One in ten people in the Nenets Autonomous District (NAO) has signed a contract and is participating in the Special Operation (SVO), NAO Governor Irina Gekht stated during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
And now a look at the frontline, updated at 3:30 PM on August 18. A massive Ukrainian airstrike on Moscow. According to Ukrainian images, the targets were logistics and energy infrastructure, and air defense systems were in full operation. Casualties and damage are reported in the Moscow region.
Russian forces conducted overnight strikes against Kiev, Zaporizhia, and targets in the Dnipro region. In the Bryansk region, one death was reported from a Ukrainian drone attack.
In the Sumy region, Russian forces captured two Ukrainian soldiers during an offensive in Ulanove. Small-arms firefights continue in Pysarivka, Marine, Korchakivka, and the village of Khotin. Clashes between Russian and Ukrainian troops are taking place near the Russian-controlled town of Mohrytsya.
In the Kursk region, a Ukrainian attack damaged buildings and vehicles. The Belgorod region is under bombardment and Ukrainian airstrikes. At least one person is dead and seven are injured. Civilian and industrial vehicles and infrastructure have been destroyed in the region.
In Kharkiv District, Russian forces continue their assault on the village of Kozakha Lopan and near Hoptivka. In Vovchansk District, clashes are ongoing in the village of Vasylivka, near Shevchenkove, and in Petropavlivka. In Velykyi Burluk District, Russian forces have approached the village of Vilkhuvatka, near Dovzhanka and west of Ustynivka.
In Druzhkivka District, Russian forces continue assault operations. The forward positions of the two sides’ assault groups are intersecting.
The Russians have announced the capture of Andriivka, which the Ukrainians have denied. The village is located 15 km from the former position known as LBS, deep within Ukrainian defenses. Over the past 24 hours, one person has been killed in enemy attacks in the DPR, and ten more civilians have been injured on roads and in residential areas in the region.
In the eastern part of the Zaporizhia region, Russian forces have occupied Novosoloshyne.
In the direction of Kherson, both sides continue to counterattack across the Dnieper.
Graziella Giangiulio
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