Timeline: day 188 of Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression
Today is August 30. russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for 188 days. We're reporting on the current news. The article will be updated.
What about today?
Key points
"Does anyone want to know what our plans are? You will not hear specifics from any truly responsible person because this is a war. And that's how it is in the war. But the occupiers should know: we will drive them to the border—to our border, the line of which has not changed. The occupiers know it well," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his traditional address. The President also added that if the russian military wanted to survive, it was time for them to flee home. Zelensky wrote this address amid the news about the Ukrainian forces beginning the counteroffensive in the Kherson region.
The main points from the closed briefing of the US Department of Defense:
- The USA believes Ukraine is much closer to the parity of forces in the Kherson region than the Donbas. The Ukrainian army "undoubtedly" impaired the ability of the russians to regroup by disabling the main bridges.
- The Pentagon doesn't directly call the fighting intensified in the Kherson region a counteroffensive yet. For now, it looks like preparation.
- The US does not see a large-scale redeployment of russian forces from Donbas to the south of Ukraine.
- The United States predicts that putin's efforts to increase the size of the russian military to 1.15 million are "unlikely to succeed."
At the same time, officials from the US Department of Defense say that Ukraine has a "good chance" of returning the territories captured by russia in the south of the country, Politico reports. Sources of the journalists confirmed that the Ukrainian forces destroyed "most" of the bridges across the Dnipro, using the weapons handed over by the Allies—now, the occupiers cannot quickly replenish their weapons stockpiles and ammunition, or bring in reserves.
"The goal of this stage of counteroffensive preparation is to cut off the russian forces near the river and force them to surrender Kherson. At this stage, it will be tough to cross the river," the publication's sources explain.
Over the past day, the Ukrainian defenders of the south hit 13 enemy control points, attacked the enemy's air defense positions with airstrikes, and destroyed the crossing the enemy established across the Dnipro in the area of the village of Lvove, the South operational command reports.
According to the military, Ukrainian missile and artillery units destroyed 30 units of russian equipment.
Key findings from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) as of August 29:
- The Ukrainian military reported that on August 29, Ukrainian troops launched a counteroffensive operation in the Kherson region.
- russian troops conducted local ground attacks to the north of Sloviansk, the southeast of Siversk, the south of Bakhmut, and the west of the Donetsk region.
- russian forces continued to advance around Donetsk.
- No russian attacks were carried out in the northeast of the Kharkiv region.
- The occupying forces conducted a local operation northwest of the Kherson region.
The General Staff reports that the Ukrainian forces repulsed the enemy's offensive in five directions. In particular, Ukrainian defenders repulsed the enemy on:
- Kharkiv direction in the area of the village of Udy;
- Sloviansk direction in the area of Shnurky;
- Bakhmut direction near Zaitseve, Shumy, and Kodema;
- Avdiivka direction near Maryinka and Novomykhailivka;
- Pivdennyi Buh's axis in the Potemkyne district.
Today it is difficult to predict possible dates for the expulsion of the russian occupiers from Ukraine. Still, the stronger Europe unites around Ukraine, the faster the victory over the aggressor will be, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said during a conversation with the participants of the Strategic Forum in the Slovenian city of Bled. So let's continue the fight and unite the world around us until victory!
Atomic objects
Director General of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, said that the mission to the Zaporizhzhia NPP has left for the station.
Humanitarian missions
russian invaders fired artillery at the base of the Ukrainian Red Cross evacuation unit in Sloviansk, Donetsk region. This was reported by the commander of the rapid response unit of the Red Cross Society of Ukraine, Taras Lohinov.
News from partners
The electricity grid operators of Denmark, Finland, and Sweden issued a statement urging Norway not to cut electricity exports to neighboring countries. This could lead to similar measures by other states and destabilize the market across Europe. "If we don't work together, it will help russia," said Johannes Bruun, director of the electricity market at Denmark's Energinet. On the other hand, Norway planned to reduce supplies due to the internal energy crisis.
The price of European contracts for electricity supply for the next year has increased by more than 1,000 euros per MWh for the first time in history. Bloomberg reports this.
Ambassador of Turkey to Ukraine Yagmur Ahmet Gülder was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine due to the alleged transportation of russian S-300 missile systems through the Bosphorus. They were transported from Syria by the ship Sparta II, which falls under the definition of a warship. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested the Turkish side to provide official information about the cargo transported by the ship "Sparta II" through the Bosphorus Strait.
Sanctions against the aggressor!
An informal meeting of the Council of the EU is being held in Prague, where they plan to consider the ban on issuing visas to russian citizens. This was announced by the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkevičs.
"I am going to Prague to participate in an informal meeting of the EU Council on Foreign Affairs; together with like-minded countries, we will advocate for the EU ban on visas for citizens of the russian federation both for security reasons and because of russia's aggression against Ukraine," the minister wrote on his Twitter.
At the same time, some companies are tired of being in the "liberal mainstream," as the support of Ukraine in Hungary was recently called, and they decided to return to the russian market. This is what Crocs shoe manufacturer did. Thought no one would notice? It is impossible not to see when profit is more important than the unjust war that russia unleashed and killed peaceful people.
Life considering hostilities
Yesterday, Volodymyr Zelensky presented state awards to American actors Sean Penn, Ben Stiller, Jessica Chastain, Liev Schreiber, and former US Ambassador to russia Michael McFaul "for defending the freedom and independence of Ukraine."
Look at us! Ukrainian tennis player Daria Snihur created the primary sensation in the first round of the US Open. Thus, the 20-year-old Ukrainian, in her debut at the level of the main line of WTA tournaments, defeated the former world number one Simona Halep from Romania with 6:2, 0:6, and 6:4.
