DAccording to the authorities, western Ukraine was heavily fired at on Tuesday night with Russian cruise missiles. At least three people were killed in the city of Lutsk, according to the head of the administration of the Volyn region, Yuriy Pohulyaiko. Several injured were taken to hospitals.
The city of Lviv and its environs were also hit. “Many rockets were fired, but Lviv was also hit,” the city’s mayor Andriy Sadovyi told Telegram. A burning building had been evacuated. Earlier, the governor of the Lviv region, Maxim Kositsky, said that “groups of Russian missiles” were heading towards the region.
The cruise missiles were reportedly fired by Russian fighter bombers over the Caspian Sea. The affected areas of western Ukraine border on Poland and thus on NATO and the EU.
By July, the Lviv region had been spared most of the Russian air raids. Ukrainian media reported that the airstrike was the largest on the Lviv region since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. The Volhynia region also borders on NATO member Poland. The Ukrainian Air Force said 16 of at least 28 missiles had been destroyed.
All developments in the live ticker:
14:23 – Poland celebrates Army Day with military parade
Against the background of the Russian war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine, Poland celebrated this year’s “Army Day” with a large military parade. During the parade, 2,000 soldiers marched in the center of Warsaw and 200 units of military technology were shown. Almost a hundred planes and helicopters flew over the rooftops of the city in an air show.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda at the military parade
Source: REUTERS
The EU and NATO country Poland is not only one of the biggest political and military supporters of Ukraine – it is also arming itself massively against a feared threat from Russia. The nervousness in Poland has increased because of the activities of Russian Wagner mercenaries in neighboring Belarus.
The Polish army is expected to almost double in size in the coming years. According to the Defense Department, the armed forces currently number 172,500 men and women, including tens of thousands in the voluntary homeland security organizations. According to Warsaw’s plans, there should be 300,000 including homeland security.
1:57 p.m. – Moscow Security Conference: Putin laments Western conspiracy
Russian President Vladimir Putin once again used a security conference in Moscow to attack the West. In a video message to the XI. Moscow Conference on International Security. According to the Russian state media, more than 800 representatives from 76 nations take part. China’s new Defense Minister Li Shangfu was also a guest.
1:20 p.m. – Russia’s central bank raises interest rates to twelve percent
In the fight against the weak ruble and rising inflation, the Russian central bank has raised the key interest rate significantly from 8.5 percent to 12 percent. This decision was made “to minimize the risks of price stability,” the country’s central bank said after a special meeting.
12:41 – Moscow: Ukraine’s military resources ‘almost exhausted’
The resources of the Ukrainian army in the conflict with Russia are, according to Russian belief, “almost exhausted”. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at a security conference in Moscow that Kyiv is not making any progress despite “total support” from the West. Shoigu acknowledged that the Russian military offensive in Ukraine has become a “serious test” for the Russian army. However, Russia has managed to “greatly” increase the production of armored vehicles, the minister said.
Referring to the Western supply of arms to Ukraine, Shoigu said those arms represented “nothing unique or invincible”. In front of a round of international military representatives, he also said that Moscow was ready to share its findings on the weaknesses of Western weapons. Shoigu also thanked the Russian soldiers for their dedication who would fight against “neo-Nazism” on the battlefield. He thus repeated a formulation that the Kremlin had given as the reason for the Russian military intervention in the neighboring country.
12:22pm – Three suspected Russian spies arrested in UK
According to the BBC, investigators in the UK have arrested three suspected Russian spies. The two men and one woman – all Bulgarian citizens – have been in custody since February, the public broadcaster reported. They are said to have worked for Russian secret services. They are accused of having possessed identification documents with “unfair intentions”. Accordingly, the trio has led passports, identity cards and other documents from several countries, including Great Britain, Italy and France.
The suspects have lived and worked in the UK for many years – one man and the woman in north-west London and the other man, who has business connections in Russia, in Great Yarmouth on England’s east coast. The trial of the suspected spies is scheduled to begin in January 2024, the BBC reported.
11:11 am – Putin calls on North Korea to cooperate with Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to deepen relations with Russia on the occasion of Korea’s Liberation Day. “I am sure that we will continue to expand bilateral cooperation in all areas for the benefit of our peoples, in the interest of strengthening stability and security on the Korean peninsula and in the entire Northeast Asian region,” Putin said in his congratulatory message shared by the Kremlin Kim Jong Un.
August 15 — known as Gwangbokjeol, or Liberation Day in South Korea — is said to be the only public holiday celebrated in both North and South Korea. On this day, the two enemy countries commemorate their liberation from Japanese colonial rule.
09:05 – Current situation in Ukraine
Source: Infographic WORLD
7:00 a.m. – Lindner believes it is possible to deliver the Taurus on time
According to a media report, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) considers it possible that Germany will deliver the desired Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine in time for the ongoing counter-offensive. “I hope and think that this can be possible,” said the FDP chairman of the “Bild” with a view to a delivery during the Ukrainian counter-offensive. “In an ongoing war, speed is also an essential factor,” emphasized the minister.
02:08 am – Russian Ambassador: US denies Russians visas for Apec meetings
According to the Russian ambassador in Washington, the United States is refusing entry to some Russian officials for a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Seattle. “Entry visas for officials from several ministries and government agencies have not been issued,” said Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov.
22:24 – Russian fighter jet crashed in southern Krasnodar Territory
According to official information, a fighter jet crashed in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar. According to initial findings, one inmate died, the Interfax agency reported in the evening, citing the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. The L-39 training aircraft was about to land during a training flight when it crashed onto the airfield for reasons that have not yet been clarified. In the course of the Russian war against Ukraine, fighter planes repeatedly launch attacks on the neighboring country from Krasnodar.
“Kick-off” is WELT’s daily news podcast. The most important topic analyzed by WELT editors and the dates of the day. Subscribe to the podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or directly by RSS feed.