Listed here are the important thing occasions on day 1,276 of Russia’s struggle on Ukraine.
Right here is how issues stand on Saturday, August 23:
Combating
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Russian troops have taken management of the settlements of Rusyn Yar, Volodymyrivka and Katerynivka within the Donetsk area in japanese Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defence stated.
- Russian oil provides to Hungary and Slovakia could possibly be suspended for no less than 5 days after a Ukrainian drone strike on a facility in Russia, Hungarian and Slovak officers stated. The assault by Ukraine marked the second time this week that Russian oil provides have been minimize to each nations.
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An power facility at Unecha in Russia’s Bryansk area, by way of which the Europe-bound Druzhba oil pipeline runs, caught fireplace because of Ukrainian missile and drone assaults, regional governor Alexander Bogomaz stated, including that the hearth had been extinguished.
Peace talks
- United States President Donald Trump renewed a risk on Friday to impose sanctions on Russia if there isn’t any progress in direction of a peaceable settlement in Ukraine in two weeks, displaying frustration at Moscow every week after his heat assembly with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
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Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov stated there isn’t any agenda for a possible summit between Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he accused of claiming “no to every part”.
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Lavrov stated a gathering with Zelenskyy and a deal had been attainable, offered there was a correct agenda for such a session.
- Zelenskyy has accused Russia of doing every part it could to guarantee that a gathering between him and Putin doesn’t happen, and known as on Ukraine’s allies to use renewed sanctions on Moscow if it continues to indicate no want to finish its invasion of his nation.
Politics and diplomacy
- Putin has stated there was “mild on the finish of the tunnel” in Russia-US relations, and that the 2 nations had been discussing joint initiatives within the Arctic and Alaska, signalling Russia’s optimism that it could mend relations with Washington and strike enterprise offers with Trump, regardless of a scarcity of progress in direction of ending its struggle on Ukraine.
Regional safety
- Russian forces have performed an train within the Baltic Sea, together with drills to repel an underwater assault, the Defence Ministry in Moscow stated. It was the second time this month that Russia held naval workouts with an antisubmarine element, after President Trump ordered two US nuclear submarines to reposition nearer to Russia.
- Ukraine’s Ministry of International Affairs has warned neighbouring Belarus towards staging “reckless provocations” throughout joint army drills with Russian forces in September.
- Kyiv known as on its European companions to stay vigilant throughout the joint Belarus-Russia “Zapad” army workouts, and urged Belarusian authorities “to stay prudent, to not strategy the borders and to not provoke” Ukraine’s armed forces.
- Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko dismissed as “full nonsense” the concept Minsk would utilise the mobilisation of army forces throughout the workouts to assault Ukraine.
Nord Stream
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An Italian appeals court docket has confirmed the arrest of a Ukrainian man suspected by Germany of coordinating assaults on three Nord Stream gasoline pipelines within the Baltic Sea in 2022. The suspect faces expenses of collusion to trigger an explosion, anticonstitutional sabotage and destruction of vital constructions.
- The AFP information company studies that the suspect within the assault on the Nord Stream underwater gasoline pipelines has refused to be extradited to Germany from Italy, the place he was arrested.