Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine

A provide of weapons costing as a lot as or lower than a Russian oligarch’s yacht might allow Ukraine to have firepower parity with Russia, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak mentioned in a tweet.

The weapons in query are 50 U.S.-supplied Himars, every of which price $4 million, Podolyak wrote.

“50 techniques — $200 million + ammunition. The value of attaining fireplace parity and destroying military logistics is lower than…ru-oligarch’s yacht. It’s not an infinite amount of cash, however one thing that might utterly change the course of this conflict,” the Ukrainian advisor mentioned.

Himar stands for Excessive Mobility Artillery Rocket System, and is a a number of rocket launcher initially designed for the U.S. army by Lockheed Martin and mounted onto vans. The highly effective system has been described as a “recreation changer” by U.S. officers, notably for its lengthy vary and skill to inflict critical harm on enemy targets.

Moscow has made a request for a U.N. Safety Council assembly at this time to debate what’s going on at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant, which has been beneath Russian occupation and surrounded by shelling and combating since March.

The request was made by Russia’s ambassador to the U.N., Dmitry Polyanskyy, Russian state information company RIA reported. It has not but been confirmed as as to if the assembly will occur at this time.

Worldwide leaders have for months sounded the alarm over the potential for a nuclear catastrophe on the plant, which is Europe’s largest of its variety. U.N. Secretary Common Antonio Guterres has pleaded for the demilitarization of the world and warned the scenario has created a second of “most hazard for our world.”

— Natasha Turak

Month-to-month authorities funds to British households internet hosting Ukrainian refugees ought to be doubled to maintain up with hovering inflation and allow them to proceed internet hosting for longer than six months, the minister accountable for this system mentioned.

“The prices … they’re paying possibly an enormous chunk of hire themselves, the mortgage funds have gone up and every part, and I believe it is completely cheap, for my part, to extend the quantity that we’re paying them,” Richard Harrington mentioned in an interview with native media.

Presently the British authorities pays sponsors who host refugees a £350-monthly ($412) “thanks” cost. The minimal sponsorship interval is six months, and Harrington desires to see that cost doubled for hosts who home refugees for longer than that. He mentioned he has been pushing the federal government “very arduous” to attain that goal.

Some 25,000 households within the U.Okay. are internet hosting refugees beneath the Properties for Ukraine initiative, with every sponsor internet hosting a mean of three refugees, Harrington mentioned. Greater than 115,000 Ukrainians have come to the U.Okay. through its visa applications since Russia launched its invasion in February, with an extra 4,000 to five,000 new arrivals weekly, he added.

— Natasha Turak

United Nations Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres known as for an finish to “nuclear saber-rattling,” warning that the world is going through a particularly harmful precipice as combating continues across the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant in southern Ukraine, Europe’s largest plant of its variety.

“Nuclear saber-rattling should cease … come to the negotiating desk to ease tensions and finish the nuclear arms race, as soon as and for all,” Guterres mentioned in a press release after a gathering with ambassadors on the U.N. Safety Council.

It is a second of “most hazard for our world,” the U.N. chief mentioned, stressing that “humanity’s future is in our arms” and that battle should be positioned with diplomacy and dialogue to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of conflict.”

Russian forces have occupied the plant since March, and its many staff nonetheless proceed to work however describe having to function in an environment of terror.

— Natasha Turak

The U.S. State Division issued a safety alert over elevated Russian strikes on Ukraine and urged U.S. residents to depart the nation.

“The Division of State has data that Russia is stepping up efforts to launch strikes in opposition to Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and authorities amenities within the coming days,” the embassy mentioned in an alert on its web site. Russia has already positioned extra of its missile-bearing warships within the Black Sea, authorities officers have mentioned.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has additionally warned his residents of elevated Russian assaults this week forward of Ukraine’s Independence Day on Aug. 24, which is able to commemorate its thirty first 12 months of independence. Kyiv has banned massive gatherings for a lot of the week.

— Natasha Turak

Russia could possibly be planning to assault Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and authorities amenities quickly, Reuters reported, citing a U.S. official.

“We now have data that Russia is stepping up efforts to launch strikes in opposition to Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and authorities amenities within the coming days,” the official mentioned, based on Reuters.

“Given Russia’s monitor document in Ukraine, we’re involved in regards to the continued menace that Russian strikes pose to civilians and civilian infrastructure,” the official added.

Reuters reported that the official’s assertion was primarily based on U.S. intelligence that has been downgraded.

— Abigail Ng

The group overseeing the export of agricultural merchandise from Ukraine mentioned that thus far a complete of 721,449 metric tons of grains and different foodstuffs have departed by means of the humanitarian sea hall beneath the Black Sea Grain Initiative. 

The Joint Coordination Middle, or JCC, mentioned that greater than 25 ships carrying grains and different crops have left Ukrainian ports.

The JCC additionally mentioned that it licensed the motion of 1 outbound service provider vessel named Kafkam Etler to depart tomorrow from the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk. The vessel was permitted to carry 2,437 metric tons of corn to Turkey.

— Amanda Macias