Bob Homans August 18

20220818

Ukraine – 8/18 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
Twitter: @rhomansjr
August 18, 2022

Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism

The U.S. Congress is considering Declaring Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.   Some European countries have enacted similar declarations.  

As this article in the Daily Beast describes, a declaration by the United States carries with it substantial potential dangers for Russia, beyond simply the stigma involved.  Specifically, a declaration would allow individual Ukrainians to sue in U.S. courts, for damages incurred because of Russia’s aggression.   

The Biden Administration appears to be reluctant to make a declaration, but the U.S. Congress is taking up legislation that would declare Russia a State Sponsor of Terrorism.   If the legislation passes with a 2/3 majority in both Houses of Congress, and Pres. Biden vetoes, the legislation could become law by a subsequent vote by both Houses to override Pres. Biden’s veto.   An override requires a 2/3 majority in both Houses.

If a declaration is enacted, the most obvious target of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit arising from the declaration would be frozen reserves of the Central Bank of Russia that reside in the U.S.  The amount is likely more than $100 billion.   Normally as I understand it, if a country or group of individuals try to attach the reserves of the Central Bank of Russia, Russia would be given a right of due process under U.S. law.  Under due process protection, Russia would be able to argue that the Russian Central Bank reserves are exempt from legal action, unless the plaintiff can prove that the reserves are the result of whatever offenses claimed by the plaintiff(s).   However, would due process apply to a country that the United States has declared a State Sponsor of Terrorism?   Perhaps not.

The matter of the Russian Central Bank reserves is one of many legal issues that would likely have to be litigated, before the plaintiffs can lay claim to any Russian assets.   The legal process may take at least a decade to resolve.

Another potential issue would be if citizens of other countries, either attacked by Russia such as Georgia, or damages from assaults by Russian military personnel such as Syria would have similar privileges.   Likely another matter subject to litigation.

“The growing risk of escalation - The war in Ukraine has reached a stalemate.  Here’s why it’s unlikely to last” Meduza.io

This article is well worth reading.   It addresses the potential for a frozen conflict.   In this regard it should be read alongside the Latest Denys (below), where he also addresses the same issue.

The Latest Denys

The most interesting part of Denys’ latest video is the map at 7 minutes showing the changes in the front lines over the last 30 days of fighting.   It shows almost no change.   I am sure that this will be one of the subjects of today’s meeting between Presidents Zelenskyy and Erdogan, and UN Secretary General Guterres, with the latter two arguing that since the front is now largely static, Zelenskyy should support a ceasefire in place.   Won’t happen.  Russia is exhausted; there is no incentive for Ukraine to accept a ceasefire.   Ukrainian partisans will not recognize the ceasefire.  They’ll continue fighting, and they’ll continue to be supplied with weapons.

8/18 Sitrep (my comment in bold face)

Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon August 17 to 12:00 noon August 18, 2022

Abbreviations:

RMA = Regional Military Administration

MLRS = Multiple Launch Rocket System

AFU = Armed Forces of Ukraine

INTERNATIONAL

August 18

11:28 NATO Secretary General:  The seizure of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant by Russian troops threatens the population of Ukraine, neighbouring countries and the international community as a whole

●        It is necessary to immediately withdraw Russian occupation troops from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and to allow IAEA specialists to access it.

10:51 The Hill:  Twenty high-ranking American military and diplomats criticized the White House for not supporting Ukraine with weapons.

●        They called on Biden to immediately provide Ukraine with everything necessary to defeat Russia, including the HIMARS missiles, with a range of 300 km and effective air and missile defences.

●        They believe that such supplies can disrupt Russia’s offensive and are needed to defeat military targets in Crimea.

11:01 NTV :  At the talks in Lviv on Thursday with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan may propose a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine as well as the mediation of Ankara in the exchange of prisoners by the parties to the conflict.

11:00 TV Channel A Haber:  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan flew to Lviv for a trilateral meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

09:38 Trojmiasto:  Officials in Poland have begun to reject requests from Russians who want to obtain a temporary residence permit or get a job there

●        It is reported that the refusals to the Russians “are related to the recommendations of the Internal Security Agency.”

09:21:  A senior advisor to the US Congress reacted to the night shelling of Kharkiv and called on the world to become more serious about Russia.

08:54 :  After the Russian strikes on Kharkiv, Dmytro Kuleba called on the world to give Ukraine more weapons.

●        "Russia keeps slaughtering people in the middle of Europe. The only way to stop Putin is to provide Ukraine with maximum military aid and impose much tougher sanctions on Russia," - he wrote on Twitter.

08:48 :  Denmark will limit the entry of Russian tourists unless the EU takes a joint decision.

●        "If it cannot be done by a common solution, on the Danish side we will consider imposing restrictions that will further reduce the number of Russian tourist visas," Yeppe Kofod said.

●        "I find it very shameful that Russian tourists can sunbathe and live a luxurious life in the south of Europe, while Ukrainian cities are being bombed beyond recognition," the minister stressed.

00:53 currenttime .tv - Jewish Agency "Sokhnut":  After the start of the war, about 20.5 thousand Jews left Russia

●        According to the organization, 165,000 Jews lived in Russia before the Russian invasion.

●        “I felt that I had to do something to show my complete innocence and disagreement with the invasion of Ukraine. But I would put myself in danger if I did this while staying in Moscow,” said Pinchas Goldshmidt, former Chief Rabbi of Moscow.

00:27 Deutsche Welle:  The agreement on the export of grain from Ukraine has not yet yielded the desired results in the fight against the global food crisis.

●        “There are not enough ships to transport Ukrainian grain, and most of what can be exported does not end up in distressed countries. In addition, Ukraine suspects Russia of exporting grain stolen from it through the Crimean ports.

00:15 Interfax: Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said that Russia is demanding that the American side issue a visa to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov so that he can take part in the UN General Assembly in New York.

August 17

23:41 : A Russian citizen living in Kyiv for about 7 years was not allowed to enter Romania. In addition, they put a stamp in his passport with a well-known expression about a Russian ship.

23:10 :  Latvia started raising funds for Bayraktar for Ukraine.

●        This was announced during a briefing at the media center "Ukraine" by the Latvian musician, the initiator of fundraising on Bayraktar for the Armed Forces of Ukraine Ralfs Eilands.

●        According to him, during the first day, people donated 300,000 euros. In total, they plan to raise 5 million euros for the drone."

21:56 : Canada will provide Ukraine with $450 million in gas for the heating season, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said.

21:49 :  Switzerland has included former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and his son Oleksandr in its sanctions list.

21:02 The Art Newspaper:  London's Saatchi Gallery has canceled the exhibition "Ukrainian Way", which was supposed to be held September 3-11.

●        The organizer of the exhibition was the Russian collector and philanthropist Igor Tsukanov, and the consultant was Marat Gelman (declared a "foreign agent" in the Russian Federation). All funds are considered in charitable organizations that support Ukrainian art and culture.

●        However, it was opposed by Ukrainian curators and artists. Representatives of the Ukrainian cultural community stated that in the conditions of the war they consider unacceptable any cooperation with organizations or external parties, in any way carried out with the borders of Russia.

19:43 Foreign Minister:  Finland does not plan to cancel tourist visas previously issued to Russian citizens.

18:21 : The number of deaths from COVID-19 in the world has increased by 35% in 4 weeks, – the World Health Organization says.

18:13 NATO Secretary General: NATO forces are ready to intervene in the situation in Kosovo if the situation there escalates again.

18:01 : Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic rejected the possibility of Serbia's military operation in Kosovo and crossing the administrative line.

17:35 NATO Secretary General: Russian takeover of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant poses serious risks.

17:03 Foreign Minister: Estonia plans not to let Russians into the country with visas issued in other countries of the European Union.

16:42 Delfi - Lithuanian Foreign Minister: Lithuania urges the EU to take a unified decision on the abolition of tourist visas for Russian citizens, since this way the sanctions will work more effectively,.

●        "It would be better if it were a European decision that would simply cancel these visas and everyone would stop issuing them", – he says.

16:04 bTV: Bulgarian authorities have decided to ban the export of wood to non-EU countries due to a shortage of firewood, the country's Minister of Agriculture Yavor Gechev said.

●         "There are many problems in agriculture - now we have a shortage of wood. From today I order to stop the export of wood to third countries," he said.

15:02 : The Minister of Defense Оleksіі Reznikov spoke with the US Minister of Defense Lloyd Austin.

●        "They discussed the current security situation, new needs on the battlefield and ways to strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian army. Soon, more aid will arrive from the United States," the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported.

15:01 : The head of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, said at a press conference that Türkiye has decided to appoint an ambassador and restore diplomatic relations with Israel.

●         "The decision was made to appoint an ambassador to Israel, and the Israeli side also received a positive response in this respect. Soon, our candidacy will be presented to Mrs. President," he said.

13:27 ​​News com au: Australia terminated the agreement with Russia on the lease of the land on which the Russian Federation planned to build its new embassy.

●        The National Capital Authority (NCA) has informed Russia that it has 20 days to vacate a site in Yarralumla near Parliament.

13:11 : A tanker with 15,000 tons of Ukrainian vegetable oil left the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda, - said Bega, a stevedore company operating in the port.

●        Earlier, a test batch of Ukrainian oil was shipped from the company's terminal to the French port of Dunkirk.

12:28 The Washington Post: The USA knew about Putin's impending invasion of Ukraine and for months tried to persuade the Kremlin to abandon such plans. This follows from the materials of the investigation conducted by The Washington Post.

●        The investigation says that in October 2021, an emergency meeting was held in the White House with the participation of President Biden and the heads of the military and diplomatic departments of the United States. Officials told the president about Putin's plans to seize a large part of Ukraine, and he decided to send someone to Moscow to report on the consequences of the invasion.

12:27 Dagens Nyheter - Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz: It is possible to restore normal relations with Russia only after the withdrawal of its troops from Ukraine and the conclusion of peace "on reasonable terms"

●        "However difficult it may be, direct communication is important, especially during a crisis. I want our messages to reach the President of Russia directly, so that Russia directly fulfills its obligations,'' Scholz said.

●        On February 11, two weeks before the invasion, a meeting between Sergei Shoigu and British Defense Minister Ben Wallace took place in Moscow.

●        Wallace warned that Russia will face fierce resistance in Ukraine: "I know Ukrainians - I have been to Ukraine five times - and they will fight." Shoigu, in response to the warning about harsh sanctions, said: "We can suffer like no one else."

NATIONAL

August 18

11:55 Centre for Strategic Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Russia is concentrating missiles and ammunition near the borders with Ukraine and in the occupied territories a train with ammunition arrives from the city of Ulan-Ude.

●        “The threat of a massive shelling of the territory of Ukraine, at least with S-300 missiles, is obvious. Considering the arrival of a number of echelons before the 20th, it is also obvious that they will concentrate before August 24”.

11:33 :  Mortality from COVID-19 is growing rapidly in the world — WHO. Over the past four weeks, the number of recorded deaths has increased by 35 per cent (about 15,000 deaths).

●        According to the Ministry of Health in Ukraine, for the past week alone, 3,893 new cases of coronavirus disease were detected, which is 40% more than the week before.

10:47 : The Security Service of Ukraine found an ammunition depot in Kyiv, organized by the territorial defense.

●        60 unregistered Kalashnikov rifles and almost 1000 ammunition for them were seized.

●        The weapons were sent for examination.

10:47 :  "Ukrposhta" will issue a collectable stamp for the Independence Day of Ukraine.

●        The name of the new stamp will be with the motto “Free, Indestructible, Invincible". An envelope is also issued. The circulation will be only 1 million copies.

10:33 Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense: Ukraine has a sufficient exchange fund for the exchange of prisoners with Russia.

●        Russia has little interest in certain groups of prisoners of war who fought against Ukraine. Especially to the mobilized military from the territory of the "temporarily occupied territories of the Luhansk and Donetsk region in Ukraine" and representatives of the LNR/DNR.

●        Despite this, the negotiation process on the issue of exchange is continuing.

08:42 Institute for the Study of War:

●        Russian forces are likely preparing to defend their ground lines of communication (GLOCs) in the Melitopol-Tokmak-Berdiansk triangle by mining settlements on the eastern Zaporizhzhia region frontline.

●        Russian military leadership is likely increasingly losing confidence in the security of Crimea.

●        Russian leadership and the Russian nationalist information space have become increasingly invested in framing recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian military assets in Crimea as acts of terrorism to shift the information narrative away from Russian violations of international law and calls on the West to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.

07:58 Operational report of the General Staff of the AFU :

●        In the direction of Kramatorsk, the Russians launched an offensive in the Mykolaivka-Vyimka direction but had no success, so withdrew.

●        In the Bakhmut direction, the Russians launched an offensive in the directions of Volodymyrivka – Soledar, Pokrovske – Bakhmutske, Pokrovske – Bakhmut, Klynove – Bakhmut, Semyhiria – Zaitseve, Semyhiria – Kodema and Holmivskyi – Zaitseve.

●        The Russians did not achieve any positive results in any of the offensive directions and withdrew with losses.

●        In the Avdiivka direction, the Russians launched an offensive in the direction of Lozove - Pervomaiske but had no success, so withdrew.

●        In the Novopavlivskyi and Zaporizhzhia direction, the Russians tried to conduct assaults in the direction of Yehorivka - Shevchenkove, was unsuccessful, so withdrew.

07:26 :  The results of demilitarization for yesterday:

●        one destroyed Russian base in Kyrylivka, Zaporizhzhia

●        one destroyed Russian base in Nova Kakhovka, Kherson region

●        one destroyed Russian ammunition depot in Yakymivskyi district, Zaporizhzhia region.

August 17

23:58 Deputy Minister of Justice:  More than 300 people have been included in the Ukraine’s sanctions list. Their property is blocked and should be seized in favor of the state. The first lawsuits for its confiscation will be filed soon.

23:16 :  In supermarkets throughout Ukraine, a campaign started to label brands whose manufacturers do business in Russia

●        Activists pasted stickers “Sponsors of Russian Terrorism” on goods.

●        These are such brands as Greenfield, Lay's, Twix, KitKat, Khrus Team, 7UP, Cheetos, Agusha, Rexona, Doritos, Dove, VICI and others.

22:39 President’s Office:  Commented on the possibility of a Russian missile attack on Kyiv on Independence Day.

●        “A purely emotional gesture - to kill more civilians and ruin our holiday? First, we will respond and spoil the holiday much more than the Russian Federation. And whoever does not believe in this until Crimea can now make sure that both goals and opportunities exist for this.”

20:20 Ministry of Regional Development:  The average indicator of Ukraine's readiness for the heating season is 73%.

●        It is noted that preparations for the heating season are going according to plan. The state of readiness of housing facilities is already 72%, and heating networks - 74%.

19:43 :  "Ukrposhta" (Ukrainian post service - ed.) will issue NFT "Russian warship, f... you!"

●        The state-owned enterprise announced the release of famous stamps in digital format and is looking for an investor for this project. Part of the proceeds is planned to be transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

19:43 CNN : The Ukrainian military is responsible for at least three explosions in the temporarily occupied Crimea - at the air base in Saki, at the ammunition depot in Maiske and at the airfield in Hvardiiske.

19:07 : NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for an IAEA inspection of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the withdrawal of the Russian military from there.

18:53 Main Intelligence Directorate of the AFU:  After the latest events in Crimea, the Russians are urgently moving their planes and helicopters deep into the peninsula and to the airfields of the Russian Federation.

●        Such activity was noted after a series of explosions at military infrastructure facilities of the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula, including on the territory of Saki (August 9) and Hvardiiske (August 16) airfields.

●        According to intelligence, the flight of at least 24 aircraft and 14 helicopters was noted.

18:36 Operational summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as for 18:00 on August 17:

●        In the Kharkiv direction, the Russians tried to break through the defenses of the Ukrainian troops in the directions of the settlements of Lebiazhe and Bazaliivka, but failed and retreated.

●        In the Sloviansk direction, the Russian troops tried to advance in the directions of Novodmytrivka and Mazanivka, but failed and retreated.

●        In the Kramatorsk direction, the Russians unsuccessfully tried to improve the tactical situation in the direction of the Vesele settlement by assault actions.

●        In the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian soldiers suppressed all enemy attempts to improve the tactical position of units in the areas of the settlements of Bilohorivka, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Kodema, Zaitseve and Maiorsk.

●        In the Avdiivka direction, the troops of the Russian Federation have partial success in the direction of the village of Opytne.

●        On the Novopavlivsk and Zaporizhzhia directions, the invaders made an unsuccessful attempt to advance in the direction of Shevchenkove and have a partial success in the direction of Novomykhailivka.

●        In the Pivdennyi Buh direction, the Russian troops tried to improve the tactical situation in the direction of Bilohirka. Ukrainian soldiers completely broke the plans of the Russians and threw them back to their previous positions.

17:20 :  Norway will provide Ukraine with a new package of military assistance, – Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov says after a conversation with his Norwegian counterpart Bjorn Arild Gram.

17:19 :  UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived in Lviv.

●        On August 18, in this city, he will meet with the presidents of Ukraine and Türkiye, Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

17:10 : Oleksandr Usyk performed a Ukrainian song at the final press conference before the fight with Anthony Joshua.

15:57 Ministry of Economy:  Starting in October, the government is launching the first stage of the "Affordable Mortgage" program, which will be open to military personnel, security and defense sector workers, doctors, teachers, teaching staff and scientists established by state and communal forms of ownership.

●         "The entire chain of procedures is digitized as much as possible, it allows you to automatically pull up the necessary data about the applicant, quickly interact with banks, check information and completeness of data. All this will save time and remove bureaucratic obstacles," Svyridenko's press service quotes.

15:10 : Every dollar to Russia is blood money, - Vitalіy Klуchko said in an interview with the Israeli publication "The Times of Israel." He called for ending trade relations with the aggressor country.

●        "It is a big mistake to consider the war as something distant and to take a neutral position. Ukraine has always been a peaceful country where peaceful people live. We have never been aggressive towards anyone. And what Russia has done is a violation of all international rules. In the end, it may also affect the interests of Israel," Vitaliу Klуtchko said.

14:46 : The Verkhovna Rada is not going to lift the ban on men traveling abroad in the near future, said Fedor Venislavskyi, a people's deputy and representative of the president in the KSU.

●        "Students and some other categories by law have a deferral of conscription and can go abroad if they have documents. Others should stay in Ukraine if there are no legal grounds for leaving Ukraine," the deputy said.

14:37 : The representative of the press service of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, Andrey Yusov, said that in the near future, "very sharp events" can be expected on the entire front. August and September will be extremely important.

●        "In the near future, of course, there will be very sharp events on the entire front. And not only because of binding to some dates. Now there is a lot of talk about Independence Day. Although this factor should be taken into account," he said.

14:27 : Over the past day, DTEK's energy companies together with the Armed Forces of Ukraine have restored electricity supply to more than 7 thousand families in 12 front-line settlements of the Donetsk region, - the company's website.

13:58 : The Administration of Seaports of Ukraine (AMPU) is expecting a caravan of five ships to arrive today at the seaport "Chernomorsk" of the Odesa region to load more than 70,000 tons of wheat, bran, vegetable oil and corn, the AMPU reported.

13:49 Press service of NP: Group of companies "New Poshta" (NP) has started the development of robotic sappers in the framework of cooperation with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES).

●        "We at Nova poshta have accumulated a lot of experience in the field of robotics. Together with Ukrainian startups and our own R&D team, we developed and implemented three models of robots at our facilities. Now we will test them in a joint project with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine," noted Director of Development of the NP Oleksiy Taranenko.

13:30 State Security Bureau: In Odesa, employees of the military enlistment office were exposed for providing fake conclusions of the medical commission that enabled enlistment aged men to go abroad.

●        Thus, at least 50 people left the country. The service cost seven thousand dollars, it was necessary to pay in cryptocurrency.

●        Top officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs illegally issued more than 700 weapons permits and earned millions of hryvnias from it, the SSU reported.

●        The "business" was organized by the former first deputy head of the Department of Preventive Activities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (more than 10 million hryvnias were seized from his bank accounts). He was helped by four more people from the police.

13:00 Voice of America - Minister of Defense: There is no need to increase the total personnel of the Armed Forces yet, specific specialists are subject to mobilization

●        According to the Minister of Defense, there are enough people in the ranks of the army and at the moment there is a need for narrower specialties: communications operators, UAV operators, IT workers, artillerymen, etc.

●        Such people are needed to quickly master the more complex weapons systems of the NATO standard, which the Defense Forces are now receiving, - Reznikov added.

●        Ukraine’s partners did not prevent Ukraine from striking the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea, namely the military facilities of Russia.

○        "We have an agreement with the United States that we will not use weapons provided to us by the United States and its partners on the territory of the Russian Federation. But if today we are talking about the de-occupation of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine where the enemy is located, then accordingly we do not have such restrictions," - Reznikov noted.

●        Reznikov expects that the United States will provide the Armed Forces of Ukraine with ATACMS missiles for HIMARS with a range of 300 kilometers.

○        According to the head of the defense department, this is enough to hit targets in all occupied territories, as well as in the border regions of Russia.

○        He also noted that he does not yet see the possibility of "freezing" war in Ukraine, as it has been since 2014 in the east of the country.

12:54 Naftogaz Ukraine: The price of gas for domestic consumers of Ukraine during the heating season will not change and will be 7.96 hryvnias per cubic meter. The corresponding tariff will be valid until May 1 next year.

●        Tariff plan "Fixed" - UAH 7.96/cubic. m - valid until the end of April 2023. It should be noted that the price is unchanged and pre-war, - the message says. (about $0.35 per cubic meter)

12:47 Minister of Education: Schools will have the opportunity to determine the duration and structure of the academic year.

●        Taking into account the working Saturday, there may be six-day training in secondary education institutions.

MORDOR (Russia)

August 17

21:11 :  The so-called "senator" from Crimea, Sergii Tsekov, said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine could hit the Crimean bridge.

●        "They can encroach on the bridge, it is impossible to deny, but the fact that we protect the bridge to the maximum, and from everywhere - from the air, from under water, from the ground, is unconditional. With the protection of the bridge, everything is serious, in addition, the protection of the bridge is being strengthened," says Tsekov.

19:16 video from social networks: A powerful explosion in the temporarily occupied Horlivka, the Donetsk region.

19:08 :  The Russians opened a ferry service between the so-called "DPR" and the Russian Federation, according to Russian media.

●        The first ship "Lavrentiy" from Yeysk arrived in the temporarily occupied Mariupol.

18:30 : Lukashenko approved a draft agreement on a program of military-technical cooperation with the Russian Federation until 2025. It provides for the joint production of weapons.

18:29 StratCom of the AFU:  Russians issue leaflets to residents of the temporarily occupied Melitopol with the rules of conduct during shelling from HIMARS.

●        Such actions may indicate the preparation of provocations by the Russian troops in the city, with the subsequent accusation of the Ukrainian military in this.

18:00 :  Starbucks in Russia after rebranding will be called Stars coffee. On the logo, instead of a mermaid, there will be a girl in a kokoshnik, according to Russian media.  In Moscow, renovated coffee shops will open tomorrow.

17:52 Adviser to the mayor of Mariupol:  Men with registration in the settlements of the part of the Donetsk region occupied since 2014 are not allowed to leave the border of the so-called "DPR".

●        “Neither to Russia, nor even to the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia, they are not allowed to leave. The mobilization reserve is closed in the banana republic”, – Andriushchenko notes.

●        However, according to him, for 40,000 rubles (about $660) you can buy a certificate stating that "you are not subject to mobilization".

16:30 Department of Strategic Communications: Last year, the Russian Defense Ministry conducted exercises involving 38,000 reservists. However, no more than 8,000 people agreed to fight in Ukraine.

●        The BARS program - a special combat army reserve, was intended to prepare reservists for participation in the war against Ukraine. Participation in this project was considered by the "half-time" service.

●        "In the state Russian media, BARS fighters are called "volunteers", although they are fighting for a salary: they are offered 205,000 rubles (about $3,386) a month", – the report says.

15:38 Russian mass media:  Vice Admiral Viktor Sokolov has been appointed as the new commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation.

●        It is reported that he has already been introduced to the members of the military council, now he is "taking care of business". Officially, the Black Sea Fleet does not comment on this information.

14:07 : China's army will take part in the Vostok-2022 exercises in Russia, which will take place from August 30 to September 5 - the statement of the Ministry of Defense of the People's Republic of China.

13:51 Video from local social networks: In occupied Luhansk, a trip to pick up a child in kindergarten ended with forced mobilization for a local resident. .

KHARKIV

August 18

11:42 Russian Defense Ministry: The Russians reacted to the attacks on Kharkiv.

●        “High-precision ground-based weapons hit the temporary base of foreign mercenaries in the city of Kharkiv. More than 90 militants have been destroyed”.

09:47 RMA:  Last night was one of the most tragic nights for the Kharkiv region during the war. During the night, the Russians were launching massive missile strikes against Kharkiv. Peaceful sleeping areas with civilians were again under the Russian attack.

●        At 9.30 p.m., a Russian missile supposedly "Iskander" hit a three-storey residential building in the Saltivskyi district. The house was almost destroyed, there was a massive fire. According to the latest reports, 7 people died under the rubble, and 17 were injured, including an 11-year-old child.

●        At 4:30 am, Russians fired 8 more missiles from Belgorod, in the direction of the Kharkiv region. Missile attacks were recorded in the Holodnohirskyi and Saltivskyi districts of the city. The buildings and infrastructure were damaged.

●        In the Slobidskyi district, one of the rockets hit a 4-storey dormitory room. The building was partially destroyed. So far, two people have been killed and 18 injured, including two children. The final effects of these hits are still being determined.

●        Also, at 4 a.m. today, Russians launched a missile attack on the town of Krasnohrad. Two civilians died, and two were injured, including a 12-year-old child. The information is being updated.

If there was ever an argument for the U.S. supplying longer range artillery to Ukraine, and allow Ukraine to use it against legitimate military targets inside Russian territory, it is last night’s attack on civilian targets in Kharkiv, launched from the territory of Russia.

09:15 State Emergency Service:  In addition to Kharkiv, the occupiers hit Krasnohrad at night: two people were killed, and three were wounded.

●        "Three houses were destroyed and 12 buildings were damaged in Krasnohrad. According to preliminary data, two people were killed in the shelling. Two people and one child were saved. There was no fire".

08:22 State Emergency Service:  In the Slobidskyi district, after the morning shelling of the hostel, there were 16 victims, including two children. One person died.

●        The fire area is 800 square meters. In the Holodnohirskyi district, there was a major fire in the administrative building. Its area is more than 4,500 sq m

07:27 RMA:  In the morning the Russian troops hit the dormitory in the Slobidskyi district of Kharkiv.

●        So far, 18 people have been injured, including two children. One person died.

●        The fire at the site of the missile strike in Kharkiv is localized.

●        Seven people were killed and 13 people were injured, and four were saved from the rubble, reports the State Emergencies Service.

06:27 Mayor of Kharkiv: Confirmed the explosions in the city.

●        "At 4:32 the first and then at least four more rocket attacks on Kharkiv. "Flew" to Slobodsky and Kholodnogorsky districts. In one of the places where the missiles hit, a fire.  The information is still being clarified. There were at least five explosions, so the geography of hits may expand," Terekhov reported.

●        "There is a major fire due to the shelling in the Holodnohirskyi region. The administrative building is on fire. According to the State Emergency Service, the building is collapsing. Also, about one and a half dozen cars are burning now near it.”

00:21 :  "Grandma! My grandma is stuck!" The first footage of the evacuation of people from a residential building on Saltivka, where a Russian missile hit on the evening of August 17.

●        Video from the patrol police of the Kharkiv region.

●        According to the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Sinegubov, among the wounded is an 11-year-old girl.

00:06 :  The State Emergency Service reported that the fire in the hostel in Kharkiv was localized.

●        Extinguishing fires and rescuing people from the rubble continues.

●        7 people died and 13 were injured. 80 people and 18 units of equipment were involved from the State Emergency Service.

August 17

23:52 : According to preliminary data, the Russian Federation hit a dormitory in Kharkiv with a Caliber cruise missile, director of the regional department of civil protection Ivan Sokol told Suspіlny. According to him, more than 30 people lived in the building, including pensioners and children.

23:29 Kharkiv Regional Council:  Among the victims as a result of the arrival in Saltivka were people with hearing impairment.

●        People physically cannot hear the alarm and give a signal to rescuers.

23:22 Mayor : Four Kharkiv residents have already been rescued from the rubble, the rescue operation continues .

22:53 :  Volodymyr Zelenskyi: When you hear about Kharkiv Saltivka, it's pain again. Pain for all of Ukraine. Pain for Kharkiv.

●        Rocket attack... On a hostel... The building is completely destroyed. A vile and cynical strike against civilians, which has no justification and demonstrates the impotence of the aggressor. We won't forgive, we'll take revenge. (The hostel primarily housed disabled persons, particularly blind and deaf - ed)

22:52 RMA: The number of dead and wounded as a result of the shelling of Saltivka has increased: 6 people were killed, 16 were injured.22:27 Mayor of Kharkiv: Three people were killed, ten were injured as a result of Russian shelling of Kharkiv on the evening of August 17.

22:21 RMA: According to preliminary information, 2 people died, 10 were injured as a result of the shelling of Saltovka in Kharkiv, Oleh Sinehubov said.

21:49 Kharkiv Mayor: Confirmed the shelling of the city.

●        "Again the shelling of the Saltovsky district. Preliminary, arrival near a residential high-rise building", he specified.

●        There was a fire in a residential building at the place of arrival. There is no information about the victims and injured yet.

LUHANSK

August 18

10:12 RMA:  On August 17, the Russians tried to attack positions of the Ukrainian military 11 times in various directions on the border of the Luhansk region and Donbas. In each of these attempts, the Ukrainian military inflicted casualties on the Russians and forced them to retreat.

●        On August 18, the Russian sabotage reconnaissance group tried to improve the tactical situation, but it was unsuccessful.

●        Russian troops resorted to artillery support, four times using cannons and MLRS

●        There was also recorded tank shelling. Four more times the Russians used aviation.

●        The staff of military offices in the occupied territories have already resorted to extreme measures to supplement the Russian army.

●        “Men don’t go outside unnecessarily in the Luhansk region. Many have left the city and hide in the village. Recently, the occupiers began to exchange information about men with elderly women for food. Now they have made a mess, they are waiting even near kindergartens. The other day they detained a young father for further mobilization. They don’t care if there’s no one to pick up the baby at night”.

DONETSK

August 18

09:59 RMA:  On August 17, Russians killed three civilians in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine: in Avdiivka, Netailove and Kurakhovka. Six more people were wounded.

●        There were 24 reports of destruction of civilian infrastructure as a result of shelling by the Russian occupying forces.

August 17

13:10 Donetsk RMA: 10 houses were destroyed by the Russians in one blow this morning in Druzhkivka.

12:16 Adviser to the mayor of Mariupol: The so-called head of the "DPR" Pushylin once again announced the resumption of the full operation of the Mariupol port. However, this time by the New Year. Last time in May, he confidently spoke about reaching full capacity already in mid-July. As of now, the port is de facto not working. Even the looting of rolled metal has been stopped.

ZAPORIZHYA

August 18

10:03 National Police Service:  In the Zaporizhzhia region, over the past 24 hours, the Russians shelled civilian infrastructure in the area of Uspenivka, Mala Tokmachka, Samiilivka, Orikhiv, Hulaipole.

09:30 RMA:  Tonight, around 03:00, the Russians launched a missile attack on Zaporizhzhia from the Vasylivka district

●        According to preliminary information, the Russian troops used multiple rocket systems. Four rockets hit the infrastructure facility in the Shevchenko district. The facility received minor damage.

August 17

22:38 Minister of Internal Affairs:  A headquarters has been set up at Energoatom to monitor the situation around the Zaporizhia NPP around the clock.

●        “When we first met with the capture of the station, and at the station, let me remind you, there was protection from the National Guard, and in fact no one could predict that Russian troops would fire from tanks at the ZNPP blocks. This happened for the first time in our history of observing nuclear objects. We understand that we are dealing with a terrorist state, and, accordingly, all responsibility for what happens at the station lies with Russia,"

21:53 Melitopol Mayor: The Ukrainian military hit Russian military equipment in the temporarily occupied Kyrylivka, Zaporizhia region.

19:10 Mayor :  The Russians have blocked the exit from the city and are carrying out a total filtering in the temporarily occupied Melitopol.

●        “Because of the morning explosion that occurred in the temporarily occupied Melitopol near the ‘commandant’s office’, the Russians blocked the exit from the city, and they carry out total filtering at the entrance - they even undress men”, – Fedorov says.

16:36 : The Zapoizhzhia region has a new police chief.

●        Artem Kisko was represented in Zaporizhzhia by Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi and head of the National Police Ihor Klymenko.

DNIPRO

August 18

08:30 RMA:  The Russian army has struck two districts - Kryvyi Rih and Nikopol

●        Russia twice shelled Nikopol. Fifteen barrel artillery shells were launched on the residential quarters of Nikopol by Russians. A 57-year-old woman was injured.

●        Fifteen private houses, a school, cars, a shop, and a temple were damaged in the city. Several gas pipelines and power lines were hit.

●        In the Kryvyi Rih district, Russians shelled the Apostolove territorial community from «Uragan». No casualties.

●        In the Velyka Kostromka, an electricity line is being repaired. There were up to a thousand people without light because of the Russian strike the night before.

01:03 :  5-year-old Maria Makeeva from Kriviy Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, was recognized as the youngest volunteer in Ukraine.

●        With her performances, the girl collected UAH 35,492 for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

●        Now Maria with her mother and brother Oleksandr lives in Lviv.

00:53 :  Deputies of the Dnipro City Council approved the municipal program to support the Ukrainian language.

●        The decision was made by deputies at the session of the City Council on August 17.

●        “This means that more and more high-quality Ukrainian-language content will fill various areas of city life. These are books, films, and media products that will tell about Ukrainian history, culture, and our prominent figures,” said Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov.

00:45 :  Oleksandr Vilkul said that an emergency situation occurred in Kriviy Rih today.

●        According to preliminary information, an explosion occurred in the apartment of a high-rise building.

●        An RPG hand grenade launcher went off. The residents of the apartment - a woman, a man and a child - were injured. They are alive but in the hospital. They are provided with all the necessary medical care. An investigation is underway.

August 17

23:38 Nikopol RMA: Warned residents of coastal areas about the danger of Russian shelling and urged them to observe security measures.

KHERSON

August 18

09:37 :  The media reports that the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched new attacks on Russian troops in temporarily occupied Kakhovka at night.

●        Before that, the Russian base was destroyed and the Nova Kakhovka bridge, which they tried to repair, was seriously damaged.

09:09 Coordination Press Center of the Southern Defense Forces:  Russians are trying to patch up holes in the bridge at the Novokakhovska hydroelectric power station, but the passage of heavy vehicles is impossible

●        “According to our information, the passage through the bridge is possible only for easily vehicles, on which they are trying to evacuate the most expensive».

●        The bridge is under the fire control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

07:50 Operational Command “Pivden” (South):  The Armed Forces of Ukraine liquidated the depot of ammunition supply in the Kherson region.

●        According to the command, the aircraft attacked the enemy in the area of Novovoznesenske and Oleksandrivka.

●        During the day, in the south of Ukraine, the Russian troops lost

○        29 soldiers

○        a self-propelled gun of 203rd calibre «Pion»

○        5 units of armoured and automobile equipment.

August 17

22:53 :  In the Kherson region, Vitaliy Bulyuk became the head of the occupation administration. He assumed the position of the so-called" chairman of the military-civilian administration of the Kherson region.

●        Bulyuk, from 2007 to 2015 he headed the Kherson customs. He was a deputy of the regional council of several convocations - 2010, 2015 and 2020. At first he was a member of the Communist Party, and then a member of the Our Land party.

19:46 Kherson regional council: The Russians have restored the bridge that runs along the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station.

17:27 State Border Service:  The Ukrainian military destroyed the base of the Russians in the temporarily occupied Nova Kakhovka, Kherson region.

●        According to the State Border Guard Service, at least 12 Russian soldiers have been eliminated.

14:19 : The SSU has established a chronology of crimes against the civilian population at key life support facilities in the Kherson region: the Kakhovska HPP and the North-Crimean canal.

●        Two Russian servicemen who gave orders have been identified. This is the deputy commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation for logistics, Major General Mikhail Yasnikov and the commander of the 11th separate engineering brigade, Colonel Dmitry Markov. They directly commanded the seizure of the Kakhovskaya HPP and the blowing up of the buildings of the North Crimean Canal.

13:06 Kherson regional council: The Russian army kidnapped the head of the Verkhnerogachitsk united territorial community Svetlana Korotun yesterday

●        "She rejected all proposals for cooperation with the Russians.".

12:09 Strategic Committee of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: According to preliminary information, the aftermath of the explosions in the temporarily occupied Nova Kakhovka, includes confirmation that 10 to 15 Russian soldiers were killed.

MYKOLAIV

August 18

11:27 RMA:  Information about Russian shelling in the Mykolaiv region over the past 24 hours

●        Yesterday at 10.30 a.m. Russian shelling of the Chervone village injured one person and damaged a residential building.

●        The shelling was also recorded in Shevchenkove.

●        Also yesterday, from 10.30 a.m. to 1 p.m, and today at 6 a.m., Russians shelled outside the Shyroke village. They hit the agricultural buildings. No casualties.

August 17

20:33 GlobalNews - RMA:  Additional vigilance of the townspeople is useful to Mykolaiv, it cannot be called superfluous paranoia.

●        "That's good", – Kim emphasizes, adding that all checks in the city will serve their purpose if even one person can be saved from death.

●        The head of the Regional Military Administration also said that the Telegram chats, which indicated the location of the Ukrainian military, were neutralized during the last long curfew.

16:16 Mayor : "The consequences of night shelling in Mykolaiv. Today the city was subjected to powerful shelling at about 2:00 am (GMT+3). Two districts were under attack

●        In the Central region, the Chornomorskyi National University named after Petro Mohyla and 27 residential buildings were damaged by shelling.

●        A private enterprise came under shelling in the Korabelnyi District. The car park has been destroyed.

OTHER REGIONS

August 17

22:14 SUMY RMA:  The Russians carried out 15 attacks on 8 communities of the region - Belopolska, Velykopisarevska, Esmanska, Krasnopolska, Yunakovskaya, Miropolska, Shalyginska and Burinska.

●        176 arrivals were recorded. Fortunately, no casualties. But there is destruction.

17:35 Bucha City Council:  Today, 21 people were buried in Bucha, the Kyiv region, who could not be identified.

●        These people were killed in February-March. Previously, DNA samples were taken from the dead so that their identities could be established in the future.

●        The process of burying unidentified people in Bucha has been going on for more than a week. In total, more than 50 people have not been identified. 15 of them were buried on 9 August.

15:26 Sumy RMA : After lunch, the Russians shelled a village in the Esman community. "Fire from artillery hit 17 parishes. They hit civilians and civilian objects," he said.

14:34 : In Kyiv, we are installing a new art object on the square near the "Arsenalna" metro station, which we will open at the end of this week. The "Unity" project was implemented by the Kharkiv workshop METALSTYLE, - informed the mayor of the city Vitaly Klychko.

●        Symbolic metal mirror drops were created to be placed on the central square of Kharkiv, on the occasion of the city's day. But due to the large shelling of Kharkov, which continues to be committed by Russian barbarians, it is now impossible to install an art object there. And the authors made a proposal to decorate the public space of Kyiv with gigantic drops.

●        "Kyiv residents with Kharkiv residents! We support and help Kharkiv and its residents as much as we can," - Klychko emphasized.

10:27:  Director General of the IAEA is ready to lead the delegation to the Zaporizhzhia NPP, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba writes on Twitter.

Comparing Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Russian invasion of Ukraine using Wikipedia and Ukraine Ministry of Defense Daily Bulletins.  Soviet and Russian military losses not including captured equipment.

SOURCES

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/ 

https://euromaidanpress.com/

https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQBD3wxTrZ6XUU7IdXeHUfjVCydekezQCCGuwYnT6qPd1r7n1aVbFIewa6ng6Lis

www.ubn.new