Two boys walk toward a playground past apartment buildings destroyed in Russian attacks in … [+] Borodyanka, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. Borodyanka was occupied by Russian troops at the beginning of their full-scale invasion last year. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reservedDispatches from Ukraine. Day 527.
As Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues and the war rages on, reliable sources of information are critical. Forbes gathers information and provides updates on the situation.
Kharkiv region. On Aug. 5, Russian forces dropped a guided aerial bomb on a blood transfusion center in the town of Kupianks in eastern Ukraine, authorities said. The attack instantly killed two people and injured four others. “This war crime alone says everything about Russian aggression,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in response. “Beasts that destroy everything that simply allows us to live. Defeating terrorists is a matter of honor for everyone who values life.”
Ukraine repatriated the bodies of 44 fallen soldiers, commissioner for missing persons at the Ministry for Reintegration Oleh Kotenko said on Aug. 4. More recently, 22 Ukrainian defenders returned home on Aug. 7 after finally being freed from Russian captivity. They include two officers, sergeants, and enlisted men, who fought in “hot spots.” This exchange brings the total number of liberated prisoners of war to nearly 2,600 troops, Ukraine’s ombudsman for human rights Dmytro Lubinets said in a Telegram social media post.
A wildfire has been devastating Dzharylhach island in the Black Sea, a nature reserve just off Ukraine’s southern coast, for five consecutive days, Ukrainian activists said. Having never been settled by humans, Dzharylhach’s uniquely pristine steppe landscape is home to more than 30 species of mammals and nesting ground for a large variety of birds. Designated as a protected area since at least 1974, the national park is unreachable by park staff since it is an area under Russian occupation. “Undoubtedly, a fire that no one even tries to put out will bring colossal losses to the island’s biodiversity,” the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group said in a Facebook post on Aug. 5.
Front line. Ukraine’s chief of military intelligence Kirilo Budanov told Bulgarian media that Ukraine’s defenders are facing extraordinary obstacles in their offensive actions since Russia’s occupying forces have constructed “concrete and fully equipped defense posts” while in control of the territories. Nevertheless, Budanov strongly believes that “the central aspect here is that it [the offensive] never ceases.” Ukraine’s military StratCom (strategic communications) confirmed on Aug. 6 its precision strikes on Chonhar and Henichensk bridges, key connection points for Russia between occupied southern Ukraine and Crimea. Meanwhile, Alexander Tarnavsky, Commander of the “Tavria” strategic troops in Ukraine’s South reported that Russia suffered serious losses over the past 24 hours: at least two companies of personnel (killed in action and wounded) and 21 military vehicles of various types.
International. Security advisers to nations in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia gathered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Aug. 5 to discuss prospects for Ukraine’s proposed peace plan. This marks the second meeting so far this year, and the task force of countries committed to establishing peace in the area has now doubled in size. The Kyiv delegation was led by Andrii Yermak, chief of the Presidential Office. “The meeting in Jeddah was a step towards the practical implementation of peace initiatives proposed by Ukraine,” Yermak noted afterwards. “Each country present had the opportunity to show leadership in global efforts for peace. And most of them have already determined their role in the implementation of individual items of the Formula”.
A Russian fuel tanker was hit by a drone carrying explosives just before midnight on Aug. 5, Ukraine’s security services said, officially confirming their involvement. The attack punctured a hole in the engine room at the Sig’s water line. The vessel, among the most prized tankers in Russia’s service, had been used to transport fuel for the country’s military needs in recent months. “The tanker was well loaded with fuel, so the fireworks could be seen from afar,” a security service representative told Ukrainian media.
By Daria Dzysiuk, Karina L. Tahiliani