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ConflictsUkraine

Ukraine: Kyiv says 600 Russian soldiers captured in Kursk

Published August 27, 2024last updated August 27, 2024

The Ukrainian military said its troops had captured 600 Russian soldiers and 100 settlements in Kursk. Meanwhile, Kyiv says it has test-fired a Ukrainian-made ballistic missile for the first time.

https://p.dw.com/p/4jwqT
A Ukrainian military vehicle drives from the direction of the border with Russia carrying blindfolded men in Russian military uniforms
Nearly 600 Russian soldiers have been captured by Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region of Russia, according to General Oleksandr SyrskyiImage: Roman Pilipey/AFP/Getty Images
Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

  • Kyiv test-fired first Ukrainian-made ballistic missile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says
  • Ukraine says its troops captured 594 Russian soldiers and 100 settlements in Russia's Kursk region
  • Ukraine reported overnight drone and missile attacks on Kyiv and other areas
  • The head of the UN's nuclear oversight body has arrived at Russia's Kursk nuclear power facility
  • US President Biden called Monday's attacks against Ukraine 'outrageous'

 

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Below, you can read a review of developments from Russia's war in Ukraine on Tuesday, August 27.

Skip next section Six killed in second day of major Russian airstrikes on Ukraine
August 27, 2024

Six killed in second day of major Russian airstrikes on Ukraine

Russian missile and drone strikes on a number of Ukrainian regions killed at least six people, officials said. 

Three people were killed when a hotel was "wiped out" by a missile in the central city of Kryvyi Rih, regional officials said. 

Five people were injured and one person was still missing after the strike, Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, which includes Kryvyi Rih, said on Telegram.

Separately, three people were killed in drone strikes in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia. 

Three people were also injured in the Zaporizhzhia region, and four were injured in a rocket attack in the northeastern Kharkiv region overnight, local officials said. 

On Tuesday, a day after Moscow's biggest air attack of the war on its neighbor, Ukraine shot down five of 10 incoming missiles and 60 of 81 drones, the air force said.

https://p.dw.com/p/4jyp7
Skip next section NATO-Ukraine Council to meet at Kyiv's request on Wednesday
August 27, 2024

NATO-Ukraine Council to meet at Kyiv's request on Wednesday

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will convene a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council on Wednesday at Kyiv's request, an alliance spokesperson said.

"The meeting will be held at ambassadorial level," said spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah. 

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is to brief the allies' representatives "on the battlefield situation and priority capability needs," the spokesperson said, adding that NATO is "committed to further bolstering Ukraine's defences."

"Tomorrow’s meeting comes after recent waves of heavy Russian strikes against Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure," Dakhlallah said.

The NATO-Ukraine Council was established last year to enable closer coordination between the alliance and Kyiv.

Ukraine promised more air defense systems at NATO summit

https://p.dw.com/p/4jyfI
Skip next section Ukraine used F-16s against Russian air strikes, Zelenskyy says
August 27, 2024

Ukraine used F-16s against Russian air strikes, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his military used Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets to shoot down drones and missiles fired by Russia in recent attacks.

Earlier this month, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine had received the first batch of fighter jets promised by Western countries, but declined to say how many had been delivered.

"We destroyed already some missiles and drones using the F-16," Zelenskyy said in English at a press conference in Kyiv, adding that Ukraine still needed more of the jets.

Ukraine's air force has long relied on a fleet of ageing Soviet-era MIG-29 and Sukhoi jets, which are under increasing strain after more than two years of demanding combat operations. 

Kyiv confirms use of F-16 jets in latest Russian attack

https://p.dw.com/p/4jyNL
Skip next section Ukraine wants next peace summit to be held in Global South
August 27, 2024

Ukraine wants next peace summit to be held in Global South

The Ukrainian presidency has said it wants the next peace summit to end the conflict in Ukraine to be held in a country of the Global South.

Leaders and top officials from more than 90 countries gathered in Switzerland in June for the first such summit, which was held without Russia or China. 

"We would like for the second summit to be held in one of the countries of the Global South," presidential aide Andriy Yermak said at a forum in Kyiv.

The Global South refers to states often described as "developing nations," mostly located in the Southern Hemisphere. Among them are influential countries like Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

Russia was excluded from the first summit, but Ukraine said it hoped Moscow could be included in a second round of talks. "If Russian representatives want to attend the second summit, they will attend," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The announcement comes days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kyiv to promote peace.

India's Modi offers to help end Ukraine war

https://p.dw.com/p/4jyZ2
Skip next section Zelenskyy to present Biden with plan to end war with Russia
August 27, 2024

Zelenskyy to present Biden with plan to end war with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the war with Russia would eventually end in dialogue, but that Kyiv had to be in a strong position. He said he would present a plan to end the war to US President Joe Biden and his two potential successors.

"The main point of this plan is to force Russia to end the war. And I want that very much (that it would be) fair for Ukraine," he told a news conference.

The Ukrainian leader said Kyiv's three-week-old incursion into Russia's Kursk region was part of that plan, but that it also comprised other steps on the economic and diplomatic fronts.

He did not elaborate on the next steps, but said he would also discuss the plan with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and probably also with Republican Donald Trump, the two candidates in the US presidential election. 

Zelenskyy also said he hoped to travel to the United States in September to attend the UN General Assembly in New York and that he was preparing to meet Biden.

https://p.dw.com/p/4jyU4
Skip next section US condemns strike that killed Reuters employee in Ukraine
August 27, 2024

US condemns strike that killed Reuters employee in Ukraine

The White House has condemned a Russian missile attack in Ukraine over the weekend that injured Reuters journalists and killed a safety adviser for the news agency.

It also offered Reuters its condolences, a National Security spokesperson said in a post on X. "We condemn this attack in the strongest of terms and extend our deepest condolences to @Reuters on the loss of one of their own," Sean Savett wrote.

Ryan Evans, a member of the Reuters team covering the war in Ukraine, was killed and two Reuters journalists were injured in a strike on a hotel in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, the news agency said on Sunday. Evans was working as a safety adviser for the agency.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the hotel had been hit by a Russian Iskander, a ballistic missile capable of striking targets up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) away.

https://p.dw.com/p/4jyKG
Skip next section IAEA chief warns of risk of nuclear accident at Kursk plant
August 27, 2024

IAEA chief warns of risk of nuclear accident at Kursk plant

The head of the UN nuclear agency, Rafael Grossi, has said after a visit to Russia's Kursk nuclear power plant that there is a risk of a nuclear accident and that the situation is serious.

"The danger or possibility of a nuclear accident has emerged near here," the International Atomic Energy Agency chief told reporters, referring to fighting in the surrounding Kursk region.

He said the plant was currently operating very close to normal conditions, but that meant the safety situation was even more serious.

According to Grossi, the Kursk nuclear power plant was extremely vulnerable because it had no protective dome.

Russia says the plant has been repeatedly attacked by Ukrainian forces, just 40 kilometers (25 miles) away, following their incursion into Russian territory this month. Ukraine has yet to respond to the allegations.

Concern over safety of nuclear plants in Ukraine and Russia

https://p.dw.com/p/4jyJS
Skip next section Kyiv test-fired first Ukrainian-made ballistic missile, says Zelenskyy
August 27, 2024

Kyiv test-fired first Ukrainian-made ballistic missile, says Zelenskyy

Ukraine's military recently carried out the first successful test of a domestically produced ballistic missile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"There has been a positive test of the first Ukrainian ballistic missile. I congratulate our defense industry on this. I can't share any more details about this missile," he said at a press conference.

His announcement in Kyiv came in the wake of two consecutive nights of large-scale Russian bombardments across Ukraine that killed several people and battered energy infrastructure.

Zelenskyy said last week that his forces had deployed in combat for the first time a Ukrainian-made long-range "rocket drone" called Palianytsia.

Ukraine has been trying to develop its own arms industry and promote military production on its own territory, as part of an effort to become less dependent on Western military aid.

Fresh wave of Russian strikes hits Ukraine: Nick Connolly from Kyiv

https://p.dw.com/p/4jyB0
Skip next section Ukraine says nearly 600 Russian soldiers captured in Kursk
August 27, 2024

Ukraine says nearly 600 Russian soldiers captured in Kursk

Ukraine has said its troops now control 1,294 square kilometers (nearly 500 square miles) and 100 settlements in Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv's soldiers have been carrying out an incursion since August 6.

Ukraine's top commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, also said 594 Russian soldiers have been captured so far and that Ukrainian troops are continuing to advance in the region.

In televised remarks, Syrskyi also said Russia had pulled troops to Kursk and decreased its activity in Ukraine's south, which was one of the avowed objectives of Kyiv's operation.

"The Kursk operation diverted a significant number of its forces," he said.

"As of now, we can say that around 30,000 servicemen have been sent to the Kursk front and this figure is growing," he added.

https://p.dw.com/p/4jxxJ
Skip next section Modi calls Putin, days after Kyiv visit and a day after Biden
August 27, 2024

Modi calls Putin, days after Kyiv visit and a day after Biden

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a phone call on Tuesday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, without providing immediate details.

In a posting on X, Modi said the pair had "exchanged perspectives on Russia-Ukraine conflict and my insights from the recent visit to Ukraine."

He also said he had "reiterated India’s firm commitment to support an early, abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict."

The Indian prime minister also discussed his visit to Kyiv with US President Joe Biden on Monday.

Modi is among the most prominent leaders from a nation that maintains a neutral position on Russia's invasion of Ukraine to visit Kyiv — and his regional tour and repeated calls for talks prompted speculation on whether he had coordinated with any other countries on the issue.

Also on X, Modi said he spoke to Biden about "India's full support for early return of peace and stability" in Ukraine among other issues.

The White House said Biden has commended Modi's engagement with Ukraine and his visit last week to Poland, one of Ukraine's closest Eastern European allies.

"We welcome any other country that wants to help President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy work towards this just peace, and any country that's willing to come at that discussion by starting with President Zelenskyy's perspective, by hearing him out," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

The Kyiv trip followed Modi's visit to Moscow last month when he met Putin, a trip Zelenskyy had strongly criticized.

India, which has an established relationship with Moscow over decades, has largely steered clear of adopting a firm position on the Russian invasion.

https://p.dw.com/p/4jxms
Skip next section Moscow says troops capture eastern village
August 27, 2024

Moscow says troops capture eastern village

Russia's defense ministry says its forces have captured Orlivka — another village in the eastern Donetsk region near the important logistics hub of Pokrovsk.

"Units of the Centre group of forces as a result of active warfare liberated the settlement of Orlovka," the ministry said, using the Russian name for the village.

Orlivka is a very small rural settlement to the southeast of Pokrovsk, which Ukraine controls, and to the northwest of the city of Donetsk, under Russian control.

https://p.dw.com/p/4jxan
Skip next section Russian Telegram channels report attempted Ukrainian incursion in Belgorod
August 27, 2024

Russian Telegram channels report attempted Ukrainian incursion in Belgorod

First reports have surfaced in Russian Telegram channels with ties to Russia's military of Ukrainian forces trying to breach two border crossings in the Belgorod region in southern Russia.

According to the Mash Telegram channel, two Russian checkpoints were attacked by a combined total of around 500 Ukrainian troops.

The channel said up to 200 Ukrainian soldiers with infantry fighting vehicles had tried to cross the border at Nekhoteyevka, while about 300 Ukrainians attacked the other checkpoint at Shebekino.

Though there has been no immediate official confirmation, Belgorod regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has said he was aware of the reports, adding that the situation in the region continued to "remain difficult but under control."  .

"There is information that the enemy is trying to break through the border of the Belgorod region," he wrote, urging people to "remain calm and trust only official sources of information."

Belgorod borders the Kursk region in Russia, where Kyiv's troops are continuing with an incursion that began on August 6, during which some Russian territory has been taken under Ukrainian control.

https://p.dw.com/p/4jxHZ
Skip next section UN nuclear chief Grossi arrives at Russia's Kursk nuclear plant
August 27, 2024

UN nuclear chief Grossi arrives at Russia's Kursk nuclear plant

The head of the United Nations nuclear agency, Rafael Grossi, has arrived at Russia's Kursk nuclear power plant weeks after Ukraine's surprise counteroffensive in the region.

Just after Ukraine launched its offensive, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urged Russia and Ukraine to exercise "maximum restraint." It implored them to "avoid a nuclear accident with the potential for serious radiological consequences." 

Grossi had said he was "personally in contact with the relevant authorities of both countries." 

He said he would "continue to update the international community as appropriate."

Similar concerns have long surrounded the larger Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which is near the front lines and currently held by Russia, during the conflict.

The Kursk power plant has six units — two in shutdown, two fully operational, and two under construction.

Ukraine, Russia fight for control of energy infrastructure

https://p.dw.com/p/4jx80
Skip next section Russia launches overnight attacks on Kyiv
August 27, 2024

Russia launches overnight attacks on Kyiv

Ukraine's military said Russia launched a series of missile and drone attacks early Tuesday on Kyiv and other regions.

Local officials said two were killed in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, along with damage to homes and businesses. The air defense systems in Kyiv were also deployed overnight due to missile and drone attacks, authorities said on Telegram.

Five civilians were still believed to be under the rubble and four others were injured, said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of Kryvyi Rih's military administration.

The Ukrainian air force confirmed the takeoff of "several Tu-95MS from the Engels airfield." 

This led to air raid alerts being issued across Ukraine on Tuesday, just a day after Russian attacks on the country's power grid which killed at least four. Earlier on Monday, Ukraine had also made advances in Russia's Kursk region.

Russian defense said they had hit "all designated targets" on Ukraine's power grid on Monday. More than 200 missiles and drones were launched during the attacks.
 

Russia strikes Ukraine's power grid

https://p.dw.com/p/4jwqU
Skip next section US President Biden slams Russian attack on Ukraine's power grid
August 27, 2024

US President Biden slams Russian attack on Ukraine's power grid

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned Russia's attack on the Ukrainian power grid and reiterated US support for Ukraine.

"I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, Russia's continued war against Ukraine and its efforts to plunge the Ukrainian people into darkness. Russia will never succeed in Ukraine, and the spirit of the Ukrainian people will never be broken," he said.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the attack "cowardly."

The German foreign ministry issued a statement saying that "once again, Putin's Russia is saturating Ukraine's lifelines with missiles."

At least four were killed in Russia's drone and missile attacks on Monday, which Ukrainian officials called the largest attack by Moscow in weeks. 

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