Moscow reports further destruction of Ukrainian boat in the Black Sea

1:16 p.m.: According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia has again destroyed a Ukrainian boat in the Black Sea. “Around 11:00 a.m. Moscow time (10:00 a.m. CEST) on August 22, a Russian army plane east of Snake Island destroyed a US-made Willard Sea Force speedboat with a Ukrainian landing force on board,” the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

A few hours earlier, Moscow had already reported the destruction of a Ukrainian reconnaissance boat near a Russian gas production facility in the Black Sea, without giving details.

Attacks from both sides have increased in the Black Sea since Russia pulled out of a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to be safely exported through Black Sea ports.

Report: Putin threatens coup because he doesn’t wage war hard enough on hardliners

09.44 am: Anger in Russia over the disappointing course of the Ukraine war is growing. The shock of Putin’s weak reaction to Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin’s attempted coup runs deep both in all security services and in the elites.

Further uprisings are imminent – above all because the Wagner Group and other hardliners are being heard deep within the Russian security apparatus. The main criticism: Putin is not conducting the war in Ukraine hard and consistently enough. According to “Bloomberg”, the hardliners are now making two main demands that are apparently supported by important members of the Russian secret services and military authorities.

• A coup against the Ministry of Defense: Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valeri Gerasimov are to be removed from their posts. Wagner boss Prigoschin had already demanded this during his uprising on June 24.
• The imposition of martial law and full mobilization: The hardliners are pushing to send almost all military-age Russian men to war.

At the moment, however, Putin seems to be sitting a little more firmly in the saddle. The Russian president silenced unwelcome critics, such as General Sergei Surovikin and Colonel Igor Girkin. While the former has not been seen since the Prigozhin uprising, Russian authorities arrested Girkin in July 2023.

Putin wants to consolidate his power through the regional elections in 2024. According to the Moscow Institute Levada, which was considered independent until the war, his approval rating is 82 percent after falling to 70 percent in June. Political expert Tatiana Stanoyava from the consulting firm R. Politik sums it up as follows: “Putin himself does not feel weakened. He is convinced that he is at the peak of his strength, he is confident and full of optimism, even euphoria.”

London: Russian long-range bomber destroyed in attack

8:44 a.m.: According to British estimates, a Russian long-range bomber was destroyed in an attack on a Russian military airfield. The British Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday that it was a Tupolev Tu-22M3 (NATO code: Backfire) machine that would fire inaccurate Ch-22 Burya (NATO: AS-4 Kitchen) cruise missiles at Ukrainian targets with.

“This is at least the third successful attack on a long-range airfield, again raising questions about Russia’s ability to protect strategic locations deep inland,” the UK ministry said.

Russia repels drone strikes near Moscow

04:17: According to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, the Russian air defense repelled several Ukrainian drones on Tuesday morning. Two drones were destroyed over the Moscow region, the ministry said on Telegram. There were no dead or injured.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also told Telegram that the two drones in the Moscow region were shot down near the satellite city of Krasnogorsk and in a settlement west of the capital. Emergency services are on site.

A high-rise building was damaged in Krasnogorsk, the Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing emergency services. The window panes on several floors of the apartment building were broken. Several cars parked near the building were also damaged.

Flight operations disrupted at all Moscow airports

2:32 a.m.: All Moscow airports suspended or delayed take-offs and landings on Tuesday night. This was reported by the Russian state news agency Tass, citing the aviation services. The airports Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo are affected. The reason for the suspension of flight operations was initially unclear. Recently, however, the Russian capital has repeatedly been the target of Ukrainian drone attacks. Air traffic was repeatedly restricted as a result of the incidents.

Shahed drone attack on Zaporizhia

Tuesday, August 22, 1:45 a.m.: According to media reports, the city of Zaporizhia in southeastern Ukraine was attacked with Shahed drones on Tuesday night. Explosions could be heard in the area. Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force told Telegram that a group of attack drones had been spotted near the city. An air alert was therefore declared in the region. The information could not be independently verified. There was initially no information about possible damage or injuries. In the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Moscow has repeatedly used Iranian-made drones.

Russia: Two Ukrainian drones repelled near Crimea

11:52 p.m.: According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia has repelled two Ukrainian drones near the Russian-occupied Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. The two unmanned aircraft crashed around 40 kilometers northwest of Crimea over the Black Sea late Monday evening, the ministry said on Tuesday night on Telegram. The information could not be independently verified. Ukraine has repeatedly used drones in its defense against the Russian invasion. The country has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for 18 months now.

Russia expert on Brics summit: “No one wants to show themselves in a photo with Putin”

9:23 p.m.: The heads of state of the member states Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa as well as dozens of other international politicians will meet at the Brics summit starting Tuesday (22nd to 24th August) in South Africa.

China’s President Xi Jinping, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to attend the summit in person. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be present and will only be able to be connected via video call.

“That South Africa considers it more important to honor its commitment rather than demonstratively siding with Russia speaks volumes. The damage to Putin’s image is enormous,” says Russia expert Ulrich Schmid via “View” on record.

“None of the Brics heads of state wants to appear in a group photo with Putin,” analyzes Schmid.

Ukrainian army reports further gains in territory near Bakhmut

10:51 am: According to the Ukrainian army, it has gained further territory near the Russian-controlled city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. “Ukrainian forces advanced further on the southern flank around Bakhmut in the past week and liberated three square kilometers,” said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar, according to a statement on Monday. A total of 43 square kilometers around Bakhmut had been recaptured by the Russian troops. Counterattacks by the Russian side were successfully repelled.

Fighting continues near Klishchiyivka, south of Andriyivka and north of Kurdyumivka. “There is hot fighting going on there as of now, and the army is advancing gradually and steadily,” Maljar said. There was also hard fighting on the southern sections of the front. A total of 44 prisoners were taken in the past week.

London: Russia builds new army in southern Ukraine

Monday, August 21, 2023 at 08:50: According to British intelligence services, Russia is reacting to the Ukrainian offensive in the south of the country by forming a new army. The British Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that Russia was reacting to the “reality of war”. The aim is to be able to use more experienced units to fight on key axes. It is very likely that airborne troops have recently been transferred from the Cherson region to the heavily contested Orikhiw sector.

The new 18th Army is made up of various units that are currently deployed in the Kherson region, it said. Among them is the 22nd Army Corps, which actually forms the occupation force on the annexed Crimean Peninsula. This is then deducted from there.

“The 18th Army is likely to consist primarily of mobilized personnel and will focus on defensive security operations in southern Ukraine,” the London statement said. At the beginning of August, the British ministry announced that Russia had recently built new combat units on a larger scale.

The British Ministry of Defense has published daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In doing so, the British government wants to both counter the Russian portrayal and keep allies in line. Moscow accuses London of a disinformation campaign.

Ukraine gets F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands

Sunday August 20, 2023 2:37 p.m.: The meeting between Ukrainian President Zelenskyi and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte brings great progress for Ukraine: Denmark and the Netherlands want to be loud PICTURE F-16 fighter jets to deliver the country. Zelenskyi has been trying to get modern Western fighter jets for Ukraine for a long time.

In a posting on the short message service X, Selenskyi writes that the number of jets has also been agreed: a total of 42 F-16s are to be handed over to Ukraine. However, the aircraft will not be delivered until the Ukrainian pilots and maintenance technicians have completed their training.