Live blog: Russian missiles strike Ukraine's Odessa region

Russia's defence ministry says Kalibr missiles destroyed an ammunition depot containing missiles for US-made HIMARS rocket in Ukraine's southeastern Odessa region as the conflict continues on day 179.

Russia's defence ministry said sea-based Kalibr missiles had destroyed a depot that also housed Western-made anti-aircraft systems.
Reuters

Russia's defence ministry said sea-based Kalibr missiles had destroyed a depot that also housed Western-made anti-aircraft systems.

Sunday, August 21, 2022

Russian missiles strike Ukraine's Odessa region

Russia has said that its Kalibr missiles had destroyed an ammunition depot containing missiles for US-made HIMARS rocket in Ukraine's southeastern Odessa region, while Kiev said a granary had been hit.

Russia's defence ministry also said sea-based Kalibr missiles had destroyed a depot that also housed Western-made anti-aircraft systems.

A spokesperson for Odessa's regional administration said two missiles had been shot down over the sea, but that three had struck agricultural targets. There were no casualties, the spokesman, Serhiy Bratchuk, said on Telegram.

Russia's defence ministry also said its forces had destroyed two M777 Howitzers in combat positions in the Kherson region, and a fuel depot in the Zaporizhzhia region that it said was storing more than 100 tonnes of diesel fuel. 

Ukraine calls for Canada to cancel turbine permit for Russia

Canada's decision to ship a gas turbine to Russia has once again came under Ukrainian criticism.

The continued call to stop the return of the turbine, which has been repaired in Canada, is being made because it contravenes sanctions against Russia.

In an interview with national news agency the Canadian Press, Ukrainian ambassador to Canada Yulia Kovaliv accused Russia of wielding the turbine as a club to intimidate Europe, reiterating her country's position that the return be axed.

Russia says it has deployed Kinzhal hypersonic missile three times in Ukraine

Russia has deployed hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles three times over the course of what Moscow calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said. 

The Kinzhal missiles are part of an array of new hypersonic weapons President Vladimir Putin presented in 2018 in a bellicose speech in which he said they could hit almost any point in the world and evade a US-built missile shield. 

Shoigu, speaking on state television, said the missiles had proved effective in hitting high-value targets on all three occasions, hailing them as without compare and as almost impossible to take down when in flight. 

Türkiye: Four more grain ships leave Ukrainian port
Four more ships left Ukrainian ports under the Türkiye-brokered grain export deal, the Turkish Ministry of National Defence Ministry said.

Two ships departed from the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk, while others from Odessa and Yuzhny ports, the ministry said on Twitter. It added that a ship coming from Ukraine and five others going to Ukraine will also be inspected in the north of Istanbul.

Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Saturday that as many as 51 ships sailed following the deal; 27 of them departed from Ukraine. 

Zelenskyy warns of 'ugly' Russian attack as Ukraine prepares for Independence Day

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned Ukrainians to be vigilant in the coming week as they prepare to celebrate their Independence Day, as fresh blasts hit annexed Crimea and a missile wounded 12 civilians near a nuclear power plant.

In his video address, Zelenskyy said Ukrainians must not allow Moscow to "spread despondency and fear" among them as they mark the 31st anniversary of independence from Soviet rule.

"We must all be aware that this week Russia could try to do something particularly ugly, something particularly vicious," Zelenskiy said ahead of the anniversary on August 24, which also marks six months since Russia's full-scale offensive on Ukraine began.

For live updates from Saturday (August 20), click here

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