Live blog: Several Ukrainian troops killed in 'helicopter incident' in east

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

An accident involving two Ukrainian helicopters has killed six servicemen aboard the aircraft, Ukrainian media has reported.

The news site Ukrainska Pravda said the incident on Tuesday involved widely used Mi-8 military helicopters and occurred near the town of Kramatorsk in Donetsk region, near the front line, but gave no indication how it occurred.

An air force spokesperson identified as Yevhen Rakita confirmed the deaths to public broadcaster Suspilne, but gave no details on the circumstances.

More updates 👇

1819 GMT — Ukraine gains on southern front 'pave way to Crimea'

Ukraine has said that recapturing the village of Robotyne this week was a strategic victory paving the way for its forces to push deeper into Russian positions in the south towards Crimea.

The foreign minister's comments came as Kiev announced two people had been killed in the "most powerful" aerial attack on the capital in weeks, and Russia reported a drone strike on military aircraft in its northwest.

Progress has been costly and staggered but Ukrainian forces announced they had pushed through key Russian defensive lines with the capture of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region this week

1815 GMT — Poland MPs back launch of controversial 'Russia influence' panel

Poland's parliament has given a green light for a "Russian influence" panel to begin work despite EU and US criticism that it could be used against opposition politicians.

The conservative majority elected nine members to the panel in a vote boycotted by all opposition parties, which refused to put forward candidates for the posts, calling it "illegal" and "anti-constitutional".

Poland — a neighbour and staunch ally of Ukraine, which is battling Russia's military offensive — in late May set up a committee with the stated goal of investigating citizens who may have succumbed to Russian influence.

Under the law, those found guilty could find themselves banned for 10 years from public positions relating to public finances and classified information.

1708 GMT — EU's Borrell urges countries to order more ammunition for Ukraine

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has urged member countries to order more ammunition for Ukraine, as figures showed the bloc is a long way from a March target of giving Kiev a million artillery shells within 12 months.

Borrell said over-arching agreements, known as framework contracts, had been signed with arms firms to allow EU member countries to place joint orders for 155-millimetre rounds, urgently needed by Ukraine as it fights Russia's offensive.

"Now it's (up) to the member states to pass concrete orders inside these framework agreements with the industry," Borrell told reporters after a meeting of EU defence ministers in the Spanish city of Toledo.

1621 GMT — Russia arms talks with DPRK 'actively advancing': White House

Russia is in secret, active talks with North Korea to acquire a range of munitions and supplies for Moscow's fight in Ukraine, the White House has said.

"Arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing," White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby said, adding that a key focus of the talks was artillery ammunition for Moscow's forces.

Kirby noted that despite its denials, North Korea supplied infantry rockets and missiles to Russia last year for use by the privately controlled Wagner military group.

1552 GMT — Russia says airport attacked as Ukraine drones target six regions

Russia has accused Ukraine of launching what appeared to be the biggest drone attack on Russian soil since Moscow sent troops there 18 months ago.

Drones hit an airport in Russia’s western Pskov region near the border with Estonia and Latvia and started a massive fire, the governor and local media reported.

More drones were shot down over Oryol, Bryansk, Ryazan, Kaluga and the Moscow region surrounding the Russian capital, according to the Defence Ministry.

Pskov regional Governor Mikhail Vedernikov ordered all flights to and from the airport in the region’s namesake capital cancelled on Wednesday so the damage could be assessed during daylight.

1547 GMT — Russian activist jailed for six years over Ukraine posts

A Russian court has sentenced a female activist to six years in prison after she was accused of spreading false information about the Russian army.

Olga Smirnova, a member of the Peaceful Resistance movement, was also banned from managing websites for three years, said the OVD-Info rights group, which monitors opposition arrests said.

A representative of the Kirovsk district court in Saint Petersburg confirmed to AFP news agency that Smirnova had been sentenced, but declined to provide details.

1525 GMT — Kiev urges Auchan to exit Russia after store hit in Ukraine

Ukraine has said fragments of a Russian missile fell on a mall housing French supermarket Auchan in Kiev, and repeated calls for the company to leave the Russian market.

Many prominent Western brands left Russia in the wake of Moscow's offensice but Auchan stayed spurring calls from Kiev for a boycott.

"Fragments of destroyed Russian missile hit a mall in Kiev, where supermarket AUCHAN is located," Ukraine's defence ministry wrote in an English-language social media post.

1341 GMT — Switzerland joins register for war damage in Ukraine

The Swiss federal government has announced that Bern is joining the register for war damage in Ukraine.

Switzerland is thus participating in the database launched by the Council of Europe in May for evidence and information on damage caused by Russia's war in Ukraine.

The accession underscores Switzerland's support for the people affected by the war and for Ukraine's political reconstruction process, the federal government said in a press release.

0943 GMT — Turkish foreign minister to visit Russia for grain deal talks

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay a working visit to Russia on August 31-September 1, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the Black Sea grain deal would be one of the items on the agenda of the meeting between Fidan and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also expected to visit Russia soon to meet with President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Black Sea grain deal.

0440 GMT — Kiev targeted by 'most powerful' aerial attack since spring

Kiev was targeted by the "most powerful" barrage of missiles and drones since the spring, authorities said, with two people reported dead.

More than 20 missiles and drones were "destroyed by air defence forces" overnight, the Kiev City Military Administration wrote on Telegram, describing the aerial assault as "the most powerful" to hit the city since the spring.

An AFP reporter heard at least three loud explosions in the centre of Kiev around 5:00 am (0200 GMT).

Two people had died as a result of falling debris, Sergiy Popko, head of the Kiev City Military Administration, wrote on Telegram. Another person was injured and was being given medical assistance, he said.

0300 GMT — Russia 'destroys' Ukrainian boats carrying 50 troops

Russia has said its forces destroyed four Ukrainian boats carrying up to 50 troops in the Black Sea.

An aircraft "destroyed four high-speed military boats with landing groups of Ukrainian special operations forces with a total number of up to 50 people" in the Black Sea around midnight Moscow time (2100 GMT) Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement on Telegram.

Russia's military also claimed it downed three Ukrainian drones over southern Bryansk region and one over central Orlov region.

0240 GMT — Kiev reports missile attack, explosions heard

Ukraine's capital, Kiev, has been hit by a missile attack, authorities said, with an AFP news agency correspondent reporting several explosions in the city.

"Missile attack... Air defence forces are already operating," the Kiev Region Military Administration wrote on Telegram.

An AFP reporter heard several explosions in the centre of Kiev around 5 am local time (0200 GMT).

For our live updates from Tuesday (August 29), click here.