Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said Kyiv’s surprise incursion launched August 6 into Russia’s border region of Kursk had “slowed” Moscow’s advance in eastern Ukraine. “In Kharkiv region, the enemy has been stopped, the progress in Donetsk region has been slowed down,” Zelensky said. He added that there are currently 40,000 Russian troops fighting in the Kursk region. Read our liveblog to see how all the day's events unfolded.
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Summary:
- Russia's FSB security service said it has withdrawn the accreditation of six UK diplomats for suspected espionage. London called the spying claims "baseless".
- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss whether to let Ukraine use long-range missiles against Russia.
- Ukraine's air force said it shot down 24 of 26 Russia-launched drones overnight over five Ukrainian regions.
- Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun said that "negotiation" was the only solution to conflicts such as the wars in Gaza and Ukraine as he addressed a global gathering of military officials in Beijing.
Yesterday's key developments:
- Ukraine accused Russia of using strategic bombers to strike a civilian grain vessel in a missile attack in Black Sea waters near NATO member Romania, escalating tensions between Moscow and the military alliance.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian troops had started counteroffensive actions in Russia's western Kursk region, where Kyiv launched a major incursion on August 6.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he and his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski had discussed ways that Washington can further support Poland's transition away from Russian energy.
- Ukraine's air force said it had shot down 44 out of 64 drones launched by Russia overnight. Russian forces also used five missiles in the attacks, the air force said on Telegram.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP & Reuters)
