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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Rescue workers and residents clear the area after Russia fired two Banderol missiles at a cafe and a store in the village of Pechenihy in Kharkiv Oblast, killing 10 people on Aug. 18, 2026. (Serhii Masin/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Breaking: Fedorov calls for wartime elections, says Putin shouldn’t decide when Ukrainians vote. Democracy is “part of what we are fighting for today,” Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.
Russia unleashes large-scale attack with jet-powered drones as Kyiv faces at least 9 air raid alerts in a single day. At around 7:45 p.m. local time, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said debris from Russian drones had been reported at two locations in the Dniprovskyi district.
Ukrainian drones reportedly strike Russia’s Tula, Nizhny Novgorod oblasts. Ukrainian drones targeted Russia’s Tula and Nizhny Novgorod oblasts overnight on Aug. 19, monitoring channels reported.
Russian strike damages DTEK thermal power plant, forces halt in operations. Russia attacked one of Ukraine’s DTEK thermal power plants on Aug. 18, severely damaging equipment and forcing the facility to halt electricity generation, the company reported.
Russia supplying Iran with drone components, ammunition amid war with US, NBC reports. Russia is supplying Iran with ammunition, drone components, and TNT via the Caspian Sea, NBC News reported Aug. 17, citing a European government document.
Russia threatens UK over supplying Ukraine with drones. “London’s actions will inevitably carry consequences for which it will have to answer,” the Russian Embassy to the U.K. said.
St. Petersburg court fines Russian for posting drone attack aftermath online. A court in St. Petersburg has issued the city’s first fine to a local resident over a video posted online following a Ukrainian drone attack on the city
Zelensky formally taps Khmara as defense minister, ruling out Fedorov’s return. Zelensky also nominated Andrii Sybiha to again take up the post of foreign minister.
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Ukraine war latest: Zelensky formally nominates Khmara as defense minister, rules out Fedorov’s comeback
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 18 formally nominated acting Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara, a former top Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) officer, to serve as minister in full capacity.
Photo: Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images
Can Ukraine choke off Russia’s LNG trade at the source?
Despite increasingly stringent sanctions, countries worldwide continue to import Russian fossil fuels. The flexibility and transportability of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are particularly significant, helping sustain the flow of energy revenues into the Kremlin’s coffers.
Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images)
PepsiCo said it would leave Russia. Last year, it paid $237 million to the state
In response to Russia’s full-scale invasion, PepsiCo announced it would suspend production and sales in Russia in March 2022 — and yet, last year it still paid $237 million in income tax to the Russian state.
Photo: Peter Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images
Human cost of war
1 killed, 15 injured in drone explosion at bus stop used by Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant workers, IAEA says.The Russian-installed administration at the plant told the IAEA that 16 staff members and subcontractors were injured in the blast.
10 killed in morning strike in Kharkiv Oblast as Russian attacks kill 9 others, injure 53 across Ukraine over past day.President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces had deliberately struck a crowded intersection near a post office and shops, surrounded by residential buildings.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,469,970 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.The figure includes 1,210 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.
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International response
Ukraine, Belgium working toward proposed new ‘Drone Deal.’ President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 18 that Ukraine and Belgium are working toward a “Drone Deal” as the two countries seek to expand defense cooperation and strengthen Ukraine’s protection against Russian attacks.
Belgium open to using frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine if Europe shares risks. “The risks we identified at the time have not miraculously vanished. But we have no fundamental objection to this money being used to support the Ukrainian cause,” said Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot.
German court convicts Ukrainian man in alleged Russian sabotage plot. The Stuttgart court sentenced the man to one year and three months in prison, but ruled that his pre-trial detention would count toward the sentence, meaning he will now be released.
Ghana asks Moscow to stop recruiting its citizens for war in Ukraine. According to Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, 62 of his country’s citizens have been killed in Ukraine, and 15 remain missing.
Over one-fifth of Russian LNG exports protected by EU’s Greek sanctions exemption. The Greek shipping company Dynagas accounted for 35% of all LNG shipped to the EU from Russia’s Arctic Yamal terminal, according to the NGO Urgewald.
Opinions and insights
‘But what did we do?’ — How Ukraine’s strikes on Wildberries brought Russia’s war home
Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, in collaboration with the BBC Russian service, has confirmed the identities of 239,354 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine.
Photo: Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images
In other news
Defense Ministry’s procurement chief to step down on Sept. 1, media reports. Arsen Zhumadilov, the director of the Defense Ministry’s Defense Procurement Agency, is set to resign in the coming weeks, the Ukrainian media outlet ZN.UA reported, citing its sources.
SBU detains alleged Russian agent accused of registering 27 Starlink terminals for Moscow’s troops. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a suspected Russian agent in Kharkiv Oblast who allegedly registered 27 Starlink terminals in the front-line city of Izium to coordinate Russian troops and drone strikes.
20th-century military leader Yevhen Konovalets reburied in Kyiv. “Along with him, Ukraine has brought back a part of itself: its memory, its Ukrainian experience, and our national history — the history of all those who, at different times, lived and fought for Ukraine, for our independence, and for our sovereign state,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Meet the collection inspired by Kyiv’s embroidery
Two collaborations, one enduring Ukrainian tradition. Created so you can carry a piece of Kyiv with you, wherever you go.
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