August 21, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine has moved here.

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Monday said two Ukrainian drones came down over the Black Sea following an attack from Ukraine. 

According to the ministry Ukraine used “fixed-wing drones” that were detected and shot down by the Russian air defense. 

The ministry also reported that the Russian air defense systems intercepted two drones over Russia’s Belgorod region and two drones over Moscow region on Monday. 

There were no casualties reported and only minimal damage, the ministry said.

Ukraine has not yet commented.

Cars queue at the border crossing point Sumskas between Lithuania and Belarus on August 12, 2023.

The US Embassy in Minsk on Monday urged American citizens not to travel to Belarus and asked those who are now in the country to depart immediately following the closure of two of the six border crossings on the Lithuanian border. 

The embassy also listed Belarus’ “facilitation of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, the buildup of Russian military forces in Belarus, the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the potential of civil unrest, the risk of detention, and the Embassy’s limited ability to assist US citizens residing in or traveling to Belarus” among the reasons to withhold from traveling. 

The embassy said to consider departing Belarus via “the remaining border crossings with Lithuania and Latvia, or by plane.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed a “historic” agreement with the Netherlands and Denmark to give Ukraine much sought-after F-16 fighter jets. According to Zelensky, the Netherlands will give 42 of the jets to Kyiv, adding to 19 pledged by Denmark.

Meantime, as intense fighting continues across the front lines, the Russian ambassador to Denmark has described the proposed transfer of F-16 fighter jets from Denmark to Ukraine as an “escalation” in the conflict.

Here are the top headlines to know:

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin talks about making "Africa freer" in unverified video shared online.

Video circulating on pro-Russian military blogs on Monday showed Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claiming to be in Africa and talking about making Russia greater on all continents.  

It is unclear when or where the video was shot, but Prigozhin is shown holding a rifle and standing in what appears to be a desert area.  

Some background: Wagner has played a prominent role in the Ukraine war. But, Prigozhin has been notoriously critical of the Russian military hierarchy since the war in Ukraine started.

In June, the paramilitary group launched an apparent insurrection, claimed control of military facilities in two Russian cities, and warned that his troops would head for Moscow.

Since the uprising his whereabouts have been unclear, though Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed to have brokered the deal between Prigozhin and Putin, which ended the insurrection. Since then, Lukashenko has invited Wagner forces into Belarus to help train his country’s military.

Ukraine on Monday confirmed it carried out a drone attack on a Russian military air base located just more than 200 kilometers (130 miles) northeast of Ukraine. 

The Ukrainian drone attack on Shaykovka air base in Russia’s Kaluga region left “at least one aircraft damaged,” Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, said in an interview with Ukrainian media Liga.net on Monday. 

The Shaykovka military air base operates Tupolev Tu-22M3 supersonic long-range bombers that have been used by Russia to strike targets in Ukraine since the start of the invasion last year. 

The Ukrainian air force reported on August 15 that aircraft operating from the Shaykovka air base had launched four Kh-22 air cruise missiles toward Ukraine. 

According to Yusov, Monday’s attack was carried out “in clear coordination with the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.” 

“There are people who, in coordination with the Main Directorate of Intelligence, completed the assigned tasks,” Yusov said, adding that this specific task was carried out from within the Russian territory. “In many other cases” Ukraine’s Intelligence performs various tasks from within the Russian territory, he said. 

Russian social media blog Baza, which has close contacts with the Russian security services, said a Ukrainian drone had crashed on the territory of the Shaykovka air base on Monday. 

Baza reported that “an unused aircraft at the airfield was damaged … However, this information has not been officially confirmed.” 

Another Russian Telegram channel, Mash, said “the Ukrainian armed forces attempted to attack the Shaykovka military airfield in the Kaluga region.” 

The Russian defense ministry has not commented on the incident.  

Pope Francis meets with U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley at the Vatican on August 21, 2023.

Pope Francis discussed the war in Ukraine with the top United States general during a meeting at the Vatican Monday.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley was “honored and privileged” to have the opportunity to meet the Pope, according to spokesperson Col. Dave Butler. 

The two met for about 30 minutes, and Milley presented Pope Francis with a copy of the US Constitution, Butler said.

During the discussion about Ukraine, the Pope was particularly concerned about the number of civilian casualties during the ongoing war. 

Milley, who routinely meets his counterparts and other dignitaries in his formal dress uniform, was instead wearing a civilian suit.

Pope Francis has been an outspoken critic of the war in Ukraine. Earlier this month while in Portugal, the Pope rhetorically asked what path Europe was taking if not to end the war in Ukraine. He has urged Russia to rejoin the Black Sea Grain Initiative and said the Vatican is part of a mission to end the war in Ukraine.

In a video released by the Vatican, Milley is heard telling the Pope that he would pray for him. 

It was a “humbling experience overall” for Milley to meet the Pope, Butler said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sit in a F-16 fighter jet at Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojens, Denmark, on August 20, 2023.

Greece will train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens Monday. 

Zelensky said that in addition to the training, Ukraine is very grateful for a new defense package Greece pledged for Ukraine. 

Zelensky also said that “Greek companies are ready to take part in the transporting of Ukrainian grain” and his country is counting on it as the restoration work of the port of Odesa is underway. 

Mitsotakis emphasized that Greece will help reconstruct Ukraine with a focus on the city of Odesa. 

Zelensky also noted that Greece has joined the G7 countries on security guarantees for Ukraine and signed a declaration to support Ukrainian Euro-Atlantic integration. 

A view shows a F-16 fighter jet at Skrydstrup Air Base in Vojens, Denmark, on August 20, 2023.

Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly attributed remarks on Greece’s future training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. Only Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made those remarks.

Cargo ship Super Bayern, carrying Ukrainian grain, is seen behind cargo ship Rider in the Black Sea off Kilyos near Istanbul, Turkey on November 2, 2022.

Ukraine is in talks with some of the world’s biggest insurance companies to cover ships traveling to and from its ports in the Black Sea — a crucial step toward a full resumption of vital grain exports around the globe.

Work on an insurance mechanism follows Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative last month, which threatens the safe passage of ships carrying grain to and from Ukrainian ports.

The collapse of the deal — brokered by Turkey and the United Nations a year ago — has already pushed up global food prices and could tip millions in poor countries into hunger.

To keep grain shipments moving, Ukraine’s government will share potential losses with insurers, which should make cover for travel through risky Ukrainian waters more affordable for commercial shipping companies.

“We are now actively working with the international insurance community,” Oleksandr Hryban, an adviser to Ukraine’s economy minister, told the country’s state news agency Ukrinform.

Lloyd’s of London, the world’s oldest insurance market, and professional services firm Marsh McLennan — which owns the world’s biggest insurance broker Marsh and consultancy Oliver Wyman — are among the companies involved in the talks, Hryban said.

The program could be finalized within a couple of weeks, according to Marcus Baker at Marsh, and will replace the previous arrangement, which insured shipments as part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative but was paused when Russia pulled out of the deal. The risk of a ship becoming a casualty of the war surged as a result.

Read more about this here.

Red Cross volunteers help local residents to evacuate from the city of Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on August 15.

The evacuation of civilians from around the city of Kupiansk in northern Ukraine continues amid intense Russian artillery fire and air strikes, according to Ukrainian officials.

Russian forces are as close as 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) to Kupiansk, a city on the river Oskil recaptured by the Ukrainians last September.

“We continue evacuating people from the frontline communities of Kupiansk district on a daily basis with strong support from volunteers,” Oleh Syniehubov, the head of Kharkiv region military administration, said Monday.

Evacuees are provided with accommodation and humanitarian supplies, he said.

The official said 30 people, including five children and one person with a disability, were evacuated from the villages amid shelling on August 20 and 21. A total of 556 people have been evacuated since August 9, including 148 children, Syniehubov added.

Ukrainian officials say that defense forces have been able to prevent the Russians making any meaningful advances east of Kupiansk.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to members of the Folketing, The Danish Parliament, in Christiansborg Palace, near Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 21.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used an address to Denmark’s parliament to thank the country for its support, including a pledge to provide Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets.

“When humanity is a value for you and when your values match the values of other nations, you will definitely find all the necessary weapons to defend yourself how we do,” Zelensky said Monday.

“I thank you, from all the Ukrainians, from all of us, thank you Denmark for your solidarity, thank you for your help, all the help provided to Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian president also warned its European allies that “all of Russia’s neighbors are under threat if Ukraine does not prevail.”

Yurii Ihnat, Ukraine’s air force spokesperson, told Ukrainian television that the jets “can change the course of events and provide us with what we need most.”

The official said that Russian air superiority was hurting the war effort.

“At this very moment, eight to nine Russian fighter jets are flying freely in the occupied territories. They are dropping guided bombs and launching missiles,” Ihnat said. “They will not be able to do this with the F-16s [present]. Air superiority is the key to success on the ground.”

He said the first group of pilots in Denmark would be immediately retrained on the F-16. Another group of pilots who had recently graduated will head to the UK to complete a longer program, which will take up to two years.

More on Denmark’s pledge: On Sunday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pledged to donate 19 F-16 aircraft to Ukraine between this year and next.

“Today we announce that we will provide 19 F-16 jets to Ukraine, we believe Danish fighter jets will help protect your skies,”

“The aim of this delivery is to protect Ukraine. We plan to provide the jets closer to the new year, about six of them, then eight in the next year and then another five,” said Frederiksen alongside Zelensky in a joint press conference at the Skrydstrup airbase in Denmark.

Also on Sunday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced that the Netherlands would provide Ukraine with F-16 aircraft.

Read more about Denmark’s pledge.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Denmark for its pledge to send F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv, while Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar has described a “difficult” situation in the east of the country, where Russian forces have been on the attack.

Here are the latest headlines:

A gas storage container at the Barcelona's Enagas regasification plant, located at the Muelle de la Energia in the port of Barcelona, Spain, on March 29, 2022.

European gas storage facilities are almost full, long before the onset of the winter heating season, according to the latest data from the Aggregated Gas Storage Inventory (AGSI).

Most European countries’ storage is already at 90% capacity, with Spain’s facilities 100% full, the United Kingdom at 98% and Germany at 92%.

Across the European Union, the average is 91.05% of capacity, as the bloc works to end its reliance on Russian energy.

The EU had set a target of 90% of capacity by November 1, to avoid a scramble for supplies in the northern hemisphere’s winter months.

On Friday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that moves to secure supplies were “well ahead of schedule” in a post on X, formerly Twitter. 

“This will help us be safe this winter. Together, we are weaning ourselves off Russian gas. And we keep working in parallel on more diverse energy supplies for the future,” she added.

However analysts warn that a colder-then-expected winter or global supply disruptions could still impact the EU’s energy security.

“The risk of European natural gas shortages in the upcoming winter 2023/24 peak demand season is only marginal, with a mere 10% probability of serious shortages, even with little or no Russian supply,” said political risk consultancy Eurasia.

“Governments, suppliers, and consumers have successfully coordinated in accessing new supply, reducing consumption, and sending available gas to regions and sectors where there are no alternatives,” it added.

Eurasia noted reduced gas demand as well as “an aggressive switch to alternative supply, for instance by boosting North Sea offshore wind for industrial power supply has further helped reduce the EU’s reliance on imported gas.”

Russian authorities have said that drones were intercepted in the Kaluga and Belgorod regions in the west of the country on Monday.

Air defense systems thwarted a drone attack in the Kaluga region’s Kirovsky district, southwest of Moscow, said Governor Vladislav Shapsha on his Telegram channel.

“This morning, despite difficult meteorological conditions, a UAV attack was repelled on the territory of the Kirovsky district. There were no casualties and no infrastructure damage,” said Snapsha.

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov of the Belgorod region, on the border with Ukraine, said three drones had been intercepted near the village of Solomino, just south of the regional capital. There were no reported casualties or damage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, left, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen address a press confrence in front of a F-16 fighter jet in the hangar of the Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojens, northern Denmark, on August 20.

The Russian ambassador to Denmark has described the proposed transfer of F-16 fighter jets from Denmark to Ukraine as an “escalation” in the conflict.

“Denmark’s actions and words seek to leave Ukraine no other choice but to continue its military confrontation with Russia. Such a stance is pushing Ukraine into the abyss and condemning its population to new victims,” said Ambassador Vladimir Barbin.

“There will be no other result from Denmark’s decision to transfer F-16s to Ukraine. The goals of the special military operation in Ukraine to ensure Russia’s national security will be achieved,” he added, using the Kremlin’s euphemism for the war in Ukraine.

Andrey Melnichenko gives an interview during the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on November 16.

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has initiated legal proceedings against Andrey Melnichenko, one of Russia’s wealthiest oligarchs and an outspoken critic of the invasion of Ukraine.

Melnichenko is the founder of EuroChem, a fertilizer producer, and SUEK, a coal producer. He is worth an estimated $13 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The lawsuit, as reported on the website of the Sverdlovsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, targets Melnichenko and two of his companies.

While the specific details remain undisclosed, a preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 7.

Russian media have cited documents posted on a Telegram channel (SovetBezRynka) that the state is seeking to take ownership of Siberian energy company Sibeco, which was acquired by Melnichenko five years ago. It has several thermal energy plants.

The Prosecutor General’s Office has requested the seizure of all Sibeco’s shares and property in favor of the state, according to the documents, alleging the original deal was corrupt. 

CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of the documents and has reached out to Melnichenko’s representatives.

Melnichenko is based in the United Arab Emirates. He is sanctioned by the European Union and the United States. 

EU sanctions noted he attended a meeting with Putin on the first day of the invasion. “The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin,” the EU said.

But Melnichenko later criticized the war in Ukraine. “The events in Ukraine are truly tragic. We urgently need peace,” Melnichenko told Reuters in March 2022.

Putin has criticized Russian businessmen who have relocated overseas and demanded that the assets of companies with Russian operations be repatriated. Eurochem, one of Melnichenko’s enterprises, is registered in Switzerland.

State news agency TASS reported last week that Putin had ordered authorities “to accelerate the transfer of business assets, in the first instance, in key sectors and branches of the economy, to the Russian jurisdiction.”

Ukraine is exploring ways to help merchant vessels acquire insurance for operating in the Black Sea, in the wake of the collapse of the UN-brokered Grain Initiative.

Oleksandr Hryban, an adviser to the Economy Minister, said the government was considering launching its own international insurance pool, which would be coordinated with an international institution or with other governments.

“The goal is the same - to mobilise the reinsurance market, which is then multiplied, turning a nominal billion dollars into 5 billion in insurance coverage. This is currently being tested as a pilot on the grain deal,” Hryban said.

The withdrawal of Russia from the Grain Deal negotiated by Turkey and the United Nations has had a chilling effect on merchant shipping using the three Ukrainian Black Sea ports from which most grain is exported. Russia has warned that ships leaving these ports may come under attack.

Ukraine has since created its own maritime corridor for shipping, but is unable to guarantee its safety because if Russian naval superiority in the Black Sea. It was first used last week by a container ship that reached Turkish waters without incident.

“There is a direct threat from the Russian navy, fueled by constant threats from the Kremlin,” Hryban said. 

“We are now actively working with the international insurance community to create a mechanism where these funds will be used not directly by ship owners, but by insurance companies that will multiply this resource,” Hryban was quoted as telling state news agency Ukrinform.

“The Ministry of Reconstruction, the Ministry of Economy, and underwriters such as Lloyds and Marsh & McLennan and other leading insurance and reinsurance brokers are involved in its approval.”

In an interview with the Financial Times, Hryban said the scheme could be in place as early as next month, and could see between five and 30 ships covered to travel through what he described as the “danger spot” of Ukrainian waters.

The FT also quoted Marcus Baker, head of marine, cargo and logistics at Marsh, as saying that “a public-private partnership, with insurers working in tandem with the Ukrainian government, will give greater confidence to shipowners to return to delivering Ukrainian grain around the world to those countries that need it most.”

Two people were injured by debris after Russian air defenses thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack near Moscow on Monday morning, the region’s governor said.

In a Telegram post, Moscow Gov. Andrei Vorobyov said debris fell near homes in Istra district northwest of the capital

The drone was one of two intercepted by air defenses early Monday on the outskirts of the capital, according to Russian officials.

It comes after Russia reported several Ukrainian drone attacks across the country over the weekend, including on Moscow.

Moscow’s Vnukovo airport said Monday it was temporarily suspending flights “for safety reasons,” state-run news agency TASS reported earlier, citing the airport’s press service.

Ukrainian servicemen ride atop of an armored personel carrier past a destroyed building in the town of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on August 17.

The “situation is difficult” near the city of Kupiansk as heavy fighting rages in eastern Ukraine, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Monday. 

Russian forces have been making a push near Kupiansk in recent weeks, with significant shelling of the northeastern city and surrounding areas prompting the first major Ukrainian evacuation in months.

Speaking on national television, Maliar said Ukrainian forces “repelled attacks south of Pershotravneve and Synkivka villages and east of Petropavlivka village,” in the Kharkiv region where Kupiansk is located, claiming “last week’s battles all ended in defeat for the enemy.” 

Fighting is also “quite intense” near the strategic city of Lyman in the Donetsk region, Maliar said. The main fighting is around the nearby Serebryansky Forest, she said.

According to Maliar, the number of attacks in Lyman and Kupiansk have decreased, but “the enemy is currently regrouping, additionally pulling up forces there.”

In Bakhmut, Maliar said Ukrainian troops have taken “key dominant heights” in the northern flank and that “fighting is heavy,” with Russian forces trying to knock Ukraine’s troops out position in the eastern city. Ukraine has liberated 3 square kilometers near the southern flank area of Bakhmut, bringing the total area recaptured to 43 square kilometers, she said. 

Elsewhere in Donetsk, Russian forces attempting to encircle the town of Avdiivka “are not succeeding,” Maliar said.

Meanwhile, Russian forces are trying to regain ground in the village of Urozhaine, which Ukrainian forces reclaimed last week, she said.

“There have been battles over the past week to keep the current positions,” Maliar said. 

In the south, Ukrainian forces continue their offensive toward Melitopol and Berdiansk in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to Maliar. 

Russian air defenses thwarted a second Ukrainian drone attack over the Moscow region on Monday morning, the country’s defense ministry said. 

The ministry did not say whether the drone caused any damage.

Earlier, the ministry said air defenses downed a Ukrainian drone near the village of Pokrovskoye in the Odintsovo district on the outskirts of the capital.

No casualties were reported in either incident.

Moscow’s Vnukovo airport said Monday it was temporarily suspending flights “for safety reasons,” state-run news agency TASS reported, citing the airport’s press service.

The incidents Monday come after Russia reported several Ukrainian drone attacks across the country over the weekend, including on Moscow.