Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature
The mayor of Dnipro confirms the explosions in the city
Dnipro Mayor Boris Filatov said rockets were falling on houses and urged Ukrainians in the city to stay hidden. In a post on his Facebook page he said: Please stay under cover. There is already evidence of rockets falling on private homes. Details will come later. We await official information from the Military Administration. Dnipro is located in south-central Ukraine and has come under Russian long-range missile attacks during the war. Updated at 10.22 BST Porsches, Bentleys and other luxury cars with Russian number plates fill the garage at Helsinki airport as Finland becomes a major transit country for Russian tourists flying to Europe, AFP reports. The European Union closed its airspace to Russian planes after Moscow invaded Ukraine, forcing anyone wanting to travel to Europe to cross the border or take a circuitous route using non-Western airlines. A quick stroll through the parking lot at Helsinki Airport revealed dozens, if not hundreds, of high-end cars with Russian license plates, including a new Mercedes-Benz S-class sedan and the Porsche 911 Turbo S. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told AFP that the Nordic nation had become a “transit country” for Russian tourists. Finland said last week it would limit Russian tourist visas to 10% of the current volume from September 1 due to growing resentment of Russian tourism amid the war in Ukraine. However, Russians continue to enter Finland with visas issued by other EU countries in the borderless Schengen travel area for their travels. Schengen rules do not allow Finland to close borders to certain nationalities, Haavisto said. Such sanctions can only be decided jointly by the EU. The European Commission acknowledged last week that discussions were underway to see if a “coordinated approach” could be reached on Russian visas. Luxury cars with Russian license plates in the premium parking area of Helsinki Airport on August 19 in Vandaa, Finland. Photo: Alessandro Rampazo/AFP/Getty Images Expensive cars with Russian number plates in Vandaa, Finland. Photo: Alessandro Rampazo/AFP/Getty Images Updated at 10.15 BST European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen paid tribute to Ukrainians who “gave their lives to protect the values” on which the European bloc was built. In commemoration of the Pan-European Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes today, he said in a statement: On August 23, we commemorate the victims of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, in Europe and beyond. Today, on the 83rd anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, this date has special significance. This year, Putin brought back the horrors of war to Europe, along with the reminder that peace cannot be taken for granted. The painful memory of the past is not just a distant memory, but has echoed in Russia’s illegal and unjustified war against Ukraine. We are inspired by the courage of those who stood up to injustice then, and we pay our respects and support to the many men and women who are forced to do so again today. The Ukrainian people give their lives to protect the values on which our Union was built. Today more than ever, we stand united against Russian state-controlled propaganda that distorts history, spreads conspiracies, and punishes those who oppose it. We will resolutely continue our work to counter misinformation. And we will ensure that those who stood against totalitarianism are not forgotten. Today we honor the victims of totalitarian regimes. We are inspired by those who stood up to injustice then and support those who do so today, as the horrors of war return to Europe. Ukrainians give their lives to protect the values on which our Union was built. — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) August 23, 2022 Russian forces are likely to have started moving barges to build a floating bridge over the Dnipro River near the Antonivsky Bridge, according to a British intelligence briefing. The bridge in Kherson has been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian forces with missile strikes, as it is a key supply route for Russia in the southern part of the country. For several weeks, Russian forces and local civilians have relied on a ferry crossing the waterway, the briefing said. If Russia completes the makeshift bridge, it will almost certainly increase the capacity of the crossing compared to the ferry, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) believes. The update added that the floating bridge would likely still be vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks. Updated at 09.48 BST A total of 33 cargo ships carrying about 719,549 tons of food have left Ukraine as part of an agreement brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to de-block Ukrainian seaports, Ukraine’s agriculture ministry said. The Joint Coordination Center in Turkey, which monitors the implementation of the agreement, reported the total amount of grain and food exported from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports since the agreement was reached at 721,449 tons. Ukraine’s grain exports fell after Russia invaded the country on February 24 and blockaded its Black Sea ports, raising global food prices and raising fears of shortages in Africa and the Middle East, Reuters reports. Three Black Sea ports were unblocked under the agreement signed on July 22 by Moscow and Kyiv. In addition to the ships that have already left Ukraine, the agriculture ministry said another 18 were loading or awaiting permission to leave Ukrainian ports. The ministry said Ukrainian grain exports could reach 4 million tons in August, compared with 3 million tons in July. Updated at 09.49 BST Isobel Koshiw Isobel Koshiw reports: The US State Department has issued a security alert, warning that Russia is “escalating” efforts to launch strikes against civilian infrastructure and government facilities in Ukraine in the coming days. The warning, issued on Tuesday, is the first special security warning issued by the US embassy in Kyiv in recent months. He did not say which places he believed Russia planned to target, but advised American citizens to leave Ukraine if it was safe to do so. The alarm comes a day before Ukraine completes 31 years as an independent state. On August 24, 1991, the Ukrainian parliament voted to secede from the Soviet Union. The day will also mark six months since Russia launched its full invasion. Some restaurants in Kyiv have closed early this week due to the increased threat. Read more: Russia to step up strikes on civilians, US says, as Ukraine’s independence day approaches Updated at 08.50 BST Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said 825 people were evacuated from the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine. In a message on her Telegram channel she said: A successful humanitarian operation: 825 people were evacuated today from the uncontrolled part of Kharkiv region, of which 238 were children. We thank the head of Kharkiv OVA Oleg Sinegubov for organizing the process, as well as the voluntary organizations for their dedication and help. ⚡️Vereshchuk: 825 people were evacuated from Kharkiv region on August 22. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk reported that 238 of those evacuated from the occupied parts of Kharkiv Region were children. — The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) August 23, 2022
Polish President Duda arrives in Kyiv for talks with Zelensky
Polish President Andrzej Duda arrived in Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The duo will engage in talks on the current war situation in Ukraine, economic and humanitarian support and bilateral cooperation, according to Duda’s official Twitter channel. Pawel Szrot told reporters: The visit will include a meeting with President (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy and talks on military support and defense of Ukraine in the economic, humanitarian and political sense,” Pawel Szrot told reporters. The presidents will discuss political support that Poland could offer to persuade other countries to continue helping Ukraine. Duda has met with Zelensky five times this year, including three visits he has made to Ukraine since the invasion began in February this year. President @AndrzejDuda at the invitation of President @ZelenskyyUa is in Kyiv today. During the visit, bilateral talks will be held between the Presidents and the delegations on the situation in 🇺🇦, support in the military, economic and humanitarian dimension and bilateral cooperation. pic.twitter.com/isQcEK1gdj — Office of the President (@prezydentpl) August 23, 2022 Updated at 08.49 BST Exports of key Ukrainian agricultural products have nearly halved since the start of the Russian invasion earlier this year compared with the same period in 2021, agriculture ministry data showed late Monday. Ukrainian seaports have been blockaded since the Russian invasion began in late February, leaving a huge amount of crops either unharvested or damaged, Reuters reports. Agricultural exports between February 24 and August 15 this year fell to 10 million tonnes from about 19.5 million in the same period last year, according to ministry data. Ukraine’s 2022 grain harvest is forecast to fall to around 50 million tonnes from a record 86 million tonnes in 2021. In late July, three Ukrainian Black Sea ports were unblocked as part of a deal between Moscow and Kiev brokered by the United Nations and Turkey. But even with the ports open, Ukraine’s agricultural exports are significantly lower than before the conflict, when Ukraine exported up to 6 million tons of grain a month. Updated at 08.19 BST
Summary so far
It’s 9 am in Ukraine. Here’s everything you might have missed:
The US State Department has issued a security alert, warning that Russia is stepping up efforts to launch strikes against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and government facilities in…
