“Nuclear rattles must stop … come to the negotiating table to ease tensions and end the nuclear arms race, once and for all,” Guterres said in a statement after a meeting with ambassadors at the UN Security Council. This is a moment of “greatest danger for our world,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stressing that “the future of humanity is in our hands” and that the conflict must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue to “save the succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” Dimitar Dilkoff | AFP | Getty Images This is a moment of “greatest peril for our world,” the UN chief said, stressing that “the future of humanity is in our hands” and that the conflict must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue to “save future generations from the scourge of war”. Russian forces have occupied the factory since March and its many employees are still working, but they describe having to operate in an atmosphere of terror. — Natasha Toorak
State Department warns Russia ‘intensifies’ strikes in coming days, urges Americans to leave
The US State Department has issued a security alert over increased Russian airstrikes in Ukraine and urged American citizens to leave the country. “The State Department has information that Russia is intensifying efforts to launch strikes against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days,” the embassy said in an alert on its website. Russia has already deployed more of its missile warships to the Black Sea, government officials said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also warned his citizens of increased Russian attacks this week ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24, which will mark its 31st year of independence. Kyiv has banned large gatherings for most of the week. — Natasha Toorak
US intelligence suggests that Russia may attack Ukraine’s infrastructure, the report says
Pedestrians use an underpass in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Aug. 22, 2022. Russia may be planning to attack Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and government facilities soon, Reuters reported, citing a U.S. official. Julia Kochetova | Bloomberg | Getty Images Russia may be planning to attack civilian infrastructure and government facilities in Ukraine soon, Reuters reported, citing a US official. “We have information that Russia is stepping up efforts to launch strikes against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days,” the official said, according to Reuters. “Given Russia’s track record in Ukraine, we are concerned about the continued threat posed by Russian strikes to civilians and civilian infrastructure,” the official added. Reuters reported that the official’s statement was based on downgraded US intelligence. — Abigail Off
More than 700,000 metric tons of agricultural products have left Ukrainian ports
An aerial view of the ‘Glory’ names empty grain ship as Representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations (UN) Joint Coordination Center (JCC) conduct a vessel inspection in Istanbul, Turkey on August 09, 2022. Ali Atmaca | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images The agency that oversees Ukraine’s agricultural exports said a total of 721,449 metric tons of grain and other food have so far left via the humanitarian sea corridor under the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The Joint Coordination Center, or JCC, said more than 25 ships carrying grain and other crops have left Ukrainian ports. The JCC also said it approved the movement of an outbound merchant vessel named Kafkam Etler to depart from the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk tomorrow. The vessel was approved to carry 2,437 metric tons of corn to Turkey. — Amanda Macias
