Russia’s overnight attack has killed two people and injured at least eight in Ukraine’s Sumy. According to reports, Russian strikes damaged a factory in the northeastern city, leading to these casualties.
An airstrike ignited a fire at the factory, which specializes in baby food packaging, prompting regional authorities to advise residents to remain indoors and keep their windows closed.
A drone strike also targeted an industrial facility in the eastern city of Poltava. No casualties were reported from this incident, as stated by regional governor Filip Pronin.
Ukraine downs 12 out of 18 Russian-made drones
The Ukrainian air force reported that it had downed 12 out of 18 Russian-made drones across five Ukrainian regions overnight, with four other drones falling within Ukrainian territory.
Additionally, the air force mentioned that Russia had used an Iskander-M missile in the attack.
EU defense ministers are convening in Brussels to discuss the European Union’s ongoing operation to train Ukrainian soldiers to defend against a full-scale Russian invasion, along with a plan to relocate some of these training operations to Ukraine.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans noted that the decision needs to be “careful” and that the European Union must weigh the risks and benefits. He indicated that discussions on the matter are open.
Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds emphasized that such a plan should be a “collective decision” before the meeting with his EU counterparts.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur expressed his support for the idea, but top EU diplomat Josep Borrell mentioned that there is currently no EU agreement to conduct training on Ukrainian soil.
Daily attacks in Sumy Oblast
Residents in Sumy Oblast face daily attacks in the region. The security situation in Sumy Oblast has intensified following Ukraine’s cross-border incursion into neighboring Kursk Oblast in Russia, which commenced on August 6.
On August 24, four individuals were killed, and 13 others sustained injuries in attacks on the region.
Amid the ongoing assaults, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko informed reporters on August 20 that authorities are preparing to evacuate a total of 45,000 residents from Sumy Oblast.
So far, around 21,000 residents have been evacuated from Sumy Oblast, including 5,000 children, Klymenko noted.
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EU aims to train additional 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers
Currently, training is being conducted in Germany and Poland, with the mission having started in November 2022.
As of May, EU figures show that 52,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained. The EU aims to train an additional 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of summer 2024, and EU defense ministers are expected to discuss extending the mission until 2026.
French President Emmanuel Macron, supported by Lithuania, has expressed his backing for training Ukrainian soldiers within Ukraine. However, several EU countries, including Germany, have raised concerns about this move.
Russian mercenaries are departing Burkina Faso for Kursk, according to Le Monde.
Mercenaries arrive in Burkina Faso
According to reports, mercenaries from the Russian private military company Bears, which is associated with the Russian Defense Ministry, are leaving Burkina Faso. This move is due to the Ukrainian army’s offensive in Russia’s Kursk region.
It was reported that nearly a hundred mercenaries had arrived in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, in May, likely to support the local military junta, especially its leader Ibrahim Traore.
The reports mentioned that the reason for their departure, just three months after their arrival, was to participate in the Russian defense efforts against the Ukrainian army’s offensive in the Kursk region, which began on August 6.
One F-16 warplane downed
One of the F-16 warplanes that Ukraine received from its western partners to assist in the fight against Russia’s invasion has crashed, resulting in the death of the pilot, according to Ukraine’s Army General Staff on Thursday. The fighter jet went down on Monday amid a major Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine, as stated in a military statement posted on Facebook. The statement also mentioned that four of those Russian missiles were intercepted by F-16s.
This crash marks the first reported loss of an F-16 in Ukraine since their arrival at the end of last month. It is believed that at least six of the warplanes had been delivered. The defense ministry has launched an investigation into the crash. The Ukrainian air force, in a Facebook post, identified the pilot as Col. Alexei “Moonfish” Mes, who had reportedly saved Ukrainians from deadly Russian missiles, but tragically at the cost of his own life.
A US defense official informed Reuters that the crash on Monday did not seem to result from Russian fire, and investigations were still ongoing to determine possible causes ranging from pilot error to mechanical failure.
Russian forces are advancing on the eastern front as part of their continuous offensive operation to capture Pokrovsk. Moscow views this key mining city as a crucial step in its goal of controlling the entire Donbas region.
Despite this, Ukraine continues to hold a significant portion of land within Russia’s Kursk region.
Following Kyiv’s unexpected invasion of the area on August 6, Moscow has been compelled to evacuate civilians from the territories now under Kyiv’s control.
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