- All reports on the Ukraine war can be found in the Newsticker.
Ukraine update: what happened tonight
Military expert: If a counter-offensive fails, Germany and the USA are to blame
Former US General Ben Hodges has accused Germany and the US of a lack of determination in helping Ukraine. “Does the West want Ukraine to win? My faith is fading,” said the former commander of US forces in Europe in an interview with the “Tagesspiegel” (Saturday). While the US government is now allowing its allies to ship F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, their long delay before delivery is “an example of a lack of determination to help Ukraine win,” Hodges said.
Hodges criticized that Germany was also reluctant to decide on the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles. Should Ukraine’s counter-offensive fail, “the governments of the USA and Germany must be held responsible”. Ukraine has long been demanding that the German government supply Taurus cruise missiles for defense against Russia. So far, however, the traffic light has been cautious. There are fears that the weapons could also reach Russian territory.
The United States has agreed to the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, according to the Netherlands and Denmark on Friday. The two countries previously agreed to deliver F-16s to Ukraine. They also want to train Ukrainian pilots. However, it should take several months before the F-16 can actually be delivered. Since this is a weapon system from the USA, it needs Washington’s approval. The US government said on Thursday that they wanted to enable Denmark and the Netherlands to quickly transfer the F-16.
Kyiv sees progress on security guarantees
According to the Ukrainian leadership, it is making progress in its pursuit of Western security guarantees against future Russian aggression. In his video message distributed in Kiev on Friday evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of a “diplomatic success”. In the meantime, 18 countries have joined the declaration of the group of seven leading industrial nations (G7) on such security guarantees. He did not give details.
Ahead of Independence Day next Thursday (24 August), Zelenskyy said Ukraine has taken a step forward to become part of the strongest states in the world. The war-ravaged country has been defending itself, with help from the West, for almost 18 months against the Russian war of aggression that began on February 24, 2022. By Independence Day, the war will have lasted exactly a year and a half to the day.
The head of the presidency in Kiev, Andriy Yermak, informed the Telegram news channel that negotiations for security guarantees are underway with the United States and Great Britain. Accordingly, talks with other G7 countries should soon begin. The first bilateral agreements should be signed by the end of the year, he said. It is about not allowing a new war and a repetition of Moscow’s aggression after the end of the Russian invasion.
Kiev: Growing interest in ‘peace formula’
Zelenskyj and Yermak emphasized on Friday that work on the “peace formula” was continuing. A core goal is the withdrawal of Russian troops before the start of possible negotiations. Russia rejects this as unrealistic. According to Zelenskyj, 63 diplomatic missions are now working on his “peace formula”. The number of participating ambassadors from different countries is increasing, Yermak said. He expects the national security advisers to meet again within a month to prepare for a peace summit.
According to earlier statements by Yermak, the summit should be organized by the end of the year. A location is now also being sought, he said earlier this month after a meeting in Saudi Arabia of advisors from more than 40 countries. At a second summit, Russia should also be involved. According to the president’s office in Kiev, it hopes that Russia will have capitulated by then.
Russia repels missile attack on Crimea
According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia has fended off a Ukrainian missile attack on the Russian-held Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. This was reported by the Russian state news agency Tass on Saturday morning, citing the ministry. The missile was intercepted by Russian air defense during the night. Accordingly, there were no injuries or damage. The information could not be independently verified.
Report: Almost 500,000 dead and injured soldiers in the Ukraine war
According to a media report, according to US estimates, almost half a million soldiers on both sides could have been killed or wounded in the Ukraine war. The total number of Ukrainian and Russian troops killed or wounded since the beginning of the war is approaching 500,000, the New York Times quoted US government officials as saying on Friday. At the same time, they warned that the losses are difficult to estimate because Kiev has not published any figures and it is suspected that Moscow is underestimating the number of deaths and injuries.
According to the report, the unnamed US officials on the Russian side estimate 120,000 soldiers killed and 170,000 to 180,000 wounded. For Ukraine, they spoke of around 70,000 soldiers killed and 100,000 to 120,000 injured. These numbers cannot be independently verified.
Biden: Russian war of aggression does not only affect Europe
According to US President Joe Biden, the Russian invasion of Ukraine does not only affect Europe. “This type of invasion hasn’t happened since World War II,” Biden said Friday after a summit with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David. After the war began, it was crucial “to make it clear that the consequences of a war go far beyond Europe,” he said, also with a view to what it would mean if an Asian country were to attack another country in the region in this way.
With regard to Ukraine, Biden also emphasized: “And as far as peace is concerned, we all want it.” Above all, the Ukrainians wanted this. The US government is in constant contact with the Ukrainian President Zelenskyj and his team, according to Biden. “Russia has already lost and can no longer achieve its original goal, it is not possible.”
What will be important on Saturday:
In the east and south of Ukraine, Kiev’s armed forces continue their counter-offensive against the Russian invasion with the help of Western weapons. Both sides speak of heavy fighting in which they keep repelling attacks from the other side.
with agency material
