Speaking during a national address on Tuesday night, Zelensky said: Tomorrow is an important day for all of us. And that’s why this day, unfortunately, is also important for our enemy. We must know that tomorrow horrific Russian provocations and brutal strikes are possible.” Authorities have banned mass gatherings in Kyiv as Western and Ukrainian officials warn that Russia is preparing to attack the capital again. Confiscated Russian military equipment and weapons on display in Kyiv on the National Flag Day of Ukraine on August 23. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images The US said on Tuesday it believed Russia would target civilian and government infrastructure in the coming days. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had information from Ukraine’s intelligence services and international partners that there was an increased threat. Ukraine’s defense ministry has advised Ukrainians to be extra cautious on Independence Day, citing the threat of missile attacks and “provocations” from Russia. Andriy Yusov, head of the ministry’s intelligence directorate, told Ukrainian state television: Russia and the Putin regime attacked the independence of Ukraine and independent Ukraine. They’re really obsessed with dates and symbols, so it would make sense for them to be on the lookout and be prepared for independence day to be attacked.” Updated at 03.29 BST Important events Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature Rupert Neate A $75m (£63m) superyacht linked to a Russian steel billionaire has gone up for auction in Gibraltar in the first sale of an oligarch’s assets since Putin invaded Ukraine in February. The 72.5m Axioma was seized by steel billionaire Dmitry Pubyansky in March following sanctions from the UK, EU and US. Ukraine’s admiral’s office said Tuesday that “63 bids were received” for the Axioma, but declined to detail the value of the bids for the yacht, which has six luxury guest cabins, a swimming pool, a 3D cinema room. gym, hot tub and fully equipped spa. The superyacht Axioma owned by Russian oligarch Dmitry Pumpyansky in Gibraltar in March. Photo: Jon Nazca/Reuters “The successful bidder will be selected by the marshal of the admiralty, but the details of the bidder and the value of the bid will remain confidential,” the court said in a statement. “Details of the vessel’s sale value will be made available once the transaction is completed, which could take place in approximately 10 to 14 days.” The sale of Axioma has sparked controversy because it is being sold not for the benefit of the Ukrainian people but for a US investment bank, JP Morgan, which claims Pumpyansky owes it more than €20.5m (£17m).
UN concern over trials of Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia
The UN has said it is “deeply concerned” about plans by Russian-backed authorities to hold trials of captured Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol. Pro-Russian officials appeared to be installing metal cages in a room in Mariupol as part of plans to establish what they called an “international tribunal”, a spokesman for the UN rights office said, adding that such a process could itself amount to a war crime . Michelle Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human rights, cited reports that Russia and its separatist allies in eastern Ukraine plan to try Ukrainian prisoners of war, possibly in the coming days. Russian authorities have reportedly arrested politician Yevgeny Roizman known for his criticism of the Kremlin and, more recently, the military campaign in Ukraine, according to Russian media reports. Roizman, a former mayor of the city of Yekaterinburg, is being investigated for “discrediting the Russian military,” Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing Yekaterinburg’s security services. “A criminal case has been opened under Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation… Investigative actions are ongoing,” a law enforcement source told RIA Novosti. According to information, the Russian opposition figure and former mayor of Yekaterinburg, Yevgeny Roizman, was arrested. Photo: Alexei Vladykin/AFP/Getty Images Roizman was one of a handful of Kremlin critics to win mayoral posts after a series of large opposition protests as Russian President Vladimir Putin campaigned for office in 2012. Russian authorities have prosecuted several activists for calling the war in Ukraine a war or criticizing Russia’s actions. Germany will also provide Ukraine with an additional 500 million euros in military aid, most of which is slated for delivery next year, a government spokesman said on Tuesday. The equipment will include three IRIS-T anti-aircraft systems, “around a dozen armed recovery vehicles, 20 pick-up-mounted missile launchers … precision munitions and anti-drone equipment,” a spokesman told AFP. Most of it will be delivered in 2023, he added.
The US will provide $3 billion in military aid
The US is to announce a new security aid package for Ukraine of around $3bn (£2.5bn), officials said, to coincide with Ukraine’s independence day and equip the country for a war of attrition that takes place mainly in eastern and southern Ukraine. U.S. security assistance is shifting to a longer-term campaign that will likely keep more U.S. troops in Europe in the future and help train and equip Ukrainian forces to fight for years to come. US officials told The Associated Press that the package is expected to be announced on Wednesday. The money will fund contracts for up to three types of drones and other weapons, ammunition and equipment that may not see the front line for a year or two, they said. The total aid package — provided under the Ukraine Security Initiative and the largest to date — could change somewhat overnight, but not very likely. Officials said it will include money for the small, hand-held Puma drones, the more durable Scan Eagle surveillance drones, which are launched by catapult, and, for the first time, the British Vampire drone system, which can be launched. ships. Unlike most previous packages, the new funding is largely aimed at helping Ukraine secure its mid- to long-term defense posture, according to officials familiar with the matter. The previous missions, most of which were carried out under the Presidential Withdrawal Authority, focused on Ukraine’s most immediate needs for weapons and ammunition and related materials that the Pentagon already has in stock and can be shipped on short notice.
UN nuclear agency hopes to visit Zaporizhia plant ‘within days’
The UN nuclear watchdog will visit the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine “within the next few days if ongoing negotiations are successful,” it said in a statement on Tuesday. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) renewed its request on Tuesday to assess safety at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine that Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of bombing, sparking warnings of a possible nuclear disaster. [email protected]: “The presence of the IAEA will help stabilize the nuclear safety and security situation on the ground and reduce the risk of a major nuclear accident in Europe. The mission is expected to take place within the next few days if ongoing negotiations are successful.” — IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency (@iaeaorg) August 23, 2022 In a statement, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: Ukraine informed the IAEA that the bombing on Saturday (August 20) and Sunday (August 21) destroyed ZNPP infrastructure, including laboratories and chemical facilities, the Director General said. In addition, Ukraine said Monday’s (August 22) shelling damaged transformers at a nearby thermal power plant, causing a disconnection of the power line connecting that plant to the ZNPP that lasted several hours before being restored later in the day. These incidents show why the IAEA should be able to send a mission to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant very soon. … The mission is expected to take place within the next few days if ongoing negotiations are successful.” Updated at 04.39 BST
Zelensky pledges to return Crimea to Ukraine
Zelensky has promised to return Crimea to Ukraine, saying it will become part of the EU, along with the rest of the country. We will return Crimea, because it is our territory. Whichever way we decide. We will decide it ourselves, without consulting any other state… Everything started with Crimea and will end with Crimea.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference after the Crimean Platform Summit in Kyiv. Photo: Andrew Kravchenko/AP Ukraine is also not ready for ceasefire negotiations with Russia, Zelensky said. Where we are, we are not ready for a ceasefire. We explained that there will be no Minsk-3, Minsk-5 or Minsk-7. We will not play these games, we have lost part of our territories this way… it is a trap,” he said during a press conference after the Crimean Platform summit in Kyiv. Meanwhile, many civilians are trying to flee Kyiv amid fears of a Russian attack, according to an adviser to Ukraine’s president. Passengers line up to board a night train heading west to Lviv from Kyiv on Tuesday, August 23. Photo: David Goldman/AP Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Alex Rodnyansky said people were worried and there was “certainly some concern” that an attack could hit decision-making centers in the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday. People react to the news. They try to make sure they have emergency plans, they don’t want to spend too much time around…
