WAR IN UKRAINE: August 7, 2023

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 530

  • Russian troops shelled the village of Kucherivka in the Kharkiv region, hitting a house. Two people were killed, three were wounded. Other Russian strikes in the past 24 hours have resulted in at least another death and several injuries

  • Delegations from some 30 various countries and organizations attending the Ukraine peace summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, agreed to continue working together toward "achieving lasting peace in the region," Saudi state news reported Sunday, but no specific developments were revealed “The participants agreed on the importance of continuing international consultations and exchanging opinions in order to build a common ground that will pave the way for peace. They also emphasized the importance of benefiting from views and positive suggestions made during this meeting,” according to a statement from the Saudi Press Agency. In statements Sunday, the head of Ukraine's presidential office called the talks "productive" and "extremely honest and open," while Russia's deputy foreign minister dismissed the talks as "doomed" to prevent meaningful developments - CNN

  • The Jeddah conference is “distinct” from other talks that the kingdom has hosted, Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the Chatham House think tank, told The National. “The kingdom is trying to position itself as a middle ground non-aligned influencer that can bring together multiple parties in Ukraine war,” Ms Vakil said. “These efforts are designed to show Riyadh's international mobilising power, particularly among the G20. This outreach has shown a shift in Riyadh's regional approach away from outsourcing to directly managing its regional security interests.”

  • For the second time in a week, Moscow's Vnukovo airport was temporarily closedon August 6 after Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that a drone strike on the Russian capital had been parried. The closure came after Ukraine's military reported a massive countrywide missile-and-drone attack overnight. Meanwhile, the number of Russians vacationing in Crimea, the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula occupied by Moscow, has fallen by nearly half in recent weeks following attacks carried out by Kyiv - RFE/RL

Michael BociurkiwComment