WAR IN UKRAINE: August 9, 2023
A double rainbow to herald the arrival of a week in which Odesa authorities have pledged to declare beaches fit for swimming - and as an added bonus - to extend opening hours of bars and restaurants for an additional hour (to 23:00)!
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 532
An 18-year-old man was killed and three other men were wounded after Russian shelling hit the southern Ukrainian district of Nikopol, a local military official said Wednesday. Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, said those injured had suffered mine-blast trauma and shrapnel wounds. The shelling also damaged power lines, homes and a church, he added - CNN
Ukrainian military officials on August 9 cited more than 30 frontline clashes amid counteroffensive operations in the past 24 hours, while Russia blamed Kyiv for what it said was a twin drone attack targeting Moscow that it "thwarted" with no casualties or damage to the capital - RFE/RL
A strong explosion in the Moscow region was reported on Ukrainian Telegram channels today. It reportedly took place at the Zagorsk optical-mechanical plant in Sergiev Posad. The company is engaged in the production of observation equipment, optics for military, laboratory instruments, dosimetric equipment and technical security equipment.
A White House official says the US is aware Ukraine's counteroffensive isn't progressing as quickly as was expected, following CNN reporting that describes increasingly "sobering" assessments from Western officials about Kyiv's forces’ ability to retake significant territory. “Even the Ukrainians … including President (Volodymyr) Zelensky, have said that they're not going as far or as fast as he would like," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told CNN's Wolf Blitzer Tuesday. Ukraine's offensive is "not without its difficulties, but they keep trying," he said - CNN
Authorities in Italy have halted an investment program for Russian and Belarusian citizens that offered residency permits in exchange for large investments.
Pentagon announces Biden has cleared F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots. Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed on Aug. 8 that U.S. President Joe Biden "has given the green light" to allow and support the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets - Kyiv Independent
Russia has issued a new history textbook for students in their final year of high school with a section about the war in Ukraine that echoes Russian propaganda - RFE/RL
Required reading…
Odesa urgently needs an air defense upgrade as Russia escalates airstrikes
On a languid recent August evening in downtown Odesa, the street action abruptly came to a standstill as a DJ played a contemporary version of the Ukrainian national anthem. Almost everyone stood up and began to sing along. As if on cue, a breeze brought to life a nearby Ukrainian flag fluttering where a monument to the founders of Odesa, including Russian Empress Catherine II, had until recently stood.
The moment was made even more poignant as it took place just around the corner from the spot where a Russian cruise missile recently struck, causing significant damage to a number of historically important buildings including a museum, a music school, and other precious Odesa landmarks. Although the smell of acrid burning is gone, the tears, pain, and anger caused by the attack are still tangible in this Ukrainian Black Sea port city.
Read my full Atlantic Council Ukraine Alert here