WAR IN UKRAINE: August 12, 2022
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 170
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposes the idea of EU-wide entry ban for Russians. “This is Putin's war. That's why I have a hard time with this idea," Scholz said on Aug. 11. He added that punitive measures should be aimed at decisions makers in Moscow rather than all Russians - Kyiv Independent
Russia says Ukraine attacked a prison full of its most revered war heroes. CNN's deep dive shows that can't be true. “A CNN investigation based on analysis of video and photographs from the scene, satellite imagery from before and after the attack and the work of forensic and weapons experts concludes the Russian version of events is very likely a fabrication. There is almost no chance that a HIMARS rocket caused the damage to the warehouse where the prisoners were being held.” Read the full CNN article here
More shelling of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been reported, with Ukraine and Russia again blaming each other for the attack. Each side said there were 10 hits on the plant's administrative office and fire station on Thursday - BBC.
Ukraine Brutally Trolls Weeping Russian Tourists Fleeing Crimea With Bananarama Video - Daily Beast. Ukraine’s defense ministry published a video Thursday mocking Russian tourists who fled Crimea after huge explosions ripped through an airbase on the occupied peninsula this week. Footage shared on social media earlier this week showed beachgoers running for cover after the blasts at the Saki base, an attack that has been credited to Ukrainian special forces. Although Kyiv authorities are yet to formally take responsibility for the attack, the defense ministry’s trolling video mocked the Kremlin’s account of what caused the explosions. “Unless they want an unpleasantly hot summer break, we advise our valued Russian guests not to visit Ukrainian Crimea,” the caption alongside the video said. “Because no amount of sunscreen will protect them from the hazardous effects of smoking in unauthorised areas.” Read the full report here
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been 445 attacks on health care in Ukraine, resulting in 105 injuries and 86 deaths, reported between 24 February and 11 August. Attacks on health care include those against health facilities, transport, personnel, patients, supplies and warehouses. “These attacks deprive people of urgently needed care, endanger health-care providers, and undermine health systems,” WHO said.
Investigative journalists at The Insider and Bellingcat obtained access to an archive of complaints submitted to Russia’s military prosecutor’s office by the relatives of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, by the soldiers themselves, and by civilians whose hometowns have become war zones. The complaints accuse Russia’s Defense Ministry of deceiving and coercing conscripted soldiers into combat, failing to provide troops with needed food and medical care, and withholding information from family members about men who have been captured or killed. Read the full report here
There is virtually no way to escape a Europe-wide recession, but it need be neither deep nor prolonged. It is also Russia’s last economic card. So long as Europe ensures that its economies survive the cold season, Russia’s blackmail will have failed. It will not claim victory in Kyiv on the backs of shivering households in Vienna, Prague and Berlin. Read the full Financial Times commentary by Chris Giles here
Required reading…
Putin is running out of excuses as Ukraine expands the war to Crimea
Deception has always played a key role in armed conflict and Moscow has long been known as an information warfare innovator. Russia also has a number of very good military reasons to downplay its setbacks in Ukraine.
Read the full Atlantic Council Ukraine Alert analysis here