Russia Ukraine War Latest News: Today, Ukrainian troops struck the Progress Rocket and Space Centre in Russia’s Samara oblast. And local authorities shared that they repelled Ukrainian drones trying to attack an industrial facility in the same region. Meanwhile, North Korean media has indicated that Vladimir Putin is in favour of continuing the North Korea alliance.
Russia Ukraine War Latest News: What’s Happening in Samara?
Ukrainian troops unleashed an overnight attack in which flamingo missiles were used to attack the Progress Rocket and Space Centre in Russia’s Samara oblast.
The targeted facility is a critical hub for the Russian space agency Roscosmos. It manufactures the Soyuz-2 family of space launch vehicles used to put Russian military, reconnaissance, and communication satellites into orbit.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the strike and stated that “A good achievement. The distance from our border is about 900 kilometres,”. He then added that “Our plan of long-range sanctions against Russia for this war is being implemented, and it is important that Russia’s war potential be reduced. Peace is needed, and this must be evident in Russia – through concrete damage to specific facilities.”
The Ukrainian troops then tried to target industrial infrastructure in Samara but in vain. Ivan Noskov, the head of Samara oblast’s capital, confirmed that “a massive attack” had been repelled.
Russia Ukraine War Latest News: Putin Emphasises ‘Constructive Joint Work’ with North Korea
North Korea’s state media agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shared a statement today. The agency claimed that Russian president Vladimir Putin congratulated North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-un on the occasion of Liberation Day (marking North Korea’s freedom from Japanese occupation).
According to the statement, Putin said that “I am confident that we will continue our constructive joint work on bilateral and international issues for the benefit of the Russian and Korean peoples, as well as to establish a more just and truly democratic world order.”
Putin also reportedly noted that ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have “been elevated to an unprecedentedly high level of comprehensive strategic partnership”. Zelensky recently called out North Korea’s involvement in the ongoing war & implied that Moscow relies heavily on Pyongyang.
Russia Ukraine War Latest News: Protests in Kyiv Over Fedorov’s Sacking Linger
Last month, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky terminated defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov after barely 6 months. Fedorov is a popular leader and the only one to hold some position in all of President Zelensky’s governments. No reason was given for his termination.
However, Fedorov’s sacking led to widespread backlash and caused protests in multiple parts of Ukraine. Zelensky made some attempts to quel the dissatisfaction. However, protests erupted in Kyiv once again today, with many demanding Fedorov’s return.
Russia Ukraine War Latest News: Kremlin Turns Down Proposal of Black Sea Ceasefire
A recent report by news agency Reuters shared that Ukraine proposed, through a third party, that both Russia and Ukraine stop all attacks on civilian targets and commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
Ukrainian agricultural exports reportedly fell 76% year-on-year in August, as a result of attacks in the Black Sea. The timing of the proposed truce coincides with the ongoing harvest season in Ukraine.
At the time, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that Moscow had not received an official ceasefire proposal. Now, the Kremlin has rejected that ceasefire proposal.
Maria Zakhorova, the spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry stated that Ukraine is committing brazen acts of terrorism” against shipping in the Black Sea. “We view these attacks (by Ukraine) as a deliberate policy aimed at destabilising civilian shipping in the Black Sea region to further escalate tensions and prolong the conflict, all with the blatant acquiescence of regional neighbours,” , she said.
She then added that “At the same time, we see no signs of improvement in the situation and, consequently, no grounds for half-measures that merely grant the Kyiv regime a temporary breathing space.” Zakharova said that Russia maintains the same response for Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan who urged both Moscow & Kyiv to declare a moratorium on all Black Sea attacks.
