August 9, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Kathleen Magramo, Heather Chen, Jack Guy, Hafsa Khalil, Aditi Sangal, Adrienne Vogt and Meg Wagner, CNN

Updated 3:06 a.m. ET, August 10, 2022
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2:21 p.m. ET, August 9, 2022

US State Department will provide $89 million to support Ukraine's demining efforts

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

The US State Department intends to provide $89 million in support of demining efforts in Ukraine as the nation faces “one of the largest landmine and unexploded ordnance challenges in decades” due to the war, a State Department official said Tuesday.

The assistance will go toward funding 100 demining teams who will work “in areas where there's the greatest amount of contamination” over the next year, the official said in a call with reporters.

The United States will provide training and equipment to the demining teams, the official said. They declined to say specifically where the training will take place but said “it's going to be an area that makes it as easy as possible for Ukrainian government employees, Ukrainian government deminers to receive that training as efficiently as possible and return to where they're needed most as quickly as possible.”

The $89 million will not go directly to the government of Ukraine, but rather to non-governmental organizations and contractors who work with the government teams.

“We are aware that Russia is using a bunch of different types of cluster munitions,” the official said, noting the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s claim that “Russia's forces deliberately hid explosives in toys and shiny objects to attract children's attention.”

“This horrific use of improvised explosive devices by Russia's forces is reminiscent of ISIS tactics back in Syria,” they said.

The official also referenced the Ukrainian government’s estimate that 160,000 square kilometers of territory “may be contaminated by land mines and unexploded ordnance,” noting “that's an area roughly the size of Virginia, Maryland, and Connecticut, combined.” 

However, the official noted the exact scope of mine contamination is difficult to determine as the war with Russia is ongoing.”

“I think it's safe to say that this is a challenge that Ukraine will face for decades,” they said.

Asked about the fact that the Biden administration has sent Claymore mines to Ukraine, the official said the ones provided by the US are configured to have a person who needs to pull the trigger, and as such the US does not consider them to be anti-personnel mines.

“They're provided so that there's a soldier making the decision on whether it's deployed,” they said. “It's not just simply left out there for a child to stumble upon.”

2:09 p.m. ET, August 9, 2022

UK and French leaders say military aid is "making a significant difference" in Ukraine

From CNN’s Xiaofei Xu in Paris and David Wilkinson in London 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call on Tuesday said their countries' aid to the Ukrainian military is "making a significant difference" in the war against Russia.  

“They agreed that UK and French efforts to train and equip Ukrainian troops were making a significant difference in the war,” according to a readout provided by Downing Street. 

The statement added that the two leaders also agreed that “western war fatigue cannot be allowed to set in."

Both sides reiterated the determination to support Ukraine for “as long as necessary,” according to a statement from Élysée Palace.  

The readouts said that the pair also discussed other issues including the food crisis "caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine." 

3:20 p.m. ET, August 9, 2022

1 dead and multiple people injured after explosions around Russian air base area in Crimea 

From CNN's Olga Voitovych and Karen Smith

Smoke rises after explosions were heard from the direction of a Russian military airbase near Novofedorivka, Crimea on Aug. 9, 2022.
Smoke rises after explosions were heard from the direction of a Russian military airbase near Novofedorivka, Crimea on Aug. 9, 2022. Reuters

One person has died following explosions in the area of a Russian military airbase in Crimea on Tuesday, according to Sergey Aksenov, the head of the so-called Republic of Crimea.

“The situation is localized and is under control. I repeat once again: there is no general evacuation in the district. Only residents of houses located very close to the military airfield will be resettled,” Aksenov said on Telegram. 

About 30 people were evacuated from their homes, said Oleg Kryuchkov, adviser to the head of the Crimean region. A cordon perimeter has been set up around the perimeter of the airfield, Kryuchkov said on his Telegram channel.

Earlier on Tuesday, Minister of Health of the Republic of Crimea Kоnstantin Skorupsky said five people were injured following the explosions.

The number of injured has increased to nine people, according to the Ministry of Health of Crimea.

In a statement on Telegram, the ministry said seven people injured received treatment at Saki Regional Hospital. Among them were two children. Six of the seven who were treated at the hospital received outpatient medical treatment while one person received in-patient treatment. 

Two additional injured people were treated at Simferopol City Clinical Emergency Hospital No. 6 with mild injuries and were sent home following treatment. 

The statement added one person is known to have been killed “on the spot” following the explosion.

Citing the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian state media RIA Novosti earlier reported the blasts had been caused by detonated aviation ammunition “on the territory of the airfield 'Saki' near the settlement of Novofedorivka.”

Aksenov said he is at the scene in the village of Novofedorivka in the Saki district and “there is a dispersion of fragments.”

Emergency crews are working the site, he added. “Measures were taken to set up a cordon perimeter in a 5-kilometer zone: fences, traffic police crews and foot patrols in order to prevent injuries to local residents.”

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said it cannot determine the cause of the explosions.

“The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine cannot determine the cause of the fire, but once again reminds of the rules of fire safety and the prohibition of smoking in unspecified places,” the ministry statement said. "The fact of a fire can be used by a terrorist country in an information war.”

10:13 a.m. ET, August 9, 2022

US State Department sanctions two Belarusian officials on the anniversary of fraudulent election

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

The US State Department has sanctioned two high-ranking Belarusian officials “for involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely the arbitrary detention of peaceful protesters,” and will move to impose visa restrictions “on 100 regime officials and their affiliates for their involvement in undermining or injuring democratic institutions or impeding the transition to democracy,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday.

The measures were announced on the second anniversary of the election in Belarus – a fraudulent election and one in which longtime strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory. It sparked massive protests throughout the country.

“The Belarusian people have demonstrated remarkable resilience in sustaining the pro-democracy movement for two years at great personal sacrifice. These calls for democracy are voiced by Belarusians exiled abroad, over 1,200 political prisoners unjustly detained inside the country, and countless ordinary Belarusian citizens,” Blinken said in a statement.

“Their peaceful calls for democracy have been met with unprecedented brute force and a consolidated crackdown by the Lukashenka regime,” he said.

The two individuals sanctioned Tuesday — Mikalai Karpiankou, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Commander of the Internal Troops, and Dzmitriy Balaba, the Commander of the Special Task Police Force (OMON) of the Minsk City Executive Committee of Internal Affairs — “played a significant role in the repression surrounding the fraudulent August 9, 2020 presidential election,” Blinken said.

“Today’s action expands existing restrictions on Karpiankou and Balaba to include visa restrictions against their immediate family members, including Karpiankou’s wife Irina and adult son Igor, and Balaba’s wife Tatyana and adult sons Artem and Maksim, making them ineligible for entry into the United States,” he said.

According to Blinken, the new tranche of those facing visa restrictions includes “those holding high-ranking positions in the Administration of the President, Ministry of Interior, State Security Committee (KGB), the Central Election Commission, the Prosecutor General’s Office, Central Office of the Investigative Committee, Ministry of Transport and Communication, Main Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBOPiK), the National State TV and Radio Company ‘Belteleradio,’ the Second National Television Station, and the Air Force and Air Defense Forces,” as well as “members of Parliament, district judges, security officials, members of executive committees, and state university administrators.”

“Individuals subject to the proclamation have been implicated in torture; violent arrests of peaceful protesters; raids of homes and offices of journalists, members of the opposition, and activists; coerced confessions; electoral fraud; politically motivated sentences of political prisoners; expulsion of students for participation in peaceful protests; passage of legislation impacting the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms; and acts of transnational repression,” Blinken said.

11:36 a.m. ET, August 9, 2022

Series of explosions reported around Russian air base area in Crimea

From CNN's Tim Lister, Anna Chernova, Olga Voitovych and Julia Kesaieva

Smoke rises after explosions were heard from the direction of a Russian military airbase near Novofedorivka, Crimea on August 9.
Smoke rises after explosions were heard from the direction of a Russian military airbase near Novofedorivka, Crimea on August 9. REUTERS

There has been a series of explosions in the area of a Russian air base in Crimea.

Social media images and video showed a large plume of smoke rising from the vicinity of the air base at Novofedorivka, on Crimea's west coast. 

Oleg Kryuchkov, adviser to the head of the Crimean region, confirmed several explosions had occurred near the village of Novofedorivka.

"So far, I can only confirm the fact of several explosions in the Novofedorivka area. I ask everyone to wait for official messages and not to produce versions," Kryuchkov said on his Telegram channel.

The series of explosions was caused by detonated aviation ammunition, Russian state media RIA Novosti reported Tuesday. 

“Around 3.20 pm, several aviation munitions detonated on the territory of the airfield 'Saki' near the settlement of Novofedorovka, on a bunded storage site,” a Russia defense ministry statement said, according to RIA Novosti. 

State media reported there were no injuries due to the explosions, and aviation equipment at the airfield was not damaged, citing the defense ministry. 

Separately, Sergey Aksenov, the head of the so-called Republic of Crimea, said he visited the scene and that "the circumstances are being clarified."

Ambulance crews and an air ambulance were sent to the site of the explosions, according to the Ministry of Health of the region.

There has been no word from the Ukrainian side about any attack in the area. Ukraine is not known to have struck the territory of Crimea since the Russian invasion began.

9:11 a.m. ET, August 9, 2022

Russian firm says oil supplies to 3 European countries suspended due to sanctions restrictions 

From CNN's Radina Gigova

Russian firm Transneft said Tuesday that Ukrainian operator Ukrtransnafta suspended the pumping of Russian oil through the southern line of the Druzhba oil pipeline on Aug. 4. Transneft said it could not receive transit fees due to European Union sanctions restrictions, Russian state news agency TASS reported, quoting the firm. 

Oil supplies via the southern line of Druzhba to Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have been suspended, while the transit through Belarus toward Poland and Germany continues, according to TASS.

"Ukrtransnafta suspended providing services on transportation of oil through Ukrainian territory starting August 4, 2022, due to the lack of receipt of monetary funds for services provided. The transit via the northern line of the Druzhba oil pipeline through Belarus towards Poland and Germany is per normal," Transneft said, according to TASS. 

Supplies were carried out on a prepaid basis, but Transneft could not pay for transit services due to the European Union’s sanctions, the company said. Transneft made a payment on July 22 but it was returned to the company’s account, it said. 

"As of now the European banks (correspondents) are no longer authorized to independently decide on the possibility of this or that transaction. To confirm the fact that the transaction is not among those banned it is necessary to obtain a permit from the national authorized state body. The fact that European regulators have not yet articulated a consensus on the algorithm of actions for banks in various jurisdictions, as well as the order of providing such permits, makes things even more complicated," Transneft added, according to TASS. 

To resolve the issue, Transneft has submitted a request to the authorized bank to transfer information to the European regulator to obtain a permit to carry out payments, according to TASS, while alternative options for making payments are also being developed.

8:25 a.m. ET, August 9, 2022

Ukrainian military carries out its deepest strike yet in Russian-occupied area

From CNN's Tim Lister

The Ukrainian military has carried out what appears to have been their deepest strike yet into Russian-occupied regions of the country.

"This morning there was a good news, there was a very powerful detonation in Henichesk region," Serhii Khlan, adviser to the head of Kherson Civil Military Administration, said on Ukrainian television Tuesday.

Henichesk is in southern Kherson region, close to Crimea, and about 200 kilometers, or about 125 miles, from the nearest Ukrainian front line.

Khlan suggested that the target had been on the railway between Henichesk and Melitopol.

"We are still waiting for the official confirmation of our Armed Forces, from the General Staff, but it's a very pleasant news. The detonation was heard during 1.5-2 hours on this railway station, which connects Crimea and Melitopol," he said.

1:32 p.m. ET, August 9, 2022

It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know.

Fighting continues around the town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, while Moscow has called for dialogue with the US after suspending inspections under a key nuclear weapons treaty.

Here are the latest headlines:

  • Nuclear expert highlights risks at Ukraine plant: The head of the Ukrainian state-owned nuclear power company Energoatom warned that Ukraine and Europe could face another Fukishima if the power supply to the massive Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant is further disrupted. Petro Kotin said that only one line of power to the massive complex was now operational after shelling damaged the lines in the past few days.
  • Mre Russian fire around Bakhmut: Russian forces are keeping up the pressure on the town of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region as they try to take more territory in Donbas. Russian forces are conducting offensive battles in the eastern cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka and trying to displace Ukrainian units with artillery fire, said the Ukrainian military.
  • Ukrainians claim heavy strikes against Russian positions in Melitopol: Russian forces endured a "night of hell," said Ivan Fedorov, mayor of the occupied southern city, adding that residents reported hearing about 10 explosions overnight and further blasts at dawn. Smoke was rising from a military base that had been struck four times previously, he added.
  • Largest grain shipment yet leaves Ukraine: The bulk carrier Ocean Lion left the port of Chornomorsk on Tuesday carrying nearly 65,000 tonnes of corn destined for South Korea. It is the largest cargo of grain to leave a Ukrainian port since last month's agreement.
  • Moscow calls for dialogue on nuclear treaty: Russia and the US need to continue dialogue on the START nuclear weapons treaty, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday, following Moscow's announcement that it will temporarily suspend inspections of its facilities under the treaty.

7:42 a.m. ET, August 9, 2022

Donetsk to negotiate with North Korea on construction labor, says head of self-declared republic

From CNN's Tim Lister and Julia Kesaieva

The Russia-backed leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, said they are negotiating with North Korea to bring in construction workers "to restore the territory of the Republic."

On Russian television on Tuesday, Pushilin also announced that "fair" tribunals will be held soon "over the war crimes of Ukraine," with one of the first being held in Mariupol.

"From the testimonies of the Azov fighters and the data that investigators receive after studying their positions, command posts, a complete picture of what is happening is being formed," he said.

Some context: On the battlefield, Pushilin said Russian forces and their allies are advancing northwards into Donetsk, with "ongoing combats" on the outskirts of Bakhmut and Soledar. He also claims Ukrainian forces have sustained heavy losses in the sweeping operations in Pesky, also in Donetsk.

On Tuesday, the Ukrainian military's General Staff said that Russia was keeping up the offense in Bakhmut, but "Ukrainian soldiers inflicted fire damage and forced the invaders to flee."

He added that their forces had also rebuffed Russian attacks on the outskirts of Donetsk.