August 15, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

Faced with thousands of Russian landmines in a grueling counteroffensive, Ukrainian armed forces are using the experimental technique of thermal imagery to locate the threat that has claimed many lives.

CNN has seen Ukrainian frontline troops deploy a thermal camera on a commercially available drone at dusk. The camera floats above Russian minefields and detects dozens of heat signatures. Some are craters, but many are landmines, barely hidden under the surface. The heat they gather from the glaring summer sun during the daytime is retained as the sun sets, causing them to show up more clearly on the thermal camera.

Drones with thermal cameras are frequently available to Ukraine’s frontline troops and are relatively cheap at around $5,000 each. But the scale of the task is formidable, with often up to five landmines per square meter across more than 180,000 square kilometers of mine-affected land, according to official Ukrainian estimates.

Troops with the 15th National Guard, near the heavily contested village of Robotine, told CNN the tactic was an effective means of locating some mines. Footage provided to CNN showed the mines being hit by specialised Ukrainian charges, detonating the devices and clearing at least some of the threat.

It is another example of relatively low-tech ingenuity being deployed along with the extraordinary input of NATO supplied armor and weaponry over the past months to try and assist the counteroffensive.

Paul McCann, a spokesman for the UK-based HALO Trust demining charity, told CNN its demining experts had used the technique in Angola where it had shown some promise. He said the heat signatures of the mines were more acutely visible at dawn and dusk when they contrasted more with the external temperature. 

A drone team at a frontline position near the southern village of Robotine told CNN how intensely mined the areas around them were.

Another guardsman, Anton, described the emotional challenges at the front.

“There have been many scary moments. Every time you go to work you step over your fear. Because who else will do it? Nobody. And if they send someone else and something happens to him, you can’t forgive yourself.”

Watch the team's full report here:

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that Russia may reconsider the decision not to use cluster munitions – despite reports that Moscow has already used cluster munitions during the war in Ukraine.

The Human Rights Watch claims that Russia has already “extensively used cluster munitions, causing many civilian deaths and serious injuries.”

Some context: The US announced last month that it would be sending the controversial munitions to Ukraine, in a move that was criticized by human rights groups.

US President Joe Biden told CNN that the decision whether to send cluster munitions to Ukraine was “very difficult,” but he opted to do so because Kyiv needs more ammunition to continue its fight to push Russian troops out of Ukrainian territory.

More than 100 countries – including the United Kingdom, France and Germany – are signatories of a treaty prohibiting use of the weapon.

What are cluster munitions? The munitions are particularly dangerous to civilians and non-combatants when fired near populated areas because they scatter explosive material, so-called “bomblets” across large areas.

Those that fail to explode on impact can detonate years later, posing a long-term risk to anyone who encounters them, similar to landmines.

Ninety-four percent of recorded cluster bomb casualties are civilians, of which almost 40% are children.

A Moscow court has fined Reddit for failing to delete what it said was false information, or "banned content," regarding the war in Ukraine on its platform, as the Kremlin cracks down on political dissent.

The 2 million ruble (around $20,300) fine was also given for content posted about the prison organization AUE *, which is banned in Russia, state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday.

Judge Timur Vakhrameev said that Reddit was penalized under the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, according to RIA Novosti.

The same court will consider another case on Tuesday against the Wikimedia Foundation, the operator of Wikipedia, for not removing possible prohibited content.

The US ambassador to Poland expressed his gratitude to Polish soldiers for standing “shoulder to shoulder” with Washington and “defending our freedom" and "shared values," as allies of Ukraine look to demonstrate their unity amid Russia's invasion.

Mark Brzezinski said he wanted to offer the "utmost appreciation" to Polish soldiers "on behalf of the United States" on August 15, when Poland commemorates its national Army Day.

August 15 is the anniversary of the 1920 victory over Soviet Russia at the Battle of Warsaw, locally known as the “Miracle on the Vistula.”

“Today is a great day — Polish Army Day. On this occasion, on behalf of the United States, I offer words of utmost appreciation to the Polish soldiers. Military cooperation is a key element of our Polish-American relationship,” Brzezinski wrote in a post on X, previously known as Twitter.

“You are our allies, friends, brothers and sisters in combat. The continued presence of US soldiers in Poland demonstrates our commitment to our allied obligations. Together we are stronger,” Brzezinski added.

Poland and the US have donated aid worth billions of dollars to bolster Ukraine's military might and imposed sanctions on Russia in an attempt to isolate its economy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says US foreign policy adds “fuel to the fire” while speaking in a pre-recorded message at the Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS) on Tuesday.

Putin argued that he believes the United States "continue to benefit from human tragedies, play off peoples, force states to vassal obedience within the framework of the neo-colonial system, mercilessly exploit their resources."

Amid his attack on US foreign policy, the Russian president said “open, honest, unbiased discussions” are extremely important.

Russia's central bank has increased the interest rate to 12% to try and curb inflation, it announced on Tuesday, as the country grapples with an economy weakened by Western sanctions and falling export revenues.

“The decision is aimed at limiting price stability risks,” the Bank of Russia said on Tuesday after holding an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors. It added that a "growth in domestic demand" coupled with "inflationary pressure" had impacted the value of the ruble.

The ruble hit a 17-month low against the dollar Monday, weakening past 100 rubles to the dollar. The 40% drop in the currency's value this year illustrates how Western sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine are squeezing the country's economy.

The interest rate had been 8.5% until the bank's latest decision. The bank added that it imposed the measure to "stabilise" inflation and meet "overall domestic demand."

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un exchanged letters on Tuesday pledging stronger diplomatic relations, as Moscow looks to deepen ties with its remaining allies amid the war in Ukraine.

In his letter to Putin, Kim said the two countries’ “friendship and solidarity” will be “further developed into a long-standing strategic relationship,” where they will be “strongly supporting and cooperating with each other,” North Korean state media KCNA reported.

Kim referenced Russian and Korean guerrilla forces fighting together during World War II, adding that the two nations are “now fully demonstrating their invincibility."

In a memo to Kim, Putin expressed confidence that the allies “will strengthen the bilateral cooperation in all fields" to ensure "the firm stability and security of the Korean peninsula and the whole of Northeast Asia,” according to Russian state news agency TASS.

The dialogue between both leaders took place on August 15, which is National Liberation Day of Korea. It marks the announcement of Japan’s surrender in the Second World War and is celebrated in both North and South Korea. 

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected military equipment from Iran, China and India during the Army-2023 military exhibition near Moscow, according to video released Monday by the Russian Ministry of Defense. 

The video shows an Iranian representative showing Shoigu an unmanned "heavy-class" Arash drone, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. Iran also exhibited Ababil-5 and Karrar unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as the Hunter-2 electronic warfare system, Russian state media TASS reported. 

The video also shows Chinese representatives showing Shoigu the Wing Loong-2 (WL-2) drone, as well as models of Chinese armored vehicles, RIA reported. Unmanned aerial vehicles, guided missiles and missile systems were demonstrated, TASS said. 

Shoigu also viewed models of Indian Navy frigates, Russian state media said. 

Some context: The annual Army-2023 International Military-Technical Forum is a platform where prominent Russian military companies present their products. Up to 85 foreign companies and organizations from seven countries plan to participate in the forum, which is organized by the Russian Defense Ministry, according to TASS.

The forum, which opened Monday, will continue until August 20 at the Alabino shooting range and the Kubinka airfield, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Moscow. 

At least three people were killed after Russian missiles targeted regions across Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian authorities said on Tuesday.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 28 cruise missiles of various types, 16 of which were intercepted by air defenses. 

Ihor Polishchuk, mayor of the northwestern city of Lutsk, reported the three fatalities and said three others were injured, adding that an industrial enterprise was hit.

In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, at least two people were wounded after an industrial enterprise caught fire and a sports facility was destroyed following a Russian missile strike, according to Serhii Lysak, head of the region's military administration. 

Two people were injured, he added.

In nearby Cherkasy, Russian missiles hit a medical facility, a private enterprise, and water and heat supply networks in the town of Smila, according to Ihor Taburets, head of the local military administration.

There were no casualties, Taburets said.

It comes after more than a hundred apartments were damaged overnight by missile fragments in the western region of Lviv.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, called the attacks a "reminder to us and our partners that we need even more sanctions to stop the Russian military-industrial complex."