August 15, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

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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Russia's central bank raises interest rates to 12% after the ruble plunges

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." 

Russia targeted Ukraine's western Lviv region with a missile strike overnight into Tuesday, according to local officials. 

Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv regional military administration, said missile fragments fell on apartment buildings and a supermarket.

More than a hundred apartments were damaged and a kindergarten was destroyed, but there were no casualties, Lviv mayor Andrii Sadovyi said on Telegram. 

At least four people are receiving medical aid, Sadovyi said. 

There have been no reports of deaths.

Homes in the villages of Stavchany and Sukhovolia were also damaged, with people in Stavchany suffering minor injuries, Kozytskyi said.

Norway's Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has signed a $71 million contract with the International Fund for Ukraine for the delivery of air defense systems to Kyiv, the company said in a statement Monday.

The systems are “developed to counter a wide specter of UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] with solutions to either physically harm or otherwise disable the aerial threat,” according to the statement. 

Drone system: Meanwhile, German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall will deliver a Luna New Generation reconnaissance drone system to Ukraine “in the course of 2023,” it said in a statement Sunday.  

The drone system comprises a ground control station and several drones, and will be able to “detect, classify and recognize objects in real time,” the statement read. 

Rheinmetall said the delivery is “worth a low double-digit million-euro amount.”