More than 600,000 tons of grain has been shipped from Ukraine since opening of corridor, Turkish ministry says
From CNN's Isil Sariyuce in Istanbul
Since Aug. 1, 622,000 tons of grain have been shipped from Ukrainian ports, the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
In 17 days, a total of 43 vessels were used for grain shipments — 25 of which have departed from Ukrainian ports and 18 going to Ukrainian ports for grain shipment — the ministry announced in a statement.
Ministers from Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement to unblock Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in Istanbul on July 22.
The first ship, Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni, departed the port of Odesa on Aug. 1 and was followed by Navistar, Rojen, Polarnet, Mustafa Necati, Star Helena, Glory, Riva Wind, Sacura, Arizona, Ocean Lion and Rahmi Yagci ships, the ministry said.
“Every ship leaving or going to Ukrainian ports was subjected to comprehensive inspection in the north of Istanbul,” the ministry said.
8:37 a.m. ET, August 18, 2022
Crowdfunding helps Ukraine secure access to network of satellites for imagery on critical locations
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio in London
A Ukrainian crowdfunding effort has been able to secure to a private network of satellites for the country’s Ministry of Defense. This gives the Ukrainian Armed Forces access to radar satellite imagery on critical locations.
The effort was led by the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, a charity owned by a Ukrainian TV-star turned politician.
The foundation signed a deal with the ICEYE company, which gives the Ukrainian defense ministry full access to all the systems and full capabilities for one of ICEYE’s satellites already in orbit over the region, the foundation said in a statement on Thursday.
“ICEYE will provide access to its constellation of SAR satellites, allowing the Ukrainian Armed Forces to receive radar satellite imagery on critical locations with a high revisit frequency," it added. “The satellite will provide the Government of Ukraine with ICEYE’s Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imaging capabilities."
The funds were originally crowdfunded to purchase Bayraktar drones, which the Turkish manufacturer decided to donate to Ukraine for free. The donation "allowed us to use the saved 600 million UAH (17 million USD) to purchase the satellite," the foundation said.
7:53 a.m. ET, August 18, 2022
Russia deploys jets armed with hypersonic missiles to Kaliningrad, reports state media
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio and Uliana Pavlova
Russia has deployed three fighter jets armed with hypersonic missiles to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, the ministry of defense told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
“Three MiG-31 aircraft with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles have been deployed to the Kaliningrad Region as part of additional strategic deterrence measures,” the MoD said on Thursday, according to RIA.
“The Ministry of Defense previously explained that Kinzhal missiles are invisible and invulnerable to any means of enemy air defense and anti-missile defense,” RIA reported.
Russia used the missiles for the first time in combat in mid-March.
However Western military experts have played down its significance, with the UK defense ministry saying that the Kinzhal missile is really just an air-launched version of the Iskander short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), which Russia has used repeatedly in its war on Ukraine.
It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know.
From CNN staff
Firefighters dig through the rubble of a building destroyed during a missile strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Thursday, August 18. (Andrii Marienko/AP)
A Russian rocket attack killed at least seven people in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, while fighting continues around the town of Bakhmut in the eastern Donetsk region. International experts could visit the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and Moscow is hoping to deal with a demographic crisis by reviving a Soviet-era award for the mothers of large families.
Here are the latest headlines:
Deadly strike Ukraine'ssecond-largest city: A Russian rocket attack on an apartment building in the northeastern city of Kharkiv killed seven and injured 20 more in the early hours of Thursday, Ukrainian officials said. Emergency services said a fire at the three-story building in Saltivka district took two hours to bring under control.
Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine continue: Ukraine has repelled assaults by Russian forces across the front lines in the eastern Donetsk region, its military said on Thursday. The bulk of the fighting had been concentrated around the town of Bakhmut, which has remained under heavy Russian artillery fire, it said.
IAEA experts ready to visit nuclear plant: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said a team of international experts is prepared to visit the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, following a call with the chief of the nuclear watchdog. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi "is ready to lead an IAEA delegation to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant," Kuleba said in a tweet.
Putin to reward mothers of large families: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree reviving the Soviet era “Mother Heroine” award for women with more than 10 children, in an attempt to alleviate the demographic crisis in Russia. Originally, the award was introduced by Joseph Stalin after World War II, when the Soviet population plunged by tens of millions of people.
Estonia struck by cyberattack: Estonia was hit by extensive cyberattacks on Wednesday, Luukas Ilves, the country's chief information officer and undersecretary for digital transformation, revealed on Thursday. According to Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR), the Russian-backed hacker group Killnet has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which targeted both public and private institutions.
9:02 a.m. ET, August 18, 2022
Russia's claim it may shut down Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant sparks warnings of "radiation disaster"
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio and Uliana Pavlova
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on August 4 in Ukraine. (Victor/Xinhua/Getty Images)
Russia's ministry of defense has said it is considering shutting down the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) in southern Ukraine, triggering a warning from Ukraine's state nuclear agency that doing so would risk disaster.
“Negative developments” at the power plant could force Russia to consider “putting the 5th and 6th power units" into the “cold reserve,” leading to “the shutdown of the Zaporizhzhia NPP,” the ministry said in a statement Thursday, blaming Ukraine for shelling the site. Ukrainian authorities have refuted the allegations, accusing Russia of being behind attacks that have damaged the complex.
Energoatom, Ukraine's state-run nuclear power company, said the prospect of shutting down the plant would bring “the scenario of a radiation disaster closer.”
“In the event of the disconnection of the [Zaporizhzhia] NPP generators from the power system of Ukraine, they will not be able to be used for their own fuel cooling needs in case of a power outage at the plant,” Energoatom said in a Telegram post on Thursday. “This will approximate the possible scenario of a radiation disaster at the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.”
The plant is the focal point of growing global concern after weeks of increased shelling has sparked calls from the United Nation's International Atomic Energy Agency to allow experts to visit the facility and ratcheted fears of a potential nuclear accident.
Both sides have tried to point the finger at the other for threatening nuclear terrorism.
Ukrainian shelling has damaged auxiliary support systems, such as splash pools and other equipment that keeps the reactors cool, according to the ministry, which accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out 12 attacks on the facility using more than 50 artillery shells and five kamikaze drones.
Ukraine has consistently denied the allegations and blamed Russia of shelling the plant, as well as using it as a shield from which to fire at Ukrainian positions in Nikopol, on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River. Russia has also denied Ukrainian claims.
“We are ready to present to the IAEA real high-resolution images ... which shows that weapons, especially heavy ones, are not placed on the territory of this station,” the Russian defense ministry said on Thursday.
“We know that in the presence of a large number of military and commercial foreign satellites, the same information can be presented to the world by the American side,” it added.
CNN cannot independently verify Ukrainian or Russian claims about strikes and placement of heavy military equipment at Zaporizhzhia NPP.
CNN has reached out to commercial satellite imagery operators to verify Russian claims but has yet to hear back.
9:07 a.m. ET, August 18, 2022
UN head "delighted" with invitation to visit Ukrainian university
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, left, and university rector Volodymyr Melnyk visit Lviv State University in the western Ukrainian city on Thursday. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images)
António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, said he was “delighted” to visit the National University of Lviv in Ukraine.
“I was delighted to accept the invitation of the director of this faculty of international relations of the very old and very respected [National] University of Lviv,” Guterres told journalists at the event on Thursday.
Today, many people think that only governments matter but on the contrary, more and more the contribution of civil society and the contribution of academia are essential in the development of modern democracies.”
“This school has given very important contributions, namely, to the Charter of the United Nations. One of the members was part of the drafting of the charter and its values were discussed here,” Guterres went on to say.
“Also in research about the Holocaust, and in contributions in relation to several very important aspects of the analysis of violations of human rights and genocide," he added.
“That is the reason why, for me as Secretary of the United Nations, it is a very important experience to be able to visit this faculty of Lviv University."
9:32 a.m. ET, August 18, 2022
Putin revives Stalin-era "Mother Heroine" award for women with over 10 children
From CNN's Uliana Pavlova
On Monday Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree reviving the Soviet-era “Mother Heroine” award for women with more than 10 children, in an attempt to alleviate a demographic crisis in Russia.
Originally, the award was introduced by Joseph Stalin after World War II, when the Soviet population plunged by tens of millions.
The award ceased to exist with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
A payment of 1 million rubles ($16,500) will be given to Russian mothers once the 10th child turns one, if all 10 have survived.
According to the latest Rosstat statistics published this summer, Russia’s population shrank by an average of 86,000 people per month between January and May, a record.
In addition Russia is suffering heavy losses among troops in Ukraine, but the true number of casualties has not been disclosed.
In an attempt to relieve the population crisis in Russia, the Kremlin has also focused on promoting traditional values.
5:13 a.m. ET, August 18, 2022
Estonia struck by "extensive" cyberattack, reportedly claimed by Russian hackers
From CNN's Teele Rebane in Tallin
Estonia was hit by extensive cyberattacks on Wednesday, Luukas Ilves, the country's chief information officer and undersecretary for digital transformation, revealed on Thursday.
According to Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR), the Russian-backed hacker group Killnet has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which targeted both public and private institutions.
They came a day after a Soviet tank statue was removed in the Eastern border city of Narva, and a day ahead of the suspension of Russian tourist visas on August 18.
“The attacks were ineffective ... With some brief and minor exceptions, websites remained fully available throughout the day. The attack has gone largely unnoticed in Estonia,” Ilves said on Facebook. “As Gov't CIO, I slept well.”
According to the Estonian Information Services Department's incident handling department, there were 12 attacks against various state institutions or websites, and four attacks directed at private sector organizations in the past 24 hours.
Nine of the attacks had no effect, while seven caused short service delays, state media reported.
According to Ilves, these are the most extensive attacks to hit the country since 2007, when Estonia became the first nation to be targeted by wide-ranging cyberattacks following the removal of a statue of a Soviet soldier.
Estonia believes that the 2007 attacks were backed by the Russian state. The attacks lasted 22 days and targeted various government websites and local media outlets.
On Wednesday, after weeks of deliberation and controversy, the Estonian government removed the Soviet T-34 tank statue from the Eastern border city of Narva.
The tank monument was erected in 1970 to commemorate the Russian "liberation" of the city from the Nazis during World War Two.
3:51 a.m. ET, August 18, 2022
Ukrainian military says it repelled Russian assaults in the east
From CNN's Vasco Cotovio and Oleksandra Ochman
Ukraine has repelled assaults by Russian forces across the front lines in the eastern Donetsk region, the military's General Staff said on Thursday.
“[Russia] led an offensive in the Mykolaivka-Vyimka direction, was unsuccessful, withdrew,” the General Staff said of Moscow’s push toward the key city of Kramatorsk.
The bulk of the fighting had been concentrated around the town of Bakhmut, which has remained under heavy Russian artillery fire, it said.
"The occupiers launched an offensive in the directions of Volodymyrivka–Soledar, Pokrovske–Bakhmutske, Pokrovske–Bakhmut, Klynove–Bakhmut, Semihiria–Zaitseve, Semihiria–Kodema and Holmivskyi–Zaitseve," the General Staff said. "The invaders did not achieve any positive results in any of the offensive directions and withdrew with losses."
Russian forces also had limited success west of Donetsk city, near Avdiivka, it added.
Southern front: Russian forces maintained a defensive posture in the south of Ukraine, specifically around Kherson region, the General Staff said.
"The enemy continues to focus its efforts on establishing full control over the territories of the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, maintaining the temporarily captured areas of the Kherson oblast and parts of the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Mykolaiv oblast, creating favorable conditions for resuming the offensive in certain directions, as well as blocking Ukraine's maritime communications in the Black Sea," it said.
