August 24, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Jessie Yeung, Kathleen Magramo, Josh Berlinger, Aditi Sangal and Adrienne Vogt, CNN

Updated 2:25 a.m. ET, August 25, 2022

What we're covering here

Ukraine observed its Independence Day on Wednesday — exactly six months after Russia's invasion of the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paid tribute to Ukrainians assisting the war effort in an emotional video address, saying the country was "reborn" on the day Moscow invaded.
World leaders marked the day with messages of support and new rounds of aid. US President Joe Biden announced $2.98 billion in new assistance and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a $66 million aid package during a visit to Kyiv.
Russia has conducted “missile strikes across Ukrainian territory” on Wednesday, an adviser to the Ukrainian Defense Minister said. At least 22 people were killed in a train station strike in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Zelensky said earlier Wednesday.
Ukraine was on high alert as it marked the holiday, with Zelensky on Tuesday warning Moscow may attempt "something particularly ugly.” Celebrations were canceled and the US urged Americans in Ukraine to leave the country immediately.

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12:37 a.m. ET, August 24, 2022

Turkey's Erdogan says return of Crimea to Ukraine is a requirement of international law

From CNN's Isil Sariyuce in Istanbul and Hamdi Alkhshali

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday reiterated Turkey’s position that Ankara supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and rejects Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, according to the state-run Anadolu agency.

Erdogan said in a video message to the Second Crimea Platform Summit in Kyiv that Crimea must be returned to Ukraine.

"The return of Crimea to Ukraine, of which it is an inseparable part, is essentially a requirement of international law," Erdogan said

Erdogan said Ankara will continue to support the Crimean Platform, which was established to resolve the Crimean issue through peaceful means.

"Turkiye does not recognize the annexation of Crimea and has been openly stating since the first day that this step is illegitimate and illegal. This is a principled stance that has not only legal but also moral foundations," he said.

Erdogan added that protecting Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and political unity is "critical," not only for regional but also for global security and stability.

"Ensuring the safety and well-being of our Crimean Tatar compatriots is also among Turkiye's priorities," he said.

9:35 p.m. ET, August 23, 2022

US will announce security package of up to $3 billion on Ukrainian Independence Day

From CNN's Oren Liebermann and Ellie Kaufman

The US is set to announce a security assistance package of up to $3 billion for Ukraine on Wednesday, according to a US official, which is the country's Independence Day and marks six months since the beginning of the war.

This package, first reported by the Associated Press, is far larger than any single previous US package since the start of the war.

The package falls under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) and will include Western air defense capabilities, a large quantity of ammunition, as well as training and maintenance, the official said.

More background: Because this package is part of the USAI, it will not be drawn from existing US inventories. Instead, it will come from contracts with arms manufacturers.

The official said the package has not been finalized and details could still change.

Last week, the US announced a $775 million package that included HIMARS and 105mm Howitzer ammo, anti-armor missiles, mine-clearing capabilities, and more. That package came through Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which means it will be pulled directly from US stocks.

12:43 a.m. ET, August 24, 2022

Zelensky vows to restore Ukrainian rule in Crimea

From CNN's Niamh Kennedy and Alex Hardie

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged to restore Ukrainian rule in Crimea during an international online summit on Tuesday.

Speaking on a panel alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda, Zelensky outlined his country's ambitions to regain power in the peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

"In order to overcome terror, to return predictability and security to our region, Europe and the whole world, we need to win, to win the fight against Russian aggression. And therefore, we need to free Crimea from occupation. It started in Crimea, and it will end in Crimea, and this will be an effective revival of the international legal order," Zelensky told the Crimea Platform summit.

The President stressed that for Ukrainians, Crimea is "not just some territory" or even a "figure in the geopolitical game."

"For Ukraine, Crimea is a part of our people, our society, a community of people to whom we guarantee freedom," he said.

Zelensky added that Crimea has become "a military platform for aggression and the spread of grief," referencing the 750 cruise missiles he said the Russians have launched from the peninsula since the invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24.