Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday, August 16, Telegram that the Ukrainian army had “probably” used American weapons for its operation in the Kursk region. “For the first time, the Kursk region was targeted by Western rocket launchers, probably American Himars systems”she said. In May, Joe Biden had already agreed to let Ukraine strike targets on Russian soil with American weapons. Follow our live stream.
A Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy leaves at least two people injured. Several residential buildings and a shopping centre in the city of Sumy, the capital of the eponymous region, were damaged following a Russian strike, Ukrainian police said in a message published on Telegram on Saturday.
kyiv says it is continuing its military offensive in the Kursk region. “The troops of the attack group [dans la région de Koursk] continue the fight and have advanced in some sectors by one to three kilometers”Ukrainian Army Commander Oleksandr Syrsky said at a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.
Italian ambassador to Russia summoned by Moscow after Rai report. Cecilia Piccioni ““has received strong protests over the actions of a film crew from the public broadcaster Rai, which illegally entered Russia to cover the criminal terrorist attack by Ukrainian soldiers.”Russian diplomacy said in a statement. The Ambassador “explained that Rai and in particular the editorial teams plan their activities in a completely autonomous and independent manner”explained a spokesperson for Italian diplomacy.
Russian authorities are evacuating five border villages from Ukraine starting Monday. “From August 19, we are blocking access to five localities, evacuating residents and helping to move goods,” Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram, adding that access to a sixth village would also be “temporarily” forbidden.