Embassy of Ukraine in the USA
WAR BULLETIN
August 29, 6.00 pm EST
WAR ROOM
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 29.08 were approximately:
personnel - about 47100 (+350),
tanks ‒ 1947 (+5),
APV ‒ 4269 (+12),
artillery systems – 1060 (+10),
MLRS - 279 (+5),
Anti-aircraft warfare systems - 149 (+1),
aircraft – 234 (+0),
helicopters – 203 (+1),
UAV operational-tactical level - 844 (+6),
cruise missiles - 196 (+0),
warships / boats - 15 (+0),
vehicles and fuel tanks - 3188 (+17),
special equipment - 101 (+2).
Russian enemy suffered the greatest losses (of the past day) at the Donetsk direction.
The one hundred eighty-seventh (186) day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a Russian military invasion continues.
There are no major changes on the Volyn, Polissya, and Siversky directions. On the last day, the enemy shelled civilian infrastructure with barrel artillery in the areas of the settlements of Bilopilla, Hai, Katerynivka, Myropilla, and Vodolaga of the Sumy oblast. Conducted aerial reconnaissance with unmanned aerial vehicles.
In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy shelled territories near Peremoha, Svitlychne, Husarivka, Borshchova, Zalyman, Slatyne, Nove, Ivanivka, Ruska Lozova, and Sosnivka from tanks, combat vehicles, and rocket artillery. Made an air strike near Nove. Continues intensive aerial reconnaissance of the UAV.
In the Slovyansk direction, shelling was recorded from tanks, barrel artillery, and MLRS near Kurulka, Brazhkivka, Bohorodychne, Krasnopilla, and Adamivka. The enemy used reconnaissance UAVs. It tried to carry out a pointless reconnaissance by combat in the area of the village of Dolyna, suffered losses and withdrew. In order to improve the tactical position, the enemy carried out assaults near Bohorodychne, without success.
In the Kramatorsk direction, shelling from existing artillery systems was recorded near Hryhorivka, Siversk and Ivano-Daryivka. The occupiers also used aviation to strike in the Hryhorivka area.
In the direction of Bakhmut, the enemy shelled military and civilian infrastructure near Bakhmut, Shumy, Yakovlivka, Zaytseve, and Kodema. It carried out airstrikes in the areas of Yakovlivka and Kodema. Continued aerial reconnaissance of the UAV in the specified direction. The enemy's attempts to conduct offensive battles near Kodema and Zaitsevo were stopped by Ukrainian defenders.
In the Avdiivka direction, the areas of Avdiivka, Vodyane, Vesele, Maryinka, Oleksandropil and Tonenke were affected by the fire. In order to improve the tactical position, the enemy conducted offensive battles in the area of Pervomaiske, without success.
In the direction of Novopavlivka, the positions of our troops were shelled from tanks, barrel artillery and MLRS near Pavlivka, Volodymyrivka, Konstyantynivka and Novoukrainka. The enemy used aircraft to strike in the area of Volodymyrivka.
In the Zaporizhzhia region, the occupiers shelled positions from barrel, rocket artillery, and tanks in the areas of the settlements of Dorozhnianka, Shevchenko, Poltavka, Bilohirya, and Novopil. Airstrikes were carried out near Novopole and Novosilka.
In the South Buh direction, the enemy is concentrating its main efforts on preventing the advance of our troops. Takes measures to replenish losses.
The available artillery systems and tanks shelled the infrastructure in the areas of Oleksandrivka, Prybuzke, Novohryhorivka, Pervomaiske, Kvitneve, Kobzartsi, Yakovlivka, Potemkine, Trudolyubivka, Dobryanka, Tavriyske, Shevchenkove, Lyubomyrivka, Bereznehuvate. It used aviation near Novohryhorivka and Andriivka to carry out the strikes. Reconnaissance UAVs of the occupiers were active.
In the waters of the Black and Azov seas, the enemy's naval group focuses its main efforts on conducting reconnaissance and blocking civilian shipping in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.
Ukrainian soldiers are firmly on the defensive and are ready for any changes in the operational situation. The destruction of enemy command posts of various levels and ammunition depots continues.
Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine
The elderly and persons with limited mobility being the internally displaced people (IDPs) are under the special protection by the state. This was stated by the Deputy Prime Minister - Minister for Reintegration of Temporary Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk during her visit to the Mykolaiv geriatric boarding house. IDPs from the Mykolaiv, Kherson and Odesa regions have been staying here.
Residents of the boarding house said that they were provided with everything they need: food, clothes, medicine. They thanked the staff of the institution and the authorities for their care and attention.
Caring for the seniors who had to flee their homes as a result of the russian invasion is one of the key priorities of the state, noted Iryna Vereshchuk.
"Elderly people often do not have the courage to leave dangerous areas because they are not sure that they will get protection. I assure you: there is a specially equipped transport for their evacuation. They are waiting for all there and will shelter everyone who needs that in safe regions," the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.
She handed over humanitarian aid from the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Government of Poland to the residents of the boarding house.
POLICY
President of Ukraine
Address by President V.Zelenskyy to Ukrainians
Today we honored the memory of our warriors who gave their lives for our state, for our independence.
This day of remembrance is set for the end of summer, August 29, to remind everyone about the tragic events of 2014, about Ilovaisk, about the fact that this war, which began with Russia's occupation of our Crimea, with an attempt to seize Donbas, must end precisely there - in the liberated Crimea, in the liberated cities of Donbas, with our troops reaching the state border of Ukraine.
We have always kept this goal in mind. We do not forget about it.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine, our intelligence, our defense forces are doing their job. I am sure that you all understand what is happening, what we are fighting for and what we are striving for. And our warriors do not need any announcements or information waves in the back.
Ukraine is returning its own. And it will return the Kharkiv region, Luhansk region, Donetsk region, Zaporizhzhia region, Kherson region, Crimea, definitely our entire water area of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov - from Zmiinyi Island to the Kerch Strait. This will happen. This is ours. And just as our society understands it, I want the occupiers to understand it, too. There will be no place for them on Ukrainian land.
Anyone want to know what our plans are? You won't hear specifics from any truly responsible person. Because this is war. And this is what it is during the war.
But the occupiers should know: we will oust them to the border. To our border, the line of which has not changed. The invaders know it well.
If they want to survive, it is time for the Russian military to flee. Go home. If you are afraid to return to your home in Russia - well, let such occupiers surrender, and we will guarantee them compliance with all norms of the Geneva Conventions.
If they do not listen to me, they will deal with our defenders, who will not stop until they liberate everything that belongs to Ukraine.
And it is not something special. It's not something that supposedly started. We've been talking about it for 187 days.
Today, I held meetings with the military, with representatives of the military-industrial sector, and with government officials. Important meetings, important topics, it is wrong to reveal them. But everyone can see the result over time. When our defenders destroy the logistics, bases, and headquarters of the enemy. We will continue this.
I’ve made three appeals to foreign partners today.
The first is Norway. I took part in the work of the energy forum, and I would like to thank the Prime Minister of Norway, Mr. Støre, for the new support package for Ukraine - about 200 million dollars as part of the energy preparation for winter.
The second is France. A powerful association of entrepreneurs - hundreds of thousands of businessmen, millions of owners, managers and employees. I am grateful to them for their support and understanding of what we are fighting for in Ukraine, understanding that this struggle is shared by all Europeans.
The third appeal is to the participants of the security forum in Slovenia, in particular, to our friends - the leaders of the countries of Central Europe and the Balkans.
In the evening, I signed a decree awarding our warriors. 141 combatants were awarded state awards, ten of them posthumously.
It is very important - today I had the honor to present the Gold Star Orders to the relatives, families of Heroes perished while performing combat missions.
Eternal memory to all our heroes! Eternal glory to all those who fight for freedom for our entire land!
Energy independence from Russia is of fundamental importance for all Europeans, and only together can we protect Europe – speech by the President of Ukraine at the Offshore Northern Seas Conference 2022
I'm sure you are well informed about the situation in Europe, about the risks - I heard you talked about them now - that we all face now in addition to the brutal terrorist war that Russia is waging against our citizens, our state, against our independence. It is important to know that this is the independence of all other European states. This is a war for independence as such.
We all see how destabilized the gas market is. We all see how European countries are revising their plans for coal, coal-fired power plants. We can all see that the threat of energy poverty is becoming real for tens of millions of people in Europe, the price of energy is so high that thousands of businesses have gone into crisis. This leads to a reduction in jobs and a drop in workers' incomes. In winter, energy prices can rise even more...
We all see that for the first time since 1986, when the Chornobyl tragedy occurred, we have to consider as seriously as possible the scenarios for countering the radiation disaster that Russia is bringing closer with its terror at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
This is what the authors of this large-scale – and completely artificial – crisis that Europe is going through are counting on. They want the Europeans to be scared. To draw wrong conclusions and give up European values in favor of illusory price reductions. Russia is using economic terror, price crisis pressure and poverty to weaken Europe just when its full force is needed to defend against terror in the war that Russia has been waging for more than six months. Full-scale war! And in general, its invasion of Ukraine has already been lasting for 8 years.
This is what the Russian state, its officials and companies, such as Gazprom, are working for. For creating crises and for crises to turn into disasters. Right now, Russia is burning at least 10 million euros worth of gas near the Finnish border every day. Gas is being burned that should have been supplied to German and other European consumers. Russia cannot stop its production, does not want to supply it to the Europeans, as it is interested in the crisis, and has no other buyers. So it just burns this gas. Just like they burn our people.
10 million euros on fire every day at the border of Russia is hundreds of millions of euros in additional expenses of the European middle class, ordinary workers, pensioners on energy every day as well. Because of the inflated prices on the market, because of the shortage, because of Russia trying to prevent the replenishment of European gas storages before winter.
A normal market player would have already supplied the free volume of gas to the market. The terrorist state does everything to ensure that there is as little gas as possible on the market at the highest possible price, which leads to an increase in other prices. And this is all part of the Russian hybrid aggression against all people, against all of us, against all of you, against all of united Europe.
And take a look at the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The goal of Russia is the same, completely cynical, completely deliberate - to intimidate Ukrainians, to intimidate all Europeans. To blackmail and coerce. This pressure is for Russian state propagandists and officials to say that it is allegedly not Russia to blame, that someone else created another crisis and that this someone should be influenced, and that it is allegedly necessary to negotiate with the Kremlin precisely for this reason.
Russia wants Europe to turn a blind eye to the war, and for this purpose it is provoking internal chaos in Europe. Russia wants to take away freedom from us by force of arms, and from you - by these crises that it creates and exacerbates. Russia wants to force you to abandon European values. Here is a correct conclusion from the available facts. And based on this conclusion, a correct policy is needed. The policy of even greater unity, as the Prime Minister has said now, unity in Europe for our common defense. The policy of even greater energy independence of Europe from Russia. The policy of even greater sanctions against Russia.
It is not normal when there are still no blocking sanctions against Rosatom for radiation blackmail at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. It is not normal when some European companies are still hesitant whether to leave the Russian market or not. And it is not normal when someone still hopes for cooperation with Russia in the energy sector. There can be no concessions to bandits! Only new sanction strikes against them.
For its part, Ukraine can already do - and is doing - concrete things to protect our common values and normal life on the continent.
We are fighting for freedom and for everything that Europe is based on, defending all Europeans in this war. And this is not pathos - this is the truth! We have united Europeans and helped overcome the various contradictions that have been dividing the continent for decades. We have shown what power Europe has when united and what enemies it can overcome.
In addition, Ukraine can become - I believe it will become - one of the guarantors of the energy security of the European continent. Together with Ukraine, you will be able to prevent such price crises ever again.
We have a unique system of gas storage facilities near the border of the EU, with a volume of more than 30 billion cubic meters. We are asked about help. That's how practical it is - use our gas storages already this season. Today, for example, we have a free volume of 15 billion cubic meters. Ukraine needs 3 billion of additional reserves, which we ask you to keep in Ukraine, and another 12 billion cubic meters may be the gas needed in winter for the security of all of Europe. You can help us - and this will be your help both to us and to yourself.
Ukraine also has significant deposits of natural gas. The leadership of Russia dreamed of stealing this part of our national wealth from us as well. But we will not allow it. We invite all investors, contractors and service companies to join gas production in Ukraine. If you want to help us pragmatically, please use this tool. Obtain licenses, enter into agreements on the distribution of products, carry out exploration and drilling. We would appreciate it. Our gas fields can play the same stabilizing role for Europe as the fields of Norway in particular.
We are preparing to increase the export of our electricity to the countries of the EU - despite the war, during the war we ensure this export, and our electricity is much cheaper than what is currently available on the market. We can really help overcome the cost of living crisis in our neighboring EU countries.
We invite you to invest in the production of green energy and green hydrogen in Ukraine. Our state is one of the best locations for providing all of Europe with green energy and green hydrogen.
We don't want to look into the past, we don't want to repeat who didn't hear us. Ukraine wants us all not to lose the opportunities we have at this historical moment. Only together can we protect Europe. Only by preserving our maximum principles. And only by achieving victory in this war together.
The Yermak-Rasmussen group is finalizing the draft recommendations on future security guarantees for Ukraine
The Yermak-Rasmussen group is finalizing the draft recommendations on future security guarantees for Ukraine
The international working group on security guarantees for Ukraine, co-chaired by Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is about to complete the work on a document with recommendations on future security guarantees for our country.
At the third meeting of the group in video conference mode, Andriy Yermak emphasized that the dream of security guarantees for Ukraine is consistently turning into a plan with clear time frames.
“We are entering a new phase of this brutal war. Against the background of the events unfolding in the frontlines, it is time for our partners to take new decisive steps to guarantee Ukraine's further security. These guarantees should form a new security order on the European continent and prevent a new war in its heart,” he is convinced.
The Head of the Office of the President noted that due to the joint efforts of the group members, a high-quality comprehensive project of recommendations was created in less than two months of work.
According to him, this document covers a wide range of guarantees: military, economic, political, sanctions. After the preparation of the final version, the document will be submitted for consideration by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“With its publication on the Presidential Office website, our diplomacy will receive powerful assistance in the context of negotiations with the governments of allied and partner states,” Andriy Yermak emphasized.
The Head of the Presidential Office believes that future security guarantees should become part of legally binding documents, in particular, treaties between Ukraine and the guarantor countries.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that the updated (second) draft recommendations take into account key comments received from the previous group meeting.
"You will also be able to see that the main focus in this draft is more focused on the first part - defense guarantees, which are the basis of our recommendations," he noted.
At the end of the meeting, Anders Fogh Rasmussen informed the meeting participants that former Minister for European Union Affairs of Türkiye Volkan Bozkır became a new member of the group.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced the transition to the Group's work in a co-chair format with personal bilateral consultations with some members on specific issues.
Andriy Yermak and Anders Fogh Rasmussen thanked everyone present and noted that the final version of the recommendations on security guarantees would be provided to the group members before publication.
Comment of Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleg Nikolenko regarding the Visit of the IAEA Mission to the Zaporizhzhia NPP
At the invitation of the government of Ukraine, the IAEA formed a mission to visit the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The mission includes 14 international experts and is headed by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.
The delegation of international nuclear scientists has already left Vienna and should arrive in Kyiv today. The mission is expected to begin its work at the ZNPP in the coming days.
The IAEA mission will focus on three main tasks:
- Physical protection
- Nuclear safety
- Guarantees of non-proliferation of nuclear materials
Ukraine's position has been clear: the occupation of the ZNPP by Russian troops and the importation of a large amount of military equipment and ammunition into its territory in violation of all international rules expose the nuclear plant to extreme danger, in particular provoking a nuclear incident.
As Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba emphasized, Russia must immediately demilitarize the facility, withdraw military units, equipment and Rosatom’s experts and return control over the ZNPP to the government of Ukraine.
We expect the IAEA will play an important role in achieving this goal.