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[1/2] A view of burned debris after wildfires devastated the historic town of Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S., August 10, 2023. Maui County sued Hawaiian Electric last week, accusing the utility of negligently failing to shut off power and causing the devastating fires that destroyed the coastal town of Lahaina and killed more than 114 people. "We were surprised and disappointed that the County of Maui rushed to court even before completing its own investigation," CEO Shelee Kimura said in a statement. Even with Monday's rally, shares are still down more than 60% since the wildfires started on Aug. 8. "To the extent HECO (Hawaiian Electric Co) has information of a second ignition source, HECO should offer that evidence now.

Persons: Shelee Kimura, HECO, John Fiske, Raymond James, Pavel Molchanov, Arunima Kumar, Mrinalika Roy, Louise Heavens, Mark Potter, Maju Samuel, Shounak Organizations: Hawai'i Department of Land, Natural Resources, REUTERS, Hawaiian Electric Industries, Hawaiian Electric, Electric, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, Maui County, West Maui, Bengaluru

☆ Ukraine will speed up advance on southern front -commander
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Vladyslav Smilianets | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Ukrainian soldiers of the Separate Assault Battalion 'Skala' enter the embattled village of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on August 25, 2023. Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in June, but well-prepared Russian defence lines reinforced by minefields have slowed their southward advance towards the Sea of Azov. "We don't stop here," said a commander who led some of the troops into Robotyne and uses the nom de guerre "Kombat". Both are occupied by Russian forces following Moscow's full-scale invasion in February last year. A U.S. official said last week that Ukrainian forces did not appear likely to be able to reach and retake Melitopol in their counteroffensive, intended to split Russian forces in the south.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Vladyslav Smilianets, Pavel Polityuk, Timothy Heritage, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Separate, Ukrainian Armed Forces, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Robotyne, U.S, Thomson Locations: Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Azov, Ukrainian, Orikhiv, Berdiansk, Melitopol, Moscow

☆ Wagner channels say Russian arrested in Finland is top fighter with neo-Nazi background
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HELSINKI, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Social media channels linked to Russia's Wagner Group mercenaries said on Friday a top fighter in one of the group's subunits had been detained in Finland at Ukraine's request. It is unclear how Petrovsky was able to enter Finland while under European Union sanctions. On Telegram, Rusich published part of what it said was the Ukrainian request for Petrovsky's arrest. Earlier on Friday, Russian state news agency RIA cited the Russian embassy in Helsinki as saying it was aware of the detention of a Russian citizen in Finland on Ukraine's request and was taking steps to offer consular assistance. Reporting by Felix Light in Tbilisi, Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv and Anne Kauranen in Helsinki; Editing by Mark TrevelyanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Yan Petrovsky, Petrovsky, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Rusich, Felix Light, Pavel Polityuk, Anne Kauranen, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: European Union, United, Nazi, European, Kremlin, Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, Thomson Locations: HELSINKI, Finland, United States, Ukraine, Norway, Russia, Vantaa, Helsinki, Russian, Tbilisi, Kyiv

☆ Meet the Prigozhins: What to know about the Wagner boss and the relatives who help run his business empire
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Though little is publicly known about Yevgeny Prigozhin's family, many of them help run his vast business empire. At the time of writing, Prigozhin's family has not publicly responded to the condolences. Prigozhin's family members — many of whom were subject to Western sanctions from 2022 onward — have had varying levels of involvement in Prigozhin's business empire, the Financial Times reported in April. His son, Pavel Prigozhin, used to fight alongside the Wagner GroupPavel Prigozhin, son of Yevgeny Prigozhin. Polina was also named by the US Treasury Department as playing a role in Prigozhin's business empire.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Prigozhin's, Prigozhin's Wagner, Violetta Prigozhina, Molfar, Violetta, Prigozhina, Lyubov Prigozhina, Lyubov, Pavel Prigozhin, Pavel, Polina, Polina Prigozhina, Veronika, Russia —, Yevgeny, —, Veronika Prigozhina, EU Veronika Prigozhina Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Agat, Concord Management, Consulting, Swiss, US Treasury Department, Wagner, Wagner Group, Treasury Department, International Federation for Equestrian Sports, US, FT Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia's Tver, Moscow, Russian, St . Petersburg, Syria, Lakhta, Ukrainian, Russia, EU, Petersburg

☆ An old video of Vladimir Putin saying 'betrayal' is absolutely unforgivable has resurfaced after Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's plane crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The clip resurfaced on X, formerly Twitter, after Yevgeny Prigozhin's plane crashed on Wednesday. The downing of Prigozhin's plane has fueled speculation that Putin was behind it. Russian media outlet RIA Novosti also released footage of what it claims is Prigozhin's plane spiraling out of the sky before hitting the ground. The circumstances of Prigozhin's plane crash have fueled speculation that Putin ordered his death. Wagner-affiliated social media channels have claimed unspecified air-defense systems in Russia took out Prigozhin's plane.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Putin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Ravil Maganov, Pavel Antov, Antov, Bill Burns Organizations: Service, TASS, Novosti, Russian, CIA Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Tver, Moscow, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, India, Aspen

☆ Russian Putin critics like Prigozhin who met an early death
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

No evidence has been presented that points to the involvement of the Kremlin or Russian security services in the crash. Nemtsov’s death came two days before he was set to lead an opposition rally in the Russian capital. Alexander PerepilichnyyOver the years, suggestions have emerged of the possible use of a rare plant poison in the death of Russian financier Alexander Perepilichnyy. ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/AFP/Getty ImagesRussian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky died in a Russian prison in 2009. The most prominent voice of dissent in Putin’s Russia, the lawyer, politician and corruption activist for years orchestrated massive street protests.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Wagner, –, Bill Browder, “ Putin, Boris Nemtsov, Boris Yeltsin, Ilya Yashin, Nemtsov, Vladimir Putin, ”, Nemtsov’s, Boris Berezovsky Boris Berezovsky, Warrick Page, Boris Berezovsky, Putin, Berezovsky, Alexander Perepilichnyy, Perepilichnyy, Sergei Magnitsky, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Magnitsky, Browder, Alexander Litvinenko Alexander Litvinenko, Alexander Litvinenko, Litvinenko –, Robert Owen, Putin “, Litvinenko, Marina Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, JENS SCHLUETER, Lom, Ali Gaitukayev, Politkovskaya, Chechen Republic …, ” Drownings, Prigozhin, Gennady Lopyrev –, “, Lopyrev, Pyotr Kucherenko, Pavel Antov, Vladimir Budanov, Budanov, Alexander Buzakov, Anatoly Gerashchenko, Ravil Maganov, Lukoil, Maganov “, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Sergei Skripal, Skripal, Yulia Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Getty, Republican Party of Russia, Party, Newsweek, of Justice, Royal Botanic, AFP, Getty Images, Hermitage Capital, KGB, Authorities, The, Protect Journalists, RIA Novosti, Russia’s, Science, Higher Education, Gazprom, Lukoil, Reuters, Moscow Aviation Institute, TASS, Putin’s United, “ Locations: Russia, Boris Nemtsov Russian, AFP, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, London's, Europe, England, Soviet Union, Britain, Surrey, London, Kew, American, Chechnya, Leipzig, Germany, The New York, Chechen Republic, Washington, Gelendzhik, ”, Cuba, India, Putin’s Russia, Putin’s United Russia, United States

☆ Magnus Carlsen defeats Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa to become Chess World Cup champion
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Magnus Carlsen defeated Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa in a tiebreak to become Chess World Cup champion on Thursday. The Norwegian grandmaster has now won every major individual classical chess tournament and, as Chess.com puts it, “completes chess” with his victory in Baku, Azerbaijan. In said tiebreak – which took the format of a two-game rapid match – Carlsen showed why he is the reigning World Rapid Champion and world No. For Pragg, the World Cup was somewhat of a breakthrough onto the top table of the sport. Ding’s victory ended the reign of five-time champion Carlsen, who had decided not to defend his title earlier this year.

Persons: CNN — Magnus Carlsen, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Carlsen, “, ” It’s, – Carlsen, outmaneuvering, Pavel Mikheyev, Pragg –, –, Ding Liren Organizations: CNN, Rapid, Reuters Locations: Norwegian, Baku, Azerbaijan, China

☆ Russia attacks grain facilities in Ukraine's Danube region - military
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The enemy hit grain storage facilities and a production and transhipment complex in the Danube region. Firefighters continue to work," the Ukrainian military said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. The damage includes grain storage facilities," Kiper said on Telegram. The Danube ports accounted for around a quarter of Ukrainian grain exports before Russia pulled out of the deal to provide safe passage for the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea in July. Global grain prices rose earlier this month, when Russia attacked Izmail - Ukraine's main inland port across the Danube River from Romania, and the port of Reni.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Moscow, Oleh Kiper, Kiper, Reni, Izmail, Pavel Polityuk, Himani Sarkar, Simon Cameron, Moore, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Firefighters, Russia, Reuters, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Romanian, Constanta, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Romania, Reni

☆ Russia hits grain facilities at Ukrainian Danube River port
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Odesa Authorities/via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Ukraine says Russia carried out drone attacks overnightRussia quit Black Sea grain export deal in JulyGrain facilities hit at Danube River port of IzmailKYIV, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Russian drones struck Ukrainian grain facilities at the Danube River port of Izmail overnight in what a senior official said on Wednesday was a systematic attempt by Moscow to prevent Kyiv exporting grain to the world. Grain facilities in the Odesa region on the Black Sea also came under fire in the eighth wave of attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure since Russia quit a U.N.-brokered deal last month that had allowed Kyiv to ship its grain via the Black Sea. He said the grain that was destroyed had been destined for Egypt and Romania, and that a total of 270,000 tons of grain had now been destroyed in attacks since Russia quit the Black Sea grain deal. Russia did not immediately comment on the attacks, but blames Ukraine and its Western allies for the collapse of the Black Sea grain deal. Ukraine's Danube ports accounted for around a quarter of Ukrainian grain exports before Russia pulled out of the deal to provide safe passage for the export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea in July.

Persons: Oleksandr Kubrakov, Kubrakov, Oleh Kiper, Kiper, Reni, Izmail, Anna Pruchnicka, Pavel Polityuk, Timothy Organizations: Odesa, REUTERS Acquire, Russia, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Black, Izmail KYIV, Russian, Moscow, Odesa, Kyiv, Romania, Izmail, Egypt

☆ Reaction to Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in plane crash with no survivors
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Yulia Morozova/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 23 (Reuters) - Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on a private jet that crashed on Wednesday evening north of Moscow with no survivors, the Russian authorities said. The following is reaction:*U.S. President Joe Biden to reporters in Lake Tahoe:“I don't know for a fact what happened. Reports Russian Air Defence shot down the plane suggests Putin is sending a very loud message." It so happens that political opponents whom Vladimir Putin considers a threat to his power do not die naturally." In the end, if Vladimir Putin is so powerful, why didn’t he arrest Prigozhin?”Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Maxim Fomin, Vladlen Tatarsky, Yulia Morozova, Joe Biden, I'm, Putin, Mykhailo Podolyak, Vladimir, Alicia Kearns, Zbigniew Rau, Vladimir Putin, Daniel Hoffman, Prigozhin, ”, That’s, Pavel Luzin, thinktank, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, CNN, Foreign Affairs, Govt, Russian Air Defence, CIA, Center for, Thomson Locations: St Petersburg, Moscow, Russia, Lake Tahoe, Estonia, U.S

☆ Russia says F-16s will escalate Ukraine war; Kyiv says they will tip the balance in its favour
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sit in a F-16 fighter jet at Skrydstrup Airbase in Vojens, Denmark, August 20, 2023. Denmark and the Netherlands on Sunday announced they would supply F-16s to Ukraine, with the initial six due to be delivered around New Year. Danish Defence Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said Ukraine may only use the donated F-16s within its own territory. "We donate weapons under the condition that they are used to drive the enemy out of the territory of Ukraine. The Netherlands has 42 F-16s available in all but has yet to decide whether all of them will be donated.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mette Frederiksen, Ritzau Scanpix, Mads Claus Rasmussen, Vladimir Barbin, Yuriy Ihnat, Jakob Ellemann, Jensen, Oleksiy Reznikov, Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, Pavel Polityuk, Angus MacSwan, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Denmark's, Skrydstrup Airbase, REUTERS, Sunday, Washington, Danish, . Defence, Thomson Locations: Skrydstrup, Vojens, Denmark, U.S, New, Russia, Ukraine, COPENHAGEN, Netherlands, Russian, Ukrainian

☆ Ukraine may use new Black Sea route for grain shipments - producers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Ukraine is considering using its newly-tested wartime Black Sea export corridor for grain shipments after other cargo ships follow the first successful evacuation of a vessel on the route last week, a senior agricultural official said on Monday. Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports since it invaded its neighbour in Feb. 2022 and threatened to treat all vessels as potential military targets after pulling out of a U.N.-backed safe passage deal last month. A Hong Kong-flagged container ship stuck in Odesa port since the invasion travelled the route last week without being fired upon. The Financial Times said Kyiv was finalising a scheme with global insurers to cover grain ships travelling to and from its Black Sea ports, citing Ukraine's Deputy Economy Minister Oleksandr Gryban. To attract ship owners to Ukrainian ports which have come under fire from Russian forces, Marchuk said Ukraine had already allocated 20 billion hryvnias ($547 million) for ship insurance.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Denys Marchuk, Oleksandr Gryban, Marchuk, Pavel Polityuk, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Agrarian Council, Financial Times, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Romania, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, Odesa, Mykolaiv

☆ Ukraine claims gains on southeastern front, fighting rages in east
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"In the direction south of Urozhaine they (Ukrainian troops) had success," military spokesman Andriy Kovaliov said on national television. Kovaliov also reported fierce fighting in the northeastern Kharkiv region, and around an eastern village not far from Bakhmut, the city occupied by Russian forces in May after a bloody months-long struggle. "The enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of Senkivka in Kharkiv region and Bohdanivka in Donetsk. "In the Bakhmut direction, defensive forces (Ukraine) continue to conduct offensive actions to the south of Bakhmut." Kyiv says its counter-offensive is progressing slower than it wanted because of vast Russian minefields and heavily-fortified Russian defensive lines.

Persons: Andriy Kovaliov, Urozhaine, Kovaliov, Pavel Polityuk, Tom Balmforth, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Ukrainian, Russian, Kupiansk, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Urozhaine, Donetsk, Azov, Kharkiv, Bakhmut, Senkivka, Bohdanivka, Russia, Lyman, Crimea, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kyiv

☆ Ukraine reports new attack on grain silos but cargo ship sets sail
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Hong Kong-flagged container ship Joseph Schulte leaves the sea port, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine, in this handout picture released August 16, 2023. Russia has made regular air strikes on Ukrainian ports and grain silos since mid-July, when it pulled out of the U.N.-backed deal for Ukraine to export grain. Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), which owns the ship jointly with a Chinese bank, confirmed that the ship was en route to Istanbul. Kubrakov said it was carrying more than 30,000 metric tons of cargo in 2,114 containers, adding that the corridor would primarily be used to evacuate ships from the Black Sea ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdennyi. DANUBE PORTSUkraine turned to its Danube river ports after Russia pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal seeking better terms for exports of its own food and fertilizer.

Persons: Joseph Schulte, Oleksandr Kubrakov, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, Kubrakov, Urozhaine, Hanna Maliar, Izmail, Lidia Kelly, Gus Trompiz, Matthias Inverardi, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Philippa Fletcher, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Facebook, REUTERS Acquire, Benchmark, United Nations, Reuters, United Nations Conference, Trade, Development, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Ukraine, Odesa, Russia, KYIV, Russian, Hong, Kong, Reni, Moscow, Big, Istanbul, Chornomorsk, Pivdennyi, Ukrainian, Urozhaine, Azov, Constanta, Romania, Black, Turkey, Nairobi

☆ Warehouses, grain silos damaged in Russian attacks on Ukraine's Danube port
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A grain warehouse heavily damaged by a Russian drone attack is seen at a compound of a port on the Danube, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa region, Ukraine August 16, 2023. "Russian terrorists attacked Odesa region twice last night with attack drones," Governor Oleh Kiper said on the Telegram messaging app. "The main target is port and grain infrastructure in the south of the region." Ukraine's Air Force said that it had destroyed 13 Russia-launched drones over the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions in the south. read moreThe drone attacks destroyed buildings in the port and halted ships as they prepared to arrive there to load with Ukrainian grain in defiance of a de-facto blockade Russia reimposed in mid-July.

Persons: Oleh Kiper, Izmail, Pavel Polityuk, Lidia Kelly, Stephen Coates Organizations: Press Service, Operational Command, Ukrainian Armed Forces, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Ukraine's Air Force, Russia reimposed, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Odesa region, Odesa, Russia, Mykolaiv, Constanta, Romania

☆ Ukraine retakes southeast village of Urozhaine from Russian forces - Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces have recaptured the village of Urozhaine from Russian troops in the southeast and dug in on its outskirts, Kyiv's deputy defence minister said on Wednesday. Russian military bloggers said fierce fighting raged near the village and that Russian units were trying to prevent Ukraine strengthening its positions in Urozhaine. In a sign of the difficulty of the battlefield operations, Urozhaine is the first village Ukraine says it has retaken since June 27 when it announced the recapture of neighbouring Staromaiorske. Kyiv says its counteroffensive push is progressing slower than it wanted because of vast Russian minefields and prepared Russian defensive lines. The recapture of Urozhaine would bring Ukraine closer to threatening the village of Staromlynivka, several kilometres to the south, which military analysts say serves as a Russian stronghold in the area.

Persons: Urozhaine, Hanna Maliar, Pavel Polityuk, Lidia Kelly, Tom Balmforth, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Russian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Urozhaine, Donetsk, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Azov, Staromaiorske, Kyiv, Staromlynivka, Crimea, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Warsaw

☆ Container ship leaves Russian-blocked Ukrainian port of Odesa - Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Hong Kong-flagged container ship Joseph Schulte leaves the sea port, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine, in this handout picture released August 16, 2023. "A first vessel used the temporary corridor for merchant ships to/from the ports of Big Odesa," Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Facebook. He identified the container ship as the Hong-Kong-flagged JOSEPH SCHULTE and said it had been in the port since Feb. 23, 2022, the day before the invasion. He said the ship was carrying more than 30,000 metric tons of cargo in 2,114 containers. "The corridor will be primarily used to evacuate ships that were in the Ukrainian ports (Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdennyi) at the time of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation," the deputy prime minister said.

Persons: Joseph Schulte, Oleksandr Kubrakov, JOSEPH SCHULTE, Pavel Polityuk, Jacqueline Wong, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Facebook, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Russian Federation, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, Ukraine, Odesa, Ukrainian, Russia, Moscow, Big, Hong, Kong

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy meets troops in frontline Zaporizhzhia region
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy awards a Ukrainian service members at a pre-hospital medical aid centre, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 15, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia and met troops fighting in the counteroffensive against Russian forces in the south, the president's office said on Tuesday. Ukraine launched a counter-offensive against Russian forces in the south and southeast at the start of June, hoping to cut Russian forces in half by advancing south towards the Sea of Azov. "The military emphasised the need for electronic warfare and frontline air defence systems to counter enemy aircraft and drones. There is also a need for drones, as they are quickly consumed in offensive operations," the office said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Pavel Polityuk, Tom Balmforth, Nick Macfie Organizations: Presidential Press Service, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Russian, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia region, Zaporizhzhia, Orikhiv, Azov, Kyiv, Melitopol

☆ China defence minister to visit Russia, Belarus Aug 14-19
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, Russia, April 16, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoBEIJING, Aug 14 (Reuters) - China's defence minister Li Shangfu will visit Russia and Belarus from Aug. 14-19, the ministry said in a statement on Monday. While in Russia, Li will attend an international security meeting and make a speech there, according to the statement. During his visit to Belarus, he will meet with the Belarus' head of state and military. Li will also visit military departments in Belarus.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Pavel Bednyakov, Li, Albee Zhang, Liz Lee, Kim Coghill Organizations: Defence, Sputnik, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, BEIJING, Belarus, China, Beijing

☆ Ukraine starts registering ships for Black Sea corridor - agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A grain ship carrying Ukrainian grain is seen in the Black Sea, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Ukrainian port of Odesa, Ukraine November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Serhii Smolientsev/File PhotoKYIV, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Ukraine, which is seeking to form safe shipping routes in the Black Sea, has started registering ships willing to use the corridor it announced earlier this week, a local news agency said on Saturday. Ukraine on Thursday announced a "humanitarian corridor" in the Black Sea to release cargo ships that have been trapped in its ports since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. "Registration is now open and the coordinator is already working," Interfax Ukraine quoted Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk as saying. Russia has not indicated whether it would respect the shipping corridor, and shipping and insurance sources have expressed concerns about safety.

Persons: Serhii, Dmytro Pletenchuk, Pletenchuk, Pavel Polityuk, Helen Popper Our Organizations: REUTERS, Thursday, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Odesa, Russia, Moscow

☆ Ukraine's Odesa opens a few beaches for the first time since Russian invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People relax at a Black Sea beach that was reopened after being closed down last year following sea mines laid around the ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv by Russia and Ukraine, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Serhii Smolientsev/File photoODESA, Ukraine, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Several beaches in Ukraine's Black Sea city of Odesa have officially opened for swimming for the first time since the start of the Russian invasion, although bathing is banned during air raid alerts, local officials said on Saturday. Odesa, Ukraine's largest port and naval base, was repeatedly attacked with missiles and drones and the sea was littered with hundreds of sea mines following the invasion in February last year. For the safety of residents and after incidents of mines exploding on beaches, the coast was closed. The decision to open the beaches was made jointly by the city's civilian and military administrations, Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram messaging app.

Persons: Serhii, Oleh Kiper, Iryna, Pavel Polityuk, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Odesa, Mykolaiv, Russia, Ukraine, Black, Ukraine's

☆ Russian tech billionaire breaks silence, says he's horrified by Putin's 'barbaric' war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A cofounder of Russian internet company Yandex has come out against his country's war in Ukraine. Arkady Volozh, a billionaire who now resides in Israel, had refrained from public criticism. Few Russians of such elite economic status have openly come out against the Ukraine War. In particular, the EU accused Volozh's company of promoting Russian state narratives in its search results, according to the BBC. In a statement on Thursday, Volozh said he is personally "horrified" by Russia's war in Ukraine and the plight of Ukrainians "whose houses are being bombed every day," the Financial Times reported.

Persons: Yandex, Arkady Volozh, Volozh's, Volozh, Vladimir Putin, Pavel Durov, — Organizations: Russian, Service, European Union, BBC, Financial Times, Dubai — Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Wall, Silicon, Russian, EU, Dubai

☆ Exclusive: A veteran FBI agent told Congress that investigations into Giuliani and other Trump allies were 'suppressed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

An FBI veteran said his superiors suppressed investigations of Trump, Insider can exclusively reveal. Those figures, the statement claims, explicitly included "anyone in the [Trump] White House and any former or current associates of President Trump." The directions he received included a strict prohibition on filing intelligence reports relating to Giuliani or any other Trump associate. Even before the emergence of this new whistleblower, there has been ample evidence of individual FBI agents with pro-Trump partisan sympathies. Some FBI agents were reportedly satisfied by an assertion made by Trump's legal team that he'd turned over all his classified documents, and wanted to close the Mar-a-Lago government records investigation down.

Persons: Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, President Trump, Scott Horton, Robert Mueller, Trump, Pavel Fuks, Joe Biden, Giuliani wasn't, doesn't, Charles McGonigal, Spokespeople, Fuks, Christopher Wray, Donald Trump's Mar, Hunter Biden, insurrectionists, Jim Jordan, Biden, Jordan, Russell Dye, Dye, Jared Wise, —, Trump's, James Comey, Peter Strzok —, he'd, Genius, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: FBI, Trump, Trump White House, Service, White, Committee, Rolling Stone, New, GOP, Federal Government, Rep, Capitol, Capitol Police, Washington Post, Post, Justice Department Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, Ukrainian, York, New York, Fuks, Lago, Burisma, Anchorage, San Juan

Pressure gauges, pipes and valves are pictured at an "Dashava" underground gas storage facility near Striy, Ukraine May 28, 2015. The bloc is expected to reach a target of filling its storage facilities to 90% full by Nov. 1. "EP Commodities transports natural gas to Ukraine and uses Ukrainian gas storage facilities," Miroslav Hasko, chairman at EPH's EP Commodities, said. EU countries' gas storage facilities were 87% full on Aug. 7, according to transparency platform GIE. "We consider gas storage in Ukraine as one of the interesting business opportunities that we are currently considering," SPP told Reuters.

Persons: Gleb Garanich, Miroslav Hasko, Naftotgaz, Martin Pich, Bruegel, Jan Lopatka, Marek Strzelelcki, Pavel Polityuk, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Traders, Gas, Reuters, Commodities, Naftogaz, Thomson Locations: Striy, Ukraine, PRAGUE, WARSAW, Czech, Slovakia, Russia, Hungary, Poland, Kyiv

And his fellow veterans of the Ukraine conflict are bound to play a role in the fight for their own country. With nearly all the opposition now in jail or exile, that is no small feat. Six weeks ago, there was a brief jolt of hope for the Belarus opposition, when Russia's Wagner mercenary group launched a mutiny inside Russia. But within hours, Lukashenko himself helped bring an end to the Russian mutiny, negotiating for Wagner fighters to move to Belarus. Exactly what role the Wagner fighters will play in Belarus is anyone's guess, but for the opposition, nothing good can come of it, said Kedyshko.

Persons: Pavel Maryeuski, Alexander Lukashenko's, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko's, Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko, Stanislava Glinnik, Belarus's, Pavel Kuhta, Tsikhanouskaya's, Sergey Kedyshko, Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Weeks, Agnieszka Pikulicka, Mike Collett, White, Peter Graff Organizations: WARSAW, Reuters, Coordination, United Operational, Lukashenko's Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Minsk, Soviet, Karma, Warsaw, Belarusian, Moscow

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