On the 176th day of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops continue their attempts to capture the neighboring country’s settlements. Ukraine’s armed forces and territorial defense units resist aggression. It is impossible to verify the statements of representatives of both sides of the conflict from independent sources. According to the UN, about 14 million Ukrainians have already left their homes. DW is following the events of Thursday, August 18 (Moscow time).

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In Russia to participate in the war in Ukraine began recruiting suspects and accusedwho are in pretrial detention, said Olga Romanova, a human rights activist and founder of the Rus Seated Foundation. According to her, criminal proceedings are suspended. The existence of such a practice was confirmed to the publication “Caution, news” by the founder of the Gulagu.net human rights project Vladimir Osechkin. He said the project hotline received information about similar cases in Moscow and the region, St. Petersburg, Ryazan, Tver and Bryansk.

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Canada will provide Ukraine with 450 million Canadian dollars (about US$350 million) for gas purchase for the heating season. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced this on Twitter, calling it “another step of solidarity from friendly Canada and thanking Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and all the Canadian people for their unwavering support.” to Ukraine.

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On the eve of a meeting with the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, in which the situation around Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Vladimir Zelensky reiterated the need to withdraw Russian troops from the plant’s territory. “This must happen without any conditions and as soon as possible,” the Ukrainian leader said in a traditional nightly video message on Aug. 17. According to him, Ukrainian diplomats, scientists and representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are working to make it possible for a commission of experts to visit the ZNPP. “Only absolute transparency and controllability of the situation in and around the ZNPP can guarantee a return to normal nuclear security for the Ukrainian state, the international community and the IAEA,” stressed the President of Ukraine. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also attend the summit scheduled for August 18 in Lvov.

Bombing of hostel in Kharkiv: 7 dead, 16 wounded

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According to the Kharkiv authorities, in the bombing of the Russian army the night before the hostel was occupied by people with hearing and speech impairments. Natalya Popova, adviser to the head of the Kharkiv Regional Council, wrote about it on Facebook, stressing that “they may not have heard the alarm”. Ukrainska Pravda interlocutors at the local authorities told the publication that these people may be under the rubble, but rescuers cannot yell at them and they themselves cannot explain where they are and what is happening to them. According to updated data, as a result of the bombing of a hostel in the Kharkiv district of Saltovka, seven people were killed, 16 were injured, including an 11-year-old child.

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In the last 24 hours, Russian troops committed 15 attacks in the Sumy region. According to the president of the regional military administration Dmitry Zhivitsky, the territories of 8 communities – Belopolskaya, Velikopisarevskaya, Esmanskaya, Krasnopolskaya, Yunakovskaya, Miropolskaya, Shalyginskaya and Burinskaya – were attacked. According to Zhivitsky, a total of 176 shots were fired, there were no casualties, but there is damage, in particular, to school buildings and a cultural center.

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Ukrainian Operational Command “South” reports that Ukrainian aviation hit in strong points and areas of concentration of enemy forces, weapons and equipment in Novovoznesensky and Aleksandrovka, Kherson region, the Russian ammunition depot in Belogorka, Kherson region, was destroyed. According to OK “South”, in addition, a self-propelled gun of 203 caliber “Pion”, 5 units of armored and motorized vehicles were destroyed, 29 Russian servicemen were killed.

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Fitch Headquarters in New York

appraisal agency Fitch upgrades Ukraine’s sovereign rating from “RD” to “CC”. The reason was the restructuring of external liabilities carried out last week. Foreign lenders have given Ukraine a two-year grace period on upcoming bond payments worth nearly $20 billion. A ‘CC’ rating means insufficient credibility, while ‘RD’ is Fitch’s last rating before full default.

Ukraine intelligence: Russia is deploying aircraft deep into Crimea and the territory of the Russian Federation

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According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the military authorities of the Russian Federation move your planes and helicopters from advanced airfields in the Crimea annexed to alternative airfields on the peninsula and permanent airfields on the territory of the Russian Federation. Ukrainian intelligence is aware of the flight after a series of explosions at military facilities in Crimea, at least 24 aircraft and 14 helicopters – to airfields in Gvardeisky, Khersones, Sevastopol, as well as Krasnodar, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krymsk, Gelendzhik and the village of Kushchevskaya, Krasnodar Territory.

Chronicle of events August 17 2:00 pm – 11:59 pm >>>

Chronicle of events August 17 00:00 – 13:59 >>>