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 continues to monitor developments on Thursday, August 18 (Moscow time).

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approach Belbek military airport air defense, according to preliminary data, was downed unmanned aerial vehicle, said Mikhail Razvozzhaev, governor of Sevastopol, on his Telegram channel. There were no injuries or casualties, he said. “Dill’s audience already sees that they have begun to disperse preparations about their ‘successful’ attack. I urge everyone to remain calm and receive information from reliable sources,” Razvozhaev wrote.

Just minutes before the governor’s announcement, Reuters, citing anonymous sources, reported that at least four explosions had taken place near Belbek.

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The head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Refat Chubarov confirmed Explosions near Belbek air base in Crimea. “Two things you need to know. First. This is the biggest military airbase in Crimea. Second. There are explosions,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.

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Population Kerch reported on social media that they heard two explosions. Pro-Russian officials on the annexed Crimea peninsula said the air defense system worked. “Preliminary. Air defense systems have worked in Kerch. There is no danger to the city and the bridge,” Oleg Kryuchkov, adviser to the “Crimean chief” on information policy, wrote on his Telegram channel. About an hour later, the villagers sevastopol and the district of Bakhchisaray, located near this city, spoke about the sounds of explosions in the street. The Internet edition “Agency” specifies that all these people live within a few kilometers of military airport “Belbek”.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed law on a moratorium on increasing tariffs for public services. The moratorium was introduced during the term of martial law and six months after its lifting. Refers to tariffs for distribution services for natural gas, thermal energy (production, transport and supply) and heat supply services, as well as tariffs for the supply of hot water and gas prices for residential consumers. The State undertakes to compensate suppliers for the difference in tariffs. Its size will be reviewed quarterly.

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In the Belgorod region an ammunition depot caught fire near the village of Timonovo, urban district of Valuysky. Emergency services are at the scene of the fire. Residents of Timonovo and the village of Soloti are being taken to a safe distance, said regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. He said there were no injuries or deaths, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

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The five largest countries in the European Union and the United Kingdom virtually stopped providing military assistance to Ukraine throughout July. At the same time, a downward trend in aid to Kyiv from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland has been observed since April, online publication Politico reported, citing data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. For the entire past month, the six largest European countries have not offered Ukraine any new bilateral military commitments, with July being the first month since the start of a full-scale Russian invasion, it is said. “Although the war has entered a critical phase, new aid initiatives have dried up,” says Christophe Trebesh, project manager for Ukraine Support Tracker.

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Russia is getting ready provocation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant on 19 August, warned the Ukrainian military intelligence. According to her, that day was unexpectedly announced at the station as a day off, leaving only the employees on duty. In addition, the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant was left by representatives of Rosatom, who have recently been there permanently. “From the available information, it is clear that the invaders, after the large-scale bombing of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, could raise the stakes and organize a real terrorist attack on the largest nuclear facility in Europe. coincides with the Secretary-General’s stay of the UN in Ukraine”, said the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the country’s Ministry of Defense on the social network Facebook.

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Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov opposed any territorial commitments to the Kremlin, including the Crimean and Donbass territories.. “As to the degree to which Ukraine’s borders should be restored: only complete eviction up to the 1991 borders. Any territorial compromise with the Kremlin is a war deferred to the future. It is today that has the chance to break the backbone of ” colossus with feet of clay” Russian – wrote Danilov.

Russian bombing in Kharkiv kills 17 people

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The chairman of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleg Sinegubov, confirmed that Russian bombing in Kharkiv kills 17 people, including a child born in 2009. Another 42 people were injured, including a 12-year-old girl who was thrown out of her house by the blast. Both parents died in the apartment.

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Signed in Lviv memorandum on Turkey’s participation in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. The first project could be the construction of a bridge in the village of Romanovka, Kyiv region, which linked Bucha and Irpen to the capital and was destroyed in the early days of the war, according to the website of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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Officials at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, captured by the Russian military, published an appeal to the world community. “Over the past two weeks, the nuclear power plant has indeed become the target of continuous military attacks. Artillery strikes are becoming increasingly powerful and dangerous, and the threat of destroying critical nuclear safety facilities is becoming more real. “, the station workers write.

According to them, since the beginning of the war, many employees were seriously injured or died on the job. The consequences of a possible accident at a nuclear power plant “could be an order of magnitude worse than the results of the tragedies of Chernobyl and Fukushima”, the authors of the letter warned, emphasizing that in practice worldwide there are no emergencies planned to protect nuclear facilities. in a situation where they become a territory of hostilities. “We are capable of professionally managing a nuclear reaction. But we are powerless in the face of human irresponsibility and madness”, conclude the ZNPP officials.

Trilateral summit of Zelensky, Erdogan and Guterres lasted 40 minutes

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Trilateral summit ended in Lviv with the participation of the presidents of Turkey and Ukraine Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Zelensky and the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, reports the Turkish news agency Anadolu. The closed meeting lasted 40 minutes.

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Russia refused to withdraw troops and weapons from the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. The proposal to create a demilitarized zone around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant is “unacceptable” as it would make the plant more vulnerable, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “We hope that in the very near future there will be a trip to the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant by IAEA experts, which was fully agreed in June,” said Ivan Nechaev, deputy director of the information and press department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. by TASS.

Meanwhile, the West believes that Russia is actually preventing IAEA experts from visiting the ZNPP. In particular, Igor Vishnevetsky, deputy director of the Department of Non-Proliferation and Arms Control at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters on Aug. Kyiv as that would have to cross the front line. “Anything could happen if the IAEA delegation crossed the front line. For example, they would shoot at her or do something else against her. And to pass this off as a Russian provocation, these people are ready for anything” – Vishnevetsky explained. .

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Negotiations started in Lviv Presidents of Ukraine and Turkey Volodymyr Zelensky and Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the participation of UN Secretary General António Guterres.

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“We agreed to continue coordination in the implementation of the grain initiative. We discussed possible directions for its development, the issues of illegal and forced deportation of Ukrainians, the release of our military and doctors from captivity,” wrote Ukraine’s President Volodymyr. Zelensky after a meeting in Lviv with UN Secretary General António Guterres.

Special attention, he said, was given to “the issue of Russia’s nuclear blackmail at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant.” “This deliberate terror of the aggressor could have catastrophic global consequences for the entire world. Therefore, the UN must guarantee the security of this strategic installation, its demilitarization and the complete liberation of Russian troops”, urged the Ukrainian president.

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Generally Death toll from Russian bombing of Kharkiv the night before and the night of August 18 increased to 16 people, reports the publication “Suspіlne Novini”. 12 people died in a destroyed hostel in the Saltovsky district, four people died in a hostel in the Slobodsky district.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip ANDRdogan met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

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The closing of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant by the Russian military “will bring the scene closer to a radioactive catastrophe”, said Ukrainian state energy company Energoatom. “Due to the disconnection of nuclear power plant generators from Ukraine’s power system, they will not be able to be used for their own fuel cooling needs in the event of a power outage at the station,” the company said in a statement.

Previously, the Russian Defense Ministry allowed the possibility of putting the station’s fifth and sixth power units into a “cold reserve” and the actual shutdown of the nuclear power plant. This could happen “with the continued negative development of the situation associated with the bombing of the nuclear power plant”, the ministry said.

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The Russian Defense Ministry announced the redeployment of three MiG-31 aircraft with hypersonic missiles “Dagger” to the Chkalovsk airfield in the Kaliningrad region. This was done “as part of the implementation of additional strategic deterrence measures”, the ministry said, adding that the aircraft would be on “24-hour combat duty”.

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As a result Nikolaev’s daytime bombing one person died, two others were injured and were hospitalized, said the city’s mayor Alexander Senkevich.

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The British Ministry of Defense has published a new map with frontline balance of power in Ukraineas well as indications of possible attacks by Russian and Ukrainian troops.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Arrived in Lvivwhere he will participate in negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and UN Secretary General António Guterres, informs the Anadolu agency.

Chronicle of events August 18 00:00 – 13:59 >>>

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