On the 177th 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 Friday, August 19 (Moscow time).

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Some time after the ammunition depot caught fire near the village of Timonovo, Valuysky urban district, Belgorod region, there were reports of another fire near Belgorod – in Stary Oskol. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported a fire in an outbuilding. Meanwhile, social media users indicate that there is a military airfield in the area.

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The United States is not opposed to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) using American weapons to attacks in Crimea, if Kyiv deems it necessary, a senior US government official told Politico. “Of course, we don’t pick targets, and everything we provide is for self-defense purposes. Any target they choose to pursue on sovereign Ukrainian soil is, by definition, self-defense,” the official said. When asked whether Washington considers the peninsula to be a sovereign Ukrainian territory, he emphasized that “Crimea is Ukraine”. In turn, a Ukrainian official told Politico that a sign of support had reached Kyiv.

Chronicle of events August 18 2:00 pm – 11:59 pm >>>

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