Local residents pass by debris that fell down from their damaged house after a Russian rocket attack ... [+]
Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 554.
Local news.
Kyiv. Overnight into Aug. 30, Russia launched its fiercest missile attack on Ukraine in months, with the capital Kyiv, at the epicenter of the strikes. Mayor Vitali Klytchko said fragments of several intercepted missiles fell on a retail space in the Darnytskyi riverfront district of the city, killing two security officers aged 26 and 36. Meanwhile, in the central Shevchenkivskyi district, home to a number of universities, a woman was reportedly rushed to hospital with multiple lacerations. Overall, 28 cruise missiles were shot down across the Ukrainian skies, and 15 Shahed drones failed to reach their targets, Ukraine’s air force reported in a press release.
Kharkiv region. The northeastern city of Kupiansk came under Russian artillery attack on Aug. 29, Ukrainian authorities said. The shelling killed a security officer at a food facility and injured a 67-year-old civilian man. Damage to at least two residential buildings was also reported.
Front line. Ukrainian forces continue their advance on the southern front near Bakhmut and Melitopol, according to military spokesperson Andriy Kovalev. “Soldiers’ efforts at the Novodanilivka – Novoprokopivka and Mala Tokmachka – Verbove sectors have been successful,” Kovalev said in a Telegram social media post specifying several villages where Ukrainian forces have broken through Russian defenses. “We are now “anchoring” at the frontiers achieved.” Offensive operations continue south of the city of Bakhmut, which remains a hot spot in the war.
As Russia mounted a large-scale attack on Ukraine overnight into Aug. 30, the Ukrainian side responded with a meticulously conducted drone attack, its most massive to date, across at least six regions of the Russian Federation simultaneously. The objective was mainly to target key Russian air bases. In Pskov, a city in western Russia near the Estonian border, at least four Soviet-designed Il-76 strategic airlifters were either fully or partially disabled, said military intelligence officer Andriy Yusov. The Russian army utilizes these versatile aircraft to transport military personnel, equipment, and ammunition.
According to a tally by the BBC, Russian territories and temporarily occupied Crimea experienced 190 Ukrainian-suspected drone strikes since the start of 2023. “The overnight attacks on 30 August are the most widespread we have monitored in one day since the start of the year,” the BBC report said, “with drones hitting at least six regions in Russia from the south to the north-west.”
World. This week, Ukraine received pledges of military donations from both the U.S. and Germany. The list of equipment intended for Kyiv includes 10 Leopard 1A5 tanks, one TRML-4D air surveillance radar, a field hospital, AIM-9M missiles, HIMARS munitions, mine-clearing equipment, and Javelin and other anti-armor systems and rockets. “Russia started this war and could end it at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and stopping its brutal attacks,” U.S. Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken said in a press release. “Until it does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine, for as long as it takes.”
The World Bank will finance an initiative to repair Ukrainian homes damaged during Russia’s invasion with an initial budget of $232 million. The Housing Repair for People’s Empowerment program, HOPE for short, will help Ukrainian civilians make “light” repairs, such as replacing broken windows or fixing leaky roofs on homes damaged by the continued shelling. “The HOPE Project will help thousands of Ukrainian families receive funds to begin repairing their homes before winter sets in,” said Antonella Bassani, World Bank Regional Vice President for Europe and Central Asia. “The project will also support the Government of Ukraine to build the foundation for resilient, inclusive and green reconstruction, a colossal task that will take time and require significant international support. The World Bank stands with Ukraine as it starts repairing housing and other urban infrastructure.”
On The Culture Front.
In honor of the 32nd anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City is hosting “FRAGMENTED EVIDENCE” – an exhibit showcasing paintings, sculptures, prints, videos and photos by top contemporary Ukrainian artists. Among the 17 featured artists are Vera Blansh, Volodymyr Budnikov, Natalia Karpinska, Sergei Sviatchenko and Albina Yaloza (Kyiv).
The works in FRAGMENTED EVIDENCE belong to the collection of BIRUCHIY, a long-running international art residency program on the namesake peninsula in the Sea of Azov. Located in southern Ukraine, the peninsula has been under Russian occupation since February 2022. “More than an exhibition, this art project demonstrates both my personal story and a collective artists’ experience in peaceful, fruitful Ukraine and in times of this tragic historical moment of war,” commented project curator Olena Speranska. “It is a fragmented representation of the long story of our art residency development in Ukraine and its transformation after full-scale invasion.” All visitors are welcome to attend the exhibit until Sept. 24 at 2 E 79th St in New York City.
Fragmented Evidence Show in New York
By Daria Dzysiuk, Karina L. Tahiliani