Moscow [Russia], August 7: The head of Russia's Kursk region said two people were killed after Ukrainian forces attempted to break through the border. "Today (August 6) we received information from the Russian districts of Sudzha and Korenevo (near the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine) about attempts by the Ukrainian armed forces to break into the Kursk region," acting governor Alexei Smirnov wrote on his Telegram channel.
Hours after Mr. Smirnov said the attack had been repelled, the Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement saying fighting was continuing, adding that Moscow had used fighter jets to attack Ukrainian armor and sent reservists into the fighting zone, Reuters reported.
Moscow said nearly 300 Ukrainian fighters, backed by tanks, had launched an incursion into the Russian border. Ukraine did not comment on the Russian report, but the head of the Sumy region's military administration, Oleksiy Drozdenko, urged residents to heed airstrike warnings. The Mash Telegram channel, known for its well-informed and close ties to Russian security forces, said the Ukrainian army 's assault on Kursh began early on the morning of August 6.
Meanwhile in southern Ukraine, Russian officials said Kyiv forces attempted to land by sea on the Russian-controlled Tendra Spit. Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of the Kherson region, said preliminary information showed 12 high-speed boats were used by Ukraine. Three were destroyed by Russia while the others turned back, according to AFP.
The Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reported on August 6 that the Russian military attacked the city of Kharkiv , northern Ukraine, with Iskander missiles, injuring eight people. The Russian attack also damaged some civilian infrastructure such as medical centers, office buildings, dormitories, and caused a fire in the center of Kharkiv. Moscow has not commented on this information.
In eastern Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on August 6 that the army had taken control of a settlement in Timofiyivka. Russian military chief of staff Valery Gerasimov also inspected areas in the Moscow-controlled Donetsk region.
Czech Republic sentences soldier for looting in Ukraine
A court in Prague ( Czech Republic ) has sentenced a volunteer soldier to seven years in prison, convicted of robbery while serving in the Ukrainian army, AFP news agency reported.
The soldier, identified by Czech media as Filip Siman, 27, arrived in Ukraine in March 2022 and underwent training before joining the Ukrainian army. While deployed to the cities of Irpin and Bucha, he stole from civilians and took items from dead soldiers.
"The man was convicted of robbery in an area of military activity and was sentenced to seven years in prison," said Prague court spokesman Adam Wenig.
Czech Radio reported that Siman was convicted on the basis of videos he filmed himself stealing valuables, cash, electronics and weapons. He was detained by the Ukrainian military in April 2022 and deported after posting the videos on social media .
Czech police charged Siman with robbery and illegal service in a foreign army, but he was acquitted of the second charge, even though he did not have the Czech president's consent to join the Ukrainian army as required.
EU approves $4.6 billion financial package for Ukraine
The Council of the European Union (EU) on August 6 approved a plan to disburse $4.6 billion to Ukraine as the first payment under the Ukraine Mechanism.
The Ukraine Mechanism is a four-year EU plan that will mobilize $36 billion in loans and $18 billion in grants for the Kyiv government to carry out domestic reforms, according to the Kyiv Independent .
The EU approved the Ukraine Mechanism in February and the EU Council approved the framework agreement in mid-May, setting out targets for Kyiv to use the funds for recovery, reconstruction and modernization of the country. Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko thanked the EU for the $4.2 billion disbursement package, adding that with this latest information , the EU budget for Ukraine this year will be more than $12 billion.
Hungary, the rotating presidency of the EU Council, said the bloc's decision would support Ukraine's macro-financial stability and the functioning of public administrations.
TASS news agency reported on August 6 that a group of naval ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet , including the cruiser Varyag and the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov, had docked at the Indian port of Cochin as scheduled.
During their stay in India, the Russian Navy ships will replenish supplies, while the sailors will tour the city and participate in sports events with Indian sailors.
The Russian flotilla is visiting India on a long-distance deployment that began on January 22. A few days ago, the Pacific Fleet group left the port of Salalah in Oman. The Russian flotilla has also visited ports in Sri Lanka, Iran, Qatar and Eritrea.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
