Shelling of Kherson Oblast, Russian inspection of cargo ship in Black Sea: highlights

Shelling in Kherson Oblast

During the morning and afternoon of August 13, Russian occupation forces attacked a number of settlements in Kherson Oblast.

According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, Kherson, Stanislav, Shyroka Balka, Beryslav, Veletynske, Zolota Balka, and Novokairy were hit.

The strikes killed seven people, including a family with two children: A 12-year-old boy and a 23-day-old baby. Another 13 people were injured.

In the evening, the Russians struck the region again. In Bilozerka, a 31-year-old woman and a man were wounded in an air strike and artillery shelling. The occupiers also dropped 3 guided bombs on Odradokamyanka.

There are destroyed and damaged residential buildings in the region as a result of these attacks.

On August 14, Kherson Oblast declared a day of mourning for the residents killed by Russia.

Russian Defense Ministry says it has stopped a foreign vessel in the Black Sea

The Russian Ministry of Defense said that on the morning of August 13, they stopped the Palau-flagged cargo ship Sukru Okan, which was heading to the Ukrainian port of Izmail, for a search.

At first, the captain of the ship allegedly did not respond to the occupiers' request to stop for inspection. Then the Russian warship allegedly opened "warning fire" with automatic small arms. After the inspection was completed, the Sukru Okan continued to the port of Izmail.

At the same time, the International Intelligence Community InformNapalm claims that this statement by Russia is a lie.

According to the objective control provided by the sailors of one of the vessels that observed this event from a distance, the Sukru Okan did not stop for inspection at the request of the Russians. Instead, the Turkish crew of the vessel changed its course towards the shore, the territorial waters of Turkey.

Ukrainian authorities and the military have not yet commented on the situation.

Scholz's statement on Taurus missiles for Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he does not rule out supplying Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles, but stressed that he must first carefully consider such a decision.

In his opinion, the majority of German citizens have recognized that it is "very correct" that Berlin does not immediately respond to every public demand from Ukraine.

For its part, Ukraine continues to put pressure on the German government to supply missiles. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine needs them to save more lives of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians and to speed up the liberation of the territories.

Humeniuk: Talks about advancement on east bank of Kherson Oblast harm the military

Natalia Humeniuk, head of the Joint Press Center of the Joint Forces Operation "South," said that analysts' talk and speculation about the advance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the east bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast is very harmful to Ukrainian defenders.

According to her, "certain operations that were carried out in that area" have already been completed. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are now continuing their counter-battery fight.

On behalf of the command, she once again asked to observe information silence and wait for official reports.

In particular, the situation on the east bank of the region was commented on by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), as well as by the military observer of the German tabloid Bild, Julian Röpcke.

British intelligence says Russia is probably no longer funding the Wagner PMC

The British Ministry of Defense, citing its own intelligence, says there is a real possibility that Russia is no longer funding the Wagner private military company.

Currently, the PMC is likely to reduce the number of personnel mainly to save money on staff salaries.

Intelligence sources say that after the failed mutiny in June 2023, the Kremlin "acted against some other business interests" of Wagner's owner, Yevgeny Prigozhin. So, if Russia no longer pays Wagner, the second most likely payer is the Belarusian authorities.

Car accident in Austria

The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported in a comment to hromadske that on August 12, a traffic accident occurred near the Austrian city of Grosskrut, killing four Ukrainians.

RMF FM notes that among the dead are two adults and two children (aged several months and 3 years). The two adults who died were the children's grandparents.

Three passengers, including another child, suffered minor injuries. They were taken to the hospital.

RMF FM writes that the minibus overturned, pierced the bridge railing and fell onto a dirt road that runs under the highway.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the Ukrainian embassy is cooperating with Austrian law enforcement to investigate the accident and is in contact with doctors.

Other news

• A rescuer who was injured during the shelling of Pokrovsk has died.
• A fire broke out in Moscow Oblast of Russia: a fertilizer warehouse caught fire.
• 500 children have been killed in Ukraine as a result of Russia's invasion - prosecutors.
• 900 Ukrainian marines return from the UK after six months of amphibious training.
• The court extends the term of bail for Metropolitan Pavlo of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate.
• After the attacks on Russian ships, the occupiers began to hide their ships in the Black Sea, OC "South" says.
• An explosion occurs in Belgorod. The governor says it was a drone attack.
• Toronto TV journalists have identified Russian commanders involved in the shelling of Odesa.
• Shmyhal says repairs to Ukraine's energy facilities are going according to plan. More than half of the nuclear units have already been repaired.