Seized Russian assets, Amnesty Ukraine head resigns, and new aid from US: last night's highlights

The US is preparing a new package of military aid to Ukraine, and the head of Amnesty International in Ukraine is resigning over the report on the Ukrainian military. Here is what you may have missed from the previous night.

Head of Amnesty in Ukraine resigns

The head of the Ukrainian office of Amnesty International, Oksana Pokalchuk, announced that she was resigning after the report of the organization's central office. It stated that the Ukrainian military put civilians in harm's way.

She explained that the team of the Ukrainian office constantly stressed that for the report, at least, two sides should have been investigated and the position of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine should have been taken into account. However, as a result, the organization's report "sounded like support for Russian narratives" and "became a tool of Russian propaganda."

Preparation of new military aid from the US

Washington is preparing a new package of military aid for Ukraine, which will include, in particular, ammunition for long-range weapons and armored medical transport vehicles. It should be announced on August 8.

The cost and list of weapons are still subject to change, but if the arms package is signed in its current form, it will be valued at $1 billion and will include munitions for HIMARS and NASAMS anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as 50 M113 armored medical vehicles.

Night shelling of Kharkiv

Around 12:30 a.m, powerful explosions rang out in Kharkiv. Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that it was allegedly the Slobidskyi district of the city that was struck. There is currently no information about the victims.

Will Turkey pay for Russian gas in rubles?

The Kremlin assures that Vladimir Putin, during negotiations with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, agreed on partial payment for Russian gas in rubles. Ankara has not yet commented on this information.

Fenerbahce fined for chanting "Vladimir Putin"

The Turkish football club "Fenerbahce" was punished for the behavior of its fans during the match with Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League qualification game in Istanbul. At the time, they chanted "Vladimir Putin".

The club was fined 50,000 euros. Also, UEFA has ruled for partial closure of the stands (at least 5,000 seats) in the club's next European Cup home match as punishment.

Fighting in the south

The Ukrainian military reported that they had destroyed six more warehouses with enemy ammunition in Kherson Oblast, as well as 79 occupiers and 30 pieces of equipment. The Armed Forces also hit two Russian control points in Chornobayivka.

According to the command, the situation on the southern front is "difficult, but the defense forces are controlling its development." On some axes, Russians rotate manpower and redistribute equipment.

Credit from Italy for teachers' salaries

Italy granted Ukraine a loan of 200 million euros, which will be used to pay school teachers' salaries. As the Ministry of Finance noted, the loan will help the Ukrainian government to maintain financial stability and continue to provide priority social expenditures.

$765 million of confiscated Russian assets

Since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Russian assets worth over $765 million have already been seized. And the process is still ongoing, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. According to him, if we evaluate the property package not only of Russia as a state, but also of its residents, then we are talking about 36,000 assets up for withdrawal.