More than 200 searches in military enlistment offices, Ukraine-Balkans summit, Russian shelling: highlights
Law enforcement officers conducted more than 200 simultaneous searches in Ukrainian military enlistment offices. The Ukraine—Balkans summit took place in Greece. Croatia will allocate €30 million in military aid to Ukraine. We have collected the main news for August 22.
Ukraine-Balkans summit
On August 22, the Ukraine-Balkans summit took place in Greece. The meeting was attended by the leaders of eight Balkan countries, Moldova, and Romania, as well as President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The summit participants signed a declaration reaffirming their support for Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's efforts to implement the "peace formula." Some participating countries also expressed their desire to join the European Union.
During the summit, the President of Ukraine met with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.
Plenkovic said that his country plans to provide Ukraine with a new military aid package worth 30 million euros. This decision will be finalized at a meeting of the Croatian government. The country is also ready to help with the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.
Plenkovic also announced a major international demining conference dedicated to Ukraine in October. There, EU countries and other international organizations will begin the process of assisting Ukraine with demining.
In addition, Zelenskyy met with Serbian President Vucic at the summit. The politicians discussed mutual support for territorial integrity.
Searches in military registration and enlistment offices
Law enforcement officers conducted more than 200 simultaneous searches in territorial recruitment and social support centers, military medical and medical and social expert commissions in all regions.
The State Bureau of Investigation noted that searches are being conducted, in particular, in a number of military medical commissions in Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, and Kyiv oblasts. The investigative actions are part of an investigation into the illegal enrichment of officials of regional and district military commissariats.
According to the SBI, a total of 388 people have been identified as having doubts about the legality of their decisions to be unfit for military service.
Russian shelling of Sumy and Kherson oblasts
On August 22, Russian troops attacked the village of Komyshany in Kherson Oblast. Local residents who were on the street came under fire.
A 71-year-old woman was killed in the attack. In addition, a 55-year-old man was injured and hospitalized.
Among other things, the occupiers shelled the town of Seredyna-Buda, Sumy Oblast, from the Russian Federation at about 1 p.m. Four civilians were wounded as a result of the shelling. The shell fragments cut the facades of private houses and damaged vehicles.
Heating tariffs
The Cabinet of Ministers has assured that heating tariffs for households will not change in the new cold season.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the government has extended the mechanism of imposing a social obligation on the natural gas market until mid-April 2024.
This means that Naftogaz will continue to sell gas to residential heating suppliers at a fixed price of UAH 7,400 ($200) per thousand cubic meters.
Participants in the war
Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that over the 9.5 years of the Russian-Ukrainian war, about a million Ukrainians have become combatants.
He assured that the ministry is aware of their current problems and challenges, including the attitude of society toward veterans.
"But let's be honest. When I talk to our soldiers in hospitals or award them in the combat zone, they say that it is not bureaucracy or material problems that hurt them the most - it is alienation that hurts them the most," Reznikov emphasized.
At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has amended the Procedure for granting and depriving combatant status. From now on, only one certificate is required to obtain the status of a combatant.
Other important news
- Russians are flooding ferries in an attempt to protect the Kerch Bridge from Ukrainian attacks, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence reported.
- Luxembourg and Montenegro joined the G7 declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine.
- A court in Moscow upheld the 13-year prison sentence for Ukrainian human rights activist Maksym Butkevych.
- Hungarian President Katalin Novak arrived in Zakarpattya Oblast on a working visit.
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