Zelenskyy's ultimatum, another explosion in Crimea, partisans in Melitopol: last night's highlights

In Crimea, explosions rang out again, Russians hit Kharkiv twice with rockets, and in Melitopol, partisans punished the occupier who was molesting a minor. Here is what you may have missed from the previous night.
                                       Explosions in the south

On the evening of August 21, explosions once again were heard in the temporarily occupied territories of southern Ukraine. In Nova Kakhovka, Kherson Oblast, the Armed Forces of Ukraine hit Russian positions, and explosions sounded in Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

In addition, another explosion rang out in the occupied Crimea, in particular in Bakhchisaray, Sevastopol, Belbek, Yevpatoria and Novofedorivka. The occupiers said that the air defense systems "struck more objects" on the approaches to the Belbek airfield from Yevpatoria.

Two strikes on Kharkiv

On the evening of August 21, the Russian occupying forces hit Kharkiv with rockets, striking private housing in the Kyivskyi district of the city. One person was injured in the shelling.

And a few hours later, the occupiers launched another rocket attack on Kharkiv. An infrastructure facility was struck, and a two-story building was destroyed. There is currently no information about the victims.

Zelenskyy's ultimatum

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that if the occupiers do organize a "trial" of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Mariupol, negotiations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation will become impossible.

"If this despicable court takes place, if our people are brought into these settings in violation of all agreements and international rules... This will be the line beyond which any negotiations are impossible. Russia will cut itself off from the negotiations. There will be no more conversations. Our state has made everything clear," the president stressed.

Partisans in Melitopol

In the temporarily occupied Melitopol of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, partisans punished a Russian man who molested an underage girl on the street of one of the city's neighborhoods. They "cut the throat" of the occupier on Heroes of Ukraine Street, Mayor Ivan Fedorov said.

Onuphrius met Russian captives

The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church — Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Onuphrius, met with Russian prisoners of war in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. He urged them to speak out against the war and wished that "God protect all the people who are on the battlefield."

He also wished the occupiers "health and return to their families as soon as possible", "all the best", and also gave them a prayer book, an icon and a chocolate bar each.

Metropolitan Onuphrius distributed a prayer book, an icon and a chocolate bar to captured Russian soldiers, August 20, 2022
Photo: Screenshot

Fighting in the south

On August 21, the Ukrainian military on the southern front destroyed 20 occupiers and 11 units of Russian equipment, as well as "adjusted the load carrying capacity" of the Kakhovka bridge in Kherson Oblast.

Ukrainian wins gold in women's high jump

The last final of the 2022 European Multisport Championships has ended in Munich. Three Ukrainian athletes competed for medals in women's high jump: Iryna Herashchenko, Yuliya Levchenko and Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who won gold and became the European champion.

Mahuchikh won the first "gold" in the history of Ukraine in women's high jump at the European Championships. The athlete made a jump of 195 cm, which she managed on the first attempt.

Award "National Legend of Ukraine"

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented eight Ukrainians with the "National Legend of Ukraine" award — they continued to perform their work during the war and under the conditions of occupation. Including:

• conductor Anatoliy Babichev — for 9 days he took people by train from Kostyantynivka, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Lyman;
• firefighter Ihor Ivasykov — rescued 27 people from the rubble of the State Administration in Mykolaiv;
• doctors Olha and Anatoliy Svyst — for two weeks under constant shelling in Bucha, they performed extremely complex operations on seriously injured children;
• teacher Hanna But from Melitopol, who, despite the occupation, raises her students to be patriots;
• volunteer Tata Kepler — has been helping the Ukrainian army for eight years in a row;
• footballer Andriy Shevchenko — ambassador of the United24 platform;
• Anatolii Solovyanenko — for significant creative work and strengthening the cultural glory of Ukraine (posthumously).