Ukraine controls 74 settlements in Kursk region, and the IAEA inspects the site of the ZNPP fire: highlights for August 13

Ukrainian Armed Forces control 74 settlements in Kursk region

On August 13, the Ukrainian military advanced in some areas by 1 to 3 kilometers in the Kursk region of Russia. Currently, they control 74 settlements in the region, said Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi in a report to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

At the same time, Zelenskyy said that during the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region, hundreds of Russian soldiers surrendered. According to him, they will receive humane treatment that they did not have in their own army.

Bloomberg writes that Ukraine and Russia plan to continue gas transit to the EU through the Sudzha gas metering station in Kursk region.

Foreign Ministry: Ukraine will not take away Kursk region

Ukraine is not interested in taking away the territory of the Kursk region from Russia. The goal is to liberate the border from the Russian contingent that is shelling Ukrainian lands.

IAEA visits the site of the fire at ZNPP

IAEA experts have visited the cooling tower of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, where a fire broke out the day before.

The team concluded that it is unlikely that the primary source of the fire was at the base of the cooling tower. The IAEA requested access to the distribution level of the water nozzles, but was denied, allegedly “for security reasons”.

Restrictions have been imposed on the border areas of Sumy region

The military command of Ukraine has imposed restrictions on the movement of all categories of citizens in the twenty-kilometer border zone of Sumy region.

At the same time, an extended curfew was introduced in Kharkiv region for more than 200 settlements.

Fighting in urban areas near Toretsk

Fighting is taking place within the urban areas near the town of Toretsk, Donetsk region, said Oleksandr Bordiian, acting press officer of the 32nd separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to him, sabotage and reconnaissance groups sometimes enter the city.

Summonses are now sent by mail

In the Volyn region, conscripts are already being sent by mail. Such a summons is considered delivered even if the addressee did not receive it personally.

According to a representative of the territorial recruitment center, if a person does not come to the recruitment center at a certain time, he or she will be administratively liable.

Trial begins in Germany over murder of Ukrainian teenagers

The Essen Regional Court in Germany has begun the trial of the murder of two Ukrainian teenagers, basketball players Volodymyr Yermakov and Artem Kozachenko.

Two of the defendants are German nationals and two are Syrian nationals, accused of xenophobic murder.

Ukraine receives another €4.2 billion from the EU

The European Union has disbursed another €4.2 billion in aid to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility program. The government will use these funds for social programs, humanitarian aid and other important budget programs. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reminded that Ukraine finances military expenditures exclusively from its own resources.

Conference to be held on the results of the Peace Summit

The first conference on the results of the Peace Summit, dedicated to energy security, will be held online in August.

The results of the thematic conferences will be used to develop and agree on the components of the overall peace plan.

Precautionary measures in the $500,000 bribe case

The High Anti-Corruption Court has imposed pre-trial restraints on three more suspects in the bribery case of former Deputy Energy Minister Oleksandr Kheil.

The court sent Kheil to custody the day before with the right to post bail of 25 million hryvnias.

Meanwhile, the SBU published intercepted conversations of the defendants in the case. In particular, when they discuss the mechanism of bribe transfer and its distribution among themselves.

Ex-director of Russia Today convicted in Ukraine

A court has found former Russia Today director Anton Krasovsky guilty of public calls for genocide. Law enforcement officers recorded that Krasovsky publicly called for the drowning and burning of Ukrainian children in one of the episodes of his author's program.

Other important news of the day

• Latvia will provide Ukraine with 500 more drones.
• A bus with children overturns in the Khmelnytskyi region, killing a girl and a teacher.
• In the Odesa region, young people danced and poured alcohol on themselves near the memorial to fallen soldiers.
• The developers of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 showed the details of the game in anticipation of its release.
• The Financial Times writes that the Russian navy has been training to attack Europe with nuclear-tipped missiles.