Ukrainian secret services and armed forces could have carried out at least nine successful attacks on airbases in Russian regions, temporarily occupied Crimea and Belarus, and destroyed or damaged at least 24 aircraft since the beginning of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation.
Russian media on Aug. 30 reported what appears to be the largest coordinated drone attack on Russia and on the occupied Crimean Peninsula. Attacks were reported overnight in five regions in central Russia, in the western Pskov region, and in the city of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea, according to Russia’s TASS state news agency.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed his nation's spirit and defiance in holding out against Russian forces in a rallying speech on Thursday marking Ukraine's Independence Day. The anniversary was celebrated quietly, and fell exactly 18 months after Moscow's full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022 which has killed tens of thousands of people, forced millions from their homes and devastated towns across Ukraine. In a video address filmed in front of government buildings in central Kyiv, Zelenskiy thanked Ukrainians - from soldiers to utilities workers and journalists - for their contribution to the country's defence and urged them to reflect on how were contributing to Ukraine's independence.
Law enforcement officers arrived in Melkonyants' apartment early in the morning and after searching his home, took to him the main department of the Russian Investigative Committee for charges, Russian agencies reported. A court is expected to decide on Friday whether Melkonyants will remain in custody, Golos said referring to his lawyer Mikhail Biryukov. Melkonyants may face up to six years in prison for working with an international organization, declared "undesirable" by Russian authorities, his lawyer told Russian agencies.