The city of Moscow was targeted overnight by “one of the most significant” Ukrainian drone attacks in its history, its mayor announced on Wednesday, August 21, while Ukraine, for its part, claimed to have neutralized fifty Russian drones.
This new attack by Ukraine on Russian soil comes on top of the large-scale incursion of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region, where Kiev’s troops claim to have conquered 1,250 square kilometers of Russian territory. For their part, Russian forces are also continuing their advance in eastern Ukraine, towards the city of Pokrovsk.
Key information:
⇒ Moscow targeted by “one of the most significant” drone attacks in its history
⇒ Ukrainian parliament votes to join the International Criminal Court
⇒ Elections postponed in seven municipalities of the Russian Kursk region
Moscow targeted by “one of the most significant” drone attacks in its history
The city of Moscow was targeted overnight by “one of the largest” Ukrainian drone attacks in its history, its mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, announced on Telegram on Wednesday. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, “eleven drones were destroyed” over the territory of Moscow and its region during the night.
The city of Moscow and its region, located more than 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, have already been targeted by rare drone attacks. In the summer of 2023, devices were destroyed over the business district of the capital, and in May 2023, two devices suffered the same fate near the Kremlin, in the heart of Moscow.
Ukrainian parliament votes to join International Criminal Court
After years of procrastination and opposition from the military, Ukraine’s parliament voted Wednesday for kyiv to join the International Criminal Court (ICC), hoping to punish Russia for alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine, several lawmakers said.
A total of 281 parliamentarians voted to ratify the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC, several of them announced on social networks. This decision will open up “greater possibilities for punishing the Russians and will strengthen Russia’s isolation,” MP Yevgenia Kravchuk said on Facebook.
Elections postponed in seven municipalities of Russia’s Kursk region
Local elections scheduled for early September have been postponed in seven municipalities in the Russian region of Kursk, which borders Ukraine and has been the target of an unprecedented Ukrainian offensive since August 6, electoral authorities announced.
“The Central Election Commission supported the proposal of the Kursk region election commission to postpone the elections […] in seven municipalities,” she said in a statement. Preparations for the elections will resume “as soon as it is possible to fully ensure the security of voters,” according to the same source.
Indian PM Modi calls for ‘peace’ ahead of Ukraine visit
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a “return to peace” on Wednesday before leaving for Ukraine, weeks after he drew the ire of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for hugging Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow.
Narendra Modi, 73, is due to meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Poland on Thursday before heading to Ukraine on Friday, where he is scheduled to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky. “As a friend and partner, we hope for a speedy return of peace and stability in the region,” the Indian prime minister said on social media.
Narendra Modi is maintaining a delicate balance between his country’s historically strong ties with Moscow and seeking closer security partnerships with Western countries as a bulwark against regional rival China.