Ukraine’s air defense thwarfs overnight attack, shoots down ballistic missiles

Source: Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force Mykola Oleschuk

In the early hours of August 23, Ukrainian air defenses foiled a Russian missile and drone attack with “most of enemy targets” shot down, according to Mykola Oleschuk.

The Russian military used two “Iskander-M”/KN-23 ballistic missiles that were launched from Russia’s Voronezh region and 16 “Shahed” strike drones that came from Yeysk and Kursk.

The Shaheds drones were intercepted over the Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Poltava, and Sumy regions.

The coordinated effort of Ukraine’s “aviation, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire teams” helped  to shoot down 14 of the Russian drones. The two more drones went off the radars and their locations remain unknown with no related information received about their possible crash sites.

Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.

The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.

In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.

Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.

Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.