Two drones downed on approach to Moscow, Pokrovsk strike death toll rises to nine, Latvia to boost Belarus border security

Pokrovsk strike death toll rises to nine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address that the death toll in Pokrovsk had risen to nine, while the number of injured now stood at 82, updating earlier reports that seven people had been killed and 81 had been injured.

“Nine people have died. My condolences to their families and friends. In addition, 82 people were injured. Everyone is getting the medical care they need. Two children are among the injured, both are boys, one of them is in critical condition. His name is Nikita, he is only 11 and in the sixth grade,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky thanked emergency service workers and accused the Russian army of launching the second strike on the town once the rescuers had arrived on the site. The emergency services reportedly finished clearing the rubble late on Tuesday.

China and Russia ‘increasingly diverging’ over how to end Ukraine war, ISW writes

According to the daily bulletin of the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Kremlin is disgruntled by the fact that China continues to advance its Ukraine war peace plan on international forums.

The ISW reached that conclusion by analysing the communiqué published by the two parties following talks between Russian and Chinese Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Wang Yi after China’s participation in the Saudi Arabia peace talks.

In particular, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported that the ministers ““touched on a series of ‘hot’ regional topics including the Ukrainian crisis”, while the Chinese ministry noted that Lavrov and Wang “exchanged views” on the war. The ISW believes that Moscow’s dissatisfaction with China’s actions falls in line with their previous assessments, which show that China is not interested in a “no-limits partnership” with Russia.

Latvia to boost Belarus border security on 11 August

The Latvian authorities have introduced an enhanced border security operation between 11 August 2023 and 10 February 2024, the government said in a statement on its website.

The new regime will be implemented in the regions of Latvia bordering Belarus. Border guards and law enforcement officers will be able to break into buildings and enter private property to look for people who illegally crossed the border.

“The order was issued to ensure the inviolability of the state border and prevent state threats over the disproportionately large number of cases, which continue to rise, of illegal crossings and attempts to cross the Latvian-Belarusian border,” the statement reads.

The authorities in Latvia and Poland are continuing to receive reports of illegal attempts to cross the border from Belarus. Therefore, the authorities believe that “an inter-state system of reacting to these illegal border crossings should be established”.

Since 11 August 2021, more than 14,000 people have been prevented from entering Latvia illegally, including 5,500 people between 1 January and 7 August 2023, the Latvian government added. At the same time, the Latvian authorities allowed 282 people, who had tried to cross the border illegally, to enter the country on humanitarian grounds.

Earlier, Poland announced that it was also boosting security measures along its border with Belarus.