LIVE – War in Ukraine: British Challenger 2 tank supplied to Kiev by London destroyed

Russian “artillery” hit a market in the city of Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, says Volodymyr Zelensky. In Telegram, the Ukrainian president notes that 16 people died and “many were injured” in this “normal market”. “Unfortunately, the number of victims and injuries is likely to increase.”

The US diplomatic chief went to Kiev to “meet his Ukrainian counterpart,” writes Antony Blinken, to social network and rebuild and, above all, strengthen America’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine.

There, he also met the Prime Minister of Denmark who arrived in Kyiv on the same day. “I thanked him for Denmark’s leadership in supporting Ukraine. The US-Denmark relationship is more important than ever as we work together to support Ukraine and strengthen the security of the Atlantic seaboard.”

It’s official: Ukraine’s parliament voted Wednesday morning to appoint a new defense minister. With a large majority, Rustam Omerov, a 41-year-old Crimean Tatar, takes this highest strategic position in the current environment. A nomination proposed by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

A British Challenger 2 tank, delivered to Kiev by London, has indeed been destroyed, British Defense Secretary Grant Shabbs has confirmed. “This is the first loss as far as we know,” he told Sky News. “We accept that in a war zone, there may be material losses,” said London, however, noting that there are no plans to replace the vehicle.

As a reminder, the United Kingdom delivered 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine this year. As the Guardian clarified on Tuesday, this is the first time such a device has been destroyed on the battlefield since it entered service in 1994, apart from one instance in 2003 when it was hit by friendly fire in Iraq.

In the pages of Le Monde, Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discusses the evolution of the conflict and Nicolas Sarkozy’s latest statements. According to the diplomatic chief, the former president of the republic “had his time of glory in Georgia in 2008”. He joked that “the management of this crisis is one of the reasons for the chain of events,” along with the annexation of Crimea and the invasion of Ukraine. As a reminder, in a press interview, the man accused of benefiting from lucrative deals in Russia confirmed that the Russians “need us” and “they need us.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is in Kyiv before the Ukrainian parliament.

A senior State Department official told reporters that the US diplomatic chief is set to use his visit to Kyiv to announce a billion dollars in new aid to Ukraine.

Washington will continue its “efforts” to ensure that the Ukrainians “have what it takes to fight this phase of war,” the State Department official pledged on condition of anonymity, referring to the counteroffensive, which “is not just about strikes, but also about truly breaking through the vicious defensive lines put up by the Russians,” according to the same official. He welcomed “impressive advances” by Kiev’s forces in the south, but also in the east

Oleksandr Chirsky, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, said the situation on the eastern front was difficult, with Russian forces trying to gain the upper hand and “retaliate” for an attack by Ukrainian troops. “The enemy has not abandoned his plans to reach the borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” he noted. As quoted by the Military Media Center. “He is stubbornly preparing for his revenge,” he said.

US diplomat Anthony Blinken arrived in Kyiv this morning for his fourth surprise visit since the war began. The US diplomat is expected to discuss Ukrainian needs, particularly in terms of military aid, during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Denis Chymikal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

9 am. A chance to look back at the highlights of the last 24 hours.

A Russian drone strike in the Odesa region of southern Ukraine killed one person, local governor Oleg Kiper said, adding that the port and agricultural infrastructure had been damaged. “Unfortunately, one died in the hospital,” he lamented, noting that the victim worked in agriculture.

Last night, Kiev was the target of a coordinated attack, “cruise missiles” and other “probably ballistic”, the head of the military administration, Sergiy Babko, announced in a telegram. “All targets in the direction of the capital have been destroyed by air defenses,” he assured. According to Ukrainian emergency services, there were no casualties. The fire at the “commercial establishment” was caused by “debris from an enemy missile”.

According to the Daily Mail, London should add the Wagner group to the list of terrorist organizations. “Wagner is a violent and destructive organization that has acted as a foreign military tool for Vladimir Putin’s Russia,” Interior Minister Suella Braverman told the British newspaper.

The minister has the power to “prohibit” an organization that he considers to be engaged in terrorist activities, making it a criminal offense to support the organization concerned. British media reports that the motion will be tabled in Parliament today.

Attacks targeting Ukraine occurred “very close” to Romania’s border, the NATO member state’s president announced, a day after Russian explosive drones fell over the Danube. Attacks were recorded “800 meters from our border”, declared Klaus Iohannis, “very, very close”. Since the suspension in July of a deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported via the Black Sea, Russia has stepped up shelling of the region of southwestern Ukraine bordering Romania, where ports and other infrastructure needed for this trade are located.

The White House has warned that North Korea will “pay a price in the international community” for supplying Russia with weapons to support its war on Ukraine. Asked during a press conference about “active discussions” between Moscow and Pyongyang on the matter, National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan admitted, however, that he could not say what kind of weapons would be provided in the framework of a possible deal between them. Two allies. “What kind of material and the quality of this material can be provided remains an open question,” he admitted. But “it says a lot about Russia that a country like North Korea should turn to to bolster its defense capabilities.”

Hello and welcome to this new live broadcast dedicated to tracking the war in Ukraine as the 560th day of conflict begins.