‘My First Blood Shed for Ukraine’ – Ukraine at War Update for Aug. 26

The Reuters crew member who was listed as missing on Sunday morning after a Russian missile strike wounded several foreign journalists staying at a hotel in Kramaorsk, Donetsk region, was confirmed dead by Sunday evening.

Shortly after the Saturday night Russian attack, the global wire service put out a statement saying that the missile hit the Hotel Sapphire where their six-person crew was staying.

“One of our colleagues is unaccounted for, while another two have been taken to the hospital for treatment,” the news agency reported. The other three crew members were reported safe.

Later in the day, Reuters mourned the loss of the missing member, the group’s security advisor. The wire service said the advisor who was killed had “helped keep so many of our journalists safe as they covered events around the world. He was a dear colleague and friend, and we will miss him terribly.”

He was identified as Ryan Evans, a 40-year-old British citizen.

Just before that, the head of Kramatorsk’s military administration said that the body of one man was recovered under the rubble, but did not identify him.

Ukrainian prosecutors said a Russian Iskander missile hit the hotel at 10:35 p.m. local time on Saturday. The building next door was also damaged.

The US State Department has confirmed that an American was also among those wounded but has not identified that person, either. The head of the Donetsk regional military administration said the wounded journalists include “citizens of Ukraine, the United States, Latvia and Germany.”

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The number of mercenaries is in the hundreds, though many of them claimed they were duped into fighting after being lured by high salaries.

However, there was also a Polish journalist, Monika Andruszewska, who was wounded, according to Polsat News, as she was driving near the location of the attack.

“My first personal blood, shed for Ukraine—just in time for Independence Day, after 10 years of war. ‘Iskander’ hit close to me,” Andruszewska shared on social media.

Belarusian forces gather on Ukrainian border

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that a large number of Belarusian troops and equipment have gathered near the Belarusian-Ukrainian border under the pretext of military exercises. The ministry said that former members of Russia’s Wagner mercenary personnel have been spotted in the same area.

“According to Ukrainian intelligence agencies, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus are gathering a large number of military personnel, in particular Special Operations Forces, as well as weapons and military equipment, including tanks, artillery, multiple-launch rocket systems, air defense systems, and combat engineering equipment, near Ukraine’s northern border in Gomel Oblast, under the pretext of military training. Mercenaries who formerly served in the Wagner PMC have also been spotted there.

“Military exercises in the border area and the vicinity of a nuclear facility, the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, is a threat to Ukraine’s national security, as well as global security.

“We urge Belarusian officials to avoid mistakes that would have tragic effects for their own country under Moscow’s pressure, and [for the] armed forces to stop unfriendly maneuvers and transfer the forces away from Ukraine’s state border to a distance exceeding the range of the Belarusian weapon systems.”

Zelensky condemns hotel attack, calls on West to speed up promised package deliveries

In his Independence Day nightly address on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday denounced the strike on the Hotel Sapphire, saying, “For all this, the world must not stop putting pressure on the terrorist state.”

In his address, Zelensky also pleaded with Western partners to hasten to fulfill their weapons pledges, saying, “The longer we have to wait, the more damage Russia will have time to inflict.”

“We also need to ensure there are no delays in logistics for our defense so that our warriors can act according to the needs of the front,” the president said in his address.

“Currently, we have some high-profile announcements of defense packages from our partners for Ukraine that have not been fully implemented for months.

“We also have agreements on air defense that are still being implemented.” Zelensky highlighted the need for timely aid, saying, “This is especially important with the new school year approaching.

“All our talks with leaders, all negotiations are focused on this – on the speed and strength of joint decisions, on fulfilling our agreements. The world must not forget for a single day that, together, we are stronger than any terrorist.”

Ukraine claims two more settlements in Russia, as Moscow marches on Pokrovsk

Also in his address, Zelensky boasted about the nation’s newest jet-powered drone and reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) had conquered two more towns in their 20-day counter-invasion into Russia’s Kursk region.

“I’ve just spoken with the head of the Syrsky command [staff]. We’ve made progress in the Kursk region - from one to three kilometers. We have taken control of two more settlements. Active actions are underway in one more settlement,” Zelensky noted.

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), however, in the Donetsk region, Russian forces simultaneously continued to advance southeast of Pokrovsk on Sunday, particularly around southern and eastern Novohrodivka (southeast of Pokrovsk), and Moscow’s troops now control more than half of the settlement.

Specifically, Russian milbloggers claimed that Kremlin forces advanced up to the outskirts of Marynivka (immediately south of Novohrodivka), advanced up to 5.45 kilometers wide and 1.7 kilometers deep north of Kalynove (southeast of Pokrovsk), and advanced along a reservoir east of Kalynove.

However, ISW analysts clarified that they have not observed confirmation of these Russian claims.

Finally, the president again called attention to Ukraine’s newest drone, powered by a jet engine.

“In particular, today we have already shown our ‘Palyanytsya’ – our new drone missile. And there will be more of our developments and weapons,” Zelensky said.

On Saturday, the president confirmed the first use of Ukraine’s new drone which he said has been named Palyanytsya.

“Just today, the first combat use of our new weapon took place successfully. It’s an absolutely new class of weapon –the Ukrainian Palyanytsya missile. This is our new method of retaliating against the aggressor. The enemy was hit… I’m proud of you,” Zelensky said.