Six Ukrainian servicemen died in the crash of two combat helicopters in eastern Ukraine, where the Kiev army is carrying out a counter-offensive against Russian forces, the Ukrainian National Bureau of Investigation (SBI) announced on Thursday. ) on the 554th day of the Russian invasion. “Two Mi-8 military helicopters fell during a combat mission. Six soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces died,” the SBI said in a statement, adding that the crash occurred on Tuesday in the Kramatorsk region.
The main information:
– Six Ukrainian soldiers killed in the crash of two helicopter gunships in the east
– Resuming Ukraine grain export deal ‘essential’ for global food security, says Turkish Foreign Minister
– Critics of Ukrainian forces’ counter-offensive should “shut it down”, Ukrainian Foreign Minister said Thursday
An accident a week after the death of three Ukrainian pilots
The SBI adds that “particular attention will be paid in particular to the study of the technical condition of the helicopters and to compliance with the rules of flight preparation. The version of the sabotage or destruction of helicopters by the enemy will also be studied”.
Ukrainian MI-8 helicopters, which date back to Soviet times, are used at the front to strike Russian lines with rockets. They often fly in pairs low to the ground, before rising sharply to perform their shot, then returning to their base flying low to the ground again. This accident comes after the death of three Ukrainian pilots in the accidental collision of two L-39 combat training planes last week in the north of the country.
Resuming Ukraine grain export deal ‘essential’ for global food security
The resumption of the agreement on the export of Ukrainian cereals is “essential” for world food security and the stability of the Black Sea region, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday during a visit to Moscow. “We reiterated our conviction that the resumption of the agreement will restore stability in both areas,” he added during a press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
Russia had terminated in July the agreement by which Ukraine could export its cereals and has since threatened to attack ships departing from Ukraine in the Black Sea. “There is now a process based on a better understanding and response to Russia’s demands,” said Hakan Fidan, who traveled to Moscow to prepare for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s next visit to Russia. According to Turkish media, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to travel to Sochi, Russia on September 4 to discuss with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin the resumption of the agreement.
Ukraine now depends on land routes and a shallow river port, which severely limits its grain export volumes. Turkey is trying to revive the original agreement, hoping to use it as a springboard for broader peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow.
Critics of Ukrainian counteroffensive should ‘shut it down’
Critics of the Ukrainian forces’ counter-offensive against Russian troops should “shut it down”, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kouleba said on Thursday. “To criticize the slowness of the counter-offensive amounts to spitting in the face of the Ukrainian soldier who sacrifices his life”, he launched on the sidelines of a meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the 27 in Toledo, Spain. “I suggest everyone who criticizes to shut up, come to Ukraine and try to free up a square centimeter on your own,” he added.
The Ukrainian counter-offensive launched in June in the east and south is proving very difficult, with reduced advances in terms of km2. It must in particular face the solid Russian defenses, made of trenches, anti-tank traps and minefields established over hundreds of kilometers.
After thanking European ministers for the support of their governments, Dmytro Kouleba recalled that Ukraine still needed munitions, armored vehicles, long-range missiles, and anti-aircraft defense systems.
Kyiv welcomes help from ex-British defense minister
Former British Defense Minister Ben Wallace, who resigned from his post on Thursday morning, “set an example” in supporting Ukraine militarily in the face of the Russian invasion, Kiev said in a statement. “His energy and dedication have made it possible to carry out the most daring projects and to mobilize the essential resources at the right time. He has shown the example”, greeted on X (ex-Twitter) the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Oleksiï Reznikov. “His authority has inspired other countries to participate in aid to Ukraine,” he said, saying “thank (his) friend and colleague (…) for all this that he has done”.
According to Oleksiï Reznikov, the significant military aid from the United Kingdom “helped to repel the first wave of Russian aggression” from February 2022 and “to launch an offensive”, since the beginning of June, to push the Russian forces out of the territories they occupy in the south and east of the country. Ben Wallace, 53, has played a key role in backing Kyiv for more than a year and a half of Russian invasion, making the UK one of Kyiv’s main financial and military backers, prompting the wrath of Moscow.