This week, one of the main events was the assassination of former Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Andriy Parubiy in Lviv. The Russians massively attacked Kyiv and hit a ship of the Ukrainian Navy.
Meanwhile, the government allowed men between the ages of 18 and 22 to cross the border during martial law, and the president appointed a new Ukrainian ambassador to the United States.
Babel has compiled the main events of the week so that you can stay up to date with the news.
Permission to travel abroad for men under 22 years old
On August 26, the government updated the procedure for crossing the state border, allowing men aged 18 to 22 years old to cross the border without hindrance during martial law. This decision applies to both citizens who are in Ukraine and those who find themselves abroad for various reasons.
The changes went into effect the day after the official publication of the resolution — August 28.
As President Volodymyr Zelensky explained, this initiative "will help many young Ukrainians maintain ties with Ukraine and realize their potential by studying in Ukraine".
The murder of Andriy Parubiy
Former Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada and current MP Andriy Parubiy was killed in Lviv on August 30. He was shot 8 times. On the same day, a special operation "Siren" was declared in the city, and law enforcement officers began an investigation into the murder.
Андрій Парубій / Facebook
As Volodymyr Ariyev, a member of the European Solidarity faction, said, six months before the murder, Parubiy asked to be provided with state protection.
Law enforcement officers are considering various versions, including the Russian trail. The investigation is currently ongoing. The politician will be buried on September 2 in Lviv.
Russian attack on Ukrainian Navy ship
On August 28, the Russian army attacked one of the ships of the Ukrainian Navy. As a result, two crew members were killed and several other servicemen were injured.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that they attacked the Ukrainian Navy reconnaissance ship Simferopol at the mouth of the Danube River.
The Russians claim that the ship sank, but this information has not been officially confirmed in Ukraine.
Wikimedia
Massive shelling of Kyiv
On the night of August 28, the Russians launched a combined attack on Kyiv. The enemy used Shahed UAVs, simulator drones, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and “Kinzhal” hypersonic missiles.
In total, the Russians launched almost 600 drones and 31 missiles across Ukraine, including "Kinzhal" and "Iskander" missiles. Two cases of direct missile hits on residential buildings were recorded in the capital. The Kyiv authorities announced the record consequences of the attack — damage was recorded in all districts of the city in 33 places. The Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts were the most affected, one of the hits completely destroyed the entrance of a five-story building.
The offices of Ukrainska Pravda, Radio Liberty, the European Investment Bank, the EU mission, and the British Council were also damaged during the attack.
Rescue operations at the site of the Russian strike on a house in the Darnytskyi district lasted more than 30 hours. In total, 25 people died that day, including four children. Dozens of people were injured.
The EU condemned another Russian attack and summoned the Russian ambassador. The UK did the same. At the same time, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that the US President Donald Trump was "displeased but not surprised" by the Russian attack on Kyiv.
The US approves sale of Patriot equipment and Starlink services to Ukraine worth nearly $330 million
On August 30, the US State Department approved the sale of spare parts and other equipment for the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine for about $179.1 million.
The package includes the provision of the following non-MDE services and equipment: classified and unclassified spare parts, maintenance, classified and unclassified software and upgrades, communications and related accessories, maintenance equipment, and more.
Separately, the State Department approved the sale of Starlink satellite communications services and related equipment for a total of $150 million.
Polish Presidentʼs veto of law on assistance to Ukrainian refugees
Karol Nawrocki vetoed a bill on payments and free medical care for unemployed Ukrainians on August 25. He stated that assistance should only be provided to refugees who commit to working in Poland.
The bill provided for the extension of temporary protection for citizens of Ukraine fleeing the war until March 4, 2026. In addition, it clarified the conditions for the payment of "800 plus" so that children who graduated from high school before reaching the age of 18 and fulfill their educational obligations by attending higher education institutions or qualifying professional courses could also receive it.
After that, the Minister of Digitalization of Poland Krzysztof Gawkowski stated that due to the veto, Poland will not be able to pay for the operation of the Starlink terminals that it transferred to Ukraine. But the head of the Office of the President of Poland Zbigniew Bohutski stated that the veto of President Nawrocki will not leave Ukraine without access to their Starlink.
Appointment of Ukraineʼs Ambassador to the United States
On August 27, President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Olha Stefanyshyna as the new Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States.
Since 2020, she has been the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine. And in 2024, she also became the Minister of Justice and held this position until the resignation of the government on July 16. Since July 17 of this year, she has held the position of Presidential Envoy for Development of Cooperation with the United States.
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