The war. Russian troops shelled Kharkiv, the Ukrainian Armed Forces targeted two bridges in Kherson oblast, the United States agreed on a billion-dollar military aid package for Ukraine. Day 167: live coverage

Author:
Anna Kholodnova
Date:
The war. Russian troops shelled Kharkiv, the Ukrainian Armed Forces targeted two bridges in Kherson oblast, the United States agreed on a billion-dollar military aid package for Ukraine. Day 167: live coverage

Sappers inspect the site of a cluster munition after a rocket attack on a residential quarter in the north of Kharkiv on August 8, 2022.

Getty Images / «Babel'»

Russian occupiers attacked Kharkiv, at least one person was killed. The Armed Forces of Ukraine again hit the Kakhovsky and Antonivsky bridges in Kherson oblast, and the Pentagon announced new military aid for Ukraine worth one billion dollars. Follow the main events of the one 167th day of the war in our live coverage (and here is what happened on August 8).

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We have completed live coverage of the 167th day of Russiaʼs full-scale war against Ukraine. Read about the main events of the 168th day of the war in the new live text coverage.

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said on the air of the Russian TV channel Dozhd that Kyiv was not involved in the explosions at the airfield in Novofedorivka in occupied Crimea.

"Of course not. What do we have to do with this? These are, perhaps, compensatory mechanisms for inefficient management within the armed forces of the Russian Federation," he said, answering journalistsʼ questions about whether Kyiv takes responsibility for these explosions.

Russian troops shelled the Myrivska community in the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk oblast, the head of the regional council, Mykola Lukashuk, reported.

There were 40 shots from the MLRS. According to preliminary information, two people were injured — a man and a woman received shrapnel wounds.

Russian shells also damaged the gas pipeline. Exact information about the destruction is being clarified.

The Mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, showed a video of the explosions in the occupied Kyrylivka, Zaporizhzhia oblast.

According to him, two explosions and a column of thick smoke were recorded on the coast of the Sea of Azov.

Anatoliy Kurtev, secretary of the Zaporizhzhia City Council, denied rumors about a mass evacuation.

"Since yesterday, panicky rumors began to spread through the city that people were allegedly going to be evacuated from Zaporizhzhia. I immediately want to reassure you: today there are no reasons for the mass evacuation of the townspeople," he wrote.

And he added that the other day an information campaign was launched to explain the rules of behavior in the event of an emergency situation, in particular during evacuation. However, these are only preventive measures.

The Kherson Oblast Administration reported that panic began among the occupiers after the strikes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Antonivka and Kakhovka bridges. The Russian military began evacuating their families who lived in Kherson en masse.

During the day, the Russians shelled the border territories of Apostolove and Shyrokove communities of Dnipropetrovsk oblast, no people were injured, the head of the Kryvyi Rih military administration Oleksandr Vilkul said.

At night, during the massive shelling of Nikopol, Russian troops fired 120 Grad rocket launchers at the city.

Three civilian enterprises were hit. Shells damaged shops, workshops, administrative buildings and machinery. Residential buildings and a gas pipeline were also damaged.

A mechanic-repairman of one of the enterprises was injured. He was hospitalized with a moderate fracture.

The Russian occupiers plan to annex the captured territories of Mykolaiv oblast to the occupied Kherson oblast. They want to do this allegedly for "social benefits".

The Russians want to annex the captured territories of Mykolaiv Oblast to the occupied Kherson Oblast
The Russians want to annex the captured territories of Mykolaiv Oblast to the occupied Kherson Oblast

The US State Department has approved $89 million in aid to Ukraine. The funds will be used for demining the territory.

The US State Department will provide Ukraine with $89 million for demining
The US State Department will provide Ukraine with $89 million for demining

Latvia appealed to the European Court of Human Rights with a request for permission to intervene in the case "Ukraine v. Russia".

This is the first time that Latvia exercised its rights under paragraph 2 of Article 36 of the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and requested permission to enter an interstate case as a third party.

Russian propaganda media report that the leaders of the "LNR" are not going to rebuild the city of Popasna.

"The LNR authorities are inclined to not restore the city of Popasna. It was almost completely destroyed," said the so-called head of the "LNR" Leonid Pasichnik.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are behind the explosions at the Russian airfield near the city of Saki in occupied Crimea. Weapons exclusively of "Ukrainian manufacture" were used for the attack.

NYT: The Armed Forces are behind the explosions at the airfield in Crimea. The strike was carried out with “Ukrainian-made weapons”
NYT: The Armed Forces are behind the explosions at the airfield in Crimea. The strike was carried out with “Ukrainian-made weapons”

Near the border with Belarus, border guards together with the National Police, bomb disposal experts and dog experts discovered a cache of weapons left by the occupiers.

More than 1,600 cartridges, anti-tank grenades, an underbarrel grenade launcher, and anti-tank mines with detonators were found in the wooden box.

In addition to ammunition, the cache contained the clothes of servicemen of the Russian Federation.

After checking the weapons and ammunition for the suitability, they will be transferred to the needs of the Armed Forces.

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Office of the President, commenting on the explosions in Crimea, said that "everything is just beginning."

"The demilitarization of the Russian Federation is an integral part of establishing global security. The future of the Crimean peninsula is to be the pearl of the Black Sea, a national park with unique nature and a world resort. Not a military base for terrorists. Everything is just beginning," Podolyak emphasized.

NewsGuard, a New York-based company that studies and monitors disinformation on the internet, has identified 250 sites that are actively spreading Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine. According to researchers, dozens of new ones have been added in recent months.

AP: Russia is creating hundreds of new sites to spread lies about the war in Ukraine
AP: Russia is creating hundreds of new sites to spread lies about the war in Ukraine

Acting Mayor of Zaporizhzhia, Anatoly Kurtev, reported that the explosions heard by the cityʼs residents were Russian artillery shelling of the region.

The General Staff of Ukraine published the evening summary as of August 9:

  • The Russian occupiers, with the support of aviation, are trying to storm in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions and are shelling the contact line.
  • In the direction of Bakhmut, the Russians went on an assault in the area of Spirne, came under the fire of Ukrainian troops and retreated chaotically.
  • The occupiers tried to use reconnaissance groups in the areas of Ivano-Daryivka, Vesele, Yakovlivka, and Soledar. The Ukrainian Armed Forces opened fire on the invaders, and the Russians quickly changed their plans and retreated. Enemy losses are being clarified. Also, the Russian troops tried to conduct combat reconnaissance in the districts of Pidhorodne and Bakhmut, they did not succeed and withdrew.
  • The enemy advanced in the directions of Yakovlivka, Bakhmut and Zaytseve, had no success, retreated with losses. The Russians have partial success in the direction of the village of Vershyna.
  • In the Avdiivka direction, the occupiers advanced near Krasnohorivka, Avdiivka and Pisky. They had no success.
  • In the waters of the Black Sea, there are two Kalibr sea-based cruise missile carriers ready to use high-precision weapons.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine expanded and simplified the procedure for submitting applications for destroyed or war-damaged property. The Diia application now accepts data on property damaged by the Russians since February 19, 2014.

”Diia” will accept applications for compensation for housing destroyed by the Russians since 2014
”Diia” will accept applications for compensation for housing destroyed by the Russians since 2014

The Cabinet of Ministers submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law on amendments to the law on the legal regime in the occupied territories of Ukraine. He will establish the rules of what can be done to the authorities and people under occupation, and what not.

The government has prepared a draft law on the rules for the work of authorities and people under occupation. What would count as collaborationism and what would not?
The government has prepared a draft law on the rules for the work of authorities and people under occupation. What would count as collaborationism and what would not?

The Planet Labs satellite captured the Crimean military airfield in Novofedorivka four hours before the explosions. Fighters of the Su family and Su-24M bombers stood on it.

”Skhemy” published satellite images of the Saka military airfield 4 hours before the explosions. There was a combat aircraft
”Skhemy” published satellite images of the Saka military airfield 4 hours before the explosions. There was a combat aircraft