Harris oficially chosen as Democratic nominee and Zelenskyy announces 'modern solutions' for UAF - Friday brief

Four S-400 launchers destroyed in Crimea

According to the Crimean Wind Telegram channel, it is likely that four S-400 launchers were destroyed in the temporarily occupied Crimea on the night of August 2.

According to sources, a position of the S-400 Triumph air defense system consisting of four launchers based on the MAZ-543 chassis and a 92N6 radar was reportedly hit in Sevastopol on the Kaya-Bash heights.

Zelenskyy announced 'modern solutions' for Ukrainian soldiers

According to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ministry of Defense is preparing new and modern solutions to reduce bureaucracy and paperwork in the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"I held a meeting with the Ministry of Defense team. We are preparing new and completely modern solutions for our soldiers that will certainly eliminate a lot of unnecessary bureaucracy and paperwork from the units," Zelenskyy said.

He states that these solutions will soon be presented to Ukrainian society.

"They (the solutions - ed.) look really innovative," the president added.

Harris chosen as official US presidential candidate

In the United States, a vote was held in which Democrats selected their official presidential candidate for the 2024 elections. According to the decision of the Democrats, this candidate will be Vice President Kamala Harris.

About 4,000 delegates who were selected during the Democratic Party primaries participated in the vote.

Harris received 3,923 Democratic votes. To be officially nominated for the elections, Harris needed a minimum of 1,976 votes.

Ukraine approves new profession of deminer

The National Qualifications Agency has approved a new professional standard for deminers.

Previously, there was no unified professional standard for deminers in Ukraine, which complicated the training of specialists. The new standard establishes uniform training rules, which will attract veterans to humanitarian demining and facilitate their integration both in the Ukrainian and international spheres.

Following the approval of the standard, new requirements will be introduced into the legal framework, including the assignment of a professional code and the regulation of remuneration. An educational standard for the training of certified deminers will also be developed.

Türkiye ratifies free trade agreement with Ukraine

The agreement was signed on February 3, 2022, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan approved the agreement and its annexes on August 1.

The volume of bilateral trade between Türkiye and Ukraine in 2023 amounted to $7.3 billion, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat reported on August 1 after a meeting with Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

He emphasized that the free trade zone is expected to increase volumes to $10 billion in a short period. Bolat noted that Türkiye and Ukraine will continue to strengthen cooperation and increase mutual trade and investment based on common interests.

Ukraine recovers bodies of 250 fallen soldiers

As a result of repatriation measures, Ukraine managed to bring back the bodies of 250 fallen defenders to their homeland.

The bodies were repatriated from various regions, including Luhansk, Bakhmut, Maryinka, Avdiivka, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia directions, as well as from Mariupol, Horlivka, and morgues in Russia.

The transfer of bodies took place following the norms of the Geneva Conventions. The repatriated bodies and remains will be transported to appropriate state institutions, where representatives of law enforcement agencies and forensic experts will identify them.

After identification, the bodies of the fallen defenders will be handed over to their families for proper burial.