Russian strike on Kharkiv and dismissal of Ukraine's Air Force commander - Friday brief

Russians strike Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs

Russian troops attacked Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs. One of them hit a 12-story residential building.

The Russians attacked Kharkiv with five GABs from a Su-34 aircraft. The missiles were launched from the village of Dubovoe, near Belgorod.

The attack killed 6 civilians, including a child. About 97 other people were also injured.

Zelenskyy dismisses Mykola Oleshchuk from his position as Commander of the Air Force

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Mykola Oleshchuk from the post of Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"I decided to replace the Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I am immensely grateful to all our military pilots, engineers, members of mobile fire groups, and air defense crews. To everyone who is truly fighting for Ukraine—fighting for results. And this is needed at the command level as well—we must strengthen ourselves. And protect people. Protect the personnel. Protect all our warriors," he said.

Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, has appointed Anatolii Kryvonozhko as the acting Commander of the Air Forces.

Romanian Defense Ministry submits bill to Parliament on sending Patriot systems to Ukraine

The Romanian Ministry of Defense has submitted a bill to parliament regarding the transfer of Patriot missile systems to Ukraine.

The bill proposes transferring one of the seven Patriot systems purchased from the US in the 3+ version. This is the most advanced configuration of the Patriot system, used by both the United States and nearly 20 other allies.

Four Patriots have already arrived in Romania, with two in operational use. The other three will arrive in the near future.

According to the National Defense Council's requirements, Romania must negotiate with its NATO allies, including the US, to acquire a new Patriot system to replace the one being transferred to Ukraine.

The costs of purchasing a new system will be covered by international funds allocated for Ukraine.

However, the Parliament must also approve the acquisition of the new system, which will cost approximately $60 million in fees and commissions, to be covered by the Romanian defense budget.

Putin receives guarantees that Mongolia will not arrest him

On August 29, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit Mongolia on September 3.

Bloomberg reported that he received assurances that he would not be arrested under an ICC warrant.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called on Mongolia to arrest Putin during his visit.

The International Criminal Court emphasizes that Mongolia, as a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, is obliged to arrest Putin during his visit to the country.

Putin's visit to Mongolia on September 3 will be the first visit of the Russian leader to a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC after the court issued an arrest warrant for him in March 2023.

Ukrainian forces advance another 2 km in Russia's Kursk region, army chief says

Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region of Russia have advanced another two kilometers. Also, the exchange fund has been replenished, says Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi during a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff.

“The offensive continues in the Kursk sector. Over the past day, our troops have advanced up to two kilometers in some areas,” Syrskyi said.

Ukrainian troops took control of another five square kilometers of territory in the Kursk region.