August 14, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

Russia's defense ministry reported another drone attack Sunday on its western Belgorod region, as well as shelling on the northern Kursk region, both of which border Ukraine.

The latest drone attack occurred around 10 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET), when a Ukrainian craft tried to strike a target on Russian soil but was "foiled," Moscow said.

The defense ministry said the drone "was detected and destroyed by Russian air defense means over the territory of Belgorod region," adding there were no casualties or damage following the attack.   

This comes after local officials reported three other drones being intercepted over the same region earlier in the day. 

Shelling on Russian territory: Separately, Russia says shells fired by Ukraine hit a residential building in the village of Volfino in the northern Kursk region, wounding three people, according to Roman Starovoyt, the regional governor.

The Russian village of Volfino is located just across the border from Ukraine’s Sumy region, which is subjected to regular Russian attacks.

Reported shelling and drone attacks by Ukrainian forces have occurred with increasing frequency in recent months. Kyiv rarely claims such attacks directly, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the war is "gradually returning" to Russian soil.

A Russian warship fired warning shots and boarded a cargo ship it claims was headed to Ukraine in the Black Sea on Sunday, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry.

Russia pulled out of a UN and Turkish-brokered deal in July that allowed Ukraine to move its grain via the Black Sea and warned that any ships headed to Ukraine would be treated as potentially carrying weapons. Ukraine made a similar threat to ships traveling to Russian ports.

Russia said the warship fired warning shots when the captain of the Palau-flagged dry cargo ship failed to respond to a request to stop for an inspection.

The ministry claimed the ship — named Sukru Okan — was headed to the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Marine traffic websites currently shows the cargo vessel’s destination as the Romanian port of Sulina which is close to Izmail. Kyiv did not immediately comment on whether or not the ship was headed to a Ukrainian port.

This week Ukraine announced that it would open up a temporary humanitarian corridor for ships to sail to and from its ports and has opened up registration for merchant vessels to use the sea route.

Both Russia and Ukraine are major grain producers and their deal — a rare point of agreement in the middle of a war — did much to stabilize prices.

Read more here.

Ukraine has claimed “partial success” at a village along the southern front, as Kyiv’s counteroffensive continues to struggle to make significant progress.

Elsewhere, Russia is attacking near Kupiansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region that borders Russia, an area that has seen significant shelling and the first major Ukrainian evacuation in months.

Ukraine’s effort to push down to the Sea of Azov continues, with fierce fighting along the frontlines.

The area is a major target for Ukraine as pushing deep into the territory would mean breaking Russia’s land-bridge between annexed Crimea and eastern Donetsk.

Ukraine claimed “partial success” near the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region, the General Staff of the Armed Forces said. On Friday, social media video and images showed Ukrainian troops had entered the village.

The Institute for the Study of War [ISW] said even marginal gains by Ukraine in this area are significant.

Meanwhile, Russians made “unsuccessful attempts” to regain lost ground near the village of Urozhaine in the eastern Donetsk region, the General Staff said. On Thursday, Ukraine claimed “partial success” in gaining positions in the area.

Also in Eastern Ukraine, Russian forces are trying to “escalate and take over the initiative” on an effort to “pull” Ukrainian troops from other areas of the front lines, according to a regional military official.

Read more here.