As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 175th day, we take a look at the main developments.
Here are the key events from Wednesday, August 17.
Russia’s blaming of saboteurs for explosions at an ammunition depot in Crimea is a rare admission that armed groups loyal to Ukraine are damaging military logistics and supply lines in the territory it controls.
Plumes of black smoke were seen at a Russian military airbase near the settlement of Hvardiyske in the centre of Russian-controlled Crimea, Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported.
Wary of frustration among some countries that the war is consuming too much global attention nearly six months in, Western diplomats face difficulty in trying to sustain international resolve to isolate Russia diplomatically.
UN Secretary-General Guterres will meet Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Lviv in western Ukraine to discuss the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, along with finding a political solution to the conflict, a spokesman said.
Finland will slash the number of visas issued to Russians to 10 percent from September 1 and, along with Baltic states, propose that the European Union discontinues an agreement with Russia that makes it easier for Russians to travel in the bloc, the foreign minister said.
Russia’s economy will contract less than expected and inflation will not be as high as projected three months ago, economy ministry forecasts seen by Reuters news agency showed, suggesting it is dealing with sanctions better than initially feared.
UN chief Guterres plans to meet Turkish President Erdogan on Thursday, a spokesman said, and on Friday will visit Odesa on the Black Sea, where grain exports have resumed.