Zelenskyy says supply of new air defence systems to Ukraine is being "discussed" with allies, as further evacuations are underway in Russia's Kursk region. On 6 August, Ukrainian forces made a push into the region, seizing villages and taking hundreds of prisoners.
ADVERTISEMENTIn his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: "today, we discussed with partners our work on air defense and new systems for Ukraine. We are preparing reinforcement, defense in the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions. The situation is difficult, but our guys are doing everything to eliminate the occupier."
Earlier, he had emphasised that if Ukraine's partners lifted the restrictions on the use of long-range weapons, Ukraine "would not need to physically enter particularly the Kursk region to protect our Ukrainian citizens in the border communities and eliminate Russia’s potential for aggression."
More evacuations in Russia's Kursk
Local authorities confirmed that the number of citizens that fled from the Kursk region rose once again. The number has gone up to 122,000 citizens who left from nine border regions since the start of the incursion. On 6 August, Ukrainian forces made a lightning push into the region, seizing villages and taking hundreds of prisoners.
179 temporary accommodation centres are spread over 27 regions of the Russian Federation.
"The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia delivered 12 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the residents of Kurchatov. Employees of the department form sets of food packages for the affected areas, transport them to temporary accommodation and humanitarian aid centres" an official statement by the ministry reads.
In total, around 2,500 tonnes of humanitarian aid has arrived in the Kursk region.
Russia advances on Pokrovsk
In Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the Ukrainian army gave residents of Pokrovsk two weeks to leave the town, as Russian soldiers continue to advance towards the strategic node.
Roughly 500 to 600 people leave the city every day, with 50,000 still remaining. The head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Vadim Filashkin, announced that forced evacuation of families with children will being on 20 August.
Due to its urgency, additional evacuation trains have been running from Pokrovsk since 17 August.