Current War Situation in Ukraine (August 18 Update)

Agricultural and Rural Ukraine

Current War Situation in Ukraine

War updates (August, 2024)

  • The Pokrovsk direction (Donetsk oblast) remains one of the toughest on the front.
  • The situation worsened after the enemy had captured Ocheretyne.
  • Currently, the Russian army is trying to break through to the Pokrovsk-Karlivka road near Mykolaivka.
  • The forced evacuation of children in the Donetsk oblast is proceeding non-stop. It is reported that 4,000 children remain in 28 settlements.

At Pokrovsk axis clashes near Vozdvyzhenka, Myrolubivka, Novotroyitske, Novohrodivka, Hrodivka, Mykolayivka, Zhelanne, Novozhelanne, and Zavitne

Kursk operation

  • The operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kursk oblast has began on August 7, 2024.
  • Ukraine controls an area in the Kursk region that is slightly larger than Kyiv or comparable to the 25 areas of Bakhmut— about 1,000 square kilometers.
  • Russia has lost at least 54 units of equipment. Ukraine captured about 1,000 prisoners of war. There is no clear information about the human losses of russia.

War updates (shahed drones)

  • Russia actively uses drones to attack Ukraine.
  • August 18: During this week, russians used more than 40 missiles of various types, 750 guided aerial bombs and 200 attack drones of various types against Ukrainian cities and villages.
  • Due to these attacks people in different cities suffered and buildings were destroyed

School destruction

  • In Kherson oblast, the first “green school” in Ukraine, which was opened in 2016 with the support of Finland, was destroyed as a result of russian shelling.
  • The school had an air purification system — recuperation — installed on the ceiling. No pipes or batteries inside the premises. Heat was provided by solar batteries located on the roof. Students could drink water from the tap.
  • The school was attacked twice. After the first attack, the second floor was destroyed. After the second strike, the school burned to the ground.

Russian provocations: Zaporizhizhia NPP

  • The nuclear safety situation at the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP is deteriorating after a drone strike near the plant on 17 August.

(Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency)

  • The impact site was close to the essential cooling water sprinkler ponds and about 100 meters (109.3 yards) from the Dniprovska power line, the only remaining 750 kilovolt line providing a power supply to the plant.
  • The organisation representatives have not reported any casualties or damage to the plant’s equipment, though the strike occurred on the road between the two main gates of the plant.

     

    What preceded?
  • The IAEA team reported that during the last week (August 12-18), military activity in the ZNPP area “was intense.”
  • Representatives of the organization heard frequent explosions, bursts of heavy machine guns and rifles, as well as artillery at various distances from the nuclear plant.
  • On August 11, plumes of black smoke were recorded from the cooling tower occupied by the russians at the ZNPP. IAEA experts said they witnessed “heavy dark smoke” near the Zaporizhzhia NPP after “numerous explosions”.

Photo source: https://tsn.ua/

Harvesting

  • As of August 15, 28.5 mln tons of grain and more than 3.4 mln tons of oilseeds were harvested in Ukraine.
  • Farmers threshed 100% of the wheat and barley areas.

Export

Since the beginning of the 2024/25 MY, Ukraine has exported 4.7 mln tons of grain and legumes.

As of August 9, 2024, exports amounted to:

  • wheat — 2.15 mln tons;
  • corn — 1.8 mln tons;
  • barley — 677 K tons;
  • rye — 0.3 K tons.

In particular, 1 mln tons of grain was exported in August 2024.

 

 

One year ago, the first ship left the port of Odesa and passed through the temporary corridor since the withdrawal of russia from the “grain agreement” on July 17, 2023.

 

During the 12 months of operation of the Ukrainian Corridor:

2,379 ships passed;

64.4 mln tons of goods were exported, of which 43.5 mln tons were agricultural products (68% of all exports);

46 countries of the world received cargo from the ports of Great Odesa;

The largest volume of shipments was provided by the port of Chornomorsk — more than 19 mln tons.