Victorious news of 548th day of war: Ukrainian army attacks Russian coast guard in Crimea, Finland to provide Ukraine with heavy weapons

Ukrainian army strikes in Crimea, advances on Zaporizhzhia

On the night of August 25, the Russian 126th Detached Guards Coastal Defense Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet was attacked in the village of Perevalne in occupied Crimea, said Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate.

"We can confirm the information, there was a hit. This is not the first attack on the 126th Brigade. As Major General Kyrylo Budanov said in his interview: Ukraine can now strike and conduct operations anywhere in the occupied Crimea. There will also be a lot of news there in the near future," Yusov said.

According to him, there is information about the dead and wounded Russian soldiers, but it needs to be clarified. Earlier, the Crimean Wind TV Telegram channel reported three dead and "a lot" of wounded who were brought to the Simferopol hospital on Gorky Street.

In addition, according to the General Staff, the Ukrainian army continues offensive operations in the Melitopol sector, consolidating their positions, and carrying out counter-battery operations.

Over the day, Ukrainian aviation launched 10 strikes on the invading Russian troops' military positions and one strike on the enemy's anti-aircraft missile system.

Missile and artillery units destroyed an anti-aircraft missile system and 3 artillery pieces at enemy firing positions over the day.

Finland has allocated almost EUR 100 million in aid to Ukraine

Finland has approved the 18th package of military aid to Ukraine. The decision was made by the president on the proposal of the government. The value of the aid, which includes heavy weapons and ammunition, is about EUR 94 million. The total value of all military assistance provided by Finland to Ukraine to date is about EUR 1.3 billion.

"Finland and our allies' support for Ukraine remains unwavering. The main issue of the future security order in Europe and Finland is the ability to curb Russia's aggression against Ukraine," said Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen. 

For security reasons, no further details on the contents of the aid package, the method of its delivery or the timing were provided. The Finnish government emphasizes that the decision to provide additional assistance took into account both Ukraine's needs and the resources of the Armed Forces.

Italian prosecutor's office interrogates witnesses to Russian war crimes in Ukraine

Italy is working to collect evidence of Russian war crimes. Two parallel methods of investigation are being used. These are the testimonies of people and commissions working on the ground, said Marianna Soronevic, a consultant to the Italian Central Prosecutor's Office on the investigation of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

"The Italian Public Prosecutor's Office collects testimonies from refugees who have arrived in the country and applied for a residence permit for temporary protection. We listen and record their stories. This is preparation for the upcoming trial. We collect testimonies not only in Italy but also in all EU countries. Special commissions operate in Ukraine, while in Italy the prosecutor's office works only with witnesses, Ukrainian refugees," she said.

Soronevic added that only war crimes described in the Geneva Convention are taken into account.

"However, we have found witnesses who gave important testimony - sexual violence, shooting of civilians and other serious crimes. So far, the investigation is at the initial stage, we are only recording. We are working with witnesses who were victims or indirect witnesses of these crimes. There are commissions on the ground that record the facts after the Russian troops leave. These are two parallel methods of investigation," the consultant summarized.

Ukrainian symbols have been displayed in all regions occupied by Russia

The Yellow Ribbon guerrilla movement held an Independence Day rally in all regions occupied by Russia. Members of the guerrilla movement successfully spread Ukrainian symbols in the temporarily occupied territories. The activists held the Yellow and Blue campaign on Flag Day and Independence Day. As part of the campaign, the Ukrainian flag was seen in Simferopol, Sevastopol, Yalta, Luhansk, Donetsk, Melitopol, Berdyansk, and Henichesk.

The National Resistance Center emphasized that each such action forces the occupying Russian forces to spend more resources and demoralizes the enemy, and thus brings Ukraine's victory closer.

A giant national flag was raised on Hoverla and a record was set

Residents of the Khmelnytskyi region used a kite to fly a giant meter blue and yellow flag on Hoverla, and set a Ukrainian record

The climb to the highest point of Ukraine - Hoverla - was organized by the team of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Center for Scientific and Technical Creativity of Student Youth.

According to Mykhailo Maryniuk, the director of the institution, the area of the blue and yellow cloth is 453 m². Representatives of Ukraine's National Register of Records registered the record: "The largest flag area raised on Hoverla by a kite".