War in Ukraine: prisoner exchange, Orthodox Church linked to Moscow banned, German support… an update on the situation

Les prisonniers ukrainiens le 24 août 2024. EPA – STRINGER

Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Saturday, August 24, 2024, discover the latest news about this conflict.

kyiv claims to have struck an ammunition depot in the Russian region of Voronezh

Ukraine claimed on Saturday to have carried out an attack on an ammunition depot in the Voronezh region, in western Russia.

“On August 24, Ukrainian Defense Ministry Intelligence (IDU) personnel successfully struck an ammunition depot near Ostrogosk, Voronezh region, Russia”, the Ukrainian intelligence unit said.

Scholz reaffirms his “unwavering solidarity” to Zelensky despite declining military aid

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose government is planning to cut its bilateral military aid budget to Kiev next year, reaffirmed Germany's “continued and unwavering solidarity” with Ukraine in a telephone conversation with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday.

“The Chancellor reaffirmed the continued and unwavering solidarity with Ukraine in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression. President Zelensky thanked the federal government for its continued military support, including in the area of ​​air defense,”, the Chancellery said in a report on the call, which took place on the day of Ukraine's Independence Day celebrations.

Ban on Moscow-linked Orthodox Church: Russian Patriarch Accuses kyiv of “Persecuting” believers

Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill on Saturday accused Ukrainian authorities of “persecuting” believers and called on the international community for help, after the Moscow-linked branch of the Orthodox Church was banned in Ukraine.

Judging “critical”the situation of believers of this branch in Ukraine, the Patriarch called on religious leaders of other Christian denominations and international organizations to "raise their voices in defense of persecuted believers".

Russia and Ukraine exchange 115 prisoners

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 115 prisoners each on Saturday as part of negotiations mediated by the United Arab Emirates. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian soldiers were captured in Kursk by Ukraine.

The released Russian soldiers are now in Belarus and will receive medical treatment upon their return to Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry expressed gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for allowing the negotiations to succeed.

This is the first prisoner swap between the two countries since the Ukrainian military launched its offensive into Russia on August 6. Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky posted a photo of Ukrainian prisoners of war wrapped in the national flag and hugging each other.

The prisoners were from Ukraine's border guards, navy, national guard and armed forces. According to Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's human rights commissioner, 82 of the released Ukrainian prisoners participated in the defense of the port of Mariupol in 2022.

With Saturday's 230 prisoners, the UAE will have contributed to the exchange of 1,788 prisoners since the start of the war. This is the seventh such exchange brokered by the country, which maintains good relations with Moscow and has been moving closer to kyiv in the past two years.

Five killed in Russian strike on Kostyantynivka, near frontline in eastern Ukraine

Five people were killed and five injured on Saturday in a Russian bombing raid on the industrial city of Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian prosecutor's office said.

“As a result of the enemy attack, five residents – three men and two women – suffered fatal injuries", he said in a statement.