New Ukrainian strikes on Russian-occupied Crimea. Serhiy Bratchuk, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Southern Volunteer Army, reported that on the night of August 16, 2024, Ukrainian defence forces carried out strategic strikes on occupied Crimea. The operation focused on the ferry crossing at Kerch port and a vessel in Chornomorske. Bratchuk stated that drone strikes were used, causing significant disruptions to Russian operations in the area. Telegram channel Crimean Wind reported that explosions were heard in several cities across Crimea, including Sevastopol, Kerch, and Feodosia, with Russian air defence reportedly having difficulty responding to the attacks. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defence claims to have destroyed five aircraft-type UAVs over the Black Sea.
Ukraine sets up a military command in the Kursk region. Ukraine has set up a new military command in the Kursk region, led by Major General Moskalyov. This comes after Ukrainian forces successfully pushed the Russians out of Sudzha and three other Russian towns. The new command is all about keeping things in order and taking care of the needs of locals in these areas currently controlled by the Ukrainian army. President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his daily update, talked about how Ukrainian forces are making great strides, having liberated over 80 settlements and restored Ukrainian control, and praising the efforts of the Ukrainian military for their continued success in this critical operation.
General Staff publishes details of the first hours of the Kursk operation. Meanwhile, The Ukrainian General Staff gave an update on how Ukrainian paratroopers did in the first hours of their operation in the Kursk region of Russia. They shared a video from Sudzha, dated August 6, on their social media on August 16. The report says that within just a few hours, the troops took over fifty Russian soldiers prisoner, destroyed a border checkpoint, and broke through Russia’s defences. The 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade, with support from artillery and heavy armour, made big strides at the Sudzha checkpoint. Faced with heavy artillery fire and Ukrainian tanks, the Russians decided to surrender, raising a white flag and moving their wounded towards the Ukrainian border.
CBC: Canada greenlights using its armour on Russian territory. According to CBC, the Canadian Ministry of Defence has given Ukraine permission to use tanks and armoured vehicles provided by Ottawa on Russian territory. André-Anne Poulin, a spokesperson for the Canadian Defence Ministry, emphasised that “Ukrainians know best how to defend their homeland, and we aim to support their capabilities,” adding that Canada imposes no geographic restrictions on the use of its military equipment. The report notes that Canada has delivered eight Leopard 2A4 tanks, several dozen armoured combat support vehicles, hundreds of armoured patrol vehicles, and a few M-777 howitzers to Ukraine. Additionally, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed in late May that Canada does not object to the use of these weapons for strikes on Russian soil.
Ukrainians seeking mental health support more than doubled in early 2024. In the first seven months of 2024, nearly 300,000 Ukrainians sought mental health support from primary care doctors, more than double the number from 2023, according to the Ministry of Health. From January to July 2024, 276,926 patients received care under the ‘Support and Treatment of Adults and Children with Mental Disorders at the Primary Healthcare Level’ program, with 42,458 of these being children under 17 years old. The most frequent issues reported included feelings of anxiety, nervousness, or tension, sleep disturbances, and various psychological symptoms. Other common concerns were depressed mood, child behavioural issues, acute stress reactions, and memory problems. Additionally, 8,090 patients reported tobacco use, 5,257 had issues with irritability or anger, and 5,216 experienced concerns related to ageing. The Ministry of Health also noted that in 2023, about 135,000 patients used similar services, with women accounting for over 72,000 of these cases. Furthermore, there were over 18,000 reports of mental health complaints from children in primary care settings.
