Closing summary
And, on that note, we will be closing the blog for today.
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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed deputy head of the presidential office Iryna Mudra on Wednesday, according to the decree published on the presidential website (12:32).
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The move comes hours after Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies aid they had uncovered a group suspected of money laundering, which they said included a senior presidential official – although they did not give any names (10:06, 11:25).
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Separately, Zelenskyy’s preferred candidates for foreign and defence ministries were approved by the Ukrainian parliament (12:37), despite some controversy around the appointments amid public comments from the popular previous defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov (12:37).
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A Ukrainian man who has been arrested in Croatia as part of an investigation into the 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Germany and Russia (12:16, 16:24).
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
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Ukrainian diver arrested in Croatia over Nord Stream pipeline bombings
We now have a bit more (12:16) on a Ukrainian man who has been arrested in Croatia as part of an investigation into the 2022 bombing of the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Germany and Russia.
Undersea explosions in September 2022, just months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, damaged three of the four pipelines built to carry Russian fossil gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
The man, a trained scuba diver who prosecutors allege was directly involved in the explosions, was arrested in the Croatian seaside town of Pula on Wednesday. Berlin will seek his extradition to face trial at the federal court in Karlsruhe, in Germany.
The German prosecutor’s office said the suspect “belonged to a group of people, including the separately prosecuted Serhiy K, who planted explosives near the island of Bornholm in September 2022 on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.
Prosecutors identified the suspect only as Vladimir Z, but he is understood to be the same man arrested by Poland last year – and released after a Polish court ruled against executing a European arrest warrant issued by Germany. He was identified in that court as Volodymyr Zhuravlev.
The man’s second arrest – this time in Croatia – highlights Berlin’s determination to bring him in front of German courts, despite awkwardness given Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and Germany’s longstanding help for Kyiv.
The other suspect, Serhiy K, was arrested in Italy last August and extradited to Germany in November, after unsuccessful appeals in Italian courts.
By the way, our chief culture writer Charlotte Higgins is about to publish her new book on her experience of (re)discovering Ukraine.
Here is a review of the book, covered in our Book of the Day series:
“Higgins undergoes her own metamorphosis, from arts correspondent to something like a war correspondent interviewing artists, as her curiosity takes her much closer to the actual fighting than she expected in the beginning. Russia’s promiscuous use of missiles and drones against Ukrainian cities, anyway, means that the whole of Ukraine is a frontline and, like most visitors to Kyiv, Higgins gets caught up in air raids. For much of the book the war is noises off stage, but the violence is so deep and wide that every so often a small parenthesis drops with force: the building where 50 people were killed, the conductor shot dead because he refused to take part in an occupation concert. Most devastatingly, one of the writers Higgins grows closest to is killed in a Russian missile attack.
Higgins, present but not obtrusive in her account, says that her time in Ukraine “unanchored” her. “It altered and enlarged the way I saw things, as if I had been given different eyes.”
Part of the change she imposes on herself is learning Ukrainian, at a time when Ukrainians are struggling with the fact that for many loyal anti-Putin Ukrainians, Russian is still their first language. The backlash against Russian culture in free Ukraine is fierce. Statues of Pushkin, once common enough, are now deemed signs of a hostile power marking its territory. Higgins quotes an essay by the writer and editor Sasha Dovzhyk: “Russian is my mother tongue and liberation means ripping it out of my throat.””
For more reading, here is Charlotte’s (great) essay on her Ukrainian story:
Updated
Ukraine and Russia swap 103 prisoners of war each
Meanwhile, Ukraine has managed to bring home 103 prisoners of war released by Russia, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
They included servicemen from the Armed Forces, the State Border Guard Service, and the National Guard, Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post.
He also posted a video from their return, with a caption: “Home.”
The Russian Interfax news agency reported that the exchange also included 103 Russian prisoners returned to Moscow.
Reuters noted that the two sides have traded thousands of prisoners of war at various intervals throughout the full-scale war, despite remaining far apart on terms for any peace deal.
Fuel stations reimpose limits on gasoline purchases in Moscow amid Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries
Meanwhile, fuel stations in Moscow have reimposed limits on gasoline purchases due to fuel shortages linked to Ukrainian drone attacks on refineries and strong seasonal demand, according to Reuters witnesses and fuel suppliers.
A customer hotline operator at Gazprom Neft said gasoline and diesel sales at the company’s automated filling stations in Moscow were limited to 40 litres per customer.
At Gazprom Neft’s other filling stations, diesel sales remain unrestricted, while gasoline purchases are capped at 60 litres per vehicle.
Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil producer, said gasoline sales at all its filling stations across Russia were limited to 30 litres per vehicle, while diesel sales faced no restrictions.
Lukoil said it had introduced fuel sales restrictions in Moscow and the surrounding region because of elevated demand, unscheduled refinery maintenance and the need to ensure stable operations at its filling stations.
It did not disclose the specific limits, Reuters said.
Top EU officials say ‘stand firmly’ with ICC president hit by US sanctions, AFP reports.
Yesterday, the US said it would sanction Tomoko Akane of Japan, the ICC president, and Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, an ICC senior trial lawyer, because they had “directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction”.
You can read more background on the story here.
The rise in Germany’s borrowing costs to a 15-year high reflects the increased security challenges facing the country following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the need to spend much more defence, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday.
German 10- and 30-year borrowing costs hit a fresh 15-year high in Wednesday’s session. Bond yields of other major Western economies including the US and Japan have also climbed to multi-decade highs this week due to ballooning government debt and geopolitics, increasing borrowing costs for companies and households and complicating policy.
“In light of Russia’s aggression... the security situation in Germany has changed profoundly. Massive investment in security and defence is therefore required,” a spokesperson for the ministry said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
Zelenskyy's picks for foreign, defence ministers approved by parliament
Meanwhile, for all the noise and controversy around it, the Ukrainian parliament has just approved Zelenskyy’s nominations for foreign and defence ministers.
Andrii Sybiha and Yevhen Khmara were both approved by the lawmakers just minutes ago.
Zelenskyy quickly responded to the vote on social media:
“I am grateful to the MPs for supporting Andrii Sybiha for the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Yevhenii Khmara for the position of Minister of Defence of Ukraine.
The tasks for both ministers are absolutely clear: Ukraine needs more strength. And it will have it. Glory to Ukraine!”
Zelenskyy sacks deputy head of his office amid reported corruption probe
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed deputy head of the presidential office Iryna Mudra on Wednesday, according to the decree published on the presidential website.
There was no reason given for the dismissal.
There is no official confirmation of the link, but… perhaps worth noting that earlier today Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies said they had uncovered a group suspected of money laundering, which it said included a senior presidential official (10:06, 11:25).
Updated
Second suspect in Nord Stream blast case arrested in Croatia
A second suspect accused of taking part in the 2022 Nord Stream gas pipeline blasts has been arrested in Croatia and will be extradited to Germany, German prosecutors said in a statement reported by Reuters.
In its statement, the federal prosecutors’ office identified the Ukrainian national only as Vladimir Z., adding he was arrested in the seafront Croatian city of Pula by local police forces who acted on a European arrest warrant.
Prosecutors had brought criminal charges in July against another Ukrainian, former army officer Serhii K., for involvement in the blasts, accusing him of acting on behalf of Ukrainian state entities.
In their statement, prosecutors said trained scuba diver Vladimir Z. was part of a group led by Serhii K. that planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines near the Danish island of Bornholm.
Meanwhile, Estonia is investigating whether Russia was involved in an arson attack on a building housing a defence contractor, said the prime minister, Kristen Michal.
The building used by Milrem Robotics, a maker of unmanned military weapons systems deployed in Ukraine and elsewhere, was targeted late on Friday.
“The suspects have been identified. One of the lines of investigation is a possible act of sabotage and the involvement of Russia,” said Michal.
The Russian embassy in Tallinn did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
More in our daily Ukraine war briefing here:
Ukrainian anti-graft agencies say they uncovered group responsible for money laundering $3.35m
We are also getting a bit more detail on that anticorruption investigation.
The two anti-corruption agencies said they had uncovered a group including a presidential official that had laundered 150 million hryvnias ($3.35m) used to pay for bail in an energy corruption scheme, Reuters reported.
The Nabu and Sapo agencies said in a YouTube video the group comprised a deputy head of the presidential office, a former lawmaker, heads of the management and supervisory boards of a state-owned bank and others, the agency said.
They did not name the individuals, in accordance with Ukrainian law.
Zelenskyy blasts Russia's 'safari against our people' after deadly attack on civilian bus
President Zelenskyy responded this morning to the overnight attack on a bus in Kherson, calling it a “vicious Russian safari against our people.”
“Four people were killed and five others were wounded. All necessary services are at the scene, investigating the details,” he said.
But Zelenskyy said “what is absolutely clear is that the bus was civilian.”
“These are the realities of everyday life in Ukraine’s frontline regions. While partners hesitate over additional supplies of defence equipment, the Russians have long run wild. Pressure on the aggressor is needed. Support for those defending life is needed.”
Meanwhile, Russian forces have struck a cargo vessel in the Black Sea near Ukrainian port of Odesa, Reuters reported via Russian news agency Interfax, citing the defence ministry.
The vessel was carrying a military cargo, the ministry said.
'No clear understanding' on how to safely conduct election in wartime Ukraine
Defence and security editor
Artem Bronzhukov, a Ukrainian political analyst, questioned whether it would be practical to hold elections given that Russian bombing was continuing.
“Today there is no clear understanding of how to ensure people’s safety in the context of a full-scale war.”
There was, he added, “a fairly deep-rooted view within Ukrainian society” that elections are necessary but only after the hot phase of the war ends – and that the country remained “a warring democracy – confirmed precisely by the protests taking place after Fedorov’s resignation from the government”.
Polling conducted at the turn of the month reported the ex-minister would come third in the first round of a presidential election with 13.1%, behind Zelenskyy on 22.3% and the former head of the armed forces, who is now Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, on 21.4%.
The same polling, conducted by the Socis Centre for Social Research, also concluded that Zelenskyy would then be defeated in the run-off election by both Fedorov and Zaluzhnyi. Ukraine uses a two-stage voting system.
If Ukraine were to hold an election, it would have to contend with the fact that millions have been exiled and displaced since the start of the war, and that more than 1 million are serving in the armed forces, many on the frontline. About a fifth of the country’s territory is also under Russian occupation.
Morning opening: Fresh corruption probes add to Zelenskyy's problems ahead of key vote
Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies opened an investigation into unnamed lawmakers and presidential advisers just hours before a key vote in parliament, adding to pressure on president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Nabu and Sapo agencies released no further details, Reuters noted, but their announcement comes just hours before the Ukrainian parliament is due to vote on a new defence minister, Yevhen Khmara, appointed after Zelenskyy sacked his popular predecessor, Mykhailo Fedorov.
On Tuesday night, Fedorov called for a wartime presidential election in the most direct political challenge to Zelenskyy since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
As our defence and security editor Dan Sabbagh reported,
“The politician, whose abrupt sacking last month triggered a wave of protests, said that Ukraine had to “restore a full democratic process even amid a prolonged war” in a video address released online late on Tuesday evening.
“Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state,” Fedorov said in his nine-minute speech.”
Overnight, at least four people died in Russian attacks on Ukraine, after a drone hit a bus in the southern city of Kherson.
Ukraine, meanwhile, sent hundreds of drones towards targets in Russia, with Moscow claiming it downed 453 of them.
I will also keep an eye on the latest in Belgium, as the firefighting operation against the largest wildfire in the country’s recent history appears to be nearing an end.
It’s Wednesday, 19 August 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
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