BRICS SUMMIT/WAR IN UKRAINE: August 23, 2023
The BRICS 2023 ‘family photo’ has been released - but with a notable absence: Russian President Vladimir Putin. “His no-show speaks volumes about Russia’s isolation – and Putin’s shrinking horizons,” wrote CNN’s Nathan Hodge. A second photo was taken before lunchtime today.
The war in Ukraine is high on the agenda of the summit. Without mentioning the conflict specifically, South African President and summit host Cyril Ramaphosa said: that "diplomacy, dialogue, negotiation and adherence to the principles of the UN charter are necessary for peaceful & just resolution of conflicts.” Afterwards, Brazilian President said the war is having a global effects. Says Brazil will defend "the sovereignty, integrity territory and all UN principles." Says "a growing number of countries are engaged in direct contact with Moscow and Kyiv...We do not under-estimate the difficulties to reach peace. Either we can be indifferent to the deaths and destruction that increase every day...We are ready to join efforts to effectively contribute to an immediate ceasefire and a fair and ever-lasting peace. Everybody suffers with the consequences of the war."
As South Africa struggles with chronic power outages - even some traffic intersections close to the BRICS conference venue have gone dark - Chinese President Xi Jinping pledges a donation of emergency power equipment worth R167 million and a grant of approximately R500 million as development assistance, the President’s office said.
BRICS New Development Bank Chief Dilma Rousseff says the lending institution will accept 4-5 new members, with oil superpower Saudi Arabia seeking to join earlier this year. As it stands the bank membership: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Bangladesh, UAE, Egypt and Uruguay (officially in the process of joining). As of May 2023, the BRICS Bank has lent $33 billion to 96 infrastructure projects. Rousseff told media she wants to transform the NDB into “an important bank for developing countries and emerging markets. A bank made by developing countries for themselves.” She said the bank will begin lending in the South African and Brazilian currencies as part of a plan to reduce reliance on the dollar and promote a more multipolar international financial system. “We expect to lend between $8bn-$10bn this year,” Rousseff told the Financial Times in an interview. “Our aim is to reach about 30 per cent of everything we lend . . . in local currency.”
Russia unleashed a fresh wave of drone attacks on grain export facilities in southern Ukraine, damaging installations and causing fires at grain silos, the military and regional officials said on August 23. Russian forces launched a three-hour drone attack overnight on Ukraine's Odesa region, regional Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram on August 23. "Air defense destroyed nine Iranian-made drones. Unfortunately, production and shipment complexes were damaged and a fire broke out on an area of 700 square meters. As of 6 in the morning, the fire was contained. Grain storage facilities are among the damaged objectives," Kiper wrote, adding there were no casualties. Monitoring channels and local officials also reported explosions in Izmayil, one of two Ukrainian ports on the Danube that have been used by Kyiv to export grain after a UN-sponsored deal collapsed last month following Russia's refusal to renew its participation in the agreement. Ukraine's air force command said the Ukrainian military shot down 11 out of 20 drones launched by Russia overnight. Nine were destroyed in the Odesa region and two in the Zaporizhzhya region, the command said - RFE/RL
A drone attack on Russia's Belgorod region has killed three people, hours after a drone hit central Moscow, Russian officials say. Belgorod's Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov blamed Kyiv for the attack on the region, near Ukraine's border - but it is unclear who is responsible. "Ukrainian forces launched an explosive device through a drone while people were on the street," he claimed. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for either incident. As well as the drone strike on Belgorod, drones were also reported in the Moscow region. In central Moscow, a building that was under construction was hit, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Air defences also shot down two drones in the Mozhaisk and Khimki districts of the Moscow region, the defence ministry added. No casualties were reported. Following the incident in Russia's capital, all flights were suspended to and from Moscow's airports early on Wednesday, but were later turned back to operating normally. The flight suspension measures have been taken repeatedly in recent days. It was the sixth consecutive night of aerial attacks on the Moscow region, AFP news agency reported - BBC
In temporarily occupied Crimea, Ukraine’s Intelligence reported am explosion occurred near the village of Olenivka on Cape Tarkhankut, destroying a Russian long- and medium-range S-400 Triumph air defense system. The system itself, its missiles and personnel were completely destroyed.
At least 705 diplomats suspected of spying have been expelled from Russian embassies across the world since 2022 – almost twice as many as the whole of the previous 20 years - Daily Telegraph
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has arrived in Kyiv today by train. This is his first visit to Ukraine.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has removed Army General Sergey Surovikin from his post of Air Force Commander, Russian media reported on Aug. 22. The general was also the deputy commander of the Russian invasion forces in Ukraine. RBK reported that a source at the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that Surovikin was no longer Air Force Commander and is “currently on a short vacation.” However, an official decree on the decision has not yet been made public - Kyiv Independent