The leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, Filaret, expects the Holy Synod to grant Ukraine the right to create an independent local church towards the end of the summer or in September. Afterwards all churches which signed the application will meet to elect the new church's leader.
One Ukrainian serviceman was wounded amid 12 attacks by pro-Russian separatists in Donbas on 5 August. The previous day, the separatists violated a ceasefire 33 times, including once using heavy weapons. One Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two police officers were wounded on 4 August.
The army expects to receive up to 30 MiG-29 and Su-27 jet fighters and Su-25 attack aircraft after repairs and modernization by the end of 2018, the Defence Ministry said. Defence companies are working on modernizing a Su-24MR aircraft.
At the end of the month, President Petro Poroshenko plans to meet heads of foreign diplomatic missions "to coordinate steps to restore sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state and define key foreign policy priorities".
The National Police have said they detained over 30 crime bosses at their assembly in Kirovohrad Region. They had planned to appoint an "enforcer" for Svitlovodsk.
On 4 August, Vladimir Putin visited Russia-annexed Crimea to attend an opera festival in Chersonesus, an ancient Greek colony outside Sevastopol. Ukraine repeatedly protested against unauthorised visits by Russian officials to the occupied peninsula.