Terror alert
The man identified as Donbas war veteran and former Aydar battalion bomb expert Volodymyr Prokhnych threatened to blow up a hand grenade at the entrance to the Cabinet of Ministers in Kyiv this morning. He surrendered to police after his friend and army support volunteer Vasyl talked him out of it.
According to the police, there will be an investigation and he will have to undergo a psychiatric test.
Belarus
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has confirmed that Belarusian national Rodion Batulin jas been barred from Ukraine as of 23 July 2021 based on substantiated information that he may pose a risk to Ukraine's national security because of his radical views and provocative behavior during protest rallies in Ukraine. Batulin was the deputy head of Belarusian House in Ukraine NGO whose leader Vital Shyshow was found hanged in Kyiv on 3 August.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has instructed the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Interior Ministry to protect immigrants from Belarus who are at risk.
USA
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak have arrived in Washington to prepare President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit due on 30 August.
Sheremet's case
Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyy district court has partly upheld an appeal filed by the lawyer of army support volunteer and doctor Yuliya Kuzmenko, who is a suspect in the murder case of journalist Pavel Sheremet. Kuzmenko will no longer need to wear an ankle monitor and will be under night house arrest only.
Corruption
The head of the Kharkiv regional council, Artur Tovmasyan, has been served with a notice of suspicion, the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine has said. He is suspected of accepting a bribe of 1.05m hryvnyas for not dismissing the head of a city-owned enterprise.
Reshuffle
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Hanna Kovalenko as head of the Chernihiv regional state administration and appointed Vyacheslav Chaus to this post. Chaus used to be the deputy director-general of the gas extraction company Ukrhazvydobuvannya.
The Cabinet of Ministers has dismissed Deputy Interior Minister Anton Herashchenko. It appointed Mary Akopyan and Bohdan Drapyatyy as deputy interior ministers.
The Cabinet of Ministers has appointed ex-MP Mustafa Nayem and Anatoliy Komirnyy as deputy infrastructure ministers and Vasyl Shkurakov as first deputy infrastructure minister.
Maritime news
Her Majesty’s Ships Ramsey and Blyth were decommissioned today, the Royal Navy has said on its website. Both Sandown-class mine countermeasures vessels will enjoy a fresh lease of life in the Black Sea. Once further work is completed on the two vessels, they’ll be transferred to the Ukrainian Navy.
The Cabinet of Ministers has appointed Vitaliy Kindrativ head of the State Maritime and River Transport of Ukraine following an open competition for the post, the Infrastructure Ministry has said.