The US and its allies have enough conventional weapons capability to threaten or destroy all Russian and Chinese nuclear launch sites, new analysis suggests. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia’s preferred choice to enter the White House is Kamala Harris.
It would be “absurd” for the UN-backed International Monetary Fund (IMF) to resume cooperation with Russia, Kyiv has said, following reports the IMF is planning to send its first mission to the country since it invaded Ukraine.
The IMF’s Russian representative Aleksei Mozhin told Reuters this week that the mission – the first since 2019 – would go ahead on 16 September.
It will be the first major international financial body to send its official mission to Russia since Moscow sent its troops onto Ukrainian soil.
Ukraine says it is “concerned” at the reports and said it would be “absurd for the main financial institution of the United Nations to legitimise the Russian regime that commits horrific atrocities”.
The IMF has been criticised by several Western member states during the war for providing what they say are overly optimistic outlooks about the Russian economy.
Russia’s daily casualty rate has increased, with Ukraine’s invasion of its Kursk border region partially the cause, the UK defence ministry has said.
In its latest intelligence update, the MoD cited Ukrainian military figures suggesting the average number of Russians killed and wounded increased to 1,187 a day in August.
It added that Russia has “likely suffered over 610,000 casualties” during the war.
“The August 2024 increase in casualty rate is almost certainly due to Ukraine’s Kursk operation and continued pressure on the Pokrovsk axis,” the MoD said.
