German newspaper talks about Russia's "trade-off" tactics, Chancellor Scholz's approval rating drops alarmingly

Russia's "trade-off" tactics, Prime Minister Scholz's approval rating continues to decline, Serbia buys a large number of Iranian UAVs... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

Russian investigators are investigating the Ukrainian UAV attack on Moscow on August 18. (Source: Reuters)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

* Russia: Big explosion near the center of Moscow , people evacuated: On August 18, Russian rescue forces evacuated people from several towers in the Moscow City commercial complex, Moscow. Previously, according to channel 360 (Russia), an unidentified person called the Emergency Situations Department and reported the appearance of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on the Presnenskaya embankment.

After receiving a phone call at 11:43 local time (15:43 Vietnam time), rescuers decided to evacuate people from the buildings.

Witnesses said several vehicles from the Russian Emergencies Ministry were parked near the IQ zone and the Afimall City shopping mall. About 2,000 people were evacuated. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said there were no casualties in the incident. Russian air defenses reportedly shot down one UAV, which later crashed into an uninhabited building in the complex. (Reuters)

* German newspaper points out Russia's 'trade-off' tactic: On August 18, Bild (Germany) commented that it seems the Russian army has chosen the tactic of destroying as many armored vehicles as possible of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU), including those transferred by the West to Kiev.

Specifically, during the fighting to capture the village of Staromayorsk in the Vremevsky promontory, the VSU lost 31 armored vehicles, including 23 Western mine-resistant armored personnel carriers.

“Moscow’s strategy is to destroy as much Western and Ukrainian armor as possible. Russia knows that Ukraine has more problems than Russia in replacing and repairing equipment,” the newspaper wrote.

Specifically, the West has failed to provide Kiev with the armored vehicles and tanks it needs, while the equipment that was delivered earlier has been partially destroyed. For example, of the 18 Leopard 2A6 tanks, half were destroyed during the counterattack. But Ukraine is having trouble repairing them, as they have to be transported to neighboring countries. There are also tanks and infantry fighting vehicles that are “bogged down in the fields” and cannot be evacuated.

Meanwhile, Russia is constantly supplying new and upgraded equipment. In fact, Russia is transferring 20-50 vehicles per month to the front line. to this area. Bild concludes: “The logic is simple: if Ukraine loses 10-30 APCs in each [captured] village and gets almost no new ones, its advance will stop before reaching strategically important cities… Russia is betting on fatigue.” (Bild)

* VSU announced the capture of the northern part of the village of Rabotino : On August 18, war correspondents of the Telegram channel “War Gonzo” reported that in the direction of Zaporizhzhia, the VSU increased artillery fire and recaptured the northern part of the village of Rabotino.

Meanwhile, from the east, the VSU continued its offensive along the H-08 road south of Novopokrovka. This allowed the VSU to advance. The main objective of the offensive was to expand the front towards the strategic town of Tokmok, while also strengthening the flanks to prevent potential breakthroughs by the Russian army. The VSU was currently actively conducting reconnaissance operations on the outskirts of Dorozhnyanka, a strategically important position for advancing on the city of Pologi.

According to analysts, by doing this, the VSU is trying to hold back the Russian troops on the extended area of ​​the front to prevent Moscow from concentrating its forces. (TASS)

* US newspaper: Many congressmen oppose new aid package for Ukraine : On August 18, the Washington Post (USA) cited sources saying that a number of US congressmen oppose a new aid package for Ukraine due to negative intelligence forecasts about the VSU counterattack. Some Republicans are opposing President Joe Biden's request for more than $20 billion in aid for Ukraine.

On the same day, US Congressman Andrew Harris also said that the Ukrainian military counterattack was on the brink of failure. The official also noted that he would support the allocation of financial assistance to Ukraine, provided that the money was used for humanitarian purposes and not for the military.

Earlier in the day, the Washington Post wrote that according to US intelligence, Ukraine would find it difficult to achieve the objectives set out in the counteroffensive. Specifically, the VSU would not reach Melitopol or destroy the Crimean bridge. This conclusion was made based on data on the defense of territory under Russian control. (Washington Post)

Southeast Asia

* Cambodia arrests 6 suspects for helping Chinese prisoner escape : On July 18, General Neth Savoeun, Director General of the Cambodian National Police, announced that the police had arrested 6 suspects related to the incident in which a group of 5 armed men stormed a dental clinic in Siem Reap province the day before to help a Chinese criminal escape. However, he said that the mastermind behind the incident has not yet been caught. At the same time, the specialized force of the National Police General Department is continuing to search for the perpetrator.

Earlier, at around 8:00 a.m. on August 17, a group of five masked armed men stormed the Chum Chenda dental clinic in Siem Reap city of the same province to help prisoner Chen Hsin Han, a 45-year-old Chinese drug criminal, escape.

According to Siem Reap Deputy Police Chief Mom Sarin, four prison guards took the prisoner to a clinic to get dental treatment. After the prisoner fled, police found an abandoned car on the outskirts of the city with five pistols with silencers, five masks and five sets of gloves.

Deputy Director of Siem Reap Provincial Prison, Brigadier General Seng Samooeun, said that Chen had been previously sentenced to 52 years in prison for “transporting and trafficking drugs”. He stated: “This is the first time such an incident has happened in Siem Reap province. To prevent similar incidents, we will strengthen security measures”. (Khmer Times)

* Thai prime ministerial candidate pledges to eradicate poverty : In a message posted on Facebook , Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidate, Srettha Thavisin, emphasized: "I want to reiterate: My enemies are poverty and inequality. My goal is to make the lives of all Thai people better." In addition, this politician also denied allegations related to illegal real estate transactions made by political activist Chuwit Kamolvisit in recent weeks.

The Pheu Thai-led coalition currently holds at least 314 of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives. To become Thailand's 30th prime minister, a prime ministerial candidate will need the support of a minimum majority, or 375 votes, of both houses of parliament in the next vote, scheduled for August 22. (Bangkok Post)

Northeast Asia

* Taipei Mayor to Visit China : On August 18, the Taipei Mayor's Office announced that the city's leader will visit Shanghai later this month to attend an annual forum between the two cities. Specifically, Mayor Chiang Wan-an will visit Shanghai from August 29-31 to attend the Taipei-Shanghai City Forum. This event was first held in 2010. The politician is a member of the Kuomintang (KMT), the main opposition party in Taiwan (China), which traditionally supports close relations with China.

Although China has refused to communicate with the Taiwanese government since Tsai Ing-wen became president of the island in 2016, the Taipei city government has been cautious about opening a less sensitive channel of communication with Beijing, demonstrating goodwill toward China. In February 2023, a group of Shanghai officials made an important visit to Taipei. (Reuters)

* Japanese newspaper: Important mechanism on semiconductors will appear at trilateral summit: According to Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan), at the US-Japan-Korea Summit on August 18, the three countries will agree to share information on shipments of semiconductors, important minerals, storage batteries and other important industrial goods.

A special mechanism will be set up to provide early warning of potential disruptions, allowing countries to exchange data in case of shortages, take measures and neutralize negative impacts on supply chains.

Earlier in July, the Japanese government discussed establishing a similar mechanism with the European Union. A mechanism involving Japan, the United States and South Korea would steadily expand the semiconductor supply network.

Europe

* Russia extinguishes fire at Novorossiysk port : On August 18, writing on Telegram , the Kuban Emergency Situations Department of Russia said it had extinguished a fire at a cargo port in Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Oblast. The fire covered an area of ​​1,300 square meters at the cargo port, originating from wooden pallets. 57 employees of the Emergency Situations Department and 16 pieces of equipment participated in extinguishing the fire. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations also dispatched 27 people and 10 pieces of special equipment to participate in firefighting here. (TTXVN)

* Germany: More than 50% of voters are dissatisfied with Mr. Scholz: On August 18, a survey by public television station ZDF (Germany) showed that 51% of respondents said they were dissatisfied with the leadership of Prime Minister Olaf Scholz.

Only 43% of respondents said they were satisfied with Mr Scholz's work as leader of the coalition between his centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens, while another 6% were undecided.

Earlier in the week, the plan to approve the Growth Opportunity bill proposed by FDP politician and Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner could not be discussed on August 16 as planned. Because the Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus, a member of the Green Party, vetoed the bill. According to her, the plan to rescue the economy of about 6 billion euros would not be appropriate if Mr. Lindner did not agree to increase the budget to ensure basic welfare for children.

Minister Paus's decision means that the bill cannot be discussed and approved by the Cabinet before it can be sent to the National Assembly. Lindner's plan to hold a press conference to announce more details about the bill later in the day has also been cancelled. (Reuters)

* Serbia orders 20,000 Iranian UAVs: On August 18, the Russian military Telegram page said: "Serbia has ordered 20,000 Iranian suicide UAVs". According to this page, such a large UAV order shows that Serbia wants to strengthen its defense capabilities and modernize its arsenal. Shahed-136 is a reconnaissance and attack UAV that is becoming increasingly popular due to its low cost and high efficiency.

Serbia and Iran have traditionally maintained friendly relations. In this context, the new contract could strengthen bilateral military-technical cooperation. However, the large number of UAVs could raise certain questions from other European countries and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that are closely monitoring military activities in the region. (VNA)

Middle East-Africa

* US, Israeli diplomats discuss Middle East situation : On August 17, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Secretary of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer discussed de-escalation and Washington's commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the same time, the official said the two sides also actively discussed challenges to the region from Iran, as well as proxy forces. (Reuters)

* The UN criticizes the prosecution of the President of Niger : On August 18, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk emphasized: “This decision (of the military government) is not only politically motivated against an elected President, but also has no legal basis because the normal functioning of democratic institutions has been set aside.

The concept of freedom in Niger is under threat. The generals cannot challenge the will of the people. Gun law has no place in today's world,” Turk said, calling for the immediate release of President Bazoum.

Earlier, the spokesman for the Niger military government, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, announced that they would prosecute the detained President Mohamed Bazoum for “treason” and undermining national security. However, details of the charges or the time of Mr. Bazoum’s trial have not been disclosed. (TTXVN)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-188-bao-duc-noi-ve-chien-thuat-danh-doi-cua-nga-ty-le-ung-ho-thu-tuong-scholz-giam-dang-lo-ngai-238884.html