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(Bloomberg) —

The daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist believed to be an ally of President Vladimir Putin, who herself had been sanctioned over the Ukraine war, was killed in a car explosion outside Moscow on Saturday, Russian state media reported.  

Turkey said its deputy treasury minister vowed to stay firm on any attempt by Russian individuals or organizations to use the nation as a way to circumvent sanctions on Moscow. 

On Saturday, a drone struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet in occupied Crimea on Saturday, days after unexplained explosions at nearby military facilities. No injuries were reported. Several Ukrainians, including children, were injured in a Russian rocket strike north of Mykolaiv. 

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(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

Key Developments

On the Ground

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is approaching the six-month mark. In its daily update, Ukraine’s defense ministry said Russia was moving air defense equipment within Belarus to border locations in the vicinity of Volyn in far western Ukraine and Polissya, northeast of Chernihiv. “The threat of the enemy launching missile and air strikes from the territory and airspace” of Belarus “country continues to persist,” Ukraine said. The past week saw minimal changes in territorial control along the front line in the Donbas. Russian shelling on Saturday hit an apartment block in Voznesensk, to the north of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, wounding nine people including at least four children, regional governor Vitaliy Kim said on Telegram. 

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(All times CET)

Turkey Pledges Not to Allow Russian Sanction Busting (9 a.m.) 

Turkey’s Ministry of Treasury and Finance vowed not to allow any individual or organization to circumvent sanctions imposed on Russian entities, according to a readout of a call Friday with the US Treasury. 

Deputy Minister Yunus Elitas told his US counterpart Wally Adeyemo that Turkey’s “position” on the issue of sanctions remains unchanged. While opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and providing drones to help Kyiv’s efforts in the war, Turkey has refrained from joining Western sanctions on Moscow, which remains a key supplier of natural gas and crude oil.

In Friday’s call, Adeyemo raised “concerns that Russian entities and individuals are attempting to use Turkey to evade sanctions” put in place by the US and 30 other countries.

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Zelenskiy Hails Ukrainian Heavyweight After Title Win (8:30 a.m.)

Ukraine’s president took to Twitter after countryman Oleksandr Usyk retained his world heavyweight boxing titles on Saturday, beating Anthony Joshua of the UK in a bout in Saudi Arabia. 

“I devote this victory to my country, to my family, to my team, to all the military defending this country,” the 35-year-old Usyk said through a translator, according to the Associated Press. 

Daughter of Putin Ally Dugin Killed in Car Bomb: Tass (6:30 a.m.)

The daughter of Russian far-right political theorist Alexander Dugin was killed by a car bomb outside Moscow on Saturday night, Russian state media reported. 

An SUV driven by Darya Dugina exploded in flames as she was driving about 20 km (12 miles) west of the capital, according to reports. A family friend told Tass that the Toyota Land Cruiser belonged to Dugin, who had intended to travel home with his daughter from an event but “went in a different way.”

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Dugin, 60, is believed to be an ally of Vladimir Putin and to have influenced the Russian president’s views. He was sanctioned by the US in 2015 for his alleged involvement in Moscow’s annexation of Crimea. Dugina was sanctioned by the US and UK this year. The UK called her a “high-profile contributor of disinformation” about Russia’s war in Ukraine in her role as editor of the website United World International. 

Zelenskiy Warns Ahead of War’s Six-Month Mark (5 a.m.) 

Ukraine’s president warned that the Kremlin may have special actions in store around the six-month mark of Russia’s invasion, which falls on Wednesday. 

“We should be aware that this week Russia may try to do something particularly nasty, something particularly cruel,” Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on Saturday. “We must all be strong enough to resist any enemy provocations.”  

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Austria Summons Russian Envoy Over Tweet (7:47 p.m.)

Austria’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s envoy to the nuclear talks with Iran due to a tweet he sent in response to the US sending additional military aid to Ukraine.

“No mercy to the Ukrainian population!” Mikhail Ulyanov said in a tweet late Friday that he later deleted. He claimed it referred to the Ukrainian government’s reluctance to enter peace talks.

Austria summoned the Russian diplomat for Sunday, calling the remarks inhuman.

Moscow Accuses Ukraine of Poisoning Troops (3:30 p.m.)

Russia’s defense ministry said it had evidence of chemical substances having been used against its forces in the Zaporizhzhia region in late July. 

Tests on sickened soldiers in Vasilyevka area showed the presence of botulinum toxin type B, the ministry said. It didn’t explain how troops could have been targeted in the occupied region. 

Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Anton Geraschenko said on Telegram that the troops may have been sickened by their own supplies. “The poisoning could have been caused by expired canned meat, in which botulinum toxin is often found,” he said.