Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: Ukrainian president meets with Boris Johnson

BEIJING, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the Ukraine crisis:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday met with Boris Johnson, the outgoing British prime minister, in Kiev.

During the meeting, the two discussed the defense needs of the country, the situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and other issues.

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In his daily briefing on Wednesday, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said that the Russian army defeated the 18th battalion of the 35th marine brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces while its members tried to covertly cross the Ingulets River in the Kherson region. More than 80 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and six cars destroyed, he said.

According to Konashenkov, Russian forces destroyed seven Ukrainian command posts, 47 artillery units at firing positions, and 212 personnel and equipment concentration areas over the past day.

Russian air defense systems shot down seven drones and intercepted two Ukrainian multiple launch rocket systems shells, he added.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned of the dangerous situation in and around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine.

"I remain gravely concerned about the situation in and around Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia. The warning lights are flashing," he told the UN Security Council.

"Any actions that might endanger the physical integrity, safety or security of the nuclear plant are simply unacceptable. Any further escalation of the situation could lead to self-destruction," Guterres said.

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The United States on Wednesday announced an additional tranche of security assistance to Ukraine worth nearly 3 billion U.S. dollars, the largest one-time weapons aid package to Kiev that comes as the Russia-Ukraine conflict reaches the half-year mark.

According to a breakdown by the Department of Defense, items in the newly-announced package include six additional National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems with additional munitions, up to 245,000 rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition, up to 65,000 rounds of 120mm mortar ammunition, up to 24 counter-artillery radars, Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and support equipment for Scan Eagle UAS systems, "Vampire" counter-UAS systems, and laser-guided rocket systems.