01:51 Russia: wounded by Ukrainian missile
In the Russian city of Kursk, at least 13 people were injured, two severely, by debris from a downed Ukrainian rocket. This was reported by the acting governor of the border region.
00:27 Explosions in the Ukrainian capital KyivSeveral explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. According to AFP journalists, the explosions were heard in the center and east of the city. The Ukrainian air force reported that two Russian rockets were targeted at the capital, while the Kyiv military administration reported the activation of air defense systems on the Telegram online service.
00:11 Ukraine awaits "with anticipation" decisions from the USA, UK, and FranceThe Ukraine may be able to expect the delivery of more long-range weapons to maintain its defense against Russian aggression. In his evening video address, President Selenskyj said: "We also await with anticipation the decisions of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France on long-range capabilities - decisions that will bring us closer to a fair peace." For a long time, Ukraine had tried to convince Germany to supply Taurus long-range missiles, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected this.
22:17 Ukraine suspects 28 officials of embezzling defense budget fundsThe Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office, together with the State Investigation Bureau, the National Police, and the Security Service of Ukraine, conducted a special operation to expose the organizers and participants in criminal schemes to embezzle funds from the defense budget of Ukraine. This was reported by the Prosecutor General's Office. According to the report, the total damage to the state amounts to over 1.5 billion Hryvnia, approximately 33,000 Euros. The investigation revealed that employees of the Ministry of Defense, military units, joint ventures, regional military administrations, and city administrations, as well as directors of companies in many regions of Ukraine were involved in the embezzlement. As a result of the investigation, 28 people were identified as suspects, including 9 as members of organized criminal groups.
20:57 Ukrainian forces reportedly entered BelgorodUkrainian troops appear to have entered the Russian oblast of Belgorod while the invasion of the oblast of Kursk continues, according to Ukrainian media citing a video. In the video, which was published by Ukrainian media, five uniformed men with blue armbands stand in front of the building while one of them says: "I wish you health. The 252nd Battalion is in Poroz village, Belgorod Oblast. Glory to Ukraine!" The soldiers in the video hold the battalion flag and a Georgian flag, and a sign behind them reads "Porozovsky Village Club". According to the Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne, the project VoxCheck, based in Ukraine, confirmed that the video was filmed in Poroz, three kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
20:22 Zelensky to exert pressure on the aggressor with offensive near KurskA few days after the start of Ukraine's push into Russian territory near Kursk, President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken out about the attack for the first time. Defense Minister Oleksandr Syrskyy has informed him about "the advancement of the war into the territory of the aggressor," Zelensky said in his evening video address. Ukraine is proving "that it is truly capable of delivering justice and building up exactly the pressure needed - pressure on the aggressor." Neither Zelensky nor the military in Kyiv provided further details about the current status of the Ukrainian troops' push into Russian territory. In recent days, Zelensky had only made indirect hints about the attack towards Kursk.
19:44 Russia to receive hundreds of ballistic missiles from IranRussia is set to receive hundreds of Fateh-360 and other ballistic missiles from Iran in the near future, following a December 2023 agreement between Moscow and Tehran, sources in intelligence services told Reuters. The sources said that dozens of Russian military personnel are currently being trained in Iran on the Fateh-360 ballistic short-range missile system. Iran is one of Russia's closest allies. The two countries have further deepened their military and political cooperation since the start of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Notably, Iran has provided Russia with thousands of Shahed kamikaze drones since the beginning of the war. In February, Reuters also reported that Tehran had sent "a large number of high-performance ballistic ground-to-ground missiles" to support Moscow's invasion.
18:36 Iskander missile system reportedly kills 15 Ukrainian commanders near the borderAccording to the Russian news agency TASS, the Iskander-M missile system struck a unit of the 22nd mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the border of Kursk. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the strike killed 15 members of the unit's command staff. "The attack was carried out by a calculation of the operational-tactical missile system Iskander-M, which hit a reconnaissance post where the combat post of a unit of the 22nd separate mechanized brigade of the AFU was located in the border area of the Kursk region. As a result, the command staff of the 22nd separate mechanized brigade of the AFU, consisting of 15 people, was destroyed," the ministry said.
17:55 Russia evacuates 76,000 civilians near KurskAmid heavy fighting as Ukrainian forces push into Russian territory, the regional civil defense has already evacuated tens of thousands of people. Around 76,000 civilians have been evacuated from the border area and accommodated in other regions of Russia, the civil defense said, according to the state agency TASS. There were no reports from either the Russian or Ukrainian side about the actual combat situation. Ukrainian intelligence reported that Russia has begun moving a marine infantry brigade from the occupied Crimean Peninsula to the Kursk region. Part of the vehicle column was reportedly destroyed en route. The reports cannot be independently verified. The entire Kursk region has been put on rocket alert. The governor, Alexei Smirnov, warned on the Telegram platform about the potential dangers and urged the population to seek shelter as much as possible.
17:28 Minsk accuses Kyiv of "criminal acts"After the alleged incursion of Ukrainian combat drones into Belarusian airspace, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Minsk has warned of an escalation of the conflict. Such "criminal acts" could lead to a radical escalation of the situation and are a "dangerous attempt to expand the current conflict zone in our region," the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement carried by the state news agency Belta. Belarus will use its right to self-defense and respond appropriately to any provocation or hostile actions. Alexander Lukashenko had previously reported the alleged downing of several Ukrainian aerial targets. The air defense system has been put on full alert because about ten aerial objects from Ukraine have entered Belarusian airspace in the east of the country in the Kostjukowitschy region, Lukashenko said about the incident the previous evening.
17:00 Zelensky thanks for "filling the exchange fund"Many questions remain unanswered around the incursion of Ukrainian troops into Russian territory. President Zelensky has now spoken out and thanked the soldiers who took prisoners. Ukraine needs them for future prisoner exchanges with Russia.
16:27 Ukraine attacks gas platform tower in Black Sea with 40 Russian soldiersThe Ukrainian Naval Forces have reportedly killed about 40 Russian soldiers in an attack on a gas platform tower in the Black Sea. Forces of the navy and military intelligence attacked the location where the opponent had gathered personnel and equipment, Ukrainian media reported, citing the naval command. The occupiers were reportedly using the tower for jamming navigation signals via satellite, which would have put civilian maritime traffic at risk. "We cannot allow this," said Dmytro Pletentschuk of the online newspaper "Ukrajinska Prawda". There were no civilians on the gas platform, which is out of operation. The rocket and artillery units of the coastal forces carried out the strike. A heavy explosion was seen in a published video. The authenticity of the footage could not be verified by an independent source. It was not the first operation of this kind, Pletentschuk said. The enemy had used the tower in the past to jam the navigation of grain carriers, for example.
15:49 NATO interceptors take off due to Russian reconnaissance aircraft IL-20M over Baltic SeaA Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea has prompted combat aircraft from several NATO countries to take off. To secure the airspace of the alliance area, interceptors from the alert rotations in Rostock-Laage, Sweden, and the NATO mission Air Policing Baltikum took off and escorted the Russian reconnaissance aircraft IL-20M, the German Air Force said on the short messaging service X. "The aircraft was flying without a flight plan and without contact with civilian air traffic control," it said. Russia uses international airspace for military flights in accordance with existing air law. According to previous statements by the German Armed Forces, Russian military aircraft almost always fly without a transponder signal, making them invisible to civilian air traffic control. These flights come close to NATO airspace without violating it. It is assumed that the reaction to such flights is also being tested.
15:26 Lukashenko Orders Deployment of Iskander Missile Systems and Rocket Artillery to BorderAlexander Lukashenko, the ruler of Belarus, has ordered the reinforcement of troop groupings in the tactical areas of Gomel and Mozyr on the border with the Ukrainian oblasts of Kyiv and Chernihiv. The Belarusian state news agency BelTA reports this, citing statements by Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin. "The Commander-in-Chief [Lukashenko] has given the order to reinforce the grouping of forces in the tactical areas of Gomel and Mozyr. Special forces, ground troops, and rocket units, including Polonez multiple rocket launchers and Iskander missile systems, have been tasked with moving to the designated areas," says Khrenin. Previously, Lukashenko had claimed that "several targets coming from Ukraine" had been shot down over Belarus.
14:49 At Least Two Children Among Dead in Russian Attack on SupermarketSince Friday, at least 18 people, including two children, have been killed and 60 more injured in several Russian attacks on Ukraine, regional authorities report. The highest number of casualties was in the city of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, where a Russian missile hit a supermarket on Friday. By 10 a.m. local time today, at least 14 people were killed, including two children aged 9 and 11, and 43 more were wounded, the General Prosecutor's Office reports on Telegram. In other settlements in the Donetsk region, two people were killed and one more wounded in Russian attacks on Friday, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported early this morning. More than 30 houses, an apartment building, an agricultural facility, and civilian infrastructure were damaged. In the Kharkiv region, a 80-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man were killed, and four people aged between 32 and 67 were injured in Russian attacks, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
14:21 Interior Ministry Warns of Russian Interference in State ElectionsThe Federal Ministry of the Interior warns of possible manipulation attempts by Russia ahead of the upcoming state elections in eastern Germany. "We must assume that all elections in our country are a potential target of illegitimate influence," a spokesperson for the ministry told the "Handelsblatt". Russia is trying to take illegitimate influence on the public debate and political will-formation in Germany in this way. Since the beginning of the Russian attack on Ukraine, there has been an increase in disinformation by Russian official bodies, state and state-affiliated media, and government-affiliated accounts in social networks. "They use false information to heat up emotionally charged discussions and play societal groups against each other," says the spokesperson.
13:42 Luftwaffe: Russian IL-20M reconnaissance aircraft spotted near RügenA Russian reconnaissance aircraft flew into international airspace over the Baltic Sea without contacting air traffic control. German and Swedish air force planes, as well as NATO air policing in the Baltics, were scrambled on Friday evening and escorted the Russian IL-20M aircraft, the air force said. The maritime reconnaissance aircraft was traveling in the airspace off the island of Rügen "without a flight plan and contact with civilian air traffic control." Incidents of non-communicating Russian military aircraft in international airspace over the Baltic Sea have been occurring nearly weekly recently, a Luftwaffe spokesman said. However, they are not usually pursued unless they behave suspiciously or quickly return to Russian airspace. In mid-June, a Russian SU-24 bomber flew over the Swedish Baltic Sea island of Gotland, which is about 350 kilometers from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
13:06 Lukashenko: Objects fired from Ukraine destroyed over BelarusBelarusian reports say that the country's armed forces have destroyed several flying objects over Belarusian territory. They are believed to be drones launched from Ukraine, according to Belarusian news agency Belta, quoting Alexander Lukashenko, the president of the Russia-aligned country. In the past, Lukashenko has repeatedly spoken of alleged incursions from Ukraine and then given the all-clear. Belarus claims it is not involved in the fighting in Ukraine.
12:43 Ukraine: Three civilian deaths in Russian attacks in eastern UkraineAccording to Ukrainian reports, three people have been killed in Russian missile attacks in eastern Ukraine. One person was killed in an attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, with several injured, the region's governor, Vadym Filaschkin, wrote on Telegram. The missile hit a critical infrastructure building and severely damaged it. Two people were killed in an attack on a private house in the Kharkiv region, the police reported.
12:00 Ukraine: Major fire in Kherson after Russian attackA major fire has broken out in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson due to a Russian attack, the Kherson Regional Administration said on Telegram. The fire started on an open area outside the city of Kherson and quickly spread due to strong winds, engulfing almost the entire city. The Kherson Regional Administration said that firefighters are on the scene to extinguish the fire.
11:28 Mangott on arms deliveries: Kretschmer "accepts that Ukraine loses"Ukrainian soldiers have entered Russia. With the incursion into Kursk, Ukraine also wants to show that Russia "cannot protect the citizens in the border regions," Gerhard Mangott said. The political scientist also stressed that he does not believe that Ukraine can hold the region in the long term.
10:53 Video allegedly shows Russian troop strength in KurskThe Russian Ministry of Defense published another video allegedly showing an increase in military presence in the region. Tanks are seen taking up combat positions to destroy Ukrainian troops. The footage is not independently verifiable. The ministry also reported numerous intercepted Ukrainian drone attacks in the Kursk area.
10:29 Russian Nuclear Conglomerate: Operation of NPP in Kursk NormalFighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces is also taking place near a nuclear power plant in the Russian region of Kursk. Despite the ongoing battles, operations are "normal," according to the operator, Russian state-owned company Rosatom, as reported by Reuters. Previously, the nuclear corporation had withdrawn workers from the construction site of two new nuclear reactors at the Kursk NPP due to the advancement of Ukrainian troops in Kursk.
09:57 Ukrainian Intelligence: Magura V5 Destroys Russian Boat in Black SeaSoldiers of the Ukrainian intelligence service HUR are attacking the Russian navy on the Black Sea coast in the northwest of the Crimea peninsula occupied by Russia. The Ukrainian intelligence service reports that the attack took place off the coast near the settlement of Chornomorske in the west of Crimea. A sea drone of the Magura V5 type is said to have sunk a Russian patrol boat of the type KS-701 "Tunets". According to HUR, three other Russian military boats were damaged. The Ukrainian intelligence service has posted a video on social media that is said to show the attack.
09:19 ISW: Russia Not Redeploying Frontline Units from East Ukraine to KurskThe Russian military leadership may not be redeploying its forces from the front in eastern Ukraine to the contested Russian border region of Kursk to avoid disrupting its own offensive in the east of Ukraine. This is what the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes in its latest report. According to ISW analysts, it would likely take additional time for these units from eastern Ukraine to arrive in the Kursk region. The Russian military leadership appears to be relying on the already stationed units in Kursk to stop the ongoing Ukrainian advance. Furthermore, the Russian military leadership is reportedly deploying conscripts from the military intelligence service Glawnoje Raswedywatelnoje Uprawlenije (GRU) and Spetsnaz, so-called special forces, including the soldier group Wagner and the Kadyrovtsy, according to reports cited by the analysts.
08:35 Ukraine Publishes Figures on Russian LossesThe Ukrainian General Staff has published new loss figures for Russian troops in Ukraine. According to these figures, Russia has lost around 589,700 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, with a daily loss of 1,160. According to a report from Kyiv, seven tanks, 69 artillery systems, and two air defense systems were destroyed on the previous day of war alone. Overall, Russia has lost a total of 8,441 tanks, 16,605 artillery systems, and 366 aircraft, 327 helicopters, 13,325 drones, 28 ships, and one submarine, according to Ukraine. Western estimates cite lower loss figures, although these are also only minimum values.
07:40 Russia: Su-34 fighter-bomber reportedly struck Ukrainian forces near Russian borderA Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber is said to have attacked and hit Ukrainian forces in the Russian border region, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense on Telegram. The ministry claims the air strike was carried out using an ODAB-500 bomb. The Russian forces continue to repel the Ukrainian surprise advance in the Russian region of Kursk, with the air strike intended to push back the Ukrainian push. A video showing the deployment of the fighter aircraft was published on the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Defense.
06:48 Kyiv accountant stopped with millions in carUkrainian investigators found over 4.7 million euros in cash in the trunk of a company accountant's car. "The woman could not explain the origin of the money," the Economic Crime Investigation Bureau in Kyiv said. Images show investigators in front of an open trunk filled with cash bundles. The company, which supplied food worth over 320 million euros to the Ukrainian army in 2022 and 2023, allegedly reduced its tax burden through a fictional loan. Investigations are ongoing for money laundering and large-scale tax evasion, with participants facing up to eight years in prison.
06:10 Ukraine evacuates 28 villages near Sumy borderVolunteers in the northern border region of Sumy help residents and their pets leave the border area. According to local governor Volodymyr Artiukh, 28 villages in a ten-kilometer zone along the Russian border are being evacuated. Ukrainian police report that 20,000 people must leave their homes.
05:30 Kyiv adds "Glory to Ukraine!" to new banknotesThe National Bank of Ukraine is adding the national motto "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes!" to all Ukrainian banknotes. Central Bank chief Andrij Pyschnyj said, according to a Kyiv statement, that money is not only a measure of value and means of payment, but also a symbol of the state that everyone holds daily. "To honor the resilience of our people and this turning point in the formation of the Ukrainian nation, we are adding our motto to all banknotes, which is heard around the world," Pyschnyj said. The change will be implemented on the upcoming 33rd Independence Day on August 24, starting with 1000 (around 22.3 euros) and 500 hryvnia banknotes, followed by all other denominations of 200, 100, 50, and 20 hryvnia. The motto will be placed in the top right corner of the banknotes, with the rest of the design remaining unchanged. The patriotic motto "Glory to Ukraine!" dates back to the emerging Ukrainian national movement at the end of the 19th century and has a tumultuous history, including use by Ukrainian nationalists collaborating with the Nazis and remaining present in the Ukrainian independence movement against the Soviet Union.
04:37 Report: Russia Plans to Block WhatsAppAccording to the news site "Kyiv Independent", Russia is reportedly planning to block WhatsApp as part of its actions against internet services (see entry 22:33). Moscow is said to have made preparations to block the messaging app, which could be blocked in Russia this fall, according to the independent Russian publication Verstka, citing sources at the Russian IT company VK, which is developing an application to replace WhatsApp. In July, the pro-Kremlin media outlet Gazeta.ru reported that the Russian government was planning to fully block YouTube in September. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov denied these alleged plans.
04:05 US Approves Additional Military Aid to Kyiv Worth $125 MillionThe US has approved additional military aid to Ukraine worth $125 million (around €114 million). The aid package underscores "our unwavering support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russian aggression," said John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, to journalists. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained that the aid would include interceptors for air defense systems, ammunition for rocket systems and artillery, multipurpose radars, and anti-tank weapons, and would come from US stockpiles. The equipment, Blinken added, would help Ukraine protect its troops, population, and cities from Russian attacks and strengthen its capabilities across the entire front.
03:19 Russia Claims to Have Issued 2.2 Million Passports in Occupied Ukrainian RegionsRussia claims to have issued 2.2 million passports in the Ukrainian regions occupied by its invasion. Since October 2020, these have been distributed in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported. These claims cannot be independently verified. In the past, there have been repeated reports of Russian authorities systematically forcing people to accept these passports.
02:30 IAEA Warns of Nuclear Accident at Kursk Nuclear Power Plant Due to Fighting in the RegionThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned of the risk of a nuclear accident at the Kursk nuclear power plant due to fighting in the region following Ukraine's large-scale offensive in the Kursk region in western Russia. "At this point, I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid a nuclear accident that could have potentially serious radiological consequences," said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. He is "in personal contact with the relevant authorities of both countries." The Kursk NPP is located near the city of Kursk, about 100 kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border. The state-owned Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the press service of the power plant, that "everything is functioning normally" at the facility with usual radiation levels. However, the residents of Kursk are currently without electricity. According to regional governor Alexei Smirnov, an electricity plant was set on fire by falling debris from intercepted Ukrainian drones.
01:55 Russia Implements Anti-Terror Measures in Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk
Russia is implementing anti-terror measures in three regions bordering Ukraine, according to Russian media reports. According to a report by the RIA news agency, the measures may include the resettlement of residents, traffic restrictions in certain areas, increased security at sensitive locations, and the interception of telephone and other communication channels. Local authorities and the National Anti-Terror Committee have reported that the anti-terror regulations apply to the regions of Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk, according to the news agency.
00:36 Nouripour on Country Leaders: Cowardice Doesn't Bring Peace in Ukraine
Green Party leader Omid Nouripour criticizes the ministers-presidents of Brandenburg, Thuringia, and Saxony for their recent statements on Ukraine policy. Dietmar Woidke, Bodo Ramelow, and Michael Kretschmer are "running away from reality," says Nouripour to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). "They act as if peace can be achieved by burying their heads in the sand. But: Cowardice doesn't bring peace." Woidke says he has good contacts with Russia and can mediate. However, "it's strange that it only occurs to him two and a half years after the start of the war and a few weeks before the state election," says Nouripour. Ramelow calls for a non-aggression pact with Russia. However, such a pact was initiated by Germany 85 years ago and brought great suffering to other European countries, the Green politician further states. Kretschmer, meanwhile, acts "as if he doesn't know that only Putin can quickly end this war." Kretschmer had called for a reduction in military aid to Ukraine and advocated for diplomatic initiatives in the Ukraine conflict.
00:13 July Deadliest Month for Civilians in Ukraine Since October 2022
No month since October 2022 has seen as many Ukrainian civilians killed by Russian shelling as this July, according to the United Nations. "The high number of casualties in July continues an alarming trend since March 2024," the UN observer mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) reports.
23:43 Construction Workers Pulled from Nuclear Power Plant Kursk
Due to the advance of Ukrainian troops in the Russian region of Kursk, workers are being withdrawn from the construction site of two new nuclear reactors at the Kursk nuclear power plant. The number of construction workers will be temporarily reduced, the company Atomstroiexport, a subsidiary of the state-owned Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom, reports. Other specialists continue their work as planned. The Kursk nuclear power plant in the city of Kursk has been repeatedly mentioned as a possible target of the offensive on Russian territory that began on Tuesday. However, it is located about 60 kilometers from the border. The farthest advances of Ukrainian troops, which have been reported but not confirmed, have reached about 30 kilometers into Russia. The Russian National Guard has reportedly reinforced the protection of the power plant after the Ukrainian offensive became known. Two reactors are being built to replace the two oldest, already decommissioned blocks of the plant, and two more reactors are currently in operation.
23:11 Ukraine Takes Control of Gazprom Facility in Kursk Region
According to a video published by Ukrainian media, Ukrainian soldiers have taken control of a facility belonging to the gas company Gazprom in the Russian region of Kursk. The facility in the city of Sudzha and the city itself have been captured, Ukrainian soldiers explain in the video.
22:33 Russia Blocks Chat Service SignalIn its crackdown on foreign internet services, Russia has also blocked the encrypted chat service Signal, citing alleged legal violations. Signal is not complying with the legal measures deemed necessary to combat terrorism and extremism, Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor announced in Moscow. Throughout the day, complaints from Signal users in Russia had been accumulating that the messaging service was unavailable. Portals like Sboj.rf, which collect reports of outages, recorded around 2000 complaints. Developed in the US, Signal is praised by its users for its high level of security. On Thursday, Russian users also reported that YouTube was working slowly and videos were difficult to download. Russian authorities have not provided an official explanation for this. However, they have previously targeted the extremely popular video service, accusing it of refusing to remove extremist videos. Russia has already blocked large social networks with US ownership, such as X and Facebook, which can now only be accessed via protected connections (VPN). Even before the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow had made preparations for a possible internet shutdown in the country. Since the start of the war in 2022, Roskomnadzor has blocked thousands of websites that are not to the liking of the Russian power apparatus.
You can read all previous developments here.**
After the escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia, concerns about cyberwarfare have also arisen.
In light of this, Ukrainian authorities have strengthened their cyberdefenses, fearing potential cyberattacks as a part of the broader 'cyberwar'.
Since the start of the conflict, both Russia and Ukraine have been reported to have used digital weapons for various purposes, ranging from disinformation campaigns to hacking and data theft attempts. The threat of a full-scale 'cyberwar' remains a significant concern as the conflict continues to unfold.
