05:02 Putin was not supposed to know about the Ukrainian troop advance
11:51 Russian General Staff Chief May Have Ignored Intelligence Warnings
Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Army, may have ignored intelligence warnings that Ukrainian forces were gathering near the border with the Kursk Oblast, Bloomberg reports, citing a source close to the Kremlin. Ukrainian forces crossed into the Kursk Oblast on August 6, bringing the fight onto Russian territory. According to the report, Ukrainian forces began gathering near the border with the Kursk region two weeks before the start of their offensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin was not informed of the troop buildup.
03:21 Half of Germans Fear Conflict Escalation with Russia over US Missiles
The German and US governments have agreed that the US will station long-range weapons systems like Tomahawk cruise missiles in Germany from 2026, capable of reaching targets in Russia. Half of Germans expect this to further escalate the conflict with Russia, according to a Civey survey for the Funke media group. 50 percent of respondents believe this, while 38 percent do not, and 12 percent are undecided. 44 percent view the stationing positively, while 42 percent view it negatively, and 14 percent are undecided.
01:14 Minister-President Kretschmer Calls for Reduction in Weapons Aid to Ukraine
Saxony's Minister-President Michael Kretschmer is calling for a reduction in weapons aid to Ukraine, given the federal budget. "We can no longer keep providing funds for weapons to Ukraine that are being used up and not making a difference. Everything must be in proportion," Kretschmer told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. "Support yes, but we can see that we're reaching our limits." Kretschmer points to the budget increase in recent years. "Before the COVID-19 crisis in 2019, our budget was 344 billion euros. Now it's 480 billion, and yet the coalition can't agree on the budget," he said. "That shows that everything is out of control."
23:35 Kiesewetter: Ukrainian Advance is Legally and Strategically Justified
CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter sees the latest Ukrainian military offensive on Russian territory as legally and strategically justified. The surprise move by Ukraine is "clearly legally justified under the right to self-defense" and "militarily strategic," Kiesewetter told the Tagesspiegel. The advance of Ukrainian troops aims to tie down Russian forces in the Kursk region and inflict significant losses, taking pressure off other fronts by forcing Russia to deploy forces there, he said.
22:30 Pentagon: Ukraine's Push into Kursk Region in Line with US PolicyThe Ukrainian incursion into the Russian region of Kursk is "in line with our policy," says Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh, according to the news portal "Kyiv Independent" at a press conference. When asked if Ukraine can use weapons supplied by the US, Singh responds that the US "has been supporting Ukraine from the start to defend against attacks coming from the border." The Kursk region borders the Ukrainian region of Sumy for over 245 kilometers, which has been subject to daily Russian attacks since its liberation in April 2022. Ukraine is taking measures "to protect itself from attacks" and is operating "within the framework of US policy, where it can use our weapons, our systems, and our capabilities," says Singh.
Singh says it's up to Ukraine to speak about its own operations. When asked how far into Russian territory Ukraine is allowed to attack, Singh says the US "does not support long-range attacks." However, she refuses to specify the exact distance. "I won't draw a circular map of where they can strike and where not, but we have been very clear with the Ukrainians," she says.
22:09 MEP De Masi Calls for "Ceasefire and Negotiations as Soon as Possible"Following the Ukrainian troops' advance into Kursk, MEP Fabio De Masi calls for "a ceasefire and negotiations as soon as possible." Ukraine has "major problems defending its own territory," says De Masi to "Tagesspiegel." Advances "deep into Russian territory" only make sense "if the goal of Ukraine is to strengthen the escalation dynamic." The risks are enormous, says the Euro politician. "Consider, for example, the Russian nuclear power plant in the region. Russia is a nuclear power and has the escalation dominance."
21:50 Kursk Region Authorities Report at Least Five Civilian DeathsRussian troops have been fighting against a Ukrainian incursion for the third day in a row, according to Moscow. Russian forces and border guards are preventing Ukrainian units from advancing deeper into Kursk, the Russian Defense Ministry reports. Meanwhile, the Russian army is attacking Ukrainian forces attempting to retreat from the Ukrainian border region of Sumy. The Russian Health Ministry reports that 66 civilians have been injured, including nine children, since the start of the Ukrainian incursion. Authorities in the Kursk region report at least five civilian deaths, including two medics. Ukraine has not yet commented on the incursion.
21:30 EU's Borrell: Lukashenko Regime Involved in Illegal Deportation of Ukrainian ChildrenThe Belarusian regime is complicit in Russia's war against Ukraine, according to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Brussels. Besides political, military, and logistical support, Belarus has contributed to the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories in Ukraine. Since 2021, the regime has also orchestrated migration pressure on the EU's external borders, according to a statement from the European External Action Service.
You can read all previous developments here.
The attack on Ukraine by its forces in the Kursk Oblast has raised concerns in Germany, with half of the population fearing that the US deployment of missiles will further escalate the conflict with Russia. In response to Ukraine's offensive, Saxony's Minister-President Michael Kretschmer has called for a reduction in weapons aid to Ukraine due to budget constraints and the perceived ineffectiveness of the aid.
