06:10 Ukraine evacuates 28 villages in the border region of Sumy
Ukrainian Volunteers Help Villagers and Their Pets in the Northern Border Region of Sumy to Leave the Border Area. According to Local Governor Volodymyr Artiukh, 28 Villages in a 10-Kilometer Zone Along the Border with Russia are Being Evacuated. According to the Ukrainian Police, 20,000 People Must Leave Their Homes.
05:30 Kyiv Inscribes "Glory to Ukraine!" on New BanknotesThe Ukrainian Central Bank is supplementing the design of all Ukrainian banknotes with the national motto "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes!" "Money is not only a measure of value and a means of payment, but also a symbol of the state that everyone holds daily," says Central Bank Chief Andriy Pyshnyi in a Kyiv statement. "To honor the resilience of our people and this turning point in the formation of the Ukrainian nation in which we live today, we are adding our motto to all banknotes, which is heard throughout the world," Pyshnyi said. The change is to honor the upcoming 33rd Independence Day on August 24, it was reported. It will begin with the banknotes for 1,000 (around 22.3 Euro) and 500 Hryvnia. The other denominations of 200, 100, 50, and 20 Hryvnia will follow. The motto will be placed in the upper right corner of the banknotes. The rest of the appearance of the notes will remain unchanged. The patriotic motto "Glory to Ukraine!" dates back to the emerging Ukrainian national movement at the end of the 19th century. It has a complex history. In the form "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes!", it was used by Ukrainian nationalists who collaborated with the Nazis. The greeting remained present in the Ukrainian independence movement against the Soviet Union.
04:37 Report: Russia Plans to Block WhatsAppIn its action against internet services (see entry 22:33), Russia is reportedly planning to block WhatsApp, the news site "Kyiv Independent" reports. According to the report, Moscow has made preparations to block the messaging app. The messenger could be blocked in Russia in the fall, the independent Russian publication Verstka reports, citing sources at the Russian IT company VK, which is developing an application to replace WhatsApp. In July, the Kremlin-linked media outlet Gazeta.ru reported that the Russian government planned to fully block YouTube in September. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the alleged plans.
04:05 USA Approves Additional Military Aid for Kyiv Worth $125 MillionThe USA has approved additional military aid for Kyiv 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 said the aid would include air defense interceptors, ammunition for rocket systems and artillery, multi-purpose radars, and anti-tank weapons, and would come from US stockpiles. The equipment "will help Ukraine protect its troops, its population, and its cities from Russian attacks and strengthen its capabilities across the entire front," Blinken said further.
03:19 Russia to have issued 2.2 million passports in occupied territoriesRussia claims to have issued 2.2 million passports in the Ukrainian regions occupied by its military aggression since October 2020. The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs states that these have been distributed in Saporischschja, Donezk, Luhansk, and Cherson. These claims cannot be independently verified. In the past, there have been repeated reports that Russian authorities have systematically forced people to accept these passports.
02:30 IAEA warns of nuclear accident at Kursk power plant due to fighting in the regionThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warns of the risk of a nuclear accident at the Kursk nuclear power plant due to fighting in the region. "At this point, I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid a nuclear accident that could have potentially severe radiological consequences," says IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. He is "in personal contact with the relevant authorities of both countries." The Kursk nuclear power plant is located near the city of Kurtschatov, 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" with usual radiation levels. However, the residents of Kurtschatov are currently without electricity. According to the governor of the region, Alexei Smirnov, a power plant was set on fire by falling debris from intercepted Ukrainian drones.
01:55 Russia implements anti-terror measures in Kursk, Belgorod, and BryanskAccording to Russian media reports, Russia is implementing anti-terror measures in three regions bordering Ukraine. According to a report by the RIA news agency, these measures include possible evacuation of residents, traffic restrictions in certain areas, increased security at sensitive locations, and wiretapping of telephones and other communication means. According to local authorities and the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, these anti-terror regulations apply to the regions of Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk.
00:36 Nouripour on heads of government: Cowardice does not bring peace in UkraineThe chairman of the Greens, Omid Nouripour, criticizes the ministers-president 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 one can achieve peace by burying one's head in the sand. But: Cowardice does not bring peace." Woidke says he has good contacts with Russia and can mediate. However, it is "strange that this 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 continues. Kretschmer, on the other hand, acts "as if he doesn't know that only Putin can end this war quickly." 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 2022According to the United Nations, more Ukrainian civilians have died from Russian shelling in July than in any other month since October 2022. "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 withdrawn from AKW KurskDue 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 AKW Kursk power plant. The number of construction workers will be temporarily reduced, Atomstroiexport, a subsidiary of the state-owned Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom, reports. Other specialists continue their work as planned. The AKW Kursk power plant in the city of Kurtschatov 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. After the announcement of the Ukrainian offensive, the Russian National Guard reportedly reinforced the protection of the power plant. Two reactors are being built to replace the two oldest, already decommissioned blocks of the plant. Two other reactors are currently in operation.
23:11 Ukraine captures Gazprom facility in Kursk regionAccording 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 in the video state.
22:33 Russia blocks messaging app SignalIn its crackdown on foreign internet services, Russia is also blocking the encrypted messaging app Signal, citing alleged legal violations. Signal is not complying with legal measures necessary to counter terrorism and extremism, the responsible agency Roskomnadzor in Moscow states. Throughout the day, complaints from Signal users in Russia have been accumulating that the messaging service is not available. Portals like Sboj.rf, which collect reports of outages, reported around 2000 complaints. Signal was developed in the US and is valued by its users for its high level of security. On Thursday, Russian users also complained that YouTube was working slowly and videos were difficult to download. The Russian authorities have not provided an official explanation for this. However, they have been targeting the extremely popular video service in recent days, accusing it of refusing to remove extremist videos. Large social networks with US ownership like X and Facebook have already been blocked in Russia and can 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 approved by the Russian authorities.
You can read all previous developments here.
Despite the ongoing evacuations and tensions along the Ukraine-Russia border, there have been reports suggesting a potential cyber threat. According to cybersecurity experts, Russia is increasingly using cyberwarfare tactics, including the potential disruption of communication apps like WhatsApp, to gain an advantage in the conflict.
In response to these threats, Ukrainian authorities and organizations are strengthening their cybersecurity measures to protect critical infrastructure and maintain communication with citizens.
