06:25 Ukraine issues air alert for Russian MiG-31K missile strike
The Ukrainian Air Force declares an air alert across the entire country. The Ukrainian Air Force attributes the air attack warning to a missile threat from a Russian MiG-31K. The missile type is an interceptor that dates back to the Soviet Union and is named after the aircraft manufacturer Mikoyan-Gurevich. The MiG-31K can carry hypersonic missiles like the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal.
05:32 ISW: Ukrainian armored vehicles spotted 10 kilometers behind Russian border in KurskAccording to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian troops have advanced up to 10 kilometers into the Russian region of Kursk. This was confirmed by footage of armored vehicles behind the border. Ukrainian forces have reportedly breached at least two Russian defensive lines and a fortress. According to a Russian source, the Ukrainians have captured 45 square kilometers in the Kursk region since the start of the operation on August 6, the ISW writes. Russian authorities declared a state of emergency in the region yesterday.
02:30 Ukraine raises threshold for prison sentence in petty theftIn Ukraine, thefts of low value will no longer result in a prison sentence. President Zelensky has signed a corresponding law amendment, according to which thefts valued at up to around 67 euros will henceforth be treated as administrative offenses and punished with fines. Previously, the value of stolen goods was set at around 6.7 euros for petty theft. The background to this is the martial law in force since the Russian invasion, which provides for up to eight years in prison for looting and theft. A diaper theft in a supermarket in January 2023 in the western Ukrainian city of Rivne, valued at around 8 euros, was cited as an example in the bill. This will no longer result in a prison sentence. However, the perpetrator in this case still received a prison sentence of over three years.
00:27 Klingbeil: Stationing of US missiles in Germany is correctSPD leader Lars Klingbeil defends plans to station long-range US weapons in Germany against criticism from within his own party. "This stationing is correct because it helps us to defend ourselves in case Russia gets the idea to attack us," Klingbeil told the German Press Agency. It is part of credible deterrence. At the NATO summit in July, the White House and the German government announced that the USA will again station weapons systems in Germany from 2026 onwards, which can reach far into Russia. Named were Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles and new hypersonic weapons. There are critical voices within the SPD, including the parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich, who warns of the risk of military escalation.
22:38 Human Rights Advocate Orlow to Fight for Russian PrisonersFreed in the prisoner exchange between Russia and Western states, Moscow human rights advocate Oleg Orlow plans to continue his civil rights work in exile. "Memorial cannot be destroyed," the 71-year-old said at a press conference at the Center for Liberal Modernity in Berlin. The organization he co-founded, Memorial, which won the Nobel Peace Prize, advocates for political prisoners in Russia. Orlow estimates that at least 800 political prisoners remain in Russia - a conservative estimate. He finds his new role in exile in Germany challenging, as he would prefer to be in his homeland but fears prosecution. Orlow hopes to now use his exile to advocate for the release of more political prisoners, including eight critically ill ones. "We were very disappointed when we found out these people weren't on the list - those of us who were exchanged," he said. Memorial continues to work in Russia despite repression, and also from abroad.
21:30 Not Dead After All? Known Russian Propagandist InjuredRussian propagandist Eugenio Poddubny was injured in the Kursk region, the state TV company VGTRK reported on Telegram. Poddubny was injured in an attack by a Ukrainian drone and taken to the hospital. Earlier, many Russian media outlets had reported his death. Poddubny is one of Russia's most famous "war correspondents," with around 734,000 followers on Telegram. Preliminary reports suggest he was filming a report on the fighting in the Kursk region today.
20:41 Emergency Declared in Kursk RegionAn emergency has been declared in the Russian Kursk region amid a Ukrainian ground offensive, the region's governor, Alexei Smirnov, announced on Telegram. Ukraine has advanced deep into Russian territory near Kursk in a counterattack. The offensive began on Tuesday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, and reached the northwest of the city of Sudzha on Wednesday.
20:14 Fighting Nearby: Russia Reinforces Nuclear Power Plant ProtectionDue to Ukraine's advance into the Russian border region of Kursk, Russia's National Guard is reinforcing the protection of the Kursk nuclear power plant. Additional forces have also been deployed to combat sabotage and reconnaissance units in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, the agency said. This is happening in cooperation with the Russian border troops and the army. The nuclear power plant, with four units and a capacity of nearly two gigawatts, is located only about 60 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The day before, Ukrainian troops supported by tanks and artillery had crossed the Russian border from the Sumy region at Sudzha. Unconfirmed reports suggest they advanced up to 15 kilometers towards the nuclear power plant.
19:38 Attacks in Kursk Region: European Gas Price Hits Yearly HighThe price of European natural gas has reached its highest level this year. The leading futures contract TTF for delivery next month increased by 5.7 percent to 38.78 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) in Amsterdam. Market participants are pointing to the attacks by Ukraine on the Russian region of Kursk. The fighting is reportedly taking place near Sudza, a key entry point for natural gas that flows through Ukrainian pipelines to Western Europe. As reported by the news agency Bloomberg, the Gazprom company is currently still reporting normal gas supplies.
19:08 Ukraine Evacuates Border Areas with Russian KurskAmidst heavy fighting in the Russian region of Kursk, Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of more settlements in the neighboring region of Sumy. The measures affect 23 settlements, according to the military governor of Sumy, Volodymyr Artjuch, on Ukrainian television. Around 6,000 people, including over 400 children and teenagers, are to be moved to safety from the border region. The day before, Ukrainian troops had made a push across the Ukrainian-Russian border towards the city of Sudscha in the Kursk region, advancing several kilometers into Russian territory. Moscow spoke of around 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers equipped with heavy machinery. Kyiv has not yet commented on the events. Due to regular Russian shelling of border areas, local authorities had already ordered evacuations from a ten-kilometer-wide area near the border in May.
You can read all previous developments [here].
In response to the attack on Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Force issued an air alert across the country due to a missile threat from a Russian MiG-31K. This escalation comes as Ukrainian forces have reportedly advanced up to 10 kilometers into the Russian region of Kursk, according to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War.
