08:11 Ukraine releases figures on Russian losses
Ukrainian General Staff publishes new casualty figures for Russian troops in Ukraine. According to them, Russia has lost around 587,510 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022. In the past 24 hours alone, the number of losses was 1,140. According to a report from Kyiv, two tanks, 36 artillery systems, 81 drones, and one helicopter were also destroyed. In total, Russia has lost 8,431 tanks, 16,487 artillery systems, 366 aircraft, 327 helicopters, 13,293 drones, 28 ships, and one submarine since the start of the large-scale attack. Western estimates put the losses lower - but these are likely minimums.
07:32 Medvedev threatens escalation of Russian invasion in UkraineDmitri Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, has threatened to escalate the Russian invasion of Ukraine in response to Ukrainian advances into the Russian border region of Kursk. The Russian military operation should no longer be limited to securing the territories in Ukraine that Russia considers its own, says the former president. Instead, the armed forces should advance towards the cities of Odessa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, and beyond. The advance will only stop when Russia deems it advantageous. According to Russian reports, Ukrainian troops have advanced deep into Russian territory in the region during a counterattack. There were intense clashes. The state of emergency has been declared in the region.
07:05 Russia: 14 Ukrainian aerial objects destroyed over Kursk and BelgorodRussian air defense forces destroyed 14 unmanned Ukrainian aerial objects over the Belgorod region and two over the Kursk region overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram. Air defense systems shot down six drones and five more missiles over the Kursk region, the region's governor, Alexei Smirnov, said. In the early morning of August 6, Ukrainian forces attacked the border areas of the Kursk region. According to the latest reports from the Russian General Staff, there are still clashes in the border areas. The state of emergency has been declared in Kursk (see entries 19:08, 19:38, and 20:41), and residents are being evacuated.
06:25 Ukraine declares air alert due to Russian MiG-31K attackThe Ukrainian Air Force has declared 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. This aircraft type is an interceptor that dates back to the Soviet era and is named after the Mikoyan-Gurevich aircraft manufacturer. The MiG-31K can carry hypersonic missiles like the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal.
05:32 ISW: Ukrainian armored vehicles ten kilometers behind Russian border in KurskAccording to an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian troops have advanced up to ten 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 defense 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 in petty theft casesIn Ukraine, prison sentences will no longer be imposed for petty theft. President Selenskyj has signed a new law that classifies thefts of up to around 67 euros as administrative offenses, punishable by fines. Previously, the threshold for petty theft was around 6.7 euros. This change is due to the martial law in effect since the Russian invasion, which previously carried prison sentences of up to eight years for looting and theft. An example cited in the draft law was a theft of diapers from a supermarket in the western Ukrainian city of Rivne in January 2023, worth around 8 euros, which would no longer result in a prison sentence. However, the perpetrator in this case had still received a prison sentence of over three years.
00:27 Klingbeil: Stationing of US missiles in Germany is correctSPD leader Lars Klingbeil has defended plans to station long-range US weapons in Germany against criticism from within his own party. "This stationing is right because it helps us to defend ourselves if Russia were to consider attacking us," Klingbeil told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. It is part of credible deterrence. At the NATO summit in July, the White House and the German government announced that the US would again station weapons systems in Germany from 2026, with a range that extends far into Russia. These include Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles, and new hypersonic weapons. There are critical voices within the SPD, with parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich warning of the risk of military escalation.
22:38 Human rights activist Orlow wants to fight for Russian prisonersOleg Orlow, the Moscow human rights activist released in a prisoner exchange between Russia and Western states, wants 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 Memorial, which he co-founded and which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, also advocates for political prisoners in Russia. Orlow estimates that at least 800 political prisoners are still incarcerated in Russia - conservatively estimated. His new role in exile in Germany is difficult for him, as Orlow recounted. He would prefer to be in his homeland, but fears prosecution. Orlow now hopes to be able to advocate for the release of more political prisoners in exile, including eight who are seriously ill. "We were very disappointed when it turned out that these people were not on the list - we who were exchanged." Despite repression, Memorial continues to work in Russia, but also from abroad.
21:30 Famous Russian propagandist injured, not deadThe famous Russian propagandist Yevgeny Poddubny has been injured in the Kursk region. The state television company VGTRK reported on Telegram that Poddubny had been injured in an attack by a Ukrainian drone in the Kursk region and was taken to hospital. Earlier, numerous Russian media had reported Poddubny's death in agreement. Yevgeny Poddubny is one of the most famous Russian "war correspondents". His Telegram channel has around 734,000 followers. Preliminary information suggests that he was filming a report about the fighting in the Kursk region on Wednesday.
20:41 Region Kursk Declares State of EmergencyIn the Russian region of Kursk, a state of emergency has been declared amidst a Ukrainian ground offensive. Governor Alexei Smirnov announced this on Telegram. The Ukraine has advanced deep into Russian territory near Kursk in a counterattack. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the offensive began on Tuesday and reached the northwest of the city of Sudzha on Wednesday.
20:14 Fighting Nearby: Russia Reinforces Protection of Kursk NPPDue to the Ukrainian advance into the Russian border region of Kursk, the Russian 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 almost two gigawatts, is located about 60 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The day before, Ukrainian troops supported by tanks and artillery crossed the Russian border from the Sumy region at Sudzha. Unconfirmed reports suggest they advanced up to 15 kilometers towards the NPP.
19:38 Attacks in Kursk Region: European Gas Price Hits Yearly HighThe price of European natural gas has risen to its highest level this year. The benchmark TTF contract for delivery next month rose by 5.7 percent to 38.78 euros per megawatt hour in Amsterdam. Market participants are pointing to the Ukrainian attacks on the Russian region of Kursk. The fighting is reportedly taking place near Sudzha, an important gas injection point for pipelines to Western Europe. Gazprom is currently reporting normal gas supplies.
19:08 Ukraine Evacuates Border Areas Near Russian KurskGiven the heavy fighting in the Russian Kursk region, Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of more settlements in the neighboring Sumy region. The measures affect 23 settlements, said the military governor of Sumy, Vladimir Artjuch, on Ukrainian television. Around 6,000 people, including over 400 children and adolescents, are to be moved to safety from the border area. The day before, Ukrainian troops crossed the Ukrainian-Russian border towards the city of Sudzha in the Kursk region and advanced 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 10-kilometer zone along the border in May.
You can read all previous developments here.
The threat of further escalation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine was made by Dmitri Medvedev, who serves as the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, stating that the Russian military operation should not be limited to securing territories considered Russian own, but should advance towards several Ukrainian cities. The Military has been active in various regions of Ukraine, with reports of clashes in the border areas of Kursk and intense clashes resulting in a state of emergency being declared.
