08:49 Estonia introduces stricter customs controls at the border with Russia
06:41 Estonia Implements Full Customs Controls at Its Eastern EU Border with Russia
The Estonian government decided on this measure at the beginning of August. Starting August 8, all individuals crossing the border to Russia, as well as all cargo, will be subject to inspection. The controls will be gradually introduced at the road and rail border crossings in Narva, Koidula, and Luhamaa. Previously, passenger and vehicle checks were random and risk-based. Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated that the tightening of controls aims to prevent the transit and transport of EU-sanctioned goods through Estonia and to strengthen the country's security. The border between Russia and Estonia is 294 kilometers long.
08:11 Ukraine Reports Russian Casualties
The Ukrainian General Staff has published new casualty figures for Russian troops in Ukraine. According to the report, Russia has lost approximately 587,510 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, including 1,140 in the past 24 hours. The report from Kyiv also states that two tanks, 36 artillery systems, 81 drones, and one helicopter have been 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 invasion. Western estimates suggest lower casualty figures, but these are likely to be minimum values.
07:32 Medvedev Threatens Escalation of Russian Invasion in Ukraine
Dmitri Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, has threatened to escalate the invasion in Ukraine following Ukrainian advances into the Russian border region of Kursk. The former president stated that the Russian military operation should no longer be limited to securing territories in Ukraine that Russia considers its own. Instead, he called for military forces to push towards the cities of Odessa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, and beyond. The offensive will only stop when Russia deems it advantageous. Russian reports claim that Ukrainian troops have advanced deep into Russian territory in the region, resulting in fierce fighting. The region has been placed under a state of emergency.
07:05 Russia: 14 Ukrainian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Destroyed Over Kursk and Belgorod
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Telegram that the Russian air defense forces had destroyed 14 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the Belgorod and Kursk regions. The governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, reported that six drones and five more missiles were shot down over the Kursk region. Early on the morning of August 6, Ukrainian forces attacked the border areas of the Kursk region. According to the latest reports from the Russian General Staff, clashes continue in the border areas. The state of emergency has been declared in Kursk, and residents are being evacuated (see entries at 19:08, 19:38, and 20:41).
06:25 Ukraine Declares Air Raid Due to Russian MiG-31K AttackThe Ukrainian Air Force has declared an air raid across the entire country. The Ukrainian Air Force attributes the air attack warning to a rocket threat from a Russian MiG-31K. This aircraft type is an interceptor that dates back to the Soviet era and is named after the aircraft manufacturer Mikoyan-Gurevich. The MiG-31K is capable of carrying hypersonic missiles like the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal.
05:32 ISW: Ukrainian Armored Vehicles 10 Kilometers Inside Russian Border in KurskAccording to an assessment 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 reports. Russian authorities declared a state of emergency in the region yesterday.
02:30 Ukraine Raises Threshold for Prison Sentence in Petty Theft CasesIn Ukraine, thefts of minor value will no longer result in a prison sentence. President Zelenskyy has signed a corresponding law amendment, which classifies thefts of up to around 67 euros as administrative offenses punishable by fines. Previously, the maximum value for petty theft was around 6.7 euros. The background for this is the martial law in place since the Russian invasion, which provides for up to eight years in prison for looting and theft. An example given in the bill was a theft of diapers in a supermarket in the western Ukrainian city of Rivne in January 2023, worth around 8 euros. In this case, no prison sentence will be imposed in the future. However, the perpetrator in this case still received a prison sentence of over three years.
00:27 Klingbeil: Deployment 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 deployment is right because it helps us to defend ourselves if Russia should get the idea of attacking us," Klingbeil told the German editorial network. 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 that reach far into Russian territory. Named were Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles, and new hypersonic weapons. There are critical voices within the SPD, with the parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich warning of the risk of military escalation.
22:38 Human Rights Activist Orlow Vows to Fight for Russian Prisoners
Oleg Orlow, the Moscow human rights activist freed in a prisoner exchange between Russia and Western states, 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. Memorial, the human rights organization he co-founded and which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, advocates for political prisoners in Russia. Orlow estimates that at least 800 political prisoners are currently incarcerated in Russia - a conservative estimate. He finds his new role in exile in Germany challenging, as he told reporters. He would prefer to be in his homeland but fears prosecution. Orlow now hopes to use his exile to advocate for the release of more political prisoners, including eight who are critically ill. "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 operate in Russia despite repression, and also from abroad.
21:30 Is He Not Dead? Known Russian Propagandist Injured
Russian propagandist Yevgeny Poddubny was injured in the Kursk region, the state television company VGTRK reported on Telegram. Poddubny was injured in an attack by a Ukrainian drone and was hospitalized, the company said. Earlier, numerous 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 information suggests he was filming a report about the fighting in the Kursk region on Wednesday.
20:41 Emergency Declared in Kursk Region
An emergency has been declared in the Russian Kursk region amid a Ukrainian ground offensive, Governor Alexei Smirnov announced on Telegram. Ukraine has advanced deep into Russian territory near Kursk in a counterattack, reaching the northwest of the city of Sudzha, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
20:14 Fighting Nearby: Russia Bolsters Nuclear Power Plant Protection
Due to Ukraine's advance into the Russian border region of Kursk, Russia's National Guard has bolstered security at 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 being done 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 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 risen to 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 attacks by Ukraine on the Russian region of Kursk. The fighting is reportedly taking place near Sudza, an important gas injection point that supplies natural gas to Western Europe through Ukrainian pipelines. As reported by news agency Bloomberg, the Gazprom corporation is currently still reporting normal gas supplies.
19:08 Ukraine Evacuates Border Areas with Russian KurskIn response to heavy fighting in the Russian region of Kursk, Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of more locations in the neighboring region of Sumy. The measures affect 23 settlements, according to the military governor of Sumy, Volodymyr Artjuch, in Ukrainian television. Around 6,000 people, including over 400 children and adolescents, 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 reported around 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers equipped with heavy weapons. 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-wide area along the border in May.
You can read all previous developments here.
The Estonian government's decision to implement full customs controls at its eastern border with Russia is a military strategy to prevent the transit and transport of EU-sanctioned goods and strengthen its security.
Following reports of Ukrainian advances into the Russian border region of Kursk, Russian Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitri Medvedev threatened to escalate the invasion in Ukraine.
