09:43 Ukraine: One dead and two injured after Russian attack on Kherson
At a Russian attack on the Ukrainian region of Cherson, a person was reportedly killed and two people were injured. This was announced by the governor Oleksandr Prokudin on Telegram. A 67-year-old man in Odradokamyanka was allegedly killed by a drone attack. A 76-year-old woman in Kozatske was injured by artillery fire and was admitted to the hospital with serious injuries. Additionally, a 63-year-old woman in Komysany is reported to have been injured by Russian troops who shot at a farm. There were no injuries reported in a drone attack on a residential building in Mykhailivka, the damage is currently being assessed.
09:08 Ex-NATO Chief: "Putin's Plan A has failed"
Former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen believes that the Russian war against Ukraine will continue for at least the rest of the year 2024. "Putin's Plan A, which was to conquer all of Ukraine in just a few days, has failed," Rasmussen said in an interview with ntv.de. "His Plan B is now a frozen conflict and the Russian occupation of Eastern Ukraine, in the hope that the West will weaken and give in." The upcoming Presidential elections in the USA on November 5 are a hopeful sign for Putin for changes that could help him, Rasmussen added.
08:40 Russia: 36 Ukrainian drones shot down
Russia claims to have shot down 36 Ukrainian drones in various regions in the south of the country. 15 drones were intercepted over the border region of Kursk, nine over the region of Lipezk several hundred kilometers south of Moscow, and four each over the regions of Woronesh and Brjansk, according to the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow. The governors of Lipezk and Brjansk announced on Telegram that there were no casualties or major damages.
07:55 Sweden's Defense Minister: Russia wants to split EU and NATO
Russia is interested in politically splitting the EU and NATO. This was stated by the Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson in an interview with the "Bild" newspaper. "I believe that those in the Kremlin and Putin himself are aware that they would lose this war. But I believe that Russia is very interested in politically dividing us, both within the EU and in NATO," Jonson said. To maintain peace, it is best to make NATO stronger and focus on deterrence and defense. Jonson believes that this means more responsibility for European security, especially in terms of military investments. Sweden, under the impression of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, gave up its neutrality. In March 2024, Sweden became the 32nd NATO member.
07:24 Zelenskyy: After Russian attack on Velykyi Bunar, the death toll may still rise
After a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Velykyi Bunar in the region of Zaporizhzhia, there are fatalities and injuries (see entries 00:32 and 05:41). According to official reports, at least seven people have been killed, among them children. Thirty-one other people were injured in the missile attack, according to the Civil Defense. "Unfortunately, the number of victims may still rise," wrote Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the platform X.
06:55 Ukraine: Russian troops bomb Derhachi with fighter bombers
Russian troops have attacked the city of Derhachi in the Kharkiv region. This was announced by the head of the military administration of Derhachi, Vyacheslav Zadorenko, on Telegram. According to Zadorenko, three people were injured in the attack. It was the most massive attack on Derhachi since 2022, during which four fighter bombers were dropped. Two men aged 68 and 75, and a 71-year-old woman were hospitalized. According to Zadorenko, the shelling damaged several buildings, including at least 25 residential houses, agricultural buildings, a garage cooperative, cars, and a civilian company, and partially destroyed power lines.
06:20 Exports of weapons have increased again: Germany exports weapons for 7.5 billion Euros
After a record year for arms exports in the previous year, arms export authorizations in the first half of 2024 have significantly increased due to further increasing weapons deliveries to Ukraine. From January 1 to June 18, the German government authorized the export of military goods for at least 7.48 billion Euros abroad. This represents an increase of over 30% compared to the entire first half of 2023. Almost two-thirds of the exports (65% or 4.88 billion Euros) were destined for Ukraine. This is evident from the response of the Economy Ministry to a query from Bundestag MP Sevim Dağdelen of the Left Party (Die Linke).
05:41 Dead in Vilnjansk: Moscow targeted a military objective
After the Russian shelling of the Ukrainian city of Vilnjansk in the Zaporizhzhia region with at least seven fatalities, the Russian Defense Ministry speaks of an attack on a military objective. According to Interfax news agency, a railway station with ballistic Iskander missiles was attacked near Zaporizhzhia. The Russian military leadership claims that a train loaded with military cargo was hit. On photos and videos, it can be seen that residential buildings and parked cars in the city center were hit.
04:53 Kiev's Mine Clearance Corps: 30,000 square kilometers have been cleared
Specialists from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry have cleared 30,000 square kilometers of Ukraine of mines in the past two years - an area comparable to the size of Belgium or Moldova. The Kyiv Independent reports this with reference to Colonel Ruslan Berehulia, head of the department for environmental safety and mine clearance. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, approximately 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian soil have been contaminated with explosives. The Ukraine founded the Mine Clearance Corps in April 2022. Units of the Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian armed forces joined in. These units, with 5000 specialists, are currently active in the regions of Mykolajiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv.
03:53 IFO Survey: Nearly Half of Personnel Heads Dismiss "Jobturbo" and the Skilled Labor Immigration Law as Unhelpful
According to a survey conducted by the Munich IFO Institute among 627 personnel heads in Germany, nearly half of them find the "Job-Turbo" and the Skilled Labor Immigration Act unhelpful for their companies. The initiative aims to integrate Ukrainian refugees faster into the labor market. However, some respondents acknowledge positive effects: Nearly every fourth company reports that more skilled labor is available due to the new regulations. In addition, mandatory language courses before job placement have led to fewer language barriers. Moreover, 18% of personnel heads praise shorter hiring procedures and simpler recognition of degrees. The respondents were allowed to give multiple answers. Nearly half of them find that the bureaucracy in hiring foreign labor is still too high, although 17% also observe a bureaucracy reduction.
02:37 Governor: Russian Region Kursk Shelled All Day
According to the local governor, Ukraine continued to shell the Russian border region of Kursk all day on Saturday. Governor Alexei Smirnov posted on Telegram that Ukrainian forces had repeatedly targeted eight border villages with shelling. Two people were injured in the process. A video Smirnov shared in his Telegram channel shows a destroyed house and debris. Previously, Smirnov reported the deaths of five people due to a Ukrainian drone attack early on Saturday morning.
01:29 "Putin Loves Farage": Activists Mock Farage
The British campaign group Led by Donkeys pranked Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage during a campaign appearance. After Farage recently claimed that the West, not Russian President Vladimir Putin, had provoked the war in Ukraine, the activists dropped a banner with Putin's image behind him. Farage was not amused, the activists reported laconically.
00:32 Emergency Services Clear Debris in Volnovakha
Emergency services are clearing the debris of a Russian attack on the city of Volnovakha in the Saporizhzhia region. After the completion of search and rescue operations, it was determined that seven people had been killed, including two children, and 31 people had been injured, including eight children. "The fire was extinguished simultaneously at two locations: in a two-story building and near parked cars on a 300 square meter area, as well as in two one-story buildings on a 150 square meter area. The search and rescue operations are complete," the Ukrainian state emergency services reported.
21:24 Seehofer: No accommodation for young Ukrainian men
Approximately 1.2 million Ukrainians have found refuge in Germany from the war in their homeland. CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt recently called for the expulsion of Ukrainians who do not work. "The proposal can be misunderstood," says CSU honorary chairman Horst Seehofer to the "Augsburger Allgemeine." Mothers and children from the war-torn land find it difficult to work; be it due to lacking language skills or a lack of kindergarten places. "It belongs to a humane state to grant protection." Young men who evade military service in Germany, however, should not be granted asylum, according to him.
20:51 Man lights grenade in Luzk city center
A resident of the city of Chmelnytskyi lights a grenade in the city center of Luzk and is arrested. There are no injured reported. The Ukrainian Security Service SBU reports this. The motive of the 23-year-old is still unclear.
You can read about previous developments here.
- Former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen believes that the Russian war against Ukraine will continue until at least the end of 2024, citing Putin's failed Plan A to conquer Ukraine and his shift to a strategy of a frozen conflict and Russian occupation of Eastern Ukraine.
- Russia claims to have shot down 36 Ukrainian drones in various regions in the south of the country, with 15 drones intercepted over the border region of Kursk, among other locations.
- Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson stated that Russia is interested in politically dividing the EU and NATO, believing that Russia would lose the war but seeks to split them politically.
- In response to a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Velykyi Bunar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concern that the number of victims may still rise, with at least seven people reported dead and 31 others injured.
- The Russian Defense Ministry spoke of attacking a military objective following the Russian shelling of the Ukrainian city of Vilnjansk in the Zaporizhzhia region, in which at least seven fatalities were reported.
