09:44 Human rights activist: Russia is falling back to Stalinist times
Freed human rights activist Oleg Orlov, who was released from Russian detention as part of a prisoner exchange, criticizes the extent of repression in today's Russia in an interview with news agency AP. Orlov says that under Russian President Vladimir Putin, people are imprisoned for criticizing authorities, something that hasn't been seen since the time of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. "We're sliding back into Stalinist times," says the co-chair of Memorial, one of Russia's oldest and most well-known human rights organizations, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. Orlov was sentenced to two and a half years in prison by a Russian court in February for criticizing the Russian war in Ukraine in an article. His release as part of a prisoner exchange between Russia, Belarus, and several Western countries surprised him completely.
09:00 Ukraine publishes numbers on Russian lossesThe Ukrainian General Staff publishes new casualty figures for Russian troops in Ukraine. According to them, Russia has lost around 588,540 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, with a daily loss of 1,030. A report from Kyiv also states that 3 tanks, 49 artillery systems, and 2 air defense systems were destroyed. Since the start of the large-scale invasion, Russia has lost a total of 8,434 tanks, 16,536 artillery systems, 366 aircraft, 327 helicopters, 13,325 drones, 28 ships, and one submarine, according to Ukraine. Western estimates put the losses lower, although these are also likely to be minimum values.
08:19 Media: Mass fires in Rylsk in the Kursk regionStrong explosions and mass fires were reported in the city of Rylsk in the Russian Kursk region overnight, according to "The Kyiv Independent," citing reports on Russian-language Telegram channels. Residents of the village of Stepanovka reportedly heard four explosions. The cause of the explosions is unknown. The city of Rylsk is located about 35 kilometers from the Russian-Ukraine border.
07:37 Russia: State of emergency after drone attack on military airportAfter a Ukrainian drone attack on a military airport near Lipetsk, there were massive explosions. A state of emergency has been declared around the city of Lipetsk to deal with the aftermath of the explosions, the governor, Igor Artamonov, said on Telegram. Four villages around the military airport have been evacuated. Public transport in Lipetsk and the surrounding area has been stopped. Six people were injured as a result of the attacks.
06:52 Media: Explosion after Ukrainian attack on CrimeaAn explosion occurred on the Russian-occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, according to "Ukrainska Pravda," citing Telegram reports. The Russian governor of the city of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, wrote on Telegram that the forces of the Black Sea Fleet and air defense repelled an attack by Ukrainian forces on Sevastopol, destroying three drones. The Russian air defense also shot down a Ukrainian sea-targeting missile R-360 Neptune over the sea near Sevastopol. The Telegram channel "Crimeawind" reports shots and a heavy explosion in Chornomorskyi, as well as the work of the Russian air defense in the area of the Belbek airport. A black smoke column was seen rising over the airport, and there was a strong smell of fire in the coastal area of the city, according to the Telegram channel "Crimeawind," citing subscribers. There are no reports yet on possible casualties.
06:05 News: Fire at military airport in Russian region of LipetskA fire has broken out at a military airport in the Russian region of Lipetsk, according to Russian news agencies Ria Novosti and Tass. The cause of the fire is not yet known. Shortly before, the local governor announced evacuations due to a "massive" drone attack near the city of Lipetsk. The attack caused explosions and disrupted power supply, Igor Artamonov wrote on Telegram. An emergency situation has been declared in the Lipetsk district and four villages are being evacuated. Some of these villages are near an airbase outside the city. No casualties have been reported. Ukrainian authorities had not reported any attacks on the region. Lipetsk is approximately 300 kilometers away from the Ukrainian border.
05:02 Putin may not have known about Ukrainian troop buildupValery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, may have ignored intelligence warnings about Ukrainian forces gathering near the border with the Kursk Oblast, Bloomberg reports, citing a source close to the Kremlin. Ukrainian forces crossed the border into the Kursk Oblast on August 6, bringing the war onto Russian territory. According to the report, Ukrainian forces began gathering near the border two weeks before the start of their offensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin was not informed about the troop buildup.
03:21 Half of Germans fear conflict with Russia will escalate due to US missilesThe German and US governments have agreed that the US will station long-range weapon systems like Tomahawk cruise missiles in Germany from 2026, capable of reaching targets in Russia. Half of Germans expect this to further escalate the conflict with Russia, according to a Civey survey for the Funke media group. 50 percent of respondents believe this, while 38 percent do not, and 12 percent are undecided. 44 percent view the stationing positively, while 42 percent view it negatively, and 14 percent are undecided.
01:14 Minister President Kretschmer calls for reduction in military aid to UkraineSaxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer is calling for a reduction in military aid to Ukraine, given the federal budget. "We can no longer keep providing funds for weapons to Ukraine that are being used up and achieving nothing. Everything must be in proportion," the CDU politician told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. "Support yes, but we can see that we are reaching our limits." Kretschmer points to the increase in the budget in recent years. "Before the COVID-19 crisis in 2019, we had a budget volume of 344 billion euros. Now we're at 480 billion, and yet the traffic light coalition can't agree on the budget. That shows that everything is out of control."
23:35 Kiesewetter: Ukrainian Advance is Legally and Strategically JustifiedCDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter sees the latest Ukrainian military offensive on Russian territory as covered by international law. The surprise move by Ukraine is "clearly legally justified under the right to self-defense" and "militarily strategic" in nature, Kiesewetter told the "Tagesspiegel". According to the assessment of the CDU defense expert, the advance of Ukrainian troops aims to tie down Russian forces in the Kursk region and inflict significant losses on them. "This can ease pressure on other fronts because Russia has to tie down or redeploy forces to Kursk," he said.
22:30 Pentagon: Ukraine's Advance into Kursk Region Aligns with US PolicyThe incursion of Ukraine into the Russian region of Kursk is "in line with our policy," said Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh, according to the news portal "Kyiv Independent" at a press conference. When asked if Ukraine can use weapons provided by the US, Singh replied that the US "has been supporting Ukraine from the start in defending against attacks coming from the border." The Kursk region borders the Ukrainian region of Sumy over 245 kilometers, which has been subjected to daily Russian attacks since its liberation in April 2022. Ukraine is taking measures "to protect itself from attacks" and is operating "within the framework of US policy, where it can use our weapons, our systems, and our capabilities," Singh said.
Singh said it was up to Ukraine to speak about its own operations. When asked how far into Russian territory Ukraine can attack, Singh said the US "does not support long-range attacks." However, she refused to specify the exact distance. "I'm not going to draw a circular map of where they can strike and where not, but we have been very clear with the Ukrainians," she said.
22:09 MEP De Masi Calls for "Ceasefire and Negotiations as Soon as Possible"Following the advance of Ukrainian troops into Kursk, BSW MEP Fabio De Masi called for "a ceasefire and negotiations as soon as possible." Ukraine has "major difficulties defending its own territory," De Masi told the "Tagesspiegel". Advances "deep into Russian territory" only make sense "if the goal of Ukraine is to strengthen the escalation dynamic." The risks are immense, the MEP said. "Consider, for example, the Russian nuclear power plant in the region. Russia is a nuclear power and has the escalation dominance."
21:50 Authorities in the Kursk region report at least five civilian deaths
Russian forces have been battling a Ukrainian incursion across the border for the third consecutive day, according to reports from Moscow. Russian military forces and border guards are preventing Ukrainian units from advancing deeper into Kursk, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Meanwhile, the Russian army is attacking Ukrainian forces attempting to retreat from the Ukrainian border region of Sumy. The Russian Health Ministry reports that since the start of the Ukrainian incursion, 66 civilians have been injured, including nine children. Authorities in the Kursk region report at least five civilian deaths, including two paramedics. Ukraine has not yet commented on the incursion.
21:30 EU foreign policy chief Borrell: Lukashenko regime involved in illegal deportation of Ukrainian children
The Belarusian regime is complicit in Russia's war against Ukraine, according to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in Brussels. Alongside political, military, and logistical support, Belarus has contributed to the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine. Since 2021, the regime has also orchestrated migration pressure on EU external borders, according to a statement from the European External Action Service.
You can read all previous developments here.
The Ukrainian conflict continues to be a source of concern, with Oleg Orlov highlighting the repressive environment in Russia under President Vladimir Putin. Following the release of Orlov, who was imprisoned for criticizing the Russian war in Ukraine, there have been reports of daily losses of Russian troops in Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia has lost around 588,540 soldiers since February 24, 2022, with a daily loss of 1,030.
