10:08 Russia: Ukrainian forces expelled from the left bank in Kherson
The fights in the Cherson region are currently taking place on the islands, as Ukrainian troops have been driven back from the left bank of the Dnipro, Governor Waldymyr Saldo told Russian news agency TASS. "The fights have shifted to the islands, and the Russian army has intensified its activities," he said. The islands and the Dnipro river in the Cherson region form a natural boundary at the front.
09:43 Ukraine: One dead, two injured in Russian attack on Cherson
A man is reportedly dead and two people injured following a Russian attack on the Ukrainian region of Cherson. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin announced 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 in an artillery attack and was taken 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, but the damage is currently being assessed.
09:08 Former 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 2024. "Putin's Plan A, which was to take over all of Ukraine in a few days, has failed," Rasmussen told ntv.de in an interview. "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 presidential elections in the United States on November 5 are particularly significant for Putin in terms of potential 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 across the country. Fifteen 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 Voronezh and Bryansk, the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow reported. The governors of Lipezk and Bryansk reported on Telegram that there were no injuries or major damage.
07:55 Swedish Defense Minister: Russia wants to split EU and NATO
Russia has an interest in politically splitting the EU and NATO, according to Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson in an interview with the "Bild" newspaper. "I believe that 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 strengthen NATO and focus on deterrence and defense, Jonson added. Jonson believes that this means investing more in European security, particularly in military capabilities. Sweden, under the impression of the Russian attack on Ukraine, abandoned its neutrality and became the 32nd NATO member in March 2024.
07:24 Zelenskyy: Russian attack on Velynyansk may result in more casualties
At a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Velynyansk in the Zaporizhzhia region, the number of casualties may still increase, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on the X platform. At least seven people, including children, have been reported killed in the official reports (see entries 00:32 and 05:41). Thirty-one more people have been injured in the rocket attack, according to the Civil Defense.
06:55 Ukraine: Russian troops drop bombs on Derhachy
Russian troops have attacked the city of Derhachy in the Kharkiv region. This was announced by the head of the Derhachy Military Administration, Vyacheslav Zadorenko, on Telegram. According to Zadorenko, three people were injured in the attack. It was the most massive attack on Derhachy since 2022, during which four bombing runs were carried out. 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 buildings, agricultural buildings, a garage cooperative, cars, and a civilian enterprise, and partially destroyed power lines.
06:20 Weapons exports have risen again: Germany exports weapons for €7.5 billion
Following a record year for weapons exports in the previous year, weapons export authorizations in the first half of 2024 have significantly increased due to further rising weapons deliveries to Ukraine. According to the Federal Government's response to a parliamentary inquiry by Bundestag MP Sevim Dağdelen of the Left Party (Die Linke), the German government authorized the export of military goods for at least €7.48 billion abroad from January 1 to June 18. This represents an increase of approximately 30% compared to the entire first half of 2023. Nearly two-thirds of the exports (65% or €4.88 billion) were intended for Ukraine.
05:41 Casualties in Velynyansk: Moscow claims military target hit
Following the Russian shelling of the Ukrainian city of Velynyansk in the Zaporizhzhia region, which resulted in at least seven fatalities, the Russian Defense Ministry claims that a military target was hit. According to Interfax news agency, a railway station in Zaporizhzhia was attacked with ballistic Iskander missiles, and a train carrying military cargo was struck, according to the Russian military leadership. Photos and videos show that residential buildings and parked cars in the city center were hit.
04:53 Kyiv Minesweeping Corps: 30,000 Square Kilometers have been clearedSpecialists from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry have cleared 30,000 Square Kilometers of Ukraine from mines in the past two years - an area comparable to the size of Belgium or Moldova. This was reported by the "Kyiv Independent" with reference to Colonel Ruslan Berehulia, Head of the Environmental Safety and Demining Department. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, approximately 174,000 Square Kilometers of Ukrainian land have been contaminated with explosives. In April 2022, Ukraine established the Minesweeping Corps. Units from the Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian Armed Forces joined by 5000 specialists are currently active in the regions of Mykolajiw, Cherson, and Charkiw.
03:53 IFO Survey: Nearly Half of Personnel Managers use "Jobturbo" ineffectivelyAccording to a survey by the Munich IFO Institute among 627 personnel managers in Germany, nearly half find the "Job-Turbo" and the Skilled Workers Immigration Act unhelpful for businesses. The initiative aims to integrate Ukrainian refugees faster into the labor market. However, some respondents acknowledge positive effects: Nearly every fourth company reports that the new regulations have made more skilled labor available. In addition, the mandatory language courses before job placement have led to fewer language barriers. Every 18% of personnel managers praise shorter hiring procedures and simpler recognition of degrees. The respondents were allowed multiple answers. Almost half of them find that the bureaucracy for hiring foreign labor is still too high, although 17% also observe a bureaucracy reduction.
02:37 Governor: Russian region of Kursk under constant shelling all dayAccording to local governor Alexej Smirnow's statements on Telegram, Ukraine has continued to shell the Russian border region of Kursk all day long. Smirnow writes that Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted eight border villages with shelling. Two people were injured in the process. A video posted in Smirnow's Telegram channel shows a destroyed house and debris. Previously, Smirnow reported the death of five people due to a Ukrainian drone attack early on Saturday morning.
01:29 "Putin loves Farage": Activists mock FarageThe British activist group Led by Donkeys pranked Nigel Farage, the Chief of the Reform UK right-wing party, during a campaign appearance. After Farage recently drew attention with the claim that the West, not Russian President Vladimir Putin, had provoked the war in Ukraine, the activists lowered a banner with Putin's image behind Farage. Farage was not amused, according to the activists.
00:32 Emergency services in Vilniansk are working through the debrisEmergency services are clearing the debris of a Russian attack on the city Vilniansk in the region Zaporizhia. After the completion of search and rescue operations, it is confirmed: Seven people were killed, among them two children, and 31 people were injured, among them eight children. "The fire was extinguished simultaneously at two locations: in a two-story building and near parked cars on a surface of 300 square meters as well as in two one-story buildings on a surface of 150 square meters. The search and rescue operations are completed", the Ukrainian state emergency service announces.
21:24 Seehofer: No shelter for young Ukrainian menApproximately 1.2 million Ukrainians have found refuge in Germany from the war in their homeland. CSU state 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 provide protection." However, young men who evade military service in Germany should not be granted asylum, he means.
20:51 Man lights grenade in Luzk city centerA resident of the city of Khmelnytskyi lights a grenade in the city center of Luzk and is arrested. There are no injured reported. This is reported by the Ukrainian domestic intelligence service SBU. The motive of the 23-year-old is still unclear.
You can read about earlier developments here.
- Despite the Russian attacks in the Cherson region, Nato continues to support Ukraine militarily, providing weapons and training to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities against Russian aggression.
- The ongoing Ukraine conflict has also escalated into the digital realm, with increased reports of cyberwarfare attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure and political institutions by Russian hackers.
- President Volodymyr Selenskyy has repeatedly called on Nato and other international allies to increase their military operations against Russia and provide more support to Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
- Recognizing the threat posed by Russia's military activities in Ukraine, several NATO member countries have increased their military presence in Eastern Europe as a deterrent and to protect their own territorial integrity.
- The Ukraine conflict has resulted in a significant increase in weapons exports, with countries like Germany significantly boosting their military exports to Ukraine to support its defense against Russian aggression.
