10:18 Kriwald to new offensive: "Ukrainians are pushing 15 kilometers far in the Kursk region"
09:45 UN: Russians Torture 95% of Ukrainian POWsEmployees of Russian penal colonies are already torturing Ukrainian prisoners of war during the initial interrogations. Furthermore, the practice of torture in Russian captivity is "widespread and systematic," explains Danielle Bell, the head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), in an interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS. She says that the Russian Federation has tortured 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war in their prisons. According to her, Ukrainian prisoners of war are beaten with metal rods and sticks, stripped naked, and subjected to electric shocks. "This is undoubtedly the worst I've seen in the 20 years of my career," Bell comments. Information about Ukrainian prisoners in Russia is mainly collected through interviews with Ukrainian prisoners of war after their release. Simultaneously, the UN mission has direct access to Russian prisoners of war and can assess the conditions of the detention facility.
08:49 Estonia Introduces Enhanced Customs Controls at Russian BorderEstonia is introducing full customs controls at its eastern EU external border with Russia. This decision was made by the government of the Baltic NATO state at the beginning of August. As of August 8, all persons crossing the border with Russia, as well as all cargo, will be subject to inspection. The controls at the road and railway border crossings in Narva, Koidula, and Luhamaa will be gradually introduced. Previously, inspections of passengers and vehicles were random and risk-based. With this tightening, Prime Minister Kristen Michal 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 Publishes Figures on Russian LossesThe Ukrainian General Staff has published new loss figures for Russian troops in Ukraine. According to their data, Russia has lost approximately 587,510 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, with a loss of 1,140 in the last 24 hours alone. The report from Kyiv also states that two tanks, 36 artillery systems, 81 drones, and one helicopter have been destroyed. In total, Russia is said to have lost 8,431 tanks, 16,487 artillery systems, and 366 aircraft, 327 helicopters, 13,293 drones, 28 ships, and one submarine since the start of the large-scale invasion. Western estimates put the loss figures lower - although these are only minimum values.
07:32 Medvedev Threatens Escalation of Russian Invasion in UkraineThe Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, threatens to escalate the invasion in Ukraine in response to Ukraine's advance into the Russian border region of Kursk. The Russian military operation should no longer be limited to securing territories in Ukraine that Russia considers its own, says the former president. Instead, the armed forces should push 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 in a counterattack, with fierce fighting reported. The state of emergency has been declared in the region.
07:05 Russia: 14 Ukrainian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Destroyed Over Kursk and BelgorodThe Russian air defense forces destroyed fourteen unmanned Ukrainian aerial vehicles 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 regional governor, Alexei Smirnov, said. Early on 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 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 Issues Air Alert Due to Russian MiG-31K AttackThe Ukrainian Air Force has issued an air alert across the entire country. The air attack warning is due to a missile threat from a Russian MiG-31K, a type of interceptor aircraft originally developed in the Soviet Union and named after the aircraft manufacturer Mikoyan-Gurevich. The MiG-31K can carry hypersonic missiles such as 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 is 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, Ukrainians have captured 45 square kilometers in the Kursk region since the start of the operation on August 6. Russian authorities declared a state of emergency in the region yesterday.
02:30 Ukraine Raises Threshold for Prison Sentence in Petty Theft CasesIn Ukraine, prison sentences will no longer be imposed for petty theft. President Zelensky has signed a new law that classifies thefts of up to approximately €67 as administrative offenses, punishable by fines. Previously, the threshold for petty theft was around €6.7. 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 given in the draft law was a theft of baby diapers from a supermarket in Rivne, western Ukraine, in January 2023, valued at around €8. The perpetrator in this case had received a prison sentence of over three years.
00:27 Klingbeil: Stationing of Long-Range US Weapons 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 stationing is right because it helps us to defend ourselves in case Russia decides to attack us," he 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 station weapons systems in Germany from 2026 that can reach far into Russia. These include Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles, and new hypersonic weapons. There are critical voices within the SPD, with the party's parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich warning of the risk of military escalation.
22:38 Human Rights Activist Orlov to Fight for Russian PrisonersOleg Orlov, a Moscow human rights activist released 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, also advocates for political prisoners in Russia. Orlov estimates that at least 800 political prisoners are still being held in Russia - a conservative estimate. Orlov finds his new role in exile in Germany challenging, as he would prefer to be in his homeland but fears prosecution. He hopes to use his exile to advocate for the release of more political prisoners, including eight who are seriously ill. "When it turned out that these people were not on the list, we were very disappointed - we who were exchanged." Memorial continues to work in Russia despite repression, but also from abroad.
21:30 Famous Russian Propagandist Injured, Not DeadFamous Russian propagandist Yevgeny Poddubny has been injured in the Kursk region. The state television company VGTRK reported on Telegram that Poddubny was injured in an attack by a Ukrainian drone in the Kursk region and was taken to hospital. Earlier, numerous Russian media outlets 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 he was filming a report about the fighting in the Kursk region on Wednesday.
20:41 Region Kursk Declares State of EmergencyThe state of emergency has been declared in the Russian region of Kursk amidst a Ukrainian ground offensive. Governor Alexei Smirnov announced this on Telegram. 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 Sudja 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. Additionally, extra forces have 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 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 towards Sudja. 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 Sudja, an important gas injection point for pipelines to Western Europe. Gazprom currently reports normal gas supplies.
19:08 Ukraine Evacuates Border Areas Near Russian KurskAmid heavy fighting in the Russian Kursk region, Ukrainian authorities have ordered evacuations from more areas in the neighboring Sumy region. The measures affect 23 settlements, said Sumy military governor Vladimir Artjuch on Ukrainian television. About 6,000 people, including more than 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 Sudja in the Kursk region and advanced several kilometers into Russian territory. Moscow spoke of 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 UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), led by Danielle Bell, has reported to the UN that the Russian Federation is systematically torturing 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war in their custody. The Commission of the European Parliament has expressed deep concern over these allegations and called for an immediate investigation into these human rights violations.
