11:11 Weichert: People in Odessa "trying to live normal lives"
During the vicinity of Zaporizhzhia, at least seven people have died due to Russian attacks, yet the beaches of the coastal town Odessa are filled with bathing tourists. It is a much-needed respite for the Ukrainians plagued by the war, as described by NTV reporter Jürgen Weichert.
10:44 Russia: Four firefighters injured in the Donezk regionAccording to Russian reports, four firefighters were injured in the Donezk region of Ukraine due to Ukrainian attacks. They had extinguished a fire caused by a Ukrainian attack in the Petrowski district and were subsequently hit by new shelling, the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations stated.
10:08 Russia: Ukrainian forces driven back from left bank in KhersonThe fighting in the Kherson region is currently taking place on the islands, as Ukrainian troops have been driven back from the left bank of the Dnipro river, Kherson Governor Vladymyr Saldo told the Russian news agency TASS. "The fighting has shifted to the islands, and the Russian army has intensified its activities," he said. The islands and the Dnipro river in the Kherson region form a natural border at the front.
09:43 Ukraine: One dead, two injured in Russian attack on ChersonA man was killed and two people were injured in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian region of Cherson, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin on Telegram. A 67-year-old man in Odradokamyanka was reportedly killed by a drone attack. A 76-year-old woman in Kozatske was injured by artillery fire and was taken to the hospital with severe injuries. Additionally, a 63-year-old woman in Komysany was reportedly injured by Russian troops who shot up 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 remainder of 2024. "Putin's Plan A, which was to conquer 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 benefit him.
08:40 Russia: 36 Ukrainian drones shot downRussia claims to have shot down 36 Ukrainian drones in various regions across the country. 15 drones were intercepted over the Kursk border region, nine over the Lipezk region some hundreds of kilometers south of Moscow, and four each over the Voronezh and Bryansk regions, the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow reported. The governors of Lipezk and Bryansk confirmed on Telegram that there were no injuries or major damage.
07:55 Swedish Defense Minister: Russia intends to split EU and NATO
Russia has an interest in politically splitting the EU and NATO. This is what the Swedish Defense Minister, Pål Jonson, stated in an interview with the "Bild" newspaper. "I believe that those in the Kremlin and with Putin himself are aware that they would lose this war. But I believe that Russia is very interested in politically splitting us, both within the EU and in NATO", says Jonson. To maintain peace, it is best to strengthen NATO and focus on deterrence and defense. According to Jonson, this means investing more in security for Europe, especially in the military. 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 Zelensky: Death toll may rise after Russian attack on Velyka Nova Basana
Following a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Velyka Nova Basana in the Zaporizhzhia region, the death toll may still rise. According to official reports, at least seven people have died, including children. Thirty-one people have been injured in the rocket attack, the civil defense reports. "Unfortunately, the number of victims may still increase", writes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the platform X.
06:55 Ukraine: Russian troops bombard Derhachiv
Russian troops have attacked the city of Derhachiv in the Kharkiv region. This was reported by the head of the Derhachiv Military Administration, Vyacheslav Zadorenko, on Telegram. According to Zadorenko, three people have been injured. This is the largest attack on Derhachiv since 2022, during which four air bombs were dropped. Two men aged 68 and 75 and a 71-year-old woman were taken to the hospital. 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 Arms exports have increased again: Germany exports weapons for 7.5 billion Euros
Following a record year for arms exports in the previous year, arms export authorizations have increased significantly in the first half of 2024 due to further increasing arms 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. Compared to the entire first half of 2023, this represents an increase of around 30 percent. Almost two-thirds of the exports (65 percent or 4.88 billion Euros) were destined for Ukraine. This is evident from the Federal Ministry of Economics' response to a parliamentary question by Bundestag deputy Sevim Dağdelen from the Left Party (The Left).
05:41 In Wilnjansk, Ukraine: Moscow reportedly targeted a military objectiveAccording to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian shelling of the Ukrainian city of Wilnjansk in the Saporischja region resulted in at least seven deaths. Interfax news agency reported from Moscow's statement that a railway station with Iskander ballistic missiles was attacked. A military train carrying military cargo was hit, 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's Mine Clearance 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. The Kyiv Independent reports with reference to Colonel Ruslan Berehulia, head of the Environmental Safety and Mine Clearance Department. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, approximately 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land have been contaminated with explosives. The Ukraine established the Mine Clearance Corps in April 2022. Units of the Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian Armed Forces joined by 2024. These units, with 5000 specialists, are currently active in the regions of Mykolajiw, Cherson, and Charkiw.
03:53 IFO Survey: Nearly half of personnel managers use "Jobturbo"According to a survey by the Munich IFO Institute among 627 personnel managers in Germany, 48% find the "Job-Turbo" and the Skilled Workers Immigration Act unhelpful for businesses. The initiative aims to integrate Ukrainian refugees more quickly into the labor market. Other respondents acknowledge positive effects: Nearly every fourth company reports that the new regulations have made more specialists available. In addition, the respondents mention that due to mandatory language courses before job placement, they have to deal with fewer language barriers. 18% praise shorter hiring processes and the simpler recognition of diplomas. The respondents were allowed to give multiple answers. Almost half of them find that the bureaucracy in hiring foreign labor is still too high, but 17% also observe a bureaucracy reduction.
02:37 Governor: Russian region of Kursk under fire all dayAccording to the local governor, the Ukrainian forces have continued to shell the Russian border region of Kursk all day on Saturday. Governor Alexei Smirnov writes on Telegram that Ukrainian troops have repeatedly targeted eight border villages. Two people were injured. A video Smirnov posted on his Telegram channel shows a destroyed house and debris. Previously, Smirnov reported the death 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 duped the leader of the right-wing party Reform UK, Nigel Farage, during a campaign appearance. After Farage recently claimed that the West and not Russian President Vladimir Putin had provoked the war in Ukraine, activists dropped a banner with Putin's image behind him. Farage was not pleased, write the activists laconically.
00:32 Emergency services working through the rubble in Vilniansk
Emergency services are clearing the rubble of a Russian attack on the city Vilniansk in the Saporischschja region. After the search and rescue operations are completed, it is determined: Seven people were killed, including two children, and 31 people were 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 completed," the Ukrainian state emergency service shares.
21:24 Seehofer: No asylum for young Ukrainian men
Approximately 1.2 million Ukrainians have found refuge in Germany from the war in their homeland. CSU state group leader Alexander Dobrindt 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 a lack of language skills or a lack of kindergarten places. "It belongs to a humane state to provide protection." Young men who evade military service in Germany, however, should not be granted asylum, he means.
20:51 Man lights grenade in Luzk city center
A resident of the city of Chmelnyzkyj lights a grenade in the city center of Luzk and is arrested. There are no injured. This is reported by the Ukrainian domestic intelligence service SBU. The motive of the 23-year-old is still unclear.
- In the midst of the ongoing Ukraine conflict, Russia has accused Ukraine of attacking the Donezk region and injuring four firefighters.
- The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, expressed concern over the rising death toll following a Russian attack on Velyka Nova Basana in the Zaporizhzhia region.
- NATO's former secretary-general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, believes that while Russia's initial plan to conquer Ukraine has failed, they are now pursuing a strategy to create a frozen conflict and occupy Eastern Ukraine.
- The Swedish Defense Minister, Pål Jonson, has stated that Russia aims to politically split the EU and NATO, a move that could potentially destabilize the region.
- Amidst the military operations and political tensions, the cyberwar between Ukraine and Russia continues, with Russia claiming to have shot down 36 Ukrainian drones in various regions of their country.
