11:37 Military blogger: Russia loses "important logistics hub" to Ukraine
Russian City of Sushcha in Kursk Region Reportedly Captured by Ukrainians
According to pro-Russian military blogger of Ukrainian origin, Yuri Podolyaka, on his Telegram channel, the Russian city of Sushcha in the Kursk region has been taken by Ukrainian forces. The town is nine kilometers from the Ukrainian border. According to Podolyaka, the city is full of Ukrainian military personnel. "Sushcha is basically lost for us. It's a significant logistics hub," he writes further. Ukrainian forces are reportedly advancing north towards Lgov. "In general, the situation is difficult and deteriorating, although the pace of the Ukrainian offensive has noticeably slowed down."
11:04 AM Munz: Kursk Incursion 'Completely Surprised' Moscow
Initially, the situation remains unclear, but it is later confirmed: Ukrainian fighters attack on Russian territory. The push in the Kursk region has "completely surprised" Moscow, reports ntv correspondent Rainer Munz. However, there may be more to the attack than just a diversionary maneuver.
10:18 AM Kriewald on New Offensive: "Ukrainians Advance 15 Kilometers into Kursk Region"
The Ukrainian army's advance in the Russian Kursk region has thrown Moscow into disarray. Ukrainian soldiers are reported to have advanced up to 15 kilometers, with reports of dozens of prisoners of war. ntv reporter Nadja Kriewald reports from Odessa on the background.
09:45 AM UN: Russians Torture 95% of Ukrainian POWs
Employees of Russian penal colonies are said to torture Ukrainian prisoners of war from the first interrogations. Furthermore, the practice of torture in Russian captivity is "widespread and systematic," explains Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), in an interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS. She says that the Russian Federation tortured 95 percent 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," she says. Information about Ukrainian prisoners in Russia is mainly collected through interviews with Ukrainian prisoners after their release. Simultaneously, the UN mission has direct access to Russian prisoners and can assess the prison conditions.
08:49 AM Estonia Introduces Enhanced Customs Controls at Russian Border
Estonia has introduced 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. From August 8, all persons crossing the border to Russia, as well as all cargo, will be subject to control. According to Prime Minister Kristen Michal, the tightening is aimed at preventing the transit and transport of EU-sanctioned goods through Estonia and strengthening 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 casualty figures for Russian troops in Ukraine. According to the data, Russia has lost approximately 587,510 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, with 1,140 losses in the past 24 hours. Reports from Kyiv also indicate the destruction of two tanks, 36 artillery systems, 81 drones, and one helicopter. Since the start of the large-scale offensive, Russia has reportedly lost a total of 8,431 tanks, 16,487 artillery systems, 366 aircraft, 327 helicopters, 13,293 drones, 28 ships, and one submarine. Western estimates suggest lower casualty figures, but these are likely minimums.
07:32 Medvedev threatens escalation of Russian invasion in UkraineDmitri Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council and former president, has threatened to escalate the Russian invasion of Ukraine in response to Ukrainian advances in the Russian border region of Kursk. Medvedev stated that the Russian military operation should no longer be limited to securing territories in Ukraine that Russia considers its own. Instead, he suggested that military forces should push towards the cities of Odessa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, and beyond. The advance will only stop when Russia deems it advantageous. Ukrainian troops have reportedly made significant advances into Russian territory in the region, with intense fighting reported. The region has been placed under a state of emergency.
07:05 Russia destroys 14 Ukrainian aerial objects over Kursk and BelgorodRussian air defense forces have destroyed 14 unmanned Ukrainian aerial objects over the Belgorod and Kursk regions, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense on Telegram. Six drones and five missiles were shot down over the Kursk region, according to regional governor Alexei Smirnov. 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, 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 attributed to a missile threat from a Russian MiG-31K aircraft. The MiG-31K is a Soviet-era interceptor aircraft named after the Mikoyan-Gurevich aircraft manufacturer. It is capable of carrying hypersonic missiles such as the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal.
05:32 ISW: Ukrainian armored vehicles ten kilometers inside Russian border in Kursk
According to an assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian troops have now advanced up to ten kilometers into the Russian region of Kursk. This was confirmed by footage of armored vehicles behind the border. Ukrainian forces are said to have breached at least two Russian defensive lines and a fortress. According to a Russian source, the Ukrainians have captured 45 square kilometers in the Kursk region since the start of the operation on August 6, the ISW reports. Russian authorities had declared a state of emergency over the region yesterday.
02:30 Ukraine raises threshold for prison sentence in petty theft
President Selenskyj has signed a new law that reclassifies petty theft as an administrative offense rather than a crime. The new law sets the threshold for petty theft at around 67 euros, up from the previous limit of around 6.7 euros. The change is aimed at preventing lengthy prison sentences for minor thefts under the current martial law, which imposes up to eight years in prison for looting and theft. An example given in the draft law is a case of stealing diapers from a supermarket in the western Ukrainian city of Rivne in January 2023, worth around eight euros. The thief in this case received a prison sentence of over three years, but would not face such a penalty under the new law.
00:27 Klingbeil: Stationing of US missiles in Germany is right
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil has defended plans to station long-range US weapons in Germany, despite criticism from within his own party. "This stationing is right because it helps us to defend ourselves if Russia were to attack," he told the German editorial network. He described it as part of a credible deterrent. At the NATO summit in July, the White House and the German government announced plans for the US to station weapons systems in Germany from 2026, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles, and new hypersonic weapons. Some SPD members, including parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich, have expressed concerns about the risk of military escalation.
22:38 Human rights activist Orlov to fight for Russian prisoners
Oleg 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 Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization he co-founded, advocates for political prisoners in Russia. Orlov estimates that at least 800 political prisoners are still being held in Russia - a conservative estimate. He finds his new role in exile in Germany challenging, but fears prosecution if he returns to Russia. Orlov hopes to use his exile to advocate for the release of more political prisoners, including eight who are seriously ill. "We were very disappointed when we found out that these people were not on the list - those of us who were exchanged," he said. Memorial continues to work in Russia, despite repression, and also from abroad.
21:30 Not Dead Yet? Known Russian Propagandist InjuredRussian propagandist Eugenio Poddubny is injured in the Kursk region. State TV channel VGTRK reports on Telegram that Poddubny was injured in an attack by a Ukrainian drone in the Kursk region and was hospitalized. Earlier, numerous Russian media outlets had reported Poddubny's death. Eugenio Poddubny is one of Russia's most famous "war correspondents," with around 734,000 followers on Telegram. Preliminary information suggests he was filming a report on Wednesday about the fighting in the Kursk region.
20:41 Emergency Declared in Region KurskAn emergency has been declared in the Russian region of Kursk amid a Ukrainian ground offensive, the region's governor, Alexei Smirnov, announced on Telegram. Ukraine has advanced deep into Russian territory near Kursk in a counterattack. The offensive began on Tuesday, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, and reached the northwest of the city of Sudzha on Wednesday.
20:14 Fighting Nearby: Russia Reinforces Nuclear Power Plant ProtectionDue to Ukraine's advance into the Russian border region of Kursk, Russia's National Guard is reinforcing the protection of the Kursk nuclear power plant. Additional forces have also been deployed to combat sabotage and reconnaissance units in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, the agency said. This is being done in cooperation with Russian border troops and the army. The nuclear power plant, with four units and a capacity of nearly 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 near Sudzha. Unconfirmed reports suggest they advanced up to 15 kilometers towards the NPP.
19:38 Attacks in Region Kursk: 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 (MWh) in Amsterdam. Market participants are pointing to Ukraine's attacks on the Russian region of Kursk. The fighting is reportedly taking place near Sudzha, an important gas injection point for pipelines to Western Europe. Gazprom is currently reporting normal gas supplies.
19:08 Ukraine Evacuates Border Areas with Russian KurskAmid heavy fighting in the Russian Kursk region, Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of more settlements in the neighboring Sumy region. The measures affect 23 settlements, according to the military governor of Sumy, Vladimir Artjuch, on Ukrainian television. Around 6,000 people, including over 400 children and adolescents, are to be taken to safety from the border area. The day before, Ukrainian troops crossed the Ukrainian-Russian border near the city of Sudzha in the Kursk region and advanced several kilometers into Russian territory. Moscow reported around 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers equipped with heavy weapons. Kyiv has not yet commented on the events. Earlier, local authorities had ordered evacuations from an area within 10 kilometers of the border due to regular Russian shelling of border areas.
You can read about previous developments here.
The attack on Ukrainian territory in the Kursk region has resulted in a significant advance by Ukrainian forces. According to reports, Ukrainian troops have taken control of the Russian city of Sushcha and are advancing north towards Lgov, causing surprise and concern in Moscow. The attack on Ukraine by Russian forces continues to be met with international criticism and calls for peace.
