11:46 Klitschko: One of the most serious attacks on Kiev - death toll rises to seven
Russian attack on Ukrainian capital Kiev, according to Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko, is one of the heaviest in the over two-year-long war. "Look: It's a children's hospital", he told Reuters news agency, standing next to a heavily damaged building. The number of casualties from the massive Russian rocket attack on Kiev has risen to seven, according to local authorities.
11:24 Local authorities report ten dead and over 30 injured in attack on Kryvyj RihIn the Ukrainian city of Kryvyj Rih, local authorities report that ten people have been killed and over 30 injured in a heavy Russian rocket attack. Several impacts have been reported in the city. Damage includes the administrative building of an industrial enterprise.
11:10 Orban on war developments: "Next months will be much more brutal than we think"Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expects a significant escalation of war intensity in the coming months based on his talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Believe me: The next two, three months will be much more brutal than we think", Orban said in an interview for "Bild" and other Axel Springer Media in his office in Budapest. He referred to the influx of high-quality weapons to Ukraine and the Russians' determination. "The energy of the confrontation, the number of deaths, the number of casualties will therefore be more brutal than in the past seven months", Orban added.
10:47 Five dead in Russian air raids on Kiev - Children's hospital hitThe Russian army has attacked Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, in several waves with rockets. According to the Ukrainian military administration, five people were killed and nine more were injured in Kiev during the attacks. In the city center, there were over twenty explosions, allegedly from anti-aircraft missiles, as reported by a dpa news agency reporter. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported falling debris in four districts and numerous emergency calls. According to Klitschko and the head of the Presidential Administration, Andriy Yermak, there was also a strike on a children's hospital.
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10:40 Before NATO summit: Zelenskyy meets with Poland's leadership in WarsawUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to meet with Poland's leadership in Warsaw before the NATO summit in Washington. A lunch meeting with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is scheduled for the afternoon, according to the Polish government. Morawiecki had recently announced that he would likely sign a bilateral security agreement with Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy then meets his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in the early afternoon. Poland, an EU and NATO member, is one of the most active political and military supporters of the Russia-attacked Ukraine. It also plays a crucial role as a hub for Western military aid to Kiev.
10:18 Creative Counter-Defense: Ukrainians shoot down Russian drone with old Jak-52
Weapon deliveries from the West are delayed. Creative ways the Ukraine deals with the lack of air defense systems are demonstrated in drone hunt recordings. Ukrainian soldiers shoot down Russian drones from the sky - in an old military training aircraft.
09:54 Xi calls for ceasefire and negotiations in Ukraine
Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine followed by negotiations. This would serve the interests of all parties involved, Xi said at a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Beijing, according to state media. The situation in Ukraine must be de-escalated as much as possible. The international community must create conditions for Russia and Ukraine to engage in direct dialogue. This requires "positive energy." Exactly how this will happen and which actors will be involved, Xi did not say. Orban unexpectedly arrived in Beijing today.
09:27 Ukrainian Air Force destroys three missiles over Cherkassy and Schytomyr
The Ukrainian Air Force claims to have shot down three Russian missiles. According to their own reports, Russia had attacked with six Kh-101 type missiles. The three destroyed missiles were over the region of Cherkassy and Schytomyr. There is currently no information on possible damages.
09:10 Pistorius upset at NATO summit over insufficient defense budget
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius of the SPD expressed his displeasure over the consequences of the coalition agreement in his first public statement. "Yes, I have received significantly less than I had registered. This is frustrating for me because I cannot start certain things as quickly as Zeitgeist and the threat situation require," Pistorius said during a visit to the NATO exercise Arctic Defender 2024 in Fairbanks, Alaska. Pistorius added: "We will see what develops in the next weeks and months. I have to adapt and make the best of it."
08:41 Institutes: Sanctions barely affect Russia's war-making capabilities
Sanctions have had only a minor impact on Russia's war-making capabilities, according to a research project by four institutes, including the Munich Ifo and the IfW in Kiel, for the Federal Ministry of Economics. "The Russian economy is growing strongly due to the arms boom at the moment, but the sanctions are working long-term like a creeping poison," says Vasily Astrov, Russia expert at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies.
07:58 Media: Russia thwarts capture of strategic bomber
The Russian domestic security service FSB has reportedly thwarted preparations by Ukrainian troops to capture a strategic bomber of the Tu-22M3 type and fly it into Ukraine, according to reports by Russian news agencies. The state news agency TASS reports that Russia received tips and then attacked the Oserne airfield west of Kyiv.
07:19 Orban: China is an important force in efforts to end the war in Ukraine
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has described China as an important force in efforts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. The Hungarian news agency MTI reports that Hungary values China's peace initiative highly. Orban arrived in Beijing today, with planned talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
06:53 Four people dead in Charkiw mine explosion
Four people, including a child, have been killed in a mine explosion in the Charkiw region. The regional state administration head, Oleh Syniehubov, reported this to the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform via Telegram.
06:26 Multiple injured in Nikopol Russian attack
Multiple people, including a child, were injured in Russian attacks in the Dnipropetrowsk region. A ten-year-old boy and four women were injured in attacks on the city of Nikopol in the Dnipropetrowsk region, according to the Ukrainian newspaper "Kyiv Independent," citing the regional governor Serhiy Lysak.
05:42 Modi to visit Moscow for first time since war began
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Russia for the first time since the war began. During the official visit, discussions on Russia's invasion in Ukraine are expected to take place, according to Russian government announcements. Western observers find it interesting that Modi, who snubbed the Ukraine-initiated peace summit in Switzerland in June, is now visiting Russia. India's trade with the natural resources giant Russia has recently intensified.
04:21 Rockets heading for Kiev - danger averted
Following the launch of four strategic bombers from the Russian military airfield Olenja, Ukraine raised an alarm for the entire country. Missiles were reportedly heading for Kiev and the western city of Schytomyr. The Air Force reported that the danger had been partially mitigated, and people in the east and south were advised to remain in shelters.
02:18 Self-proclaimed "peace mission": Orban arrives in China
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has arrived in Beijing as part of his self-proclaimed "peace mission." He is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss "matters of mutual interest." Orban has already made three surprise foreign trips since Hungary took over the rotating EU presidency in early July. His visits to Ukraine and Russia sparked strong criticism from EU members. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that Orban would meet with Xi Jinping for talks.
01:43 General Inspector Breuer: Russia could turn against NATO countries by 2029
The Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, Carsten Breuer, is advocating for an increase in defense spending. According to Breuer in the "Süddeutsche Zeitung": "Russia is currently building up potential that goes far beyond what it needed for the attack war in Ukraine. The Russian military is planning an increase to 1.5 million soldiers, which is more soldiers than in the entire EU. We must be prepared." Additionally, Russia produces between 1000 and 1500 tanks every year. "If they take the five largest NATO armies in Europe, they only have half of what Russia now produces in tanks annually. We must be prepared."
00:57 Selenskyj meets Republican Mike Johnson
At the margins of the NATO summit in Washington, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will meet Republican Mike Johnson, the US House of Representatives Republican leader, on Wednesday. According to Johnson's official calendar, this is the case. Support for Ukraine is expected to be one of the main themes of the summit during this week. There are concerns about future US support for the Kiev government if Donald Trump wins the presidential elections on November 3.
22:50 Family killed by mine explosion near Kharkiv
At least four people, including a child, have been killed by an exploding mine in the Kharkiv region, according to Oleh Synyehubov, the regional governor, on Telegram. The family was in a car on an unpaved road and hit a Russian mine. The identification of the bodies is still ongoing. According to relatives, a total of six people may have been in the vehicle.
21:53 Estonia's President Karis warns against forced peace
The Estonian President Alar Karis hopes that the upcoming NATO summit will provide comprehensive support for Ukraine both during and after the war. "The alliance must send a clear message that the NATO will support Ukraine as long as it is necessary. The NATO membership of Ukraine is not negotiable, and the accession process is irreversible," says Karis on the Estonian news platform ERR. History has shown that aggressors must be held accountable and not pacified, so Karis. A forced peace is always temporary. "If the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine are not respected, this will lead to new and larger wars in the future. Russia and other aggressors will be encouraged to attack again," says the Estonian president.
21:00 New British Government to Provide Weapons Package for Ukraine
The new British Defence Minister John Healey tells Ukraine during his inaugural visit that new weapon deliveries are on the way. The package, presented in the seaport of Odessa, includes artillery guns, mine hunters, and anti-tank missile systems, in addition to large quantities of ammunition. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanks Healey for Britain's strong support. During their meeting, they also discussed the security agreement signed between Ukraine and Britain in January. The then British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak signed the treaty "for a hundred years or longer" in Kiev. According to Zelenskyy on the platform X, they also spoke about further cooperation under this agreement.
20:34 Netherlands Confirm Pledge of Patriot Missile System
Ukraine is to receive a Patriot air defense system from the Netherlands for the expansion of its protective shield. This was confirmed by the Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp and Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans during a meeting with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, as reported by the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN. The announcement that a system would be provided was made in June by the previous Dutch government in The Hague. No specific delivery date was mentioned. Previously, Veldkamp in Kiev also promised the "immediate" delivery of F-16 combat jets (see entry 19:08).
20:11 Orban: Putin Doesn't Believe in Ceasefire Without Peace Talks
Hungarian Prime Minister Orban stated that Russian President Putin told him he doesn't believe in a ceasefire agreement without peace talks. "He said he had no positive expectations [for such a ceasefire]. Zelenskyy said he had no positive expectations because the Russians would use it against Ukraine, and Putin, that the Ukrainians would use it against Russia," Orban told the Swiss "Weltwoche". Orban visited Putin in Moscow on Friday, just a few days after his meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Kiev.
19:33 Report: EU Has No Evidence of Misused Foreign Funds by Ukrainian Agency
The European Union has no evidence that the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry has misused foreign funds, EU representatives in Ukraine told "Kyiv Independent". The Ukrainian Finance Ministry accused the state agency for reconstruction and development of infrastructure in the Ukrainian online newspaper "Ekonomichna Pravda" on Friday of misusing Western funds. The Ministry claimed that the EU delegation in Ukraine was dissatisfied that the Behörde had not used the 150 million Euros provided by the European Commission.
The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, during his interview, expressed his concern about the upcoming months being more brutal than anticipated, attributing it to the influx of high-quality weapons to Ukraine and Russia's determination in the conflict. (11:10 Orban on war developments)
The Russian air raids on Kiev have reportedly resulted in a strike on a children's hospital, as stated by Mayor Vitali Klitschko and the head of the Presidential Administration, Andriy Yermak. (10:47 Five dead in Russian air raids on Kiev - Children's hospital hit)
Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with Polish leaders in Warsaw before the NATO summit in Washington, where he is expected to discuss Poland's continued support for Ukraine. (10:40 Before NATO summit: Zelenskyy meets with Poland's leadership in Warsaw)
China's President Xi Jinping called for a ceasefire in Ukraine, followed by negotiations, which he believes would serve the interests of all parties involved. (09:54 Xi calls for ceasefire and negotiations in Ukraine)
Russian attack on Ukraine has extended to its military operations, with Ukrainian forces reporting the destruction of three missiles over the Cherkassy and Schytomyr regions by the Ukrainian Air Force. (09:27 Ukrainian Air Force destroys three missiles over Cherkassy and Schytomyr)
