12:24 Lindner contradicted Pistorius in discussion about defense budget
Finance Minister Christian Lindner defends budget for German military:
Finance Minister Christian Lindner defended his position on military spending during a tussle over budget expenses for the German military. "We have achieved the two-percent NATO target for the first time in many, many years," the FDP chief told ARD's "Hauptstadtstudio" in an interview. "We are doing more than France and Italy." In the coming years, at least two percent of the country's economic output will continue to be allocated for security, Lindner added. "However, it's not the case that everything the Defense Minister says is automatically justified and correct," Lindner emphasized. He focused on budget funds and the efficiency of their distribution. "Mr. Pistorius has a 100-billion-euro special program for the enhancement of our armed forces, which none of my predecessors had," Lindner said.
12:01 Putin threatens response to US missiles in Germany
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened a reaction during the grand naval parade in St. Petersburg over plans to station US long-range missiles in Germany. Russia would respond "symmetrically" if the plans were implemented and no longer feel bound by an earlier prohibition on land-based atomic medium-range missiles. The INF Treaty banning these weapons, which the US withdrew from in 2019, no longer applies. In a speech to sailors from Russia, China, Algeria, and India, Putin warned that the US could trigger a missile crisis reminiscent of the Cold War. "The flight time of these missiles, which could be armed with nuclear warheads in the future, to targets on our territory will be approximately ten minutes," Putin said.
11:14 Russian forces seize over 500 homes in Luhansk
In the self-proclaimed "Luhansk People's Republic," Russian occupiers have illegally seized 514 homes from evacuated residents, according to the Ukrainian news agency "Ukrinform," citing a Telegram message from the head of the regional administration, Artem Lysohord. These are properties subject to the "nationalization procedure," which begins 30 days after discovery, Lysohord wrote, adding that a significant portion of the land seized by the occupation authorities would be nationalized.
10:45 Explosions reported in Kharkiv, air alarm in several Ukrainian regions
Suspilne.media, the Ukrainian broadcasting corporation, reported two explosions in Kharkiv in the morning. Shortly thereafter, the head of the regional military administration, Oleg Sinegubov, reported two missile attacks by the Russians. The type of missiles was being determined. According to RBC-Ukraine, an air alarm had been sounded in some regions of Ukraine, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava, and Dnipro. There was no information on casualties, but a missile threat could not be ruled out in these regions.
10:07 Governor reports 5 Dead and 15 Wounded through Russian shelling in the Donetsk regionAt the Russian shelling of the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk on Saturday, five civilians were killed and 15 more were injured, regional governor Vadym Filashkin reported on Telegram. The Russians reportedly killed five residents of the Donetsk region. Among the dead were three in Iwaniwka, one in Kostiantyniwka, and one in Toretsk. Furthermore, 15 more people in the region were injured during the day, according to Filashkin. Since the beginning of the Russian aggression war in February 2022, the Ukrainian news agency "Ukrinform" reports that in the Donetsk region, 2110 civilians have been killed and 5515 injured. These numbers do not include the victims in Mariupol and Volnovakha, it is stated.
09:46 IfW President: German fiscal policy is "Security Risk for Europe"The President of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), Moritz Schularick, is urging the German government to significantly increase spending for security and defense - and criticizes the coalition's budget compromise at the same time. "The German government is currently not making sensible fiscal policy for what the country needs," Schularick says in an interview with t-online. "In addition, the fiscal policy is and remains a security risk for Europe." A future special fund for the Bundeswehr must "be significantly larger than the current one with its size of 100 billion euros," the economist continues. "To close the budget gap in the next ten years, we are probably talking about a volume of 250 to 300 billion euros."
And even then, it is clear: "Even with all these additional expenditures, Germany would still be spending proportionally less for the military than countries like Poland, Norway, or the USA, which have not reduced their investments to the same extent in the past two decades," says Schularick. In total, Germany would need spending of around 3 to 3.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product to deter Putin's Russia with "strength and determination," Schularick adds.
09:15 Expert sees Donetsk as "lost cause" for UkraineThe Ukrainian forces are currently under particularly heavy pressure from Russian attacks in the Donetsk region. Military expert Ralf Thiele sees no chance for Ukraine to hold the Donetsk region in the future. The Russians are "inch by inch" on the offensive and the Ukrainians are on the retreat. The region is a "lost cause" for Ukraine, says Thiele on ntv(see also entry at 08:16). "That's unfortunately sad when you have to say that," says the military expert. Donetsk is either on the negotiation track or on the "real track." That means, either there will be a ceasefire negotiation on equal terms or a surrender ceasefire, Thiele explains. In both cases, the region "is the end of the day lost," Thiele adds.
08:52 Ukraine reports 1180 Russian casualties in the past 24 hoursRussia allegedly suffered 1180 casualties among its troops in Ukraine between February 24, 2022, and July 27, 2024, according to Ukraine's General Staff. In its daily update on Facebook, the Ukrainian military reported the following Russian losses: 8344 tanks, 16,095 armored combat vehicles, 15,936 artillery systems, 11,27 multiple rocket launchers, 906 air defense systems, and 2405 missile systems. The Russian army reportedly lost 363 combat aircraft, 326 helicopters, 12,766 tactical unmanned aerial systems, 28 warships/cutters, 1 submarine, 21,572 vehicles and tank trucks, and 2671 pieces of special equipment since the beginning of its offensive.
08:16 Thiele on the situation at the front: Ukrainians are "de facto on a gradual retreat"According to Ralf Thiele, the situation in the contested eastern regions of Ukraine is not good for the Ukrainian forces, who are trying to prevent a Russian breakthrough but doing so at the cost of a gradual retreat. Thiele, a military expert, fears that Ukraine will lose the Donetsk region altogether.
08:00 Kursk reports fire in fuel depot under controlA Ukrainian drone attack reportedly set a fuel depot in the Kursk region on fire, according to local Russian authorities. The fire was quickly brought under control, and there were no reported injuries, Telegram messages from the regional governor Alexei Smirnov stated.
07:44 TASS: Russians destroy howitzer and Ukrainian ammunition depot in the Cherson regionRussian paratrooper drones reportedly destroyed a howitzer M-777 and a Ukrainian ammunition depot for field artillery on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River in the Cherson region, according to the state Russian news agency TASS, citing the Russian Defense Ministry. After the drones' launch, the shrapnel reportedly penetrated the front line along the riverbank. Simultaneously, a reconnaissance drone identified a 155-mm howitzer M-777 and a field artillery ammunition depot as targets. A direct hit allegedly destroyed the ammunition depot and disabled the howitzer.
07:11 Ukrainian Minister: Olympic participation is "our victory"Ukrainian Sports Minister Vadym Bidyovka views Ukraine's Olympic participation as a powerful symbol and an opportunity to draw international attention to the situation in the country following the Russian offensive. "It's a symbolic act and a sign that Ukraine is a strong country with resilient people," Bidyovka said at the opening of the Ukrainian House in Paris. It's crucial that Russia is represented by a small team of 15 neutral athletes in Paris, as Russia as a nation was excluded from the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee due to the aggression. "There's no Russian flag here. There's only the Ukrainian flag. That's our victory," Bidyovka said.
The Ukrainian Olympic team's task is to "bring the international community together in support of Ukraine and to speak to the people who normally don't listen to politicians." The participation is a "strong signal that Ukraine not only survived but also has the will to win."
06:58 Russia reports shooting down seven Ukrainian dronesThe Russian air defense shoots down seven Ukrainian drones according to their own statements. Five of them were over the Belgorod region and two were over the Kursk region, the Russian Defense Ministry reports on Telegram.
06:36 Governor: Oil depot in Kursk on fire after drone attackIn the night, in the Kursk region of Russia, there were explosions due to a drone attack. In an oil depot and several areas, fires broke out, Kursk region governor Alexei Smirnov reports on Telegram and the channel Baza. The air defense forces are "on alert," the Russian official writes and urges the region's residents to "vigilance." In the region, at least two fires broke out during the drone attack, one in the Medvenka district and one in the Kursk district, it is reported. In an oil storage facility in the village of Polyova, a fire is said to have been caused, reports the channel Shot on Telegram. Local residents claim to have heard "multiple strong explosions" near the oil depot at night. Previously, they heard the characteristic sound of a drone flying over the area. After the explosions, witnesses reported seeing heavy smoke in the sky. Additionally, there was an explosion in the city of Sudzha and a house in the Medva district was on fire, it is reported.
05:41 Linnemann questions welfare payments to Ukrainian refugeesCDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann questions the welfare payments to Ukrainian women and men in an interview with Funke media. "We need to discuss why more than 50 percent of the Ukrainians work in many European countries, but only 25 percent in Germany," he says. "There are clearly no incentives for quick employment." The Ukrainians also defended the rights of the Germans. "But if there is a performance, it is accompanied by a counter-performance. That includes taking a job."
04:49 Ukraine: Over 75 percent of wounded soldiers return to dutyIn Ukraine, the proportion of soldiers who return to duty after rehabilitation, according to Deputy Defense Minister Natalia Kalmykova, is reported to be very high. "We have a very high percentage of high-quality rehabilitation programs and returnees to the service. This is also acknowledged by our Western partners," she says, according to the Interfax news agency. Kalmykova speaks of over 75 percent of the wounded.
03:13 ISW: Ukrainian forces retake positions near ToretskAccording to the Institute for War Studies (ISW), Ukrainian forces have reportedly retaken lost positions near Toretsk, north of Donetsk. This is shown in geolocated images. The Russian side is said to have continued its offensive operations in the area.
01:08 Ukraine reports several deaths after Russian shelling - including a childAccording to Ukrainian authorities, at least five civilians were killed in Russian attacks in various regions of Ukraine yesterday. In the region of Kherson, there were three deaths. In the northeastern border region of Sumy, a 14-year-old boy was killed and 12 other people were injured in a rocket attack on the small town of Hluchiv. In the region of Kharkiv, a man was killed by Russian shelling in a residential building.
23:46 Russia reports taking control of another village in UkraineRussia has reportedly taken control of another village in eastern Ukraine. The settlement Losuwatske, located in the Donezk region, has been "liberated," according to the Russian Defense Ministry in its daily report. The settlement is approximately 25 kilometers east of the city Pokrowsk, in the area where the Russian army has advanced relatively quickly in recent months. Ukraine confirms the takeover.
22:23 Blinken threatens China with "measures" over continued support for Russian defense industryUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China that the US would take "measures" if Beijing continued to support Russia's defense industry. According to the Ukrainian newspaper "Kyiv Independent," Blinken made this statement during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Laos. The meeting came shortly after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held talks with Wang during his first visit to China since the war began in Guangzhou. "The minister reaffirmed his serious concerns over China's support for the People's Republic of China's defense industrial base and made it clear that the United States would continue to take appropriate measures if the People's Republic did not address this threat to European security," Miller said.
You can read about previous developments here.**
- In response to the ongoing Ukraine-Conflict, NATO has announced increased military deployments in eastern Europe, aimed at deterring any potential attack by Russia.
- The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, recently accused Russia of conducting cyberwarfare against Ukraine, which Russia denies.
- The German Finance Minister, Christian Lindner, has defended the country's military budget, stating that Germany is now meeting its two-percent NATO spending target and is doing more than France and Italy.
- Amidst the Ukraine-Conflict, there have been calls in Germany for an increase in military spending from economists, as they believe that Germany's current spending level is a "security risk for Europe."
- In response to the Russian military presence in Ukraine, the US has announced plans to station US long-range missiles in Poland, which has triggered threats of retaliation from Russia.
