12:44 Ukraine accuses Russia of killing 564 children since the beginning of the war
Russia is reportedly responsible for the deaths of 564 children and injuries to at least 1,487 children since the beginning of its armed conflict in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian news agency "Ukrinform," citing the Office of the General Prosecutor. Most of the affected children are in the regions of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Cherkasy, Kiev, and Zaporizhzhia, the statement on Telegram reads.
12:24 Lindner responds to Pistorius in defense budget discussion
Finance Minister Christian Lindner defended his stance on defense spending in a heated exchange with Defense Minister Annegret Pistorius. "We have reached the two-percent target for NATO for the first time since many, many years," Linder told ARD's "Hauptstadtstudio" in an interview. "We are spending more than France and Italy. In the coming years, we will continue to provide at least two percent of our economic output for security."
Lindner then turned the tables on Pistorius: "It's not the case that everything the defense minister says is automatically justified and correct." Lindner emphasized the importance of tax revenue and efficient allocation of funds. "Mr. Pistorius has a 100-billion-euro special program for the strengthening of our armed forces, which none of his predecessors had. That's how we can work, and that's how we have to make it economically viable," Lindner added.
12:01 Putin threatens response to US missiles in Germany
In response to plans to station US long-range missiles in Germany, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation during the annual naval parade in St. Petersburg. Russia would respond "symmetrically" if the plans were implemented and would no longer feel bound by an earlier prohibition on land-based nuclear-capable missiles, Putin said. The INF Treaty, which bans these weapons, no longer applies since the US withdrawal in 2019. Putin told sailors from Russia, China, Algeria, and India in a speech that the US could trigger a missile crisis reminiscent of the Cold War. "The flight time of these missiles, which could be equipped 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 for themselves
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 state administration, Artem Lysohord. These are objects that are subject to the "nationalization process," which begins 30 days after discovery, Lysohord wrote, adding that a large portion of the land seized by the occupation authorities would be nationalized.
10:45 Explosions reported in Kharkiv, air raid alarms in several Ukrainian regions
Suspilne.media, the Ukrainian broadcasting corporation, reported two explosions in Kharkiv in the morning. Shortly afterward, 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, air raid alarms were sounded in several regions of Ukraine, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava, and Dnipro. There is no information about casualties, but the possibility of missile attacks in these regions cannot be ruled out, the report said.
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 allegedly killed five residents of the Donetsk region. Among them were three in Iwaniwka, one in Kostiantyniwka, and one in Toretsk. Furthermore, 15 people in the region were injured during the day, according to Filashkin. Since the beginning of the Russian offensive war in February 2022, the Ukrainian news agency "Ukrinform" reports that in the Donetsk region, 2110 civilians have been killed and 5515 injured. The victims in Mariupol and Wolnowacha were not considered in these numbers, 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 making an irrational fiscal policy for what the country needs," Schularick said in an interview with t-online. "Much more than that: The fiscal policy is and remains a security risk for Europe." A future special fund for the Bundeswehr should be "significantly larger than the current one with its size of 100 billion euros," the economist continued. "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 expenditures of around 3 to 3.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product to deter Putin's Russia through "Strength and Resoluteness," Schularick added.
09:15 Expert sees Donetsk as "inevitably" lost for UkraineThe Ukrainian military is currently under particular 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 "piece by piece" on the offensive, while the Ukrainians are on the retreat. The region is "inevitably" lost 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 agreement on equal terms or a surrender ceasefire, Thiele explained. In both cases, the region "is ultimately lost," Thiele added.
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 the Ukrainian General Staff's daily update on Facebook. Additionally, Russia reportedly lost: 8344 tanks, 16095 armored combat vehicles, 15936 artillery systems, 1127 multiple rocket launchers, 906 air defense systems, and 2405 missile systems. The Russian army also reportedly lost 363 combat aircraft, 326 helicopters, 12766 tactical unmanned aerial systems, 28 warships/cutters, 1 submarine, 21572 vehicles and tank trucks, and 2671 pieces of special equipment since the beginning of their offensive war.
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 areas in the east of the country is not good for Ukraine. The military is trying to prevent a Russian breakthrough, but at the cost of a retreat. Thiele fears that Ukraine will inevitably lose the region of Donetsk.
08:00 Kursk reports fire in a fuel depot under controlA Ukrainian drone attack reportedly set a fuel depot in the Kursk region on fire, according to local Russian authorities. However, the fire was quickly brought under control, Telegram regional governor Alexei Smirnov wrote. There were no injuries reported.
07:44 TASS: Russians destroy a 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 drone attack, the shrapnel reportedly penetrated the front line along the riverbank. Simultaneously, a reconnaissance drone identified as targets a 155-mm howitzer M-777 and a field artillery ammunition depot. A direct hit allegedly destroyed the ammunition depot and disabled the howitzer.
07:11 Ukrainian Minister: Olympic participation is "our victory"Sport Minister Vadym Bidny views Ukraine's Olympic participation as a powerful symbol and an opportunity to draw international attention to the situation in the country following the start of the Russian offensive war on Ukraine. "It is a symbolic act and a sign that Ukraine is a strong country with resilient people," Bidny said at the opening of the Ukrainian house in Paris. It is crucial that Russia is represented by a small team of 15 neutral athletes in Paris. Russia as a nation was excluded from the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee due to the aggression. "There is no Russian flag here. There is only the Ukrainian flag. That is our victory," Bidny said.
It is now the responsibility of the Olympic team to "bring the international community together in support of Ukraine and to speak to the people who normally do not 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 drones
The Russian air defense shoots down seven Ukrainian drones according to their own reports. 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, there are explosions in the Kursk region in Russia due to a drone attack. In an oil depot and several areas, fires have broken 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 residents of the region to "vigilance." In the region, at least two fires have broken out, 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. Residents reportedly heard "multiple strong explosions" near the oil depot at night. Previously, they had 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 refugees
CDU 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 linked to a counter-performance. That includes accepting a job."
04:49 Ukraine: Over 75 percent of wounded soldiers return to duty
According to the Ukrainian deputy defense minister Natalia Kalmykova, the percentage of soldiers who return to duty after rehabilitation in Ukraine is very high. "We have a very high percentage of high-quality rehabilitation programs and returnees to the service. This is also recognized 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 Toretsk
According 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 child
According 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 capture of another village in Ukraine
Russia has reportedly taken control of another village in eastern Ukraine. The settlement Losuwatske in the Donezk region is said to have been "liberated," according to the Russian Defense Ministry in its daily report. The settlement is located about 25 kilometers east of the city Pokrovsk, 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 industry
US 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. This came shortly after Blinken's Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba held talks with Wang in Guangzhou during his first China visit since the war began. "The minister reiterated his serious concern over China's support for Russia's defense industrial base and made it clear that the United States would continue to take appropriate measures if China did not respond to this threat to European security," Miller said.
You can read about previous developments here.**
- The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russia suffered 1180 casualties among its troops in Ukraine between February 24, 2022, and July 27, 2022, as part of the ongoing Ukraine-Conflict.
- In response to the Ukraine-Conflict, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner defended Germany's defense spending, emphasizing that they have reached the two-percent target for NATO for the first time since many years.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation against the US for plans to station US long-range missiles in Germany, stating that Russia would respond "symmetrically" if the plans were implemented.
- Russian forces have reportedly seized 514 homes from evacuated residents in the self-proclaimed "Luhansk People's Republic," as part of the military operations in the Ukraine-Conflict.
- Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, has called on the international community to impose tough sanctions on Russia, citing the ongoing cyberattacks as part of the Cyberwar aspect of the Ukraine-Conflict.
