13:06 Lukashenko: Objects fired from Ukraine destroyed over Belarus
12:43 Ukraine: Three Civilians Killed in Russian Attacks in Eastern UkraineAccording to Ukrainian reports, three people have been killed in Russian missile attacks in eastern Ukraine. In an attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, one person was killed, with several injured, according to the region's governor, Vadym Filaschkin, on Telegram. The missile hit a critical infrastructure building, causing significant damage. In an attack in the Kharkiv region on a private home, two people were killed, as reported by the police.
12:00 Ukraine: Major Fire in Kherson After Russian AttackDue to a Russian attack, a major fire has broken out in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, according to the Kherson Regional Administration on Telegram. The fire started on an open area outside the city of Kherson and quickly spread due to strong winds, engulfing almost the entire city. The Kherson Regional Administration reports that firefighters are battling the blaze.
11:28 Mangott on Weapon Supplies: Kretschmer "Accepts Ukraine's Loss"Ukrainian soldiers have infiltrated Russia. With this incursion into Kursk, Ukraine aims to demonstrate that Russia "cannot protect its citizens in the border regions," explains Gerhard Mangott, a political scientist. He also emphasizes that he does not believe Ukraine can sustain its presence in the region in the long term.
10:53 Video Allegedly Shows Russian Troop Strength in KurskThe Russian Ministry of Defense has published another video, supposedly showing an increase in military presence in the region. The footage shows tanks taking up combat positions to destroy Ukrainian troops. The authenticity of the footage cannot be independently verified. The ministry also reports numerous intercepted Ukrainian drone attacks in the Kursk area.
10:29 Russian Nuclear Corporation: Nuclear Power Plant Operation Normal in KurskDespite ongoing fighting, the operation of the nuclear power plant in the Russian region of Kursk is "normal," according to the operator, the Russian state-owned company Rosatom, as reported by Reuters. Earlier, the nuclear corporation had withdrawn workers from the construction site of two new nuclear reactors at the Kursk nuclear power plant (see entry 02:30) due to the advancement of Ukrainian troops in Kursk.
09:57 Ukrainian Intelligence: Magura V5 destroys Russian boat in Black SeaSoldiers of the Ukrainian intelligence service HUR attacked the Russian navy off the northwest coast of the Crimea peninsula occupied by Russia. The Ukrainian intelligence service reports that the attack took place off the coast near the settlement of Chornomorske in the west of Crimea. A sea drone of the Magura V5 type is said to have sunk a Russian patrol boat of the type KS-701 "Tunets". According to HUR, three other Russian military boats were damaged. The Ukrainian intelligence service posted a video on social media that is said to show the attack.
09:19 ISW: Russia not redeploying frontline units from eastern Ukraine to KurskThe Russian military leadership may not be redeploying its forces from the front in eastern Ukraine to the contested Russian border region of Kursk in order not to disrupt its own offensive in the east of Ukraine. This is written in the latest report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). According to ISW analysts, it would probably take additional time for these units from eastern Ukraine to arrive in the Kursk region. The Russian military leadership appears to be relying on the already stationed troops in Kursk to stop the ongoing Ukrainian advance. Furthermore, the Russian military leadership is reportedly deploying conscripts from the military intelligence service Glawnoje Raswedywatelnoje Uprawlenije (GRU) and Spetsnaz, so-called special forces, including the soldier group Wagner and the Kadyrovtsy, according to reports cited by the analysts.
08:35 Ukraine publishes figures on Russian lossesThe Ukrainian general staff has published new loss figures for Russian troops in Ukraine. According to this, Russia has lost around 589,700 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022. Alone within 24 hours, the number of losses is said to be 1,160. According to a report from Kyiv, among other things, seven tanks, 69 artillery systems, and two air defense systems were destroyed on the previous day of war. Overall, Russia is said to have lost 8,441 tanks, 16,605 artillery systems, and 366 aircraft, 327 helicopters, 13,325 drones, 28 ships, and one submarine since the beginning of the large-scale offensive, according to Ukraine. Western estimates give lower loss figures - although these are also only minimum values.
07:40 Russia: Su-34 fighter-bomber allegedly hits Ukrainian troops in Russian KurskA Russian fighter-bomber of the Su-34 type is said to have attacked and hit Ukrainian troops in the Russian border region, according to a report by the Russian defense ministry on Telegram. According to the Russian defense ministry, the air strike was carried out with an ODAB-500 bomb. The Russian troops are said to continue to repel the surprise advance of Ukraine in the Russian region of Kursk. The air strike was reportedly intended to push back the Ukrainian advance, according to the Russian defense ministry. A video showing the deployment of the fighter aircraft was published on the Telegram channel of the defense ministry.
06:48 Kyiv Accountant with Millions in Car StoppedUkrainian investigators discover over 4.7 million euros of undeclared cash in the trunk of a company accountant's car. "The woman could not explain the origin of the money," the Economic Crime Investigation Bureau in Kyiv reports. Images show investigators in front of an open trunk filled with cash bundles. The company in question had supplied food worth over 320 million euros to the Ukrainian army in 2022 and 2023, allegedly reducing its tax burden through a fictional loan. Investigations are ongoing for money laundering and tax evasion on a large scale. Those involved face up to eight years in prison.
06:10 Ukraine Evacuates 28 Villages in Sumy Border RegionUkrainian volunteers help residents and their pets leave the northern border region of Sumy. Local governor Volodymyr Artiukh reports that 28 villages in a ten-kilometer zone along the Russian border are being evacuated. According to Ukrainian police, 20,000 people must leave their homes.
05:30 Kyiv Adds "Glory to Ukraine!" to New BanknotesThe National Bank of Ukraine adds the national motto "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes!" to all Ukrainian banknotes. Central Bank chief Andrij Pyshnyj says that money is not just a measure of value and a means of payment, but also a symbol of the state that everyone holds daily. "To honor the resilience of our people and this turning point in the formation of the Ukrainian nation, we are adding our motto to all banknotes, which is heard around the world," he says. The change will honor the upcoming 33rd Independence Day on August 24, starting with 1000 (around 22.3 euros) and 500 hryvnia notes, followed by all other denominations. The motto will be placed in the top right corner of the banknotes, leaving the rest of the design unchanged. The patriotic motto "Glory to Ukraine!" dates back to the emerging Ukrainian national movement at the end of the 19th century and has a complex history, including use by Ukrainian nationalists who collaborated with the Nazis. It remained present in the Ukrainian independence movement against the Soviet Union.
04:37 Report: Russia Plans to Block WhatsAppIn its actions against internet services (see entry 22:33), Russia is reportedly planning to block WhatsApp, according to the news site "Kyiv Independent". Moscow has allegedly made preparations to block the messaging app, which could be blocked in Russia this fall, reports the independent Russian publication Verstka, citing sources at the Russian IT company VK, which is developing an application to replace WhatsApp. In July, the Kremlin-linked media outlet Gazeta.ru reported that the Russian government plans to fully block YouTube in September. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov denied these alleged plans.
04:05 USA Approve Additional Military Aid to Kyiv Worth $125 Million
The USA has pledged further military aid to Ukraine worth $125 million (around €114 million). The aid package underscores "our unwavering support for Ukraine as it continues to defend against Russian aggression," said John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, to journalists. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the aid would include interceptors for air defense systems, ammunition for rocket systems and artillery, multi-purpose radars, and anti-tank weapons, drawn from US stockpiles. The equipment would "help Ukraine protect its troops, population, and cities from Russian attacks and strengthen its capabilities across the entire front," Blinken further explained.
03:19 Russia Claims to Have Issued 2.2 Million Passports in Occupied Ukrainian Regions
Russia claims to have issued 2.2 million passports in the Ukrainian regions occupied by its invasion. Since October 2020, these have been distributed in Saporischschja, Donezk, Luhansk, and Cherson, according to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. These claims cannot be independently verified. In the past, there have been repeated reports of Russian authorities systematically coercing people to accept these passports.
02:30 IAEA Warns of Nuclear Accident at Kursk Nuclear Power Plant Due to Fighting in the Region
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warns of the risk of a nuclear accident at the Kursk nuclear power plant due to fighting in the region. "At this point, I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid a nuclear accident with potentially severe radiological consequences," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said, referring to fighting near the Kursk nuclear power plant. He is "personally in contact with the relevant authorities of both countries." The Kursk NPP is located near the city of Kursk, about 100 kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border. The state-owned Russian news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the press service of the power plant, that "everything is functioning normally" with usual radiation levels. However, residents of Kursk are currently without power. According to regional governor Alexei Smirnov, a power plant was set on fire by falling debris from intercepted Ukrainian drones.
01:55 Russia Implements Anti-Terror Measures in Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk Regions
According to Russian media reports, Russia is implementing anti-terror measures in three regions bordering Ukraine. According to a report by the RIA news agency, the measures may include the resettlement of residents, traffic restrictions in certain areas, increased security at sensitive locations, and the interception of phones and other communication means. According to local authorities and the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, these anti-terror regulations apply to the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions, the news agency reported.
00:36 Nouripour on State Leaders: Cowardice Doesn't Bring Peace in Ukraine
Green Party leader Omid Nouripour criticizes the ministers-presidents of Brandenburg, Thuringia, and Saxony for their recent statements on Ukraine policy. Dietmar Woidke, Bodo Ramelow, and Michael Kretschmer are "running away from reality," says Nouripour to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). "They act as if one can achieve peace by burying one's head in the sand. But: Cowardice doesn't bring peace." Woidke says he has good contacts with Russia and can mediate. However, "it's strange that this only occurs to him two and a half years after the start of the war and just a few weeks before the state election," says Nouripour. Ramelow demands a non-aggression pact with Russia. A pact like this, initiated by Germany 85 years ago, brought great suffering to other European countries, the Green politician adds. Kretschmer, meanwhile, acts "as if he doesn't know that only Putin can quickly end this war." Kretschmer had called for a reduction in military aid to Ukraine and advocated for diplomatic initiatives in the Ukraine conflict.
00:13 July Deadliest Month for Civilians in Ukraine Since October 2022
No month since October 2022 has seen as many Ukrainian civilians killed by Russian shelling as this July, according to the United Nations. "The high number of casualties in July continues an alarming trend since March 2024," the UN Observer Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) reports.
23:43 Construction Workers Pulled from Nuclear Power Plant Kursk
Due to the advance of Ukrainian troops in the Russian region of Kursk, workers are being pulled from the construction site of two new nuclear reactors at the Kursk nuclear power plant. The number of construction workers will be temporarily reduced, Atomstroiexport, a subsidiary of the state-owned Russian nuclear company Rosatom, reports. Other specialists continue their work as planned. The Kursk nuclear power plant in the city of Kurtschatov has often been mentioned as a possible target of the offensive on Russian territory that began on Tuesday. However, it is located about 60 kilometers from the border. The farthest reported advances of Ukrainian troops, which have not been confirmed, reached about 30 kilometers into Russia. After the announcement of the Ukrainian offensive, the Russian National Guard reportedly reinforced the protection of the power plant. Two reactors are being built to replace the two oldest, already decommissioned blocks of the plant, while two more reactors are currently in operation.
23:11 Ukraine Takes Control of Gazprom Facility in Region Kursk
According to a video published by Ukrainian media, Ukrainian soldiers have taken control of a facility of the gas company Gazprom in the Russian region of Kursk. The facility in the city of Sudscha and the city itself have been captured, Ukrainian soldiers explain in the video.
22:33 Russia Blocks Chat Service SignalIn its crackdown on foreign internet services, Russia has also blocked the encrypted chat service Signal, citing alleged legal violations. Signal is not complying with legal measures deemed necessary to combat terrorism and extremism, Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor announced in Moscow. Throughout the day, complaints from Signal users in Russia had piled up that the messaging service was unavailable. Portals like Sboj.rf, which collect reports of outages, reported around 2000 complaints. Developed in the USA, Signal is praised by its users for being a particularly secure communication channel. On Thursday, Russian users also complained about YouTube working slowly and videos being difficult to download. Russian authorities have not provided an official explanation for this. However, they have reportedly been targeting the extremely popular video service for allegedly refusing to remove extremist videos. Russia has already blocked large social networks with US ownership like X and Facebook, which can now only be accessed via protected connections (VPN). Even before the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow had made preparations for a possible internet shutdown in the country. Since the start of the war in 2022, Roskomnadzor has blocked thousands of websites that are not approved by the Russian power apparatus.
You can read all previous developments here.**
The Commission expressed concern over the safety of the Kursk nuclear power plant due to the ongoing fighting in the region, urging all parties to exercise restraint to avoid a potential nuclear accident.
In response to the major fire in Kherson, the Kherson Regional Administration, under the leadership of The Commission, mobilized firefighters to contain the blaze.
