13:20 Authorities: Eight injured due to Russian shelling of two high-rise buildings in Nikopol
At eight people, including children, were injured during the shelling of the Ukrainian city of Nikopol by Russian troops in the Dnipro region, according to RBC-Ukraine, citing the State Emergency Service (SES) of Ukraine. "Eight residents of two multi-story buildings, among them two children, were injured during the enemy shelling of Nikopol," the statement reads. The injured were taken to the hospital by emergency services and the Red Cross, the SES added.
13:01 Russia reports capture of two locations in Donetsk
Russia has captured two locations in the Donetsk region. They are Prohres and Evheniwka in the east of Ukraine, Russian news agencies reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.
12:44 Ukraine accuses Russia of killing 564 children since start of war
Russia is reported to have killed 564 children and wounded at least 1,487 since the start of its military campaign in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform, quoting the Office of the Prosecutor General. The majority of the children were affected in the regions of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Kherson, Kiev and Zaporizhzhia, the statement on Telegram reads.
12:24 Lindner counters Pistorius on defense budget discussion
Finance Minister Christian Lindner defended his stance on defense spending in a heated debate. "We have reached the two percent target for NATO for the first time since many, many years," the FDP leader said in an interview with the ARD "Hauptstadtstudio." Germany spends more than France and Italy. In the coming years, at least two percent of the economic output will continue to be allocated for security, Lindner added. "Now I have to turn the tables: It's not the case that everything the Defense Minister says is automatically justified and correct." Lindner emphasized that it's about tax money and the efficient use of funds. "Mr. Pistorius has a 100-billion-euro special program for the strengthening of the armed forces, which none of his predecessors had. That's how you can work, and that's how you have to earn," Lindner said.
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 at the large naval parade in St. Petersburg. Russia will respond "symmetrically" if the plans are implemented and will no longer feel bound by an earlier prohibition on land-based nuclear-capable intermediate-range missiles, Putin said. The INF Treaty, which bans these weapons, no longer applies since the US withdrawal in 2019. Putin spoke to sailors from Russia, China, Algeria, and India, saying 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 Authorities: Russians seize over 500 houses in Luhansk from locals
In the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic," the Russian occupiers have illegally seized 514 houses from evacuated residents in the region, according to the Ukrainian news agency "Ukrinform." The head of the regional state administration of Luhansk, Artem Lysohord, disclosed this information and referred to a Telegram message. These are objects that are subject to the "nationalization procedure," which begins 30 days after discovery, Lysohord wrote, adding that a large part of the land seized by the occupation authorities will be nationalized.
10:45 Explosions reported in Kharkiv - Air alarm declared in other Ukrainian regions
Suspilne.media, the Ukrainian broadcasting corporation, reports 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 is being determined. According to the news portal "RBC-Ukraine," air alarm has been declared in some regions of Ukraine, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava, and Dnipro. A threat from missiles cannot be ruled out in these regions, it is stated.
10:07 Governor reports 5 dead, 15 injured from Russian shelling in Donetsk region
Five civilians were killed and 15 others were injured by Russian shelling in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk on Saturday, according to regional governor Vadym Filashkin's Telegram message. Filashkin reported that the Russians had killed five residents of the region Donetsk. Among the dead were three in Iwaniwka, one in Kostiantyniwka, and one in Toretsk. Fifteen more people in the region were injured during the day, Filashkin wrote. Since the beginning of the Russian aggression war in February 2022, "Ukrinform" reports that 2110 civilians have been killed and 5515 injured in the Donetsk region. These figures 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, urges the German government to significantly increase spending on security and defense - and criticizes the coalition's budget compromise. "The German government is currently making an irrational fiscal policy for what the country needs," Schularick says in an interview with t-online. "Far from it: The fiscal policy 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."
Even with all these additional expenditures, Germany would still be spending proportionally less on 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. In total, Germany would need spending in the range of 3 to 3.5 percent of its Gross Domestic Product to deter Putin's Russia with "strength and determination," Schularick says.
09:15 Expert: Donetsk region is "definitely lost" for Ukraine, according to Thiele on ntv
Ukrainian forces are under particular pressure from Russian attacks in the Donetsk region. Military expert Ralf Thiele sees no way for Ukraine to hold the region Donetsk in the future. The Russians are "making progress inch by inch" and the Ukrainians are on the retreat. The region is "definitely lost" for Ukraine, Thiele says on ntv. "It's sad when you have to say something like that," the military expert adds. Donetsk is either on the negotiation table or on the "real table." This means either there will be a ceasefire negotiation or a surrender ceasefire, Thiele explains. In both cases, the region "will be gone in the end," he says.
08:52 Ukraine reports 1180 Russian casualties within the past 24 hours
According to Ukraine's calculations, Russia has lost approximately 574,690 soldiers in Ukraine between February 24, 2022, and July 27, 2022. Among them are 1180 fatalities or injuries reported in the past 24 hours. The Ukrainian military's General Staff announced this in its daily update on Facebook. In addition, Russia has lost: 8344 tanks, 16,095 armored combat vehicles, 15,936 artillery systems, 11,271 multiple rocket launchers, 906 air defense systems, and 2,405 missile systems since the beginning of their offensive war. The Russian army has also lost: 363 combat aircraft, 326 helicopters, 12,766 tactical unmanned aerial systems, 28 warships/cutters, 1 submarine, 21,572 vehicles and tankers, and 2,671 pieces of specialized equipment.
08:16 Thiele on the situation at the front: Ukrainians are "de facto on a step-by-step retreat"
The situation in the contested areas in the east of the country is not good for Ukraine, according to military expert Ralf Thiele. The military is trying to prevent a Russian breakthrough - but at the cost of a retreat. The military expert fears that Ukraine will lose the region Donetsk in every scenario.
08:00 Kursk reports fire in fuel depot under control
A Ukrainian drone attack set a fuel depot in the Kursk region on fire, according to local Russian authorities. The fire was quickly brought under control, writes the regional governor Alexei Smirnov on Telegram. There were no injuries reported.
07:44 TASS: Russians destroy howitzer and Ukrainian ammunition depot in the Kherson region
Russian paratrooper drones destroyed a howitzer M-777 and a Ukrainian ammunition depot for field artillery on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region, TASS reports, citing the Russian Defense Ministry. After the drones were launched, the shrapnel penetrated the front line along the riverbank. At the same time, a reconnaissance drone identified as targets a 155-mm howitzer M-777 and a field artillery ammunition depot in the United States. Through a direct hit, the ammunition depot was destroyed, and the howitzer was disabled.
07:11 Ukrainian Minister: Olympic participation is "our victory"
The Olympic participation of Ukraine, according to Sport Minister Vadym Bidny, is a strong symbol and an opportunity to draw the international community's attention to the situation in the country following the beginning of the Russian armed attack. "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 very important that Russia is represented in Paris with only a small team of 15 neutral athletes. Russia as a nation was expelled from the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee due to the armed attack. "There is no Russian flag here. There is a Ukrainian flag. That is our victory," Bidny added.
It is now the responsibility of the Olympic team to unite the international community and 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 downing of Ukrainian drones
The Russian air defense shoots down seven Ukrainian drones, according to their own statements. Five were over the Belgorod region and two over the Kursk region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Telegram.
06:36 Governor: Oil depot in Kursk on fire after drone attackIn the night, explosions occurred in the Kursk region of Russia due to a drone attack. In an oil depot and several areas, fires broke out, Kursk region governor Alexei Smirnov reported on Telegram and the Baza channel. The air defense forces are "on alert," the Russian official wrote, and called on the region's residents to "be vigilant." At least two fires had broken out, one in the Medvenka district and one in the Kursk district, he said. An oil depot in the village of Polyova was reported to be on fire by the Shot channel on Telegram. Residents reportedly heard "several strong explosions" near the oil depot at night. Before the explosions, they heard the characteristic sound of a drone flying overhead. After the explosions, witnesses reported seeing heavy smoke in the sky. Additionally, an explosion occurred in the town of Sudzha, a house in the Medva district was on fire, the report said.
05:41 Linnemann raises question of social benefits for Ukrainian refugees in Germany
CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann raised the question of social benefits for Ukrainian women and men in an interview with Funke media. "We need to discuss why more than 50 percent of Ukrainians work in many European countries, but only 25 percent in Germany," he said. There are clearly no incentives for quick employment." The Ukrainians also defended the freedoms of the Germans. "But if there is a performance, it is linked to a counter-performance. That includes taking up employment."
04:49 Ukraine: Over 75 percent of wounded soldiers return to duty
In Ukraine, the proportion of soldiers who return to duty after rehabilitation, according to Deputy Defense Minister Natalia Kalmykova, is reportedly very high. "We have a very high percentage of high-quality rehabilitation programs and returnees to duty. This is also acknowledged by our Western partners," she said, according to the Interfax news agency. Kalmykova spoke of over 75 percent of the wounded.
03:13 ISW: Ukrainians regain positions near Toretsk, north of DonetskAccording to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian forces have reportedly retaken positions near Toretsk, north of Donetsk. Geolocated footage shows this. The Russian side is said to have continued their offensive operations in the area.
01:08 Ukraine reports several deaths from 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 Cherson, there were three deaths. In the northeastern border region of Sumy, a 14-year-old boy was killed and 12 others were injured in a rocket attack on the town of Hluchiw. In the region of Kharkiv, a man was killed by Russian fire in a residential building.
23:46 Russia reports capture of another village in UkraineRussia claims to have captured another village in eastern Ukraine. The village of Losuwatske in the Donezk region is "liberated," according to the Russian Defense Ministry in its daily report. It is located about 25 kilometers east of the city of Pokrovsk in the area where the Russian army has advanced relatively quickly in recent months. Ukraine confirms the capture.
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. This was reported by the Ukrainian newspaper "Kyiv Independent" quoting Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State. Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Laos, shortly after his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba held talks with him in Guangzhou during his first visit to China since the outbreak of the war. "The Minister reaffirmed his serious concern over China's support for the PRC's defense industrial base and made it clear that the United States would continue to take appropriate measures if the PRC did not address this threat to European security," Miller said.
You can read about previous developments here.**
1. In response to Ukraine's claims of Russian aggression, NATO has labeled the situation a "cyberwar", highlighting the increasing use of digital attacks in modern conflicts.
2. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President, has insisted on NATO's assistance in combating Russia's cyberwarfare, citing the need for robust defensive measures to protect critical infrastructure.
3. The Russian attack on Ukraine has also extended into the political sphere, with accusations of Russian interference in Ukrainian elections and attempts to sway public opinion.
4. The EU and several Western nations, including the US, have imposed sanctions on Russia in response to the military conflict and cyber attacks, aiming to isolate the Russian economy and deter further aggression.
5. Despite sanctions and international condemnation, Russia continues its military operations in Ukraine, with reports of further attacks on Ukrainian cities such as Kharkiv and Donetsk.
