13:43 Unidentified objects traversing Polish airspace, concluding their journey with touchdowns
During the Russian aggression on Ukraine, it appears an object breached Polish airspace and possibly landed on Polish soil. According to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), this is reported by the army's operational command. The hunt for this unidentified item, not being a rocket, continues. General Maciej Klisz, head of the armed forces' operational command, confirmed on Polsat News that this incident occurred during the significant Russian attack on Ukrainian territory on Monday. Sources from The Guardian suggest this object might be a drone.
13:21: Unverified reports of Russian missile hitting dam north of KyivIn this morning's extensive air attack on Ukraine, there are allegations of a Russian missile impacting a dam north of Kyiv. Journalist Yaroslav Trofimov from the Wall Street Journal shared a video of part of a hydropower plant in flames. Trofimov mentions that if the dam break, it could lead to countless casualties downstream. As of now, no formal statements have been made regarding the damage to the structure.
12:57: Zelenskyy labels the attack "intense"According to Ukrainian sources, Russia deployed over 100 rockets and nearly 100 drones in the most recent, substantial attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described this event as one of Russia's "most intense" attacks in a video published on Telegram. Conversely, the Russian Ministry of Defense boasts of targeting every critical infrastructure facility in Ukraine through these massive attacks on Telegram. Zelenskyy asserts that it was a "combined" attack, involving a large number of various-type rockets and around 100 Shahed drones manufactured in Iran. The Russian Ministry of Defense claims a "massive attack with high-precision long-range weapons" on "essential energy infrastructure facilities."
12:38: Kyiv advocates for Western authorization to strike Russian territoryUkraine is urging the West to grant permission to utilize weapons provided to attack Russia's interior territories. In response, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, stated on Telegram that such an action would bring an end to Russian terror more swiftly.
12:09: Kremlin spokesman deems talks with Ukraine irrelevantRussia views negotiations with Ukraine concerning a ceasefire as almost pointless. Russian presidential aide Dmitry Peskov notes that the incursion of Ukrainian forces into the Russian border region of Kursk is inacceptable. He declares that such topics are no longer relevant.
11:41: Munz: "Belarusian army is not a significant threat"Dictator Lukashenko is mobilizing tens of thousands of soldiers at the border with Ukraine, which is causing concern. However, German ntv correspondent Rainer Munz suggests this is more of a show of force rather than a real threat.
11:25: Circumstances suggest possible Russian sabotage in GeilenkirchenIntelligence reports hint at a Russian sabotage attempt utilizing a drone as the cause for the heightened security level at the NATO airbase in Geilenkirchen, near Aachen. A trusted foreign intelligence agency provided a credible tip about Russian sabotage plans against the NATO base.
11:20: Satellite Images reveal uncontrollable fire in Russian Fuel DepotCurrent satellite images from NASA's FIRMS fire and forest monitoring system show a fire in the Proletarsk fuel depot in southern Russia, which has been raging for over a week. The depot houses more than 70 individual tanks, and reports indicate that it was set ablaze by a Ukrainian drone strike on August 18. Further strikes were reported on Friday morning, prompting the declaration of a state of emergency in the Proletarsk district by regional authorities. By Wednesday, 47 firefighters had been injured as a result of the fire, according to TASS.
10:50: Polish jets intercept due to proximity of Russian attacksDue to the proximity of Russian attacks to the Polish border, the Polish military scrambled fighter jets, as reported by Polish News Agency PAP. Additional allied aircraft were also involved in the operation, as per reports. The Ukrainian air force indicated that Russian forces had temporarily deployed 11 long-range bombers Tu-95, equipped with cruise missiles. The country was simultaneously attacked from the Black Sea with hypersonic Kinzhal missiles.
10:22: Ukrainian soldier shoots down Russian Cruise Missile with Machine GunA video shared on social media by Governor Viktor Mykyta depicts Ukrainian soldiers from an air defense unit countering a Russian cruise missile with a machine gun installed on a truck in the western region of Transcarpathia. The missile was supposedly launched from the neighboring Lviv region and was destroyed by the 650th Separate Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun Battalion. The authenticity of the video was confirmed by the RTL/ntv verification team. It remains unconfirmed whether the machine gun or an air defense missile brought down the missile, but according to the “Kyiv Independent," it was an air defense missile fired by the Ukrainian armed forces, as reported by former air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat.
More than half of Ukraine's regions have been assaulted by Russia, as per Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal's early morning update. Today, a significant Russian attack hit 15 regions. The adversary utilized various types of weaponry: drones, missiles, and hypersonic missiles. There are casualties and injuries, Shmyhal detailed on Telegram. According to Ukrainian sources, energy infrastructure was targeted in four regions. Authorities in Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Rivne, and Lviv reported that their energy infrastructure was under fire. In certain areas of the capital Kyiv, electricity and water supply were disrupted, as reported by Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
09:40 ISW: Russia Moving Troops from Less Critical Sectors in Ukraine to Kursk
The Russian military is likely reassigning troops from less significant parts of the Ukrainian frontline to the Kursk region, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Leaders of the Russian 810th Marine Infantry Brigade, 155th Marine Infantry Brigade, 11th Airborne Brigade (VDV), 56th VDV Regiment (7th VDV Division), and 51st VDV Regiment (106th VDV Division) reportedly briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend regarding combat operations in Russian territories adjacent to Ukraine. The ISW's current situation report suggests this likely pertains to the Kursk region. The think tank has observed elements of the 810th Marine Infantry Brigade, 155th Marine Infantry Brigade, and 11th VDV Brigade fighting in the Kursk region, and has received indications that the Russian military leadership has recently moved elements of the 56th VDV Regiment from the Robotyne area in western Zaporizhzhia to the border region. The Russian military command is reportedly resisting operational pressure to withdraw troops from priority offensive efforts to capture Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, the experts indicate.
09:14 First Deaths Reported from Large-scale Russian Shelling
At least three people have lost their lives in Russian airstrikes, as reported by Ukrainian authorities. Deaths have been reported in Luzk in the west, Dnipro in the east, and Zaporizhzhia in the south. Luzk Mayor Ihor Polischchuk stated that a multi-family home was hit by "an enemy attack" and one person was killed. Governors from the Odessa, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions reported explosions in their regions on Telegram and urged residents to seek shelter. Earlier, Poltava region Governor Filip Pronin reported that five people were injured in an attack on an industrial facility.
Read more here.
08:50 Ukraine Braces for Possible Belarusian Troop Mobilization - "Entry Would Complicate Matters"
Ukraine is closely monitoring the relocation of Belarusian troops near their shared border. The development is larger than past ones, and Belarus's entrance into the conflict could have significant repercussions, as explained by ntv reporter Nadja Kriewald.
08:22 Explosions Echo in Multiple Ukrainian Cities - Power Outage in Kyiv
Explosions are being heard in multiple Ukrainian cities due to the large-scale Russian aerial assault (see 07:24 entry). According to "Kyiv Independent", air raid sirens sounded throughout the country around 6 AM local time. Around 8:30 AM, the first explosions were heard in Kyiv, followed by more. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reports that power is out in several districts of the capital and there are also issues with water supply on the right side of the city. Explosions have also been reported in Kharkiv, Odessa, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Kremenchuk, Dnipro, Khmelnytskyi, Kropyvnytskyi, and Kryvyi Rih.
07:53 Moscow: Reports Destroying 20 Ukrainian Drones
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Russia's air defense allegedly shot down 20 drones directed towards Russian territory from Ukraine overnight. Nine were downed over the Saratov region, three over Kursk, two each over Belgorod, Bryansk, and Tula. One drone was detected over the regions of Oryol and Ryazan.
07:24 Russia Launches Extensive Aerial Attack on Ukraine
Ukraine is currently experiencing an extensive attack, as confirmed by various reports. "Explosions in Kyiv at this moment as Ukraine is under a massive Russian missile and drone attack from land, air, and sea," reports "Kyiv Post" on X. Military analyst Nico Lange writes that Russia is simultaneously launching missiles from ships in the Black Sea and from 11 Tu-95 bombers, and is utilizing drones and ballistic missiles. "Russia's aerial assault on Ukraine is extensive." Explosions have reportedly occurred in numerous cities.
Chechen special forces "Achmat" and the 2nd Special Forces Brigade asserted the destruction of 2 armored fighting vehicles, 5 armed combat vehicles, and 1 light tank of French origin (AMR) in the Kursk region in the past day, as claimed by Russian state news agency TASS, citing General-Major Apti Alaudinow, the commander. Alaudinow also stated that a unit of automatic grenade launchers and a mortar were eliminated, and a gun was destroyed. These attacks resulted in substantial losses for the Ukrainian troops. Alaudinow further mentioned that the advance of Ukrainian troops was halted, although the enemy is trying to advance, they are failing, and they have already begun to destroy enemies in several areas and liberate some settlements.
06:41 North Korea: Kim Jong Un Demands More Kamikaze DronesNorth Korea's leader Kim Jong Un urged the development and production of more kamikaze drones as an "essential part of war preparations," according to a report by the state news agency KCNA. This statement was made during a test of domestically developed drones. Kamikaze drones are unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with explosives that are strategically aimed at enemy targets. Russia frequently uses Iranian drones of the Shahed type in Ukraine. North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military cooperation. The drone test, according to KCNA, took place on Saturday amidst escalating tensions with the neighboring country of South Korea. Photos released by KCNA depicted white flying objects with X-shaped wings targeting and exploding tank models. South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that the target models were modeled after South Korean K-2 tanks.
06:34 Ukraine: 1140 Russian Soldiers "Neutralized" in 24 HoursAccording to the Ukrainian military, 1140 Russian soldiers have been eliminated or injured in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of "neutralized" Russian military personnel since the start of the war to 608,820. These figures cannot be independently verified. In the past 24 hours, four Russian tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 47 artillery systems, one multiple rocket launcher, one air defense system, and 39 drones have been destroyed.
06:12 Kyiv Warns Minsk Against Making "Regrettable Mistakes"Ukraine is urging Belarus to withdraw its large troop contingents and military equipment from their shared border. In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minsk is advised to refrain from hostile actions and withdraw troops from the border region. Ukraine warns Belarus not to make "regrettable mistakes" under Moscow's pressure. Belarus has not yet responded. According to Ukrainian reports, those stationed at the border include Belarusian special units and former Wagner mercenaries. The equipment includes tanks, artillery, air defense systems, and engineering equipment stationed in the Gomel region on the northern border of Ukraine. The statement also notes that Ukraine has "never initiated hostile actions against the Belarusian people and will not do so in the future."
05:46 Russian Governor Reports Damage from Drone DebrisAccording to the governor of the Russian region of Saratov, several houses in the cities of Saratov and Engels have been damaged by debris from destroyed Ukrainian drones. All emergency services are on the scene. Engels is home to a strategic bomber base in Russia.
03:52 Air Defense Reports Drone Attack on KyivUkrainian reports indicate that air defense systems are active in the Kyiv region to counteract Russian drone attacks. "An enemy drone threat has been detected! Air defense systems in the region are active," the regional military administration reports via Telegram. No damage or casualties have been reported as of yet.
00:19 Zelensky Condemns Attack on Reuters TeamUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the deadly rocket attack on employees of the news agency Reuters in his evening speech. The attack on a hotel in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk resulted in one death and two injuries, Reuters reported. The victim was identified as former British soldier Ryan Evans, a 38-year-old who had been working for Reuters since 2022, providing security advice to journalists in Ukraine, Israel, and at the Olympic Games in Paris. Zelensky stated that a "typical city hotel" was destroyed by a Russian Iskander rocket. The attack was "absolutely targeted, calculated." "My condolences to the family and friends." The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has announced a preliminary investigation into the attack on the Telegram platform. The attack occurred on Saturday at 22:35 local time. Reuters could not confirm if the rocket was fired from Russia or if the hotel was deliberately targeted. No Russian statement is available.
Read all previous developments here.
14:00: Increased Tensions with Russia Over The Attack on UkraineFollowing the reported object breaching Polish airspace and potentially landing on Polish soil during the Russian aggression on Ukraine, Poland's foreign minister has called for a meeting of NATO's North Atlantic Council to discuss the incident and heightened tensions with Russia.
13:45: NATO Member Countries on High AlertIn response to the ongoing aggressive actions of Russia towards Ukraine and the potential violation of Polish airspace, several NATO member countries have increased their military readiness and patrols along their shared borders with Russia.
