17:00 ISW: Ukraine is advancing kilometers into Russian territory
The Ukrainian army has made significant progress in its ongoing offensive in the Russian region of Kursk since Tuesday morning, according to experts. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), based in the US, stated in a report that the advance has been "up to ten kilometers," while Russian military blogger Yuri Podolyaka claimed it was more than 25 kilometers. Ukrainian President's advisor Mykhailo Podolyak attributed the developments in western Russia to Russia's "aggression" against Ukraine. Russian reports indicate that "up to a thousand" Ukrainian soldiers, along with numerous tanks and armored vehicles, are involved in the attack. So far, at least five civilians have been killed and 31 injured. The ISW further reports that the "current extent and location of Ukrainian advances in the Kursk region suggest that Ukrainian forces have broken through at least two Russian defensive lines and a position," aiming for a crucial Russian army supply hub near the town of Sudzha, eight kilometers from the border.
16:28 Kiesewetter calls Ukrainian advance in Kursk "militarily strategic" CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter described the Ukrainian advance in Kursk as "militarily strategic." He said it could help "relieve pressure on the front at other points because Russia has to tie up or redeploy forces to Kursk." Kiesewetter told the Tagesspiegel that the Ukrainian advance is "clearly permissible under international law, in line with the right to self-defense" (see also entries from 14:45 and 15:07).
15:57 Ukraine: Two dead in Russian attack in Donetsk At least two people were killed in a Russian artillery attack on the city of Kostyantynivka in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, local authorities reported. The attack, which hit a residential area, was confirmed by regional governor Vadym Finkel on Telegram. Donetsk is a hotspot of the conflict, with the Ukrainian-controlled parts regularly targeted by Russian shelling. Russian troops are trying to advance on the strategically important logistics hub of Pokrovsk, an industrial and mining city. Four people were killed in a Russian attack in Donetsk on Wednesday.
15:36 Russia: Fighting continues after Ukrainian advance into Kursk Fighting in the border region of Kursk has continued for the third day in a row, according to Russian reports. Russian forces and border guards are reportedly preventing Ukrainian units from advancing deeper into Kursk, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Meanwhile, the Russian army is attacking Ukrainian forces attempting to retreat from the Ukrainian border region of Sumy.
15:07 Wagenknecht warns against use of German weapons in Russia: "Red line" Sahra Wagenknecht warned against the use of German weapons in the Ukrainian advance into Russian territory. "This is a highly dangerous development," she told the Funke media group. "The Federal Chancellor must call the Ukrainian President and demand that no German weapons be used in the advance onto Russian territory," the Left Party co-chair said.
16:45 Chairman of the Defense Committee: Ukraine can use German weapons in Kursk
The chairman of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag, Marcus Faber, sees no issue with Ukraine using weapons supplied by Germany in its current advance on Russian territory. "Upon delivery to Ukraine, they become Ukrainian weapons," the FDP politician told the Funke media group. This applies to "any material," including the Leopard 2 battle tank. "With Russia's attack on Ukraine, the territory of both states has become a war zone," Faber explained his position. "The use of weapons is governed by the rules of international law."
16:24 Ukraine asks Mexico to arrest Putin at Sheinbaum's inauguration
The Ukrainian embassy in Mexico has called on the Mexican government to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he attends the inauguration of elected President Claudia Sheinbaum. Sheinbaum will assume the presidency on October 1, 2024, becoming the first woman to hold this office in the Latin American country. "We trust that the Mexican government will comply with the international arrest warrant and hand over the aforementioned (Putin) to the judicial authorities of the United Nations in The Hague," the embassy said. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin on charges of war crimes, particularly the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia following Moscow's invasion in early 2022. Juan Ramon de la Fuente, who was elected as Sheinbaum's foreign minister, stated that it is "standard protocol" to invite the heads of state of all countries with which Mexico maintains diplomatic relations, including Russia, to the inauguration.
13:50 Monitoring Services: Russian Users Can No Longer Open YouTube
Users in Russia are unable to open YouTube on their computers and mobile devices. Internet monitoring services downdetector.su, Failure Detector, and sboy.rf report a major outage of the platform's availability. According to the sboy.rf service, over 15,000 complaints have been registered regarding the video-hosting service. Complaints came from people in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Saratov, Samara, Krasnodar, the occupied Crimea, and several other regions. Users reported that they could only access YouTube via virtual private networks (VPNs). Even Reuters reporters in Russia were unable to access YouTube. However, the website was still available via some mobile devices. YouTube is the last remaining Western platform in Russia that is still freely accessible, making it the last bastion of free expression in the country. According to Decoder, over 90 million users access YouTube in Russia monthly, making it the top video and streaming platform. In mid-July, Russian media reported that the Russian government planned to block YouTube in September.
13:24 EU: Ukraine leads "lawful defensive war" in Russian KurskThe EU views the advance of Ukrainian troops into the Russian territory of Kursk in the context of the right to self-defense. "We believe that Ukraine is conducting a lawful defensive war against an illegal aggression," says a spokesperson for EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell in Brussels. The right to self-defense includes the right to attack the enemy on its own territory. The EU stands fully behind Ukraine's efforts to restore its territorial integrity and sovereignty and combat illegal Russian aggression. Ukrainian troops have recently crossed the Russian border from the Sumy region at Sudzha, reportedly taking control of several villages. Russian reports suggest that around 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers are involved in the operation.
12:43 Ukraine: Dozens of Russian soldiers captured in KurskAfter the incursion of Ukrainian forces into the Russian region of Kursk, "many" Russian soldiers have been captured, according to the Ukrainian project "Khochu nayti" on Telegram. Launched in January 2024 by the Ukrainian military intelligence, this humanitarian project serves as a coordination center for Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine. It aims to help military personnel of the Russian army find their relatives. According to "Khochu nayti", among the captives are both conscripts and contract soldiers. "There is also information about the dead, whose bodies were not taken away by their comrades during the retreat," the statement says. The project published drone footage allegedly showing the capture of more than 30 Russian soldiers. Other videos on social media show dozens of Russian soldiers surrendering in the Kursk region. The total number of Russian soldiers captured since the Ukrainian offensive in the region is still unclear.
12:18 Gazprom: Gas transit running normally despite fighting in Kursk regionAccording to the Russian energy giant Gazprom, gas exports through the border region of Kursk, which is being attacked by Ukraine, are running largely normally. Today, around 37.3 million cubic meters of natural gas are expected to be transported, the company reports in Moscow. This is about 5% less than the day before, according to the state-run Russian news agency Tass. Ukrainian troops have taken at least partial control of the city of Sudzha during their incursion, which also houses a key gas pipeline measurement station en route to Western Europe. From there, the transit passes through Ukraine and on to Slovakia and Austria. In 2023, despite the ongoing war, 14.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas were transported to the European Union via this route.
11:37 Military blogger: Russia loses "important logistics hub" to UkraineThe Russian city of Sudzha in the Kursk region has reportedly been taken by Ukrainian forces, according to pro-Russian military blogger Yuri Podolyaka on his Telegram channel. The town is nine kilometers from the Ukrainian border. According to Podolyaka, the city is full of Ukrainian military personnel. "Sudzha is basically lost for us. This is an important logistics hub," he writes further. Ukrainian forces are reportedly advancing north towards Lgov. "In general, the situation is difficult and deteriorating, despite the noticeable slowdown in the pace of the Ukrainian offensive."
11:04 Munz: Kursk Raid Caught Moscow "Completely Off Guard"Initially, the situation remains unclear, but it is later confirmed: Ukrainian fighters attack on Russian territory. The incursion in the Kursk region has "completely caught Moscow off guard," reports ntv correspondent Rainer Munz. However, there may be more to the attack than just a diversionary maneuver.
10:48 Russia: Situation in Kursk After Ukrainian Incursion "Under Control"Russian forces have been engaged in combat with infiltrating Ukrainian troops in the Kursk Oblast for the third day in a row. The situation is "stable and under control," according to the vice-governor of the border region, as reported by the state-run Russian news agency RIA Novosti. Around 3000 people have been evacuated to safety. Russian troops are actively fighting against Ukrainian units in the Sudja district and pushing them back, according to the news agency Tass citing local authorities. Four people have been killed in the Ukrainian attacks. The Ukrainian military has not yet commented on the offensive in Kursk. Several pro-Russian military bloggers also write about ongoing fighting.
10:18 Kriewald on New Offensive: "Ukrainians Penetrate 15 Kilometers into Kursk Region"The Ukrainian army's advance into the Russian region of Kursk is causing a stir in Moscow. Ukrainian soldiers are said to have penetrated up to 15 kilometers. Moreover, there are reports of dozens of prisoners of war. ntv reporter Nadja Kriewald reports from Odessa about the background.
09:35 UN: Russians Torture 95% of Ukrainian POWsEmployees of Russian penal colonies are said to torture Ukrainian prisoners of war from the first interrogations. In addition, the practice of torture in Russian captivity is "widespread and systematic," according to Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), in an interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS. She says that the Russian Federation has tortured 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war in their prisons. According to her, Ukrainian prisoners of war are beaten with metal rods and sticks, stripped naked, and subjected to electric shocks. "This is undoubtedly the worst I've seen in the 20 years of my career," she says. Information about Ukrainian prisoners in Russia is mainly collected through interviews with Ukrainian prisoners of war after their release. At the same time, the UN mission has direct access to Russian prisoners of war and can get an impression of the detention conditions.
08:49 Estonia Introduces Enhanced Customs Controls at Border with RussiaEstonia is introducing full customs controls at its eastern EU external border with Russia. This was decided by the government of the Baltic NATO state at the beginning of August. From August 8, all persons crossing the border to Russia, as well as all cargo, will be subject to control. The controls at the road and rail border crossings in Narva, Koidula, and Luhamaa will be gradually introduced. So far, the checks of passengers and vehicles have been random and risk-based. With the tightening, Prime Minister Kristen Michal aims to prevent the transit and transport of EU-sanctioned goods through Estonia and to strengthen the security of the country. The border between Russia and Estonia is 294 kilometers long.
08:11 Ukraine publishes figures on Russian lossesThe Ukrainian General Staff has published new casualty figures for Russian troops in Ukraine. According to these figures, Russia has lost around 587,510 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, with a daily loss of 1,140 in the past 24 hours. A report from Kyiv also states that two tanks, 36 artillery systems, 81 drones, and one helicopter have been destroyed. Since the start of the large-scale invasion, Russia has reportedly lost a total of 8,431 tanks, 16,487 artillery systems, 366 aircraft, 327 helicopters, 13,293 drones, 28 ships, and one submarine. Western estimates suggest lower casualty figures, but these are also likely to be minimum values.
07:32 Medvedev threatens escalation of Russian invasion in UkraineDmitri Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, has threatened to escalate the Russian invasion in Ukraine in response to Ukrainian advances into the Russian border region of Kursk. The Russian military operation should no longer be limited to securing territories in Ukraine that Russia considers its own, says the former president. Instead, the military should push towards the cities of Odessa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, and beyond. The advance will only stop when Russia deems it advantageous. Ukrainian troops have reportedly made significant advances into Russian territory in the region, with heavy fighting reported. The region has been placed under a state of emergency.
07:05 Russia destroys 14 Ukrainian aerial objects over Kursk and BelgorodRussian air defense forces destroyed 14 unmanned Ukrainian aerial objects over the Belgorod and Kursk regions overnight, according to the Russian Defense Ministry's Telegram channel. Six drones and five more rockets were shot down over the Kursk region, according to regional governor Alexei Smirnov. Early on August 6, Ukrainian forces attacked the border areas of the Kursk region. According to the latest reports from the Russian military's General Staff, clashes continue in border areas. The state of emergency has been declared in Kursk (see entries 19:08, 19:38, and 20:41), and residents are being evacuated.
06:25 Ukraine issues air alert due to Russian MiG-31K attackThe Ukrainian Air Force has issued an air alert across the entire country. The air attack warning is attributed to a missile threat from a Russian MiG-31K aircraft. This aircraft type is a Soviet-era interceptor named after the Mikoyan-Gurevich aircraft manufacturer and is capable of carrying hypersonic missiles like the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal.
05:32 ISW: Ukrainian armored vehicles spotted 10 kilometers inside Russian border in KurskAccording to an assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian troops have advanced up to 10 kilometers into the Russian region of Kursk. This was confirmed by footage of armored vehicles behind the border. Ukrainian forces are said to have breached at least two Russian defensive lines and a fortress. According to a Russian source, the Ukrainians have captured 45 square kilometers in the Kursk region since the start of the operation on August 6, the ISW reports. Russian authorities declared a state of emergency over the region yesterday.
02:30 Ukraine raises threshold for prison sentence in petty theft casesPresident Selenskyj has signed a new law that reclassifies petty theft as an administrative offense instead of a criminal one. This means that thefts valued at up to around 67 euros will now be punishable by fines rather than imprisonment. Previously, the threshold for petty theft was around 6.7 euros. The change is due to the martial law imposed since the Russian invasion, which carries prison sentences of up to eight years for looting and theft. For example, a case of stealing diapers from a supermarket in the western Ukrainian city of Rivne in January 2023, valued at around 8 euros, would no longer result in a prison sentence. However, the perpetrator in that case had still received a prison sentence of over three years.
00:27 Klingbeil: Deployment of US missiles in Germany is necessarySPD leader Lars Klingbeil has defended plans to station long-range US weapons in Germany, despite criticism from within his own party. "This deployment is necessary because it helps us defend ourselves in case Russia decides to attack," he told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. It is part of credible deterrence. At the NATO summit in July, the White House and the German government announced that the US would resume stationing weapons systems in Germany from 2026, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles, and new hypersonic weapons. There are critical voices within the SPD, with the parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich warning of the risk of military escalation.
22:38 Human rights activist Orlov to fight for Russian prisonersOleg Orlov, the Moscow human rights activist released in a prisoner exchange between Russia and Western states, plans to continue his civil rights work in exile. "Memorial cannot be destroyed," the 71-year-old said at a press conference at the Center for Liberal Modernity in Berlin. The organization he co-founded, Memorial, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, advocates for political prisoners in Russia. Orlov estimates that there are still at least 800 political prisoners in Russia - conservatively estimated. He finds his new role in exile in Germany challenging, as he would prefer to be in his homeland but fears prosecution. Orlov hopes to now advocate for the release of more political prisoners, including eight who are seriously ill. "We were very disappointed when we found out that these people were not on the list - those of us who were exchanged." Memorial continues to work both in Russia and from abroad despite repression.
21:30 Not Dead Yet? Known Russian Propagandist InjuredKnown Russian propagandist Yevgeny Poddubny has been injured in the Kursk region. State TV channel VGTRK reports on Telegram that Poddubny was injured in an attack by a Ukrainian drone in the Kursk region and was taken to hospital. Earlier, numerous Russian media outlets had reported Poddubny's death. Yevgeny Poddubny is one of Russia's most famous "war correspondents," with around 734,000 followers on Telegram. Preliminary information suggests he was filming a report on fighting in the Kursk region on Wednesday.
20:41 Emergency Declared in Region KurskAn emergency has been declared in the Russian region of Kursk amid a Ukrainian ground offensive, according to Governor Alexei Smirnov on Telegram. The Ukraine has advanced deep into Russian territory near Kursk in a counterattack. The offensive began on Tuesday, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, and reached the northwest of the city of Sudja on Wednesday.
20:14 Fighting Nearby: Russia Reinforces Protection of Kursk NPPDue to the Ukrainian advance into the Russian border region of Kursk, the Russian National Guard has reinforced protection of the Kursk NPP. Additional forces have also been deployed to combat sabotage and reconnaissance units in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, the agency said. This is being done in cooperation with the Russian border troops and the army. The nuclear power plant, with four units and a capacity of nearly two gigawatts, is located about 60 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The day before, Ukrainian troops supported by tanks and artillery crossed the Russian border from the Sumy region near Sudja. Unconfirmed reports suggest they advanced up to 15 kilometers towards the NPP.
19:38 Attacks in Region Kursk: European Gas Price Hits Yearly HighThe price of European natural gas has risen to its highest level this year. The benchmark TTF contract for delivery next month rose by 5.7% to 38.78 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) in Amsterdam. Market participants are citing attacks by Ukraine on the Russian region of Kursk. The fighting is reportedly taking place near Sudja, an important gas injection point for Europe. This gas enters Western Europe through Ukrainian pipelines. Gazprom is currently reporting normal gas supplies, according to news agency Bloomberg.
19:08 Ukraine Evacuates Border Areas Near Russian KurskAmid heavy fighting in the Russian Kursk region, Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of more settlements in the neighboring Sumy region. The measures affect 23 settlements, according to Sumy military governor Vladimir Artjuch on Ukrainian TV. Around 6,000 people, including over 400 children and adolescents, are to be moved to safety from the border area. The day before, Ukrainian troops crossed the Ukrainian-Russian border near the city of Sudja in the Kursk region and advanced several kilometers onto Russian territory. Moscow reported around 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers equipped with heavy equipment. Kyiv has not yet commented on the events. Due to regular Russian shelling of border areas, local authorities had already ordered evacuations from a 10-kilometer-wide border zone in May.
You can read about previous developments here.
The European Union views the advance of Ukrainian troops into the Russian territory of Kursk as a lawful defensive war against an illegal aggression. The Chairman of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag, Marcus Faber, sees no issue with Ukraine using weapons supplied by Germany in its current advance on Russian territory.
