17:27 Selenskyj: Trump's possible lightning peace plan "bad idea"
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the "Philadelphia Inquirer" in an interview that he doesn't know how to end the war in 24 hours. But if the proposed plan of US Presidential candidate Donald Trump involves making territorial concessions to Russia, then that is a "bad idea." The designated Republican Presidential candidate has repeatedly claimed he could end the war "in 24 hours" if he wins the November election. "If Trump has such a plan, then everyone would want to end the war," said Zelenskyy: "Perhaps it would even be better in an hour." Conceding territory to Russia is not a new idea. However, Putin must be "reined in with information about false victories." He must therefore be confronted instead.
16:49 Men attack Ukrainian border guards with machetes
A Ukrainian border guard was killed by two men with a machete in an attack, according to the news portal "Ukrajinska Pravda," citing Ukrainian authorities. The incident reportedly occurred on a Saturday evening at the border with Romania. The motive is unknown. However, due to the war, men of military age have been trying to leave the country illegally to avoid being drafted and sent to the front. Previously, 17 men were detained at the Hungarian border who, according to authorities, were trying to illegally leave Ukraine and were offering their helpers between 3000 and 12,000 US dollars for a successful exit.
16:14 More casualties and damage after rocket attack on Vilniansk
75 people report damaged or destroyed property after the lethal Russian rocket attack on civilians in Vilniansk. The police in the Saporischschja region report "the crimes of the Russian army," according to the statement. The number of registered casualties from the attack has risen to 38, including nine children. A mobile aid station is in operation. At least seven people were killed in the attack on Saturday, including a woman and three children.
15:51 Controversial Kanye West reportedly in Moscow for friend's birthday
The controversial US rapper Kanye West is reportedly in Moscow on a private visit, according to Russian media. "That's great news, he's in the heart of the capital," quotes the state news agency Tass the producer Yana Rudkovskaya. Former Russian presidential candidate Xenia Sobchak posted a short video that, according to her, shows West looking out from the roof of the famous GUM shopping center on Red Square. According to Sobchak, West is in Moscow to celebrate the 40th birthday of his friend Gosha Rubchinskiy, a well-known Russian fashion designer. West has expressed his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past. In the US, the musician is now an outcast in the entertainment industry due to his antisemitic and Hitler-glorifying statements.
15:24 Russia disrupted GPS signals for hundreds of British military flights over Europe
This year, Russia disrupted the GPS navigation system for over four hundred British military flights of the Royal Air Force (RAF) over Europe, according to data analysis of thousands of flights reported by the British "Telegraph". This illustrates the extent of Russian interferences in aviation. "This is another example of Russia's recklessness and further proof that it has become an uncontrollable hostile state," quoted British Defense Minister Grant Shapps. Between January and April, 142 out of 504 transport and surveillance flights of the RAF over Europe experienced GPS disruptions.
14:41 Ukrainian hackers sabotage Russian systems
Activists, in collaboration with experts from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, conducted a series of attacks on Russian companies. According to the Ministry, hackers destroyed over 100 Terabytes of data from OrbitSoft, a software developer working with the Russian army, particularly for unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturers. They also deleted data on eight servers from Orient Systems, a supplier of navigation devices for Russian military equipment manufacturers, especially for manufacturers of unmanned aerial vehicles. They also deleted the data of a Nizhny Novgorod internet provider and sent messages to all subscribers about an "inevitable retaliation" for Russia's war.
14:06 Ukraine begins mass production of long-range drones
Ukraine has started mass producing long-range drones with a range of over 1,000 kilometers. According to the head of the state arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom, Herman Smetanin, in an interview with ArmyInform. Smetanin states that Russia's "vast resources and powerful industry" force Kiev to adopt a "more flexible and inventive" approach to weapons production. Ukraine uses long-range drones to attack military infrastructure such as airfields and logistics facilities, as well as oil refineries and depots deep in Russian territory.
13:36 Ukraine releases video of the liberation of Snake Island
The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has released new footage of the liberation of Snake Island on social media. In the post, SBU describes the "unique and extremely important operation". The footage is said to begin with an aerial view of a Russian air raid on the island, followed by Ukrainian troops landing on the island with a helicopter and attacking Russian troops. "It consisted of several stages and was of strategic importance, as it marked the beginning of the gradual displacement of the enemy from the Black Sea," writes the SBU. On June 30, 2022, Ukrainian troops recaptured the strategic outpost from the Russian troops at the Black Sea.
13:14 Zelensky: Russia fired over 800 guided bombs at Ukraine in a week
In the past week, Russia fired over 800 guided bombs at Ukraine. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the platform X. "Ukraine needs the necessary resources to destroy the carriers of these bombs, including Russian combat aircraft, wherever they are located. This step is essential," he wrote further.
12:48 According to a Russian attack on Wilniansk in the Saporischja region of Ukraine, the number of wounded has increased (see entries 00:32, 05:41 and 07:24). According to official reports, at least seven people, three men, one woman and three children, have been killed. Thirty-six people, including nine children, were reportedly injured in the missile attack, according to the National Police via social media. Previously, there were reports of 31 injured.
12:18 Ukraine publishes figures on Russian losses The Ukrainian General Staff has released new figures on Russian troop losses in Ukraine. According to these figures, Russia has lost approximately 542,700 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022. In the past 24 hours alone, the losses amounted to 1,140. According to a report from Kiev, at least 24 tanks, 60 artillery systems, and an aircraft were also destroyed. Since the beginning of the large-scale attack, Ukraine claims that Russia has lost 8,080 tanks, 15,524 artillery systems, and 360 aircraft, 326 helicopters, 11,584 drones, 28 ships, and a submarine. Western estimates put the losses lower - although these are also minimum figures.
11:45 OSCE: Russia is committing genocide in Ukraine The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has passed a resolution recognizing Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide against the Ukrainian population. Pavlo Frolov, a member of the Kiev delegation, announced this on social media. The document also defines "the denazification of the Russian Federation as a necessary prerequisite for the creation of a lasting peace." The OSCE has 57 members, including Ukraine and Russia. With 57 countries from Europe, Central Asia, and North America, the OSCE is the largest regional security organization in the world.
11:11 Weichert: People in Odessa "trying to live normal lives" While at least seven people have been killed by Russian attacks near Saporischja, the beaches of the coastal city of Odessa are filled with bathing tourists. Jürgen Weichert, an ntv reporter, describes it as a much-needed break for the Ukrainians affected by the war.
10:44 Russia: Four firefighters injured in the Donezk region According to Russian reports, four firefighters were injured in the Donezk region of Ukraine during Ukrainian attacks. They had extinguished a fire caused by a Ukrainian attack and were then hit by new shelling, according to the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry.
10:08 Russia: Ukrainian forces driven back from the left bank of Cherson The fighting in the Cherson region is currently taking place on the islands, as Ukrainian forces have been driven back to the left bank of the Dnipro River, according to Cherson Governor Wolodymyr Saldo, speaking to the Russian news agency TASS. "The fighting has shifted to the islands, and the Russian army has intensified its activities," he says. The islands and the Dnipro River in the Cherson region form a natural boundary along the front.
09:43 Ukraine: A Person Dead and Two Injured after Russian Attack in Cherson
At a Russian attack on the Ukrainian region of Cherson, one person is reportedly killed and two people injured. The governor of the region Cherson, Oleksandr Prokudin, announced this on Telegram. A 67-year-old man in Odradokamyanka was allegedly killed by a drone attack. A 76-year-old woman in Kozatske was injured by artillery fire and was admitted to the hospital with severe injuries. Additionally, a 63-year-old woman in Komysany is reportedly injured by Russian troops who shot at a farmer's house. There were no injured in a drone attack on a residential house in Mykhailivka, but the damage is currently being assessed.
09:08 Ex-NATO Chief: "Putin's Plan A has failed"
The former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen believes that the Russian war against Ukraine will last at least until the end of 2024. "Putin's Plan A, which was to take over all of Ukraine in just a few days, has failed," Rasmussen said in an interview with ntv.de. "His Plan B is now a frozen conflict and the Russian occupation of Eastern Ukraine, in the hope that the West will weaken and give in." The presidential elections in the USA on November 5 are particularly significant for Putin in terms of potential changes that could help him.
08:40 Russia: 36 Ukrainian Drones Shot Down
Russia claims to have shot down 36 Ukrainian drones in various regions across the country. 15 drones were intercepted over the border region of Kursk, nine over the region of Lipezk some hundred kilometers south of Moscow, and four each over the regions of Woronesh and Brjansk, according to the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow. The governors of Lipezk and Brjansk announced on Telegram that there were no casualties or major damage.
07:55 Sweden's Defense Minister: Russia wants to split EU and NATO
Russia is interested in politically splitting the EU and NATO. This is what the Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said in an interview with the "Bild" newspaper. "I believe that the Kremlin and Putin himself are aware that they would lose this war. But I believe that Russia is very interested in politically splitting us, both within the EU and in NATO," Jonson said. To maintain peace, it is best to strengthen NATO and focus on deterrence and defense. Jonson believes that this means taking on more responsibility for European security, which primarily means investing more in military capabilities. Sweden gave up its neutrality in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine. In March 2024, Sweden became the 32nd NATO member.
07:24 Zelenskyy: After Russian Attack on Velyka Nova Hreblea, the Casualty Count may Increase
Following a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Velyka Nova Hreblea in the region of Saporischschja, there are fatalities and injuries (see entries 00:32 and 05:41). According to official reports, at least seven people have been killed, including children. Thirty-one others were injured in the missile attack, the Civil Defense reported. "Unfortunately, the number of casualties may still increase," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on the platform X.
06:55 Ukraine: Russian troops bomb Derhachi with fighter bombers
Russian troops have attacked the city of Derhachi in the Charkiw region. This was announced by the head of the military administration of Derhachi, Vyacheslav Zadorenko, on Telegram. According to Zadorenko, three people were injured in the attack. It is the most massive attack on Derhachi since 2022, during which four fighter bombs were dropped. Two men aged 68 and 75, and a 71-year-old woman were hospitalized. According to Zadorenko, the shelling damaged several buildings, including at least 25 residential houses, agricultural buildings, a garage cooperative, cars, and a civilian company, and partially destroyed power lines.
06:20 Export of weapons increases again: Germany exports weapons for 7.5 billion Euros
Following a record year for arms exports in the previous year, arms export authorizations in the first half of 2024 have significantly increased due to further rising arms deliveries to Ukraine. From January 1 to June 18, the German government authorized the export of military goods for at least 7.48 billion Euros abroad. This represents an increase of over 30 percent compared to the entire first half of 2023. Almost two-thirds of the exports (65 percent or 4.88 billion Euros) were destined for Ukraine. This is evident from the Federal Ministry of Economy's response to a parliamentary question by Bundestag member Sevim Dağdelen from the Left Party (The Left).
05:41 Dead in Vilnjansk: Moscow targeted military objective
Following the Russian shelling of the Ukrainian city of Vilnjansk in the Saporischschja region with at least seven fatalities, the Russian Defense Ministry speaks of an attack on a military objective. According to Interfax news agency, a railway station with ballistic Iskander missiles was attacked near Saporischschja. The Russian military leadership claims that a train loaded with military cargo was hit. On photos and videos, it can be seen that residential houses and parked cars in the city center were hit.
04:53 Kiev's Mine Clearance Corps: 30,000 square kilometers have been cleared
Specialists from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry have cleared 30,000 square kilometers of Ukraine of mines in the past two years - an area comparable in size to Belgium or Moldova. The Kyiv Independent reports this with reference to Colonel Ruslan Berehulia, head of the department for environmental safety and mine clearance. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, approximately 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian soil have been contaminated with explosives. The Ukraine founded the Mine Clearance Corps in April 2022. Units of the Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian Armed Forces joined in. These units, with 5000 specialists, are currently active in the regions of Mykolajiw, Cherson, and Charkiw.
03:53 IFO-Survey: Nearly Half of Personnel Heads Dismiss "Jobturbo" and the Skilled Labor Immigration Law as Unhelpful
According to a survey conducted by the Munich IFO Institute among 627 personnel heads in Germany, nearly half of them find the "Job-Turbo" and the Skilled Labor Immigration Law unhelpful for their companies. The initiative aims to integrate Ukrainian refugees faster into the labor market. However, some respondents acknowledged positive effects: Nearly every fourth company reported that the new regulations have made more skilled labor available. In addition, they stated that they had to deal with fewer language barriers due to mandatory language courses before job placement. Approximately 18% of personnel heads praised shorter hiring procedures and the simpler recognition of degrees. The respondents were allowed to give multiple answers. Nearly half of them found that the bureaucracy in hiring foreign labor was still too high, although 17% also observed a bureaucracy reduction.
02:37 Governor: Russian Region Kursk Shelled All Day Long
According to the local governor, the Ukrainian forces have shelled the Russian border region of Kursk all day long on Saturday. Governor Alexei Smirnov posted on Telegram that Ukrainian troops had repeatedly targeted eight border villages. Two people were injured in the shelling. A video Smirnov shared in his Telegram channel shows a destroyed house and debris. Previously, Smirnov had reported the deaths of five people due to a Ukrainian drone attack early on Saturday morning.
01:29 "Putin loves Farage": Activists Mock Farage
The British campaign group Led by Donkeys pranked Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, during a campaign appearance. After Farage recently claimed that the West, not Russian President Vladimir Putin, had provoked the war in Ukraine, activists dropped a banner with Putin's image behind him. Farage was not pleased, the activists noted laconically.
00:32 Emergency Services Work Through the Rubble in Volnovakha
Emergency services are clearing the rubble of a Russian attack on the city of Volnovakha in the Saporizhzhia region. After the search and rescue operations were completed, it was determined that seven people had been killed, including two children, and 31 people had been injured, including eight children. "The fire was extinguished simultaneously at two locations: in a two-story building and near parked cars on a 300 square meter area, as well as in two one-story buildings on a 150 square meter area. The search and rescue operations are complete," the Ukrainian state emergency services reported.
21:24 Seehofer: No accommodation for young Ukrainians
Approximately 1.2 million Ukrainians have found refuge in Germany from the war in their homeland. CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt recently called for the expulsion of Ukrainians who do not work. "The proposal can be misunderstood," says CSU honorary chairman Horst Seehofer to the "Augsburger Allgemeine." Mothers and children from the war-torn country find it difficult to work; be it due to lack of language skills or a lack of kindergarten places. "It belongs to a humane state to grant protection." However, young men who evade military service in Germany should be denied asylum, according to him.
20:51 Man lights grenade in Luzk city center
A resident of the city of Chmelnytskyi lights a grenade in the city center of Luzk and is arrested. There are no injuries reported. This was reported by the Ukrainian Security Service SBU. The motive of the 23-year-old is still unclear.
You can read about all previous developments here.
- Regarding the Ukraine conflict, PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his concerns about a possible plan by US Presidential candidate Donald Trump that involves making territorial concessions to Russia, stating it as a "bad idea."
- In the context of military operations in Ukraine, Russian rocket attacks on civilians in Vilniansk resulted in 75 people reporting damaged or destroyed property and at least 7 people, including 3 children, being killed.
- Reflecting on the political implications, Russia's interference in GPS signals for British military flights over Europe was reported, with over 400 flights experiencing disruptions this year.
- In relation to cyberwarfare, Ukrainian hackers conducted a series of attacks on Russian systems, destroying over 100 Terabytes of data from OrbitSoft, a Russian software developer working with the Russian army, and damaging systems of eight servers from Orient Systems, a supplier of navigation devices for Russian military equipment manufacturers.
- Considering NATO's involvement, Ex-NATO Chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen believes that the war in Ukraine will last at least until the end of 2024, stating that Russia's initial plan of taking over Ukraine has failed and that its current strategy is to achieve a frozen conflict with Ukraine and weaken the West.
