At 14:32, Russia declares using Western-origin weaponry and ammunition.
14:09 Headlines: Over 240 Russian Soldiers Apprehended in Kursk Incursion
As per Ukrainian troop claims, approximately 240 Russian troops have been caught since their unanticipated invasion of the Russian area of Kursk, initiating in early August. "The Washington Post" scrutinized more than 130 photos and videos since the onset of the invasion on August 6. Majority of these seemed to have been captured by Ukrainian soldiers and broadcasted on social media. The examination also entails photos clicked by a Washington Post photographer from a supposed Ukrainian detention facility where captured Russian soldiers are said to be held. "The authenticated images indicate at least 247 Russian captives and bolster the Ukrainian authorities' assertions of capturing many Russians during the incursion," as stated in the paper. According to the report, numerous young conscripts were apprehended, seeming to surrender without resistance.
13:43 Unidentified Entity Enters Polish Airspace
An entity reportedly breached Polish airspace and landed during Russia's assault on Ukraine. The Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported this, citing the military operations command. The search for the entity, which appears not to be a missile, is ongoing. "During the widespread assault on Ukrainian territory on Monday, an object probably penetrated Polish territory," General Maciej Klisz, the operational commander of the Polish armed forces, said to Polsat News. The "Guardian" reported, citing a military spokesperson, that the object was likely a drone.
13:21 Suspected Russian Missile Strikes Dam North of Kyiv
A dam north of Kyiv was allegedly struck by a suspected Russian missile during the significant air attack on Ukraine today. A video shared by journalist Yaroslav Trofimov of the "Wall Street Journal," among others, portrays part of the hydroelectric power plant in flames. "If the dam splits, millions of people downstream could perish," Trofimov wrote. There are no official reports yet regarding the damage to the structure.
12:57 Zelenskyy Declares 'One of the Most Intense Attacks' by Russia
Russia supposedly used more than 100 missiles and nearly 100 drones in its latest massive assault, as per Ukrainian reports. "This was one of the most intense attacks," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a video message posted on Telegram. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Telegram that it had "hit all designated targets" in massive assaults on Ukrainian infrastructure. Zelenskyy stated that it was a "combined" assault involving "more than 100 missiles of different types" and roughly 100 Shahed drones of Iranian origin. The Russian Defense Ministry described it as a "massive strike with high-precision long-range weapons" on "important energy infrastructure facilities."
12:38 Kyiv Proposes: West Should Authorize Deep Attacks into Russian TerritoryUkraine is advocating for the West to employ the weapons provided to conduct assaults deep into Russian territory. "Such a decision would expedite the termination of Russian terror," wrote the chief-of-staff of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Andriy Yermak, on Telegram.
12:09 Moscow Views Negotiations with Ukraine as IrrelevantRussia perceives that negotiations with Ukraine over a ceasefire have lost almost all significance. The Ukrainian forces' incursion into the Russian border region of Kursk cannot be tolerated, remarks Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian presidential administration. There must be a response. No discussions about a ceasefire have taken place, and the topic is no longer relevant.
11:41 Munz: "Belarusian Army is Not a Potent Threat"Dictator Lukashenko is mobilizing tens of thousands of soldiers at the border with Ukraine, a move that the country watches with concern. However, according to ntv correspondent Rainer Munz, this is more of a display of power rather than a genuine threat.
11:25 Sources: Suggestion of Russian Sabotage behind Geilenkirchen AlarmIntelligence warnings of a potential risk from a Russian sabotage act using a drone were behind the temporary increase in the security level at the NATO airbase in Geilenkirchen near Aachen, according to German security sources. There was a substantial hint from a foreign intelligence service "of preparatory activities for a probable Russian sabotage act against the NATO base," the sources said.
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11:20 Satellite Imagery: Russians Struggling with Controlling Fire at Proletarsk Fuel DepotThe fuel depot in Proletarsk, southern Russia, has been burning for over a week, as depicted by the most recent satellite images from NASA's FIRMS wildfire and forest fire monitoring system. The fire at the depot with over 70 separate tanks was ignited by a Ukrainian drone attack during the night of August 17/18. According to unofficial reports, another attack occurred on Friday morning. The local authorities of Proletarsk declared a state of emergency. The Russian state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday that 47 firefighters were injured in the fire by then.
10:22 Video: Ukrainian Defence Forces Engage Russian Missile with Stationary WeaponA clip shared via social media by Governor Viktor Mykyta showcases Ukrainian air defense personnel situated in the western Transcarpathia region, targeting a Russian cruise missile with a stationary gun mounted on a truck. Allegedly launched from the adjacent Lviv region, the missile reportedly met its end at the hands of the 650th separate anti-aircraft machine gun battalion. Authenticity of the video has been confirmed by the RTL/ntv verification team. However, the specific type of missile could not be independently verified. As per Kyiv Independent sources, it wasn't the gun fire that brought down the missile, but rather a Ukrainian air defence missile, as acknowledged by previous Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat.
10:03 15 Ukrainian Regions Suffer Russian Assault - Energy Infrastructure TargetedOver half of Ukraine's provinces suffered Russian strikes this morning, as per Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal's statement. "At present, 15 provinces have been hit by an extensive Russian offensive. The aggressor employed different weapons: drones, missiles, hypersonic Kinzhal missiles. Casualties have been reported," Shmyhal detailed through a Telegram post. Ukrainian authorities claim that energy infrastructure was compromised in four provinces: Saporizhzhia, Sumy, Rivne, Lviv. Some Kyiv areas experienced power and water supply disruptions, as indicated by Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
09:40 ISW: Russia Moves Forces from Less Strategic Fronto the Kursk RegionExperts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) propose that the Russian military is relocating troops from lesser importance zones on the Ukrainian front towards the Kursk region. Commanders of the 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 President Vladimir Putin on operational activities in regions bordering Ukraine, likely referring to the Kursk region. ISW has identified the presence of 810th Marine Infantry Brigade, 155th Marine Infantry Brigade, and 11th VDV Brigade troops in Kursk, while the Russian military leadership appears to have redeployed elements of the 56th VDV Regiment from the Robotyne area in western Saporizhzhia to the border region. The Russian military administration resists operational strain to pull forces away from vital offensive objectives aimed at capturing Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, as per the ISW professionals.
09:14: Initial Fatalities Reported Following Massive Russian ShellingUkrainian authorities confirm three fatalities due to Russian airstrikes. Reports of fatalities emerged from Luzk (western), Dnipro (eastern), and Saporischschja (southern) regions. The mayor of Luzk, Ihor Polischtschuk, explains that a multi-family building was hit by "enemy fire" and caused one casualty. The governors of Odessa, Saporischschja, and Kharkiv telegram government channels report explosions in their respective regions, urging people to seek shelter. Earlier, the Poltava region governor reported five injuries caused by an attack on an industrial facility.
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08:50: Ukraine Monitors Heightened Presence of Troops Close to Their Border with BelarusUkraine displays concern over the recent increase in Belarusian troops stationed near their border. If Belarus invades its neighboring country, the consequences could be severe as discussed by ntv reporter Nadja Kriewald.
08:22: Several Ukrainian Cities Experience Explosions - Power Outage in KyivExplosions have been reported across different Ukrainian cities resulting from the Russian aerial assault (see 07:24 entry). Kyiv was the first to report explosions around 8:30 a.m., and further reports came in from Kharkiv, Odessa, Vinnytsia, Saporischschja, Kremenchuk, Dnipro, Khmelnytskyi, Kropyvnytskyi, and Kryvyi Rih. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko acknowledges power outages in "several districts" of the capital and affirms water supply disruptions in the right part of the city. Explosions were audible in other cities as well.
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07:53: Russian Air Defense Destroys 20 Ukrainian Drones Targeting Russian TerritoryPer the Russian Defense Ministry, their air defense system managed to thwart 20 drones sent from Ukraine towards Russian territories. Nine of these drones were intercepted over the Saratov region, three over Kursk, and two each over Belgorod, Bryansk, and Tula. A drone was found in Oryol and Ryazan regions and one in each of the adjacent regions of Bryansk and Kursk.
07:07 Chechen Commanders Claim Ukrainian Vehicle Destruction in KurskMembers of the Achmat special forces and the 2nd Brigade of special forces claim to have destroyed two armored vehicles, five armored combat vehicles, and a French-designed light tank (AMR) in the Kursk region over the past day. This is reported by Russia's state-run news agency TASS, citing General-Major Apti Alaudinov, the commander. "Over the past day, we have also taken out a unit of automatic grenade launchers and a mortar, and destroyed a cannon," he said. "Our forces have inflicted significant damage on the Ukrainian troops through attacks on these military facilities." Alaudinov stated that the Ukrainian troop advance has been stopped. "The enemy is certainly trying to advance, but without success. We have already begun to inflict damage on the enemy in several areas and liberate some settlements. I believe this will continue every day."
06:41 North Korea: Kim Jong Un Endorses More Suicide Drone ProductionNorth Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has shown strong support for the production of more suicide drones as a crucial aspect of military preparations, according to a report by the state-run news agency KCNA. He made this assertion during a drone testing session. Suicide drones are aerial unmanned vehicles fitted with explosives and guided towards enemy targets. Russia often uses Iranian drones of the Shahed type in Ukraine. North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military ties. The drone test, as reported by KCNA, took place on Saturday amidst escalating tensions with neighboring South Korea. Photos reveal white flying objects with X-shaped wings attacking tank targets and detonating. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the target objects resembled South Korean K-2 tanks.
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06:34 Ukraine: 1140 Russian Soldiers 'Neutralized' in 24 HoursUkraine's military claims that 1140 Russian soldiers were either killed or wounded in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of "neutralized" Russian military personnel since the conflict's onset to 608,820. These figures cannot be independently validated. Kyiv reports that four Russian tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 47 artillery systems, one multiple rocket launcher, one air defense system, and 39 drones were taken out.
06:12 Ukraine Warns Minsk Against Making 'Calamitous Decisions'Ukraine calls for Belarus to withdraw large troop contingents and military equipment from their shared boundary. In a statement, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry implores Minsk to abstain from hostile actions and retreat its forces from the border area. Ukraine warns Belarus not to make "disastrous decisions" under Moscow's pressure. Belarus has yet to respond. According to Ukrainian reports, Belarusian special units and former Wagner soldiers are among the troops at the border, outfitted with tanks, artillery, air defense systems, and engineering equipment set up in the Gomel region along Ukraine's northern border. The statement also asserts that Ukraine has never instigated hostilities against the Belarusian people and will not do so in the future.
05:46 Russian Governor reports Damage from Drone FragmentsSeveral buildings in the Russian region of Saratov have been damaged by debris from downed Ukrainian drones, as per the regional governor. Both Saratov and Engels cities are affected, with all emergency services activated. Engels houses a strategic Russian bomber base.
03:52 Air Defense Alerts Kyiv for Drone AttackUkrainian air defense systems are on alert in the Kyiv region to repel Russian drone attacks, according to the regional military administration. No details regarding potential damage or casualties have been disclosed yet.
00:19 Zelensky Condemns 'Deliberate' Attack on Reuters TeamIn his nightly address, Ukrainian President Zelensky denounced the rocket attack on Reuters journalists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk as "deliberate" and "calculated." A Reuters staff member was killed, and two others were injured. The 38-year-old British former soldier Ryan Evans, who had been working with Reuters since 2022, providing security advice in Ukraine, Israel, and at the Paris Olympics, was among the casualties. Zelensky expressed his deepest sympathies to Evans' families and friends. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office announced an investigation on Telegram. The attack occurred on Saturday at 22:35 local time. Reuters could not ascertain if the rocket originated from Russia or if the hotel was specifically targeted. Russia has yet to respond.
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The European Union has expressed concern over the Russian incursion into Kursk and the apprehension of over 240 Russian soldiers, urging for a de-escalation of tensions.
In light of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the European Union has called for negotiations to prevent further escalation and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
