At 8:01 p.m., British volunteers are getting ready for the cold season.
Numerous Ukrainian homes, despite withstanding bombardments, are windowless - a challenging predicament approaching winter. The British charity "Insulate Ukraine" is stepping up to help by trekking to war zones and setting up temporary windows.
19:34 Numerous Miners Trapped in DonetskApproximately 150 miners are stuck in the Dobropillia coal mine due to a power outage resulting from Russian assaults in the Donetsk region, as stated by "The Kyiv Independent," citing Mykhailo Volynets, head of the Ukrainian Coal Miners' Union. Located roughly 20 kilometers north of Pokrovsk, a major target of Russian troops lately, the city of Dobropillia had a population of about 28,000 before the war. Russian attacks have affected the power supply to Dobropillia and nearby areas, including coal mines. The power outage is causing the mine to fill with gas and flood, per the report. Volynets also highlighted that the circumstances in the region are "tough."
19:08 Sweden Increases Civil Defense Funding Amid Fear of WarSweden plans to double its civil defense budget over the next three years to prepare for potential hostilities. "The lessons from the Ukrainian conflict show that it's crucial to safeguard the functioning of society's critical sectors," the Swedish government said. Speaking about the decision, Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin stated that Sweden would raise its civil defense budget by two billion kronor this year, bringing the total to 8.5 billion kronor (around 740 million euros). The aim is to have an annual budget of 15 billion kronor by 2028. "The security situation remains precarious and will persist in the foreseeable future," Bohlin remarked.
18:39 Putin: NATO at War with Russia if it Aids Ukraine's Use of Long-Range WeaponsRussian President Vladimir Putin asserted that if the West affirms Ukraine's use of long-range weapons against Russian targets, it would mean NATO is "at war" with Russia. "This would transform the character of the conflict fundamentally. It would mean NATO countries are at war with Russia," Putin told a state TV journalist. If such a decision is made, "it would amount to nothing less than direct involvement of NATO countries in the Ukraine conflict." Ukraine has petitioned the West for permission to deploy Western long-range weapons to deter attacks from within Russia. Russia has launched numerous attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure over the past few months.
18:07 Zelenskyy Criticizes Chinese-Brazilian Peace Initiative as 'Destructive'Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed a Chinese-Brazilian peace initiative, calling it "destructive, it's merely a political statement." In an interview with Brazilian media outlet Metropoles, Zelenskyy stated, "How can you propose 'here is our initiative' without even consulting us?" China and Brazil proposed an international peace conference in May. "What is this for?" Zelenskyy asked. Unlike Kiev, Zelenskyy was not consulted prior to the proposal.
17:40 Ukraine: Russian Missile Hits Grain ShipA Russian missile reportedly struck a civilian ship carrying grain from Ukraine, according to Ukrainian sources. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed that the ship had departed Ukrainian waters in the Black Sea at the time of the attack. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha referred to it as "a provocative strike on the freedom of navigation and global food security." Zelenskyy confirmed that there were no casualties. A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy indicated that the grain ship was not in the Ukrainian grain corridor at the time of the attack. It was situated in Romania's maritime economic zone instead. A spokesperson for the Romanian Navy stated that the ship was not within Romanian territorial waters.
17:12 Chinese President to Visit Russia AgainChinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit Russia in October. Xi will participate in the BRICS summit in the city of Kazan, confirmed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Xi will be meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg that day. Both praised the relationship between China and Russia. Xi expressed his appreciation for Putin's invitation to the BRICS summit in Kazan, Wang mentioned. Putin suggested that they would also discuss aspects of their relationship that are "evolving quite successfully" during a bilateral meeting.
16:50 US Prepared to "Modify" Military Assistance for UkraineThe US is prepared to "modify" its military assistance for Ukraine as required, as per Secretary of State Antony Blinken. During a press conference in Warsaw, Blinken was asked if the Americans had granted authorization for Ukraine to strike targets within Russia using Western weapons. He replied: "I can inform you that we will continue to carry out what we've been doing: we will modify, we will adapt, if necessary, including in terms of the weapons available to Ukraine." Blinken disclosed that he had engaged in "detailed and fruitful discussions" with his British counterpart David Lammy in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Wednesday. They would take this into account. "And if necessary, we will adapt."
16:35 New Position for NATO Chief StoltenbergNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is set to become the new leader of the Munich Security Conference. The Norwegian will take over the role following the security conference in February 2025. Christoph Heusgen, who assumed the position in 2022 and served as a long-term foreign policy advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel, will step down as leader, while the former long-time chair, Wolfgang Ischinger, will continue serving as president of the foundation's board. Stoltenberg is due to relinquish his post as NATO Secretary General in October 1, after ten years, to the former Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte.
16:11 Ukrainian Red Cross Workers Suffer Loss in AttackIn a Russian assault, three Ukrainian Red Cross workers lost their lives, as reported by Ukrainian sources. The incident occurred in a village in the disputed Donetsk region, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office informed via Telegram. Two other workers were hospitalized, with one in critical condition. "Another atrocity by the intruder in the humanitarian mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Donetsk region," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his social media. Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets urged the ICRC to acknowledge Russia's breach of the Geneva Conventions' principles.
15:45 Public Restricted from Navalny's Lawyers' TrialThe presiding judge rapidly closed the trial of three lawyers representing jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny in the Russian town of Petushki for defense lawyer Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Lipzer, and Igor Sergunin. The judge cited a police warning regarding potential provocations by Navalny supporters as the justification. The trio is being charged with belonging to an extremist organization – a reference to Navalny's anti-corruption fund.
15:18 Navalny's Lawyers' Trial Chronicles Clash between Ukraine and RussiaThere are reports of a skirmish at sea and in the air between Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea. Ukraine's military intelligence reveals that a Russian Su-30 fighter jet was shot down during a special operation at sea (see entry at 08:04) using a portable air defense weapon. However, the military in Kyiv did not divulge further details regarding the operation on Tuesday night. The Russian Defense Ministry, however, claimed on Telegram that an attempted Ukrainian assault on a Russian drilling platform in the Black Sea, utilizing speedboats, had resulted in eight of the 14 boats being destroyed and sunk, while the rest retreated. The Russian Ministry did not mention the loss of an aircraft. However, Russia-leaning military blog Rybar reported that a Su-30 was shot down during the Ukrainian attack.
14:54 Ukrainian Soldiers' Plea: We've Had Enough of the WarUkrainian soldiers must utilize their scarce weaponry wisely and resourcefully. ntv reporter Kavita Sharma has encountered both in hopelessly old Soviet weapons with limited ammunition and sparingly available yet superior Western weapons at the front.
14:23 Zelensky: Russia Initiates Counteroffensive in KurskAccording to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia has launched a counteroffensive in the Kursk area on the Russian border. This reaction by the Russian army aligns with the Ukrainian strategy, Zelensky mentioned during a press conference in Kyiv, without providing additional details. The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Telegram that Russian forces had reclaimed ten settlements in the Kursk region within two days.
13:55 Criticisms from Top Iranian Politician Towards Russia RelationsA prominent Iranian conservative politician has offered unusual criticism of Iran-Russia relations, amid recent sanctions and diplomatic tensions. On the X platform, Ali Motahari, a former vice-president of parliament, publicly called out the new sanctions imposed by Germany, France, and Britain on Iran for supplying ballistic missiles to Russia. Iran's Foreign Ministry refuted such allegations vehemently.
13:38 Shortage of Water and Gas in Ukrainian City of PokrovskFollowing Russian attacks, the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region of Ukraine faces a water shortage and many residents are left without gas for cooking and heating, as confirmed by the region's governor, Vadym Filashkin. Recently, a water treatment plant was hit, leaving the city relying on over 300 emergency wells for its drinking water supply. Also, a gas distribution center was ruined hours earlier, resulting in 18,000 residents in Pokrovsk lacking gas.
13:07 Possible Overstatement of Russian WarshipsRussia's enumeration of its warships participating in the "Ocean-2024" military exercise may be an exaggeration, according to a report from the independent Russian news outlet "Agentstvo." The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that more than 400 warships are partaking in the naval exercise, but the report cites dubious online data from "Global Naval Powers Ranking 2024" and "RussiaShips.info" estimating 264 and 299 warships, respectively. Additionally, around 50 ships and submarines assigned to the Black Sea Fleet are not involved in the exercise. Russia has a history of inflating the size of its military forces.
12:28 Amplified Russian Spying on Bundeswehr and Ukraine AidAs per the latest annual report by the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD), Russian intelligence services have amplified their spying activities against German aid to Ukraine and the Bundeswehr. The report highlights that Russian services' strategic focus on military policy and strategy has shifted to the tactical level. It's now crucial for the Russians to know the military aid Germany is providing to Ukraine, including details on weapon and ammunition transportation routes, deployment procedures, and tactical uses of Western weapons in Ukraine. Furthermore, Russian spy services are increasingly targeting Bundeswehr's capabilities for territorial and alliance defense.
11:52 Munz: Berlin Atomic Weapons Threat Not UnintentionalBritain and the US might approve Ukraine's use of weapons against Russian territory, according to ntv correspondent Rainer Munz. As the Kremlin has managed to prevent such a decision through threats so far, it's not unexpected that an atomic weapons specialist is advocating attacks on Berlin.
11:15 Delay in Decision on Ukrainian Long-Range Missile UseThe decision on Ukraine's use of Western long-range missiles in Russia could take longer. The UN General Assembly meeting on September 24, where approximately 150 heads of state and government will gather, is unlikely to witness this decision. The US medium Bloomberg cites British Foreign Secretary Lammy, who suggests that the UN meeting will provide the next opportunity to discuss the use of long-range missiles. Ukrainian President Selenskyj plans to reiterate his demand at this gathering. On Wednesday, Lammy and US Secretary of State Blinken visited Kyiv to discuss Selenskyj's plans for attacks on Russian territory. Blinken plans to discuss this issue with US President Biden on Friday, while British Prime Minister Starmer will also meet with Biden on the same day.
10:31 Blinken's Visit to Poland Post-KyivUS Secretary of State Blinken stops in Poland, a key Ukraine supporter, on his return from Kyiv. Blinken plans meetings with Prime Minister Tusk and President Duda to discuss further cooperation with Poland, which serves as the primary logistical gateway for Western military support to Ukraine. Poland's military spending has significantly increased since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the country ordering 96 Apache combat helicopters from US defense giant Boeing worth $10 billion.
09:59 Ukrainian Air Force Reports Russian Drone and Missile AttackThe Ukrainian air force reports a Russian attack on Ukraine using 5 missiles and 64 combat drones of Iranian origin. While 44 drones were intercepted, the military data is not fully verifiable. Air defense was also active around Kyiv to shoot down approaching drones.
09:11 Russian Expert Calls for Tougher Nuclear Threat PostureRussian foreign policy expert Sergei Karaganov suggests that Russia should clearly demonstrate its readiness to use nuclear weapons. The primary objective of Russia's nuclear policy should be to make "all current and future enemies" realize that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons, according to Karaganov. Russia could carry out a limited nuclear strike on a NATO country without triggering a full-scale nuclear war, he adds. If the US were to claim providing nuclear protection to its allies, it would be untrue, Karaganov believes. He has previously advocated considering a nuclear preventive strike to intimidate adversaries. Some Western experts consider Karaganov's views beneficial for the Kremlin as they alarm the West and make Putin appear more moderate in comparison.
08:46 Ukraine Looks Forward to US Approval of Western Long-Range MissilesThere's growing hope in Ukraine that they might soon be authorized to carry out deep strikes into Russian territory using Western weapons. US Secretary of State assured during his Kyiv visit that he aims to ensure "Ukraine has everything it needs." In the UK, indications seem to suggest greenlighting:
08:04 Ukrainian Intelligence Claims Downing of Russian Fighter JetFollowing previous day's reports of a missing Russian Su-30SM fighter jet from radar, Ukrainian military intelligence now reports that Ukrainian soldiers shot the aircraft down during Black Sea engagements. The Kyiv Independent reports. The jet, valued at $50 million and stationed in Crimea, was allegedly destroyed by a portable air defense system.
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07:26 Dozens Injured in Konotop due to Massive Russian Drone AttackThe number of injured in the massive Russian drone attack overnight on Konotop's energy infrastructure in the Sumy region has risen to 14. According to the state Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform, reporting from the regional military administration, a residential building in the city center was hit as well.
06:42 Ukrainian Refugees in Germany Exempted from Travel RestrictionsThe Bundestag is set to discuss for the first time today the German government's planned security package, which includes restrictions on knives and refunding refugee status for those who travel to their home countries. However, exceptions apply for refugees from Ukraine.
04:50 Russian Assault on Konotop: Significant Harm to Energy FacilitiesIn a Russian assault on the Konotop city in the Sumy area, several local residents suffered injuries. As reported by Mayor Artem Semenikhin, the city's water supply was temporarily affected. There are also substantial damages to the energy infrastructure, leaving the exact date of restored electricity in private households uncertain. Following the central city attack, several fires broke out; schools and residential buildings were damaged. Two individuals were taken to the hospital, one of whom is in critical condition.
03:29 Additional Military Aid from Latvia for UkraineDuring her visit to Kyiv, Latvian Prime Minister Eva Šilina announced a military aid package for Ukraine. This includes the provision of armored personnel carriers. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal confirmed this after meeting with Šilina, adding that discussions on expanding defense industry cooperation are ongoing as well.
01:32 UK Calls out Iranian Businessman over Potential Missile Supplies to RussiaUnveiled by the UK Foreign Office in London, an Iranian businessman has been summonsed over suspected missile supplies to Russia. The UK government stressed that any passing of ballistic missiles to Russia would be interpreted as a dangerous escalation, triggering a firm response. On Tuesday, Germany, France, and the UK added further sanctions against Tehran in response to the suspected missile supply, specifically on the suspension of bilateral air traffic agreements. The European Union, ahead of time, had mentioned "credible evidence" of Iranian missile deliveries to Russia.
00:14 Ukraine: Russia Deploys Untrained Soldiers in VovchanskAs per reports from the Ukrainian military, Russia has deployed untrained troops at the Kharkiv front. Spokesman Vitalii Sarantsev, speaking on behalf of the operational tactical group of the armed forces in Kharkiv, stated that the units involved in the Vovchansk attack operations are inexperienced. Speculation suggests these reinforcements are a mobilization reserve assembled by Russia, possibly formed from former prisoners or soldiers recruited from countries like Central Asia, Africa, or the Middle East.
22:39 Language Patrols by the Mayor in Western UkraineThe mayor of Western Ukraine's Iwano-Frankiwsk city announced the deployment of language patrols due to the rising use of Russian. The mayor of the city, Ruslan Marzinkiw, informed TV channel NTA that anyone can join these language patrols. They anticipate at least 100 such language controllers, with currently around 50 volunteers having signed up. A hotline was established for citizens to report Russian speakers in public spaces. Due to the conflict, millions of individuals, mainly from Russian-speaking regions in the east and south, have sought refuge in Ukrainian-speaking western Ukraine.
21:42 Erdogan Demands Russia to Return Crimea to UkraineTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan demanded the retraction of the Crimea peninsula, annexed by Russia, back to Ukraine. Erdoğan advocated for the unwavering support of Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence. He reiterated the requirement for Crimea's return as per international law. With the establishment of the Crimea Platform in 2021, Kyiv endeavors to draw more international attention to the conflict's situation around the annexed peninsula.
21:05 Ukraine to Present Military Strategy to USAUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy viewed the support of the USA as crucial in repelling the Russian invasion. "The strategy for victory (...) essentially depends on the support of the United States. And from other partners," said Zelenskyy at a press conference in Kyiv. The strategy, set to be presented before the planned second Ukraine Peace Conference, targets "significantly strengthening Ukraine" and "forcing Russia to end the war." According to Bloomberg, the USA is pressuring Zelenskyy for a clear strategy on striking Russia before loosening restrictions on the use of Western weapons. US Secretary of State Blinken and British Foreign Secretary Lammy were expected to discuss a long-term plan for the upcoming year with Zelenskyy in Kyiv to better grasp Ukraine's objectives.
20:37 Blinken Affirms Biden's Stance on Weapon Use in RussiaAs per US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the USA is diligently working to meet Ukraine's military demands, which seek to use Western-supplied long-range weapons for strikes on Russian targets. US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were to deliberate on these demands on Friday, according to Blinken in a joint press conference with his British counterpart David Lammy and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiga in Kyiv. "We are working urgently to ensure that Ukraine has all the necessary means to defend itself effectively," Blinken stated, reaffirming, "We wish for Ukraine to win."
You can review all previous developments here.
TheMiners in Dobropillia are struggling due to a power outage caused by Russian assaults, affecting the coal mine and the city's infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Military capacity of Sweden is being strengthened in response to the unfolding situation in Ukraine, as the Swedish government plans to double its civil defense budget over the next three years.
