Belarusian military force is not particularly formidable according to Munz.
11:25: Intelligence Warns of Russian Sabotage in GeilenkirchenThe enhanced security status at the NATO base in Geilenkirchen, Germany, stemmed from intelligence reports suggesting a potential danger from a suspected Russian sabotage operation using a drone. According to German intelligence sources, a reputable foreign intelligence service had provided serious information regarding the likelihood of a Russian sabotage operation against the NATO facility.
Read more about this here.
11:20: Persistent Fire at Proletarsk Fuel DepotMore than a week has passed since the blaze at Proletarsk fuel depot in southern Russia began, as depicted in current satellite images from NASA's FIRMS fire and forest surveillance system. The fire, originating from a Ukrainian drone strike on August 17/18, has now affected over 70 fuel tanks. Unverified reports claim that another attack occurred on Friday morning, prompting the local authorities of Rostov to declare a state of emergency. TASS reported on Wednesday that 47 firefighters were injured in the fire by then.
10:50: Polish Aircraft Scrambled Due to Close Proximity of AttacksThe Russian attacks so close to the Polish border have led the Polish military to deploy interceptor aircraft, as reported by PAP news agency. Additionally, aircraft from other allied nations also participated in the operation. According to the Ukrainian air force, Russian forces had deployed 11 long-range bombers, Tu-95s, capable of carrying cruise missiles, and had launched hypersonic Kinzhal missiles at Ukraine. The country was also subjected to attacks from the Black Sea.
10:22: Ukrainian Forces Successfully Down Russian MissileA Ukrainian air defense unit reportedly engaged a Russian cruise missile with a machine gun mounted on a truck in the Transcarpathian region this morning. Governor Viktor Mykyta shared a video of the incident on social media. Mykyta claimed that the missile was launched from Lviv and was intercepted by the 650th separate anti-aircraft machine gun battalion. The RTL/ntv verification team confirmed the video's authenticity, but it remains unclear which type of missile was targeted. According to The Kyiv Independent, however, the machine gun fire was not responsible for the missile's downfall; instead, a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile was responsible, as stated by former air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat.
10:03: 15 Ukrainian Regions Suffer Attacks from Russia - Energy Infrastructure TargetedAccording to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, over half of Ukraine's regions have been under Russian attack. "Today, a massive Russian attack affected 15 regions. The adversary employed various types of weapons: drones, missiles, hypersonic missiles. Casualties and injuries have resulted," Shmyhal posted on Telegram. Ukrainian sources indicated that the energy infrastructure in four regions, including Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Rivne, and Lviv, had been targeted. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported disruptions in electricity and water supplies in certain areas of Kyiv.
09:40: ISW: Forces from Less Important Battlefronts Shifted to KurskThe Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Russian military is likely transferring forces from less significant sectors of the Ukrainian frontline to the Kursk region. As per information from commanders 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), they had briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin over the weekend on combat operations in surrounding territories of Ukraine. The ISW assumes this reference to be the Kursk region, as stated in its latest situation report. The ISW has detected the 810th Marine Infantry Brigade, 155th Marine Infantry Brigade, and 11th VDV Brigade stationed in the Kursk region and has received evidence of recent redeployments of elements of the 56th VDV Regiment from Robotyne in western Zaporizhzhia to the border region. The Russian military command is resisting operational pressure to withdraw forces from the priority offensive initiatives to capture Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, the experts stated.
09:14: First Fatalities Reported from Major Russian ShellingAt least three deaths have occurred due to Russian air strikes, according to Ukrainian authorities. Reports of casualties have been documented in Luzk in the western part of the country, Dnipro in the east, and Zaporizhzhia in the south. Luzk's mayor, Ihor Polischchuk, stated that a multi-family residential building was hit by "an enemy attack" and claimed one individual's life. The governors of Odessa, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions reported explosions in their respective regions on Telegram and encouraged people to seek shelter. Earlier, the Poltava region's governor, Filipp Pronin, reported that five people were wounded in an attack on an industrial facility.
Read more here.
Ukraine is keeping a watchful eye on the accumulation of Belarusian troops close to their mutual border. This situation is larger than previous ones, and Belarus entering the war could be catastrophic, as stated by ntv reporter Nadja Kriewald.
08:22 Explosions Echo Throughout Several Ukrainian Cities - Power Failure in Kyiv
Explosions are being heard in several Ukrainian cities after the major Russian airstrike (see entry at 07:24). Local alerts signaled widespread across the nation just before 6 AM local time. Around 8:30 AM, the initial explosions were detected in Kyiv, with additional ones following. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reports that power is out in several districts of the capital, and water supply troubles are also present on the right side of the city. Explosions have also been documented in Kharkiv, Odessa, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Kremenchuk, Dnipro, Khmelnytskyi, Kropyvnytskyi, and Kryvyi Rih.
07:53 Moscow: Asserts Destruction of 20 Ukrainian Drones
The Russian defense ministry claims that Russia's air defenses have shot down 20 Ukrainian drones targeting Russian territory throughout the night. Nine were intercepted over the Saratov district, three over Kursk, two each over Belgorod, Bryansk, and Tula. One drone was detected over the Orlyonok and Ryazan regions.
07:24 Russia Launches Intense Air Assault on Ukraine
According to various sources, Ukraine is currently undergoing an intense assault. "Explosions in Kyiv at this hour as Ukraine is under a massive Russian missile and drone attack from land, air, and sea," reports "Kyiv Post" on X. Military expert Nico Lange writes that Russia is firing missiles from ships in the Black Sea and from 11 Tu-95 bombers, and is utilizing drones and ballistic missiles. "The Russian air attack on Ukraine is intense." Explosions are reportedly being heard in several cities.
07:07 Chechen Commander Reports Ukrainian Casualties in Kursk
Fighters from the Chechen special forces' Achmat unit, along with the 2nd Brigade of special forces, claim to have destroyed two armored personnel carriers, five armored combat vehicles, and one light tank of French origin (AMR) in the Kursk district over the past day. Russia's state-run TASS news agency reports this information, citing the commander, Major General Apti Alaudinov. "Over the past day, we have also dismantled a unit of automatic grenade launchers and a mortar, and destroyed a gun," he says. "Through these attacks on these military facilities, our troops have inflicted significant losses on the Ukrainian troops." Alaudinov confirms that the advance of Ukrainian troops has been halted. "The enemy is indeed trying to advance, but without success. We have already begun to destroy the enemy in several areas and liberate some settlements. I believe this effort will continue every day."
06:41 North Korea: Kim Jong Un Calls for Increased Production of Kamikaze DronesNorth Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has expressed the need for the development and production of more kamikaze drones as a "valuable aspect of war preparation," according to a report by the state news agency KCNA. He made this statement during a test of domestically developed drones. Kamikaze drones are unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with explosives that are directed at enemy targets. Russia regularly employs Iranian Shahed drones of this type in Ukraine. North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military cooperation. The drone test allegedly occurred on Saturday in the wake of escalating tensions with South Korea. Official photos reveal white, X-winged flying objects flying towards and detonating on targets resembling South Korean K-2 tanks. According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, the target objects were modeled after South Korean K-2 tanks.
06:34 Ukraine: 1140 Russian Troops "Neutralized" in 24 HoursAccording to Ukrainian military reports, 1140 Russian troops have been killed or injured in the previous 24 hours, raising the total number of "neutralized" Russian military personnel since the outbreak of the conflict to 608,820. These figures cannot be objectively verified. In the latest report, four Russian tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 47 artillery systems, one multiple rocket launcher, one air defense system, and 39 drones were destroyed.
06:12 Kyiv Warns Minsk Against Committing "Serious Errors"Ukraine is urging Belarus to withdraw its considerable troop contingents and military equipment from their common border. The government in Minsk is advised to abstain from hostile actions and withdraw its troops from the border region by the Foreign Ministry. Kyiv warns Belarus not to make "serious mistakes" under Moscow's influence. Belarus has yet to react. According to Ukrainian sources, the troops at the border include Belarusian special forces and former Wagner mercenaries. The equipment includes tanks, artillery, air defense systems, and engineering equipment stationed in the Gomel region along the northern border of Ukraine. The statement also mentions that Ukraine "has never taken hostile actions against the Belarusian people and will not do so in the future."
05:46 Russian Governor Reports Damage from Drone RemainsIn the Russian region of Saratov, several houses have sustained damage due to debris from destroyed Ukrainian drones, as reported by the local governor. The cities of Saratov and Engels are affected, with all relevant emergency services on standby. Engels is home to a strategic bomber base of Russia.
03:52 Alerts Rise Over Drone Assault in KyivUkrainian sources suggest that air defense mechanisms are engaged in the Kyiv district to counter Russian drone assaults. The regional military administration communicates via Telegram, "An intrusion of adversarial drones has been spotted! Air defense systems in the vicinity are operational." No initial reports of harm or casualties are available.
00:19 Zelensky Denounces "Precise" Strike on Reuters Team
In his evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the lethal rocket assault on Reuters staff. A staff member lost their life, and two others sustained injuries in the assault on a hotel in eastern Ukrainian Kramatorsk, as reported by the agency. The deceased was confirmed as ex-British soldier Ryan Evans, aged 38. Evans had been employed by Reuters since 2022, assisting journalists with safety matters in Ukraine, Israel, and the Paris Olympics. Zelensky described the destruction of a "standard city hotel" via a Russian Iskander rocket attack as "exact, deliberate." "My sympathies go out to the family and friends." The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office initiated a preliminary investigation into the attack, disclosed on the Telegram platform. The incident happened on Saturday at 22:35 local time. Reuters has yet to ascertain if the rocket was fired from Russia or if the hotel was specifically targeted. The Russian side remains silent.
You can catch up on previous eventshere.
The Commission expressed its concern over the escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia, urging both parties to de-escalate and adhere to international law. In light of the intelligence reports about potential Russian sabotage operations, The Commission suggested enhancing security measures at NATO bases in the affected regions.
