Kiev insists on Western approval for strikes deep into Russian territorial boundaries.
12:09 Russia Discards Importance of Talks with Ukraine, States Dmitri Peskov As per Russia, discussions regarding a ceasefire with Ukraine have lost most of their importance. The Russian border area of Kursk has been intruded upon by Ukrainian forces, a move that cannot be tolerated, suggests Dmitri Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian presidential administration. A response is required. No negotiations about a ceasefire have taken place, and the topic is no longer relevant.
11:41 Munz: Belarusian Military Capabilities Overhyped Dictator Lukashenko is amassing tens of thousands of soldiers at the Belarus-Ukraine border, a situation causing concern for the country. However, as per ntv correspondent Rainer Munz, this is more of a displays of power rather than a genuine threat.
11:25 Insiders Hint at Russian Sabotage in Geilenkirchen Alert Intelligence sources suggest that the heightened security level at the NATO air base in Geilenkirchen, near Aachen, was due to a potential Russian sabotage act using a drone. There was a credible warning from a foreign intelligence service about preparations for a probable Russian sabotage act against the NATO base.
More details can be found here.
11:20 Satellite Images: Russians Struggle to Suppress Fire at Proletarsk Fuel Depot The Proletarsk fuel depot in southern Russia has been burning for over a week, according to recent satellite imagery from NASA's FIRMS fire and forest monitoring system. The depot with over 70 tanks was set ablaze by a Ukrainian drone strike on August 18, and there were reports of another attack on Friday morning. The regional authorities of Rostov have declared a state of emergency in the Proletarsk district. At least 47 firefighters have been injured in the blaze, as reported by TASS on Wednesday.
10:50 Poland Scrambles Fighter Jets The Polish military responded by deploying interceptor aircraft due to the proximity of the Russian attacks to the Polish border. Aircraft from allied nations were also involved in the operation. According to Ukrainian reports, the Russian military deployed 11 long-range bombers Tu-95, which carry cruise missiles, at one point. It was reported that hypersonic Kinzhal missiles were fired at Ukraine, and the country was also attacked from the Black Sea.
10:22 Ukrainian Soldier Engages Russian Cruise Missile with Machine Gun Ukrainian air defense troops are reported to have engaged a Russian cruise missile with a machine gun mounted on a truck in the morning in the western region of Transcarpathia. Governor Viktor Mykyta shared a video of the event on social media, claiming that the missile was launched from the neighboring Lviv region and was downed by the 650th separate anti-aircraft machine gun battalion. The authenticity of the video was confirmed by the RTL/ntv verification team. The exact type of missile is unclear, but according to The Kyiv Independent, it was not a machine gun hit that downed the missile, but rather an air defense missile from the Ukrainian armed forces.
10:03 Fifteen Ukrainian Regions under Attack by Russia - Energy Infrastructure Targeted More than half of Ukraine's regions were attacked by Russia early in the morning, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. "Today, 15 regions came under fire in a massive Russian attack. The enemy used various types of weapons: drones, missiles, hypersonic missiles. There are casualties," Shmyhal wrote on Telegram. Ukrainian reports indicate that energy infrastructure in four regions was hit. The authorities in Saporizhzhia, Sumy, Rivne, and Lviv reported on Telegram that energy infrastructure in their regions was targeted. Power and water supplies were disrupted in some areas of the capital Kyiv, as per Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
09:40 ISW: Russians Moving Troops from Secondary Fronts in Ukraine to Kursk According to experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Russian military is likely continuing to redeploy troops from lesser important sectors on the Ukrainian front to Kursk. Russian military commanders briefed President Vladimir Putin over the weekend about combat operations in Russian territories bordering Ukraine, which most likely refers to the Kursk region, as per the U.S. think tank's latest situation report. The ISW has observed elements of the 810th Marine Infantry Brigade, 155th Marine Infantry Brigade, and 11th VDV Brigade fighting in the Kursk region, and has received indications that the Russian military leadership has recently redeployed elements of the 56th VDV Regiment from the Robotyne area in western Saporizhzhia to the border region. The Russian military command is resisting operational pressure to withdraw its forces from the priority offensive efforts to capture Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, the experts stated.
09:14 First Fatalities Reported due to Heavy Russian Shelling
Ukrainian authorities report that at least three individuals have perished due to Russian airstrikes. Reports of casualties have surfaced in Luzk in the west, Dnipro in the east, and Saporischschja in the south. The mayor of Luzk, Ihor Polischtschuk, shares that a multi-family residence was struck by an "enemy assault" and resulted in one fatality. Governors from Odessa, Saporischschja, and Kharkiv regions disseminate information about explosions in their respective territories via Telegram and encourage citizens to seek safety. Previously, the governor of Poltava region, Filip Pronin, alleged that five individuals were injured in an assault on a commercial facility.
Read further details here.
08:50 Troop Positions: "Belarus' Participation in War Could Extend Battlefield"
Ukraine is observing the concentration of Belarusian troops at their shared border with concern. This instance is larger than previous ones, and the participation of Belarus in the conflict could be catastrophic, as explained by ntv correspondent Nadja Kriewald.
08:22 Urban Areas: "Explosions Resound in Multiple Ukrainian Cities - Power Outage in Kyiv"
Explosions have been reported in several Ukrainian metropolises due to the extensive Russian air raid (see entry at 07:24). The "Kyiv Independent" states that air raid alarms were activated across the country just before 6:00 AM local time. Initially, explosions were heard in Kyiv around 8:30 AM, with further incidents following. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko mentions that power failures have occurred in "several areas" of the capital, and there are also problems with the water supply on the right side of the city. Explosions have also been documented in Kharkiv, Odessa, Vinnytsia, Saporischschja, Kremenchuk, Dnipro, Khmelnytskyi, Kropyvnytskyi, and Kryvyi Rih.
07:53 Moscow: 20 Ukrainian Drones Destroyed
Russia's air defense has allegedly intercepted 20 drones launched from Ukraine towards Russian territory, as reported by the Russian Defense Ministry. Nine drones were shot down over Saratov region, three over Kursk, and two each over Belgorod, Bryansk, and Tula. One drone was found over the regions of Oryol and Ryazan.
07:24 Russia: An Extensive Air Assault on Ukraine
Ukraine is currently experiencing an extensive attack, as reported consistently. "Explosions in Kyiv at present as Ukraine is undergoing a massive Russian missile and drone assault from land, air, and sea," reports the "Kyiv Post" on X. Military expert Nico Lange shares that Russia is simultaneously launching missiles from ships in the Black Sea and from 11 Tu-95 bombers, and is utilizing drones and ballistic missiles. "The Russian air assault on Ukraine is hugely extensive." Explosions are reported in multiple cities.
07:07 Chechnya: Ukrainian Units Suffered Losses in Kursk
here.
Fighters from the Chechen special forces' Achmat unit, along with the 2nd special forces brigade, claim to have destroyed two armored personnel carriers, five armored combat vehicles, and a French-designed light tank (AMR) in the Kursk region over the past day, as reported by Russia's state news agency TASS, citing General-Major Apti Alaudinow as the commander. He adds, "Over the past day, we have also annihilated a unit of automatic grenade launchers and a mortar, and destroyed a cannon." "Our attacks on these military facilities have caused substantial losses to the Ukrainian troops." According to Alaudinow, the advancement of Ukrainian troops has been halted. "The enemy is indeed attempting to advance, but without success. We have already initiated attacks on several fronts and recaptured some cities. I anticipate this trend to continue daily."
06:41 North Korea: Kim Jong Un Advocates for More Suicide DronesNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un has urged the development and production of more suicide drones as a "significant aspect of military preparations," according to a state news agency KCNA report. He made this statement during the testing of domestically developed drones. Suicide drones are unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with explosive payloads that are directed towards enemy targets. Russia regularly uses Iranian Shahed drones in Ukraine. North Korea and Russia have intensified their military collaboration. The drone test, as reported by KCNA, took place on Saturday in response to increasing tensions with the neighboring country of South Korea. Pictures show white flying objects with X-shaped wings flying towards and exploding upon tank targets. According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, the target objects resembled South Korean K-2 tanks.
Read more information here.
06:34 Ukraine: 1140 Russian Soldiers "Eliminated" in 24 HoursThe Ukrainian military asserts that 1140 Russian soldiers have either been killed or wounded in the past 24 hours. Since the onset of the conflict, the reported number of "eliminated" Russian military personnel has allegedly risen to 608,820. These figures cannot be independently confirmed. Kyiv claims that four Russian tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 47 artillery systems, one multiple rocket launcher, one air defense system, and 39 drones have been destroyed.
06:12 Kyiv Warns Minsk About Potential Regrettable ActionsUkraine requests that Belarus withdraw the large number of troops and military equipment they claim have been amassed along their shared border. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement, urging Belarus to cease any hostile actions and retreat from the border region. Ukraine advises Belarus to avoid any regrettable actions under Moscow's influence. Belarus has yet to respond. According to Ukrainian reports, Belarusian special forces and ex-Wagner soldiers are among the troops stationed at the border, armed with tanks, artillery, air defense systems, and engineering equipment in the Gomel region along Ukraine's northern border. The statement concludes that Ukraine has never initiated hostile actions against the Belarusian people and has no plans to do so in the future.
05:46 Russian Governance Reports Damage from Drone PartsSeveral buildings in the Russian region of Saratov have been damaged as a result of debris from Ukrainian drones that have been shot down, as announced by the region's governor. Both Saratov and Engels have been affected, with all emergency services deployed. Engels is home to a strategic Russian bomber base.
03:52 Air Defense Alerts Kyiv Against Russian Drone AssaultUkrainian air defense systems are operational in the Kyiv region to thwart Russian drone attacks, according to the Ukrainian military administration. No reports of damage or casualties have been provided.
00:19 Zelensky Condemns Attack on Reuters Team as "Completely Intentional"In his evening address, Ukrainian President Zelensky addressed the fatal rocket attack on Reuters journalists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk. A Reuters employee was killed and two others injured. The deceased, 38-year-old British ex-soldier Ryan Evans, had been serving as a security advisor for Reuters since 2022 in Ukraine, Israel, and at the Paris Olympics. Zelensky described the attack as "completely intentional, calculated." He expressed his condolences to the family and friends. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office launched an investigation through public announcements on Telegram. The incident occurred on Saturday at 22:35 local time. Reuters could not determine if the rocket was fired from Russia or if the hotel was intentionally targeted. Russia has yet to respond.
Catch up on earlier developments here.
The European Union has expressed its concern over Russia's escalating actions towards Ukraine, including the intrusion at Kursk and the shelling of multiple Ukrainian cities. The European Council has called for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and a return to the negotiating table for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
In response to the Russian sabotage at the NATO air base in Geilenkirchen, the European Union has strengthened its defense capabilities along its Eastern border. The European Defense Fund has allocated additional resources for member states to enhance their air defense systems and joint operations with NATO allies to safeguard shared interests.
