"Massive liquefied devastation" – Medvedev warns of annihilating Kyiv
11:50 "Heavy Battles in Kurachove"The heaviest fighting in eastern Ukraine currently takes place around the city of Kurachove. The utilization of European long-range weapons is causing distress among the locals. reporter Kavita Sharma shares updates from Dnipro.
11:12 "Combat Drone Attacks in Odessa's Black Sea Region"Information is surfacing from last night's severe drone assault: Russia launched a total of 76 combat drones, as per the Ukrainian Air Force. Out of these, 72 were shot down. The air force hasn't disclosed details about the consequences of the attack. The governor of Odessa's Black Sea region reports significant damage. According to him, several structures in a suburb of Odessa's capital were damaged due to drone debris. In the Ismajil district, some of Ukraine's grain is shipped, and warehouse buildings were hit. In Kyiv, several debris parts landed, as reported by the government. A municipal company suffered damage, but no fire was reported.
10:31 "Stoltenberg on Meetings before War: Russians Presented False NATO Maps"Departing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, in an interview with the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung," discusses the last diplomatic attempts before the war started in February 2022, aiming to deter Russia from invading Ukraine. The last NATO-Russia Council meeting, which Stoltenberg chaired, took place in January. The Russians called for the removal of all NATO troops from the eastern part of the alliance, Stoltenberg says. "It was completely unacceptable, but I believe in dialogue. That's why we met with them again." During the meeting, Russia's deputy foreign and defense ministers asserted that there were no war plans on their part; they claimed their country was threatened by Ukraine, he continues. "They presented maps, presumably to illustrate how Russia is surrounded by NATO. Yet, those maps were incorrect as well. Denmark was not labeled as NATO territory. It was astonishing!" He is still unsure whether this was due to insufficient preparation or intentional deception. Looking back, Stoltenberg regrets that NATO and its allies didn't do more to militarily strengthen Ukraine earlier. "If Ukraine had been militarily stronger, the threshold for Russia's attack would have been higher. Whether it would have been high enough is uncertain."
10:03 "Wiegold on Stationing Agreement: Lithuania Views German Combat Brigade as a Backup"Germany and Lithuania sign an agreement: This guarantees the Baltic NATO state that a combat-ready German brigade will be stationed in the country. Military expert Thomas Wiegold clarifies the background and importance of the agreement in an interview with ntv.
09:28 "Kim Wants to Increase Cooperation with Moscow"North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly promised to intensify cooperation with Russia, as per state media. Following discussions with Russian Security Council chief Sergei Shoigu in North Korea, north Korean state media reported extensive exchange on "deepening the strategic dialogue between the two countries and strengthening cooperation to protect their mutual security interests," as well as regional and international matters. The Ukraine, the US, and South Korea accuse North Korea of supplying Russia with weapons and missiles for the Ukraine war. Pyongyang denies these allegations as "absurd."
08:59 "Starmer and Biden to Discuss Advanced Weapons for Ukraine Again at UN General Assembly"A decision on whether Ukraine can use advanced Western weapons against Russian targets will soon be revisited. British Prime Minister Starmer confirmed this following a meeting with US President Biden, where they put off a decision on the matter. Biden and Starmer will discuss this at the UN General Assembly in New York next week "with a larger group of individuals," Starmer says. British media report that Biden is open to enabling Ukraine to use British and French missiles containing US technology; however, US-made missiles are not an option.
08:23 "Zelensky on Trump's Alleged Plan: Campaign Messages are Campaign Messages"US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has persistently claimed he could put an end to the Ukraine conflict in a single day without presenting a detailed plan. In a CNN interview, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is asked about his interpretation of Trump's statement. "I can't comprehend it today because I'm unaware of the specifics of what he intends," Zelensky clarifies in the interview broadcast on Sunday. His position is that the US is in campaign mode. "And campaign messages are campaign messages," he continues. "Sometimes, they're not realistic." Zelensky also mentions speaking with Trump two months ago. During that conversation, Trump vowed support for Ukraine, Zelensky states. It was a positive conversation.
07:27 "ISW: Russia Needs More Soldiers in Kursk to Drive Out Ukrainians"Russia continues its counterattacks in the Kursk region, but the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) hasn't observed a massive-scale operation to completely drive out the Ukrainians from Kursk. The ISW, based in Washington, writes that Russian authorities have primarily relied on poorly trained and equipped conscripts, alongside small parts of the regular Russian armed forces and other security forces in the border region. In an evaluation, the think tank explains: "A Russian counteroffensive to reclaim the territory seized by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk Oblast will likely require more personnel and resources than Russia has already amassed in this area - especially if most of the units already deployed lack combat experience."
According to the Ukrainian military, Russia has been assaulting Ukraine with Shahed drones throughout the night. The Russian military launched multiple groups of attack drones, as reported by the Ukrainian air force. Alerts were issued in almost all regions of the country, including the Odessa region. The navy reported shooting down nine drones there. Explosions were heard in the city of Odessa, but no casualties have been reported as of yet.
06:13 Mützenich Suggests International Peace Initiative
SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich has put forth the idea of an international contact group to instigate a peace initiative in the Ukrainian conflict. He stated, "In my opinion, it is now time for the Western allies to initiate a contact group to kickstart a process." The German Chancellor and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agree that this is an opportune time to boost peace talks' intensity, and that Russia should be part of the next peace summit. When questioned about potential members of such a contact group, Mützenich mentioned countries like China, India, Turkey, and Brazil as viable options. "The conviction that the Russian invasion can become a burden is growing in these countries," so a contact group "could indeed be promising," and it could play a significant mediating role.
05:41 EU Explores New Approach to Extending Sanctions
EU diplomats are reportedly contemplating three ways to renew sanctions against Russia in the future, according to several insiders. This proposal was presented to European diplomats on Friday. The significant aspect is the Russian central bank's frozen assets, which have a crucial impact on granting a 50 billion dollar mega-credit from the G7 countries to Ukraine. These assets have been frozen since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
03:40 Drone Debris Hits Kyiv Buildings
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed via the Telegram messaging app that drone debris had impacted a municipal building in the Kyiv district of Obolon, north of the city center. Klitschko further stated that rescue services were en route to the site. Earlier, the mayor had reported that air defense units were active in the capital.
01:35 Kim Jong Un Endorses Closer Cooperation with Shoigu
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged closer cooperation with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu. According to the state news agency KCNA, the two leaders had a substantial discussion, reaching a satisfactory agreement on matters such as stronger "cooperation to defend mutual security interests." Shoigu had initiated closer ties between North Korea and Russia with a visit to Pyongyang last July.
23:36 Zelensky to Present "Victory Plan" to Biden in SeptemberUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a September meeting with US President Joe Biden. "I will present the plan for victory," the head of state said during an appearance in Kyiv's capital. This plan involves a system of interconnected decisions that will provide Ukraine with sufficient forces to steer the war towards peace. "Such wars of conquest can be ended justly in several ways: either the occupying army is driven out by force or by diplomacy," Zelensky explained. This will guarantee the nation's true independence. However, Kyiv relies on US support for the necessary strong position.
22:59 Russia Changes Attack Direction Towards the SouthHeavy fighting persists in the east of the country, according to the Ukrainian military. There were 115 engagements, the General Staff in Kyiv reported in its evening situation report. "The most intense situation today was in the direction of Kurachove, besides the enemy was also active in the direction of Lyman and Pokrovsk," it said. Kurachove is a small town situated south of Pokrovsk. For a considerable period, Pokrovsk was regarded as the major attack direction of the Russian troops. Lately, however, the Russians have only made minimal territorial gains in that region. Instead, they have broadened their attack axis southwards to capture Hermyk, a mining town near Kurachove.
22:18 Zelensky: Ukrainian Advance in Kursk Brings Desired ReliefThe Ukrainian advance into the Russian region of Kursk is yielding the desired outcome, as per President Volodymyr Zelensky. In the Charkiv region, the enemy has been halted, and in Donetsk, the Russian advance has slowed down, he says. Russia has not yet achieved any significant successes in its counterattack in Kursk. Previous experts had cast doubt on the redeployment of larger Russian troop formations from Donetsk and other regions to Kursk. Russia claims to have reclaimed ten of the 100 occupied villages.
21:30 Russia Utilizes Over 8000 Iranian Drones Against UkraineAs reported by the Kyiv authorities, Russia has released approximately 8060 Iranian Shahed drones towards Ukraine since the initiation of the conflict. Regardless, no official statements have surfaced from Iran or Russia as of yet. Ukraine initially pointed fingers at Iran for providing the suicide drones to Russia during the fall of 2022.
20:43 Possibility of Long-Range Weapons Approval for Ukraine Remains UnclearIn Washington, there's a buzz surrounding the potential approval of long-range weapons for Ukraine between Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain and President Joe Biden. Sources from the "Guardian" suggest that Britain has permitted Ukraine to employ Storm-Shadow missiles. However, neither party is expected to disclose details regarding this matter during today's meeting. John Kirby, the Communications Director of the National Security Council, states, "I wouldn't anticipate an announcement today about the utilization of long-range weapons within Russia – certainly not from the US." He additionally mentions that discussions about the "types of capabilities" to be granted to Ukraine are ongoing with Britain, France, and other allies. Kirby further declines to provide a definitive answer when prompted about potential announcements of changes from the US government.
10:03 "German Combat Brigade as a Deterrent: Lithuania's View on Stationing Agreement" In light of the agreement between Germany and Lithuania, military expert Thomas Wiegold explains that Lithuania views the German combat brigade as a backup, serving as a deterrent against potential threats.
07:27 "Russian Counteroffensive in Kursk: Need for More Personnel and Resources" According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Russian counteroffensive to drive out Ukrainian forces from Kursk will likely require more personnel and resources than what Russia has currently amassed in the area, given the poorly trained and equipped conscripts and small parts of the regular Russian armed forces involved.
