Moscow conceals conflict through political gatherings and blooms
14:25 Ukraine: Five Losses After Russian Assault on Chassiv YarAt least five individuals are stated to have died in the city of Chassiv Yar, situated at the frontline in the Donetsk region, following a Russian assault. Ukrainian regional administrator Vadym Fillaschkin confirmed this via Telegram. The casualties are males aged 24 to 38. The assault took place early in the morning, with shells striking a personal property and a residential building.
13:53 Kharkiv Remembers Victims After Russian AssaultResidents and family members in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv are honoring the casualties of a Russian assault that transpired on Friday evening. As per the governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleg Synegubov, seven people were killed, and 97 were wounded, including more than 20 minors. The youngest victim is reportedly ten months old. Among the deceased is said to be 18-year-old Ukrainian artist Veronika Kozhushko. Renowned Ukrainian artist Serhiy Shadan shares her death on Facebook: "The Russians continue to devastate our future. No forgiveness for that," he writes, posting a drawing by Kozhushko.
13:28 Ukrainian Defense Minister Classifies Air Force Chief's Dismissal as "Regrettable""Probably I would say it's a rotation, but it's regrettable," Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umjerov told CNN in an interview when asked about the dismissal's connection to the loss of the fighter jet. He emphasized that these are two "separate issues" and that the investigation into the cause is ongoing. "I don't want to speculate."
13:03 Danish Prime Minister: No Alternative to Ukraine's Triumph in Conflict with RussiaAccording to "European Pravda," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed during the GLOBSEC conference in Prague that Ukraine's victory in the conflict with Russia is an "inevitable consequence." "There's no alternative to Ukraine winning this conflict. Because if Russia wins, not only will Ukraine be defeated, but we all will," she reportedly said. Frederiksen also noted that there is near-unanimity on this issue within the European Union. "Europe has never been so united as it is now (...). Sometimes we have internal discussions. (...) But it's 26 against one," the "European Pravda" quotes Frederiksen, referring to all of Europe against Russia.
12:15 Russia: Announces Control Over Kirove in Donetsk RegionRussian forces have occupied the village of Kirove in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, as per the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow. Russian troops have been gradually advancing on the frontline in the east for a while. Donetsk, along with Luhansk, forms the industrial Donbass region. Both regions, along with Zaporizhzhia and Kherson further south in Ukraine, were deemed annexed by Russia in September 2022, despite Russian troops not fully controlling them. Ukraine aims to recapture all territories - including the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed in 2014 and lies far south of Kherson.
11:45 Russia Confirms Ukrainian Barrage on BelgorodAccording to Russian reports, Ukrainian forces have bombarded the Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine. There have been fatalities, as governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, announced on his Telegram channel. In a nighttime air strike on the city of Belgorod, three individuals were killed, and more than 30 people, including three children, were injured, Gladkov said. More than a dozen residential structures and 47 vehicles were apparently damaged.
11:10 Expert Triebel: Russia Influences Elections in Moldova Through Disinformation and False NewsMoldova is preparing to hold presidential elections on October 20, with around 2.5 million residents also scheduled to vote in a referendum on whether to embed EU membership in the constitution. This aims to hinder future governments from abandoning the process. Russia is attempting to manipulate the elections through disinformation and false news, asserts Brigitta Triebel, leading the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung office in Chisinau. "The Moldovans are being told: If you don't want to be involved in a war like in Ukraine, vote for the pro-Russian parties," Triebel said. "People's fears are being exploited."
More on this in an interview with Brigitta Triebel on ntv.de.
10:49 Ukraine: 24 out of 52 Russian Drones InterceptedThe Ukrainian air force claims to have intercepted 24 Russian drones. Overnight, Saturday, Russian forces launched 52 drones at targets in Ukraine. Eight regions in the country were affected, as the air force announced on Telegram. 25 drones of the Iranian Shahed type crashed themselves, while three others headed towards Russia and Belarus. There are no reports of injuries or significant damage. One of the targets of the Russian assault was Kyiv, where it was the fourth drone attack this week, authorities in the capital stated. All drones targeting Kyiv were intercepted.
09:34 Russian Region of Belgorod Reports Ukrainian Shelling IncidentThe authorities in the city of Shebekino, located in the Russian region of Belgorod, claim Ukraine engaged in artillery fire. A woman was injured on Saturday. This city is situated near the border with Ukraine.
09:00 Ukrainian Latest Data on Russian Losses in UkraineThe Ukrainian Military High Command publishes updated figures on Russian troop losses in Ukraine. As per the reports, Russia has allegedly lost approximately 614,950 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, with 1,360 casualties in the past 24 hours. The reports also mention the destruction of eight tanks, 42 artillery systems, and 18 drones, amongst other Russian military equipment, in the same time frame. Since the start of the large-scale offensive, Russia has reportedly lost a total of 8,582 tanks, 17,614 artillery systems, and 368 aircraft, 328 helicopters, 14,471 drones, 28 ships, and one submarine, as per Ukraine's statements. Western sources, however, provide a lower estimate of the casualties, although these figures could just represent minimum losses.
08:35 Russian Authorities Report of Ukrainian Attack in BelgorodAuthorities in Belgorod, a city situated in southern Russia, claim that five individuals lost their lives and 46 were injured as a result of Ukrainian shelling on Friday night. The Governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov of the Belgorod region, confirmed that 37 of these injured persons were hospitalized, including seven minors. A video, allegedly captured from a car dashboard, circulating on social media, apparently shows an attack, with a car exploding in motion followed by an explosion on the opposite side of the street. It's essential to clarify that such footage and claims regarding combat situations cannot be fact-checked independently.
07:48 Russian Independent Media outlet: Estimated 66,471 Russian Soldiers Killed in UkraineAccording to Mediazona, an independent Russian media outlet, a minimum of 66,471 Russian soldiers have lost their lives in the Ukraine conflict. In collaboration with BBC News Russian, Mediazona employed open-source research to identify the names of Russian soldiers who have perished in Ukraine. Officials emphasize that this number only accounts for the identifying of deceased soldiers through open-source data, and the actual toll may be significantly higher. The Ukrainian Military High Command estimates the death toll to be over 600,000 Russian soldiers, whereas Western estimates parallel these figures, just as minimum estimates.
07:15 Kharkiv Witnesses Increase in Death Toll Following Russian AttackSeven people have lost their lives, and 97 others suffered injuries, including more than 20 minors, in the Russian attack on Kharkiv, as per the regional governor Oleg Synegubov on Telegram. The Ukrainian city was targeted with a D-30 SM-Lenkluftbombe by the Russians on Friday, resulting in a fire taking place, which continued into the early hours of Saturday.
06:27 Russian Public Dissatisfaction with Government Increases According to ISWFollowing the incursion of Ukrainian forces into the Russian region of Kursk, discontent among the Russian population against their government and President Vladimir Putin is escalating, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). A state-run survey conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation reveals that 28% of respondents are either dissatisfied or disapproving of the measures taken by the Russian authorities in response to the incursion. Meanwhile, state pollster VCIOM reports a 3.5% drop in Putin's approval rating to 73.6%, representing the lowest rating since Putin initiated the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. ISW deduces that the low approval ratings signal that Russia recognizes and acknowledges the growing dissatisfaction among the population since the Ukrainian invasion of the Kursk region.
05:40 Russian Security Service Reports Arrest of Two Colombian Nationals Allegedly Fighting for UkraineThe Russian security service FSB has detained two Colombian nationals, Alexander Ante and Jose Aron Medina, who are accused of having fought for Ukraine. The arrests were made during a stopover in Caracas, Venezuela, on their way back to Colombia. The FSB alleges that evidence confirming their involvement in the conflict and Ukrainian military attire were discovered on the detainees. According to unconfirmed Spanish media sources, the men joined the International Legion in the summer of 2023, and they were arrested at Caracas airport at the beginning of July.
04:47 Czech President Disputes Link Between Russian Advance and Ukrainian OperationsCzech President Petr Pavel questions the connection between the Russian offensive near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region and Ukrainian operations in the Russian Kursk region. He stated, "I don't see a direct link between the rapid Russian advance on the Pokrovsk front and the Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region." The Russian government continues its endeavor to regain control of all four disputed territories, including Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kherson, as per the Czech president. The Kremlin has intended to accomplish this mission within a favorable timeframe, given the optimal weather conditions for military operations.
03:47 Stoltenberg: Ukrainian Advance in Kursk is "Legitimate"NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg has labeled the progress of Ukrainian troops into Russia's Kursk region as valid. Ukraine has the right to defend itself, Stoltenberg told Welt am Sonntag, claiming that this right doesn't cease at the border, as per international law. Regarding accusations from Russia's government that the West was informed about the incursion into their territory ahead of time, Stoltenberg emphasized that Ukraine did not consult NATO about their Kursk plans, and NATO had no involvement. This was Stoltenberg's initial response to the Ukrainian forces' advance near the Russian border.
02:48 Ukraine Makes Accusations of Massive Russian Use of Chemical WeaponsSince the Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 4,000 incidents of chemical weapons use have been reported on the front lines, with over 3,100 cases since December 2023. This indicates a substantial surge in the usage of chemical warfare agents, according to Ukrainian authorities, as reported by the Kyiv Independent. There was a significant jump in the utilization of prohibited chemical warfare agents compared to the roughly 600 cases registered in January, according to the Ukrainian military. The number of reported cases peaked at 715 in May 2024 before gradually decreasing throughout the summer months, with no data available for August as yet.
01:49 ICC Demands Arrest of Putin during Mongolia VisitICC spokesperson Fadi el-Abdallah informed the BBC that Mongolia, as an ICC member state, is under an obligation to apprehend the arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin during his upcoming visit. Putin's trip to Mongolia on September 3 will be his first to an ICC member country where the Rome Statute has been ratified. This Statute necessitates the detention of Putin if he steps foot on such territories. The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Putin in March 2023 due to allegations of forced deportation of children from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
00:33 Biden and von der Leyen Discuss Russia's Invasion of UkraineEU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen advocates for maintaining strong transatlantic relations, no matter the outcome of the US presidential elections in November. She received the Czech and Slovak Transatlantic Award (CSTA) at the Globsec security conference in Prague. In her acceptance speech, she recalled a video call with US President Joe Biden on the day Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. "We mutually agreed on how our response to Putin's war should be," von der Leyen stated. Once more, Europe and the US stood United against Putin's aggression, she added.
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23:19 Casualties in Belgorod from Ukrainian AttacksAt least five people have lost their lives, and another 37 were injured, according to Russian reports, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian border region of Belgorod. A woman and four men died at the scene from their injuries, as confirmed by regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov on the Telegram messaging service.
22:01 Ukraine Pursues AI for Drone Swarms and "Cheap Rockets"Ukraine plans to incorporate AI for drone swarms and develop "cheap rockets" with weapons manufacturers to counter Russian kamikaze drones, said Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov at the Globsec Forum in Prague. Throughout the Russian invasion, both Ukraine and Russia have heavily invested in drone technology, changing the landscape of modern warfare. According to Fedorov, Ukrainian soldiers face multiple challenges, including Russian equipment, infantry, ammunition shortages, kamikaze drones, and surveillance drones. In reaction, Ukrainian forces use small air defense systems, first-person-view drones, and domestically produced long-range drones to attack Russian targets, Fedorov explained.
21:32 Ukraine Receives Urgent Artillery Shells from US-European CoalitionUkraine is receiving a portion of the first batches of howitzer ammunition from the US-European coalition, according to Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky at a Brussels press conference. These 155-mm artillery shells are of critical importance on the battlefield, he claimed. Lipavsky also mentioned that the Czech ammunition initiative has seen through its promise, delivering half a million large-caliber projectiles by the year's end, and providing approximately 100,000 pieces each in July and August.
14:30 Cyber Experts Warn of Increased Risks of Cyberwar during ConflictAs the conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues, cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about the potential for cyberwarfare. In a recent report, a cybersecurity firm warned that both sides have escalated their digital attacks, targeting critical infrastructure, military assets, and government institutions. Such attacks could disrupt communications, cripple government services, and potentially even put lives at risk.
12:45 EU Agrees on Sanctions against Russian Cyber ActorsIn response to the increased threat of cyberwarfare, the European Union has agreed on new sanctions against Russian cyber actors. The sanctions, which target individuals and organizations believed to be involved in cyber attacks against Ukraine, include asset freezes and travel bans. The EU emphasizes the need to hold those responsible for cyber warfare accountable and to deter further attacks.
