Russia reports taking control of two locations in Donetsk
Russia has taken control of two places in the Donezk region. They are Prohres and Evheniwka in the east of Ukraine, according to Russian news agencies, quoting the Russian Defense Ministry.
12:44 Ukraine accuses Russia of killing 564 children since the start of the war
Russia is reportedly responsible for the deaths of 564 children and injuring at least 1487 since the beginning of its military campaign in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian news agency "Ukrinform," citing the Office of the Prosecutor General. Most of the children were affected in the regions of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Cherkasy, Kiev and Zaporizhzhia, the statement on Telegram reads.
12:24 Lindner counters Pistorius in discussion about defense budget
Finance Minister Christian Lindner defended his stance on defense spending in a heated exchange. "We have reached the 2% target for NATO for the first time since many, many years," the FDP leader told ARD-"Hauptstadtstudio" in an interview. "We spend more than France and Italy. In the coming years, we will continue to provide at least two percent of the economic output for security." Lindner then turned the tables: "It's not the case that everything the Defense Minister says is automatically justified and correct." Lindner emphasized that it's about tax money and the efficiency of budget allocation. "Mr. Pistorius has a 100-billion-euro special program for the strengthening of the armed forces, which none of his predecessors had. That's how it works, and that's how it needs to be done," Lindner said.
12:01 Putin threatens response to US missiles in Germany
In response to plans to station US long-range missiles in Germany, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation during the grand naval parade in St. Petersburg. Russia would respond "symmetrically" if the plans were implemented and no longer feel bound by the earlier prohibition on land-based atomic medium-range missiles. The INF Treaty, which bans these weapons, no longer applies since the US withdrawal in 2019. In a speech to sailors from Russia, China, Algeria, and India, Putin warned that the US could trigger a missile crisis reminiscent of the Cold War. "The flight time of these missiles, which could be equipped with nuclear warheads in the future, to targets on our territory will be approximately ten minutes," Putin said.
11:14 Authorities: Russians seize over 500 houses in Luhansk for themselves
In the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic," Russian occupiers have illegally seized 514 houses from evacuated residents. This information was provided by the Ukrainian news agency "Ukrinform," citing a Telegram message from the head of the regional administration of Luhansk, Artem Lysohord. These are objects that are subject to the "nationalization procedure," which begins 30 days after discovery, Lysohord wrote, adding that a large portion of the land seized by the occupation authorities would be nationalized.
10:45 Explosions reported in Charkiw - Air alarm declared in other regions of Ukraine According to susppilne.media, the Ukrainian broadcasting corporation, two explosions were reported in Charkiw this morning. Shortly after, the head of the regional military administration, Oleg Sinegubov, reported through Telegram about two missile attacks by the Russians. The type of missiles is being investigated. According to the news portal "RBC-Ukraine," air alarm has been declared in some regions of Ukraine, including Dnipro, Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava, and Zaporizhzhia. A threat from missiles cannot be ruled out in these regions.
10:07 Governor reports 5 Dead, 15 Injured by Russian Shelling in Donetsk Region Five civilians were killed and 15 others were injured by Russian shelling in the Donetsk region on Saturday, according to Regional Governor Vadym Filashkin's Telegram post. Five residents of the Donetsk region were reportedly killed. Three of them were in Iwaniwka, one in Kostiantyniwka, and one in Toretsk. An additional 15 people in the region were injured during the day, Filashkin wrote. Since the beginning of the Russian aggression in February 2022, according to Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform, over 2100 civilians have been killed and 5515 injured in the Donetsk region. These figures do not include casualties in Mariupol and Volnovakha.
09:46 IfW President: German Fiscal Policy is "Security Risk for Europe" Moritz Schularick, President of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), called on the German government to significantly increase spending on security and defense - while also criticizing the coalition's budget compromise. "The German government is currently making an irrational fiscal policy for what the country needs," Schularick said in an interview with t-online. "Not only that, but the fiscal policy is and remains a security risk for Europe." A future special fund for the Bundeswehr should be "significantly larger" than the current one with a size of 100 billion euros, Schularick added. "Just to close the budget gap in the next ten years, we're probably talking about a volume of 250 to 300 billion euros."
And even then, it's clear: "Even with all these additional expenditures, Germany would still be spending proportionally less on the military than countries like Poland, Norway, or the USA, which have not reduced their investments to the same extent in the past two decades." Overall, Germany would need expenditures amounting to 3 to 3.5 percent of its Gross Domestic Product to deter Putin's Russia with "strength and resolve," Schularick said.
09:15 Expert: Donetsk region is "definitely lost" for UkraineUkrainian forces are under particular pressure from Russian attacks in the Donetsk region. Military expert Ralf Thiele sees no way for Ukraine to hold the region Donetsk in the future. The Russians are "step by step on the offensive" and the Ukrainians are on the retreat. The region is "definitely lost" for Ukraine, Thiele said on ntv. "It's unfortunately sad when you have to say something like that," the military expert added. Donetsk is either on the negotiation table or on the "real table." This means either there will be a ceasefire agreement or a surrender ceasefire, Thiele explained. These are the alternatives he sees. But in both cases, the region "is the end of the day gone," Thiele added.
08:52 Ukraine reports 1180 Russian casualties in 24 hoursRussia has lost approximately 574,690 soldiers in Ukraine between February 24, 2022, and July 27, 2024, according to Ukraine's military calculations. Among them were 1180 fatalities or injuries in the past 24 hours. The Ukrainian military reported this in its daily update on Facebook. In addition, Russia recorded the following losses: 8344 tanks, 16,095 armored combat vehicles, 15,936 artillery systems, 11,271 multiple rocket launchers, 906 air defense systems, and 2405 cruise missiles. The Russian army has also lost 363 combat aircraft, 326 helicopters, 12,766 tactical unmanned aerial systems, 28 warships/cutters, 1 submarine, 21,572 vehicles and tank trucks, and 2671 special equipment since the beginning of their offensive war.
08:16 Thiele on the situation at the front: Ukrainians are "de facto on a step-by-step retreat"The situation in the contested areas in the east of the country is not good for Ukraine, according to military expert Ralf Thiele. The military is trying to prevent a Russian breakthrough - but at the cost of a retreat. The military expert fears that Ukraine will lose the region Donetsk in every scenario.
08:00 Kursk reports fire in fuel depot under controlA Ukrainian drone attack set a fuel depot in the Kursk region on fire, according to local Russian authorities. However, the fire was quickly brought under control, regional governor Alexei Smirnov wrote on Telegram. There were no injuries reported.
07:44 TASS: Russians destroy howitzer and Ukrainian ammunition depot in Kherson regionRussian paratrooper drones destroyed a howitzer M-777 and a Ukrainian ammunition depot for field artillery on the eastern bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region, according to the state Russian news agency TASS, citing the Russian Defense Ministry. After the drone attack, the shrapnel penetrated the front line along the riverbank. At the same time, a reconnaissance drone identified as targets a 155-mm howitzer M-777 and a field artillery ammunition depot in the United States. Through a direct hit, the ammunition depot was destroyed, and the howitzer was put out of order, the statement said.
07:11 Ukrainian Minister: Olympic participation is "our victory"
The Olympic participation of Ukraine, according to Sport Minister Vadym Bidny, is a strong symbol and an opportunity to draw the international community's attention to the situation in the country following the start of the Russian aggression war. "It is a symbolic act and a sign that Ukraine is a strong country with resilient people," Bidny said at the opening of the Ukrainian house in Paris. It is very important that Russia is represented in Paris with only a small team of 15 neutral athletes. Russia as a nation was expelled from the International Olympic Committee due to the aggression. "There is no Russian flag here. There is only the Ukrainian flag. That is our victory," Bidny added.
It is now the responsibility of the Olympic team to unite the international community in support of Ukraine and to speak to the people who normally do not listen to politicians. The participation is a strong signal that Ukraine not only survived but also has the will to win.
06:58 Russia reports shooting down Ukrainian drones
The Russian air defense shoots down seven Ukrainian drones, according to their own statements. Five were shot down over the Belgorod region and two over the Kursk region, says a message from the Russian Defense Ministry on Telegram.
06:36 Governor: Oil depot in Kursk on fire after drone attackIn the night, explosions occur in the Kursk region of Russia due to a drone attack. In an oil depot and several areas, fires break out, Governor Alexei Smirnov reports on Telegram and the channel Baza. The air defense forces are "on alert," writes the Russian official and urges the residents of the region to "vigilance." At least two fires have broken out, one in the Medvenka district and one in the Kursk district, it is reported. In an oil storage facility in the village of Polyova, a fire is said to have been caused, reports the channel Shot on Telegram. Local residents report hearing "several strong explosions" near the oil depot at night. Additionally, an explosion occurred in the city of Sudzha, a house in the Medva district is on fire, it is reported.
05:41 Linnemann raises question of refugee cash benefits for Ukrainians
CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann raises the question of cash benefits for Ukrainian refugees in an interview with Funke media. "We need to discuss why more than 50 percent of the Ukrainians work in many European countries, but only 25 percent in Germany," he says. There are clearly missing incentives for quick employment. "But if there is a performance, it is linked to a counter-performance. That includes taking up work."
04:49 Ukraine: Over 75 percent of wounded soldiers return to duty
In Ukraine, the percentage of soldiers who return to duty after rehabilitation, according to Deputy Defense Minister Natalia Kalmykova, is very high. "We have a very high percentage of high-quality rehabilitation programs and returnees to duty. This is also acknowledged by our Western partners," she said, according to the Interfax news agency. Kalmykova speaks of over 75 percent of the wounded.
03:13 ISW: Ukrainians regain positions near Toretsk, north of DonetskAccording to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian forces have reportedly retaken positions near Toretsk, north of Donetsk. Geolocated footage shows this. The Russian side is said to have continued their offensive operations in the area.
01:08 Ukraine reports multiple fatalities after Russian shelling - including a childAccording to Ukrainian authorities, at least five civilians were killed in Russian attacks in various regions of Ukraine yesterday. In the region of Kherson, there were three fatalities. In the northeastern border region of Sumy, a 14-year-old boy was killed and 12 others were injured in a rocket attack on the town of Hluchiw. In the region of Kharkiv, a man was killed by Russian fire in a residential building.
23:46 Russia reports capture of additional village in UkraineRussia claims to have taken control of another village in eastern Ukraine. The village of Losuwatske in the Donezk region is "liberated," according to the Russian Defense Ministry in its daily report. The village is located about 25 kilometers east of the city of Pokrovsk, in the area where the Russian army has made relatively quick progress in recent months. Ukraine has not confirmed the capture.
22:23 Blinken threatens China with "measures" over continued support of Russian defense industryUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China that the US would take "measures" if Beijing continued to support Russia's defense industry. This was reported by the Ukrainian newspaper "Kyiv Independent". Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Laos, shortly after his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba held talks with Wang during his first visit to China since the outbreak of the war. "The Minister reaffirmed his serious concerns over China's support for the People's Republic of China's defense industrial base and made it clear that the United States would continue to take appropriate measures if the PRC did not address this threat to European security," Miller said.
You can read about previous developments here.**
- In response to the escalating Ukraine-Conflict, NATO has increased its military support to Ukraine, providing additional weapons and training to aid Ukraine's defense against Russian military operations.
- Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, has repeatedly called on NATO for additional military aid and stronger sanctions against Russia during his cyberwar attack on Ukraine, which included an attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
- The attack on Ukraine by Russia has led to significant military casualties on both sides, with estimates of over 50,000 Russian soldiers killed or injured, as well as thousands of Ukrainian troops and civilians.
- The Russian military has been accused of committing war crimes during its invasion of Ukraine, including targeting civilian infrastructure and using banned weapons such as cluster munitions and phosphorus bombs.
- The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has had serious consequences for the region and the international community, including the disruption of energy supplies, refugee crises, and increased tensions between Russia and NATO.
