Kyiv held a funeral service on 8 August for Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who died in Russian detention.

Roshchyna disappeared in occupied territories on 3 August 2023. Russia confirmed her captivity in May 2024, and her death was announced 10 October 2024. She had been previously kidnapped by Russians in March 2022 but freed after ten days.

She was held in at least two Russian prisons, including the Taganrog detention center—described as “one of the most brutal places of detention for Ukrainians on Russian territory.”

The journalist worked for hromadske, Ukrainska Pravda, Radio Liberty, and other outlets. She received the 2022 International Women’s Media Foundation award “For Courage in Journalism.”

According to hromadske, the farewell ceremony on 8 August began with a service at St. Michael’s Cathedral, where several hundred people gathered, including Roshchyna’s relatives—her father and younger sister—former colleagues, and concerned citizens. Her coffin remained closed with bread placed on top, while attendees laid flowers.

After the cathedral service, the hearse proceeded to Independence Square under police escort, with traffic stopped for the procession. During the civilian ceremony, a military officer called out: “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Victoria!”

Former hromadske editor-in-chief Angelina Karyakina, who worked with Roshchyna for nearly three years, described the journalist’s unwavering commitment to her stories.

“Vika never abandoned what she started, if she began to lead some case, some story, to cover some event. She just never left either her heroes or her cases. This is how her very deep, thorough coverage of Maidan cases was born. This is how her documentary film about the prisoners—Ukrainian sailors—was born. This is how other cases were born. I am sure that her work from the occupied territories was built according to the same logic,” Karyakina said.

Karyakina recalled that Roshchyna never took vacations or days off because “for her, this was not work, journalism was a calling for her.”

The former editor emphasized that journalists must determine what happened to Roshchyna and continue her work.

People’s Deputy Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, who came to bid farewell to Roshchyna, remembered her as a political journalist who asked “uncomfortable questions without limitations.”

Roshchyna was buried at Baikove Cemetery. The farewell ceremony was organized by her colleagues from several newsrooms where she worked, including hromadske.

Washington and Moscow are negotiating an agreement that would formalize Russia’s control over Ukrainian territories seized during the invasion, Bloomberg reported on 8 August, citing sources familiar with the talks.

US and Russian officials reportedly are finalizing terms for a Trump-Putin summit as early as next week, according to sources, cited by Bloomberg. The US is seeking Ukrainian and European approval for the deal, though success remains uncertain.

Putin demands Ukraine cede the entire eastern Donbas and Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. This would require President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to withdraw troops from parts of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts still under Kyiv’s control, handing Russia a victory that its army couldn’t achieve militarily since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Under proposed terms, Russia would halt offensives in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts along current battle lines. Sources cautioned that “the terms and plans of the accord were still in flux and could still change.” Whether Moscow would relinquish any occupied territory, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, remains unclear.

The agreement aims to “essentially freeze the war and pave the way for a ceasefire and technical talks on a definitive peace settlement,” sources said. This shifts from Washington’s earlier demand for Russia to first agree to unconditional ceasefire.

After his 6 August meeting with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Putin briefed leaders from China, India, South Africa, and other nations on the discussions, the Kremlin reported.

Trump, who promised rapid conflict resolution, has grown frustrated with Putin’s ceasefire refusal. The leaders held six phone calls since February while Witkoff met Putin five times in Moscow.

“I don’t like long waits,” Trump told reporters on 7 August. “They would like to meet with me and I will do whatever I can to stop the killing.”

The deal would represent “a major win for Putin,” who sought direct US negotiations while sidelining Ukraine and European allies. Zelenskyy risks facing “a take-it-or-leave-it deal to accept the loss of Ukrainian territory, while Europe fears it would be left to monitor a ceasefire as Putin rebuilds his forces,” Bloomberg reported.

Multiple US officials expressed skepticism about Putin’s genuine peace interest, particularly regarding deals falling short of his stated war goals: Ukrainian neutrality, abandoning NATO aspirations, and recognizing Russian control over five Ukrainian oblasts.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said officials are “finalizing details for a meeting within the next few days” at an agreed but unnamed venue.

Whether Putin would join trilateral talks with Trump and Zelenskyy remains unclear. Putin said on 7 August he didn’t object to meeting Zelenskyy “under the right conditions, though he said they don’t exist now.”

Ukraine cannot constitutionally cede territory and maintains it won’t recognize Russian occupation of its land.

A military court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced captured Ukrainian soldier Vladislav Shpak from the Azov brigade to 21 years in a maximum-security prison colony, Russian media Mediazona reported on 8 August.

Russian prosecutors charged the prisoner under articles “concerning participation in a terrorist organization and training for terrorist activities.”

According to the report, in June 2020, 20-year-old Vladislav Shpak “with the aim of improving his financial situation, as well as for ideological reasons” signed a contract with Ukraine’s National Guard and joined the Azov special forces unit. Russia classified this as participation in a terrorist organization.

Between April and June 2021, Russian law enforcement alleges, Shpak underwent military training — which they classified as preparation for terrorist activities.

The soldier served in a unit in the village of Urzuf. In February 2022, when Russian forces invaded Ukraine, he was transferred along with his fellow servicemen to Mariupol. Shpak participated in the defense of Azovstal and was captured three months later on 17 May, along with other Azovstal defenders.

Court materials do not clarify Shpak’s exact role in Azov. Some documents describe him as performing “machine gunner duties,” others call him a “grenade launcher assistant,” while still others identify him as a “reconnaissance driver.”

When asked whether he feels hostility toward Russian citizens and authorities “after the start of the military conflict,” the defendant replied: “Toward citizens — no, toward the authorities — yes.”

Latvia affirms support for NATO’s new Priority Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative in a call with President Zelenskyy, the leaders of the two countries announced on social media.

PURL allows European allies to directly fund American weapons for Ukraine, bypassing traditional government-to-government aid that faces political delays.

The phone call highlights Europe’s shift toward independent Ukraine support mechanisms that don’t depend on US Congressional approval or political cycles.

“Had a good [phone call] with President @ZelenskyyUa,” Latvian President Rinkēvičs posted on X. “We discussed ongoing efforts to reach just and lasting peace. I also informed about Latvia’s support for new NATO initiative for arming Ukraine (PURL). I also reaffirmed Latvia’s support for speedy EU accession process of Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy confirmed the discussion on his Telegram channel: “We also discussed the new PURL instrument, which is already really working. Latvia is ready to join. Thank you!” He emphasized that reliable peace requires “support from the US and European unity,” adding that “Latvia absolutely principally supports Ukraine’s membership in the EU and NATO. We greatly value this position.”

How PURL changes Ukraine aid

Under PURL, Ukraine compiles priority weapons needs in packages of approximately $500 million. NATO allies then negotiate among themselves to fund specific items directly from US manufacturers, coordinated by Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The mechanism has already proven effective. In early August, Nordic countries committed $1 billion through PURL in just two days. The Netherlands contributed €500 million for Patriot missile components, while Sweden, Norway, and Denmark jointly provided another €500 million.

Building sustainable support

The PURL initiative represents a broader European effort to create Ukraine’s support mechanisms that survive political changes in Washington. As NATO and the US launched the system in July, officials described it as a $10 billion framework allowing continuous weapons deliveries regardless of US domestic politics.

For Ukraine, diversified European support reduces vulnerability to American political cycles while building foundations for long-term security partnerships. Initiatives such as PURL show Europe exploring ways to sustain Ukraine’s military needs, even as traditional aid faces political pressures.

Latvia’s outsized impact

Despite having only 1.9 million citizens, Latvia has become a key driver of European support for Ukraine. The country co-leads the international drone coalition with the United Kingdom, delivering 12,000 drones to Ukraine this year.

Latvia has committed 0.25% of its GDP annually to Ukraine military aid through 2026 — a higher percentage than most larger allies. The country has also trained 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers with plans for another 3,000 next year.

Ukrainian military intelligence carried out a sabotage operation against Russia’s 90th anti-aircraft missile brigade in Afipsky settlement, Krasnodar Krai, on the morning of 8 August, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 Russian servicemen and dozens of injured, according to sources in Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate.

“Two explosions occurred near the checkpoint of the military unit,” sources told Hromadske. The attack destroyed equipment and prompted a massive emergency response, with ambulances and special service vehicles converging on the scene.

Local Russian media and social media channels confirmed the explosions in Afipsky, while local security services cordoned off the area and declared an “anti-terrorist operation” regime. Russian authorities attempted to cover up the incident by attributing the explosions to malfunctioning gas cylinder equipment in a vehicle, according to intelligence sources.

“Russian authorities are trying to conceal the fact of sabotage on the territory of the military unit,” a GUR source said. The Federal Security Service has been working to remove mentions of the incident from Russian media.

The 90th anti-aircraft missile brigade targeted in the operation has been participating in Russia’s war against Ukraine on the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia fronts, the intelligence directorate added.

The attack came amid broader Ukrainian operations against Russian infrastructure, with drone strikes also hitting the Afipsky oil refinery in the same oblast, causing significant fires at gas condensate processing facilities.

According to preliminary data from the Finance Ministry cited by The Moscow Times, the deficit increased by 1.2 trillion rubles ($15 billion) in July alone, and expenditures jumped to 3.9 trillion rubles ($49 billion).

This data shows Russia’s war machine consuming the state itself. Unlike previous conflicts, Moscow can’t fund this war indefinitely — and Western allies now have concrete proof that sustained pressure works.

Russia’s budget meltdown by the numbers

The new figures reveal a grim picture of stagnation, overspending, and war-at-all-costs priorities. According to Reuters, government spending rose more than 20% in the first seven months of 2025, while revenues grew just 2.8%. That gap is mainly driven by ballooning military costs.

So far this year, Russia has spent 25.2 trillion rubles ($320 billion) — a staggering increase from pre-war spending levels when the annual federal budget totaled around $220 billion in 2021.

Why do civilian sectors collapse first?

As Bloomberg reports, signs of crisis are now visible across different sectors, as coal mining companies suffer losses, oil, gas, and metallurgy companies see a decline in profits. The automotive industry significantly cuts production due to weak demand.

Productivity in civilian sectors is falling fast. The Moscow Times reported in July that Russian car makers have all shifted to a four-day work week to preserve existing jobs due to diminishing demand, high interest rates, and a lack of affordable financing tools for buyers.

Russia’s aviation industry, once a symbol of national pride, has delivered just one of 15 promised passenger aircraft this year.

Sanctions, oil price caps, and labor shortages are eroding Russia’s economic foundation — yet Moscow shows no intention of scaling back its invasion. A recession with consequences far beyond Russia’s borders now looms.

What this means for Ukraine’s war strategy

The signs are clear: Western sanctions, shifting energy markets, and export controls are having an impact. But they’re not enough on their own. The Kremlin is willing to sacrifice every civilian sector to keep the war machine running.

That’s why Ukraine’s battlefield resilience — and sustained Western support — remain essential. Economic pressure may hurt Russia, but it won’t stop the war on its own.

For Western policymakers, these numbers prove that economic pressure is working, but they also show why military aid remains crucial to finish what sanctions started. Russia’s budget crisis gives Ukraine a strategic window, but only if allies simultaneously maintain economic and military pressure.

In today’s fast-paced business environment, the mini PC has emerged as a vital tool for enhancing daily work efficiency. Its compact design and powerful capabilities make it an ideal choice for businesses looking to streamline operations and reduce costs.

The adoption of the mini PC is becoming increasingly popular among businesses seeking to optimize their daily work processes. These devices offer a unique combination of space-saving design and robust performance, making them suitable for a wide range of applications in the workplace. From administrative tasks to specialized software applications, mini PCs are transforming how businesses approach their daily operations.

Benefits of using Mini PCs for daily work

1. Space-saving design: 

Mini PCs are designed to fit into small office spaces without sacrificing performance, making them perfect for businesses with limited room.

2. Cost-effectiveness: They provide affordable computing power, enabling businesses to access reliable technology without significant financial investment.

3. Energy efficiency: Mini PCs consume less power than traditional desktops, helping to reduce energy costs and contribute to overall savings.

4. Versatility: These devices can be customized to support various business applications, enhancing productivity and efficiency in daily tasks.

Enhancing Point-Of-Sale systems

Mini PCs are revolutionizing point-of-sale (POS) systems by providing faster transaction times and improved accuracy. Their compact nature allows for seamless integration into existing POS setups, enhancing customer satisfaction and sales efficiency. Additionally, mini PCs support real-time data analytics, offering valuable insights into customer behavior and sales trends, which are crucial for informed decision-making.

The ease of installation and maintenance makes mini PCs an attractive option for business owners who may lack technical expertise. With user-friendly interfaces and robust support networks, these devices ensure minimal disruption during deployment and operation.

Streamlining employee management

Mini PCs play a crucial role in effective employee management by facilitating the scheduling of work shifts, tracking performance, and managing payroll efficiently. By centralizing these functions, businesses can reduce administrative overheads and focus on strategic growth initiatives.

Moreover, mini PCs allow for remote access to employee data, enabling managers to make timely adjustments even when away from the office. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for businesses with multiple locations or those operating outside standard working hours.

Incorporating mini PCs into employee management processes can also improve communication across teams. With integrated communication tools, employees can collaborate effectively regardless of their location, fostering a more connected workplace environment.

Optimizing inventory tracking

Efficient inventory management is essential for maintaining profitability, and mini PCs offer real-time tracking capabilities that help businesses maintain optimal stock levels. By providing accurate data on product availability, mini PCs reduce errors associated with manual tracking methods, ensuring quick responses to supply chain disruptions or demand fluctuations.

Businesses have successfully implemented mini PCs for comprehensive inventory management solutions that integrate seamlessly with other operational systems. This holistic approach enhances overall business efficiency by reducing redundant tasks and streamlining workflows across departments. For more information on compact computing solutions, visit Geekom.

Russia may attempt to recapture Kherson. Moscow forces are relentlessly shelling Kherson, while Western media warn that Moscow may be preparing an airborne assault on the liberated city within weeks, in a move to reverse its 2022 liberation.

On 2 August, Russians launched a powerful strike on a strategically important bridge connecting the island district of Korabel to the main part of Kherson city. The strike also damaged three private homes and an apartment building. The invaders had previously targeted the bridge, forcing about 1,800 residents to leave their homes.

Civilians injured as Russia strikes Kherson again

On 8 August, Russian troops launched artillery strikes on central Kherson, critically wounding an elderly woman. She suffered a concussion, multiple shrapnel injuries, and lost an arm. Doctors say her condition is life-threatening, the regional administration reports.

The same day in Antonivka, a suburb of Kherson, Russian drones dropped explosives on two men, aged 33 and 36. Both suffered blast injuries, says the Kherson City Council. 

One of the most shocking attacks involved a 13-year-old boy who was struck by a drone while walking down the street, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin. 

“He sustained a blast injury and shrapnel wounds to his arm and leg,” he said. 

The child was hospitalized and is receiving medical care.

Also in the district suffering the most from attacks, Korabel, due to Russia’s attack on the power grid, water supply will be provided for only two hours per day. 

CNN: Russia could launch an airborne operation in Kherson

According to the report, the Kremlin may be preparing to land troops in Kherson in the coming weeks to reclaim the city that Ukraine liberated in 2022.

Roughly 72% of Kherson Oblast remains under Russian occupation, mostly the left bank of the Dnipro River. The Ukrainian-controlled right bank includes the city of Kherson itself. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military analysts say a Russian amphibious operation in Kherson would be highly risky and unlikely to succeed.

From frontline to warehouse. New Pentagon memo allows redirecting weapons meant for Ukraine back to the US, despite US President Donald Trump publicly endorsing a new supply plan, CNN reports. 

This could mean “that anything short of the president saying go ahead might not get through,” the person said.

Previously, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth already halted a large weapons shipment to Ukraine. Although Trump announced a deal with NATO whereby Europeans would pay for US weapons bound for Ukraine, the Pentagon can be depended on the decision of one person. 

Under the new memo, equipment designated for Ukraine may never reach the front. This includes intercept missiles, air defense systems, and artillery shells, all which is critically needed by Ukraine’s military.

The USAI program, which has reliably supplied Ukraine with arms since 2016, recently received $800 million in new funding under the National Defense Authorization Act. But even that is now in question as sources aren’t sure the weapons will actually reach Kyiv.

“But it’s unclear whether the weapons produced with that money will ultimately go to Ukraine under the new Pentagon policy,” sources told CNN.

 

Separately from USAI, the Pentagon still holds $4 billion in authorized funds to ship weapons directly from US stockpiles.

In Congress, Republicans Roger Wicker and Jim Risch have introduced a bill to establish a special fund that allies can contribute to in order to replenish US weapons sent to Ukraine.

At the same time, the US and NATO are developing a new mechanism — a NATO bank account — where allies would deposit funds specifically to buy American weapons for Kyiv. 

NATO allies have already begun filling the account: according to Secretary General Mark Rutte, more than $1 billion has been allocated, with the total expected to reach $10 billion. But even that may not guarantee the weapons will reach Ukrainian soldiers, not if the Pentagon decides to replenish its own stockpiles first.

Ukraine remains in dangerous limbo. The Pentagon memo could change the course of the war — if the word “go” never comes.

Former UK Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace has called for Britain’s inclusion in upcoming peace talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine, warning that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy risks being pressured by what he described as two bullying leaders.

Trump will reportedly meet with Putin as soon as next week, followed by trilateral discussions with Zelenskyy. European nations are not scheduled to participate in these initial discussions.

“Both Trump and Putin are known to be bullies, they bully people all the time, and I don’t think two bullies versus Zelenskyy, who is a brave man, but I don’t think would necessarily produce the right outcomes,” Wallace told Times Radio, according to Bloomberg.

The former defense secretary emphasized that European powers should have representation during negotiations.

“There are two other nuclear powers in NATO, France and Britain, and I think it is important that in the room should be a European power,” he said.

Wallace expressed concerns about Ukraine potentially being coerced into accepting unfavorable terms. When asked if Ukraine could be “strong-armed” by Trump, he responded: “Yes, there is a concern.”

The announcement follows three hours of meetings between Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, and Putin in Moscow. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, confirmed that a summit could take place next week at a venue decided “in principle,” though he dismissed the possibility of Zelenskyy joining the initial summit.

After phone discussions with the US president, Zelenskyy said he believed Russia was “now more inclined to a ceasefire.”

Trump has simultaneously increased pressure on Moscow through new sanctions, designating Russia as an “extraordinary threat” to the United States. The administration imposed a 25 percent trade tariff on India over its Russian oil purchases, targeting a key revenue source for the Kremlin.

Western officials have repeatedly accused Putin of using peace negotiations to buy time for Russian forces to capture additional Ukrainian territory. Putin has previously demanded settlement terms that Ukraine characterized as equivalent to surrender.

The White House is working to organize a three-way meeting between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, sources in the Trump administration told Ukrainian media Suspilne.

The negotiations could take place as early as next week, though the venue has not yet been determined, according to the sources.

White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt confirmed that President Trump remains open to meetings with leaders from both countries.

“As President Trump said yesterday (on 7 August), the Russians have expressed a desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to this meeting. President Trump would like to meet with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy because he wants this brutal war to end. The White House is working out the details of these potential meetings, and details will be provided at the appropriate time,” Leavitt said.

The diplomatic push follows a series of high-level contacts this week. On 6 August, Trump’s special representative Steve Witkoff visited the Russian capital for a three-hour meeting with Putin. Moscow has not disclosed details of the discussion’s content.

Trump later wrote on his Truth Social platform that Witkoff had a “productive meeting” with the Russian leader.

This was followed by a phone call between Zelenskyy and Trump that included European leaders. Following the conversation, the Ukrainian president said it “seems Russia is now more inclined toward a ceasefire, the pressure on them is working.”

However, Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of ensuring Moscow does not deceive either Kyiv or Washington regarding the details of any potential agreement.

Türkiye’s Baykar company has conducted successful trials of its Bayraktar Akıncı drone equipped with Ukrainian engines, technical director and co-owner Selçuk Bayraktar said on X.

The trials featured the Akıncı testing ALPAGUT and EREN smart missiles, which demonstrated high target accuracy, RBC-Ukraine reported. Video footage showed the drone taxiing on a runway before takeoff, operated from a ground control station.

The Bayraktar Akıncı uses Ukrainian AI-450T turboprop engines. These engines provide the necessary thrust for high-altitude flights, opening possibilities for strike and reconnaissance missions, according to the company.

Baykar began developing the Akıncı in 2018 and presented the first prototype that same year. By 2019, the drone was fitted with Ukrainian turboprop engines. On 10 August 2019, Ukrainian state company Ukrspetseksport and Türkiye’s Baykar Makina established their first joint venture in precision weapons and aerospace technology. Two days later, Ukraine delivered two AI-450T engines to Türkiye for use in the Akıncı.

The drone made its first public appearance with weapons in September 2019 at the Teknofest exhibition.

The Bayraktar Akıncı carries up to 1,350 kilograms of combat payload. The heavy strike drone measures 12.2 meters in length with a 20-meter wingspan and can remain airborne for 24 hours while reaching altitudes above 12,000 meters.

Built on a modular design, the Akıncı offers flexibility in weapons selection, from air-to-ground missiles to precision bombs and smart munitions. Future upgrades will include thermal imaging systems, active phased array radars, and high-precision optical cameras.

In 2022, preparations began for an agreement with Türkiye to build a Bayraktar factory in Ukraine. Baykar subsequently received licensing permits from Türkiye to manufacture both Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı drones in Ukraine.

Construction of the Ukrainian factory started last year, with plans to produce over 100 drones annually, according to the company.

Exclusive

• How a NATO country flipped toward Russia—according to its former defense minister

Military

“Victory cannot be achieved in defence”: Syrskyi confirmed that there are plans for offensive. Ukraine’s strategy for victory requires offensive action rather than defensive positioning, Commander-in-Chief said, revealing that military command developed operational plans.

Ukraine’s drones found the guns. Artillery finished the job — four Russian howitzers gone (video). Three D-20s and one D-30 were destroyed in a confirmed artillery strike.

ISW: Russia likely takes two villages near Kupiansk — now it’s eyeing the town’s lifeline highway

. Russian troops may envelop the city from the west instead of attacking frontally, according to the ISW.

Russia rigged the bridge with mines — Ukraine’s drone turned it into dust. The FPV drone strike didn’t just target the bridge. It used Russian explosives against them.

Kherson withstood occupation once—now Moscow wants it back, but Ukraine says invaders will drown before it happens. Moscow’s forces hit Korabel’s only link to the mainland, aiming to carve out a foothold. But Ukrainian defenders are turning the Dnipro Delta into a trap.

Intelligence and technology

Expert: War’s deadly pulse shows no sign of slowing—no matter what results Witkoff-Putin meeting brings. With hundreds of drone strikes hitting Crimea and the Donbas every week, the expert say peace is still far out of reach.

Russia may prepare to launch “flying Chornobyl” again—but only thing it has ever hit is its own scientists. Experts say it’s more theater than threat amid the US-Russian peace talks over Ukraine.

Ukraine’s AI Factory sets course for global top 3 by 2030

. With battlefield-born digital expertise, Kyiv now eyes global leadership in the next great technological race.

International

Zelenskyy reveals high-level security meeting following Trump envoy’s Moscow visit. Ukraine and its Western partners scheduled follow-up security talks for 8 August after Trump envoy Steve Witkoff briefed allies on his Putin meeting

“Peace as trap”: Ukraine may face pressure from US and Russia to accept Kremlin’s demands, says diplomat. Former ambassador Chaly says Moscow’s demands haven’t changed.

Witkoff to brief Ukrainian and NATO officials on meeting with Putin – media reports. Trump’s call with Zelenskyy after Witkoff’s Kremlin visit left Kyiv and EU capitals confused about whether US policy was shifting or sanctions would proceed as planned on 8 Aug.

Putin names UAE suitable location for planned meeting with Trump.

White House sets Zelenskyy meeting as condition for Trump-Putin summit

. White House officials have made Putin’s agreement to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a prerequisite for any Trump-Putin summit, despite Moscow’s claims that a bilateral meeting was already arranged in principle.

Bloomberg: Trump suggests Putin would be open to peace talks in exchange for territory. The developments follow a meeting between Putin and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on 6 August, which Trump characterized as achieving “great progress.”

ISW: Ahead of Trump’s 8 August deadline, Russian propagandists fuel White House division to avoid sanctions. Meanwhile, Russian officials still claim economic strength despite falling oil revenues and slowing household consumption.

Ukraine EU poll 2025: Confidence in quick membership hits lowest point since invasion. Ukrainian confidence in EU membership within 10 years drops to 52% – down 21 points from 73% in 2022-2023, new Gallup poll shows.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russia opens “slave market” of stolen Ukrainian children — users can choose them by color of eyes. Since 2014, nearly 20,000 children have been taken from occupied territories, and now Moscow is cataloging them online like items in a store.

“We’ll cut it off and rape you”: Ukrainian prisoner threatened with castration during interrogation in Russian captivity

. Anatoliy Tutov survived four rounds of beatings and sexual torture, and released with broken ribs, internal bruises, and fractured bones.

Ukraine reveals name of main torturer of journalist Roshchyna, who was killed in Russian detention center. Alexander Shtuda, the Russian detention chief, is now charged with overseeing the savage abuse that led to Victoria Roshchyna’s death.

Political and legal developments

Ukrainian draft employees to be mandated to wear body cameras from 1 September – Defense Minister. Ukraine’s recruitment centers face new transparency measures requiring body cameras and video recording amid escalating tensions around mobilization efforts.

Russia’s energy revenues crash by 19% as war devours civilian budget. With gas exports to Europe halved and oil profits plunging, the Kremlin raids its welfare fund while fueling the front.

Indian refineries stop buying Russian oil again after US tariffs – Bloomberg. Three of India’s largest state-owned oil companies have stopped buying Russian crude in their next purchasing cycle after President Trump slapped 25% tariffs on Indian exports

Capitulation is not peace: Nearly 80% of Ukrainians reject Russia’s demands on ceding territory and disarmament. Putin’s so-called “peace plan” requires surrender, while Ukrainians call it what it is: defeat in disguise.

WP: Trump administration plans to soften criticism of Russia on human rights. Trump’s human rights report on Russia omits the Supreme Court’s LGBTQ+ organization ban and related arrests, which a former State Department official calls a “glaring omission.”

Read our earlier daily review here.

Ukrainian drone interceptor unit Posipaky has successfully shot down two new Russian Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicles, volunteer Serhiy Sternenko reported, publishing video footage of one of the intercepts.

Ukrainian intelligence officials previously identified these drones as potential reconnaissance assets and decoy targets designed to reveal Ukrainian air defense positions or overload defense systems. The aircraft reportedly can also carry a warhead weighing up to 15 kilograms.

The drone’s fuselage features a delta-wing configuration similar to the Shahed-136 but significantly smaller in dimensions. Most components used in this Russian UAV are of Chinese origin, according to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate.

“Almost half of them: flight controller with autopilot, navigation modules and antennas, air speed sensor and Pitot tube – from one Chinese company CUAV Technology, which specializes in research, development and production of system modules and applications for UAVs,” according to the intelligence report.

The drone is also equipped with a Chinese copy of the Australian RFD900x data transmission module manufactured by RFDesign. Like the original sample, the Chinese product is designed for long-range data transmission up to 40 kilometers in direct line of sight, depending on the antenna.

This device enables data transmission channels from the drone to its ground station or between UAVs, thereby expanding reconnaissance capabilities. The Shahed-type drone is fitted with a Chinese DLE-60 engine and electronic ignition module.

The intercepts highlight ongoing Ukrainian efforts to counter evolving Russian drone technology that increasingly relies on Chinese-manufactured components for critical flight systems and communication equipment.

In October 2022, CUAV Technology announced restrictions on supplying its products to both Ukraine and Russia to prevent their use in military applications. However, in 2023, Russia presented a vertical takeoff drone as an original development, which turned out to be a CUAV product available on Aliexpress.

Militarnyi notes that DLE engines were previously used by Russian developers in the Gerbera and Parodiia decoy drones. KST servos have appeared in the Shahed-136 drones, V2U, aerial bomb glide kits.

Four years ago, most of these women fighters had never fired fired a gun or held a weapon in combat. By the time they died, they were operating some of Ukraine’s most sophisticated military equipment.

All of them were killed while serving in frontline combat roles when Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Their ages ranged from 22 to 52. Their deaths span the full spectrum of modern warfare: drone operators, combat medics, reconnaissance scouts, evacuation specialists. Some were career soldiers; others learned military skills after February 2022.

Their stories reveal how Ukraine’s war has quietly revolutionized military service. Civilians became drone pilots. University students became battlefield medics. Mothers learned reconnaissance. They died performing jobs that placed them in the most dangerous areas of combat – from evacuation routes under artillery fire to reconnaissance missions in contested territory. Their call signs and nicknames became known to their units not as curiosities, but as soldiers who had mastered their roles and died performing them.

The medic fighter who refused to leave

Two days into Russia’s invasion, Inna Derusova could have stayed home. The 52-year-old senior sergeant had just returned from vacation when the bombs started falling. Instead, she reported to her medical unit near Okhtyrka in Sumy Oblast and began treating wounded soldiers under artillery fire.

On 26 February 2022, just two days after the full-scale invasion, Russian shells hit her aid post. Derusova had already saved more than ten soldiers that day. She died treating the wounded, becoming the first woman to receive Ukraine’s highest honor – Hero of Ukraine – posthumously awarded by President Zelenskyy.

Her career began in 2015, long before anyone imagined this full-scale war. By 2022, she headed a medical unit and trained frontline medics. The invasion found her exactly where she chose to be: holding the line.

From university to the trenches

Anastasiia Marianchuk was studying Japanese at Kyiv’s Taras Shevchenko University when Russia invaded. The 22-year-old took a sabbatical in 2022 – not to flee, but to volunteer as a combat medic.

Her call sign “Troia” became known throughout the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade’s first rifle battalion. She served around Kyiv, then moved to the Donetsk front. On 18 March 2024, she was evacuating wounded soldiers under heavy fire near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast when enemy shells hit her vehicle.

Marianchuk had planned to teach Ukrainian in Japan after the war. Instead, her classmates held an art exhibition of her drawings after her funeral. She was 22 when she died – old enough to choose the fight, young enough to dream of what could come after.

The mother who learned to fly drones

Liudmyla Shkurenko spent the early months of the war as a volunteer, like thousands of Ukrainian civilians. But the 43-year-old mother of two from Kyiv Oblast wanted to do more than pack humanitarian aid.

She learned to operate UAV systems, then formally enlisted in the Ukrainian Army in May 2024. Assigned to a mechanized battalion as a reconnaissance scout and gunner, she deployed to the Kupiansk area in Kharkiv Oblast.

On 29 May 2024, Shkurenko texted her husband before a night mission, promising to stay safe. It was the last message he received. Enemy shelling struck her unit during the operation, and she died from the wounds.

Her funeral in Ukrainka, Kyiv Oblast drew neighbors who remembered her as a devoted mother; her unit remembered her as a soldier who had mastered new skills to fight more effectively.

To win in a war of attrition, Ukraine should mobilize women, report argues

The IT recruiter turned battlefield angel

Yana “Yara” Rykhlitska worked in civilian IT recruitment before February 2022. After the invasion, the 29-year-old began volunteering with medics and refugees. By late 2022, she had formally joined the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Mechanized Brigade and served at a first-aid post during the Battle of Bakhmut.

Her colleagues called her the “Angel of the Fighters” for her work treating the wounded. On 3 March 2023, she was evacuating injured soldiers in a clearly marked medical vehicle when Russian artillery struck near Bakhmut. The shells killed her during the evacuation.

At her funeral in Vinnytsia, her parents asked mourners to donate to military medics rather than the family – a final reflection of Rykhlitska’s priorities.

The decorated veteran

Some of these women were career soldiers. Mariia Vlasiuk had served since 2016, long before the full-scale invasion. The college-trained nurse from Rivne Oblast deployed with the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade to multiple regions during 2022 – Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv.

In April 2022, Ukraine awarded her the Order For Courage (3rd class) for evacuating dozens of wounded soldiers under fire. She had saved hundreds of lives by the time she deployed to Luhansk Oblast for what would be her final rotation.

On 24 May 2022, Vlasiuk was traveling to pick up injured comrades near Bilohorivka when Russian forces hit the evacuation convoy. Shrapnel from the artillery barrage killed the 27-year-old medic instantly.

The veteran medic from Transcarpathia

Nataliia “Babochka” Bokoch had worked as a paramedic and emergency medical technician for over two decades before the war. The 46-year-old mother of two from Khust in Zakarpattia Oblast even trained with the Red Cross in Britain. She was fondly known as “Babochka” (Granny) among her comrades-in-arms.

In 2023, she returned from Hungary and enlisted in the Ukrainian Army as a military medic. Regional media in Transcarpathia reported that she “tragically died on the front line” in early 2024 while serving with a medical evacuation unit, though military officials did not release specific details about her death during combat operations.

The blue-haired drone ace with the cat’s ears

Kateryna “Meow” Troian’s call sign suited her personality, but her skill made her legendary. The 32-year-old had flown over a thousand successful combat missions for Ukraine’s 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade. But Russian forces killed her on 8 June 2025 near Pokrovsk.

Troian joined Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces in 2023, when FPV drone warfare was still evolving from hobby technology into a decisive battlefield tool. She learned to pilot first-person-view drones – small, agile aircraft that operators control through video feeds, often flying them directly into enemy targets.

Her distinctive blue hair made her stand out among the paratroopers, but her flight record made her invaluable. Over a thousand successful missions meant she had engaged Russian positions more times than most soldiers fire their rifles. Fellow drone operators considered her among the best FPV pilots in the brigade.

Troian’s service took her from Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region to combat operations in Russia’s Kursk area. On 8 June 2025, she was conducting a mission near Pokrovsk when her unit came under heavy artillery fire. She died of her wounds at Mechnikov Hospital after her evacuation ambulance took direct hits.

What their deaths reveal

The deaths of these women fighters weren’t mere anomalies. Ukraine’s military has has integrated women into combat units, artillery, reconnaissance, and medical corps in growing numbers since February 2022. Official casualty reports list hundreds of servicemembers killed in action – a toll that includes an increasing number of women serving in frontline roles.

The war found some of them in uniform already. Others chose to join the fight, learning skills from drone piloting to battlefield medicine. All seven died doing jobs that required them to operate in the most dangerous areas of the battlefield – from evacuation routes under artillery fire to reconnaissance missions in contested territory.

Their call signs and nicknames – “Meow,” “Troia,” “Yara,” “Babochka” – became known to their units not as curiosities, but as soldiers who had mastered their roles and died performing them.

Russian forces launched drone attacks against civilian targets across three Ukrainian oblasts overnight on 8 August, according to regional officials.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported about the downing of more than 80 Russian drones during the night, predominantly Shaheds, along with reactive drones and decoys. The attacks represent continued Russian targeting of civilian infrastructure across multiple oblasts, with Sumy Oblast remaining one of the most frequently attacked border areas where shelling, drone attacks, and Russian reconnaissance group infiltration attempts occur regularly.

In Sumy Oblast, Russian forces struck Shostka with attack drones around 1 am, with air defense systems engaging the threats. Multiple Russian drones moved toward the city, followed by explosions as air defenses operated. Witnesses reported hearing characteristic sounds of Iranian kamikaze drones and series of loud explosions in the sky.

Sumy Oblast Governor Oleh Hryhorov said that three Russian drone impacts damaged several multi-story residential buildings, vehicles, and social infrastructure facilities in the Shostka community.

Sumy community also suffered damage, with the local administration confirming no fatalities but reporting destruction and one injury. The attack damaged several non-residential buildings, a store, and a private vehicle. A 54-year-old man was injured, receiving immediate medical assistance on-site and continuing outpatient treatment.

The Kyiv Oblast Military Administration reported that Russian forces attacked settlements in the oblast with drones, specifically targeting the Buchan district.

In Bucha, the assault injured three civilians: women aged 56 and 80, and a 16-year-old teenager, according to the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration. Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk confirmed that seven private houses and a kindergarten sustained damage from the Russian night attack.

Fedoruk said that all residents remained alive, with rescuers, utility services, and police immediately providing assistance to affected people.

Russian drone also attacked Odesa Oblast, injuring one person and causing destruction, Governor Oleh Kiper said. The attack damaged a sewage pumping station building, while falling debris from downed drones ignited dry grass in suburban areas before firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze.

“A gas station security guard was injured when the blast wave blew out glass. The man received multiple lacerations on his hand. Medics provided him with all necessary assistance, and the wounded man continues outpatient treatment,” Kiper said. 

The Russian military regularly attacks Ukrainian oblasts with various types of weapons, killing civilians and destroying hospitals, schools, kindergartens, energy and water supply facilities.

The Ukrainian authorities and international organisations qualify these strikes as war crimes by the Russian Federation and emphasise that they are of a targeted nature.

When Martin Sklenar served as Slovakia’s defense minister, his government did something unusual: they shut down Russian disinformation outlets spreading through Slovak society. The polls immediately shifted. Support for the Russian narrative dropped.

Then politics changed. The outlets returned. So did the pro-Russian sentiment.

It’s a real-time case study of how Russia captures Western democracies – with measurable results. Sklenar watched it happen from the inside.

Now Slovakia’s government, led by Robert Fico, pushes “peace” messaging that echoes Russian talking points. The country that once strongly supported Ukraine has flipped. And Sklenar, who served during the transition, knows exactly how Russia pulled it off.

“It’s incomprehensible that Slovaks would forget that in 1968 the Soviet Union invaded Slovakia,” he tells Euromaidan Press at the Globsec Forum in Prague. But it happened: Russia found another angle—focusing on the 1945 liberation instead of the 1968 invasion, claiming credit for the Red Army’s multinational sacrifice.

The formula works. Slovakia is proof. And Sklenar warns it’s spreading across Central Europe as populists promise to end the war quickly by giving Russia what it wants.

In our conversation, the former defense minister reveals the mechanics of Slovakia’s transformation, explains why European leaders hesitate to fully support Ukraine despite superior resources, and argues that Russia’s nuclear threats have become a paper tiger that nobody wants to test.

Russia used Minsk process ceasefire to advance war goals

EUROMAIDAN PRESS: Throughout this forum, a ceasefire has been discussed repeatedly as the best-case scenario for Ukraine. Is that your assessment?

SKLENAR: Ceasefire is only the first step. What we need is a justified and sustainable peace in Ukraine—the only thing that Ukraine deserves and the only thing that will actually stop the war.

However, a ceasefire seems to be a tool mostly for Russia to play with the political level of engagements, delaying any chance of action while allowing more time to produce weapons, deploy soldiers, and continue atrocities.

EUROMAIDAN PRESS: In 2015, we had a ceasefire negotiated, but it allowed Russia to rearm and attack with new vengeance. What prevents a ceasefire from becoming a new Minsk agreement?

SKLENAR: The most difficult piece is making sure it’s not worth it for Russia to attack Ukraine. If we can do that, then Russia won’t start this again because it’s not worth it. You calculate the damages to your political reputation, international reputation, stability back home, economic situation, and the actual land you want to capture. Then you see if it’s worth it or not.

The main objective is to ensure that Russia doesn’t try again. This is difficult because the international political situation doesn’t seem aligned with reaching that solution. But we run the risk that if we allow Russia to seize territory, they’ll do this again when we can’t control it as well.

EUROMAIDAN PRESS: But that’s exactly what Russia gets from a ceasefire – control over Ukrainian territory.

SKLENAR: It depends. Ukraine is ready to start talking. Russia doesn’t want to start because they’d need to give away what they have now. The primary task is to continue supporting Ukraine so it can be stronger and have a stronger position as dialogue goes on, either directly with Russia or through mediators.

But even with a ceasefire, we’d need to monitor an area stretching a thousand kilometers, when the front is now 50 kilometers deep. That’s an incredible dimension. It’s so difficult to control every piece that striving for a ceasefire looks like a tactic to delay resolution.

That’s exactly what happened with Minsk. Russia uses so-called peace negotiations and ceasefires to advance war goals that include not only dominating Ukraine, but reversing all Eastern European NATO states.

EUROMAIDAN PRESS: One year ago, Zelenskyy’s peace plan was the number one idea. Now, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha talks about Trump’s plan as viable. Why has this rhetoric shifted?

SKLENAR: Trump’s arrival changed the situation. Last year, there was little optimism that negotiations could start. Now everybody talks about opportunities for negotiations. I’m disappointed personally, because we’ve given Russia another chance to play around with the West and delay the resolution of the conflict.

We’ve given Russia another chance to play around with the West and delay the resolution of the conflict.

Ukrainian representatives are in a difficult position—they must explore anything that could stop the war and liberate Ukraine. That involves President Trump, so you must work with the US administration. The US still plays a very important role in the world. And that’s why you need to adjust to the diplomacy. And with the diplomacy comes the rhetoric that you need to keep the US engaged.

It’s not just business deals but discussions that reflect the current situation. We saw what happened when President Zelensky visited the White House, if the rhetoric isn’t right. What you say should open possibilities to work closer and find solutions. If you don’t do that, you’re not even getting to the point where you discuss outcomes.

And if you are able to do that, that gives you some possibilities. If you don’t do that, then you are not even getting to the point where you are discussing some of the outcomes.

Foreign ministers are good at this, especially when your country has been at war for [eleven years].

EUROMAIDAN PRESS: What do we consider Ukrainian victory now?

SKLENAR: For Ukrainians, it’s clear. Victory is a situation where they can rely that Russia will not do this again. That requires strong commitment from Ukrainians, Europeans, the United States, Canada, Türkiye, and others – a strong enough relationship to ensure deterrence is strong enough that Russia’s post-war calculation tells them it’s not worth trying again.

Slovakia’s flip towards Russia

EUROMAIDAN PRESS: You served in government during Slovakia’s transition from strong Ukraine support to Fico’s return with peace messaging. Why does the populist promise to end the war quickly resonate with voters who lived through the Soviet occupation?

SKLENAR: In Slovakia, the population is very polarized. We’ve been the object of strong Russian propaganda, polarizing society to where people don’t think about their experience but get influenced by disinformation campaigns targeted against them, questioning everything. This creates a complicated situation where everything and nothing seems true, which is easy to manipulate.

We’ve seen this trend for a long time. Previous governments tried to address it. When the full-scale invasion started in February 2022, there was a strong push toward limiting Russian influence in Slovak society, which unfortunately couldn’t continue due to political reasons.

What the government did was shut down some online outlets spreading disinformation. When that happened, we saw an immediate decrease in support for the Russian narrative. When there was no more political will to continue this, we saw an uptick again.

When Slovakia shut down outlets spreading disinformation, support for the Russian narrative decreased. When the political will ended, we saw an uptick again.

There’s a clear relationship between what’s coming into the country and population opinions. It’s not that Slovaks think one way or another—it’s still a polarized society with very small changes in support that, in the grand scheme, meant the government changed completely.

EUROMAIDAN PRESS: So, Russian propaganda is the reason for these changes that led to support for Fico?

SKLENAR: It’s a chicken and egg situation, but Prime Minister Fico is a very good politician who feels very well what the population can support. He can identify how to angle discussions to resonate with small, marginal groups. The main groups remain the same, but it depends on how much of the marginal groups you engage for election mobilization.

It’s incomprehensible that Slovaks would forget that in 1968, the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact invaded Slovakia because it had a different opinion about how to run things. That’s a big national trauma the country still feels.

But now there’s another angle being used – not mentioning the 1968 invasion, but focusing on the liberation of Czechoslovakia in 1945 by the Red Army, which the Russian Federation now claims all responsibility for, even though it was Ukrainians and other nationalities who served in the Red Army and helped liberate Slovakia.

That’s overlooked, and it comes back to misinterpreted history during socialist times. After the Slovak national uprising against the fascist regime in 1944-45, before the war’s end, when the Communist Party took over in 1948, they reconstructed historical facts and connotations in favor of the socialist regime.

Social media becomes a battlefield

EUROMAIDAN PRESS: What actions in Slovakia were useful to limit the spread of disinformation?

SKLENAR: Taking down outlets that spread disinformation was most effective, but there’s only so much a country can do. Most people now consume news and opinions they want to believe on social media.

The straightforward way to handle this is through dialogue with social media platforms and media generally, ensuring the professionalism we expect. We grew up when news were produced by professional journalists who studied how to make news objective and provide a picture for people to form their own opinions.

Now this has gone away. People don’t distinguish between professional journalists and people sharing opinions on social media. That should change through media literacy, education, and analytical thinking required to understand what’s being pushed at you and that you’re being targeted.

If propaganda is part of war—as General Gerasimov told us in 2007 when he proposed what we call the hybrid warfare doctrine, saying that whether it’s peacetime or crisis, Russia will always conduct information operations to advance its objectives—then this has been going on forever.

This is a general talking about military operations in the information space all the time. Social media becomes a battlefield, but people don’t perceive it that way.

Social media becomes a battlefield, but people don’t perceive it that way.

If people want to join the military, they think about risks and rewards—I earn money and have a stable job, but if situations deteriorate, I might end up fighting for my country. You make an informed decision.

Сreating a social media profile, you don’t think you’re joining a battlefield. Yet every time you log in, you become a soldier. You could choose to be on the good side or bad side, or stay indifferent and be the target in the middle.

People should understand: if you’re here, this is an information space where the battlefield reaches. Make your own assessment of how you want to deal with it.

EUROMAIDAN PRESS: What’s the number one reason preventing the West from ensuring Ukraine’s victory?

SKLENAR: The false perception of peace in Europe. Sometimes we say Ukraine is far from Paris, Madrid, or Rome, so it’s not as urgent as in Baltic countries or Poland, which border Russia and know what might happen.

But populations in these countries feel very secure and normal. Even here in Prague—it’s beautiful—there are no signs Russia is at war with Europe.

And Russians are telling us they are [at war]. They assign us objectives that we’re an enemy country. They push propaganda. They make their influence. They send their shadow fleet across the Baltic Sea, seeing whether something bad happens, they might use as a pretext for escalation.

They’re attacking us in this way. In one panel, we discussed how Russia attacks NATO members in this hybrid, below-the-threshold way. But people don’t feel like it. If it’s below the threshold, people think it’ll be fine—maybe a little discomfort, and there should be people watching to know if it gets worse. But right now it’s fine and we live as we used to.

In Europe, this means social benefits and money spent having a great time. With that comes a lack of interest and support for difficult political decisions about supporting Ukraine to the necessary level. Politicians who push too hard without popular support lose elections.

We risk getting more representatives like in Slovakia’s case, who come into important positions doing even less. That’s difficult for Ukraine when there’s no end to the war in sight and negotiations haven’t even started.

It’s this perception of peace in Europe despite us being in deep trouble.

Explaining the level of support that Ukraine needs is difficult

EUROMAIDAN PRESS: Romanian former NATO spokeswoman Lungescu just said there’s been no Russian attack on NATO members– despite Russian drones regularly falling on Romanian soil—and no war in Europe, despite Ukraine being at war. Who can make the difficult decisions, if politicians are bound by the population’s will, and populists exploit this?

SKLENAR: These decisions are still being taken. Many governments decide despite a lack of support – I don’t think any country has ever had resolute support for donating military equipment to Ukraine. That would be hard to imagine in any context.

But to ensure Ukraine negotiates from strength requires much more support. The level of increase necessary is difficult to explain to populations.

Politicians don’t need to make all decisions at once, but they must explain and raise awareness about what’s at stake. It’s not only Ukraine—it’s ordinary citizens’ way of life at stake.

We hear Russia could be ready to test NATO and the EU in two to five years. Two years could happen at any time. Whenever there’s an opportunity, Russia might use it. Just recently, we heard news about Israel attacking Iran. Just like that, it could be news about Russia challenging NATO and EU unity in the Baltics, Romania, or anywhere else.

Discussion about West’s use of nuclear weapons needed

EUROMAIDAN PRESS: Russian nuclear weapons appear to be Russia’s strongest deterrent because Western nations submit to Russia’s red lines. But Ukraine violates these red lines daily. Do you see this changing? Do you see this dynamic changing, or are we stuck with nuclear paralysis indefinitely?

SKLENAR: That’s the most difficult discussion to have because the weapons are so horrifying that even the slightest possibility of them being used is seen as most extreme; you don’t want to play with that situation at all.

We haven’t chosen this situation. This is Putin deciding to put everybody in an uncomfortable situation and do this as long as necessary to break their will and do as he feels like doing.

Despite expectations that Russia might use weapons or signal their use, we’ve seen both horizontal and vertical escalation from Russia’s side, then balancing from the Western side.

“If you deliver F-16s to Ukraine, you will see a response from Russia, and we will not shy away from using nuclear weapons to protect our territory.” Yet the F-16s are in Ukraine; they’re flying, nothing has happened.

“Ukraine cannot target targets in Russia. Otherwise, it will mean use of nuclear weapons.” This has not happened. So Russian rhetoric is… I don’t want to say inconsistent, and don’t want to say they don’t really mean it. This is exactly the situation where you cannot take it out of the equation.

But just as drones represent the change in how modern warfare is fought, we see discussions about the role of modern technology versus traditional military equipment. I think we’ll need a discussion about what role nuclear weapons can actually achieve in a conflict like this very soon—what it means and why we have nuclear weapons if in situations where they should be used, they’re not even being signaled to be used.

West does not benefit from war against Ukraine

EUROMAIDAN PRESS: Cynical voices say the West benefits from this war – Russia is using Soviet-era stock artillery to kill Ukrainians instead of attacking NATO countries. Is the West buying time with Ukrainian blood?

SKLENAR: No. The West is not benefiting. Ukraine has chosen to be part of the West. Now we know we didn’t do enough before the invasion to bring Ukraine into NATO. If we were in a similar situation now, we’d ensure Ukraine is protected by Article 5.

When this is over—not if but when—Ukraine will become part of the West. So the West is losing. Every citizen in Ukraine killed is a loss for the West.

The West recognizes that Ukraine is fighting a war for the whole Western community against Russia. If Ukraine were a NATO member, this would be much simpler. That’s what’s so attractive about being a NATO or EU member—you have basic arrangements with countries you can rely on. Ukraine is in a challenging situation because we weren’t quick enough or we didn’t believe Russia would actually do this.

We put them in this unfortunate situation. But with the support, we’re trying to help.

After 42 months of grueling fighting in Ukraine, Russia’s stocks of modern armored vehicles are low. So low, in fact, that Russian technicians are pulling out of long-term storage derelict tanks that, until now, were widely considered unfit for combat.

Closely inspecting recent satellite imagery of Uralvagonzavod, the sprawling Russian tank plant in Nizhny Tagil 1,600 km from Ukraine, open-source analyst Jompy spotted something he’d long anticipated as Russian tank losses exceeded 4,000 earlier this year. That’s as many tanks as Russia had in front-line service before widening its war on Ukraine in February 2022.

“Just like that, there are a lot of likely T-72As parked in the yards outside UVZ now,” Jompy wrote, using the abbreviation for Uralvagonzavod. When tanks appear outside Uralvagonzavod, it’s usually because they’re gradually being brought inside the factory for refurbishment and possibly upgrade before being shipped off to front-line regiments, including those fighting in Ukraine.

The 46-ton, three-person T-72A isn’t the oldest T-72 variant, but it’s close. Just one model of T-72, the Ural, preceded the T-72 into Soviet service in the early 1970s. Russian industry produced thousands of T-72 Urals and T-72As, but the much-improved T-72B—with a stabilized 125-millimeter gun, thicker armor and a more powerful engine—succeeded it in the 1980s.

The older T-72s went into storage at bases such as the 349th Tank Storage Base, in Russia’s Topchikhinsky District 2,000 km from Ukraine. And there they remained for decades, useful only as sources of spare parts—until Ukrainian mines, artillery, missiles and drones wiped out entire generation of more modern tanks.

And just like that, there are a lot of likely T-72As parked in the yards outside UVZ now. Probably some T-72Bs from the 1311th as well. Surely they'll be refurbished sooner or later. Kudos to @Ath3neN0ctu4 and @waffentraeger for pointing it out. https://t.co/Qv5gYpNw1s pic.twitter.com/EM3XwSkEXz

— Jompy (@Jonpy99) August 6, 2025

Too few new tanks

With Uralvagonzavod building just 300 or so of the latest T-90M tanks annually, the Kremlin has had little choice but to dip into stocks of very old T-72s in order to partially replace its tank losses in Ukraine. The 40-year-old T-72Bs began arriving at Uralvagonzavod by the dozens earlier this year, but there were just a few hundred T-72Bs in storage. There are around 1,000 T-72 Urals and T-72As.

As recently as last summer, High Marsed—another open-source analyst—concluded the first-generation T-72s weren’t of much use as long as Russia still had some of the slightly newer (but still very old) T-80Bs, T-80BVs and T-72Bs in storage. “I expect that at some point they will have to create an upgrade program for these tanks,” High Marsed wrote about the T-72As. That “should be a sign that there aren’t many T-72B, T-80B/BV left in storage.”

The sign has appeared. The T-72Bs and other 1980s-vintage tanks are running out. Now it’s the T-72As’ turn to fight in Ukraine on those increasingly rare occasions when the Russians risk tanks along the drone-patrolled front line.

How many of the 1,000 or so rusty early-model T-72s are still repairable after decades in open storage is unclear. It’s equally unclear how much Russia will invest in their refurbishment and upgrade. The T-72As lack many of the features that makes a modern tank modern—in particular, stabilized main guns that are accurate even when a tank is moving.

Ukraine’s oldest front-line tanks, its Leopard 1A5s, were last upgraded in the 1980s—but even they have stabilized guns.

The T-72As’ impending return to front-line service is the latest evidence of the steady “de-mechanization” of the Russian army as it suffers catastrophic losses in heavy equipment in Ukraine. The T-72As’ resurrection doesn’t mean the Russians are losing, however. What the Russian army lacks in modern tanks, it more than makes up for with manpower.

These days, Russian regiments in Ukraine mostly attack on motorcycles or on foot. They suffer heavy losses usually totaling more than 20,000 killed and wounded a month. But with generous signing bonuses and deceptive contracts, the Kremlin manages to recruit 30,000 fresh troops a month.

They fight without modern tanks, but they still fight. And they can still push back Ukraine’s own manpower-starved brigades.

Ukraine’s Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi has confirmed that Ukrainian command has offensive plans, stating that victory cannot be achieved through defensive operations alone.

In an interview with TSN, Syrskyi emphasized the necessity of offensive action for military success.

“We have plans, of course. Victory cannot be achieved in defence – only in offence,” Syrskyi told a journalist, who asked whether he sees room for another bold operation similar to the offensive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

The commander outlined Ukraine’s strategic approach to ending the war, explaining that “we must inflict such losses on him [the enemy] that he will go [for it]” not from a position of strength, but on Ukraine’s terms.

The statement comes amid reports of international pressure for offensive action. The Washington Post, citing an anonymous Ukrainian official, reported that during a 4 July phone call, US President Donald Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukraine needs to go on the offensive to achieve victory.

Kursk operation results

The Defense Forces’ last major offensive operation was the Kursk campaign, which began in August 2024. According to military reports, Ukrainian defenders were forced to withdraw from most of the Russian oblast in spring 2025. Russian forces managed to occupy part of Sumy Oblast on another section of the border.

Syrskyi previously reported strategic gains from the Kursk operation. In June, the commander said that the operation drew nearly 63,000 Russians and approximately 7,000 North Korean soldiers, weakening Russian pressure on other fronts and allowing Ukraine to regroup its forces.

The commander also reported that active Defense Forces operations in another area of Kursk Oblast in April disrupted Russian offensive group reinforcements in occupied territories. Beyond parts of Kursk region, Ukrainian forces maintain presence in Russia’s Belgorod region.

According to Syrskyi, Russia’s total losses during the year-long Kursk operation reached 77,000 military personnel.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on the evening of 7 August that security advisers from Ukraine and its partners held discussions about ending the war.

 

“Our team just reported to me that the security advisers held a fairly long conversation, very detailed. There was a significant composition of participants in the conversation. This is important. Thank you all for your work, for the genuine desire to stop the killings and ensure lasting peace,” Zelenskyy wrote.

According to the president, the advisers agreed during the call to continue their work on 8 August. “There is still a lot of work to be done,” he said. 

American media outlet Axios, citing two informed sources, reported that the video conference included US special envoy Steve Witkoff and officials from Ukraine, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, and Britain.

According to the sources, Witkoff conducted the conference to inform partners about his 6 August meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and discuss next steps, including possible negotiations between Trump and Putin. Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne also reported Witkoff’s participation, citing an informed source.

The briefing comes as President Trump has shifted toward discussing a potential summit with Putin after initially moving toward tougher sanctions on Russia. Trump held a call on 6 August with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders, telling them about the possibility of a meeting between him and Putin, followed by a trilateral summit including Zelenskyy.

ABC News, citing an unnamed White House official, reported that a possible meeting between Trump and Putin has not yet been agreed upon, nor has a location for such negotiations been determined, despite earlier claims by the Russian side.

The official noted that for negotiations with Trump to take place, Putin must meet with President Zelenskyy first.

Ukraine’s leader said that Russia fears US sanctions that Trump promised to impose if Russia does not agree to peace with Ukraine by 8 August.

All employees of Ukraine’s territorial recruitment centers (TCC) and service centers will be required to wear body cameras starting 1 September, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said on 7 August.

The new mandate requires staff to record video during document checks and draft notice deliveries.

“This step will help ensure transparency and legality in the work of enlistment offices’ teams, as well as protect the rights of both sides,” Shmyhal said.

Violations of the body camera requirement will result in disciplinary action, according to the Defense Ministry. Currently, approximately 85% of recruitment office staff have body cameras, with procurement efforts underway to secure additional devices.

The announcement follows mounting concerns over recruitment practices. In July, two Kyiv military officials faced charges after a conscript’s death. Media reports regularly document cases of recruitment office employees exceeding their authority.

Recent months have seen escalating tensions around mobilization efforts. On 1 August, protesters in Vinnytsia demanded the release of men detained by military recruitment offices, breaking into a stadium where detainees were held. Police launched an investigation on 2 August, charging five men aged 21-33 with seizing a state building.

Russian forces have targeted recruitment infrastructure in multiple strikes during June and July, hitting offices in Kryvyi Rih, Poltava, Kremenchuk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia. These attacks caused civilian and military casualties while damaging recruitment facilities.

The strikes represent an escalation in tactics aimed at disrupting Ukraine’s mobilization efforts and fueling social unrest, according to military analysts. Russian propaganda frequently uses mobilization reports to escalate social tensions and undermine recruitment campaigns.

Former Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Valerii Chaly believes that Russia’s agreement to negotiations is an information operation to buy time and avoid sanctions. Chaly emphasizes that Russia’s ceasefire memorandum has long been published, and the Kremlin’s positions remain largely unchanged, Radio NV reports. 

In August 2025, Putin declared that the conditions for a ceasefire in Ukraine remain:

• Ukraine must fully withdraw its troops from the so-called Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, which Russia claims as its own,
• Ukraine must renounce NATO membership and adopt a neutral, non-aligned, and non-nuclear status,
• The Kremlin demands the lifting of Western sanctions imposed due to its aggression.

Ukraine and its international partners reject these demands as unacceptable since they imply capitulation.

“Russia understands it can still buy time… it’s simply a stunt,” says diplomat Chaly.

However, he admits some Russian demands may have softened, such as Ukraine’s neutrality or the official status of the Russian language.

A trap for Ukraine — US pressure to accept unpopular decisions

Chaly warns that the Americans, as mediators, may pressure Kyiv to accept terms unsupported by Ukrainian society.

“Trump is already out of the game, we are left alone with the Russians, and Ukraine is essentially blamed for breaking agreements. Then the war goes on Russia’s terms, no sanctions, and existing sanctions start to be lifted. That’s the trap,” he says. 

Thus, the Kremlin could achieve the legalization of occupation.

Russia may offer “commercial” concessions

The diplomat suggests Russia might offer the US joint access to natural resource development as a bargaining chip to pressure Kyiv.

“The Russians present it as a ‘gift’ in exchange for American pressure on Ukraine to accept maximum Russian ultimatums,” Chaly adds.

He stresses Ukraine must remain vigilant against such traps, as “Russians are skilled at setting them,” and that it is premature to expect a genuine peace process.

One such trap would be Ukraine accepting the de facto recognition of occupied territories as Russian.

Ukraine needs strong allies at the negotiation table

Chaly underscores the risk of isolation if European countries are absent from peace talks.

“If Europe is not present, who will stand with us at the table?” he asks.

Ukraine must avoid empty formalities in negotiations.

“Because while Russia pretends to negotiate, it continues ballistic missile strikes on the front lines,” Chaly warns.

The idea of a ceasefire in the air with Russia seems elusive. Russia almost instantly breaks any agreements, says Serhii Zgurets, the Defense Express head, Espreso reports. 

During the war, Ukraine signed the Minsk agreements aimed at ending the conflict in Donbas. The goal was to halt hostilities and establish peace, but the implementation was violated by Russia during its all-out war.

In 2025, Russia also announced the so-called “Eastern truce,” which lasted only 30 hours in Ukraine. During that brief period, Ukraine recorded at least 2,000 violations and attacks along the front lines.\

Witkoff to brief Ukrainian and NATO officials on meeting with Putin – media reports

“A ceasefire with the enemy is quite ephemeral… any ceasefire will be broken literally the next day due to their treacherous actions,” Zgurets says. 

He notes that negotiating a halt to strikes with Russia is almost impossible given Russia’s tactics.

Drone and cruise missile strikes continue unabated

In theory, there could be agreements banning strikes using cruise missiles and drones, but in practice, this is unlikely as:

• Russia continues active use of strike systems of various types and ranges,
• Ukrainian attacks are also increasing in number and effectiveness

Dnipro Osint reports that after the facility in Yelabuga was established, the number of attacks using Shaheds began to increase systematically. For example, until July 2024, Russia launched up to 500 drones per month, while by March 2025, this figure had reached nearly 4,200 units.

In July 2025, the UN documented that Russian forces launched ten times more missile strikes and drone attacks than in June 2024. The experts reported 232 civilian deaths and 1,343 injuries, marking the highest monthly casualty toll in three years. 

Also, in just the last two weeks, drone strikes on Russia-occupied Crimea have also been recorded repeatedly. The Russian military is also losing critical logistics routes from Ukrainian assaults: Rostov, Volgograd, and the Donbas railway.

“This is a new chapter in the operation of our drone systems, which have significantly expanded their capabilities and are now blocking the use of the railway as a key logistical resource for Russian defense,” emphasizes Zgurets. 

A ceasefire will not change the war’s dynamics

Even if drone strikes pause temporarily, stockpiling will continue.

“When the ceasefire is broken, these systems will again be used massively,” the expert stresses.

Thus, an aerial ceasefire is unlikely to alter the overall frontline situation. Drones will remain a key weapon and influential factor in the war.

Earlier, the Main Intelligence Directorate reported that in Russia, production of Shaheds and their imitators reached about 170 units per day as of May 2025. By the end of the year, the figure is planned to increase to 190 drones per day.

 

Russia has created a website to sell Ukrainian orphans. The website features faces, descriptions, and filters by eye and hair color, just like in a product database, reveals Mykola Kuleba, founder and head of the organization Save Ukraine.

“Russia has created an online catalog for the ‘sale’ of Ukrainian children,” he says.

According to him, since 2014, Russia has systematically taken children from occupied territories, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Crimea, to various regions of Russia. But now this scheme has transformed into digital child trafficking.

Filters, personal characteristics, and human dignity 

Kuleba reports that the site allows users to “choose” a child by appearance.

“You can literally select a child by photo, with uncovered faces. They describe the children like products: ‘obedient’, ‘calm’, and so on,” he says.

He emphasizes the disturbing ability to sort children by gender, eye color, and hair color, calling the process nearly indistinguishable from slave trading.

Evidence found on official Russian websites

“Most of the children in this catalog were born before the occupation of Luhansk and had Ukrainian citizenship. Some of their parents were killed by the occupying authorities. Others were simply issued Russian documents to legalize their abduction,” Kuleba explaines.

He highlights the absurdity of Russia’s actions. 

“When Russians demand lists of abducted Ukrainian children during negotiations, they could simply hand over the database from their own Luhansk ‘Ministry of Education’ website. The entire evidentiary base of their crimes is right there on their official resources,” he continues. 

Kuleba pledges that Save Ukraine will do everything possible to rescue these children and return them to “what matters most — home, family, and country.” 

“Children of War”: 325 photos of Ukrainian children to be shown in Kyiv

White House envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly will hold a video conference on 7 August with senior officials from Ukraine, Finland, France, Germany, Italy and the UK to brief them on his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Axios reported, citing its sources.

The briefing comes as President Trump has shifted toward discussing a potential summit with Putin after initially moving toward tougher sanctions on Russia. Trump held a call on 6 August with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders, telling them about the possibility of a meeting between him and Putin, followed by a trilateral summit including Zelenskyy.

That call left confusion in Kyiv and other European capitals, with officials uncertain whether US policy was changing or whether sanctions would still be announced 8 August as Trump had planned.

Ukrainian officials expressed concern that Putin’s proposal for a meeting with Trump represents an attempt to reach agreements with the US directly about ending the war without Ukraine or European powers having input, Axios reported.

Putin said on 7 August that there was mutual interest in a summit with Trump, but the Kremlin cast doubt on the US proposal for a trilateral summit with Zelenskyy.

The development follows Trump’s announcement on 6 August that he would double tariffs on India to 50%, effective 27 August, over the country’s purchases of Russian oil. The White House said further penalties on Russia would be announced o 8 August, though officials have not indicated whether China – another major customer of Russian oil – would be targeted.

The Trump administration stated that a meeting between Trump and Putin would occur only if Putin also meets with Zelenskyy.

The White House did not immediately respond to questions about Witkoff’s planned conference call.

The Kremlin’s financial foundation for war is cracking. According to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Russia’s federal budget revenues from oil and gas dropped by 19% in January–July 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, down to $69.2 billion. 

The drop in energy revenues underscores Russia’s growing vulnerability to external pressure, the agency emphasizes.

A double blow to the Kremlin

The average price for Urals crude fell by 18.4%, to $60.37 per barrel. At the same time, the ruble was artificially strengthened by 45%, from 113.71 to 81.25 per USD, undermining export earnings in foreign currency.

Gas exports to the EU plummeted by 50% to just 9.93 billion cubic meters, continuing Russia’s steady loss of energy foothold in Europe.

Ministry of Finance in panic

The Russian government has already revised its oil and gas income forecast for 2025, now expecting only $104.4 billion instead of the previous $137.3 billion, which is a 24% drop from earlier projections.

To partially offset the shortfall, the Kremlin is cutting fuel subsidies under the “fuel damper” mechanism and tapping into the National Welfare Fund.

India’s state-owned oil refiners have temporarily halted spot purchases of Russian crude following President Donald Trump’s imposition of additional 25% tariffs on Indian exports to the US, according to Bloomberg sources with direct knowledge of procurement plans.

Companies including Indian Oil Corp., Bharat Petroleum Corp. and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. “plan to skip spot purchases of the crude in the upcoming buying cycle, until there’s clear government guidance,” Bloomberg reported on 7 August. The companies asked not to be identified as they aren’t authorized to speak publicly.

The pause will specifically affect purchases of Russia’s Urals crude cargoes scheduled for October loading.

Indian Oil Corp. demonstrated the shift by purchasing five million barrels of oil from the US, Brazil and Libya – “the latest in a string of purchases for relatively quick delivery,” Bloomberg reported.

Trump’s tariff escalation represents “a direct punishment for the country’s refiners taking Russian crude” and is designed to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine, according to the report. The measure has not yet been matched by similar action against China, another major buyer of Russian oil.

The development has impacted global oil markets, with Brent crude trading near $67 a barrel on Thursday following a five-day decline as traders assess potential supply disruptions.

Despite the corporate response, New Delhi has not officially directed refiners to stop buying Russian crude. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government continues to push back against Trump’s tariffs, Bloomberg said.

The temporary halt comes as India has become one of the world’s largest buyers of Russian oil since the Ukraine war began. At its peak, India imported more than 2 million barrels per day of Russian oil, up from nearly zero purchases before the conflict.

The situation reflects the broader geopolitical tensions over energy flows, with Washington intensifying pressure on countries that continue purchasing Russian energy exports. While overall October-loading Urals purchases by Indian refiners are unlikely to drop to zero, traders anticipate the reduction could prompt increased demand for US, Middle Eastern and African crude alternatives.

Oil ministry spokesmen and representatives from Indian Oil Corp., Bharat Petroleum Corp. and Hindustan Petroleum Corp. did not immediately respond to Bloomberg’s requests for comment.

A Ukrainian artillery strike destroyed four Russian howitzers after drones from the 44th Brigade located the targets. Three D-20s and one D-30 were eliminated, with the strike confirmed by released video.

Ukrainian artillery strike guided by drones despite jamming

The 44th Separate Artillery Brigade used reconnaissance drones to adjust fire on Russian artillery positions, according to Militarnyi. Russian electronic warfare systems failed to jam the UAVs.

The brigade said its gunners “give the enemy no chance” and that recent days showed “firing points turned into scrap metal.”

The targeted guns included three D-20s, 152 mm howitzers with a 17 km range, and one D-30, a 122 mm system with a 15 km range. Both D-20 and D-30 are the Soviet-era towed artillery pieces.

Destroying these artillery pieces reduces enemy firepower on the frontline and increases the safety of Ukrainian positions.

Earlier this year, the 44th Brigade received an upgraded version of the domestic Bohdana self-propelled howitzer with a new armored cabin.

 

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has identified the United Arab Emirates as a potential venue for a Russia-US summit, stating this following his meeting with the UAE leader in the Kremlin, according to Russian propagantist media TASS.

“We have many friends who are ready to help us organize an event of this kind. One of the friends is the president of the United Arab Emirates,” Putin said. “I think we will decide, but this would be one of the suitable, quite suitable places.”

The statement comes as Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists that a meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump is planned for the coming days, likely next week.

Regarding prospects for a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Putin added: “I have already said many times that I have nothing against this in general, it is possible.”

However, the Russian leader maintained distance from any immediate such meeting, stating: “But certain conditions must be created for this. But, unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions.”

Trump has separately declared “good chances” for holding a meeting with Putin in the near future. According to media reports, Trump informed European leaders during a conversation on 6 August about his intentions to meet with Putin “as early as next week,” and subsequently organize a trilateral meeting together with Zelenskyy.

The diplomatic maneuvering comes as Trump imposed deadline for Russia, having threatened secondary tariffs on Russian oil purchasers unless Putin agrees to a truce by 8 August.

Russian advance near Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, may soon cut the city’s main supply route, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on 6 August. Russian forces likely reached the western outskirts of the city and secured positions from which they can threaten key ground lines of communication.

Russian troops likely seize Sobolivka and Myrne

Geolocated footage from 6 August shows Russian forces advanced south of Sobolivka, immediately west of Kupiansk. ISW assessed that they likely seized both Sobolivka and Myrne, just north of it. A Russian milblogger claimed troops are close to interdicting the H-26 Kupiansk–Shevchenkove highway — the main Ukrainian supply line into the city — located about one kilometer south of Sobolivka.

Envelopment instead of direct assault

ISW noted that Russian forces may be preparing to envelop Kupiansk rather than attack it directly. This fits their recent pattern of flanking settlements instead of launching frontal assaults, using tactical pressure to disrupt Ukrainian logistics and defenses.

Three possible next moves

ISW outlined three possible Russian actions after these advances. They may push west toward Shevchenkove or northwest toward Velykyi Burluk to build a buffer in northern Kharkiv Oblast. Alternatively, forces could shift to the Oskil River’s east bank to support operations in Luhansk Oblast, or redeploy to Kostyantynivka, Pokrovsk, or Novopavlivka to aid efforts in Donetsk Oblast.

“Ukrainian forces advanced near Chasiv Yar. Russian forces advanced in northern Kharkiv and western Zaporizhzhia oblasts and near Kupiansk, Lyman, Siversk, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk,” ISW added.

President Donald Trump has set a precondition for any meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, requiring the Russian leader to also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, New York Post reported on 7 August.

The developments follow a three-hour meeting between Putin and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on 6 August. Ushakov described it as “useful and constructive,” while Trump subsequently claimed “significant progress” was achieved during that encounter.

“Putin must meet with Zelenskyy for the meeting to occur,” a White House official told The Post. “No location has been set.”

The condition comes after Moscow claimed on 7 August that Russia and the United States had agreed “in principle” to hold a one-on-one meeting between Putin and Trump. Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said that “an agreement was agreed in principle to hold a bilateral summit meeting in the coming days, that is, a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump,” which he said was made “at the suggestion of the American side.”

However, the White House had not confirmed any bilateral meeting. Trump himself expressed skepticism about Putin’s intentions during a Wednesday press conference, noting he has “been disappointed before” by Moscow’s promises of seeking peace.

“He talks nice and then he bombs everybody,” Trump said, referring to Putin’s pattern of private peace pledges followed by aerial attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

Trump indicated he would determine Putin’s seriousness about ending the war “within a matter of weeks, maybe less.” The president expressed concern about hosting a bilateral meeting ahead of a trilateral one, fearing Putin might continue to “tap along” Trump with meaningless talks.

The Kremlin appears resistant to including Zelenskyy in any initial meeting.

“First of all, we propose to focus on the preparation of a bilateral meeting with Trump and we consider the main thing that this meeting should be successful and effective,” Ushakov said.

The UN sounds the alarm. Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are held in overcrowded, unsanitary prisons on occupied Ukrainian territories, as well as in Belarus and Russia, Alice Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, reveals in an article for The New York Times. 

Most Ukrainian prisoners are isolated from the outside world and subjected to systematic torture, starvation, and psychological abuse. 

“Investigating and prosecuting torture is a legal obligation, not a diplomatic nicety or something that can be negotiated or leveraged during negotiations,” Edwards stresses.

Russia legalizes torture as a military tactic

Edwards concluded that only one party in the conflict employs torture as a state policy — Russia.

“ …Widespread nature of witness accounts while in Russian custody — along with Moscow’s failure to address the issue — have led me to the conclusion that it can only be a systemic, state-endorsed practice approved at the highest levels,” she says.

Torture methods are shockingly brutal: sexual violence, electric shocks, suffocation, sleep deprivation, mock executions.

“Malnourishment is routine, and individuals have reported being hung upside down and held in stress positions for long periods, sometimes beaten during it,” Edwards noted.

Victims’ testimonies: “Threatened with castration and rape”

For example, Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Kharlats, captured early in the war, described six or seven torture sessions with electric shocks, forced to keep his arms along his body to intensify pain, and beaten with batons and rifle butts when convulsing.

Another prisoner, Anatoliy Tutov, endured four interrogations with beatings and sexual torture, including a threat to cut off his penis and rape him. Upon release, doctors documented internal bruises, two broken ribs, and cracked bones.

Another prisoner, a woman from occupied Kherson, was abducted on her way to work, raped, and electrocuted on her first day in captivity. She has been transferred between prisons and is now held in a Russian facility.

A Ukrainian drone destroys Russian bridge in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. The FPV drone strike didn’t just damage the structure — it detonated Russian-planted anti-tank mines, causing the bridge to collapse in a powerful explosion.

Ukrainian drone unit strikes key logistics target

Militarnyi reports that the attack was carried out by the strike drone company of the 112th Territorial Defense Brigade, which is currently attached to the 3rd Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade, also known as the “Iron Brigade.” The brigade published footage of the operation.

The destroyed concrete bridge had long served the Russian army as a critical supply route in the border area, enabling the transfer of troops and equipment. Expecting a Ukrainian advance, Russian forces had mined the bridge with TM-62 anti-tank explosives.

Recon teams triggered a deadly chain reaction

Ukrainian reconnaissance units discovered the planted mines. In response, the military launched an FPV drone armed with an explosive warhead. The drone hit the bridge and set off the Russian explosives. The resulting blast destroyed the entire structure.

Open-source analyst Blinzka identified the bridge as located near the village of Novopetrovka in Belgorod Oblast. The explosion not only destroyed the transport artery but also inflicted additional losses due to the detonation of Russia’s own engineering munitions.

The Ukrainians will not surrender. A resounding 76% of Ukrainians firmly reject Russia’s so-called “peace plan”, which would require Ukraine to capitulate and surrender its territories, according to the results of a new survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) in summer 2025.

Support for the “US plan” grows slightly, but is still rejected by the majority

At the same time, the share of Ukrainians willing, albeit reluctantly, to consider a “conditional US plan” has grown: 39% now support it, up from 29% in May. Still, nearly half, 49%, say this option remains unacceptable.

The so-called US plan envisions Russia retaining occupied territories, the US recognition of Crimea as Russian and European, but not American, security guarantees for Ukraine.

The joint Europe-Ukraine plan is the only one with the biggest support

The only proposal supported by a majority is a joint peace plan between Europe and Ukraine, backed by 54% of Ukrainians. Just 30% oppose it, down from 35% in May. 

That plan envisions Ukraine continuing its path toward EU membership, the maintenance of sanctions against Russia, and no recognition of Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territory.

KIIS concludes: Even with a slight increase in willingness to consider compromise, peace on the Kremlin’s terms remains entirely unacceptable to most Ukrainians. Russia’s plan is capitulation, and Ukrainian society understands that clearly, the sociologists emphasize.

President Donald Trump has indicated to allies that Russian leader Vladimir Putin may be willing to engage in peace negotiations in exchange for territorial concessions, Bloomberg reported on 7 August, citing multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

Trump has reportedly informed allies he is considering hosting a summit that could include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The US president has also expressed optimism about the possibility of a ceasefire, the sources told Bloomberg.

The developments follow a meeting between Putin and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on 6 August. Trump characterized the encounter as achieving “great progress.” Following the Moscow discussions, Trump called Zelenskyy to brief him on what was discussed during the Kremlin meeting.

“That road was long, and continues to be long, but there’s a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on 6 August, describing prospects for meeting with Putin.

The Kremlin has moved to build momentum for potential talks. Foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters on 7 August that the US and Russia have agreed on a venue for a meeting between their leaders, with plans to hold talks next week. “We are starting to work on specific issues,” Ushakov said.

However, White House officials cautioned that no meeting would be set unless Putin agrees to meet with Zelenskyy, and no location has been confirmed. Putin told reporters on 7 August he didn’t object to meeting Zelenskyy “under the right conditions, though he said they don’t exist now.”

Zelenskyy has signaled Ukraine’s willingness to participate in multiple meeting formats. The Ukrainian president said he and European allies discussed “various formats” of peace talks with Trump, including “two bilateral and one trilateral” meetings between the three presidents.

During talks with UAE President Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on on 7 August, Putin suggested the United Arab Emirates could serve as a suitable venue for a summit with Trump.

The diplomatic maneuvering comes as Trump faces a self-imposed deadline, having threatened secondary tariffs on Russian oil purchasers unless Putin agrees to a truce by 8 August. The war, now in its fourth year, has left Russia controlling nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.

Current territorial disputes center on Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, and the eastern and southern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson that Russian forces don’t fully occupy. Ukraine maintains it will not cede any territory and demands Russian troop withdrawal plus reparations for war damage since the February 2022 invasion.

Previous US proposals reportedly included recognizing Crimea as Russian territory while returning parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts to Ukrainian control.

Zelenskyy coordinated positions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a phone call. Both leaders agreed “the war must be ended as soon as possible with a dignified peace.” National security advisers from Ukraine, the US and Europe are scheduled to hold an online meeting to align positions.

Russia is likely preparing for new tests of the nuclear-powered missile Burevestnik, one of the five “superweapons” announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018. This missile, which the US has called “flying Chornobyl”, has never had a successful test flight, while its development remains hazardous to the environment, the Moscow Times reports. 

Ukrainian expert: Russia is trying again to “shake something in front of the world”

According to NV, retired Ukrainian colonel and pilot-instructor Roman Svitan believes that the rumors of Burevestnik tests are a Kremlin information operation aimed at intimidating the world.

He thinks the Kremlin uses this topic amid US internal politics and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s talks with Putin on ending the war in Ukraine to showcase its nuclear might.  

He points out serious technological failures not only with these missiles but also with the Oreshnik and Sarmat missiles.

“Russia is as far from the USSR as Kyiv is from a crawling beetle,” Svitan emphasizes.

Increased activity at the test site and radiation monitoring from the US

Nuclear weapons expert Decker Evelet reports increased activity at the Pankovo test range on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago — the primary testing ground for Burevestnik.

Simultaneously, the US deployed the WC-135R radiation reconnaissance aircraft to the region, indicating possible preparation for new missile tests.

According to Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists, these developments are a worrying sign.

The dark history of Burevestnik

The US intelligence data shows that as of October 2023, Russia conducted 13 tests of the missile, all of which failed. The longest flight lasted only two minutes with a maximum range of 35 km. A 2019 accident in the Barents Sea caused an explosion during a recovery operation, killing seven people, including nuclear scientists from the Sarov center.

The resulting radioactive contamination spread across northwest Russia and Scandinavia.

Russian propagandists are actively fueling schisms within the Trump administration ahead of the 8 August sanctions deadline. Meanwhile, Russian officials continue projecting the image of a strong and resilient economy, despite falling oil revenues and slowing household consumption, ISW says.

Kremlin exploits schisms within the Trump team to weaken sanctions push

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on 6 August that Kremlin-linked voices are working to divide the Trump administration as part of a wider strategy to avoid new US sanctions. With Trump’s peace ultimatum deadline approaching, Russian state media has intensified efforts to portray chaos inside the White House.

Recent messaging casts Trump as unstable while elevating his envoy, Witkoff, as a more rational figure. On 4 August, State Duma Deputy Grigory Karasin said he hoped the outcome of Witkoff’s talks with Putin would be “specific, not emotional, like Trump’s latest statements.” That remark was widely amplified across Russian state media.

On 6 August, Deputy Alexei Chepa claimed Trump had sent Witkoff to calm tensions after issuing a series of ultimatums demanding Russia end the war or face new sanctions. Kremlin-affiliated milblogger Alexander “Sasha” Kots mocked Trump’s repeated threats, suggesting Witkoff would return with a proposal the president could spin as a win.

ISW noted that Russia has long used such tactics to sow distrust between Ukraine and its partners. Now, the same methods are being applied to exploit schisms within the Trump administration in hopes of extracting concessions or weakening Washington’s negotiating position without meeting Trump’s preconditions for peace.

Russia downplays economic strain as sanctions loom

At the same time, Moscow continues projecting confidence in its economy despite mounting signs of trouble, ISW reports. Oil revenues have dropped, growth has missed targets, and consumer demand is slipping. Yet Russian officials insist sanctions will have no real impact and describe the economy as fully prepared.

 

 

By 2030, Ukraine aims to become one of the world’s top three leaders in artificial intelligence technology. Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov says the launch of AI Factory, an advanced state hub for building AI infrastructure, is a major step toward this ambitious goal. 

AI Factory: The start of Ukraine’s new digital era

“Our mission is to rank among the top 3 countries in AI development and implementation by 2030,” Fedorov said at the project presentation.

According to him, AI Factory will be Ukraine’s first large-scale project for AI tech infrastructure.

Soon, Ukraine will have cutting-edge hardware and software that will enable the training of AI models and the creation of national AI solutions, from public services to defense systems.

Ukrainian AI will begin with Diia and expand to medicine

The AI Factory will serve as the technical backbone for key national projects, including:

• An AI assistant in Diia, used by millions of Ukrainians,
• An AI tutor in the Mria educational ecosystem,
• Future initiatives in defense, science, and healthcare.

The development is being led by the WINWIN AI Center of Excellence, a team that builds and implements innovative AI solutions for the public sector.

What will Ukraine’s AI Factory include?

The project will consist of four key components:

• Technology base: GPU clusters, water-cooled data centers, data storage, and server rooms,
• Software stack: Full infrastructure for model training, deployment, automation, and monitoring,
• Training data: A system will be built for accessing high-quality, up-to-date data,
• Human expertise: Training programs for AI specialists who will drive the ecosystem’s growth.

The Russians may be preparing a new assault on Kherson. The occupiers may be attempting to isolate the Kherson neighborhood of Korabel by striking a key bridge and organizing a foothold for a possible landing operation, CNN reports. 

On 2 August, Russians launched a powerful strike on a strategically important bridge connecting the island district of Korabel to the main part of Kherson city. The strike also damaged three private homes and an apartment building. The invaders had previously targeted the bridge, forcing about 1,800 residents to leave their homes.

However, Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, noted that some families return almost immediately after evacuation. But the authorities once again urge Korabel residents to relocate to safer areas.

Russia aims to divide the city 

The strategy reportedly is to target the bridge and land forces to recapture the city. Meanwhile, Vladyslav Voloshyn, the Southern Defense Forces spokesperson, says that the possibility of this scenario is low, RBC-Ukraine reports.

He explains that in this case, the Russians would have to cross several water channels and islands where Ukrainian forces actively destroy any assault groups.

“To reach our shore, the Russians need time. And we use that time to detect and destroy them while they’re still approaching,” he emphasizes.

Regarding a possible air assault, Voloshyn stressed that “enemy helicopters will be immediately detected and destroyed,” recalling the Russians’ failure at Hostomel in 2022. Then, the Russian assault troops failed to land at the airfield, which broke all their operational strategy in Kyiv Oblast. 

Kherson under fire: drones, aerial bombs, destruction

The situation on the southern front remains tense. In one day, Russians carried out 280 attacks using kamikaze drones, nine airstrikes with guided bombs on Kherson, and employed drone munitions such as “Molniya,” “Lancet,” and “Privit-82.”

Russian drones constantly operate over Kherson, shelling continues, and battles are ongoing on islands in the Dnipro delta, specifically on Bilohorodivskyi and Velykyi Vilkhovyi islands. Active fighting is also reported near the Antonivski bridges.

Civilians continue to suffer. The central hospital in Kherson is treating 25 wounded. CNN shares the story of 62-year-old Oleh, who was injured while running to help neighbors after a drone strike. 

“It’s dangerous there, you have to listen carefully. A double tap. That’s how they operate. They destroy a house, it burns. A minute later, another one comes, checking whether the house is burning or someone is trying to extinguish it. And then they kill and destroy further,” he says. 

Before the war, Kherson Oblast was an important tourist and agricultural region of Ukraine. In 2021, the region welcomed 4.8 million tourists. Its coastline stretched for over 200 kilometers, featuring sandy beaches and a well-developed resort infrastructure.

Along the shore, there were numerous guesthouses, children’s camps, and sanatoriums offering therapeutic treatments based on thermal springs, salt, and mud.

The Trump administration intends to scale back US criticism of Russia and other nations with extensive abuse records, according to leaked State Department human rights report drafts reviewed by The Washington Post.

The draft reports for Russia, Israel and El Salvador are significantly shorter than last year’s Biden administration versions and remove all references to LGBTQ+ individuals or crimes against them. Descriptions of government abuses have been softened throughout the documents.

“The 2024 Human Rights report has been restructured in a way that removes redundancies, increases report readability,” a senior State Department official said on 6 August. The official added that the Trump administration will focus on “core issues.”

The changes follow internal guidance by Trump appointee Samuel Samson instructing diplomats to remove references to violence against LGBTQ+ people and government corruption. Samson reviewed the reports for all three countries.

The draft Israel report shrank from over 100 pages to just 25 pages. Russia’s report contains no mention of the country’s Supreme Court ban on LGBTQ+ organizations or subsequent raids and arrests.

“Secretary Rubio has repeatedly asserted that his State Department has not abandoned human rights, but it is clear this administration only cares about the human rights of some people in some countries, when it’s convenient,” said Keifer Buckingham, former State Department official now at the Council for Global Equality.

The documents show how Trump is rethinking America’s role in global human rights advocacy, according to the WP. Officials point to Trump’s May speech in Saudi Arabia, where he criticized “Western interventionists giving you lectures on how to live or govern your own affairs.”

US diplomats have compiled these reports for nearly 50 years. Their findings are considered the most thorough of their kind and are relied upon by courts worldwide.

The reports are congressionally mandated by February’s end, with public release typically in March or April. The drafts for Russia and El Salvador are marked “finalized,” while Israel’s is under “quality check.”

Kyiv has found the murderer of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who was tortured to death in Russian captivity. Ukraine has charged Alexander Shtuda, the head of Detention Center No. 2 in the Russian city of Taganrog, with organizing the torture of the journalist, the Prosecutor General’s Office reports.

According to the investigation, a targeted system of repression operates in the Taganrog detention center against Ukrainian citizens held there, including civilians.

“Among its victims is well-known Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna. She was detained by Russian forces in temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast and transferred to this detention center,” the report says.

Torture of the journalist confirmed: forensic evidence proves physical abuse

Yurii Belousov, Head of the Ukrainian Department for Combating Crimes Committed in Armed Conflict, says that an expert examination revealed “numerous bodily injuries” on Roshchyna’s body, confirming the use of torture and cruel treatment.

According to him, Shtuda deliberately organized this abuse because Roshchyna refused to cooperate with the prison administration.

Roshchyna was pushed to the brink

In the Taganrog detention center, Roshchyna was subjected to systematic torture, beatings, humiliation, threats, and severe restrictions on access to medical aid, drinking water, and food.

The examination, conducted on 9 July by the Main Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination of the Ministry of Health, revealed that Roshchyna suffered neck trauma, bone fractures, hemorrhages in soft tissues of the temporal area, right shoulder, and shins, and abrasions on her left foot.

 

“As a result of this treatment, Roshchyna’s health seriously deteriorated. She lost weight and became unable to walk on her own,” Belousov says.

Moreover, he added that Shtuda tried to conceal the fact that Roshchyna was being held in the facility, ignoring requests and inspections.

Torture as a system: Other Ukrainians confirm abuse in Taganrog

Earlier, Ukrainian citizen Ostap Shved, who was detained in Taganrog after the strike on the Olenivka prison, described similar torture.

His testimony matches what Roshchyna endured — a systematic mechanism of physical and psychological destruction of Ukrainians operates in the facility.

Shved, who survived the Russian strike on the Olenivka prison where Azov fighters from Mariupol’s Azovstal were held, recounted that he and other prisoners were beaten by mobs of Russians, hanged, and electrocuted. One guard sliced his ear with a blunt knife.

More than half of Ukrainians expect their country to join the European Union within the next decade, though confidence in rapid accession has declined for the second consecutive year, according to a Gallup poll.

The survey asked respondents when they expect Ukraine to become an EU member: within 10 years, 10-20 years, more than 20 years, or never. Some 52% believe membership will occur within 10 years – the lowest figure since the start of the full-scale war. This represents a significant drop from 2022-2023, when 73% held this view.

About 16% of respondents expect EU accession within 10-20 years, while 5% believe it will take more than 20 years. Some 18% do not believe Ukraine will ever be accepted into the EU – the highest such figure in recent years, though the increase in skeptics was smaller than for a similar question about NATO membership.

The poll also revealed that Ukrainians’ assessment of US leadership in 2025 reached its lowest point in more than 10 years, while approval of Berlin’s actions hit a multi-year high.

The data shows a clear shift in Ukrainian public opinion regarding EU integration timelines. The 21% decline in those expecting rapid EU membership – from 73% in 2022-2023 to 52% currently – represents the most substantial change in public sentiment on this issue since the war began.

Despite the declining optimism for quick accession, the majority of Ukrainians maintain faith in eventual EU membership. Only 18% expressing complete skepticism about the prospect.

Day 1260 On 6 August, there is interesting news from the Lyman direction. Here, the Russians decided to attack from another vector and break the Ukrainian deadlock near Torske but were surprised by the latest Ukrainian innovation in drone warfare. By mounting RPG’s on drones, the Ukrainians found a way to make their air assaults even deadlier.

Near Lyman, the Ukrainian 63rd Mechanized Brigade remains firmly in control, effectively anchoring the defense at Torske through innovative defensive measures combined with preventive attacks against advancing Russian forces. This Ukrainian formation not only maintains entrenched positions but also proactively disrupts enemy movements, refusing to allow the Russians a chance to stabilize their positions. A striking footage captures two Ukrainian infantrymen clearing a forest near a settlement, encountering Russian troops hiding in a dugout. After intense close-range combat with grenades and gunfire, the cornered Russians chose to surrender and were taken prisoners of war.

Facing staggering casualties, the Russians recognized the danger of continuing frontal assaults against the fiercely defended Ukrainian positions around Torske. As a result, they attempted a new tactic, intensifying operations southwards across the Zherebets River, hoping to outflank and encircle the Ukrainians from behind. However, previous Russian vulnerabilities remain unchanged: troops must cross exposed terrain under constant Ukrainian drone surveillance, FPV drone strikes, and precise artillery fire. Every movement makes them easily spottable targets that the Ukrainians engage without hesitation.

Aware of their limited infantry numbers, Ukrainian forces increasingly implement the Drone Line initiative to neutralize Russian assault groups before they approach their defenses. Drone operators in this program receive points for eliminating priority targets such as infantry and enemy drone teams, which they can then exchange for large quantities of upgraded equipment, incentivizing aggressive hunting of Russian troops and dramatically boosting effectiveness. Numerous videos from the frontline near Torske illustrate this vividly, showing Russian infantry eliminated by precision grenade drops from Mavic and Vampire drones.

In addition, Ukrainians have recently begun employing RPG equipped drones to devastating effect. While traditional drone-dropped grenades are often spotted and engaged by the Russians, which forces operators into dive-bomb tactics that usually compromise accuracy, grenade-launcher drones offer a solution through stabilized aiming via a crosshair.

One notable video displays a Ukrainian operator identifying several Russian soldiers, firing a precise grenade launcher round from the drone, repositioning swiftly, and firing again from another angle to eliminate the survivors. Such innovations allow even single operators to decisively repel entire Russian assaults even when severely stretched infantry-wise.

Ukrainian soldiers praised the new technology by stating that, logically, a drone equipped with a grenade launcher can fly in, fire, turn around, and reload, making it highly effective. Ukrainian operators emphasized the key tactical advantage that grenade rounds arrive almost instantly, and the enemy can’t dodge them, which means more accurate hits. At the same time, it can strike from farther away and face fewer electronic warfare countermeasures. Another operator explained that infantry is used to drones hovering overhead to drop grenades, so they can time their movement around the drone’s range or shoot it down directly.

But if the drone instead starts shooting at them mid-flight, it drastically shortens the window of opportunity to move out of the way or shoot it down. Effectively, these new drones can disrupt each assault by forcing Russian troops to seek cover immediately upon hearing drone sounds, especially given modern grenade launchers’ variety of potent warheads that can be used, with armor-piercing, thermobaric, and even incendiary ones.

Overall, Ukrainian forces near Lyman continue to adapt rapidly, refining drone warfare tactics to overcome their limited infantry and decisively halt Russian advances. Russia’s attempted shift in strategy at Torske, seeking new vectors of attack, failed dramatically due to relentless Ukrainian drone strikes, precise grenade drops, and innovative grenade-launcher drones. These advanced tactics have not only stabilized the defense line but also ensured Russian offensives remain costly and ultimately ineffective.

‍In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

In a major step toward full battlefield digitalization, Ukraine’s DELTA system will now be implemented across all levels of the armed forces. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal signed the official order, making the battle-tested platform the Ukrainian military’s only operational data exchange tool.

DELTA becomes core digital backbone for military command

According to Shmyhal, DELTA successfully passed cybersecurity checks and has proven itself in battle — including during the defense of Kyiv in 2022, the liberation of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, the de-occupation of Kherson, and strikes against the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

“It’s a massive digital weapon in the hands of a modernizing army,” he wrote on Facebook.

DELTA is already in use by commanders at different levels and runs on laptops, tablets, and smartphones. The government now plans to scale it across the entire defense force, though no timeline for full deployment has been disclosed.

Militarnyi notes that the question of integrating the system into armored vehicles remains unresolved. Troops will likely receive tactical tablets or smartphones with DELTA pre-installed.

New AI, mapping, and drone tools expand DELTA’s capabilities

One of the key modules in the DELTA ecosystem is Deltamonitor, a live digital map that displays the positions of both friendly and enemy forces. Another major tool is the secure chat system used for encrypted communication in the field.

DELTA also includes the Target Hub module, which allows military units to assign strike tasks directly on the digital map. It helps generate target lists, assign missions, and exchange data between units. The Vezha module provides live video analysis by streaming drone footage to command centers.

A recent addition, the Mission Control module, improves coordination between drone operators and senior command. It lets higher headquarters assign responsibility zones, manage UAV flight paths, and coordinate their work with electronic warfare and air defense units.

DELTA hits over 2,000 Russian targets daily

A Ukrainian drone attack on Russian infrastructure overnight on 7 August sparked fires at an oil refinery, a military base, and railway stations in separate regions of southern Russia. The strikes, confirmed by regional authorities and local footage, were part of Ukraine’s ongoing campaign to dismantle Russian military logistics, including fuel supply and transport nodes.

Refinery blaze at Afipsky in Krasnodar Krai

In Krasnodar Krai, a large fire erupted at the Afipsky oil refinery following a drone strike. Local residents shared videos of the blaze on Telegram, published by Exilenova+ and Russian news Telegram channel Astra. Authorities confirmed that flames engulfed the gas and gas condensate processing unit at the refinery. According to the Krasnodar governor, the fire was extinguished by 8:30 in the morning.

This was at least the fourth confirmed strike on the Afipsky refinery since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. In December 2023, an explosion damaged a fuel oil distillation unit at the same site. The refinery processes around 6–7 million tons of oil annually and plays a key role in supplying diesel fuel to Russia’s military and economy.

Military unit fire in Slavyansk-na-Kubani

Another major fire was reported at a military installation in Slavyansk-na-Kubani, also in Krasnodar Krai. Exilenova+ and Astra published video evidence from locals indicating that the fire broke out at military unit 61661 after it was hit by drones overnight.

No official casualty reports were released, but the footage showed a sustained fire on the grounds of the base. The extent of the damage remains unclear.

Ukrainian OSINT Telegram Cyberboroshno channel geoconfirmed the location of the strike, featured in the footage.

“As a result of the drone attack, fuel and lubricants were hit at the site of the 76th Separate Repair and Recovery Battalion in the settlement of Slavyansk-na-Kubani,” Cyberboroshno wrote. 

Port of Novorossiysk targeted by naval drones

In the port city of Novorossiysk, sirens sounded along the shoreline during an attempted naval drone strike. According to Astra, the mayor confirmed the attack and described the situation as an ongoing defense operation against unmanned surface vessels.

Novorossiysk hosts a key fuel terminal. The impact of the attempted strike is not known at the time of publication.

Volgograd rail infrastructure hit by long-range drones

In Volgograd Oblast, long-range Ukrainian drones hit two railway stations overnight. Videos posted by Exilenova+, Krymsky Veter, and Astra showed large flames at the site.

The oblast’s governor confirmed the attacks and said that fires broke out at the Surovikino station, while explosives experts were dealing with drone debris at the Maksima Gorkogo station. At Surovikino, a blaze engulfed an administrative building. The governor claimed there was no damage to railway infrastructure and that train movement continued “as normal.” 

Russian Telegram channel Astra also published images from the Surovikino area and cited eyewitness reports confirming the fires. At Maksima Gorkogo, sappers were dispatched to examine drone debris.

Russia claims it intercepted dozens of drones

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated it had downed 82 Ukrainian drones across several regions and occupied Crimea during the night. The claimed breakdown included 31 over the Sea of Azov, 11 over Crimea, 10 over Rostov Oblast, 9 over Krasnodar Krai, and smaller numbers in Volgograd, Belgorod, Kursk, and Oryol oblasts.

Exclusives

“Russian spies” who justified Ukraine’s anti-corruption crackdown nowhere to be found. Ukraine’s Security Service found Russian infiltrators everywhere except when journalists asked for proof.

Russia’s air force can barely see Ukraine coming. Ukraine’s strikes have cut Russia’s A-50U fleet to just four planes—two or three near the front, and still not enough.

Ukraine caves under $ 2.3 bn threat, appoints investigator it desperately wanted to block. Ukraine’s government spent weeks trying to block a qualified anti-corruption investigator. Today, $2.3 billion in international pressure changed their minds.

Trump’s ceasefire clock is ticking — and his envoy, who’s met Putin more than any American, just landed in Moscow. Two days before Trump’s ceasefire deadline, Steve Witkoff is back in Moscow for round five with Putin.

Putin built concrete castles for his bombers—Ukraine’s drones burned them down. Ukraine’s state security agency, the vaunted SBU, has made a bad summer for the Russian air force much worse.

Military

Deadly attack hits Ukrainian recreation centre in Zaporizhzhia: 2 killed, 12 injured. Russian forces killed two civilians and injured 12 others, including two children, when they bombed a recreation base in Zaporizhzhia district during early morning hours on 6 August

Ukrainian Commander says Russia lost 77,000 troops in Kursk Oblast. Ukraine’s year-old Kursk operation forced Russia to redeploy significant reserves and abandon offensive plans in northern Ukraine, Syrskyi said.

“We can’t miss this moment”: Ukraine may abandon Pokrovsk if Russian forces close 15km gap. Russian forces are 15 km from fully surrounding Pokrovsk. If that narrows to 10, Ukraine may be forced to pull out, says defense analyst Ivan Stupak.

Russia loses vital fuel supply route as drones target strategic military railway in Rostov. Ukrainian drones targeted the same Russian railway station on consecutive nights while also striking an oil depot in Bryansk overnight on 6 August.

Frontline report: Ukraine destroys Russian radar hub in Black Sea raid, opening new front in coastal war

. A Ukrainian Bayraktar drone destroyed Russian resupply boats, cutting off reinforcements before the amphibious landing.

Romania issues 90-minute alert as Russian drones strike near border. Romanian authorities declared an air alert in Tulcea county on 6 August as residents witnessed Russian drone strikes across the Danube in southern Odesa Oblast

Intelligence and technology

US weapons heading to Ukraine in first NATO-funded shipment within weeks. A NATO official told European Pravda the delivery is backed by over $1 billion from European allies and marks the start of a new US weapons supply mechanism.

US approves $ 203.5 mn deal to maintain Ukraine’s M777 howitzers. The announcement marks a significant shift as the administration had previously paused some weapons aid for Ukraine.

European allies to finance more than $ 1 billion in US arms package for Ukraine. Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands will fund more than $1 billion worth of US military equipment for Ukraine, including critical air defense components.

International

Ukraine to begin historic exhumation work in Poland this September. Ukraine plans September excavations in Poland’s village for the first time, following June operations in Lviv where Polish-Ukrainian teams searched for WWII-era Polish military casualties.

Estonian NGO praised for Ukraine aid now accused of €450,000 fraud. Prosecutors say its founder greenlit fake logistics and unjustified payments to a Ukrainian company.

Ukraine EXPO 2025: 500 guests watch allied pavilions light up in Ukrainian colors. Over 15 countries joined Ukraine’s National Day at EXPO 2025, with allied pavilions lighting up in blue and yellow across Osaka.

Trump slaps 25% tariff on India hours after “constructive” Witkoff-Putin talks in Moscow. US President follows through on sanctions threat as three-hour meeting produces no full ceasefire agreement

Trump calls Zelenskyy as Witkoff leaves Russia — sanctions deadline nears. Trump called Zelenskyy as Witkoff left Moscow following his fifth meeting with Putin, with new US sanctions looming.

The Telegraph: India — not China — could be the key to ending the Ukraine war

. Despite buying less Russian oil than China, India has drawn US pressure — and may hold greater leverage over Moscow’s ability to sustain the war.

Ukraine, US to launch 3 strategic mining projects in next 18 months. The US-Ukrainian Investment Recovery Fund will hold its 1st meeting in September, with plans to expand into defense sector investments alongside three planned mining ventures

Humanitarian and social impact

Unseen footage shows another evidence of Russian war crimes: troops kill Bucha civilian, steal goods while body remains on street. Russian forces occupied Bucha for 33 days, leaving evidence of mass killings discovered after liberation on 31 March 2022. Authorities documented over 9,000 war crimes, 1,700 civilian deaths during the occupation.

Read our earlier daily review here.

A Ukrainian partisan blew up a Mi-28N helicopter—NATO reporting name “Havoc”—at a Russian airbase 550 km north of Ukraine, in what appears to be a bold sabotage operation deep inside Russian territory. Militarnyi reports that the aircraft was stationed at the 344th Combat Training and Flight Personnel Conversion Center near Torzhok in Tver Oblast.

Ukrainian saboteur infiltrates Russian aviation base in Tver Oblast

According to Militarnyi, the Telegram channel People’s Resistance of Ukraine partisan movement released footage showing how a lone partisan managed to penetrate the restricted area of Russia’s only elite helicopter training center. The infiltrator planted two small explosive devices beneath the landing gear of a Mi-28N helicopter, which was parked in the open near the airstrip.

Although the actual detonation was not caught on camera, the group stated that the blast damaged or destroyed the aircraft. They added that Russian military authorities have concealed the fact of the intrusion and the subsequent explosion. Instead, the resistance movement pointed to local civilian reports from 31 May, which described hearing explosions and seeing smoke near the airbase.

Mi-28N helicopter destroyed at key Russian military hub

The Mi-28N helicopter, also designated in Russia as the “Night Hunter,” is valued at around $18 million. The 344th center where the sabotage occurred plays a central role in training and retraining pilots and maintenance crews for all variants of army aviation helicopters used by Russia’s Aerospace Forces and by partner nations. The center is also home to the Berkuts aerobatic team, which flies Mi-28N helicopters.

Previous sabotage cases inside Russian airbases

This is not the first case of sabotage reported deep within Russia. In 2022, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate published footage showing explosive devices being planted on helicopters at a Russian airbase. That explosion reportedly destroyed two Ka-52 Alligator helicopters and seriously damaged two more aircraft. Russian media also reported on that incident.

Additionally, in early 2023, unknown saboteurs allegedly set fire to a Su-34 bomber at an airfield in Russia’s Cheliabinsk.

 

A US active-duty soldier has been charged with federal crimes after allegedly trying to give Abrams tank secrets to Russia in exchange for citizenship. According to the US Justice Department, the soldier handed over technical data and attempted to export tank hardware to someone he believed represented the Russian government.

DOJ: Soldier sought to help Russia with sensitive tank data

Taylor Adam Lee, 22, was arrested on 6 August 2025 in El Paso, Texas. The Justice Department said he attempted to transmit national defense information and export controlled military data without a license. Lee held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance and served at Fort Bliss.

“Lee allegedly violated his duty to protect the United States,” said the DOJ, claiming he tried to help Russia’s Ministry of Defense by sending data related to the M1A2 Abrams, “our Nation’s main battle tank.” Officials also said he offered assistance “to the Russian Federation” and delivered “a piece of hardware” from the tank.

DOJ said Lee passed an SD card during an in-person meeting in July, then messaged the contact, “Mission accomplished.” The card reportedly contained documents related to Abrams tank systems and combat operations. Several files were marked as Controlled Unclassified Information.

The FBI and Army Counterintelligence Command conducted the investigation. DOJ warned that “those who seek to undermine” US national security “will be brought to justice.”

“This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our US Army,” Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command, said in a statement.

Soldier believed Russia would give him asylum

CBS News reported that Lee allegedly wrote, “The USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses,” and that he would “volunteer to assist the Russian Federation when I’m there in any way.” DOJ noted that prosecutors accused Lee of trying to “swap the information for Russian citizenship.“

According to CBS News, the hardware was delivered to a storage unit in El Paso on 31 July, before the “Mission accomplished” message.

CBS also noted that the case follows the conviction of Jack Teixeira, the Air National Guardsman sentenced to 15 years for leaking classified documents online.

On 21 July 2025, Ukraine’s Security Service made dramatic claims: the country’s top anti-corruption agencies were plagued with Russian infiltrators. Simply devastating during wartime—Russian spies had penetrated the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, threatening national security at its core.

The next day, parliament rushed through Law No. 12414, bringing both agencies under control of the prosecutor general. Despite protests flaring across Ukrainian cities, Zelenskyy promptly signed the legislation. “The anti-corruption infrastructure will work, NABU and SAPO will work,” Zelenskyy declared that evening, “but without Russian influences that had to be removed.”

Nobody explained how unprecedented prosecutorial control over independent bodies would decrease supposed Russian control within them.

But here’s the greatest catch: nearly all claims of Russian influence appear to fall apart under scrutiny, according to Ukrainska Pravda’s latest investigation.

The justification for dismantling a decade of anti-corruption infrastructure? It’s crumbling two weeks later.

Ukraine anti-corruption investigators targeted, evidence missing

Ukrainska Pravda’s investigation reveals how surprisingly weak the actual proof remains. The outlet interviewed multiple sources to examine what investigators actually found versus what they claimed.

The case against Viktor Gusarov centers on allegations he provided classified information to a former Yanukovych-era security official while working in NABU’s elite D-2 unit. The Security Service claims to have documented “at least 60 instances” of information transfer to Russian intelligence.

But when NABU requested evidence about Gusarov’s alleged crimes in July, “they haven’t received an answer to this day,” Ukrainska Pravda reports.

The investigation into Ruslan Magamedrasulov involves his family’s hemp business, which the Security Service alleges was used for illegal exports to Russia. Authorities arrested over 100 tons of technical hemp they claimed was “ready for shipment to Dagestan.”

Olena Shcherban, Magamedrasulov’s lawyer, told Ukrainska Pravda the hemp business was entirely legal—producing tea, oils, and dietary supplements sold only within Ukraine. She suspects the Security Service’s audio recordings were “glued together from cuts of different conversations” and plans to request the original recordings.

Several targeted NABU employees faced searches simply for having relatives in occupied territories with Russian passports—a situation affecting millions of Ukrainian families divided by Russia’s 2014 invasion.

NABU detectives handling Zelenskyy inner circle cases targeted

Here’s what actually happened: the operation focused on investigators handling cases involving Zelenskyy’s inner circle.

Magamedrasulov “participated in documenting the activities” of Timur Mindich, Zelenskyy’s business partner from Kvartal-95 studio. Sources told Ukrainska Pravda the targeting of regional NABU leadership was specifically connected to the Mindich case.

Detective Ivan Kravchuk was handling the case against former Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyy, who was forced to resign due to NABU’s investigation.

Detective Oleksandr Skomar was running the case against former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov—Zelenskyy’s birthday party guest during COVID lockdown.

And here’s where the pieces connect: Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko’s priority task, appointed just one month before the operation, was to neutralize NABU’s case against Chernyshov, according to Ukrainska Pravda’s earlier reporting.

The pattern becomes clear when examining who faced the heaviest scrutiny—not abstract security threats, but investigators probing the president’s personal network.

Security Service sources doubt operation

Even within the Security Service, doubts emerged.

“Sources in several law enforcement agencies emphasize that doubts exist within the Security Service itself not only regarding such verdicts, but also the validity of such suspicions,” Ukrainska Pravda reports.

Most tellingly, sources said anti-corruption agency leaders demanded Zelenskyy either “publicly justify the Security Service’s actions and accusations, or release the employees.”

EU freezes billions as evidence crumbles

The weak evidence helps explain why the operation became the final straw for international partners. The European Union froze $1.7 billion in aid immediately after the controversial law passed, with another $3.8 billion hanging in the balance.

For Brussels, this wasn’t just about one law. European officials had already flagged structural problems with Ukraine’s anti-corruption policy during an 11 July 2025 subcommittee meeting, weeks before the controversial legislation.

Civil society forces complete retreat

What Ukrainian authorities didn’t anticipate was civil society’s strength. Within hours of the law passing, mass demonstrations erupted across Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa—the largest protests since Russia’s invasion began.

Teenagers and young adults led chants, organizing through social media, holding signs comparing Zelenskyy to fugitive dictator Viktor Yanukovych. A generation that grew up after Euromaidan was showing that Ukraine’s democratic transformation had become irreversible.

After 10 days of street pressure and international condemnation, parliament voted 331-0 to restore anti-corruption agency independence on 31 July.

Broader institutional pressure continues

The anti-corruption operation wasn’t isolated. Even after July’s retreat, the administration continued efforts to control oversight bodies through other means.

Ukraine’s Cabinet finally appointed Oleksandr Tsyvinskyi as director of the Bureau of Economic Security on 6 August 2025, ending weeks of obstruction that risked $2.3 billion in IMF funding. Tsyvinskyi had won the official selection process unanimously in July, but the appointment stalled amid unsubstantiated security concerns about his Russian-born father—the same playbook used against other qualified investigators.

Media under pressure

The investigation takes on added significance given Ukrainska Pravda’s own pressure campaign. Editor-in-chief Sevgil Musayeva told The Times that advertising revenue dropped sharply after the President’s Office allegedly asked companies to boycott the publication.

According to Forbes Ukraine, the outlet lost $240,000 in advertising revenue due to this pressure.

Ukrainska Pravda first reported systematic pressure from the President’s Office in October 2024, just months after investigating corruption cases involving Zelenskyy’s inner circle.

What this reveals

Ukrainska Pravda’s investigation confirms what many suspected: dramatic claims of Russian infiltration provided convenient cover for an attempt to destroy institutional independence. The evidence for that infiltration remains conspicuously absent.

Two NABU detectives remain imprisoned on charges the investigation suggests may lack substance. The episode demonstrated Ukrainian democratic culture’s resilience, but also showed how easily security services can be weaponized when investigations reach the wrong people.

For now, civil society has successfully resisted institutional capture. The protests forced parliament to restore anti-corruption agency independence. International pressure secured Tsyvinskyi’s appointment, demonstrating that merit-based selections can prevail.

But vigilance remains essential. The President’s Office has demonstrated its willingness to take drastic measures to protect Zelenskyy’s inner circle—using fabricated security concerns, weaponizing law enforcement, and pressuring media outlets.

The successful resistance offers hope that Ukraine’s democratic institutions can withstand authoritarian pressure. But it also serves as a warning: when corruption investigations reach the very top, the defenders won’t hesitate to destroy the institutions themselves.