Only 17.3% of Poles support including Polish soldiers in potential peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, according to a new SW Research poll for rp.pl.

The survey found 61.1% of respondents opposed Polish participation in any international mission to Ukraine, while 21.6% expressed no opinion on the issue.

The polling comes as international discussions intensify around post-war security guarantees for Ukraine. France and Britain proposed deploying approximately 30,000 peacekeeping troops to Ukraine after the war’s conclusion in early 2025, aimed at preventing renewed Russian aggression.

“Polish presence in a potential peacekeeping mission is opposed somewhat more by men (64%) than women (59%),” said Wiktoria Maruszczak, senior project manager at SW Research. “More often than others, such views are expressed by the youngest respondents (69%) and people from cities with no more than 20,000 inhabitants (70%).”

The concept has since evolved toward smaller reassurance forces that would station away from the demarcation line between Russian and Ukrainian forces, providing logistical and training support to the Ukrainian army. Britain has additionally signaled readiness to deploy fighter jets to protect Ukrainian airspace.

Poland has consistently declared it will not send soldiers to Ukraine, with the Polish government stating that the Polish army’s task is ensuring security of NATO’s eastern flank. However, Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed readiness to provide logistical support for any potential mission over the Dnieper.

Following an 18 August White House summit where Donald Trump announced that Russia agreed to security guarantees for Ukraine, Bloomberg reported that approximately 10 countries are prepared to send soldiers to the Dnipro Oblast. Trump indicated the United States does not intend to deploy troops to Ukraine, though he mentioned in a Fox News interview that the US could provide unspecified “air support” for the entire operation.

Russia consistently rejects the possibility of NATO country troops appearing in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin reportedly presented demands during his meeting with Trump in Alaska that no NATO forces be stationed in Ukraine, alongside requiring Ukrainian withdrawal from still-controlled parts of Donbas and Ukraine’s abandonment of NATO membership aspirations.

Regarding peace guarantees, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested returning to proposals from spring 2022. Moscow then proposed that UN Security Council member countries guarantee Ukraine’s security. Under this scenario, Ukraine would remain a neutral state, and if attacked, all guarantor countries would need unanimous consent to provide military assistance—effectively giving Russia veto power over military aid to Ukraine. Kyiv rejected this proposal.

The SW Research poll found the strongest support for Polish peacekeeping participation among respondents with basic vocational education, at 27%.

Italy’s ambassador to France, Emanuela D’Alessandro, was summoned to the French Foreign Ministry on 21 August, following what Paris deemed “unacceptable” remarks by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini toward Emmanuel Macron, France Inter and Radio France’s international desk reported on 22 August.

During a speech on 20 August, Salvini criticized the French president over his support for the idea of sending troops to Ukraine.

“Italian soldiers in Ukraine? Absolutely not. If Emmanuel Macron wants it, let him go himself. Put on a helmet, take a rifle and go to Ukraine yourself,” the Italian vice-premier said.

According to a diplomatic source contacted by France Inter, during the ambassador’s summoning to the Quai d’Orsay, “she was reminded that these remarks went against the climate of confidence and the historical relationship between our two countries.” The source said these statements undermine “recent bilateral developments, which have highlighted strong convergences between the two countries, particularly regarding unwavering support for Ukraine.”

Neither Italian diplomacy nor the services of Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wished to comment when contacted by Radio France’s international desk on 22 August.

This marks the second time Salvini, who maintains close ties with Marine Le Pen, has verbally attacked Macron over Ukraine support. On 7 March 2025, during a trip to Milan, he called the French president “crazy,” accusing him of pushing Europe toward war with Russia.

The diplomatic incident occurs amid broader discussions about security guarantees for Ukraine. US Special Representative Steve Witkoff said that during a meeting in Alaska, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump agreed on “reliable security guarantees” for Ukraine, including protection analogous to NATO’s Article 5.

Following these developments, a “coalition of the willing” has expressed readiness to play a role in providing security guarantees for Ukraine by deploying military contingents on its territory. However, the nature of US support remains unclear. The White House has said Washington “can certainly help coordinate and possibly provide other means of security guarantees.”

Trump emphasized that the US would not send its military personnel but did not rule out assistance with “air transport” for allies. The Wall Street Journal reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will head a working group of national security advisors and NATO representatives to develop a security guarantee project for Ukraine.

China has signaled its willingness to participate in peacekeeping troops for Ukraine, according to Welt  am Sonntag’s exclusive report citing EU diplomats who referenced Chinese government circles.

The Beijing government would only deploy forces “if the peacekeepers were deployed on the basis of a United Nations (UN) mandate,” the diplomats emphasized.

The Chinese proposal has generated mixed reactions in Brussels. On one hand, involving countries from the Global South like China could increase acceptance for stationing foreign troops to monitor peace. However, concerns persist about Beijing’s true intentions.

“There is also the danger that China mainly wants to spy in Ukraine and in case of conflict would take a clearly pro-Russian position instead of a neutral one,” said a senior EU diplomat familiar with current deliberations.

The diplomatic landscape remains complicated by the fact that most EU countries show limited enthusiasm for equipping potential peacekeeping forces with UN mandates beforehand, though Italy has been actively advocating for this approach for months.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had excluded any agreement on Wednesday without Russian and possibly Chinese participation in discussions about Western-sought security guarantees for Ukraine, including peacekeepers. “The West understands very well that serious discussion about security guarantees without the Russian Federation is utopia,” Lavrov said.

This contradicted US President Trump, who after a phone call with Russian leader Putin on 19 August said he did not believe European security guarantees would be a problem for the Kremlin chief.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Lavrov’s demands for Chinese participation. “We need security guarantees only from those countries that are ready to help us,” he said.

Beijing has supported Moscow since the beginning of the Ukraine war through billion-dollar oil purchases and delivery of electronic components for precision weapons manufacturing. Both countries maintain what they describe as a “limitless” partnership.

Broad security framework beyond military support

Western security guarantees for Ukraine encompass a broad spectrum beyond military assistance in case of attack, similar to NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause. This emerges from the G-7 declaration of mid-July 2023 and the “Joint Security Commitments between the EU and Ukraine” from late July 2024.

Security guarantees include training Ukrainian forces, weapons deliveries, defense industry development assistance, intelligence information, sanctions, economic cooperation, and Ukraine’s gradual EU accession.

Peacekeeping monitoring through modern technology

Senior EU diplomats indicated that ceasefire monitoring could rely primarily on drones rather than traditional frontline deployment. The response to ceasefire violations would need definition in any mandate. One option mirrors the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) monitoring of the Minsk Agreements after the 2014 Crimea annexation, where violations were only registered and reported.

Alternatively, mandates could authorize soldiers to intervene during conflicts.

NATO awaits US troop withdrawal plans

Brussels NATO headquarters awaits American troop withdrawal plans from Europe with high tension. Originally expected in early September through Defense Department Undersecretary Elbridge A. Colby’s presentation, the timeline has shifted to post-Russian-Belarusian “Sapad” exercise in mid-September.

NATO circles expect Washington to withdraw “40,000 to 70,000 of the total up to 100,000 soldiers” from Europe. Some US units would subsequently be deployed for border security or maintaining public safety in cities within US territory.

The Alliance’s political guidance for NATO defense planning may require earlier adjustment than the originally planned 2027 timeline, potentially creating new tasks for the German military.

European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius expressed renewed confidence in EU member states’ willingness to use the new €150 billion ($176 bn) SAFE loan instrument for investments in Ukraine’s defence industry, Radio Svoboda reported on 23 August.

“Quite soon we will announce how many EU member countries are requesting these loans from the €150 billion ($176 bn) fund. We see quite significant interest. And later, possibly in November, we will announce how much of these loans will be used for Ukraine,” Kubilius told journalists in Brussels.

The commissioner said that some countries have already indicated they will use the loans for Ukraine, though “we don’t have clear figures yet.”

Kubilius’s optimism marks a shift from his earlier concerns expressed in spring, when he called on countries to invest in Ukraine’s defence sector but worried about the lack of stated intentions to take loans specifically for Ukrainian procurement.

“Now I am much more optimistic,” the European Commissioner told Radio Svoboda’s correspondent.

When asked about EU countries’ readiness to finance $90 billion in American weapons purchases – as President Zelenskyy claimed after Washington negotiations – Kubilius declined to comment directly. However, he called those talks important and noted that “Putin is nervous, he is trying to discredit that meeting.”

“I see much stronger and more united actions from the EU together with the Americans,” the official said.

Kubilius emphasized that European defence industry shows greater interest in Ukrainian defence manufacturing than vice versa.

“Ukrainian defence industry is remarkable for its achievements. And I think many European countries, business industries have considerable interest in strengthening their integration,” he said.

The commissioner cited early cooperation initiatives including BraveTech EU and EDIP (European Defence Industry Programme) – EU programs proposed by the European Commission for financial support, strengthening and stimulating cooperation in the defence industry between the European Union and Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy identified domestic weapons production as one of the security guarantee components for Ukraine.

An explosion in the occupied village of Kalynove in Luhansk Oblast on 22 August killed Russian military personnel and destroyed ammunition, according to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate.

The detonation occurred in the yard of a house where six Russian soldiers were stationed with their military transport, the intelligence agency reported. 

Ukraine’s military intelligence reported that in 2022, these soldiers “participated in committing war crimes in Bucha” in the Kyiv Oblast.

Bucha remained under occupation for 33 days. After liberation, Ukrainian military personnel discovered evidence of mass killings by Russian occupying forces.

The Russian unit was operating as a mobile air defense group to provide cover from aerial attacks for a Russian military repair base located near the house, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate.

The explosion destroyed two Russian pickup trucks equipped with machine guns and a UAZ “loaf” van loaded with ammunition. Three Russian troops were killed, while two more suffered severe injuries classified as “300” – military terminology for wounded requiring evacuation.

The Main Intelligence Directorate did not claim responsibility for the explosion in its statement.

The incident occurred in Kalynove village, part of the Kadiivka city community in the Alchevsk district of Luhansk Oblast, which remains under Russian occupation since 2022.

Major Serhii Bondar, a MiG-29 fighter pilot, died during a landing approach after completing a combat mission on the night of 23 August, the Ukrainian Air Force reported.

“During the landing approach, MiG-29 fighter pilot Major Bondar Serhii Viktorovych, born in 1979, died,” the Air Force reported. The causes and circumstances of the crash are currently being investigated.

Bondar served as deputy squadron commander with the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade “Ghost of Kyiv,” according to the Air Command “Center.” The pilot was born in 1979 in Kropyvnytskyi, where he lived with his family: wife, son, and daughter.

The pilot graduated from the Kharkiv Institute of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2000.

“He dedicated his entire life to aviation, although he had a break in military service. He worked as a lecturer at the National Aviation University,” the 40th Brigade reported on Facebook.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Bondar returned to military service without hesitation, joining the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade and restoring his flight skills on L-39 and MiG-29 aircraft.

“It was on MiG-29 fighters that he carried out daily combat work to protect Ukraine’s airspace: successfully destroying enemy air targets and conducting missile and bomb strikes on occupier positions, their headquarters and equipment concentrations on various front directions,” his colleagues said.

They described Bondar as a balanced and professional pilot, “a person with a big heart and boundless life optimism, humor, sincerity and mutual support for those close to him.”

Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, head of NATO’s Military Committee, says discussions about deploying foreign military contingents in Ukraine remain premature, despite ongoing European diplomatic efforts to secure post-war security guarantees.

European officials have been discussing plans to deploy British and French troops to Ukraine as part of a peace agreement, with approximately 10 countries reportedly ready to provide military personnel. German Bundeswehr union leader Andre Wüstner believes an effective peacekeeping mission in Ukraine would require deploying tens of thousands of troops for an extended period.

“We have absolutely not talked about it in NATO, not even mentioned it,” Cavo Dragone told Corriere della Sera during his visit to Kiev alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

The Italian admiral emphasized that potential foreign troop presence “is part of international politics and negotiations with Moscow,” but NATO itself has not engaged in such discussions. “We know that the issue of contingents has been touched upon by individual nations, perhaps at a bilateral level. But, I repeat, it remains embryonic,” he said.

Military aid continues despite stalled peace talks

NATO countries have provided 99% of all military aid to Ukraine, totaling $50 billion in 2024 and already reaching $33 billion since January 2025, according to Cavo Dragone. The alliance expects to match last year’s figures by year-end.

The admiral revealed details of the newly created PURL (Prioritized Ukrainian Requirement List), developed in collaboration with President Trump and his advisors. “This list is produced by Ukrainians based on their actual military needs in the field,” Cavo Dragone explained. The list gets validated by General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s European commander, before the United States rapidly delivers the requested military materials.

Three PURL packages worth approximately $500 million each have been funded: the Netherlands financed the first in early August, Denmark, Finland and Sweden covered the second, while Germany paid for the third mid-month. The weapons primarily include air defense systems against missiles and drones, plus ammunition of various calibers.

Key questions remain unanswered

Cavo Dragone outlined critical unresolved issues surrounding potential peacekeeping forces: “On the ground, who decides if Russians or Ukrainians have violated agreements? Who develops rules of engagement? How much territory needs to be secured? Should soldiers only monitor or also defend, and if so, with what weapons? Nothing has been defined.”

The admiral noted uncertainty about troop availability, suggesting “someone might think of soldiers from non-NATO countries. Everything is open.” He stressed NATO’s primary commitment: “NATO remains committed to defending first and foremost the citizens of its member states.”

Russian demands rejected

When asked about Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov’s statement that Moscow should participate in Ukraine’s security guarantees, Cavo Dragone dismissed it as “part of the game.” He expressed understanding for Ukrainian rejection of Russian involvement, citing Moscow’s violation of 1994 agreements.

“We are still very far from any agreement. We need to negotiate and would need a ceasefire soon to negotiate,” the admiral concluded.

On 7 February 2025, NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone made his first foreign trip to Ukraine. He met with Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha in Kyiv to discuss military aid and defense capabilities.

The Italian admiral assumed leadership of NATO’s Military Committee, the alliance’s highest military body, in January 2025. In this role, he represents the collective views of NATO chiefs of staff and guides the committee’s agenda.

Emergency crews have extinguished the fire at an American-owned factory in Mukachevo, a city located in western part of Ukraine, that burned for three days following a Russian missile attack, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported on 23 August.

The fire consumed 7,000 square meters of the Flex plant after Russian forces struck the facility on 21 August. Thirteen rescue workers and four units of equipment were deployed to contain the blaze, according to the State Emergency Service.

“Emergency rescue units are conducting final operations, clearing debris and watering down structures to prevent re-ignition,” the service said.

The attack on the American factory injured 21 people, Ukrainian officials confirmed. The Institute for the Study of War assessed that Moscow targeted the facility “to discourage foreign investment” and had prepared the assault weeks before a summit between Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska.

The strike on Mukachevo occurred during Russia’s third-largest air assault of the war. Russian forces launched 574 Shahed-type and decoy drones, four Kh-47 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, two Iskander ballistic missiles, 19 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 14 Kalibr cruise missiles, and one unidentified missile during the overnight attack of 20-21 August.

Ukrainian air defense forces intercepted most of the incoming projectiles, but strikes still hit 11 locations across the country. The barrage damaged infrastructure in Lviv City, Lutsk in Volyn Oblast, Rivne Oblast, and Zakarpattia Oblast, where officials confirmed civilian casualties.

The Flex plant represents one of several foreign-owned facilities operating in western Ukraine, an area previously considered relatively safe from Russian attacks due to its distance from active combat zones.

Today, on 23 August, Ukraine marks its National Flag Day.

In the morning of 23 August senior officials congratulated Ukrainians on this holiday, reaffirming the country’s commitment to territorial integrity and rejecting any peace agreements that would cede occupied lands to Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered remarks emphasizing the flag’s symbolic power for Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians in occupied territories. “This flag is salvation for people we return from Russian captivity – when they see Ukrainian colors, they understand the evil has passed,” Zelenskyy said. “This flag is the goal for our people in occupied territories. We will not give our land to the occupier.”

The president highlighted that the blue and yellow banner represents the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian military personnel defending the nation’s sovereignty across multiple front lines.

Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi echoed these sentiments, describing the flag as “a symbol of freedom that Russia fears – a banner of people fighting for independence.” Syrskyi expressed confidence that Ukrainian forces would eventually raise the flag in currently occupied cities including Donetsk, Luhansk, Simferopol, Sevastopol, Mariupol, and Berdiansk.

In Ukraine, the national flag symbolizes national unity, honor, dignity, and resilience. Its blue and yellow colors represent the peaceful sky over golden wheat fields, reflecting Ukraine’s natural landscape.

A holiday established at the state level after President Leonid Kuchma signed a decree on 23 August 2004, introducing the celebration of this day.

The blue and yellow banner carries a history spanning centuries, with the first documented use of these colors in Ukrainian national symbolism recorded during the Battle of Tannenberg in 1410 on banners of troops from Lviv and Peremyshl Voivodeship (now the territory of Poland).

The earliest mentions of blue and yellow colors in official symbolism date to 1256, when Prince Danylo Halytskyi gifted Lviv a coat of arms featuring a yellow lion on a blue background.

Gold and blue colors also appeared on the coat of arms of the Galicia-Volhynia Principality, a medieval Ukrainian kingdom that existed from 1199 to 1349.

Medieval origins to Cossack Era

In 1410, the flag of Lviv land appeared at the Battle of Tannenberg, as described by Polish chronicler Jan Długosz. The Cossack Hetmanate used a flag of arms from 1649-1764. During the 1848 Spring of Nations, the Main Ruthenian Council adopted a blue and yellow banner as a national flag.

The blue-yellow flag served as the state symbol of the Ukrainian People’s Republic during the national liberation struggles that began with the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, and later for the Ukrainian State in 1918 and the UNR under the Directory.

Naval history and Soviet persecution

On 29 April 1918, sailors raised the Ukrainian flag over ships of the Black Sea Fleet during the Crimean operation led by Colonel Petro Bolbochan. This occurred despite a German ultimatum that forced Ukrainian troops to leave Crimea under the Brest Agreement, which ended Ukraine’s involvement in World War I.

“Ukrainian flag to be raised! And under the trumpet and whistle of petty officer-sailors, the Ukrainian flag flew up. ‘Dismissed!’ Together with the team, the trumpeters played. Almost throughout the entire Black Sea fleet, large yellow-blue canvases fluttered in the air,” Senior Lieutenant Sviatoslav Shramchenko recorded the moment.

The naval minister’s flag, preserved by Lieutenant Sviatoslav Shramchenko, is now located in Chicago, US.

During Ukraine’s time within the USSR, ordinary storage of the Ukrainian banner was illegal, let alone its public display. However, brave individuals occasionally displayed the blue-yellow flag on administrative buildings of Soviet power.

On 1 May 1966, a blue-yellow flag flew over the roof of the Kyiv Institute of National Economy. The KGB detained the organizers – master plumber Heorhii Moskalenko and welder Viktor Kuks, who served two years of strict regime in a colony.

In 1973, the Rosokhach group organized by Volodymyr Marmus displayed yellow-blue flags in Chortkiv, Ternopil Oblast, to mark the anniversary of the IV Universal proclamation of UNR independence. Marmus was sentenced to six years in camps and five years of exile.

Road to Independence

On 24 July 1990, the blue-yellow flag flew over the Kyiv City Council, marking the ninth city to raise the Ukrainian banner. On 24 August 1991, the blue-yellow flag was brought into the session hall of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) of the Ukrainian SSR, after which Ukraine’s independence was proclaimed. On 4 September 1991, a blue-yellow flag was raised near the Verkhovna Rada building.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine resolution of 28 January 1992, officially established the blue-yellow flag as a state symbol. The 1996 Constitution defined the State Flag of Ukraine as a “banner of two equally-sized horizontal bands of blue and yellow colour.”

Beyond earth’s borders

Ukraine’s flag first unfurled in space in 1997 when Leonid Kadeniuk, the first astronaut of independent Ukraine, took it on his mission. Ukraine’s anthem also sounded in space for the first time.

American astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, of Ukrainian descent, and American astronaut Randolph Bresnik, who adopted a child from Ukraine, subsequently carried the Ukrainian flag to space. The flag that first traveled to space is now preserved in the Zhytomyr Museum of Cosmonautics.

Recent history and wartime symbolism

On 23 August 2004, Ukraine celebrated its first Day of the National Flag, established by presidential decree.

On 28 April 2014, the last pro-Ukrainian rally “For a United Ukraine” took place in Donetsk before the city’s capture by pro-Russian separatists during the conflict in eastern Ukraine. About 2,000 demonstrators participated in the march, which was attacked by people in camouflage armed with knives, traumatic weapons, bats, and chains. Fifteen people sustained serious injuries and five went missing.

On the night of 23 August 2020, the ARTEFACT project created media art of the Ukrainian flag that illuminated the sarcophagus of the fourth power unit of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the protective structure built over the 1986 disaster site. The flag appeared on a structure 110 meters high and 165 meters wide.

In summer 2022, servicemen of the 73rd Maritime Center of Special Operations Forces named after Kosh Otaman Antin Holovaty, together with a unit of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, returned control over Zmiinyi Island in the Black Sea. Ivan Pylypchuk and Oleh Subota raised the flag in early July 2022.

On 11 August 2024, Armed Forces of Ukraine servicemen raised the state flag of Ukraine on the Kinburn Spit in Mykolaiv Oblast, located on the left bank of the Dnipro River. A spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate declined to comment on operation details, emphasizing that “measures are ongoing.”

Ukrainian citizen Serhii Kuznetsov denied charges related to the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions during a court hearing in Bologna on Friday and refused consent for extradition to Germany.

“He was in Ukraine at the time of the blasts,” according to Italian news agency ANSA, which reported that Kuznetsov made the statement while displaying a three-finger trident gesture representing Ukrainian national identity.

The 49-year-old suspect was arrested on the evening of 21 August at a farm holiday resort in San Clemente, near Rimini, on a European arrest warrant issued by German federal authorities. He faces charges including joint commission of an explosion using explosives, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of buildings.

Italian police detained Kuznetsov while he was vacationing with his family. German investigators suspect he belonged to a group that destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022 but was not among the divers who planted the explosives.

The Bologna court hearing was adjourned until early afternoon after Kuznetsov requested a Ukrainian or Russian interpreter. “The arrested man said he wasn’t fluent in English and requested a Ukrainian or Russian translator,” ANSA reported.

Deputy Prosecutor Licia Scagliarini granted German judicial authorities’ request for the suspect’s surrender, though Kuznetsov told the court he does not consent to being handed over to Germany.

According to German prosecutors, Kuznetsov served a coordinating function aboard the sailing yacht “Andromeda” during the operation. The yacht was allegedly rented through intermediaries from a German company using forged documents.

German media previously identified Kuznetsov as a former Security Service of Ukraine employee and retired captain in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This marks the second arrest warrant in the case after Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Z. managed to leave Poland for Ukraine before detention in July.

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially approved the pipeline operation but later ordered its cancellation after Dutch military intelligence informed the CIA, which then alerted Germany. According to WSJ sources, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi ignored Zelenskyy’s order to halt the operation.

German investigators have been examining the explosions since 2022, initially suspecting Russian involvement before tracing evidence to Ukraine. Federal Police and Federal Prosecutor investigators eventually traced the sailing yacht and uncovered connections to Ukrainian operatives.

Security circles indicate uncertainty regarding when Kuznetsov will be extradited to Germany, with the validation of his arrest and pre-trial detention request under discussion in Bologna.

Ukrainian paddlers Liudmyla Luzan and Iryna Fedoriv captured Ukraine’s first gold medal at the 2025 World Canoe Sprint Championships in Milan, defeating Canadian duo Zoë Wojcik and Katie Vincent in the women’s canoe doubles 500-meter final.

 The victory marks a significant achievement for both athletes at the championships running from 20-24 August in Italy, according to Ukrainska Pravda Sports,

Spanish paddlers Angeles Moreno and Victoria Yarchevska claimed bronze in the event. The result represents a reversal of fortunes from the European Championships in June, where Luzan and Fedoriv finished second behind the Spanish pair who took gold in that competition.

For Luzan, this victory adds a fifth world championship gold medal to her career collection. Fedoriv secured her first world championship medal at this level of competition.

The Ukrainian success comes at the midpoint of the Milan championships, with competition continuing through Saturday at the Idroscalo venue. The championships feature both traditional canoe sprint and paracanoe events running concurrently.

The victory builds on the pair’s silver medal performance at the 2025 European Canoe Sprint Championships in Racice, Czech Republic, where they competed in the 200-meter canoe doubles event in June.

The European Union transferred €4.05 billion ($4.7 bn) to Ukraine before the country’s 34th Independence Day, the European Commission announced on 22 August.

The package includes €3.05 billion ($3.6 bn) through the Ukraine Facility mechanism and €1 billion ($1.2 bn) in exceptional macro-financial assistance, according to the Commission’s press service.

“Ahead of Ukraine’s 34th anniversary of independence on 24 August, the EU delivers another strong signal of unwavering support by disbursing €4.05 billion ($4.7 bn) to the country,“ the Commission said.

“As Ukraine celebrates its 34th Independence Day, the EU sends a clear message: our solidarity with Ukraine is unwavering. Today’s disbursement of over €4 billion demonstrates our staunch commitment,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Von der Leyen added that the funding “underlines our commitment not only to Ukraine’s recovery, but to its future as a sovereign and democratic country. Because when Ukraine is strong, Europe is stronger too.”

The €3.05 billion ($3.6 bn) represents the fourth regular payment under the Ukraine Facility program. However, this tranche is more than €1 billion ($1.2 bn) smaller than originally planned because Kyiv has not implemented all reforms promised to the EU.

Despite the reduction, the European Commission noted the payment reflects Ukraine’s progress on EU accession reforms, particularly “restoring the independence” of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which the Verkhovna Rada approved on 31 July.

“Safeguarding the autonomy of these two institutions is a cornerstone of Ukraine’s anti-corruption architecture and of its European path,” the Commission emphasized.

The Commission also transferred the seventh installment of its exceptional macro-financial loan (MFA) worth €1 billion ($1.2 bn) to Ukraine.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, the EU and its member states have mobilized €168.9 billion ($198 bn) in humanitarian, financial and military aid for Ukraine and its citizens, reports European Pravda.

Italian police have arrested Ukrainian citizen Serhij K. on suspicion of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions, according to reports by Spiegel and Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office.

The detention occurred on the evening of 20 August in Italy’s Rimini province based on a European arrest warrant, Spiegel reported. The suspect allegedly belonged to a group that destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022.

According to German investigators, Serhij K. was aboard the sailing yacht “Andromeda” during the operation but was not among the divers who planted the explosives. Instead, prosecutors believe he served a coordinating function in what they describe as the pipeline attacks carried out by a Ukrainian commando unit.

The operation involved bringing divers close to the pipelines via a specially rented sailing yacht, then deploying them to attach explosives to the seabed infrastructure, Spiegel reports. The yacht was reportedly rented through intermediaries from a German company using forged documents.

Serhij K. faces charges including joint commission of an explosion using explosives, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of buildings. German authorities plan to request his extradition from Italy.

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that several high-ranking Ukrainian military officials and businessmen planned the pipeline operation using an ordinary pleasure yacht and open sea charts. According to the newspaper’s sources, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initially approved the plan but later ordered its cancellation after Dutch military intelligence MIVD learned of the operation and informed the CIA, which then alerted Germany.

The Journal reported that CIA officials warned Zelenskyy’s office to halt the operation, prompting Zelenskyy to order General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi to stop it. However, according to WSJ sources, Zaluzhnyi ignored the order.

This marks the second arrest warrant in the case. Germany’s Federal Prosecutor General previously issued an arrest warrant for Ukrainian citizen Volodymyr Z., who was to be detained in Poland where he resided but managed to leave for Ukraine before arrest.

German media reported that Volodymyr Z. crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border in early July in a vehicle with diplomatic plates. Some Polish officials allegedly responded to accusations they warned the suspect by stating: “Why should we arrest him? He’s a hero to us!”

Poland’s border service denied accusations that they allowed the suspect to enter Ukraine in a diplomatic vehicle despite having orders to detain him, emphasizing they had neither legal grounds nor appropriate information for Volodymyr Z.’s arrest.

German investigators suspect two other Ukrainian citizens in the case, including a woman. The Federal Prosecutor General has been investigating the explosions since 2022 on suspicion of anti-constitutional sabotage and causing an explosive detonation.

When Spiegel spoke with individuals with detailed knowledge of the events in Ukraine in 2024, sources indicated the commando unit had no intention of committing a crime. For the Ukrainian operatives, the pipeline destruction represented an attack on a legitimate military target in the war between Ukraine and Russia, with gas delivery profits significantly contributing to financing Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Spiegel’s investigation also found indications that the Ukrainian armed forces had sanctioned the operation.

Initially, politicians and media assumed Russian perpetrators were behind the explosions. German Federal Police and Federal Prosecutor investigators eventually traced the sailing yacht and uncovered connections to Ukraine.

Security circles indicate it remains unclear when Serhij K. will be extradited to Germany. The suspect was not available for immediate comment, and information about legal representation was not initially available.

Norway officially established its second brigade in the Arctic region bordering Russia, advancing toward NATO’s commitment to triple brigade capacity by 2032, Euractiv reported on 21 August.

The newly formed Finnmark Brigade implements the country’s first national security strategy adopted earlier this year, which calls for rapid defense reinforcement and deeper EU cooperation.

“We have to live with a more dangerous and unpredictable Russia. The creation of the Finnmark Brigade is a necessary response to a more uncertain security situation in the world,” Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik said.

Oslo currently maintains slightly over 4,500 soldiers on active duty, supplemented by the National Guard comprising over 40,000 personnel who completed 12-month initial service. The country practices military conscription for both men and women.

NATO brigades typically number 3,000-5,000 soldiers. The founding alliance member plans further military expansion through a third brigade to be stationed in the country’s south.

Concurrent with the Finnmark deployment, the government transferred recently renovated facilities worth 130 million euros (1.5 billion Norwegian kroner) in Porsangmoen, Finnmark province. Operating as one of the world’s northernmost military garrisons, the brigade will monitor the Russian border and militarized Kola Peninsula.

According to the country’s long-term defense plan, the brigade will be reinforced with combat air defense, an artillery battalion, one light infantry battalion, an engineer company, and a reconnaissance squadron.

In 2024, Norway’s parliament approved a plan increasing Oslo’s defense spending to nearly 138 billion euros by 2036 – approximately 51 billion euros (611 billion Norwegian kroner) more than current levels. This 37-percent defense spending increase will significantly strengthen Norway’s naval power through five new frigates and complete submarine fleet modernization.

Four NATO members recently conducted naval exercises in Arctic waters as part of broader Far North patrol deployment. Norway also conducted spring trials for a 13-member Arctic reconnaissance group lasting 100 days.

American journalist Brian Glenn, who in February questioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about his attire, offered an apology during the leaders’ recent meeting in Washington.

The apology came during Zelenskyy’s August 18 meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Glenn told Zelenskyy he looked great in his suit, to which the Ukrainian president responded: “Yes, but I changed my suit, you didn’t.”

Trump sided with Glenn during the exchange, adding that he had told Zelenskyy the same thing about his attire.

The 28 February incident occurred when Glenn questioned Zelenskyy about his clothing choice during an Oval Office meeting. “I will wear a suit when this war is over. Maybe something like yours,” Zelenskyy had responded at the time.

According to Axios, Zelenskyy’s wardrobe choice during that February meeting contributed to Trump’s irritation. The publication also reported that White House representatives had inquired with Ukrainian officials whether Zelenskyy would wear a suit for the 18 August meeting with Trump.

The recent Washington meeting between Zelenskyy, Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance ended in disagreement over the Russian-Ukrainian war, with the Ukrainian president leaving the White House earlier than scheduled.

The European Union spent approximately 4.48 billion euros ($5.22 bn) on Russian liquefied natural gas imports during the first half of 2025, marking a significant increase from the 3.47 billion euros ($4 bn) spent during the same period in 2024, according to data from Eurostat reported by Deutsche Welle.

The figures reveal that Russian LNG imports rose by nearly 30 percent year-over-year, even as the bloc maintains various sanctions against Moscow. Total EU LNG imports for the first six months of 2025 reached 26.9 billion euros ($3.13 bn), with the United States supplying the largest share at 13.7 billion euros ($1.6 bn).

“The United States was the largest LNG supplier to the EU in 2024, accounting for almost 45 percent of total imports of this raw material,” the European Commission data shows.

Russia continues to supply pipeline gas to the EU through a single route – the Turkish Stream pipeline. “These supplies are intended only for several countries, such as Hungary and Slovakia,” Deutsche Welle reports.

Russian LNG reaches Europe via maritime tankers, with deliveries that increased in 2024 but declined again from early 2025. The EU received approximately 5.7 billion cubic meters of Russian LNG between January and March 2025.

Current sanctions framework creates an uneven playing field for Russian energy products. “Russian oil is mainly subject to the EU embargo introduced in 2023. Sanctions on Russian gas apply only to pipeline gas and provide exceptions for Budapest and Bratislava,” Deutsche Welle notes.

The absence of LNG restrictions has allowed continued purchases by major EU economies. “Regarding liquefied natural gas from Russia, the European Union has not introduced restrictive measures. It was actively purchased, in particular, by Spain, France, the Netherlands and Belgium. At the same time, Austria, Poland, and the Baltic countries voluntarily refused gas from Russia earlier,” the report states.

The data underscores broader patterns in EU-Russia energy trade. In 2024, the European Union spent approximately 21.9 billion euros on Russian fossil fuel imports – only 1 percent less than the previous year. This amount exceeded the 18.7 billion euros in financial aid the EU provided to Ukraine during the same period.

Separate reporting indicates potential circumvention of energy sanctions through third countries. Between March and April 2025, Spanish ports received 123,000 tons of diesel fuel from Morocco, despite experts noting that Morocco has not operated oil refineries since 2016, making diesel purchases for re-export economically questionable unless the fuel has competitive pricing.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Keith Kellogg, the US special representative for Ukraine, during his Washington visit on 18 August, according to sources who spoke to Suspilne.

The meeting included several high-ranking Ukrainian officials: Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, his deputies Pavlo Palisa and Ihor Brusylo, Ukrainian Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova, and National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov. Zelenskyy later confirmed the meeting on X platform.

“We discussed the situation on the battlefield, our strong diplomatic capabilities – of Ukraine and all of Europe together with America. Russia can only be forced to peace through strength, and President Trump has such strength,” Zelenskyy wrote.

The Ukrainian delegation’s schedule includes separate meetings with European officials before the Trump encounter. According to sources, these meetings will be held individually rather than collectively.

Zelenskyy and Trump are scheduled to meet at 8:15 pm Kyiv time in Washington, followed by a multilateral meeting with EU leaders at 10:00 pm. The European delegation accompanying Zelenskyy to the US includes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

This gathering follows the 15 August Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, which took place without Ukrainian or European participation at Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage. Zelenskyy characterized that meeting as “Putin’s personal victory,” stating that the Russian leader seeks only to escape international isolation and delay sanctions rather than pursue genuine peace.

The Alaska meeting operated in a “three on three” format. Trump’s delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Special Representative Steve Witkoff, while Putin brought his aide Yuri Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Following their discussions, both leaders issued statements. Trump declared that “there is no deal, but significant progress has been made” and expressed his desire for relations with Russia after the war’s conclusion. Putin reported that Trump was attempting to help resolve the Ukrainian issue and expressed hope that the reached understanding would contribute to peace.

Planned expanded negotiations between the US and Russian delegations were subsequently canceled, the Wall Street Journal reports. Both leaders departed the base immediately after their bilateral meeting.

Trump conducted phone conversations with Zelenskyy and EU and NATO leaders following his Putin encounter.

President Donald Trump nearly walked away from negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their Alaska summit when the Kremlin leader demanded complete control over Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, according to Axios.

Putin presented maximalist demands regarding five disputed Ukrainian oblasts during the meeting on 15 August, with particular focus on Donetsk, where Russia currently controls approximately 75% of the territory, according to the reports. The Russian president wanted all of it.

“If Donetsk is the thing here and if there is no give, we should just not prolong this,” Trump told Putin during the talks, according to a source cited by Axios. Putin reportedly backed off the demand following Trump’s threat to end negotiations.

The Alaska summit represents the opening phase of Trump’s diplomatic strategy to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Administration advisers describe the approach as focused on bringing both leaders to direct negotiations rather than securing an immediate ceasefire.

“Everything else is foreplay,” a Trump adviser told Axios. “Everything is to get to that moment for peace.”

The administration has outlined a three-step process: securing bilateral agreements with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately, followed by trilateral talks involving all parties. Trump is scheduled to meet with Zelenskyy in Washington on 18 August.

US intelligence assessments present conflicting timelines for Russian military capabilities. One evaluation suggests Putin could capture all of Donetsk by October, while another predicts a more difficult and inconclusive campaign.

Putin agreed for the first time that the US and European allies could provide “security guarantees” to prevent further Russian aggression, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff said on 17 August.

“It would be a very big move by the President if he were to offer a US commitment to a security guarantee,” Rubio said on Fox News.

When asked whether such guarantees could include US troops stationed in Ukraine, one Trump adviser privately confirmed the possibility to Axios, while another said the details remained unclear.

Reuters previously reported Putin’s ceasefire demands from Alaska, which include Ukraine withdrawing its forces from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts entirely.

Rubio emphasized Sunday that the US would not pressure Ukraine to surrender territory as part of any peace agreement. Zelenskyy has stated that negotiations must address the current front lines and that Ukraine’s Constitution prevents territorial concessions or land exchanges.

The Alaska summit concluded abruptly, with Trump departing Anchorage so quickly that administration officials left summit materials on a hotel printer, NPR reported. A planned working lunch between the leaders was canceled.

“20,000 Russian soldiers were killed last month, in July, in this war,” Rubio told CBS. “That just tells you the price they’re willing to pay. It’s a meat grinder, and [the Russians] just have more meat to grind.”

Ukraine will become a major military equipment supplier to European countries following the end of its war with Russia, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said in an interview with Fox News.

The diplomat said that Ukraine would become a major supplier of military equipment to Europe against the backdrop of increased defense spending by its countries.

Whitaker said that substantial financial resources will flow into Ukraine, primarily from Europe, to assist with the country’s post-war reconstruction.

The ambassador’s comments follow December 2024 statements by Donald Trump, who warned the United States could withdraw from NATO if European countries failed to increase their defense spending from the then-current 2% to 5% of GDP.

During the NATO summit in The Hague in June, alliance leaders agreed to raise defense expenditures to 5% of GDP over the next 10 years.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) previously calculated that global defense spending reached record post-Cold War levels last year.

Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine that Russian forces have suffered defeat in the Sumy direction and are now redeploying troops to other front sections.

“In Sumy Oblast, the enemy (Russian forces) has suffered defeat,” Syrskyi said.

The Ukrainian commander said that Russia had concentrated a powerful grouping in the Sumy Oblast, including elite units.

“Despite the fact that a truly powerful grouping was concentrated there from the best Russian units – paratroopers, marines and the best motorized rifle units of the ground forces, the enemy had no success in the last two months. On the contrary, it lost several settlements,” he said.

Syrskyi highlighted the failure of Russia’s most recent offensive attempts. The latest Russian effort to advance near Stepne and Novokostiantynivka ended in complete failure, according to the commander.

“The Russian forces were destroyed, thrown back beyond the state border,” Syrskyi said.

Ukrainian forces continue their advance in this direction while Russia has begun withdrawing troops from the Sumy Oblast. “The Russian forces, understanding the futility of this direction of its actions, is now transferring units from there to other directions, mainly to Zaporizhzhia,” Syrskyi concluded.

The commander previously said in late June that Ukrainian defenders had managed to stop Russian forces in Sumy Oblast. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Ukrainian forces achieved certain successes in northern Sumy Oblast.

The death toll from an explosion at a gunpowder manufacturing facility in Russia’s Ryazan Oblast has risen to 20, according to the regional emergency response headquarters.

The blast occurred on morning of 15 August at the Elastik plant’s powder workshop in Shilovsky district.

The regional operational headquarters reported that some 134 people were injured, with 31 patients currently hospitalized in Ryazan and Moscow medical facilities.

Preliminary investigation findings point to violations of industrial safety requirements as the cause of the explosion and subsequent fire, according to investigators. 

The Elastik plant manufactures explosive materials and gunpowder products, primarily for military use. It has experienced several serious explosions, including a deadly one in 2025 that destroyed its gunpowder workshop. The incident on 15 August marks one of the deadliest industrial accidents in the region in recent years.

Russian forces launched ballistic missile strikes on Zaporizhzhia on the morning of 18 August, injuring six people in the regional center, according to Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov.

According to Fedorov, at least two explosions followed in the oblast shortly after the warning about the attack.

“Russian Forces deliberately try to hit the city’s critical infrastructure,” Fedorov said.

The casualty count increased throughout the morning. By 10:02 am, six people had been injured, with two hospitalized in serious condition, reports the regional administration.

The attack followed an evening airstrike on 16 August that killed a 15-year-old boy in the village of Novoyakovlivka. The teenager’s entire family – parents and younger siblings – sustained injuries in that strike. Two additional men were also wounded.

The combined casualties from both attacks total 17 people injured and one killed across Zaporizhzhia Oblast over a 12-hour period.

Russian forces have repeatedly targeted energy infrastructure and civilian areas in Zaporizhzhia Oblast since the start of the full-scale invasion. The region hosts Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, currently under Russian occupation.

Overnight on 18 August Russian forces also targeted Kharkiv and Odesa. About six people are killed in Kharkiv, including two children.

Russian forces launched a drone attack on oil terminals belonging to Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR in Odesa Oblast overnight on 18 August, triggering a major fire at the fuel infrastructure facility, according to regional officials.

Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper said that despite active air defense operations, the attack resulted in significant damage in the Odesa district.

A fire broke out at a fuel and energy infrastructure facility and a two-story building in the suburbs of Odesa, according to Kiper.

Former Deputy Prosecutor General Gunduz Mamedov identified the target as SOCAR’s oil terminals in a social media post. Sources within Ukraine’s State Emergency Service told Ukrainska Pravda that 10 drones were used in the attack on the Azerbaijani facility.

The emergency response involved over 100 personnel, including rescuers, volunteers, National Guard firefighters, and local fire brigade teams. Ukrainian Railways deployed a fire train to assist with extinguishing the blaze.

Preliminary reports indicate no casualties or injuries resulted from the attack.

This marks the second strike on SOCAR facilities in Odesa Oblast within 10 days. On 8 August, Russian forces hit the same oil depot with five Shahed-type drones, causing fires and damaging a diesel fuel pipeline.

The overnight assault was part of a broader Russian attack involving four missiles and 140 drones targeting multiple Ukrainian oblasts. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that air defense systems shot down or suppressed 88 Russian drones across northern, southern, eastern, and central areas of the country by 9:00 am.

The attacks resulted in confirmed strikes at 25 locations across Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Kyiv oblasts.

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 Russia and emphasise that they are of a targeted nature.

Overnight on 18 August, Russian forces also attacked residential building in Kharkiv, killing five people, including two children.

Rescue workers have recovered another body from the rubble of a residential building damaged by Russian strikes in Kharkiv, bringing the death toll to five people, including two children.

According to Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, there are already four dead, including one child.

Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov later confirmed the fifth casualty, including a 1.5-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy.

The number of injured has reached 20 people as of 9:30 am, with six children among the casualties, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. Rescue teams have saved two people from the debris, and search operations continue.

About five people are currently considered missing, according to Syniehubov.

Russian forces targeted Kharkiv with Geran-2 type drones, with four unmanned aerial vehicles hitting a five-story residential building. The strike caused structural damage and fires broke out in the building.

Mayor Terekhov said that 18 August has been declared a day of mourning in Kharkiv for the victims of the attack.

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 Russia and emphasise that they are of a targeted nature.

Regional casualties mount across Kharkiv Oblast

The deadly strike on Kharkiv was part of broader attacks across the region that left 34 people injured over the past 24 hours. Russian forces struck the city of Kharkiv and 10 settlements throughout Kharkiv Oblast, according to regional authorities.

In Kupiansk, a 43-year-old man was injured in the attacks. The village of Lisne in the Malodanyliv community saw three casualties: two men aged 49 and 51, and a 48-year-old woman.

Russian forces deployed an extensive arsenal against the region, launching one Iskander-M missile and 33 unmanned aerial vehicles of various types. The attack package included 20 Geran-2 drones, two Lancet drones, two Molnia drones, one FPV drone, and five drones of undetermined type. Russian forces also used two guided aerial bombs in the assault.

Infrastructure damage spreads across multiple districts

The strikes damaged civilian infrastructure across four districts. In Kharkiv city, 19 apartment buildings and 25 vehicles sustained damage from the attacks.

Kupiansk district bore significant damage, with apartment and private buildings hit in Kupiansk city and Pidserednie village. The village of Shevchenkove saw damage to an enterprise and six vehicles, while storage facilities were damaged in Hnylytsya village.

Chuhuiv district reported damage to a warehouse and vehicle in Kochetok village, while a private house was damaged in Horokhovatka village in Izium district.

Ground combat intensifies on two fronts

Ukrainian forces recorded 182 combat clashes across the front over the past 24 hours. On the South Slobozhansk direction, Russian forces launched 13 assault attempts against Ukrainian positions near Vovchansk and toward the settlements of Khatnie and Odradne.

The Kupiansk direction saw 12 Russian attacks throughout the day. Ukrainian defense forces repelled Russian assault actions near Zapadne, Kindrashivka, Petropavlivka, and Stepova Novoselivka, as well as attacks directed toward Kupiansk and Nova Kruhliakivka.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has placed Israel and Russia “on notice” that they could be listed next year among parties “credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence,” according to his annual report to the Security Council on conflict-related sexual violence obtained by Reuters.

The warning stems from “significant concerns regarding patterns of certain forms of sexual violence that have been consistently documented by the United Nations,” Guterres wrote in the report released.

Regarding Russian forces, Guterres said he was “gravely concerned about credible information of violations by Russian armed and security forces and affiliated armed groups” primarily against Ukrainian prisoners of war in 50 official and 22 unofficial detention facilities across Ukraine and Russia.

“These cases comprised a significant number of documented incidents of genital violence, including electrocution, beatings and burns to the genitals, and forced stripping and prolonged nudity, used to humiliate and elicit confessions or information,” the Secretary-General said.

The report notes that Russian authorities have not engaged with Guterres’ special envoy on sexual violence in conflict since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Israel faces similar scrutiny over documented violations in Palestinian detention facilities. Guterres expressed grave concern about “credible information of violations by Israeli armed and security forces” against Palestinians in several prisons, a detention center and a military base.

“Cases documented by the United Nations indicate patterns of sexual violence such as genital violence, prolonged forced nudity and repeated strip searches conducted in an abusive and degrading manner,” the report states.

Russia’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the report.

Ukraine’s hydroelectric reservoirs managed by Ukrhydroenergo have reached their lowest water levels in a decade due to poor spring flooding this year, the company’s press service reports.

The state enterprise faces a dual challenge as it not only generates electricity but also ensures water supply to consumers across the country. This requires maintaining stable water levels, which currently stand significantly lower than last year’s figures, according to Ukrhydroenergo.

“We are doing everything possible to accumulate sufficient reserves by autumn,” the company reported. To achieve this goal, water will be used “as rationally as possible” while preparing hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) and pumped-storage power plants (PSPPs) for the winter season.

The company is simultaneously conducting reconstruction work and scheduled repairs of its hydroelectric facilities while restoring and protecting its infrastructure from ongoing damage.

“For hydropower specialists, this is a unique experience ofconducting all these measures and implementing projects simultaneously,” Ukrhydroenergo wrote.

The water shortage coincides with broader energy storage challenges facing Ukraine. As of 5 August, the country had accumulated over 10 billion cubic meters of gas in underground storage facilities, marking the lowest reserves in at least 12 years

German public opinion is split on whether Ukraine should surrender occupied territories to end the war, according to a ZDF Politbarometer survey conducted ahead of a planned Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska.

The poll, conducted by telephone and online among 1,370 randomly selected voters between 11-13 August 2025, found 42% believe Ukraine should give up parts of its territory if this would end the war. However, a slightly larger group—45%—think Ukraine should continue fighting to liberate these territories. The remaining 13% responded “don’t know.”

The survey comes before the scheduled meeting for 15 August between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss the Ukraine war. Only 13% of Germans believe Trump can broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine during this encounter, while 84% doubt such an outcome.

Germans show profound skepticism toward Putin’s intentions. Just 14% consider the Russian president genuinely interested in a lasting ceasefire, while 82% reject this notion. The distrust spans across party lines, with “different-sized majorities in all party affiliations” expressing doubt, according to the survey.

An overwhelming 89% of respondents consider it important or very important that Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky participate directly in talks between Trump and Putin to achieve a lasting ceasefire. Only 9% view Ukrainian participation as unimportant.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy recently confirmed he will not accept any territorial concessions in possible peace negotiations and “will be guided by the Constitution.” US President Trump has “expressed dissatisfaction” with these arguments from Zelensky.

The survey reveals the complexity of German public opinion as diplomatic efforts intensify to resolve the conflict that has lasted since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that Ukraine has received over one million large-calibre ammunition rounds this year through his country’s ammunition supply initiative, Novinky reported.

Speaking during a meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” Fiala detailed the progress of the Czech-led ammunition program.

“As of today, we have already delivered one million units of large-calibre ammunition to Ukraine this year under the Czech ammunition supply initiative,” he said.

The Prime Minister also praised coordination efforts with US President Donald Trump and welcomed the first-time participation of US Vice President J.D. Vance in the coalition meeting.

The Czech ammunition initiative secured sufficient resources in April to maintain monthly ammunition deliveries to Ukraine through September 2025. The program represents part of broader Czech military support, which includes participation in the drone coalition for Ukraine.

In August, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky opened a diplomatic mission in Dnipro, expanding the country’s presence in Ukraine beyond traditional diplomatic channels

The head of Norwegian intelligence has identified the Russian Federation as the primary security threat facing Norway, according to VG.

Nils Andreas Stensones made the declaration during an event titled “Hybrid attacks against Norway: are we at war?” While opening his remarks, Stensones clarified that he does not consider the current situation equivalent to wartime conditions.

“However, Russian President Putin believes that Russia is in constant conflict with the West… Russia is currently the biggest threat to Norway,” Stensones said.

The intelligence chief expressed his assessment that Russia does not aim to influence this year’s elections in Norway.

At the same event, the head of Norway’s domestic intelligence service revealed evidence of Russian involvement in a cyber sabotage operation targeting a dam in the western part of the country during spring 2024.

The Norwegian assessment aligns with broader European security concerns. A French top general believes Russia could pose a real threat to Europe by 2030, according to France’s National Strategic Review for 2025, which calls for preparations for high-intensity warfare in Europe.

Norway’s Police Security Service (PST) believes pro-Russian hackers orchestrated a cyber attack on a Norwegian dam in spring 2025, according to VG.

PST chief Beate Gangas said the service considers the April 2025 cyber sabotage of a dam a work of pro-Russian hackers. The incident occurred at a dam on Lake Risevatnet in southwestern Norway, where cybercriminals seized control of the system. The gates remained open for four consecutive hours and released large volumes of water before staff detected the intrusion and took action.

“Over the past year, we have seen a change in the activities of pro-Russian cyber actors. In April, a dam in western Norway became the target of such an operation,” Gangas said. “Our Russian neighbor has become more dangerous.”

The PST chief explained that Russia employs multiple methods in its activities against Norway and Western countries generally.

“This can be subversive activity, influence, polarization, covert intelligence operations – methods aimed at weakening our security, but which cannot be characterized as acts of war,” Gangas said. “The goal is to influence Norwegian society, create feelings of unrest and instability, and identify our strengths and weaknesses.”

She added that similar activities are expected to continue against various European countries. “They don’t necessarily aim to cause damage, but intend to show what they are capable of,” the intelligence chief said.

The hackers took control of the digital control system managing water flow at the Risevatnet dam in Bremanger in April. For four hours, valves remained open, releasing nearly 500 liters per second before the breach was discovered and stopped. Both Kripos and PST have investigated the incident.

“The purpose of this type of action is to contribute to influence and create fear or unrest among the country’s population,” Gangas said.

The security service reports that Russia uses composite measures against Norway and the West. Gangas described this as state actors’ use of various tools against specific vulnerabilities in an opponent’s society.

“These are tools and methods that Russia uses to influence the security situation in other countries. The goal is to influence Norwegian society, spread unrest and instability, and map our strengths and weaknesses,” the PST chief said.

She said that Russia will likely carry out more actions against various targets in Europe.

“Since the end of 2023, Russian intelligence has been behind several dozen actions in Europe. Last year they targeted an IKEA warehouse in Estonia, a shopping center in Poland, and a warehouse with Ukraine deliveries in Britain. So far this year, a Ukrainian restaurant in Estonia has been hit and there were plans to send incendiary devices by plane from Germany to targets in Ukraine,” she said.

In Poland, six individuals have been charged with subversive activities on behalf of another country. Romania suspects sabotage in a fire at an arms factory producing small arms and ammunition.

Intelligence chief Nils Andreas Stensønes opened by dismissing that Norway is at war, but noted: “Russia’s President Putin considers Russia to be in a permanent conflict with the West.” He called Russia “an unpredictable neighbor” and stated: “It is Russia that is primarily the greatest threat to Norway today.”

Regarding potential election interference, the intelligence chief believes autumn’s parliamentary elections are not a target. “Together with PST, we assess that foreign states do not intend to significantly influence the outcome of this autumn’s parliamentary elections. But Russia has an interest in influencing us from a more long-term perspective,” he said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his chancellery, where Zelenskyy arrived by helicopter for a videoconference with US President Donald Trump and other European leaders.

Bild reported on 13 August that Zelenskyy landed directly on the grounds of the German chancellor’s office, where Merz greeted him upon arrival.

The leaders are expected to have lunch together before beginning online negotiations with European partners and US President Donald Trump. The virtual meeting precedes Trump’s scheduled summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Zelenskyy’s spokesman Serhiy Nykyforov said the visit includes the videoconference and bilateral meeting with Merz, plus an online session of the “coalition of the resolute.”

“Following the meeting, around 4:00 pm Berlin time, statements by Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Friedrich Merz to the media are possible,” the spokesman added.

Earlier, American media cited local officials reporting that President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance will participate in Wednesday’s virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European allies.

Belarus will practice “planning the use” of nuclear weapons and Oreshnik missiles during joint military exercises with Russia scheduled for 12-16 September, Defense Minister Viktor Krenin announced, according to Belarusian state news agency BELTA.

“We will, of course, within the framework of the West-2025 exercise, together with our Russian colleagues, work out issues of planning the use of this type of weapons,” Krenin said when asked whether the drills would include planning for nuclear weapons and the Oreshnik missile system.

The Belarusian defense chief emphasized that “nuclear weapons are capable of inflicting unacceptable damage on potential adversaries” while describing them primarily as “an important element of strategic deterrence.”

Krenin repeated Russian narratives about the alleged “militarization” and “military activity” of the West along Belarus’s western and northern borders. He warned that NATO leadership was supposedly using West-2025 as a pretext for conducting their own exercises and threatened a “response.”

“What worries us most is the decision of the Polish military leadership to create a grouping of more than 30-34 thousand servicemen. In our opinion, this is already a serious grouping. We need to monitor this very carefully (and we will do this) and react. If they show any aggression towards the Republic of Belarus, we have something to respond with,” the minister expressed particular concern about Polish military plans.

Historical Context

Russia accumulated military forces in Belarus before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, officially citing joint exercises as justification. In February 2022, Russian forces attacked Ukraine from Belarusian territory and subsequently launched ballistic missiles at Ukrainian targets from Belarus.

In December 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Oreshnik systems could be deployed in Belarus in 2025, using the weapon system to pressure the West after Ukraine received permission for long-range strikes against Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded that Putin was “waving the Oreshnik” to prevent US President Donald Trump from ending the Russian-Ukrainian war. Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced Ukraine was developing its own air defense system and missile system as a deterrent against Oreshnik strikes.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has made contradictory statements about receiving the Oreshnik system, claiming in January 2025 that Belarus would receive it “any day,” then acknowledging in March that the promised weapons had not arrived. In July, Lukashenko stated the Oreshnik would allegedly be deployed in Belarus by year’s end.

European weapons manufacturers have expanded their industrial facilities at three times the peacetime rate since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with building activity covering over 7 million square meters of new development across the continent, according to a Financial Times analysis of radar satellite data.

The analysis, which tracked 150 facilities across 37 companies, found that areas marked by changes jumped from 790,000 square meters in 2020-21 to 2.8 million square meters in 2024-25. About a third of the sites reviewed showed signs of expansion or construction work.

“These are deep and structural changes that will transform the defence industry in the medium to long term,” said William Alberque, a senior adjunct fellow at the Asia Pacific Forum and former director of Nato arms control. “Once you’re mass-producing shells, the metals and explosives start flowing, which drops the cost and complexity of missile production.”

Satellite surveillance reveals industrial transformation

The Financial Times used more than 1,000 radar satellite passes from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellites to track changes at sites associated with ammunition and missile production. The satellites fire radar pulses and record their echoes to reveal surface alterations that may be hard to discern on conventional satellite images.

Among the sites with the biggest expansion was a joint project between German defense giant Rheinmetall and Hungarian state defense company N7 Holding, which has built a production site for ammunition and explosives in Várpalota in western Hungary. The first factory at the site was completed in July 2024, producing 30mm ammunition for Rheinmetall’s KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle.

“We cannot comment on the alleged outlines of our production facilities on satellite images for reasons of corporate security,” said Patrick Rohmann, a spokesperson for Rheinmetall.

Construction continues as the site will also produce 155mm artillery shells and 120mm ammunition for the Leopard 2 tank and, potentially, the Panther, according to Rheinmetall. The site will also house an explosives factory.

EU funding drives rapid expansion

The analysis examined 88 sites linked to the EU’s Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) programme, which has invested €500 million ($586 mn) to tackle bottlenecks in ammunition and missile production. Clear physical expansion was visible at 20 sites with ASAP funding, including the construction of entirely new factories and roads. At 14 sites, small expansions such as new car parks were visible.

Companies receiving ASAP funds expanded more rapidly than those without EU funding, the analysis indicates. The Financial Times also examined 12 sites that were wait-listed for ASAP and 50 other sites in the EU and UK linked to missile production for comparison.

EU defense commissioner Andrius Kubilius told the Financial Times that since Moscow’s invasion, Europe’s annual capacity to produce ammunition had increased from 300,000 to reach about 2 million by the end of this year.

Rheinmetall’s expansion accounts for a significant portion of this growth. The company said its annual production capacity for 155mm rounds was set to rise from 70,000 in 2022 to 1.1 million in 2027.

Major projects across Europe

At the German headquarters of missile-maker MBDA in Schrobenhausen, new roads and building works are clearly visible. The radar identified changes affecting 94,000 square meters of terrain since 2022. The site benefited from €10 million through ASAP to expand production of the portable shoulder-launch Enforcer missile, but also received a $5.6 billion Nato commission to produce up to 1,000 Patriot GEM-T surface-to-air missiles on European soil.

“The order volume will enable MBDA to set up a production facility for Patriot missiles in Germany, as well as major subcomponent production,” said MBDA Germany director Thomas Gottschild.

Norwegian manufacturer Kongsberg opened a missile factory in June 2024, backed with NKr640 million ($62 million) of funding to increase missile production, including €10 million ($12 mn) from ASAP. “The expansion led to an exponential increase in our total missile production capacity,” said company spokesperson Ivar Simensen.

BAE Systems received support from Westminster and increasing orders from the UK Ministry of Defence, investing more than £150 million in its British munitions factories since 2022. At its Glascoed site in south Wales, digging is clearly visible on satellite images. BAE says it will increase the production capacity of 155mm shells sixteen-fold when the new explosive filling facility starts operating later this year.

Nordic expansion and future challenges

Norwegian-Finnish manufacturer Nammo received about €55 million ($65 mn) under ASAP to boost manufacturing of shells, propellant and powder. Significant expansion is clearly visible at Nammo’s Finnish production site in Vihtavuori.

“ASAP has been instrumental in helping Nammo make critically important investments in production,” said Thorstein Korsvold, a spokesperson for the company. Similar programmes in other areas were needed, Korsvold said, pointing out that “air defence missiles as well as high explosives are currently produced only in very small quantities.”

The EU is negotiating a new €1.5 billion ($1.7 bn) defense programme that “replicates the logic of ASAP” through grants, and would also fund joint procurement, according to the European Commission. Kubilius said the commission was looking at whether similar methods could be used “to incentivise industries to expand their production in other areas,” with priority areas including missiles and air defence, artillery and drones.

Production bottlenecks remain

Despite the expansions, officials and industry insiders say actual output in Europe is likely to be significantly below potential capacity. Experts believe that long-range strike capabilities remain a serious issue for Europe and Nato more broadly, as Russia is outpacing its adversaries.

Fabian Hoffmann, a researcher at the University of Oslo, said missiles were critical for a convincing deterrent against Russia’s superior ground forces. “Missiles are the precondition for Nato’s theory of victory. Because we are not going to keep up with Russia’s pace of mobilisation,” said Hoffmann.

“With Russia’s dramatic expansion the best we can do to establish a credible deterrence that if you shoot at us, we are going to shoot right back. But if we are ever going to get there, then we have to drastically expand our production.”

Hoffmann noted that “miniature jet engine production for long-range missiles are a huge bottleneck” for European missile production, suggesting these could be the next target of future EU spending programmes along with explosive filler.

“We cannot comment on the alleged outlines of our production facilities on satellite images for reasons of corporate security,” said Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, who called the expansion “a very positive and much needed development” but said it was “crucial” the defense industry was ready to deliver on Nato’s growing spending and use taxpayers’ money “effectively.”

Read also:

• Drones attack refineries in Sloviansk-on-Kuban and Volgograd, fire reported
• FT: European defense plant space tripled since 2021
• Ukrainian Intel: North Korean troops remain in Kursk Oblast
• The Telegraph: Russia is racing to seize as much Ukrainian territory as possible ahead of peace talks with Trump

Over 10,000 North Korean soldiers continue their deployment at training grounds in European Russia, according to Ukraine’s military intelligenc, Major General Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, said in an interview with Suspilne.

“D​PRK servicemen continue to remain in Kursk Oblast, in the European part in general, at training grounds where these four brigades were created, they remain there,” Skibitskyi said. He specified that approximately 11,000 soldiers are involved in the deployment.

The intelligence official outlined the geographical scope of North Korean operations. “It is clearly defined that their main area of responsibility is Kursk and Belgorod oblasts. And we saw this both in combat application and in their presence specifically in this region,” Skibitskyi said.

Ukrainian intelligence expects the arrival of the first batch of North Korean military personnel – approximately 1,200 people – to Kursk Oblast. The deployment follows a preliminary agreement between Russia and North Korea to send 6,000 fighters for demining operations, engineering work, infrastructure restoration, bridge and road construction, plus medical personnel.

“Those who will perform tasks, again, Kursk and Belgorod oblasts,” the general clarified regarding the new contingent’s operational area.

The arrival of 1,200 North Korean military personnel was scheduled for late July or early August. They will serve and perform tasks, Skibitskyi said.

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate reported on 1 July 2025, that no direct participation of North Korean soldiers in combat operations alongside Russia against Ukrainian Defense Forces had been recorded. The same intelligence service stated that about 3,500 D​PRK soldiers completed training at military training grounds in Russia’s Far East, with potential redeployment to Kursk Oblast.

Russian sabotage and reconnaissance units have punched through Ukrainian defenses in eastern Ukraine, advancing up to six miles behind front lines within 48 hours, according to The Telegraph’s battlefield reports.

The breakthrough occurred near Dobropillya in Donetsk, targeting strategically vital territory that could threaten Ukraine’s control of Kramatorsk.

The location carries significant strategic weight. If Russian forces establish a foothold, the breach could enable Moscow to cut off Kramatorsk, one of Ukraine’s most important strongholds in the Donetsk Oblast still under Kyiv’s control.

Ukraine has publicly denied any major breakthrough. “A number of small Russian groups are constantly putting pressure on Ukrainian positions and attempting to bypass the first line of defense,” Victor Tregubov, spokesman for the Dnipro group of forces, said in a statement. “It is important to understand that this does not mean Russian forces have taken control of the territory. It means a small group, five to 10 people, has infiltrated the area.”

Kyiv has diverted special forces units to confront the infiltrators in an attempt to prevent additional territory from falling under Russian control before Friday’s scheduled peace talks between Russia and the United States in Alaska.

The seized territory sits east of Dobropillya, north of Pokrovsk, and within striking distance of Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka—the “fortress belt” that has anchored Ukraine’s Donetsk defenses since 2014, The Telegraph reported.

DeepState, an open-source mapping group, reports Russian units are pushing toward the Dobropillya-Kramatorsk highway, which carried military convoys and civilian traffic until mid-July. Russian troops are also probing for positions in Petrivka and Novovodiane on the far side of the road.

Ukraine’s military confirmed recently clashes around Kucheriv Yar, acknowledging Russian advances. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was preparing new “offensive operations” without elaborating on locations.

The mining town of Dobropillia faces direct threat from the new corridor. Already hit by repeated drone strikes, civilians are fleeing the area.

“It’s a really difficult situation right now,” an officer from the 68th Brigade, who until recently lived in Dobropillia, told The Telegraph. “FVPs, gliding bombs and many other weapons are being used.”

Recent fighting has occurred along an unfinished defensive line. Where there should have been three anti-tank trenches, dragon’s teeth and concertina wire, the section breached by small assault groups had just one trench—and even that was incomplete, according to The Telegraph.

Sternenko, a military blogger, wrote on Telegram that Russian forces had seized parts of the highway linking Donetsk’s major population centers. “The situation is critical,” he said.

The Dobropillia-Kramatorsk route serves as a key artery connecting the fortress belt to Pokrovsk and other hubs, facilitating supply flows, reinforcements and evacuations. Control or disruption could strangle Ukraine’s logistics, hampering defense of the Kramatorsk-Sloviansk stronghold.

Reports indicate Russian FPV drones are already striking the road. If the highway is severed, Pokrovsk could face isolation, with a potential advance from Dobropillia completing its encirclement. Pokrovsk has endured sustained Russian pressure for nearly a year and is flanked on three sides.

For Moscow, success would boost momentum as Russia makes steady gains across the front line. The advance would secure a key logistics chokepoint and open a direct route into the Donbas heartland.

With Ukraine and Europe set to be excluded from Friday’s talks between Russia and the US, Zelenskyy said Tuesday: “We see that the Russian army is not preparing to end the war. On the contrary, they are making movements that indicate preparations for new offensive operations.”

Criticism of Ukraine’s leadership has intensified. Bohdan Krotevych, a lieutenant colonel in the national guard, accused decision-makers of ignoring warnings and claimed Zelensky was not receiving full briefings.

“The line of combat engagement as a fixed line does not actually exist,” Krotevych said. “Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad are almost surrounded. Kostiantynivka is in a semi-encirclement. The enemy is advancing toward Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka.”

Yuri Podoliak, a pro-Russian military blogger, said Russia had yet to commit substantial forces to secure an operational breakthrough, with the offensive carried out by sabotage groups—small, specialized units trained for covert operations behind enemy lines.

The Institute for the Study of War said the move was not yet a major breakthrough but warned the next few days could prove pivotal as Russian forces look to consolidate gains.

Ukraine has deployed the 33rd Brigade in the area of Russian infiltration. Fresh forces from the newly-established 1st Azov Corps—comprising five brigades—have been sent to stem the advance. Elements of the 92nd Brigade were also dispatched in recent days.

DeepState reported Ukrainian troops were rushing to establish new defensive lines around Zolotyi Kolodiaz, Shakhove and nearby settlements—positions currently bypassed by Russian troops but vulnerable to seizure.

Moscow has previously used peace talk periods for offensive operations. In 2014, Russian forces staged escalations before and during negotiations, creating facts on the ground to lock in gains before ceasefires.

“This is critical. In both 2014 and 2015, Russia launched major offensives ahead of negotiations to gain leverage,” said Tatarigami_UA, a former Ukrainian army officer whose Frontelligence Insight tracks the conflict.

Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, said the advance may have been designed to increase pressure on Kyiv to cede land to prevent the Russian army from eventually taking the rest of Donetsk by force.

Some analysts have downplayed the immediate severity. “We are still talking about a penetration rather than a breakthrough as the operational implications are still limited,” said John Helin, analyst and founder of the Black Bird Group. “Despite the depth, we’re still mostly moving in the realm of tactics here, for now.”

Officers speaking to The Telegraph fear the ongoing assault could precede a much larger breach. The road reportedly taken by Russian forces runs along high ground, similar to the route near Ocheretyne—a village beyond Avdiivka whose fall in spring 2024 was followed by major territorial losses.

Read also:

• 50-kilometer fortress: Why Ukraine’s Donetsk defense belt matters more than territory
• Zelenskyy: Ukrainian Armed Forces will not leave Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts on their own
• FT: European defense plant space tripled since 2021

The Institute for the Study of War reported 8 August that surrendering remaining territories in Donetsk Oblast as a ceasefire prerequisite without securing a final peace agreement would grant Russian forces tactical advantages for future military operations.

“The surrender of the rest of Donetsk Oblast as the prerequisite of a ceasefire with no commitment to a final peace settlement ending the war would position Russian forces extremely well to renew their attacks on much more favorable terms, having avoided a long and bloody struggle for the ground,” the ISW analysed.

Such concessions would compel Ukraine to abandon what the institute terms its “fortress belt” — the primary fortified defensive line established in Donetsk Oblast in 2014. The ISW emphasizes that “conceding such a demand would force Ukraine to abandon its ‘fortress belt,’ the main fortified defensive line in Donetsk Oblast since 2014 — with no guarantee that fighting will not resume.”

The fortress belt consists of four major cities and multiple smaller settlements positioned along the H-20 Kostyantynivka-Sloviansk highway. The defensive line stretches 50 kilometers from north to south — approximately the distance between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland — and housed over 380,537 residents before the current war.

Sloviansk and Kramatorsk anchor the northern section of this defensive network, functioning as logistics hubs for Ukrainian military operations throughout Donetsk Oblast. Kramatorsk currently serves as the oblast’s provisional administrative center, replacing Donetsk City, which remains under Russian occupation. The southern portion of the fortress belt includes Druzhkivka, Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka, and Kostyantynivka.

The defensive infrastructure originated following Ukraine’s 2014 military operations against pro-Russian proxy forces. These forces initially captured Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and Kostyantynivka in April 2014, but Ukrainian troops regained control by July of that year.

The ISW reports that Ukraine has invested 11 years in strengthening these positions, building “significant defense industrial and defensive infrastructure in and around these cities.” This sustained development effort represents substantial financial and strategic commitments that would be lost under any territorial concession scenario.

The analysis suggests that Russian forces would gain considerable operational advantages by securing these positions without conducting costly urban warfare operations. The fortress belt has served as what the ISW describes as “a major obstacle to the Kremlin’s territorial ambitions in Ukraine over the last 11 years.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the evening of 13 August that Ukrainian forces will not voluntarily withdraw from territories in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts currently under their control, speaking to journalists three days before a scheduled Alaska meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

“We will not leave Donbas – we cannot do this. Everyone forgets the first part – our territories are illegally occupied. For the Russians, Donbas is a bridgehead for a future new offensive. If we leave Donbas of our own free will or under pressure – we will open a third war,” Zelenskyy said, according to Radio Liberty.

The Ukrainian leader challenged potential American positioning on territorial concessions. “Of course, I would like to see America’s position given how it all started – our territory was occupied, Ukrainians are being killed, and after that they tell me: ‘Listen, do you want to stop being killed? You need to leave.’ And what security guarantees? Leave Donetsk oblast?” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said earlier that Kyiv would not recognize any Ukraine-related decisions made at the US-Russia Alaska summit. The Ukrainian president characterized the Trump-Putin meeting as potentially significant only for bilateral US-Russia relations, calling the very fact of the meeting Putin’s “personal victory.”

“It is impossible to talk about Ukraine without Ukraine, and no one will accept this. Therefore, the conversation may be important for their bilateral track, but they cannot decide anything about Ukraine without us. I hope that the US president understands and takes this into account,” Zelenskyy said at the “Youth Here” forum.

In domestic policy developments, Zelenskyy announced he has instructed the government and army to work on lifting travel restrictions for men under 22 years old. “This is a positive, correct story that will help many Ukrainians maintain ties with Ukraine and pursue education in Ukraine,” the president said.

Since Russia’s invasion, Ukraine has maintained martial law and general mobilization. Men aged 18 to 65 cannot leave the country’s territory. Men aged 25 to 60 are subject to mobilization, while men aged 18 to 24 can be called for basic military service, which during martial law lasts three months.

Unmanned aerial vehicles targeted oil refining facilities in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai and Volgograd Oblast during overnight attacks on 13 August, according to Russian sources.

The Russian Telegram channel Shot reports that drone debris fell on the territory of a refinery in Sloviansk-on-Kuban, Krasnodar Krai.

“Debris from one of the drones fell on the territory of the refinery, as a result of which a car allegedly caught fire,” Shot reported. Russian authorities claim no casualties resulted from the attack and that the fire was “promptly extinguished.”

Volgograd also came under drone attack, with the city’s oil refinery identified as the primary target by local Telegram channels. Volgograd Oblast Governor Andrei Bocharov confirmed that “debris from one of the downed drones fell on the roof of a 16-story residential building in the Traktorozavodsky district.”

Residents in southern districts of Volgograd reported air defense systems activation in areas housing industrial zones with the refinery and oil depot, according to Telegram channel Baza.

The overnight strikes follow a pattern of drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. On 7 August, Russia faced massive drone attacks that ignited the Afipsky refinery and a military unit in Sloviansk-on-Kuban, Krasnodar Krai. Local emergency services confirmed the fire at military unit No. 61661 in Sloviansk-on-Kuban following the drone strike. Regional authorities also verified the fire at the Afipsky refinery.

White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt announced that US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. The meeting is scheduled for 15 August to discuss ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Levitt confirmed that details and the meeting schedule are currently being coordinated. When asked why Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to the negotiations, the White House spokesperson said the meeting was happening at Putin’s request.

She confirmed that Trump plans to visit Russia in the future. The purpose of the Alaska negotiations, Levitt explained, is for Trump and Putin to “better understand how to end this war.”

When asked what Trump would do if Putin was not serious about negotiations, Levitt said she would not “put forward any hypothetical assumptions.” However, she said she was “very confident” that Trump would remain satisfied with the meeting.

The White House spokesperson said the US president was “determined to stop the killings” and “deeply respects all sides of the conflict and everyone trying to end it.”

“This administration has truly used all levers of influence, taken all measures to achieve peace through diplomatic resolution,” the White House spokesperson said.

Trump previewed terms of a potential peace deal that could include “some swapping of territories.” Bloomberg previously reported that Washington and Moscow were seeking to reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine that would secure occupied territories for Russia.

The Wall Street Journal wrote that Putin presented the Trump administration with a ceasefire plan in exchange for territorial concessions from Kyiv. Trump suggested that a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine would likely require “certain territorial exchanges for the benefit of both sides.” Specifically, Ukraine would need to withdraw troops from all of Donetsk Oblast, and Crimea would be recognized as sovereign Russian territory.

Against the backdrop of these reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would not give up its lands to anyone. Zelenskyy and European leaders plan to meet with Trump on 13 August to discuss the course of action.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed that Ukraine sustained 340 casualties on 11 August, with 18 military personnel killed, 243 injured, and 79 missing in action, according to Ukrinform.

Speaking to journalists, Zelenskyy said that Russian losses were three times higher. “Russians lost 968 soldiers in one day: 531 killed, 428 injured, and 9 captured,” the president said.

President revealed the overall personnel ratio between Ukraine and Russia stands at 1 to 3 in favor of the occupying forces. In artillery, the ratio is 1 to 2.4 in Russia’s favor, Zelenskyy said. However, Ukraine maintains a 1.4-fold advantage in FPV drones.

On the morning of 12 August, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Russia has lost 1,065,220 personnel since the war began. Ukrainian forces have also destroyed 11,098 Russian tanks, 31,406 artillery systems, 421 aircraft, and 340 helicopters, according to the General Staff.

The General Staff does not release current data on Ukrainian losses.

In February 2025, Zelenskyy said that 45,000 Ukrainian servicemen had died in the war against Russia. Previously, in December 2024, the president said Ukraine’s losses had reached 43,000 military personnel.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Russia is transferring approximately 30,000 troops from the Sumy direction to three other front sectors after failing to achieve success in the northern region.

Accorrding to Zelenskyy, Russia began moving troops to the Zaporizhzhia and Pokrovsk directions.

The president outlined Russia’s preparations for offensive operations across three main directions: Zaporizhzhia, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivka. According to Zelenskyy’s assessment, Russia plans to deploy approximately 15,000 additional troops to the Zaporizhzhia direction, around 7,000 to Pokrovsk, and about 5,000 to Novopavlivka.

Of the 53,000 Russian forces concentrated on the Sumy direction, approximately 30,000 will be redirected to these three sectors, according to the president’s assessment.

Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia’s strongest brigades currently positioned on the Kursk direction will be among those redeploying. “We believe this is the main source of troops, these are their strongest brigades that are standing on the Kursk direction, they will be moving,” he added.

The president provided a timeline for expected Russian preparations, saying they will prepare for offensive actions after the 15th and will be ready with these brigades by September. “We believe they will be ready by September with these brigades. We believe that with additional [forces] they may be ready in November,” Zelenskyy said.

According to the president, these three directions were targeted by Russia a year ago, and Russian forces are operating according to the same plans and maps. Zelenskyy said that the offensive mission on Zaporizhzhia and Pokrovsk was delayed by a year due to the Kursk operation.

The president suggested that throughout this month, Russian forces will attempt to demonstrate progress on all directions to exert political pressure on Ukraine, seeking various concessions.

The announcement comes as Ukrainian forces have achieved several tactical successes in Sumy Oblast. On 12 June, the president reported that Ukrainian defenders were “gradually pushing back” Russian forces in the region. Two days later, on 14 June, Zelenskyy announced the liberation of Andriivka in Sumy Oblast. Most recently, on 27 July, the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the liberation of Kindrativka in the Khotyn community.

Latvia will join NATO’s Priority Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative and contribute at least 2 million euros ($2.3 million) to supply Ukraine with American weapons, Prime Minister Evika Silina announced on 12 August, following a government meeting.

The Latvian government discussed participation in the NATO initiative during its August 12 session. “The scope of Latvia’s financial contribution to this initiative will be clarified, but it will be no less than 2 million euros,” Silina said  after the meeting, according to Delfi.

Latvia’s readiness to participate had been indicated the previous week during a conversation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, though without specific details at the time.

The PURL mechanism represents a new approach for delivering American weapons to Ukraine through financial contributions from other NATO member states. The United States and NATO launched this initiative to streamline weapons procurement and delivery processes.

Several NATO allies have already committed substantial funding to the program. The Netherlands prepared a $500 million aid package under PURL, which includes components and missiles for Patriot air defense systems, according to Delfi reporting. Sweden, Norway, and Denmark will jointly allocate approximately $500 million to the initiative.

Sources indicate that the first weapons and ammunition deliveries under the PURL initiative will begin within the coming weeks, though official confirmation remains pending.

The Priority Ukraine Requirements List allows NATO members to pool resources for purchasing American military equipment specifically identified as priorities for Ukraine’s defense needs. This mechanism aims to coordinate international military assistance more efficiently than previous ad-hoc arrangements.

Latvia’s contribution adds to the growing international commitment to the PURL framework, which has attracted over $1 billion in pledged funding from various NATO member states since its launch.

Switzerland adopted the European Union’s 18th sanctions package against Russia, implementing new restrictions that came into effect on 12 August, according to the country’s government press service.

The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research announced that the measures respond to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, originally approved by the EU on 18 July.

Under the new sanctions, Switzerland added 14 individuals and 41 companies to its blacklists. The targeted entities include “Russian and international firms that manage the ‘shadow fleet’ to circumvent price restrictions on Russian oil, trade it, or supply equipment for the Russian military-industrial complex, including companies from third countries,” the department reported.

The sanctions extend beyond Russian territory, affecting 105 vessels from third countries that are now prohibited from purchase, sale, and servicing. These are “mainly tankers transporting Russian oil or military goods,” according to the announcement.

In a significant economic measure, Switzerland lowered the price ceiling on Russian oil to $47.6 per barrel, with the new limit taking effect from 3 September.

The country also imposed stricter export controls on 26 companies, including those outside Russia, “due to attempts to circumvent the ban on drone supplies,” the government reported.

Beyond Russia-focused measures, Switzerland implemented additional EU sanctions against Moldova and Belarus. Regarding Moldova, “seven individuals and three companies involved in Russia’s attempts to influence the EU membership referendum and the 2024 presidential elections” faced restrictions. For Belarus, limitations were imposed on “eight defense industry companies.”

The sanctions package reflects Switzerland’s continued alignment with EU policy despite its traditional neutrality, as the country maintains its response to what it characterizes as Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine.

A Russian military court sentenced 54-year-old Ukrainian citizen Olena Ipatova to five years and two months in prison for serving as a medic in a Ukrainian Armed Forces battalion six years before Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Ipatova guilty under Article 205.4 Part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code for “participation in a terrorist organization,” according to Russian media Mediazona, which cited the court’s press service.

Russian authorities detained Ipatova on 14 March 2025. She was initially held in custody until 2 April, then released on a travel restriction order before being arrested again in the courtroom following her sentencing.

The prosecutor’s office of the Russian-annexed Donetsk People’s Republic alleged that Ipatova served as a “combat medic” in the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Aidar assault battalion from January 2018 through spring of the same year. Prosecutors did not claim she participated in battalion activities after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has been searching for Ipatova since 20 February 2025. Her wanted notice lists Sievierodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast as her place of birth.

The case reflects a pattern of Russian courts imposing lengthy sentences on Ukrainian citizens from occupied territories who resisted Russian forces. The courts typically prosecute such cases under terrorism and “state treason” charges.

In August, the same Southern District Military Court sentenced 20-year-old Daria Kulik from Russian-occupied Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast to 18 years in prison plus a 600,000-ruble fine. The court found Kulik guilty of “state treason,” attempted terrorism, participation in a terrorist organization, and illegal storage of explosives.

In June, the court handed down sentences to a Melitopol family: 29-year-old Artem Murdid received life imprisonment, his partner Hanna Voshkoder was sentenced to 20 years, and his mother Hanna Murdid received 22 years.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky arrived in Kyiv for meetings with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha and Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka, according to the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs press service.

The ministers visited the memorial on Independence Square, where Sybiha presented Lipavsky with a medal for supporting Ukrainian diplomacy. “For me it is an honor to receive a medal for supporting Ukrainian diplomacy,” the Czech minister said.

During their press conference in Kyiv, both foreign ministers outlined concrete military and political support measures. Lipavsky said that Czech Republic delivered 1.5 million large-caliber ammunition rounds last year through the Czech ammunition initiative.

The Czech ammunition initiative reportedly helped change the Russian advantage from 10 to 1 to 2 to 1. This is a five-fold increase in real potential.

Ukraine expects to receive approximately 1.8 million artillery shells by year’s end through this Czech initiative, Sybiha said. 

During Lipavsky’s meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Kachka, they discussed Ukraine’s EU membership prospects.

“Our position is clear — Ukraine should be in Europe, and Czech Republic supports its membership as it meets standard conditions,”  Lipavsky wrote on X.

Economic cooperation between the two countries continues expanding despite the war, Lipavsky said. Trade growth increased 21.4% last year, and “I think this trend is growing more and more,” he added.

The ministers also signed a contract for the “School of Superheroes” project initiated by Prague. “This money will help children with severe forms of disabilities and diseases by expanding school opportunities in the region. We also plan to work more in eastern Ukraine and in the most dangerous regions, because we should not be afraid of Putin, and these regions also need our presence,” Lipavsky explained.

The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the symbolic significance of the memorial visit: “The bloody events on the Maidan in 2013 and 2014 took more than a hundred lives. We must remember their fate, as Ukrainians are again dying for their freedom. The foreign ministers of Czech Republic and Ukraine honored their memory on Independence Square — a historical memory.”

The head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov has conducted an inspection visit to Zmiinyi Island and Black Sea gas production platforms, the Defence Intelligence Directorate reported on 12 August.

During the visit, Budanov inspected positions held by fighters from the special unit Timur on Zmiinyi Island and examined the forces and equipment involved in defending the maritime area. The inspection included the Boiko drilling platform, which Ukraine regained control of in 2023.

As part of his trip, Budanov held a meeting with officers regarding further actions within the overall strategy and awarded fighters from the Timur special unit. The visit also included commemorating fallen soldiers who died during the liberation of Zmiinyi Island and Ukrainian territorial waters in the Black Sea from Russian occupiers.

“Our effective struggle against the aggressor at sea, on land and in the sky has proven to the whole world – a united Ukrainian nation is capable of defeating even the strongest enemy. Whatever anyone says – only we ourselves determine Ukraine’s future. The struggle continues,” Budanov said.

Liberation of Zmiinyi Island

Russian forces captured Zmiinyi Island on the first day of their full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, leading to active combat operations around the strategic location.

On 30 June 2022, Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command reported that after strikes by Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian occupying forces hastily evacuated the remaining garrison using two high-speed boats and abandoned Zmiinyi Island in the western Black Sea.

Russia’s defense ministry confirmed the withdrawal of their forces from Zmiinyi Island, calling it a “gesture of goodwill.” The Pentagon disputed the Kremlin’s version, saying that Ukrainians had successfully applied significant pressure on the Russians occupying the island.

According to Forbes calculations, Russians lost equipment worth nearly one billion dollars during the strikes on Zmiinyi Island. On 7 July 2022, the Ukrainian flag was raised over the island again.

On 20 September 2024, the State Border Guard Service published footage from Zmiinyi Island, emphasizing that Defense Forces prevent enemy aviation and military vessels from approaching the Ukrainian coast. The published footage showed the island littered with burned occupier equipment and shell fragments.

At least a dozen foreign volunteers serving in Ukraine’s military were killed when a Russian missile struck a training camp’s mess hall near Kropyvnytskyi on 21 July, according to The New York Times report citing soldiers with knowledge of the incident.

The attack targeted recruits from the United States, Colombia, Taiwan, Denmark and other countries during lunchtime, when soldiers had gathered at picnic tables for their meal. The Ukrainian Army confirmed the strike killed and injured soldiers but declined to provide specific casualty figures.

An American recruit from Florida, who witnessed the attack, described the explosion as “the loudest he had ever heard” in a telephone interview with the publication. The soldier, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak publicly, said he observed “at least 15 dead soldiers and more than 100 others who were injured” following the blast.

The missile strike also ignited an ammunition depot at the base, triggering secondary explosions that sent “debris and shrapnel whistling through the air” as survivors attempted to assist the injured, according to the American soldier’s account. He reported applying tourniquets to gravely injured personnel and helping transport them to ambulances, trucks and private vehicles for evacuation to hospitals.

The base’s air raid alarm failed to sound before the strike, the witness noted. He expressed dismay at discovering that “first aid kits were nowhere to be found around the mess hall” in the aftermath.

Volodymyr Kaminskyi, spokesman for the international legion under Ukraine’s military intelligence agency HUR, confirmed an investigation into the strike was underway but said casualty figures could not be released during the ongoing probe.

Two foreign soldiers who had trained at the facility, known as Camp Krop, told The New York Times that lax security had been a source of complaints before the attack. They identified the practice of gathering soldiers for communal meals as a particular vulnerability.

The strike represents one of the deadliest attacks on foreign fighters during the war. Since 2022, hundreds of international volunteers have passed through the HUR training site, with recent recruits predominantly from South America. Colombian fighters have been drawn to Ukraine by salaries ranging from $1,000 to $1,750 in base pay monthly, plus combat bonuses exceeding $3,000 per month.

Ukraine’s commanding general Oleksandr Syrskyi said that soldiers at training sites “must respond to air raid alerts and Russian drones immediately.” He announced plans to relocate training operations to “sheltered underground sites as much as possible.”

The Kropyvnytskyi attack follows previous deadly strikes on training facilities. Russian missiles hit a base in Yavoriv near the Polish border during the war’s first month in 2022, killing or injuring dozens. Last year, more than 50 soldiers died in a missile attack in Poltava, while three recruits were killed and 18 injured in a 29 July strike on a training academy.

The American recruit, who had been at the base for less than a week and had not yet received his rifle, said he had “accepted risks in joining the Ukrainian Army” due to his desire to “assist a struggling democracy” but “had never thought people would be killed in training.”

A grassroots organisation in Alaska has called for a protest against the planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for 15 August in the state.

Stand Up Alaska announced the demonstration will take place on 14 August in downtown Anchorage, one day before the high-stakes summit.

“Stand with us in Anchorage, Alaska, as we rally against the presence of an international war criminal in our great state. With the governor’s approval, the president has extended an invitation to Vladimir Putin, and we’re here to send a clear message to both Donald Trump and Putin: Alaska stands firmly against authoritarianism,” the organisation reported on its mobilisation platform.

The statement comes after the US President Donald Trump invited Russian President Vladimir Putinfor a peace talks which will take place on 15 August 2025 in the Great State of Alaska.

The summit comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to address the war in Ukraine. Trump has said any peace deal would involve “some swapping” of territory, a controversial prospect. European leaders rushed to understand the terms of the meeting and ensure Ukraine was not being left out of discussions about its future.

The White House is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Alaska, according to NBC News. Online negotiations involving European leaders, the US, and Ukraine are planned for 13 August, one day before the scheduled protest and two days before the Trump-Putin meeting.

The demonstration in Alaska represents local opposition to what organisers characterise as accommodating an international pariah. Within an hour of Trump’s announcement, a protest was declared for 2 pm on that date in downtown Anchorage.

The protest organisers positioned their demonstration as a pro-Ukrainian initiative, using the hashtag #AlaskaStandsWithUkraine. “Join us in Anchorage, Alaska, to protest an international war criminal’s presence. Despite the governor’s support, the president invited Vladimir Putin. We’re here to tell Trump and Putin: Alaska opposes tyranny. #AlaskaStandsWithUkraine,” the group posted on Facebook.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy called Alaska “the most strategic location in the world.” The governor expressed support for hosting the summit in his state.

Social media users have suggested various forms of protest participation. Comments on Stand Up Alaska’s Facebook page included proposals for residents to display Ukrainian flag colours on rooftops and in yards, while others suggested welcoming signs reading “Welcome to Kyiv.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that a real opportunity for peace in Russia’s war against Ukraine has emerged, according to his office’s statement following a phone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

During the call, Zelenskyy briefed the Crown Prince on ongoing partner contacts and diplomatic efforts to end the war.

“Communication with leaders continues practically around the clock, we are in constant contact. Now is the moment when there is a real chance to achieve peace. But peace must be honest and sustainable, and security must be guaranteed. This is important not only for Ukraine – for every European country,” the president said.

The Ukrainian leader said that he and Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud share the same view regarding the dangers of any decisions made without Ukraine and Europe. Zelenskyy thanked the Crown Prince for his clear support of this position and readiness to make efforts for peace.

Both sides agreed that their countries’ teams would coordinate all necessary efforts. The leaders also discussed joint projects that would strengthen both nations, the president added.

The diplomatic outreach comes amid significant developments in peace negotiations. On 9 August, Donald Trump announced he had arranged a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska for 15 August, confirming that the United States is considering “territorial exchanges” between Ukraine and Russia as part of this process “for the benefit of both sides.”

Zelenskyy responded that Ukraine would not gift its land to the Russian forces, saying that the answer to Ukraine’s territorial question already exists in Ukraine’s Constitution. He did not comment on his possible participation in the Trump-Putin meeting.

On 10 August, European leaders published a joint statement noting that the current line of contact should become the starting point for peace negotiations.

Ukrainian intelligence operatives conducted a cyberattack on the IT infrastructure of one of Russia’s largest private internet service providers serving security agencies, according to a source in Ukrainian intelligence speaking to Hromadske.

The operation targeted the Filanko group of companies, which provides internet and hosting services to over 20,000 clients including Beeline, MGTS, 24tv, and Russian security structures, the source reported.

Cyber specialists successfully disabled 600 virtual machines and 24 hypervisors, the intelligence source detailed. The attack destroyed 800 terabytes of data and eliminated 11 physical servers from the data center operations.

The scope of the infrastructure damage extended to monitoring systems. “74 Raspberry Pi devices for remote data monitoring from the data center and 12 terabytes of sensor data” were destroyed, according to the source. Office operations suffered additional losses with 5 physical servers and 5 terabytes of data eliminated.

Network infrastructure bore significant damage as operatives disabled 3,100 switching equipment devices. Among these were “37 service routers, core routers, and network edge routers,” the source specified.

Financial systems also came under attack. Intelligence operatives “emptied wallets in the company’s personal account totaling $1.3 million,” the source reported.

The operation included a symbolic element on a related website. On the main page of a site selling “emergency briefcases” for Russian security structures, operatives published a photograph of eliminated Russian occupiers in Ukraine, according to the intelligence source.

The European Union has secured €1.6 billion ($1.9 billlion) from profits generated by frozen Russian assets, marking the third transfer under the program, the European Commission announced.

The allocation strategy has shifted with this latest tranche. While 90% of funds from the first two transfers supported Ukraine through the European Peace Facility (EPF) and 10% through the Ukraine Facility, the third transfer will see 95% directed to Ukraine through the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism (ULCM) and 5% through the EPF.

The ULCM provides non-repayable support to Ukraine for repaying macrofinancial assistance loans from the EU and bilateral creditor loans within the mechanism framework. The total credit support amounts to €45 billion ($52 bn).

The EPF assists Ukraine in addressing urgent military and defense needs, according to the Commission’s statement.

The frozen assets program emerged as a response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The EU froze Russian assets in Europe, with G7 jurisdictions holding approximately $280 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance.

G7 countries committed to keeping these assets immobilized until Russia pays for crimes committed against Ukraine. Leaders agreed to provide Ukraine with a $50 billion loan, to be repaid using proceeds from these assets.

The United States already delivered $1 billion to Ukraine from frozen Russian assets at the end of 2024, demonstrating the mechanism’s implementation across multiple jurisdictions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders will hold an online conversation with US President Donald Trump ahead of his scheduled meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to the European Commission.

Deputy Chief Spokesperson of the European Commission Arianna Podesta confirmed the call to Suspilne, saying it will take place on 13 August. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is organizing the conversation, which will include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The diplomatic outreach follows Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s disclosure that Washington promised to consult with European partners regarding negotiations with Russia.

Multiple European nations have expressed support for Trump’s efforts to end the Russian-Ukrainian wars. France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Great Britain, Finland and the European Commission backed Trump’s peace initiative but stressed that “the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be determined without it.”

Eight Nordic and Baltic countries issued a separate statement underlining that diplomatic settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian war must defend “vital security interests” of both Ukraine and Europe.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has convened a meeting of European foreign ministers to discuss the situation.

This comes as Trump and Putin agreed to meet on 15 August in Alaska. Bloomberg reported that Washington and Moscow seek to reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine that would secure occupied territories for Russia.

The Wall Street Journal wrote that Putin presented the Trump administration with a ceasefire plan in exchange for territorial concessions from Kyiv.

Trump suggested that a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine would likely require “a certain exchange of territories for the benefit of both sides.” Specifically, Ukraine should withdraw troops from all of Donetsk Oblast, while Crimea should be recognized as sovereign Russian territory.

Following these reports, Zelenskyy said that “Ukraine will not give away its lands to anyone.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss Ukraine’s peace efforts and sanctions policy against Russia, Zelenskyy said on 11 August.

During the call, Zelenskyy briefed Modi on recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and villages, including yesterday’s strike on a bus station in Zaporizhzhia that left dozens injured.

“A deliberate strike with Russian bombs on ordinary city buildings. And this at a time when a diplomatic opportunity to end the war has finally appeared,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy highlighted India’s support for Ukraine’s peace initiatives. New Delhi shared the position that “everything concerning Ukraine must be decided with Ukraine’s participation. Other formats will not produce results,” according to Zelenskyy.

The leaders discussed sanctions against Russia in detail, according to Zelenskyy’s statement. The conversation focused on “the need to limit exports of Russian energy carriers, particularly oil, to reduce its potential and ability to finance the continuation of this war.”

Zelenskyy and Modi agreed to schedule a personal meeting in September during the UN General Assembly and to work out an exchange of visits.

The conversation comes as US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing additional 25% tariffs on imports from India.

Germany’s largest defense contractor Rheinmetall will double its planned ammunition production capacity at its new Ukrainian facility to 300,000 artillery shells annually, CEO Armin Papperger announced during the company’s Q2 2025 conference call on 7 August.

The expanded capacity represents a significant increase from the original target of 150,000 shells per year. “Ukrainian officials want to double the planned production capacities,” Papperger said in response to questions during the conference call, according to German Aid to Ukraine.

Production at the Ukrainian plant is scheduled to begin in 2026, following what Papperger described as a typical one to two-year ramp-up period to reach full capacity. The facility will manufacture 155mm artillery ammunition, addressing Ukraine’s heavy reliance on shell deliveries from partner nations.

However, further expansion beyond 300,000 shells appears unlikely in the near term due to financial constraints. Papperger indicated that the Ukrainian government “simply doesn’t have the money” for higher production figures.

The project has faced delays attributed to bureaucratic hurdles. Papperger expressed frustration with the pace of progress, saying that “bureaucracy in Ukraine is unfortunately very, very high.” He compared the Ukrainian project to a similar facility in Unterlüß, Germany, noting that construction began almost simultaneously at both locations, but the German plant is now completed while the Ukrainian facility remains unfinished.

This marks the second time Papperger has publicly criticized Ukrainian administrative processes. He previously raised similar concerns in a February 2025 interview with Deutsche Welle on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

A representative from another German defense company, speaking anonymously to German Aid to Ukraine, confirmed experiencing bureaucratic challenges in Ukraine but could not verify whether establishing operations would be easier in Germany, as Papperger has suggested.

Despite these administrative challenges, there are no indications that the factory completion will be significantly delayed. The facility is expected to begin operations as originally announced, with production starting next year.

The expansion will enhance Ukraine’s domestic ammunition production capabilities, reducing dependence on international deliveries for its military operations. Currently, Ukraine relies almost exclusively on shell supplies from allied nations to meet its artillery needs.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned remarks by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who compared Ukraine to “grass” that suffers when “elephants” fight, referring to the upcoming Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry called Fico’s comments “openly offensive rhetoric” against Ukraine and its people.

“It is regrettable that the head of government of a European Union member state allows himself openly offensive rhetoric towards Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, who heroically fight Russian aggression every day, restraining it on their land in the interests of the security of all Europe,” the ministry reported.

Fico made the remarks while commenting on the scheduled 15 August negotiations between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska regarding ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The Slovak leader invoked what he called an African proverb: “Remember the old African truth that I so love to repeat? Whether elephants are fighting or having sex, the grass always suffers. However the negotiations of the elephants end on 15 August, the grass will suffer – in this case, Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian foreign ministry warned the Slovak politician against using “unfriendly folkloric allegories” and accused him of attempting to “raise his party’s political ratings through such statements,” calling this “frivolity.”

“Against this backdrop, Robert Fico’s statements are dissonant with the spirit of good neighbourliness, solidarity and mutual respect that the Slovak people have demonstrated towards Ukraine throughout this time. Therefore, with his statements, Mr. Fico insults his own people as well,” the foreign ministry said.

The diplomatic exchange comes after the expiration of Trump’s 10-day deadline to the Kremlin on 8 August, after which the US could have imposed secondary sanctions against Russia. However, no such sanctions were implemented. Instead, Trump announced he would meet Putin on 15 August in Alaska, stating he was awaiting Putin’s response regarding progress in peace negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is prepared to work with the US leader and international partners for just peace, but ruled out any territorial concessions to Russia.

Ukrainian wakeboarder Sofia Sokolova secured a silver medal at the 2025 World Games taking place in Chengdu, China, according to ukrainska Pravda Champion.

The 17-year-old Ukrainian athlete finished second in the wakesurfing final with 50 points, trailing only Canada’s Bailey Rush who took gold. South Korea’s Juhi Moon claimed the bronze medal.

The wakesurfing competition marks the conclusion of Sokolova’s participation at the Games. Her silver medal represents Ukraine’s ninth medal at the China-hosted competition, contributing to the country’s fifth-place position in the overall medal standings.

Ukraine’s delegation has accumulated four gold medals, four silver medals, and one bronze medal at the Chengdu Games. Germany leads the medal table with nine gold medals and 21 total medals.

The day before Sokolova’s wakesurfing achievement, Ukrainian dragon boat rowers added four medals to the national tally, including two gold medals. Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor Bohdan Mochulsky advanced to the semi-finals of his competition.

The 2025 World Games are taking place from 7-17 August in Chengdu, marking the first time China has hosted the multi-sport event. This represents the first inclusion of wakesurfing in World Games competition, making it a historic debut for the discipline.

The wakeboarding and water skiing events are being held at Sancha Lake in Chengdu, with competition running from 8-10 August.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff has confirmed that Ukrainian drones struck the Saratov oil refinery in Russia during a nighttime operation, the military command announced.

“Tonight, the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in cooperation with other components of the Defense Forces, struck the Saratov oil refinery (Saratov Oblast, Russia),” the General Staff reported.

According to military officials, the drone strikes resulted in explosions and fire at the facility. The Saratov refinery processes up to 7 million tons of oil annually and serves as a key fuel infrastructure facility supplying petroleum products to occupying forces.

The General Staff said that Ukrainian defense forces continue operations aimed at reducing Russia’s military-economic potential to force an end to its aggression against Ukraine.

“Every targeted facility on the territory of the Russian Federation involved in supporting its criminal war against Ukraine brings us closer to a just peace,” the military command stated.

The attack occurred on the night of 10 August, when drones targeted the refinery in the Russian city of Saratov, triggering a large-scale fire at the facility.

Ukraine’s defence forces have liberated the village of Bezsalivka in Sumy Oblast from Russian occupying forces, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on 10 August.

The operation involved units from the 33rd Assault Regiment and 24th Assault Battalion, according to the General Staff’s statement. Ukrainian forces eliminated 18 Russian soldiers during the fighting, though this claim could not be independently verified.

Bezsalivka, a village of 91 residents located on the Volfa River at the border with Russia, sits within the Bilopillia territorial community. The village’s position places it approximately 30 kilometers west of heavier fighting elsewhere in Sumy Oblast, where Russian troops have advanced to within 30 kilometers of the regional capital.

According to Yurii Zark, head of the Bilopillia community, several residents remained in Bezsalivka as of early July despite refusing evacuation offers.

The liberation represents part of Ukraine’s recent counteroffensive efforts in the border oblast. Ukrainian forces pushed Russian forces out of several small villages at the end of July, following a period when Ukraine’s defence of the area stabilized over June.

The fighting intensifies more than two months after Russia opened this northeastern front. Russian forces made significant gains on Ukraine’s side of Sumy Oblast over May and June, shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military to begin creating a “security buffer zone” along the border with Ukraine.

The current operations follow Ukraine’s earlier successes in the oblast. On 25 July, the 225th Assault Regiment completed clearing and securing the village of Kindrativka in Sumy Oblast. In June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that defence forces had succeeded in pushing Russian troops from Sumy Oblast’s border areas, including the liberation of Andriivka.

The border areas have experienced increased fighting after Ukrainian forces withdrew from territory held in Russia’s neighboring Kursk Oblast, which was taken during Ukraine’s cross-border incursion in summer 2024.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 10 August that ending the war against Ukraine must be honest and serve the security interests of European nations.

“The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to all those who are now with Ukraine, with our people for the sake of peace in Ukraine, which defends the vital security interests of our European peoples,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian leader emphasized his country’s support for a joint declaration by major European leaders regarding peace for Ukraine. The statement was issued by French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

The European leaders’ declaration preceded Zelenskyy’s remarks, calling on US President Donald Trump to conduct negotiations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin only under specific conditions. The European officials demanded a ceasefire and guarantees protecting “vital security interests of Ukraine and Europe” as prerequisites for any peace talks.

The timing of Zelenskyy’s statement coincides with ongoing diplomatic efforts to establish parameters for potential negotiations. The Ukrainian president’s emphasis on fairness reflects his administration’s position that any settlement must address European security concerns beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Seven European leaders published a joint statement on the early morning of 10 August addressed to the leaders of the United States and Russia.

The statement was released after midnight Central European Time by the press services of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Britain, the European Commission, and Finland.

The emergency declaration responds to preparations for a Trump-Putin meeting preliminarily scheduled for 15 August and outlines peace negotiation terms considered crucial by the European signatories.

“We welcome President Trump’s work to stop the killing in Ukraine, end the Russian Federation’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine,” the statement reads. The leaders expressed conviction that success requires “an approach that combines active diplomacy, support to Ukraine and pressure on the Russian Federation.”

European officials warned Washington they remain prepared to continue “substantive military and financial support to Ukraine, including through the work of the Coalition of the Willing,” while maintaining existing sanctions and imposing new restrictions against Russia.

The leaders insisted Ukraine must retain “freedom of choice over its own destiny” and declared that “the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.”

The statement specifies that talks can occur only “in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities.” The European leaders positioned the current contact line as “the starting point of negotiations” while emphasizing that “international borders must not be changed by force.”

The document was signed by President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Ursula von der Leyen, and President Alexander Stubb. 

Ukraine and several European states presented their negotiation plan to the United States on 15 August. The Trump-Putin meeting is scheduled for Alaska on 15 August amid media reports that Washington and Moscow seek an agreement to halt the war in Ukraine, potentially cementing Russian occupation of Ukrainian territories.

President Zelenskyy responded to these developments by stating that “the answer to the Ukrainian territorial question is already in Ukraine’s Constitution.”

Russian officials reported drone strikes on the Saratov Oblast overnight on 10 August, with a local oil refinery apparently sustaining damage, Governor Roman Busargin said.

The Saratov oil refinery processes up to 7 million tons of crude oil annually, producing vital motor fuels and other petroleum products that supply a significant part of Russia’s domestic market and military needs, having served as a crucial logistics hub since World War II.

The governor confirmed damage at an industrial facility following the drone assault. Busargin claimed debris from a downed drone fell in a residential courtyard, prompting evacuations to a temporary shelter organized at a nearby school. According to the governor’s account, there was one fatality and several injured.

Local residents told the Russian propaganda outlet ASTRA that the Saratov oil refinery came under attack.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting 121 drones over Russian Bryansk, Belgorod, Voronezh, Stavropol, Kaluga, Tula, Rostov  and Ryazan oblasts and occupied Crimea during the night.

The Saratov Oblast has faced regular drone attacks. On 1 July, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed that Defense Forces struck the Saratovgorsintez oil refinery in the Saratov region. Explosions occurred in Saratov and Engels on 5 July, where a Russian airbase is located from which aircraft launch strikes against Ukraine.

The White House is considering inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Alaska for the planned 15 August meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, NBC News reported on 10 August, citing senior US officials and people briefed on internal discussions.

“It’s being discussed,” one person briefed on the discussions told NBC News. A senior administration official described the possibility as “absolutely” viable, adding that “everyone is very hopeful that would happen.”

However, no official invitation has been extended to Zelenskyy, and it remains unclear whether he would ultimately attend any meetings in Alaska. 

“The President remains open to a trilateral summit with both leaders. Right now, the White House is focusing on planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin,” a senior White House official told NBC, when asked about an official invitation.

The potential trilateral summit represents a shift from the administration’s initial position. The White House had originally made a Putin meeting with Zelenskyy a precondition for the Trump-Putin encounter, but Trump later dropped this requirement.

According to sources briefed on the discussions, if Zelenskyy were to travel to Alaska, it remains uncertain whether he and Putin would meet face-to-face in the same room.

The diplomatic activity follows a visit by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow, where he met with Putin ahead of Friday’s deadline set by the president for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face additional sanctions. Putin has not agreed to a ceasefire but has presented the outlines of a potential agreement that would allow Russia to retain significant portions of Ukrainian territory.

Trump said on 8 August that any resolution between the two countries would likely involve territorial exchanges, stating there would be “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.”

Zelenskyy responded defiantly to such proposals on 9 August, declaring that Ukrainians “will not give their land to Russia.”

Bloomberg previously reported that Washington and Moscow are pursuing a deal to end the war in Ukraine that would cement Russian control over occupied territories. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Putin had presented the Trump administration with a ceasefire plan contingent on territorial concessions from Kyiv.

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.”

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 (HUR).

“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 HUR 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.

A previous version of this article mistakenly said GRU (the Russian military intelligence) instead of HUR.

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.

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.

Thanks to your incredible support, we’ve raised 70% of our funding goal to launch a platform connecting Ukraine’s defense tech with the world – David vs. Goliath defense blog. It will support Ukrainian engineers who are creating innovative battlefield solutions and we are inviting you to join us on the journey.

Our platform will showcase the Ukrainian defense tech underdogs who are Ukraine’s hope to win in the war against Russia, giving them the much-needed visibility to connect them with crucial expertise, funding, and international support.

We’re one final push away from making this platform a reality.

Join us in building this platform on Patreon

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

Ukraine plans to begin search and exhumation operations on Polish territory in September, Deputy Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Andriy Nadzihos announced.

The cross-border initiative represents ongoing efforts by both countries to address historical wounds from World War II, when Polish and Ukrainian civilians were killed in ethnic violence in territories that are now part of western Ukraine.

“We are preparing to start search and exhumation work on Polish territory in September – in the village of Yurechkova,” Nadzihos told Ukrinform. “We plan to make a preparatory trip there in mid-August, and in September – to start excavations. We want to make it before the start of the rainy season.”

The announcement marks a reciprocal step in Polish-Ukrainian cooperation on historical reconciliation. Poland has provided Ukraine with 13 locations for conducting such work, while Ukraine has offered four locations to the Polish side, according to Nadzihos.

The September operations will follow exhumation work that began in Lviv in early June, when a Polish-Ukrainian team started searching for Polish military personnel killed at the beginning of World War II. Ukraine granted permission to Poland for exhumation work on the former territory of Zboyiska village, now within Lviv city limits, the Ministry of Culture reported in June.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski recently indicated that exhumation work “should soon begin in this and one other locality.”

Ukraine celebrated its National Day at EXPO 2025 in Osaka on 5 August, dedicating the event to partners and allies supporting the country, the Ukrainian pavilion team at EXPO 2025 told Ukrainska Pravda.

EXPO 2025 opened in Osaka on April 13 with the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” featuring over 160 countries and organizations until October 13. Japan provided Ukraine free exhibition space.

More than 15 participating countries joined the organization of the event, according to the report. The team continued the main concept of the Ukrainian pavilion “Not For Sale,” which tells about Ukrainian society’s values.

The pavilion added five new exhibits to its “things not for sale” collection under the title “Imported Goods.” These artifacts honor cultural figures and activists from Japan, Great Britain, Germany, and Canada who demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine.

Musician and composer Mariana Klochko presented the “Ode of Gratitude” – a musical composition created specifically for Ukraine’s National Day in collaboration with creative agency Bickerstaff.734. The music combines sounds from allied countries, layering them to create “an image of solidarity’s common sound.” The band ONUKA also performed at the event.

The National Day began with an official opening ceremony attended by over 500 guests. Ukraine received greetings from Japan’s highest government representatives: Yuichiro Koga, State Minister in the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan; Eisuke Mori, Chairman of the Japan-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship League; and Koji Haneda, General Commissioner of the World Exhibition EXPO 2025 in Japan.

The Czech pavilion hosted a panel discussion titled “Ukraine Unbreakable Classrooms,” organized by the public organization “Osvitoria.” The event focused on learning resilience during wartime and international support for Ukraine’s educational system. The discussion was accompanied by excerpts from the documentary film “Tape of Time” by director Kateryna Gornostay, followed by a performance by the band KAZKA.

An immersive exhibition “Home Beyond the Dawn” opened at the Romanian pavilion under the curation of Natalia Matsenko. The exhibition unites works by over 30 contemporary Ukrainian artists exploring the transformation of the concept of “home” during war.

The Belgian pavilion initiated panel discussions on art and its role in contemporary realities, bringing together Ukrainian female artists who shared their experiences.

The ceremonial conclusion of Ukraine’s National Day featured an official reception with a menu specially developed by Ukrainian chef Yevhen Klopotenko. In solidarity, friendly pavilions illuminated their facades in Ukrainian flag colors and raised yellow and blue flags.

Ukraine’s pavilion “Not For Sale” will continue operating until 13 October.

About world exhibition EXPO

World Exhibitions began in London’s Crystal Palace in 1851, drawing over 6 million visitors to showcase Industrial Revolution achievements. Today they serve as platforms for demonstrating global technological innovations.

This cuts the original from 115 words to 54 words while preserving the essential information: current EXPO dates and theme, participation numbers, Japan’s support for Ukraine, historical context, and the exhibition’s purpose.

Radio Svoboda journalists have released previously unseen surveillance camera footage documenting the killing of 70-year-old Bucha resident Volodymyr Rubailo by Russian military personnel on Yablunska Street on 4 March 2022.

The video recordings, published by Radio Liberty on 6 August, show Russian soldiers first wounding Volodymyr Rubailo with an initial shot, then executing him with a targeted shot to the head while the civilian man could barely stand on his feet. Shortly after, Russian military personnel began systematically looting a grocery supermarket near Rubailo’s body, which remained on the ground throughout the incident.

“They broke the glass and went inside. They put the stolen goods in baskets and bags and loaded them onto armored vehicles. To take more, some filled shopping carts and wheeled them down the street to the houses of Bucha residents they had just captured,” Radio Svoboda journalists reported.

The publication previously reported that Russian paratroopers from the 234th Airborne Assault Regiment from Pskov may be involved in Rubailo’s murder, specifically a group led by Sergeant Vladimir Borzunov. Radio Svoboda established that his unit was positioned at the location from which, according to Ukrainian ballistics experts, the shots were fired at the Bucha civilian.

In a telephone conversation with a Radio Svoboda correspondent, Sergeant Borzunov confirmed that Russian military personnel killed Rubailo but denied his involvement and that of his subordinates in the civilian’s murder.

On 24 June, law enforcement officials identified three additional Russian military personnel involved in the killings of civilians during the temporary occupation of part of Kyiv Oblast. On 3 July, prosecutors sent the cases of four Russian servicemen accused of shooting civilians in Bucha to court.

Background: Bucha occupation and liberation

Bucha remained under occupation for 33 days. Russian military forces with heavy equipment entered Bucha on the morning of 27 February 2022. That same day, a missile hit a residential building, and mayor Anatoly Fedoruk reported the first casualties.

Russian forces left the city on 31 March 2022. On the evening of 2 April, the Ministry of Defense officially announced that all settlements in Kyiv Oblast had been liberated from Russian military forces.

When journalists and Ukrainian military personnel reached the city after Bucha’s liberation, they discovered evidence of mass killings. Some bodies were found on the streets, others with hands tied behind their backs. Ukraine officially called on the world to join the investigation into the murders of civilians in Bucha. On 14 April 2024, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan personally visited Bucha.

On 8 April 2022, authorities began exhuming bodies from a mass grave near the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called and All Saints in Bucha to identify the victims and establish the circumstances of their deaths. Private American company Maxar Technologies reported that the first signs of the mass grave near the church were captured in satellite images on 10 March 2022.

Law enforcement officials have documented over 9,000 war crimes committed by the Russian army during the occupation of the Bucha district in Kyiv Oblast. More than 1,700 civilians died. During 2022 alone, law enforcement managed to identify 91 Russian military personnel who committed war crimes. The Armed Forces of Ukraine reported they had eliminated Russian soldiers who tortured civilians in Bucha.

Thanks to your incredible support, we’ve raised 70% of our funding goal to launch a platform connecting Ukraine’s defense tech with the world – David vs. Goliath defense blog. It will support Ukrainian engineers who are creating innovative battlefield solutions and we are inviting you to join us on the journey.

Our platform will showcase the Ukrainian defense tech underdogs who are Ukraine’s hope to win in the war against Russia, giving them the much-needed visibility to connect them with crucial expertise, funding, and international support.

We’re one final push away from making this platform a reality.

Join us in building this platform on Patreon

The US Department of State has approved the potential sale of repair, maintenance and logistics services for M777 howitzers to Ukraine in a deal valued at $203.5 million, according to a Pentagon press release.

The announcement comes as President Trump has indicated plans to transfer up to 17 Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine in the near future, marking a significant shift as the administration had previously paused some weapons aid for Ukraine.

The package consists of two separate contracts designed to sustain Ukraine’s artillery capabilities. The larger contract, worth $104 million, covers military equipment sales, repair services and support for M777 howitzers and related systems. UK-based BAE Systems will serve as the main contractor for this portion of the deal.

A second contract valued at $99.5 million will handle transportation and logistics services, with the Pentagon indicating the main contractor will be selected from among approved US suppliers.

The Pentagon emphasized that no offset agreements are currently part of this arrangement. Officials said the sale serves broader strategic objectives, noting that “this proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.”

The approval represents the latest in a series of military assistance measures for Ukraine. On 11 July, the US Senate Armed Services Committee approved $500 million in security assistance to Ukraine as part of the draft defense budget for fiscal year 2026.

Earlier in July, the State Department approved two additional military aid packages. The first included HAWK Phase III air defense systems and maintenance services.The second covered Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and repair services, according to Pentagon.

The M777 howitzer maintenance deal requires Congressional notification and final approval before implementation, following standard procedures for foreign military sales.

State Department spokesperson Tammie Bruce announced that Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands will finance the delivery of American weapons to Ukraine worth more than $1 billion.

During a briefing, Bruce said Denmark, Norway and Sweden declared their decision to fund an additional package of American weapons for Ukraine worth $500 million. A day earlier, the Netherlands announced it would pay for the first package of American weapons and ammunition, including missiles for the Patriot air defense system, worth more than $500 million.

“Together, these deliveries total over US$1 billion of lifesaving, top-of-the-line American equipment that, as noted by Ambassador Whitaker, will allow Ukraine to, quote, ‘protect critical infrastructure and civilian lives while also staying in the fight until a lasting ceasefire happens’,” Bruce said.

The announcements follow recent developments in NATO’s support mechanism for Ukraine. On 4 August, the Netherlands reported about the preparation of an aid package for Ukraine under NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which included components and missiles for the Patriot air defense system.

The following day, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said that new announcements about military aid packages for Ukraine from other countries under the PURL mechanism could appear soon.

Reuters previously reported on the new financing mechanism for military aid to Kyiv, with sources saying NATO hopes to provide Ukraine with weapons worth $10 billion through this initiative.

Ukraine’s Defense Forces launched the Kursk operation one year ago on 6 August 2024, resulting in over 77,000 Russian military casualties, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote on Facebook.

The operation was Ukraine’s response to Russia’s preparation of a new offensive campaign in northern Slobozhanshchyna, Syrskyi said. “After careful planning of the operation, our units were able to break through enemy defenses, go deep into the Russian rear and disrupt its logistics,” he said.

At the operation’s peak, Ukrainian forces controlled up to 1,300 square kilometers of Kursk Oblast territory, forcing Russia to redeploy significant reserves and reducing pressure on other front directions. The operation prevented Russia from implementing its offensive plans and created a buffer zone that kept Sumy and Kharkiv free from attack.

Heavy casualties and equipment losses

Throughout the year in the Kursk grouping’s area of responsibility, Ukrainian forces inflicted significant losses on the Russian army. Russia lost over 77,000 military personnel killed and injured, including approximately 4,000 North Korean citizens, according to Syrskyi’s report.

Ukrainian forces also destroyed or damaged 7,236 units of Russian weapons and military equipment, including 11 tanks, 1,083 armored fighting vehicles, 907 artillery systems, one aircraft, three helicopters, 15 air defense systems, and 2,795 vehicles.

The operation resulted in the capture of 1,018 Russian servicemen, enabling the return of hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers, including those held captive since 2022.

Mission objectives achieved

The Commander-in-Chief emphasized that the Kursk offensive operation achieved most of the goals set by senior leadership.

“In fact, Russian forces was able to restore lost positions and areas only after it involved North Korean troops, significantly increased its grouping, and transferred the main intensity of the use of guided aerial bombs to Kursk,” Syrskyi said.

Russian forces only began recovering lost territory after North Korea deployed troops to support the operation and Russia intensified its use of guided bombs in the region.

As of today, Ukrainian troops maintain presence in the Glushkovsky district of Kursk Oblast, constraining part of the Russian offensive grouping.

North Korean involvement

North Korea has effectively joined Russia’s war against Ukraine by sending over 10,000 military personnel formed in Kursk Oblast and involved in combat operations. Pyongyang also supplies Russia with ammunition, artillery systems, and ballistic missiles used to shell Ukrainian cities.

South Korean intelligence previously reported that North Korea is preparing another batch of soldiers for Russia. According to CNN, North Korea may send an additional 30,000 military personnel to the war against Ukraine.

Ukrainian drones struck the Tatsinskaya railway station in Russia’s Rostov Oblast for the second consecutive night, causing a fire near freight tanks, according to Russian Telegram channel Astra.

The attack occurred during the night of 5-6 August. Local residents reported about explosions and subsequent fires at the facility.

“The drone strike was apparently aimed at railway infrastructure,” said Petro Andryushchenko, head of the Center for the Study of Occupation.

“This is a non-electrified section of the railway and we are not hitting substations. This means we are systematically cutting out the Russians’ railway, including diesel traction with locomotives. For a long time,” he said.

The Tatsinskaya station had already been targeted the previous night, with explosions and fires reported on 4-5 August. That attack also affected the cities of Millerovo and Belaya Kalitva in the same oblast.

The railway attacks represent a shift toward targeting transportation infrastructure that supports both civilian and military logistics. The Tatsinskaya station sits on a key rail line connecting southern Russia with other oblasts.

Separately, the Russian city of Bryansk came under massive drone attack early morning on 6 August. Local witnesses described a column of thick black smoke rising from an oil depot area where drone debris had fallen.

The Bryansk Oblast has faced repeated drone attacks throughout the summer. In late June, Ukrainian drones struck rocket fuel storage facilities and fuel and lubricant warehouses belonging to the Russian army, causing fires at an oil depot. Ukrainian forces also destroyed an Iskander missile system near Bryansk during that period.

Russian authorities have not officially commented on either the railway station attacks or the Bryansk oil depot strike.

Tulcea county in Romania declared a 90-minute air alert on the night of 6 August as Russian strike drones targeted southern Odesa Oblast across the Danube River.

The Romanian county sits on the opposite bank of the Danube from Ukraine’s southernmost cities. Romanian residents could clearly observe air defense operations and explosions from Ukrainian territory during the Russian drone attack.

The resulting fire from the shelling caused panic among Romanian civilians, according to the report. Twenty people called emergency services, believing the blaze was occurring near their location.

“Response forces remained in the area to monitor the situation and intervene if necessary. We again call for calm and remind that Russia’s attack targets are not Romanian territory, and we call on citizens to follow safety measures recommended by authorities,” Romanian fire services reported, according to Digi24.

The attack was also visible from Moldovan territory. Readers reported the incident to local publication Nokta.

This comes as Russian forces launched 45 Shahed-type strike drones and decoy drones of various types from the evening of 5 August. Air defense systems destroyed or suppressed 36 Russian drones across northern, southern, and eastern Ukraine.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, drone debris from attacks on southern Ukrainian targets has repeatedly fallen in border areas of Moldova and Romania. Some projectiles have penetrated deeper into their territories.

Following initial incidents, Romanian authorities began issuing air alerts along the Danube riverbank when Russian attacks occur nearby.

This summer, at least one Russian Shahed-type drone entered Lithuanian airspace through Belarusian territory.

Two people died and 12 others were injured, including children, when Russian forces struck a recreation base in Zaporizhzhia district in the early hours of 6 August, according to Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Ivan Fedorov.

The State Emergency Service later clarified that occupying forces had targeted a recreation base specifically.

At least nine buildings sustained damage in the attack. Emergency services worked at the scene, with rescue workers transporting the wounded and handing them over to emergency medical teams while evacuating other people from the area.

Among the nine hospitalized were two children. “Both are under medical supervision, one is in serious condition,” Fedorov said in a subsequent update.

Emergency responders worked to extinguish fires that broke out in an outbuilding, vehicles, and five separate blazes across open territory. The attack damaged nine single-story holiday cottages at the recreation facility.

The assault formed part of broader overnight Russian attacks across Ukraine. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian occupying forces struck Nikopol and Synelnykivsk districts during the night, damaging an enterprise, residential building, and infrastructure, regional head Serhiy Lysak said.

Ukrainian Air Forces reported that Russia launched 45 Shahed-type strike drones and decoy drones of various types from the evening of 5 August. Air defense systems destroyed or suppressed 36 Russian drones across northern, southern, and eastern Ukraine.

Russian forces launched the drones from the directions of Kursk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, and from Cape Chauda in temporarily occupied Crimea. Aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups of Ukraine’s Defense Forces repelled the air attack.

Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced preparations for three joint Ukraine-US projects in the mining sector, with implementation planned to begin within the next 18 months under a bilateral minerals agreement.

Svyrydenko made the announcement on Facebook following negotiations with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The officials discussed creating the American-Ukrainian Investment Recovery Fund, with the first board of directors meeting scheduled for September.

“We are working to expand its mandate so that the fund can also invest in the defense sector. The task is to launch the first three projects within 18 months,” Svyrydenko said.

The talks focused significantly on defense cooperation, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s initiative for a potential agreement on production and export of Ukrainian drones, as well as possible procurement of American weapons.

“We also raised the issue of strengthening sanctions pressure and cooperation with international financial organizations,” Svyrydenko added.

The mining projects represent the latest development in expanding Ukraine-US economic ties. On 1 May, Economics Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and the US Treasury Secretary signed a minerals agreement. The following day, the government submitted the Investment Recovery Fund agreement to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s Parliament) for ratification.

The International Policy Committee supported the minerals agreement on 6 May, and the Verkhovna Rada voted to ratify the Ukraine-US minerals agreement on 8 May.

The investment fund’s expanded mandate could potentially channel American capital into Ukraine’s defense industry, marking a significant shift in bilateral economic cooperation beyond traditional reconstruction efforts.

President Donald Trump revealed on 3 August that American nuclear submarines have moved into position near Russian waters, confirming the deployment he ordered just days earlier in response to escalating threats from Moscow.

“They are in the region, yeah, where they have to be,” Trump told reporters when asked about the submarine positioning, according to The Hill.

The submarine deployment represents Trump’s most direct military response yet to what he called “highly provocative statements” from Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president who now serves as Deputy Chairman of the Security Council.

What triggered the submarine deployment

The military positioning follows Trump’s 10-day ultimatum to Russia over the Ukraine war. Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions unless Moscow shows progress ending the war.

Medvedev fired back, accusing Trump of “playing a game of ultimatums with Russia.” The Russian official warned that “every new ultimatum is a threat and a step toward war” – targeting not Ukraine, but Trump’s “own country.”

On 31 July, Trump told Medvedev to “watch his words” and calling him a “failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President.”

“He’s entering very dangerous territory!” Trump declared, noting that “Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way.”

Medvedev responded by invoking Russia’s “Dead Hand” nuclear system and telling Trump to “remember his favorite zombie movies.”

On 1 August, Trump announced his submarine deployment on Truth Social: “I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.”

Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,” he added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov downplayed the submarine news, telling Russian media that “American submarines are already on combat duty anyway. This is a constant process.”

But Peskov stressed Russia’s careful approach to nuclear rhetoric: “We are very careful about any statements related to nuclear issues. Russia takes a responsible position.”

When pressed about Medvedev’s inflammatory statements, Peskov deflected: “In every country, members of the country’s leadership have different views.” He emphasized that “President Putin” formulates Russia’s foreign policy.

What happens next

Trump confirmed his special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Russia this week – either 6 or 7 August for talks ahead of planned new sanctions.

The diplomatic mission comes as nuclear-armed submarines patrol near Russian waters, creating a complex backdrop of military pressure and negotiation attempts.

Authorities in Sochi detained two girls and a young man who filmed a video against the backdrop of a burning oil depot, according to the Krasnodar Oblast Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The detainees traveled to Sochi from Nizhny Tagil, the ministry reported. Officials issued a protocol against one of the detained individuals under the article concerning “failure to comply with rules of conduct in case of emergency situation or threat of its occurrence.”

This violation carries penalties ranging from a warning to fines between 1,000 and 30,000 rubles ($12-$375).

Adler oil depot in Sochi, southern Russia, burned after Ukrainian drones struck overnight on 3 August, igniting a 2,000 cubic meter fuel tank around 530 km from the frontline. The strike forced a halt to flights at Sochi airport.

Telegram channels reported, citing eyewitnesses, that approximately 20 explosions were heard in Sochi. The oil depot includes 41 tanks with a combined capacity of around 31,200 cubic meters.

Russia is establishing drone launch infrastructure at the airport in occupied Donetsk City to reduce Ukrainian air defense reaction time, according to satellite imagery analysis by Ukrainian intelligence sources.

A Ukrainian Telegram channel reported on 2 August that July 2025 satellite images show Russian authorities have “partially cleared the fortifications on the runway and started construction work at the parking lots, possibly in preparation for the installation of fuel tanks” at the northern Donetsk City airport.

Ukrainian open-source intelligence group CyberBoroshno analyzed the imagery and reported that Russian occupation authorities are constructing “closed storage areas near the destroyed airport terminal and are preparing manual drone control points, warhead unloading areas, air surveillance posts, and a runway.”

CyberBoroshno assessed the infrastructure development aims to launch “Shahed-type strike drones, Gerbera-type decoy drones, and possibly Geran (Shahed) jet-powered drones.” The group noted that positioning launch sites closer to the frontline will reduce reaction time for Ukrainian air defenses.

The construction comes as Russia dramatically escalated drone attacks in July 2025. Russian forces fired 6,297 Shahed-type kamikaze drones and Gerbera-type decoy targets at Ukraine during the month, according to OSINT analyst Kyle Glen’s analysis of official Ukrainian Air Force reported. Glen called this figure “an absolute monthly record since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.”

The July numbers represent a 1,378% increase from July 2024, when Russia launched 426 drones. Glen said that July’s attack volume “equals the total number of drones launched over ten months of 2024 — from January through October inclusive.”

July marked the first month with more than 6,000 drones reported by Ukrainian Air Force, following June when more than 5,000 were reported for the first time, according to Glen. The analyst said that “July also had periods of relative calm when Russia held off on major launches (likely due to poor weather).”

Glen attributed the escalation to “Russia’s expansion of drone production facilities in the second half of 2024 and early 2025.” Ukrainian air defense forces now face attack volumes that “constantly increase in complexity due to evolving enemy tactics.”

The Institute for the Study of War reported that Russian forces have installed thermal imaging cameras on some Shahed drones to improve strike accuracy. Previous reports indicated Russia prepares thousands of strikes daily.

Russian forces have used occupied Ukrainian territory for long-range drone launches, and continued occupation will “increasingly threaten Ukraine and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) states,” according to the Ukrainian Telegram channel report.

Drone attacks on transport and energy infrastructure in Russia’s Volgograd Oblast have disrupted rail traffic and power supply, with five passenger trains delayed after strikes on railway facilities in Frolovo district.

Volgograd Oblast Governor Andrey Bocharov reported what he called a “massive attack” by drones targeting transport and energy facilities across the region. The strikes caused infrastructure damage and service interruptions but resulted in no casualties.

In Frolovo, firefighters responded to a blaze at a “technical building” at Archeda railway station, according to Bocharov’s statement. The incident shattered windows in two nearby residential buildings, though passenger infrastructure at the station remained undamaged.

Railway operations faced significant disruption after an unexploded drone landed on the tracks. “To eliminate the drone that did not explode, train movement on the railway tracks is temporarily restricted, sappers are working,” Bocharov said. The Privolzhskaya Railway confirmed the suspension of train services.

Five trains experienced delays due to the disruption.

Power infrastructure also sustained damage in the Ilovlinsky district, where debris from a fallen drone severed a high-voltage power line. Energy workers are restoring electricity supply to the settlement of Ilovlya and surrounding communities, Bocharov said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported shooting down 61 drones during the night of 4 August. The ministry’s breakdown showed 18 drones over Black Sea waters, 12 over Voronezh Oblast, 11 over annexed Crimea, eight over Belgorod Oblast, six over Volgograd Oblast, two each over Bryansk and Rostov oblasts, and one each over Moscow Oblast and Ryazan Oblast.

Amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, Ukraine has been targeting Russia’s military, defense-industry, logistics, and fuel facilities deep inside Russia in order to cripple Moscow’s war machine. Recently, Ukraine resumed the attacks on the oil refineries and depots in Russia after a few-month pause.

Russian forces launched a night assault on Ukraine using missiles, drones and guided aerial bombs, according to Air Force data.

Three people were injured in Russian shelling of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, including a 4-month-old infant who remains in critical condition, Dnipro Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak said.

Nikopol, Marhanets, Myrivska, Pokrovska communities were under Russian fire.

According to Lysak, Russian forces shelled the Nikopol area with artillery, attacked with FPV drones and dropped ammunition from UAVs. A transport company in Marhanets was damaged during the assault.

The attacks extended beyond Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. In Kherson Oblast, one person died in Russian artillery fire on Antonivka village.

“From early morning, Russians cut short the life of a Kherson Oblast resident, for a man born in 1979,” Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

 In Odesa, a strike on a radio market sparked fires that destroyed dozens of trading pavilions containing electronics and household appliances, the State Emergency Service reported. A separate fire erupted at an abandoned dormitory.

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.