© Rodrigo Freitas / NTB
Ukrainian forces have liberated the village of Myrne near Kupiansk, removing a key Russian position used to control the approach road to the city, Suspilne and Deep State reported.
Suspilne reports that Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for the “Dnipro” operational-strategic grouping of forces, confirmed on the evening of 30 August that Myrne had been freed from Russian control.
“As of now, Russians have been pushed out of Myrne. There’s no information on wounded or killed enemy troops. Our forces are advancing further,” he said.
Maps published by DeepState on 29 August had already shown that the Ukrainian Defense Forces had regained control over the village, located northwest of Kupiansk. The settlement had allowed Russian forces to observe and control the road leading directly into the city.
On 31 August, the General Staff of Ukraine reported nine Russian attacks over the previous day targeting positions near Petropavlivka and Kupiansk. Militarnyi notes that Russian troops are concentrating combat-ready units north of Kupiansk, continuing to exert pressure on Ukrainian defenses.
Despite this, Ukrainian forces are holding their lines. Units from Ukraine’s 10th Army Corps, together with attached elements, recently repelled the first Russian mechanized assault in this direction in a long time.
A massive Russian drone attack left 29,000 people without power in Odesa Oblast on the morning of 31 August, regional officials said.
The coastal city of Chornomorsk, just south of Odesa, suffered the most damage, oblast governor Oleh Kiper reported on Telegram. Critical infrastructure in the area is currently running on generators.
DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, reported that four of its facilities in Odesa Oblast were hit during the overnight attack.
Private houses and administrative buildings were also damaged. One person was reported injured.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia attacked Ukraine with 142 drones, 126 of which were shot down.
The major coastal city of Odesa is a regular target for Russian aerial assaults, which have repeatedly damaged infrastructure and disrupted daily life. These attacks have caused power outages, property damage, injuries, and deaths, highlighting the ongoing risk faced by residents.
© PA Wire
A Russian Gerbera drone shot down over Ukraine was found to contain footage showing a camera test at a Chinese factory. Militarnyi reports that the footage was stored inside the onboard Viewpro A40 camera.
Ukrainian defense forces recovered a Gerbera drone equipped with an A40 camera from the Chinese company Viewpro. According to Militarnyi, the footage discovered inside the drone showed a test of this camera conducted at Viewpro’s production site in Shenzhen.
The “About Communications by Serhii Flash” Telegram channel published the footage and stated that it showed the camera being tested at the Chinese factory.
The Viewpro facility is located in the Aotexing Science Park in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District.
Cyber Boroshno geolocated the footage using coordinates 22.554448, 113.944050 and confirmed that it was filmed at that exact location. The community stated that although the address from the manufacturer’s website does not appear correctly on Google Maps, translating it into Chinese and checking it through Baidu confirmed the location with complete certainty.
Militarnyi notes that Russia continues to receive large volumes of components and finished products from China for use in military systems, including drones.
In March 2025, Militarnyi reported that a new 16-element CRPA antenna had been discovered inside a Shahed kamikaze drone. That antenna was designed to overcome Ukrainian electronic warfare systems.
Russia has also placed significant orders for drone battery systems and continues to cooperate with China in other areas related to unmanned weapons.
In July 2024, the New York Times reported that Russia was importing sanctioned equipment through Hong Kong for use in drone production and other weapons systems.
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.
EU foreign ministers are discussing a new package of sanctions against Russia in response to its ongoing war in Ukraine.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, made the announcement during a press briefing on 30 August following the ministers’ meeting in Copenhagen.
She stressed that “it’s clear that Russia is not preparing for peace. It is the opposite. They are preparing for more war.”
Kallas pointed to the 28 August strike on Kyiv, which killed 25 civilians – including four children – and damaged offices of several international organisations.
According to her, the aim of additional sanctions is “to further increase pressure on Russia to negotiate.”
Among the measures under consideration are secondary sanctions on states providing support to Moscow’s war effort.
Ministers also discussed broader import restrictions and tariffs on Russian goods.
“Efforts against shadow fleet ships must also be stepped up,” Kallas added.
The foreign ministers also discussed the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction.
Militarnyi reports that a Ukrainian drone strike on 30 August 2025 destroyed two Russian helicopter gunships at the airfield in occupied Crimea’s capital, Simferopol. Satellite imagery published by the AviaVector X account confirmed the destruction of a Mi-8 and a Mi-24 helicopter at the site.
According to Militarnyi, the drone attack took place at approximately 06:30 on 30 August, when Russian monitoring channels began reporting the movement of drones toward Simferopol. Following the reports, a powerful explosion occurred at the airport, followed by thick black smoke.
AviaVector’s satellite imagery captured on the same day showed two attack helicopters destroyed as a result of the strike. An earlier image from 22 August showed a group of military aircraft stationed close together at the airfield. Specifically, the photo documented five Mi-8 helicopters, three Mi-24s, one An-26, and one Tu-134UBL. Militarnyi notes that all these aircraft were concentrated in a small area.
Initial claims after the explosion suggested that aviation fuel tanks had been hit, but this information was later proven false. The satellite images confirmed that the damage involved airframes, not fuel infrastructure.
Support our media in wartime your help fuels every storyMi-8 helicopters are currently in wide use by the Russian Armed Forces and are the main transport helicopter in Russian military service. The exact model of the Mi-8 destroyed in Simferopol is unknown. However, Mi-8 helicopters are used by Russian forces for troop transport, strike missions, air defense tasks, and operations against Ukrainian naval drones.
On 31 December 2024, Ukrainian forces destroyed two Mi-8 helicopters using R-73 air-to-air missiles launched from a sea-based drone. This was the first confirmed use of this method to eliminate an airborne target.
© ASSOCIATED PRESS
© ASSOCIATED PRESS
 |
Ukraine’s missile crews are valuable targets now. Ukraine’s Neptunes and other long-range cruise missiles pose a growing threat. So Russia is targeting them on the ground. |
Ukraine strikes Russian underground chemical plant storing military explosives 1000+ km away. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate targeted the Aleksinsky Chemical Plant storing pyroxylin powder used in ammunition and artillery systems.
. Geolocated footage captured the entire sequence as thermal drones monitored a Ukrainian tank systematically destroying each building where Russians had taken shelter
Ukraine hits oil refineries in Krasnodar Krai and Samara Oblast – General Staff. Ukrainian drones struck oil refineries producing 11.5 mn tons annually in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai and Samara Oblast overnight, with one facility suffering a 300-square-meter fire
US approves possible sale of Patriot spare parts and Starlink services to Ukraine. Ukraine will receive $179.1 mn in Patriot air defense sustainment support, with an additional $150 mn authorized for Starlink satellite communications services.
Lithuanian forces install anti-tank “dragon teeth” barriers at Russian and Belarusian border crossings amid invasion threats. The Lithuanian initiative forms part of a broader regional strategy involving Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland, aimed at reducing land invasion threats following Russia’s 2022 full-scale aggression in Ukraine.
Trump doubts on near-term Putin-Zelenskyy meeting despite his previous optimism to end war quickly
. The US president once again compared Russo-Ukrainian war to playground children who “have to fight for a little bit before you can get them to stop.”
Trump eyes mercenaries for Ukraine as European allies demand American backing. American contractors would build fortifications and protect business interests under emerging peace framework.
German Navy inspector warns of growing Russian aggression. Russian units are showing “increased aggressiveness” through drone overflights, infiltration attempts, and sabotage efforts targeting German military infrastructure, the country’s navy inspector warned
Poland deports 15 Ukrainians citing “threats to public safety”. Poland expelled 15 Ukrainian citizens and banned them from re-entering the country for five to ten years following convictions for theft, robbery, drug possession.
Poland works to regulate status of Ukrainians as Polish president blocks protection extension. Nearly 1 mn Ukrainian citizens in Poland face potential legal uncertainty after President Karol Nawrocki blocked legislation extending their temporary protection
Estonia extradites Estonian Russian who helped Russia buy electronics to the United States. An Estonian national accused of operating a complex procurement network for Russian military interests was transferred to US custody this week
“No laws or morals in Russian army”: Ukrainian drones document alleged execution of unarmed civilian by Russian soldier near frontline Pokrovsk. Ukraine’s aerial reconnaissance captured the killing of an elderly man “clearly visible in civilian clothes and without weapons.”
Russia claims it only targets “military objects” in Ukraine. But recent Russian strike killed toddler born during war and her mom. Moscow’s assertion of targeting exclusively military and defense industry facilities in Ukraine contrasts with the death of civilians spanning ages from toddlers to elderly residents.
Zaporizhzhia blackout affects 25,000 residents after Russian strike. Power outages affected 25,000 subscribers in Zaporizhzhia following a Russian attack that killed one person and injured 28 others
Ukraine Parliament ex-speaker Parubiy shot dead in Lviv. Former Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy was shot and killed around midday on 30 Aug. in Lviv, with the assailant reportedly disguised as a delivery courier,
Read our earlier daily review here.
Lithuanian military forces have positioned concrete anti-tank obstacles known as “dragon’s teeth” at several border control points with Russia and Belarus as part of planned defensive measures.
The barriers were installed on roads at unused border crossing points, while at operational checkpoints the obstacles were placed in accessible locations nearby for rapid deployment when needed, according to Lithuanian news agency LRT, citing an announcement from the Lithuanian army.
The military stated that no modifications were made to existing road infrastructure, ensuring that current traffic conditions remain unaffected for residents.
“The installed barriers are only part of a large integrated picture,” said Lithuanian Armed Forces Commander General Raimundas Vaikšnoras. “We start from the tactical level — specific obstacles at the border — and then we will combine the entire engineering scenario into one conceptual system.”
Lithuanian military officials characterized the work as part of a scheduled implementation of counter-mobility measures designed for the planned Baltic Defense Line. This initiative represents a coordinated long-term strategy involving all Baltic states [Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia] and Poland aimed at reducing land invasion threats and limiting potential hostile actions on territory.
Lithuania’s relations with Russia deteriorated sharply following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The country condemned the invasion, expelled Russian diplomats, closed the Russian consulate in Klaipėda, and imposed sanctions on Russia. Lithuania also temporarily blocked Russian cargo transit to an exclave of Kaliningrad and ceased purchasing Russian gas entirely.
Recently, Lithuania has also withdrawn from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines and plans to begin domestic production next year. Deputy Defense Minister Karolis Aleksa indicated the country will spend hundreds of millions of euros to produce tens of thousands of mines for defensive purposes, with plans to supply both Lithuania and Ukraine.
The country joins Finland and other Eastern European NATO members in exiting the treaty due to security concerns about Russia, which never signed the agreement. Officials stated the mines will be stored for rapid deployment if threatened rather than creating peacetime minefields.
President Trump doesn’t think Putin and Zelenskyy will sit down together anytime soon. The two leaders aren’t ready, he told the Daily Caller in a 29 August interview.
When asked whether trilateral negotiations involving himself, Zelensky, and Putin would proceed, Trump indicated that timing remains uncertain.
“Sometimes people are not ready for this,” the president stated, according to the Daily Caller report.
Trump employed his previous analogy comparing the two leaders to children in conflict, describing them as figures who “hate each other” on a playground, swinging and fighting until exhaustion forces them to stop.
“Sometimes they have to fight a little before you can make them stop. But this has been going on for a long time. A lot of people are dead,” Trump said.
This marks a shift from Trump’s earlier confidence. After meeting Putin in Alaska on 15 August, he “really thought” the war could end quickly. Not anymore. Ukraine and Russia may need to “fight a little more” first.
Earlier, Trump rated his three-hour meeting with Putin in Alaska a perfect 10 out of 10, despite no deal being reached to end the Russo-Ukrainian war. He emphasized that the meeting went well personally, saying, “We got along great,” but acknowledged that not all issues were settled and there was no agreement on reaching peace anytime soon.
The president also ruled out American boots on Ukrainian soil as part of any peace deal. But he outlined a different kind of commitment—possible air support to help end the fighting.
He noted that European forces would handle most operations, with American assistance.
European officials are actively working on plans to deploy British and French troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees following any ceasefire, known as the “Coalition of the willing,” with about ten countries ready to participate.
The European plan involves two stages: initially, European troops would be stationed away from frontlines to train Ukrainian forces and provide reinforcements, acting as military advisors rather than a symbolic presence.
Next, the US would contribute intelligence sharing, border monitoring, additional weapons, and possibly air defense systems, continuing to supply military aid through European partners even without direct American troop deployment.
Zelenskyy previously rejected Trump’s playground metaphor with sharp words:
Putin is “a killer who came to this park to kill children.”
Fighters from Ukraine’s 1st National Guard Corps “Azov” have released drone footage showing what they describe as the execution of an unarmed elderly civilian by Russian forces in Pokrovsk district, Donetsk Oblast, on 28 August.
According to the Azov unit, aerial reconnaissance captured the incident in which a Russian soldier shot and killed an elderly man in his yard. The military unit published the video evidence on their official Telegram channel.
“It is clearly visible that the person was in civilian clothes and without weapons,” the Azov fighters stated in their announcement.
Russian soldier shot and killed an unarmed elderly man in his own yard near frontline Pokrovsk on 28 August — 1st National Guard Corps "Azov."
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 30, 2025
Ukrainian drone footage captured the incident during aerial reconnaissance, identifying the alleged perpetrator as a serviceman from… pic.twitter.com/XQAUDhJAJs
The unit emphasized that the alleged act constitutes a direct violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons during times of war and armed conflict.
The Ukrainian forces identified the alleged perpetrator as a serviceman from the 95th separate rifle regiment of the 5th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 51st army of the Russian Armed Forces, according to their intelligence.
The Azov unit characterized the incident as “another proof that for the Russian army there exist neither laws nor morals,” though this represents their assessment rather than an independent verification.
This incident fits within a documented pattern of executions carried out by Russian forces against both civilians and Ukrainian soldiers in frontline zones and occupied territories.
Russian soldiers have been recorded executing civilians often under suspicion of collaboration with Ukrainian forces or information sharing. These killings sometimes occur as collective punishment following attacks on Russian positions, with troops assuming local residents aided Ukrainian forces.
International observers have also documented hundreds of executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs), including footage showing captured soldiers killed shortly after surrender.
These documented executions serve multiple purposes according to military analysts, including intimidation tactics, retaliation against resistance, and attempts to undermine Ukrainian military and civilian morale.
Connexion
