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Ukraine Invasion - Part 62

367 replies

MagicFox · 05/08/2026 07:18

Thanks as always to everybody consistently posting and keeping us all up to date πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

**
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A. The agreed purpose of the thread is for the sharing of information and commentary on current events

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blueshoes · 30/08/2026 04:33

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-29-2026/

Key Takeaways

  1. Russian forces launched a prolonged combined drone and missile strike series against Ukraine, primarily targeting Kyiv City and Oblast, that lasted for more than 28 hours in an effort to maximize civilian damage and disrupt daily civilian functions on August 28 and 29.
  2. Russian forces struck an ammunition warehouse on the western outskirts of Kyiv City on August 29, triggering secondary detonations and killing at least 37 people.
  3. The Russian government extended the fuel export ban for direct producers despite continued efforts to posture stable domestic fuel supplies.
  4. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Dobropillya direction.
  5. Ukrainian forces struck the warehouses of major Russian online retailers in Rostov Oblast on August 27 to 28.
ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 30/08/2026 12:37

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚑️Germany plans to blame Russia for foiled Leipzig drone attack, Politico reports
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government is expected to announce the measures in the coming week, potentially alongside a new European Union sanctions package, according to Politico.

⚑️Explosions heard in Kyiv as unprecedented Russian daytime attacks stretch into 4th day.
Loud explosions were heard in the capital on Aug. 30, according to multiple Kyiv Independent reporters on the ground.

⚑️Nearly 2,000 drones fired at Ukraine in one week as Russia draws out attacks.
Russia launched nearly 2,000 attack drones, more than 1,600 glide bombs, and 31 missiles, including North Korean ballistic missiles, against Ukraine in just the last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel on Aug. 30.

⚑️Ukraine ambassador to Turkey summoned by Ankara after attacks on ships in Black Sea.
Amid intensifying attacks in the Black Sea from both Ukraine and Russia, a Turkish-operated vessel was hit on Aug. 26 off the coast of Tuapse β€” a Russian port city with a large oil refinery that Ukraine frequently attacks with drones.

⚑️Ukraine strikes Russian drone sites, command posts in occupied territories, General Staff says.
The General Staff added that the destruction of a Russian Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system near the town of Klintsy in Russia's Bryansk Oblast on Aug. 28 had also been confirmed.

⚑️Major oil refinery, airbase targeted by Ukrainian forces in reported strikes across Russia.
Ukrainian forces targeted a major oil refinery in northwestern Russia's Leningrad Oblast and an airbase in Krasnodar Krai overnight on Aug. 30, monitoring channels reported.

⚑️Russia won't use nuclear weapons against Ukraine or attack NATO, Finland's president says.
Russia will not use nuclear weapons against Ukraine or attack NATO, and Moscow's only option for escalating its war is mobilization, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in an interview published by Bild on Aug. 29.

⚑️Update: Russian drone falls between residential buildings in Kyiv, causes fire

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦
@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social
⚑️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE β€” AUG 30, 2026
β–  Engagements and casualties slightly below the 7-day average
β–  Substantial drone losses, with artillery losses also above average
β–  Overnight attacks included two Iskander-M missiles; 17 locations hit or affected by debris (today's interception rate appears to be overstated)
β–  3rd highest πŸ‡·πŸ‡Ί drone launches; 2nd highest number of πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ strikes reported; drone overview missing
β–  Highlighted πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ drone strikes: Russia's 2nd largest oil refinery (Kirishi), a UAV launch site, and Yeysk airfield

Ukraine Invasion - Part 62
ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 30/08/2026 12:43

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

Japan’s newly appointed ambassador arrives in Kyiv

Japan’s newly appointed Ambassador to Ukraine, Osumi Yo, arrived in Kyiv on August 29, the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine said.

Large-scale anti-drone defenses are being built around the Geran production plant in Alabuga, according to OSINT analysts.
Satellite imagery has revealed dozens of large lattice towers surrounding the production buildings. The structures are arranged in two perimeters and are likely to be connected by metal mesh and cables to protect the facility from attack drones and cruise missiles.
Alabuga is also covered by at least 23 air-defense positions, making the complex one of the most heavily protected facilities in Russia’s military-industrial complex.

Germany prepares new measures against Russia following alleged drone attack at Leipzig/Halle airport
Following an attempted attack involving drones carrying explosives at Leipzig/Halle Airport, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government is preparing new measures against Russia and may call on the EU to tighten sanctions, Welt am Sonntag and Politico report. [...]
Officials in Berlin are already discussing a possible β€œtipping point 2.0” β€” a significant shift toward a tougher German policy toward Moscow.
Meanwhile, Brussels is working on a new package of sanctions that could target additional individuals and legal entities.
The EU is also again discussing what to do with frozen Russian state assets.
On August 4, a drone carrying explosives was discovered in a security area at the airport. Another drone reportedly collided with a DHL cargo plane, while a third drone was found later.
Germany’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating a possible serious attack on the country’s transport and logistics infrastructure.

Russian political leadership has instructed military commanders to draw up potential operational plans targeting Kyiv and Chernihiv, according to Pavlo Palisa, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters on August 29, as reported by Suspilne, Palisa stated that intelligence verified across multiple channels confirmed the directive.
Palisa emphasized that the Russian military was tasked with planning and preparing potential scenarios rather than launching an immediate offensive.

Russia extends diesel export ban through September amid record Ukrainian strikes on refineries, Bloomberg reports

🫢🏻 Latvia to continue allocating at least 0.25% of GDP annually to Ukraine for security assistance, Defense Ministry says

βš“οΈ British Navy tracks Russian ships for three days, The Guardian reports
The British military tracked four Russian vessels for 72 hours as they traveled from the North Sea toward the English Channel.
The operation was conducted by HMS Duncan, HMS St Albans and HMS Severn, supported by a Merlin helicopter.
The Russian destroyer Admiral Levchenko accompanied the sanctioned cargo vessels General Skobelev and Sparta.

πŸ€¦β€β™‚οΈ CIA Director suggests Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy summit during Moscow visit, Axios reports
CIA Director John Ratcliffe suggested holding a summit between US President Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his visit to Moscow, Axios reports.

The Telegraph outlines six scenarios for possible Russian aggression against NATO.
The publication writes that Western governments have long warned of the risk of a Russian attack on the Alliance. Intelligence agencies, however, believe the Kremlin does not currently want a direct military confrontation with NATO. Instead, Moscow could use hybrid operations and provocations that gradually escalate into a wider conflict.
β–ͺ️ The β€œCrimea scenario” involves provocations in the Baltic states. Russia could attempt to exploit Russian-speaking populations by organizing protests over alleged persecution. Under their cover, Russian agents and eventually military forces could try to seize individual cities, such as Narva in Estonia or Daugavpils in Latvia. Russia could then deploy troops to β€œrestore peace.”
β–ͺ️ A direct invasion. One of the most dangerous but least likely scenarios would involve a simultaneous attack from Belarus and Kaliningrad aimed at cutting the Suwalki Gap between Poland and Lithuania. Russia could also attempt to land troops on Sweden’s Gotland island to isolate the Baltic states from the rest of NATO.
β–ͺ️ An β€œaccidental” invasion. Russia could use a pretext such as a military helicopter making an emergency landing near the border. A β€œrescue team” could then enter NATO territory to retrieve the crew and equipment. Similarly, missiles or drones could be used that supposedly accidentally cross into Poland or Romania.
β–ͺ️ A false-flag attack. The Kremlin could use captured or downed Ukrainian drones to provoke a NATO member. For example, Russia could try to create the impression that a Ukrainian strike on Russia caused the drones to crash in Poland. The goal would be to drive a wedge between NATO members and turn them against Ukraine.
β–ͺ️ Sabotage in Europe. Russia has already carried out sabotage operations in several European countries. The next step could be an attack capable of causing casualties, such as derailing a train or targeting an industrial facility. Moscow may, however, be counting on Western countries being reluctant to respond forcefully.
β–ͺ️ Cyberattacks. Russia could target critical infrastructure, financial markets or transportation systems, for example by disrupting a major airport or triggering panic in financial markets. Such an attack could cause significant damage while making it more difficult to establish responsibility and determine NATO’s response.
The Telegraph notes that Russia’s main challenge would be predicting how the Alliance responds. A provocation intended to divide NATO could instead trigger a much stronger collective response.

A viral video shows a β€œ23-year-old Ukrainian soldier” crying, but it was created with AI and spread as real to claim that Ukraine forces young men to fight.
United24 Media analyzed the clip, noting several red flags: the wrong helmet, no name on the uniform, and the speaker’s mispronunciation of β€œChasiv Yar,” typical for AI voices. The deleted TikTok account that posted it had similar fakes, including one where a soldier cries blood. One post even displayed the SORA logo, an app for AI-generated videos. In fact, Ukraine’s mandatory service applies to men aged 25–60, and since August 2025, men aged 18–22 have been allowed to leave the countryβ€”meaning the man in the video couldn’t have been conscripted. Therefore, the video is the fake one aimed to support Russian propaganda.

Ukrainian forces strike Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system in Bryansk region, Fire Point says

Ukrainian Air Force Su-24 bombers armed with Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles.

Ukraine Invasion - Part 62
ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 30/08/2026 12:50

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

European officials say there is no evidence Russia is preparing an attack on NATO, despite rising hybrid threats.
CIA chief John Ratcliffe's trip to Moscow likely focused on Ukraine, Iran, and Article 5 deterrence, Bloomberg reports.

Russia’s Defense Ministry announced plans to launch "massive strikes" against Ukraine’s energy grid.
Moscow framed the planned barrage as retaliation for Ukrainian deep drone strikes on Russian oil refineries. [so what was the excuse for hitting every single one of Ukraine's energy generation facilities before now?]

Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s major KINEF oil refinery and the Yeysk military airfield early Sunday, sparking large fires.
Satellite data confirmed blazes near Yeysk runways, with secondary detonations reported.

A car belonging to Dmytro Neielov, deputy head of the Olenivka prison colony, was blown up in occupied Donetsk.
Neielov was charged in absentia by Ukraine for the systematic torture and abuse of Ukrainian POWs.

Russian strikes in Myla, Kyiv region, hit an ammunition depot that "should not have been there," triggering mass detonations, President Zelensky said.
He condemned "terrible negligence" and ordered a full investigation.

A Russian strike and warehouse detonation in the village of Myla killed 38 people and injured 20, including two children, Zelensky said.
Four people remain missing as bomb disposal teams work around the clock to clear hazards.

A Russian Iskander missile struck a memorial run in Kharkiv region's Natalyne, killing three people, including a police officer, and wounding two.
Prosecutors launched a negligence probe into the event organizers.

Russian drone and aerial attacks across southern Ukraine killed an elderly woman in Zaporizhzhia and injured ten others.
Strikes hit civilian food warehouses in Odesa and residential streets in Kherson.

Europe Rejects Reports of Russian Military Threat to NATO

European officials say there is no evidence of an impending Russian conventional attack on NATO, refuting speculation surrounding the CIA director’s Moscow trip.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/83350

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 30/08/2026 12:52

LIve: Ukraine Media Telegram Highlights

⚑️Mykhailo Fedorov's previous position, as head of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, does not impose restrictions on his work as an advisor to Italy's Defense Minister, said Fedorov's press secretary Snizhana Rakcheieva.
In addition, Fedorov has dozens of other international cooperation projects planned. The press service emphasized that such cooperation is also beneficial for Ukraine.
β–ͺ️It was reported yesterday that Fedorov had become an advisor to Italy's Defense Minister on defense innovation. He agreed to work on a part-time basis and will continue to live and work in Ukraine.
β–ͺ️Fedorov left his post as Ukraine's Defense Minister on July 15. President Volodymyr Zelensky subsequently offered him other positions, but Fedorov stated he would only agree to lead the Ministry of Defense.

Overnight, the Russians struck Ukraine with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 130 drones. Air defense neutralized 125 drones, but enemy means struck 13 locations, with debris falling in four others. Here is what is known about the aftermath:
Kyiv. Three people were injured. The attack caused fires in four districts of the city, which have been extinguished.
Kharkiv. The Russians struck the courtyard of an apartment building β€” the attack damaged five vehicles. A gas station was also hit.
Zaporizhzhia. The Russian army struck warehouses β€” a fire broke out.

MissConductUS · 30/08/2026 21:45

Nice recap from the WSJ on Russian gray zone provocations in Europe. The good news is that rather than dividing Europe, they seem to be hardening anti-Russian sentiment.

https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/russia-is-bombarding-europe-with-a-new-wave-of-gray-zone-attacks-c5eab3fa?st=4vRrVG&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

It’s time for a new plan B, Vlad.

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 30/08/2026 22:07

The BBC wrote an article for that solitary pianist who died a death from starvation in prison, on hunger strike against the actions of Putin. I thought he'd been forgotten, glad to know that someone remembers him.

He must have had a terrible time in Russian prison.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj35lk4x86yo

Pavel Kushnir sitting in front of a piano

Pavel Kushnir: Lonely death of jailed anti-war Russian pianist

When a Russian prisoner swap hit headlines recently, a jailed musician’s fatal hunger strike went unnoticed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj35lk4x86yo

PerkingFaintly · 30/08/2026 23:02

Story about unofficial cash transfer arrangements by which funding has been moved to Islamic State in Syria and other extremist groups and organised crime activities:

WhatsApp chat used to send cash for crime and extremism
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgk57lg7566o

It particularly sprang out to me because this is how we move money among my own friends and family. We're very spread out and many of us have bank accounts in more than one country, so rather than pay currency exchange fees and bank fees, we just settle things among ourselves out of whichever account is most convenient.

I've also known of people doing it in a semi-formal way for strangers. It was a way for wealthy emigrating Zimbabweans to circumvent the Zim's currency export restrictions and get their money out of Zim: they offered informal but highly trustworthy money-broking services to Zimbabweans working in the UK who were sending remittances home to poverty-stricken families. The Zimbabweans in the UK deposited GBP into the wealthy emigrants' UK bank accounts; members of the emigrants' family still in Zim paid the money out there from their Zim dollar bank accounts.

I had no idea this was such a well-known thing that it has an actual name: "hawala".

Anyway, an investigation by the European Broadcasting Union investigative journalism network has identified one network called "Traders of Greater Europe" which brokered payments to Islamic State, and other networks assisting people smugglers and drug traffickers.

"This isn't just amateur work; it's professional, and at a level we could never have imagined," he said. "They're bankers with no government oversight."

Mentioning it here because highly effective covert ways to fund criminal or disruptive activities in other countries seems on topic for these threads.

blueshoes · 31/08/2026 00:55

Hawala, like that digital currency I cannot mention, have legitimate uses but are also heavily exploited by criminals to make transfers of payments, usually international, which circumvent the banking system and bypass anti-money laundering protocols. They are also used to avoid sanctions. Nasty nasty people involved in all sorts of criminality like human trafficking, people smuggling, drug trafficking, prostitution and terror financing.

I believe payment systems have also sprung up in Russia to help companies avoid sanctions against Russia.

blueshoes · 31/08/2026 01:11

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-30-2026/

Key Takeaways

  1. Ukrainian forces are intensifying a long-range strike campaign against Russian airfields and drone launch sites while conducting suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses (SEAD/DEAD) in Russia’s border regions to degrade Russian strike and air defense capabilities.
  2. Ukrainian forces recently conducted a clearing mission with foot-mobile infantry in the Kupyansk direction, likely following a condition-setting effort aimed at suppressing Russian drone strike capabilities in the area.
  3. Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign against Russian marketplaces continues to impose high financial and operational costs on Russian logistics chains and the Russian economy writ large.
  4. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Kupyansk and Slovyansk directions.
  5. Russia launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 130 drones against Ukraine overnight. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian oil refineries on the night of August 29 to 30.
DesdamonasHandkerchief · 31/08/2026 11:18

Kyiv Independent:

⚑️

Russia has sharply escalated its attacks on Ukrainian businesses, striking supermarket distribution centers, postal facilities, gas stations, warehouses, railway infrastructure, industrial plants, and Black Sea ports.

The Kyiv Independent’s Dominic Culverwell sits down with Hlib Vyshlinsky, executive director of the Kyiv-based Center for Economic Strategy, to discuss why Russia is increasingly targeting Ukraine’s civilian economy β€” and what the campaign could mean for businesses, consumers, and the country’s financial stability.

⚑️Ukraine tests interceptors to down Russian jet-powered Shaheds.

As Russia scales up production of its jet-powered drones β€” the Geran-4 and Geran-5 β€” Ukraine is struggling to shoot them down amid prolonged waves of attacks.

⚑️Putin-Trump-Zelensky summit possible only to 'formalize agreements,' Peskov says.

He added that a settlement over Ukraine is "not a primitive deal," but a "very complicated" process involving "a huge number of details."

⚑️Missile strike hits Belgorod, reportedly damaging Ozon facility and power plant.

Russia's Belgorod came under a missile attack on Aug. 30, with a logistics facility housing an Ozon sorting center and delivery hub damaged in the strike, according to Russian officials and the company.

⚑️Ukrainian drones destroy Russian air defense, radar systems at Yeysk, Millerovo airfields.

Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi said Ukrainian drones targeted the Yeysk airfield in Russia's Krasnodar Krai and the Millerovo airfield in Rostov Oblast.

⚑️PepsiCo production facility damaged in Russian strike on Ukraine, company says.

The company said it is currently assessing the full scale of the consequences and taking steps to restore supplies of its products to customers and consumers in Ukraine.

⚑️Fedorov offers drone technology to US in exchange for Patriots, seeks funding for defense tech fund.

Mykhailo Fedorov said he is seeking backing from venture capitalists, private investors, and U.S. technology companies for a fund that would invest in Ukrainian defense startups and create new companies focused on battlefield technologies.

⚑️Explosions heard in Kyiv overnight as Moscow continues barrage of drone attacks.

Explosions were heard in central Kyiv beginning around 12:30 a.m. local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground.

Russian drone attacks on the capital have continued for a fifth straight day, with Moscow launching hundreds of drones in hours-long barrages.

⚑️800 Russian jet-powered drones launched over 4 days as attacks enter 5th straight day.

The president's latest report comes amid an ongoing Russian drone attack on the capital with explosions heard in central Kyiv beginning around 12:30 a.m. local time overnight on Aug. 31, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground.

⚑️Over 242,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified by media investigation.

Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, in collaboration with the BBC Russian service, has confirmed the identities of 242,747 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine.

⚑️'Moment of extreme urgency' β€” US Senator urges Congress to pass Russia sanctions bill.

Democratic U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal urged his colleagues in the House of Representatives to approve long-awaited sweeping Russia sanctions legislation in an interview with CBS News on Aug. 30, as the House prepares to reconvene on Aug. 31.

⚑️ These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of Aug. 31, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Ukraine Invasion - Part 62
DesdamonasHandkerchief · 31/08/2026 11:26

Live:Ukraine

⚑️ A Ukrposhta truck was attacked by a Russian UAV near Kramatorsk.

The driver sustained a blast injury and is receiving all necessary medical care. Over 500 parcels were destroyed; the company will compensate their value.

⚑️ Belgium is again blocking the use of frozen Russian assets for financial support to Ukraine, Euroactiv reports.

"This is not negotiable, the door is closed. Our prime minister will stand firm," said the country's defense minister.

Notably, earlier this week, Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands, and Spain called on the European Commission to explore new ways to use the approximately €200 billion in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.

The majority of Russian assets are held at Belgium's Euroclear depository. Brussels fears that using them could lead to lawsuits and financial claims from Russia directed specifically at Belgium.

However, Belgium's foreign minister stated earlier this month that the €200 billion in frozen assets could be used to support Ukraine, provided that all legal responsibility is "fairly distributed among EU countries."

⚑️ During the day, Kyiv remains under constant attack by Russian drones; two people are reported injured.

According to Klitschko, a non-residential building is on fire in the Shevchenkivskyi district, with emergency services working at the scene.

He added that in the Holosiivskyi district, drone debris damaged the facade of a two-story cafΓ© building.

In the Pecherskyi district, debris fell on the grounds of a residential complex. Information on damage and casualties is being clarified.

⚑️Ukrainian drones hit five air defense elements during attacks on the Millerovo and Yeysk airfields in Russia, clarified Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces Robert Brovdi "Madyar."

Specifically, the drones struck a Pantsir-S1 system and four radar stations.

In addition, aviation weapons and ammunition storage facilities at both airfields were hit, as well as the technical and maintenance section at Millerovo.

The primary target at the Millerovo airfield was the DRL-27 module β€” an airfield surveillance radar used to detect aerial targets.

⚑️ In Myla, Kyiv region, 52 people have been injured as a result of the Russian attack that triggered an ammunition detonation, said Head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration Tymur Tkachenko.

Among the injured are five children. Nine of the wounded remain hospitalized in moderate condition.

The strike and subsequent detonation damaged approximately 300 facilities in Myla and surrounding settlements, including over 200 private houses and 14 apartment buildings.

Some buildings have been completely destroyed. Rescuers have extinguished all remaining fires. Pyrotechnicians are working at the site to neutralize explosive objects.

β–ͺ️Earlier today, it was reported that the death toll from the Russian strike on the ammunition warehouse in Myla had risen to 38.

πŸ‡ΉπŸ‡·A Russian vessel damaged in a UAV attack has been washed ashore in Turkey, DHA news agency reported.

The ship was spotted yesterday. The attack occurred at the port in Novorossiysk. After the strike, the crew evacuated, and the damaged unmanned vessel drifted in the Black Sea until it was washed ashore on the Turkish coast.

The vessel is the Omsky-107, which had recently been carrying cargo between southern Russian ports and Turkey. The exact date of the attack in Novorossiysk is still unknown.

The vessel sustained severe damage from the strikes and fire.

⚑️ Overnight, Russia attacked Ukraine with an Kh-59 missile and 121 drones. Air defense neutralized 96 UAVs; the Kh-59 missile did not reach its target. However, enemy strikes hit 11 locations, with debris falling in 8 others.

In Zaporizhzhia, an FPV drone struck an apartment building β€” two people were injured, including a teenager. The enemy also attacked a fire and rescue station, damaging the building, a fire truck, and a vehicle. No firefighters were injured.

In the Donetsk region, Russia struck an apartment building in Sloviansk with an aerial bomb β€” four people were injured. Thirty-four buildings and six vehicles were damaged.

The Russians attacked a medical facility in Kherson with a drone, injuring two employees.

Photos 1–3 β€” Sloviansk, 4, 5 β€” Zaporizhzhia.

πŸ›°οΈ Elon Musk told Mykhailo Fedorov that he is ready to allow Ukraine to use Starlink for drone strikes on Russia, the FT reports, citing sources.

However, according to the publication, the billionaire emphasized that this is a political decision that must ultimately be made by the White House.

Ukraine's former Defense Minister declined to comment on his conversations with Musk. Musk and SpaceX did not respond to FT's inquiries.

β–ͺ️At the end of July, The Atlantic reported that Volodymyr Zelensky had asked Donald Trump to persuade Musk to expand Starlink coverage into Russia for strikes on ballistic missile launchers. Trump reportedly refused. Meanwhile, on August 30, Fedorov traveled to the US to seek investments for a defense technology fund.

⚑️ Polish special forces are training in Germany to conduct drone strikes the way they are done on the front lines in Ukraine β€” the US has held such exercises for a NATO ally for the first time, the Associated Press reports.

US Green Berets developed the scenario based on Ukraine war experience just a few months ago. Such exercises are planned to be held several times a year for NATO military personnel.

Polish special forces will have to traverse approximately 100 km of "enemy" territory and strike a target with a drone, while US forces hunt them using drones, cameras, and even "tips" from civilians.

β–ͺ️The training comes amid rising tensions between Putin and NATO. Last week, CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow, reportedly to warn Russia against attacking NATO. Media reports indicate that Russia has an "appetite" for sabotage and cyberattacks against the Alliance, but Putin wants to avoid direct confrontation.

DesdamonasHandkerchief · 31/08/2026 11:33

United 24 Media:

❗️Two people injured in Kyiv in today’s Russian attack, Kyiv City Military Administration reports.

Russian forces have been carrying out near-continuous drone and missile attacks on Kyiv and the region since the night of August 27.

πŸ”· β€œOur long-range strikes operate at different distances and in different domains, but they are always fair and aimed at depriving Russia of the resources it needs to wage its brutal war,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

β€œDuring the night, Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck storage, training and launch sites for strike drones in the Oryol and Rostov regions. There were also strikes on a military airfield in Yeysk and targets in the Black Sea.

β€œOur soldiers also carried out long-range sanctions against a refinery in the Leningrad region that contributes millions of dollars to Russia’s military budget every month. Effective long-range strikes have also been confirmed throughout the week, including against facilities in Bashkortostan and the Arkhangelsk region.”

πŸ”Ά Mug bearing β€œRussian Army” inscription found in AfD politician’s office, Bild reports

A mug bearing the inscription β€œRussian Army” was found in the office of Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, Bild reports.

Tillschneider’s lawyer reportedly tried to prevent footage of his office from being published. The politician said the mug had been given to him as a gift and that he attached no significance to it.

Tillschneider is considered a member of the AfD’s pro-Russian wing. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he traveled to Russia. In 2025, he also attended an event at the Russian Embassy in Berlin marking Vladimir Putin’s birthday.

πŸ₯‡πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ Liudmyla Luzan becomes world champion in canoe sprint for the second consecutive year, NOC of Ukraine reports.

At the World Championships in Poznan, the Ukrainian canoeist won the women’s C-1 200-meter race in 44.40 seconds. She dedicated her victory to Ukraine.

Luzan became only the second athlete in history and the first European to successfully defend the world title in the event. Before her, only Canada’s Laurence Vincent-Lapointe had won the title twice in a row.

Luzan is one of the leading athletes in women’s canoe sprint. She has won three Olympic medals, two European Games medals, nine world championship titles and eight European championship titles.

πŸ”· β€œLast month, Ukraine was attacked by approximately 1,500 jet β€˜Shaheds.’ This month, there have been more than 2,500. UAVs are being launched over Ukraine almost directly from the factory,” presidential adviser Serhii β€œFlash” Beskrestnov said.

Photo shows the inscription from downed UAV and it says (from Russian): Date August 15, 2026

πŸ”Ά Russia’s goal is all of Ukraine, not just Donetsk and Luhansk, Defense Minister Khmara says

β€œPutin sees the war against Ukraine as a continuation of his project to build an empire. Therefore, this war is existential for Ukraine,” Defense Minister Khmara said during a meeting with journalists.

πŸ”· Mourning wreaths appear outside defense companies in Lithuania and Czech Republic, officials suspect Russian provocation

Mourning wreaths appeared almost simultaneously outside defense companies in Lithuania and the Czech Republic, with authorities suspecting a possible provocation by Russian special services, Delfi reports.

Footage from Vilnius shows several mourning wreaths outside the building of RSI Europe, a company that manufactures unmanned systems. A photo of the company’s CEO, Tomas Milashauskas, with a black mourning ribbon was placed nearby. Milashauskas is alive and well and described the incident as an attempt to intimidate the company.

β€œWe are not afraid. This is ordinary intimidation, a provocation, the usual methods of the Russians. Our reaction is completely normal β€” we continue to work. We do not react and are not distracted, because their goal is to divert our attention and direct it where it should not be,” Milashauskas told LNK Ε½inios.

He said this was the first such provocation the company had experienced, although it had previously faced attempts to disrupt its operations, including cyberattacks.

Lithuanian authorities had previously warned defense companies about the risk of provocations and attacks.

β€œI think it was this monitoring and the measures taken after our discussions that allowed us to detain the individuals involved in the incident. This is a good result and a consequence of such cooperation,” said Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center.

Police responded quickly and detained one suspect. A pretrial investigation has been launched. According to LNK sources, the detainee is a Ukrainian citizen who is suspected of having been hired by a Belarusian citizen to deliver the wreaths.

Around the same time, mourning wreaths appeared outside the Czech defense company CSG. A photo of one of the company’s managers, David Chur, was placed next to them.

RSI Europe supplies Ukraine with FPV drones and remote detonation systems, while CSG manufactures ammunition and military equipment.

Law enforcement agencies are investigating whether the incidents in Lithuania and the Czech Republic are connected. Remigijus Motuzas, chairman of the Lithuanian Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, warned that similar provocations could become more frequent.

β€œI think that such cases may become more frequent β€” and they have already become more frequent. This is probably just the beginning. The warnings are quite serious, so we need to remain especially vigilant, although the security of our infrastructure facilities has now been enhanced,” he said.

Photos and videos of the wreaths quickly spread across social media and Telegram channels. Lithuanian officials linked the information campaign surrounding the incidents to methods they say are characteristic of Russian intelligence operations. Posts circulating with the footage repeated claims that NATO is waging a war against Russia through Ukraine and accused European companies supporting Kyiv of profiting from the war.

❗️Russia strikes Nova Post (Ukrainian postal service) terminal in Odesa region, no casualties reported β€” regional military administration

A fire broke out at the site of the strike but has since been extinguished. No casualties have been reported so far.

πŸ”Ά Six people were injured in the August 31 attack on Kyiv, most of them in the village of Pohreby. Three of the injured remain hospitalized in serious condition, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

DesdamonasHandkerchief · 31/08/2026 11:40

Kyiv Post:

⚑️ The EU is preparing a major sanctions package targeting roughly 1,600 Russian individuals and entities.

Diplomats will also discuss utilizing frozen Russian assets during talks in Ireland next week.

⚑️ Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara outlined plans to bridge Ukraine’s $27B defense funding gap via allied loans and new partners.

He also revealed Ukraine has tested four interceptors against jet-powered Shaheds.

⚑️ Ukraine met its natural gas target for the 2026–2027 winter a month early, with reserves reaching 14.6 billion cubic meters, officials said.

The milestone secures baseline heating needs as grid protection work continues.

⚑️ A Moscow military court sentenced former Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych to 11 years in prison in absentia over his statements on the 2022 Kramatorsk station strike and calls for railway sabotage.

⚑️ UK defense executives supplying weapons to Ukraine have been warned of growing Russian assassination and espionage risks.

The alert follows thwarted Russian plots targeting European arms leaders.

⚑️ The Kremlin says Putin sees β€œabsolutely NO point” in a Trump-Zelensky peace summit unless a deal is already ready to be signed.

The dismissal comes amid reports of a secret CIA chief visit to Moscow and fresh warnings that Russia is preparing new offensives in northern Ukraine.

⚑️ A senior Russian lawmaker has openly called for using tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine to force Kyiv to surrender, saying Moscow should strike β€œif we need to.”

There is no evidence Putin has ordered an imminent nuclear attack.

⚑️ Putin, Xi Jinping and more than a dozen other leaders will meet in Kyrgyzstan for a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, bringing together Moscow’s and Beijing’s partners as the bloc seeks to expand its influence amid the wars in Ukraine and Iran, US sanctions and growing global tensions.

⚑️ Kyiv has endured five days of relentless Russian drone attacks, with faster jet-powered UAVs, repeated air-raid alerts and deadly strikes disrupting the capital.

A blast at an arms depot near Kyiv has killed 38, while two children were also among those killed in the wider barrage.

⚑️ Google Maps has renamed Lake Ontario β€œLake America” for users in the US after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 27.

The name remains unchanged in Canada, while users elsewhere will see both versions.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford hit back with a lakeside sign reading: β€œLake Ontario. Now and Always.”

The move comes amid a growing US-Canada trade dispute and follows Trump’s earlier renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the β€œGulf of America” in the US.

⚑️ Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) has exposed new details about Russia’s costly 3M22 Zircon missile, challenging Moscow’s claims about its speed and revealing its relatively small warhead.

HUR also detailed the missile’s guidance systems, construction, and the foreign equipment used by Russian companies to manufacture it.

MissConductUS · 31/08/2026 20:05

According to sources inside the Kremlin, Putin fears hanging if he doesn't at least capture all of the Donbas. That's why his demands remain maximalist. From The Economist

Cornered, Vladimir Putin plans to escalate his war - His refusal to back down is rooted in Russia’s gangster politics

The problem is that after four and a half years with very little to show for it, and huge amounts of blood and treasure lost, he already looks like a loser to the Russian elites, who presumably understand the dead end he's driven into.

He reportedly plans to conscript another 300,000 to 400,000 men to conduct a new offensive push. There are a few problems with this plan from my vantage point

  1. The Russian army doesn't have enough kit, training resources, and logistical capacity to support that many new soldiers. The ones who do make it to the front will be civilians in uniform, and lucky to have a rifle of their own. And they'll be on foot, not in vehicles. It will be a turkey shoot for the Ukrainians.
  2. Russian ground combat tactics haven't worked for the last two years. Adding more men won't change that. What's that old saying about the definition of insanity?
  3. Provoking NATO, especially with something as serious as a ground incursion into the Baltics, won't change the reality in Ukraine and risks getting a very bloody nose back from NATO, which will weaken him further politically and militarily.

So, short of a coup or some sort of political solution within Russia that lets him bow out gracefully in exchange for avoiding the noose, I don't see how this ends anytime soon.

DesdamonasHandkerchief · 31/08/2026 21:20

Thanks for that largely cheering article @MissConductUS, and your analysis of it. Let’s hope the end of the line comes soon for Putin and any escalation is met with a firm response from NATO - I’m not holding my breath on that front though.

blueshoes · 01/09/2026 04:23

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-31-2026/

Key Takeaways

  1. Russia’s second batch of Rassvet satellites appears to have failed to reach intended operational altitudes, marking another setback in Moscow’s efforts to rapidly develop a Russian analogue to Starlink.
  2. Russia is likely rushing to launch Rassvet satellites to compensate for the loss of Starlink connectivity over Ukraine.
  3. Russia will likely continue struggling to establish an analogous version of the Starlink constellation unless it dramatically increases the number of successful Rassvet satellite launches.
  4. Ukrainian strikes against Rassvet satellite production and launch sites threaten to further degrade Russia’s ability to establish a successful constellation on a timeline Russia deems acceptable.
  5. Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to remain in favor of conducting covert mobilization following Russia’s September 18-20 State Duma elections and appears committed to sustaining his existing force generation mechanism.
  6. Russian President Vladimir Putin met separately with People’s Republic of China (PRC) President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 31 ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.
  7. Russian officials continue to implicitly threaten NATO in the Arctic as part of its rhetorical efforts to deter NATO defensive and cohesion measures in the region.
  8. US, Ukrainian, and Russian officials appear to be resuming limited bilateral negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
  9. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Sumy, Borova, and Slovyansk directions and the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area, and Russian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk direction and Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.
  10. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Belgorod Oblast, including Ozon (Wildberries’ main competitor) marketplaces, on the night of August 30 to 31.
  11. Russia launched one Kh-59 cruise missile and 121 drones against Ukraine overnight.
ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 01/09/2026 08:57

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

‼️ US Treasury Secretary Bessent is reportedly meeting with the Russian delegation, including Foreign Minister Lavrov, and promoting Trump’s 28-point peace plan, CNBC reports.

πŸ“ž President Zelenskyy held talks with Witkoff and Kushner
During the conversation, the President also briefed the US representatives on the situation on the battlefield, where Russia’s gains remain insignificant and have come at the cost of heavy losses, as well as on Russian airstrikes.

Russia’s β€œStarlink analogue” runs into problems as satellites lose altitude, fail to reach target orbit, French tech outlet Numerama reports

Russia’s Rassvet satellite internet program is facing technical problems: satellites already in orbit are losing altitude, while newly launched ones are failing to reach their intended orbits, according to French technology outlet Numerama.
The Russian government allocated 102.8 billion rubles, or about €1.2 billion, to the Rassvet program. Commercial operations were scheduled to begin in 2027, with the constellation expected to grow from 250 satellites to 900 by 2035.
At least 18 Soyuz-2.1b launches would be required to deploy the announced constellation, while Russia currently conducts only six to eight such launches a year.
On the night of August 15, Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Progress space center in Samara, where Soyuz-2.1b rockets are mass-produced. These are the only launch vehicles currently used to place Rassvet satellites into orbit.
β€œAfter statements that several hundred satellites would be in orbit by next year, the first of them are already beginning to fall earlier than expected,” Numerama writes.
According to orbital monitoring data, at least two satellites are losing altitude, while several others have failed to reach their intended orbits.
The specialized website Russian Space Web reported that the first 16 satellites showed relatively better results, although one of them fell in June. However, the July launch of another 16 satellites was unsuccessful.
The satellites were supposed to reach an altitude of 800 kilometers, but some remained below 500 km or even 400 km.
Nine satellites have begun maneuvers to gain several more kilometers in altitude, while others appear to have stopped climbing and begun descending. None has so far risen above 360 km, while two have fallen below 300 km, with their trajectories indicating that they may continue to descend.
Even the satellites that are still climbing remain significantly below the altitude reached by the first group at the same stage.
Low altitude creates a serious problem for satellites. The lower a satellite flies, the greater the atmospheric drag it experiences. Maintaining its orbit therefore requires more fuel, potentially shortening its operational lifespan. Even satellites that stabilize at around 500 km could consequently wear out much faster than expected.
With only 32 satellites in orbit, some of which have barely reached the required altitude, Rassvet remains far from becoming a fully operational system.
β€œThere is currently no possibility for Russia to increase the constellation to 250 satellites by 2027,” the report says

India refuses to increase exports to Russia despite Putin’s yearslong requests, Bloomberg reports
Since 2022, Moscow has been urging India to increase supplies of food, medicines, equipment and machinery. Less than a year ago, Russian leader Vladimir Putin asked the Indian government to β€œtake certain steps” to address the imbalance in bilateral trade and identify promising areas for cooperation.
However, most of those requests have gone unanswered. Although bilateral trade reached $59.9 billion in the last fiscal year, it remains largely one-sided: Russian oil accounted for $55.4 billion of the total.
In fiscal year 2026, Indian exports to Russia fell 8.2% to $4.5 billion, according to India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

πŸ‡΅πŸ‡± Fire breaks out at Polish drone maker WB Electronics, Onet reports
A fire broke out at a factory operated by Polish defense company WB Electronics, which produces drones for the Polish and Ukrainian militaries. Before the fire, an unidentified person wearing a balaclava was reportedly seen near the facility, Onet reports.

❗️Four people killed, 13 injured in Kyiv region in Russian attack β€” regional military administration
According to the State Emergency Service, a five-story building, a store and two private houses were damaged in Boryspil. Rescuers evacuated 48 people, while two others were pulled from the rubble.
Elsewhere in Boryspil, a truck caught fire at an infrastructure facility. An enterprise building and a service station were also damaged. Four people were killed.
Thirteen people were injured in the city, including two children born in 2021 and 2010.
In the village of Hryhorivka in Obukhiv district, an infrastructure facility and two high-rise buildings were damaged by debris.
In the village of Husachivka in the same district, debris damaged 11 private houses, a garage and a car.

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 01/09/2026 08:59

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚑️US Treasury chief reportedly meets Russian counterpart to push Trump peace plan.

  • *β€œWe don't know anything about this meeting,” one Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent.

⚑️ Lavrov calls NATO's Arctic operations 'direct threat', says Russia's opponents will face 'asymmetric' response.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wrote that the rising risk of hostile incidents could lead to an armed confrontation with potential "catastrophic consequences."

⚑️Update: Russia shifts tactics with increased use of jet-powered drones as Kyiv endures 5th day of near-constant air raid alerts.
"This is no longer simply a matter for air defense. It is a matter for the war economy and the industrial production of interceptors," Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said.

⚑️Zelensky calls Trump envoys Witkoff, Kushner to 'lock in' dates for Ukraine visit.
The two U.S. envoys have yet to visit Kyiv, despite leading Trump's efforts to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war and repeatedly traveling to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials.

⚑️Ukraine's military intelligence reveals capabilities of Russian Zircon missiles.

  • *Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) published new details about the Russian 3M22 Zircon hypersonic missile on Aug. 31, revealing that its actual capabilities fell short of those claimed by the Kremlin.

⚑️Zelensky dismisses presidential adviser on strategic issues in latest decree.
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Oleksandr Kamyshin, presidential adviser on strategic issues, in a decree issued Aug. 31.

⚑️Romania doesn't believe Russia plans to attack NATO.

⚑️India's prime minister tells Putin to end 'endless war' against Ukraine.
"We need to move from endless war to an end to the war," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Putin on the sidelines of the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

Budanov's political honeymoon is over
Nine months after switching a military post for political office, President's Office Head Kyrylo Budanov became mired in controversy.
Budanov's name has surfaced in recordings as part of a sprawling corruption case, Hromadske news outlet reported on Aug. 26, citing court documents.

⚑️EU does not meddle in elections 'contrary to Russia,' European Commission says as Moscow accuses bloc of interference.

⚑️Ukrainian drones damage Russia’s Ust-Luga port, governor says.

⚑️Kyiv shopping center once belonging to sanctioned oligarch on sale for $207 million.

  • *Many in Kyiv’s business community think that the starting price is too high for the market, particularly as Russia has escalated attacks on Ukrainian businesses, including shopping centers, in recent months.

Displaced to Ukraine's west, exiled Donetsk university expects influx of students from missile-battered cities

  • *One of Ukraine's first relocated universities expects a 50% increase in enrollment as students from across the country flock westward from missile-ravaged eastern regions.
  • *After a rocky relocation that saw the university's student numbers drop to less than half, its rector and professor of international economic relations, Illia Hadzhinov, is finally seeing a "comeback" in student numbers and a revival of university life.

⚑️Update: 12 killed, 18 injured in Kyiv, including children, as Russia's barrage of attacks enters 6th day.
Six of those killed were Ukrainian Railways employees who died when a ballistic missile hit a "depot and other railway facilities," Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Chairman of the Board of Ukrainian Railways, said in a post on social media.

Ukraine Invasion - Part 62
ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 01/09/2026 09:22

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

European officials refused to pose for a group photo with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov after Washington invited him to a G20 finance meeting in Asheville β€” sparking backlash over Russia’s return to international diplomacy.

Russian forces attacked four districts of the Dnipropetrovsk region more than 40 times on Monday, Aug. 31, injuring six people, including a seven-year-old girl.
The strikes damaged civilian infrastructure, including an apartment building and a supermarket.

Russia struck the Orlivka checkpoint on Ukraine’s border with Romania overnight, forcing authorities to suspend operations, Ukraine’s Border Guard Service said.
Traffic is being redirected to other crossings, while drivers are being urged to take the disruption into account when planning their routes.

Russia launched 218 Shahed drones and multiple missiles overnight, mainly targeting the Odesa and Kyiv regions.
The attack damaged the Orlivka crossing with Romania and struck rescuers in Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine said 199 aerial targets were neutralized.

Ukrainian prankster Evhen Volnov infiltrated closed Russian Zoom meetings on drone production and jamming systems, confronting officials over corruption, war crimes and military failures before organizers abruptly cut the feeds.

Russia Strikes Dnipropetrovsk Districts More Than 40 Times, Injuring 6, Including a Child

Russian forces used drones, artillery, and a guided aerial bomb (KAB) to strike communities across the Nikopol, Kryvyi Rih, Synelnykove, and Pavlohrad districts.

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/83445

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 01/09/2026 09:24

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

⚑️"They'll hang me." Putin fears ending the war without capturing Donetsk region and has thus chosen escalation, The Economist reports, citing sources.
At one point, Putin told his inner circle, "They'll hang me" β€” explaining why he cannot abandon his goal of capturing all of Donetsk region. Among the Russian elite, there is a growing sense that "the emperor has no clothes": nearly five years of war have been a failure, and continuing "by inertia" only consumes resources and political capital. Therefore, according to sources, following weeks of deliberation in the summer, Putin decided to escalate.
This includes possible sabotage and hybrid attacks against Ukraine's allies, strikes on aid delivery routes, and European weapons factories. Putin does not currently seek direct confrontation with NATO, Western intelligence believes. Regarding Ukraine, Russia may intensify attacks, particularly on energy infrastructure, and deploy an additional 300,000–400,000 troops to the front.
A longtime associate of Putin said that the CIA director's visit to Moscow was perceived by him as a sign of US weakness β€” just as he perceived William Burns' visit in November 2021, months before the invasion.

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡ΈSpanish Prime Minister Pedro SΓ‘nchez stated that the mass influx of migrants into Ceuta at the end of July may have been provoked by disinformation spread by Russian and Israeli networks.

According to him, the fakes were built around distortions of a Spanish Supreme Court ruling from July 8 β€” spreading false information that migrants entering Ceuta could not be deported.
SΓ‘nchez said such fake news was spread on social media "linked to both Russia and Israel, as well as an international far-right organization that always uses the migration issue not only to attack Spain but also Europe."
The Spanish prime minister emphasized that the investigation into the causes of the crisis is ongoing, so he is not asserting that a specific state is behind it.
Russia and Israel have already reacted to SΓ‘nchez's statement. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the Spanish prime minister is "blatantly lying," while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov briefly responded that Russia was not involved in the Ceuta migration crisis.
β–ͺ️On July 30, approximately 60,000 migrants from Morocco massed to enter Ceuta β€” a Spanish city that shares a land border with Africa. Within a few days, most of them had returned to Morocco.

PerkingFaintly · 01/09/2026 17:06

Update on last month's drone attack at Leipzig airport.

Two drones found (one definitely carrying explosives) and a third was suspected to have collided with a cargo aircraft.

Germany says Russia behind Leipzig airport drone attack
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ylm3m67n2o

A police investigator works on the tarmac with a robot capable of defusing explosives near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport on 5 August

Germany says Russia behind Leipzig airport drone attack

A drone carrying an explosive device was discovered at the airport close to Ukrainian cargo planes on 4 August.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ylm3m67n2o

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 01/09/2026 22:14

Germany was very cautious about assigning blame to Russia. It seems they really wanted to be sure.

Natsku · 02/09/2026 05:48

What do you think will happen now that they have assigned blame? Its quite a big thing, and needs a big enough reaction I think.

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 02/09/2026 07:36

I think there will be a slow gearing up of an anti-Russian stance and even more commitment to increasing German forces.

I don't think Germany wants to be in this position at all, especially as it means fighting their own (sometimes Russian-backed) AfD and facing some of the problems in the old Soviet East Germany that have never been faced. But they can't ignore this.

What form that increased gearing - up will take, I don't know enough to know.

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