Ukraine Invasion - Part 62

[MagicFox]

Thanks as always to everybody consistently posting and keeping us all up to date 🇺🇦

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Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

Iran has considered strikes on US military assets in Europe and Cyprus if Trump escalates the conflict.
Regime insiders warned Tehran could expand retaliatory targets beyond the Middle East.

Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Kharkiv Oblast, while Russian forces reportedly made limited gains near Kupyansk
Ukrainian forces also thwarted a Russian flag-raising attempt near Vovchansk and continued strikes against Russian military assets and logistics in the occupied Luhansk Oblast.

A Romanian F-16 destroyed an explosives-laden marine drone near the strategic Neptun Deep gas project in the Black Sea, with Bucharest blaming Russia.
The incident comes amid growing drone activity along NATO’s eastern flank and renewed Russian strikes on Ukraine.

Ukraine is urging allies to step up air defense and sanctions after Russia’s nearly nine-hour assault killed at least 15 people and damaged civilian infrastructure.
Kyiv is calling for more interceptors, tougher pressure on Moscow and faster development of anti-ballistic defenses, as 13,000 people in the Odesa region remain without power.

Russia is using fake warehouse security ads for Wildberries and Ozon to recruit soldiers for the war in Ukraine.
Recruits are offered Defense Ministry contracts under false promises of domestic duty.

Ukraine must decide when to hold elections in line with its constitution and laws, EU spokesperson Anitta Hipper said.
She added that Brussels is ready to support the process if Kyiv decides to proceed.

Putin has stayed away from Sochi for a record 322 days as Ukrainian drone threats grow, according to independent Russian outlet Agentstvo.
Once a frequent visitor to the resort city, Putin skipped his usual spring trip this year — while Russian tourism to Sochi has also reportedly fallen.

A military draft officer in Odesa attacked and beat a 13-year-old boy in the middle of the street.
Police opened a criminal investigation under battery and torture charges, carrying up to 5 years in prison. https://t.me/Kyivpost_official/38800

Moscow is being hit by Russia’s deepening fuel crisis, with gas stations now rationing petrol and diesel.
Some drivers are being limited to just 40–60 liters, while AI-95 has vanished from certain stations and prices have reportedly soared to 120 rubles a liter.

The SBU arrested two Middle Eastern nationals recruited by Russian intelligence to set fire to an electrical substation in Chernivtsi.
Both suspects face life imprisonment on sabotage charges.

Ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day on Aug. 24, the government will provide one-time payments to veterans, families of fallen soldiers, people with war-related disabilities, people with special merits to Ukraine, combat veterans and other war participants, under a resolution published by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Payments range from UAH 450 ($10) to UAH 3,100 ($69).

US rapper Lil Pump has arrived in Moscow ahead of his first major solo concert in Russia, calling the country his “No. 1” place to perform.
Meanwhile, Kanye West is also planning two concerts in St. Petersburg on Oct. 10 and 11 at Gazprom Arena, marking another high-profile appearance by a US artist in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Two Ukrainian police officers were killed in a Russian strike on Zhytomyr on Aug. 19, while more than 40 people were injured.
Capt. Artem Zubchuk, 32, was a senior operative with the Strategic Investigations Department in the Zhytomyr region.
Lt. Col. Yuliia Yevdokymova, 39, served as an assistant to the head of the regional police department.

Russia dropped nine FAB-250 glide bombs on Kramatorsk, injuring at least 10 civilians, regional authorities said.
Twenty-two apartment buildings, shops, a library and critical infrastructure were damaged. Rescuers are still battling a fire as the full extent of the destruction is assessed.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

Overnight, air defense neutralized 186 aerial targets. Among them — 31 of 36 cruise and aviation missiles, all 8 Kalibrs, 2 Banderol munitions, and 145 of 168 drones. Impacts were recorded in 28 locations, with debris falling in two others.
Ukraine was also struck by Onyx, Tsirkon, Iskander-M, and S-400 missiles overnight; their numbers were not specified by the Air Force. Here are the main consequences:
🔴Kyiv. The number of injured has risen to at least 34, with 12 killed. Rescue workers continue to operate at the strike sites. Some 40,000 households remain without power.
🔴Kyiv region. The Russians attacked the region with drones and missiles all night. In the Boryspil district — six people were injured. In the Brovary district — one person killed, two injured. Also damaged: 14 private houses, 4 warehouses, a gas station, an apartment building, and 8 vehicles.
🔴Odesa region. The Russians launched a massive attack on the southern part of the region, targeting civilian infrastructure. Some 13,000 subscribers were left without power; two trailers with food caught fire. The fires have been extinguished, and no casualties were reported. The enemy also struck a border checkpoint with Moldova with drones.
🔴Poltava region. Following the overnight attack, missile and drone debris is being found in various districts. Some fragments have unexploded warheads. Explosive ordnance disposal teams are working.
🔴Kharkiv. The Russians struck a gas station with a drone in the Industrialnyi district. The aftermath is being clarified.
🔴Chernihiv region. Gas infrastructure was targeted.
🔴Zhytomyr. As a result of yesterday's Russian attack, 3 people were killed and 53 injured. Rescue teams worked through the night clearing rubble. The fire has been extinguished.

🇰🇵North Korea has denied President Zelensky's statement about sending 30,000 to 50,000 of its troops to Russia.
In early August, Zelensky reported that North Korea intended to send its military personnel to Russia to study the experience of the war with Ukraine. He also called on South Korea to provide Ukraine with air defense systems in exchange for cooperation on drones.
He explained that such North Korean experience could pose a threat to Asian nations and escalate tensions in the Pacific.
However, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, stated that Zelensky's claim was "groundless" and an "orchestrated incident."

‼️ 103 military personnel have been returned from Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced.

Development of the Inguar-2 armored vehicle has been completed in Ukraine.
Inguar-2 is intended to be a lighter and cheaper alternative to heavy armored vehicles, adapted to the new realities of war in which the military needs faster and more mobile vehicles.
Compared to the older Inguar-3 model, the new vehicle is nearly twice as light, weighing 8.5 tons. It is more compact and has a lower level of armor protection, which nevertheless guards against rifle bullets and mines with up to 6 kg of TNT equivalent.
A key role in high-speed off-road driving is played by an independently developed suspension system, which has undergone several modifications. The company has also established its own production of nitrogen-filled single-chamber shock absorbers, which do not overheat when operating on rough terrain.

🇩🇪Germany will allocate €50 million for the restoration of the Chornobyl NPP's protective shelter (confinement), which was damaged by a Russian strike in February 2025.
Earlier, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development estimated the cost of repairing the shelter at approximately €500 million. In April 2026, the US allocated $100 million for the repairs.

$15,000 to "resolve" a mobilization issue: the head of the Mykolaiv Regional TCC has been suspended from duty.
According to the investigation, he received $10,000 to ensure that three conscripts were not mobilized, removed from the wanted list in the Oberih system, and assisted with deferment.
Additionally, the TCC head promised to help, for another $5,000, ensure that an already mobilized man would not be accepted into a military unit and would instead be referred for a repeat medical evaluation.
The court placed him in custody with the option of posting bail of UAH 4,659,000. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

🇨🇭Switzerland has extended protection for Ukrainians until March 4, 2028, but tightened rules for conscripts.
Starting tomorrow, the country will restrict access to temporary protection for Ukrainians of conscription age who do not fulfill their military obligations in Ukraine. This means that conscripts who illegally crossed the border will not be eligible for this status.
The rule will apply only to new applications submitted from August 20, 2026, and will not affect people who already have protection in Switzerland.
With this decision, Switzerland aligns its policy with the new EU rules.

The Russians struck an ambulance in Kherson — two women were injured.
The women sustained concussions, blast injuries, and shrapnel wounds. Later, a man was also injured in Kherson

"I am your brother": American actor Richard Gere addressed Ukrainians ahead of Independence Day, reading Yurii Izdryk's poem "The Other One."
The Golden Globe winner and star of "Pretty Woman" and "Hachi" conveyed his warmest regards to Ukrainians: "To all the people of Ukraine, I express my full and unwavering support. I stand with you."

During the attack on the Kyiv region, border guards shot down a Russian cruise missile heading for the capital using a machine gun. The debris fell outside populated areas.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-20-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. Russian forces launched a massive, combined drone and missile strike against Ukraine, continuing a pattern of stockpiling ballistic and cruise missiles for several days to amass enough for major attacks that cause significant civilian casualties.
2. Russia continues to set conditions to augment strike packages with North Korean missiles, including with upgraded KN-30 ballistic missiles.
3. Russian aerial drones penetrated Moldovan and Romanian airspace, and a Russian naval drone was destroyed close to a Romanian natural gas platform on August 20, demonstrating that the Kremlin has accepted the risk that its war against Ukraine will cause damage to other states, including NATO states.
4. The Kremlin will likely cause a significant number of Russian combat veterans of the war in Ukraine to be elected to the Russian State Duma in the September 2026 elections, particularly as members of the United Russia Party, as part of a concerted effort to militarize Russian society and cohere a pro-war and ultranationalist elite.
5. The Russian government continues to respond inadequately to gasoline shortages and appears to be focused on mitigation strategies and ad hoc solutions instead of addressing the issue directly.
6. Neither the Kremlin nor Russian milbloggers appear to believe that Russia will be able to fully intercept Ukrainian strike packages any time soon.
7. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian oil infrastructure and military assets on the night of August 19 to 20.
8. Russian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast and in the Pokrovsk direction.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

Once a hub in the rear, Pavlohrad is now in Russia's guided bomb crosshairs
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, the city of Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, roughly 75 kilometers (45 miles) from the front line, became a relatively safe haven for those fleeing the war further east.
But as the war drags on and the range of Russian weaponry increases, those living there fear their home now faces the same fate as cities in neighboring Donetsk Oblast, many of which Russia has reduced to rubble.

⚡️Defense ministry procurement chief announces early resignation after new minister takes office.
Oleh Klots, former director general of the state-owned Medical Procurement of Ukraine, will serve as interim head of the agency pending the appointment of a permanent successor by Ukraine's new defense minister, according to Arsen Zhumadilov.

⚡️ Update: Suspects in major graft scheme enlisted hackers, paid for court rulings to seize real estate.
Iryna Mudra, a former presidential deputy chief of staff, and other suspects have allegedly enlisted hackers who gained access to the register of legal entities and entered forged documents and false information, according to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).
The suspects also allegedly paid for court decisions as part of the corporate raiding scheme.

⚡️ Exclusive: Coalition of the Willing to hold Independence Day meeting in Kyiv.
The meeting will take place on Ukraine's Independence Day and be the third time the grouping has met in Kyiv since it was established by France and the U.K. in March 2025, with the aim of agreeing on security guarantees for a post-ceasefire Ukraine.

⚡️Ukraine hits Russian drone-launch airfields in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, occupied Donetsk, HUR says.
HUR operators struck Russian drone storage and launch sites, as well as two radar systems — the 55Zh6U Nebo-U and 55Zh6UM Niobiy, the statement read.

Fedorov broke Ukraine's wartime election taboo. What happens next?
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has broken one of Ukraine's most politically sensitive wartime taboos by publicly calling for elections, bringing into the mainstream a debate that Kyiv had largely rejected when raised by Russia and the United States.
For years, Ukraine's answer to the proposal to hold wartime elections was simple: not now. The majority of Ukrainians have expressed no desire to hold elections before a ceasefire is reached, according to recent polls. That consensus, however, is becoming harder to maintain.

⚡️ Australian Federal Police charge man over alleged attempt to aid Russian intelligence.
The 27-year-old man may face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of attempting to engage in intentional foreign interference.

⚡️Zelensky slaps new sanctions on Moscow's war machine, Russian propagandists, former Ukrainian officials.
Among the targets of the latest measures are former Party of Regions lawmaker Yurii Ivanyushchenko and the creators of the animated Russian children's series "Masha and the Bear."

⚡️Update: Finance Ministry ordered to sell Sense Bank, transfer proceeds to military.
"The funds from the sale of the bank will go to finance the needs of the Defense Forces," Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said on Aug. 20, after the government moved to fire the state-owned institution's supervisory board amid a corruption investigation.

⚡️Russian aircraft suspected of violating Finnish airspace, officials say.
A Russian aircraft is suspected of violating Finland’s airspace over the western Gulf of Finland, the Finnish Defense Ministry said on Aug. 20.

⚡️ Drone attack reported on oil refinery in Russia's Perm.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down 325 Ukrainian drones overnight.

⚡️Updated: 2 dead in Russian daytime strike on Kyiv.
Two victims in the city's Holosiivskyi district have been killed in Russia's daytime attack, which comes on the heels of a large-scale overnight missile barrage that killed 15 people and struck a children's hospital.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social
·
⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — AUG 21, 2026
■ Engagements and casualties slightly above average
■ 6th highest losses of unarmored vehicles; 39 missiles intercepted
■ 🇷🇺 overnight attacks: drone interception rate could be better; 19 locations hit or affected by debris
■ 🇷🇺 drone launches and air strikes close to average; 9 🇺🇦 strikes reported, and 330 strike drones — including jet-powered drones — launched into 🇷🇺 and occupied 🇺🇦

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

❗️Unfortunately, ballistic missiles are the most difficult threat for us right now. While about 90% of cruise missiles are intercepted, the situation with ballistic missiles is much worse. We need missiles for Patriot systems — and this is something only our partners can provide, — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

❗️ For the first time in several months, a critical infrastructure facility was targeted, Mayor Klitschko says.
Residents of Kyiv’s Desnianskyi district and parts of the Dniprovskyi district are experiencing hot water shortages.

Russia’s gold stash is running low: Central Bank reserves fall to their lowest level since early 2020, according to Bloomberg
As of August 1, the Bank of Russia’s gold reserves had fallen to 73.2 million ounces. Since the beginning of the year, they have decreased by 1.6 million ounces, while the value of the gold reserves has fallen by $33.7 billion.
Gold is being sold off amid a growing budget deficit: the Ministry of Finance is using assets from the National Wealth Fund to cover the shortfall, while the Central Bank is “mirroring” these operations by selling gold on the domestic market.
From January to July, Russia’s budget deficit reached 6.46 trillion rubles, compared with the planned 3.79 trillion rubles for the entire year of 2026. One of the main reasons remains the enormous cost of the war.

Russian UN envoy says mobilization is "not expected"
At a briefing, he responded to a Ukrainian journalist who reminded him of thousands of men fleeing to Georgia over fears of mobilization. In just 24 hours, 20,000 people crossed the Verkhniy Lars checkpoint.
"Don't worry about mobilization in Russia. I think this has been officially stated many times: we don't need a mass mobilization now, and it is not planned or expected, as far as I know," said Russian UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya. [Just like they never planned to invade Ukraine]

The construction of a solid-fuel plant in Denmark by Ukrainian missile manufacturer Fire Point has been postponed until the end of 2027 — Euractiv.
Denmark has removed more than 20 legislative obstacles to allow Fire Point to establish a production site for its Flamingo solid-fuel missiles.
However, the company is now forced to build a new facility because the building it originally purchased is unsuitable for solid rocket fuel production.
The publication also notes that construction costs have more than tripled.
The delay demonstrates how difficult it is to relocate Ukrainian weapons production to the EU, even when governments are ready to simplify bureaucratic procedures to speed up the implementation of defense projects, the publication notes.

Russian strikes on Odesa’s ports could cost Ukraine nearly 2% of GDP this year, according to Bloomberg.
Due to the attacks, grain exports through the ports of Odesa and the surrounding region, which account for approximately 90% of Ukraine’s grain exports, have virtually ceased. Since the beginning of August, Ukraine has exported only about 500,000 tons of grain, roughly a fifth of its potential volume.
Analysts at Oxford Economics estimate Ukraine’s potential losses at 1.8% of GDP in 2026 and 2.1% in 2027. If the blockade continues for an extended period, these losses could reach 5.3% next year.
Meanwhile, farmers are forced either to store their harvest, risking exhausting available storage capacity, or to sell their grain on the domestic market at significant losses.

The European Union has refused to provide an additional €220 million in non-repayable aid to Ukrainian farmers affected by Russian attacks on Black Sea ports, instead promising support through existing programs — European Pravda.
"We can confirm that we have responded to the recent letter from the Minister of Agriculture of Ukraine.
In our response, we have identified areas of possible support for Ukraine's agricultural sector using existing mechanisms.
Ukraine already receives interest-rate subsidies on loans for farmers through the Ukraine Facility, so Ukrainian farmers already receive support under the Plan. [...]"

President Zelenskyy confirmed damage to the Perm oil refinery, more than 1,600 km from the border, and the Marinovka military airfield in the Volgograd region.
He also reported that a Russian Su-34 aircraft was damaged at the Akhtubinsk airfield, about 600 km from the front line.
In addition, a facility in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, nearly 180 km from the front line, was hit. It was used to store, prepare, and launch attack drones that Russian forces use to strike Ukraine, the president added.

❗️Damage estimated at $2.24 million: Russia struck a Fora supermarket warehouse in the Kyiv region, Forbes reports.
The warehouse stored fresh produce, including vegetables, fruits, dairy products, fish, prepared foods, and other goods

❗️ Russia attacked an international checkpoint on the border with Moldova for the second time in a week.
On the night of August 21, a Russian Shahed drone attacked the international Tabaki checkpoint in the Odesa region. The strike damaged buildings and structures at the checkpoint and caused fires.

[yesterday]
❗️ Russia dropped nine air bombs on Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, injuring eight people — regional prosecutor’s office.
Preliminary reports indicate that Russian forces used FAB-250 bombs equipped with universal planning and correction modules against civilians. Footage released by the prosecutor’s office shows that one of the strikes hit the Chudo (Eng. — Miracle) children’s store.
Eight civilians aged 41 to 84 were injured in the attack. Four men and four women were diagnosed with mine-explosion and closed traumatic brain injuries, concussions, contusions, and cuts, the report said.

🇺🇦🙏 Actor Liev Schreiber visited the site of the missile strike in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district and called for stronger air defense
The X-Men star and UNITED24 ambassador visited the Solomianskyi district, which Russia attacked on August 20.
He emphasized that civilian infrastructure was hit, including a children’s hospital, a school, a parking lot, and residential buildings.

Art installation “The Future Remembers” illuminates the Motherland Monument for Independence Day
Every evening through September 1, from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM, Kyiv residents and visitors will be able to see an installation by lighting designer Mykola Kabluka. It combines 3D graphics, light, music, and sound to explore the connection between the future, the memory of the past, and one’s roots. https://t.me/United24media/45353

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

Russian attacks have damaged around 4,000 of Kyiv’s 12,000 buildings, or roughly one in three, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Each strike costs the city budget around $11.5M.

Putin is unlikely to return to talks before mid-March as he hopes winter will break Ukraine, official Sergiy Kyslytsya said.
He warned Moscow aims to fracture Ukrainian unity, as Kyiv seeks more air defense interceptors.

The NBU summoned Sense Bank CEO Oleksiy Stupak for a fitness review after NABU's "Forrest Gump" probe uncovered shadow management.
The regulator is also pushing to replace its supervisory board chair.

Russia’s greatest threat may be inside the Kremlin itself.
As Moscow’s financial reserves shrink and internal purges deepen, generals, oligarchs and officials are discovering that loyalty to Putin no longer guarantees wealth, influence — or even safety.
https://www.kyivpost.com/videos/82775

Russia is positioning North Korean ballistic missiles within range of seven Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv.
Six launchers have been deployed in Russia’s Voronezh region, while Pyongyang has supplied Moscow with around 50 KN-series missiles, according to Ukrainian intelligence and ISW.

Russian drones struck a KLO oil depot in the Brovary district near Kyiv overnight, halting its operations.
The company confirmed that all staff survived without injuries.

Russia has placed German journalist Michael Martens, a correspondent for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, on its wanted list.
The move reportedly came after Martens questioned President Volodymyr Zelensky about rising Russian military casualties during his Aug. 8 meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

Poland’s ABW arrested a 63-year-old Ukrainian in Warsaw who allegedly attempted to assassinate a Ukrainian defense official for Russia.
The suspect fled after the car bomb failed to detonate and now faces life in prison.

At just 18, Yevhen Minzhener returned to Ukraine from Turkey to join the military. Three years later, the 21-year-old marine has been killed near Pavlohrad.
In spring 2025, a Russian drone strike cost him a leg. During rehabilitation, he received a prosthetic and discovered a passion for climbing.
But after recovering, Yevhen chose to return to military service, saying that was where he felt he belonged.
He was remembered as kind, determined and constantly pushing himself forward. His story became one of resilience, recovery and the decision to keep serving despite everything he had already endured.
He was 21.

A Russian An-3 aircraft made an emergency landing and caught fire on Sakhalin after its engine failed.
The plane was carrying seven smokejumpers from the Sakhalin airbase on a flight between Kirovskoye and Zonalnoye. All seven managed to evacuate the burning aircraft on their own.

[yesterday]
The death toll from Russia’s massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv has risen to 17, with 42 people wounded.
Residential buildings, a children’s hospital, a school and other civilian sites were hit across the capital.

Russia launched 135 drones at Ukraine overnight, with 107 intercepted or suppressed.
Strikes damaged homes and civilian infrastructure in Sumy, where 6 were injured, while two women were killed and two people wounded in Kharkiv region.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

Volodymyr Zelensky was offered a plan to strike Moscow's airports with swarms of AI-powered drones to pressure Putin into negotiations, The Atlantic reports, citing anonymous sources.
The project was codenamed M&Ms. The plan envisioned up to 1,000 small drones autonomously finding targets using AI, cameras, and pre-loaded maps — all in a single night.
What was proposed? The goal was not only to halt flights but also to pressure Russia's elites, potentially enabling them to demand that Putin enter negotiations.
What was Zelensky's response? According to the report, the plan was presented to him last winter. He responded cautiously due to risks to civilian aviation but allowed preparations to continue for several months.
What went wrong? Preparations were halted in July after Zelensky dismissed the project's lead advocate, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. According to sources, Fedorov had assembled a team of programmers to build the AI targeting system and secured funding from European allies.
A source told the magazine that they hope new Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara will revive the project: "It's technically feasible. But it would take about three months."
What does Ukraine say? The Presidential Office denied the existence of any such plan, calling the report "complete nonsense." They stated that Ukraine does not have sufficiently accurate and reliable long-range weapons to strike Russian airports without excessive risk to civilians.

The State Bureau of Investigation is conducting a large-scale operation "Justice for Fighters" — 72 searches are being carried out in military units across various regions.
The goal of the operation is to uncover military personnel who are formally on active duty but illegally receive payments or are effectively working for commanders' private interests.
This includes cases where subordinates are used for construction, household, and other private work instead of performing military duties.
In total, law enforcement plans to charge 22 individuals.

⚡️Attacks in the Black Sea are threatening global wheat supplies, prompting importers to seek alternative suppliers, Reuters reports.
Due to strikes on ports and vessels over recent weeks, some grain terminals have been shut down, forcing shippers to delay or cancel loading dozens of cargoes during peak export season.
A Singapore-based trader shipping wheat via the Black Sea said vessels were scheduled to start arriving in mid-August, but many were unable to enter for loading. Buyers are now considering replacing some shipments with wheat from Australia, North America, and Argentina.
▪️According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, in July Ukraine recorded 35 attacks on vessels in port, 22 at sea, and 67 on port infrastructure. In all of 2025, there were 15 such attacks total.

🇫🇮A Finnish company will produce drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, using technology provided by Ukrainian company Airlogix.
Finnish company Innokas and Ukrainian drone manufacturer Airlogix have signed a protocol of intent at a defense exhibition in Denmark. The production of drones will utilize the technological expertise of Airlogix, whose drones have already been tested in combat zones.
Innokas CEO Janne Kostamo stated that the goal of this partnership is to help expand the production of unmanned aerial systems in Finland and increase the volume of equipment supplied to Ukraine.

Ukraine struck an oil refinery in Perm, over 1,600 km from the border, and the Marinovka military airfield in the Volgograd region overnight, Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed.
Confirmed results of previous strikes were also reported: a Russian Su-34 aircraft was damaged at the Akhtubinsk airfield, approximately 600 km from the front line.
And in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, nearly 180 km away, a storage, preparation, and launch site for strike drones was hit.

🇪🇺The European Commission has commented on cases where Ukrainian women are being asked to show "Reserve+" when applying for temporary protection in EU countries.
The EU Council extended temporary protection for Ukrainians until March 4, 2028. At the same time, the new rules require verification of whether Ukrainians are fulfilling their military obligations in Ukraine. For this, they may be asked for a document confirming a person's military status or their right to leave Ukraine, including through the Reserve+ app.
European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert stated that EU countries apply the new rules on temporary protection independently. However, the EU Council's decision does not differentiate between men and women.
The European Commission is currently preparing updated recommendations for EU countries — to be published in the coming weeks — to help member states interpret the new rules.

Overnight, the Russians launched 135 drones at Ukraine. Air defense shot down 107 of them.
Another 27 strike UAVs struck 16 locations, with debris falling in three others. Among the targets, Sumy came under a massive attack overnight. Six people were injured, including a 16-year-old girl. In Konotop, a 78-year-old woman was injured in Russian attacks.
Russian forces also struck the village of Lebiazhe in the Kharkiv region with drones overnight. Four people were killed and two injured. Approximately 30 private houses were destroyed or damaged.
In the evening, the Russians struck Kyiv for the third time in a day — a warehouse caught fire in the Holosiivskyi district, and one person was injured.
In the Odesa region, the Tabaky border crossing with Moldova was damaged in an overnight attack. The passage of people and vehicles has been temporarily suspended

Ammunition and two handguns were found hidden in woods on the outskirts of Berlin in October. The security forces deactivated the guns and kept the site under surveillance, but no one was seen approaching it.

No link to Russia yet confirmed, but German security authorities suspect the weapons may be linked to Russia's plans to carry out assassinations in Germany targeting people in the defence industry and exiled opposition figures.

Possibly connected to a man currently being held in Romania regarding parcel bombs planned there.

Germany investigates Russia links to weapons cache discovered in woods, reports say
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp9edjpvplpo

It's not a wild suggestion that the cache might be related to Russia.

This plot in 2024 was aimed at Armin Papperger, head of Rheinmetall:
German shock at reported Russian assassination plot
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1wej84e9l7o

And this was the 2019 murder of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen rebel commander:
Germany expels Russian diplomats after hitman sentenced in Berlin
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59667937

https://bsky.app/profile/maks23.bsky.social/post/3mtmcttzkgc2j

🇺🇦🙏 Zelensky: Now in Kryvyi Rih - a rescue operation after a strike on a shopping center. Unfortunately, many people were injured.

At the moment, 14 people are known to have died. More than 100 people are injured. It is known that 11 children are among them.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-21-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. North Korea reportedly deployed drone operators to Kursk Oblast to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, which will allow North Korean forces to gain valuable tactical and technological skills critical for contemporary warfare.
2. Ukrainian forces are adapting their tactics and domestically developing technological solutions to target Russia’s ballistic missile launchers and jet-powered drones in ways that circumvent the need for foreign materiel assistance amidst global air-defense interceptor shortages.
3. A senior Russian official reiterated the Kremlin’s continued unwillingness to engage in any meaningful negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
4. Ukrainian forces struck Russian military airfields and oil infrastructure. Russian forces launched 135 long-range strike drones against Ukraine.
5. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian forces made confirmed advances.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️Update: Death toll rises after Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih, with 15 killed and 130 injured, including 23 children.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the drones struck in two waves, with the second strike taking place around half an hour after the first, when rescue services were already responding at the scene.

⚡️Ukrainian soldiers use training in Germany to desert.
The soldiers had been sent to Germany for training before returning to Ukraine to fight Russia, according to Die Zeit.

⚡️ Germany mulls shuttering Russian cultural center in Berlin, media reports.
Four years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian House has been allowed to continue operating at its location on Friedrichstrasse, one of Berlin's most famous streets.

⚡️Ukraine urges citizens seeking EU temporary protection to get border exit stamp.
The Foreign Ministry said the recommendation comes amid new EU rules governing temporary protection for Ukrainians

⚡️Ukrainian attack on Russian airfield damages Su-34 bomber.

⚡️ Update: Ukraine strikes Russia's Ozon warehouse in 1st confirmed attack on Wildberries rival.

⚡️Major oil refinery, logistics center set ablaze in reported Ukrainian attack.
Ukraine's military reportedly launched an attack on Russia's Samara Oblast overnight on Aug. 22, striking a key oil refinery as well as a commercial logistics center, Russian Telegram media channels reported.

⚡️Former President's Office deputy chief, ex-lawmaker face bail hearings in corporate raiding case.
Iryna Mudra, the former deputy head of the President’s Office, and Maksym Mykytas, a former lawmaker, appeared before the High Anti-Corruption Court for bail hearings on Aug. 21 as authorities continue their investigation into a corporate raiding scheme.

⚡️Russian frozen assets have Australia's Senate fired up.
"The Australian government (should) consider legislation to seize Russian sanctioned entity assets and consider legislation to disburse these assets to Ukraine," recommends a Senate report.

⚡️Russian Communist politician fined over Navalny photo, likely barring him from election.
Nikolai Bondarenko reportedly intends to appeal the decision.

⚡️Kremlin labels independent news outlet Mediazona 'foreign agent' — for 2nd time.
Pyotr Verzilov, a co-founder of the publication, told the Kyiv Independent that the designation only "adds power to the incredible reporting that the Mediazona team is doing.

⚡️Draft officer fatally stabbed while on-duty in Lviv.
An enlistment officer was killed while on-duty on Aug. 21 after allegedly being stabbed by 25-year-old suspect in Lviv, officials reported.

⚡️Former Trump envoy Keith Kellogg visits Odesa amid Russia's ongoing port strikes.
According to the Infrastructure Ministry, the U.S. delegation led by Kellogg was shown the damage from Russian attacks on port infrastructure and briefed on measures being taken to maintain operations.

⚡️Retired FSB general found dead in Moscow, Russian media report.
The 83-year-old was found with a gunshot wound to the head in his apartment according to Russian outlets.

Explainer: What does Ukraine's latest corruption scandal tell us about how Zelensky governs?
This week's charges against Iryna Mudra, a presidential deputy chief of staff, and other suspects in a high-profile graft case marked the latest chapter in the corruption saga that has gripped Ukraine since last year.
An investigation centered around state nuclear power monopoly Energoatom has prompted a political earthquake in Ukraine, becoming the biggest corruption case of President Volodymyr Zelensky's tenure.

⚡️ Russian attacks kill at least 6, injure 26 across Ukraine, including strike on border crossing with Moldova.
Ukraine's air defense shot down or suppressed three surface-to-air missiles, six small cruise missiles, and 182 drones.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social
⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — AUG 22, 2026
■ Engagements and casualties below average
■ Fewer losses of drones and unarmored vehicles, but substantial armored vehicle losses and three air defence systems hit
■ Officer death batch: +55, including six senior officers
■ Overnight attacks: 3 missiles intercepted; drone interception rate could be better; 53 locations hit or affected by debris
■ 🇷🇺 air strikes above average; 16 🇺🇦 strikes reported (drone report missing)
■ Highlighted 🇺🇦 strikes: Novokuybyshevsky oil refinery (8.8 million tons/year)

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

🇰🇵🤬 A new wave of North Korean troops: HUR says thousands of soldiers sent to Russia include drone operators
North Korea has sent a new contingent of 8,500 soldiers to Russia, including 400 strike drone operators.
According to HUR Deputy Chief Vadym Skibitskyi, most of the contingent is in the Kursk region, carrying out engineering and logistics tasks that allow Russia to free up its own forces for offensive operations in Ukraine. About 90 North Korean specialists are working in Voronezh to launch missiles.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Putin may ask Kim Jong Un for up to 50,000 more soldiers. At the same time, North Korea is seeking S-400 air defense systems from Russia.
Skibitskyi noted that Pyongyang had previously transferred at least 150 KN-23/KN-24 missiles to Moscow. Two of them were likely used in the strike on Radushne, which killed four children.

🇺🇦 Commander-in-Chief Drapatyi says NATO Military Committee will visit Ukraine in October
According to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatyi, the committee’s last visit to Ukraine took place eight years ago.

🇱🇻 Latvian border guards detained 28 people who illegally crossed the border from Belarus through an underground tunnel.
This is the second such case in a month. Border guards discovered an underground passage, camouflaged with moss and undergrowth, about 20 meters from the border. All 28 people were detained and returned to Belarus.

🇺🇦🇫🇮 Ukrainian company Airlogix has reached an agreement with Finnish company Innokas to create a joint venture in Finland — Oboronka.
The partnership is being developed as part of the Build With Ukraine initiative to scale up the production of Ukrainian UAVs in Europe and increase supplies to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Ukrainian startup Swarmer and American company Vectus will provide air defense as a subscription service to customers worldwide — Axios.
Vectus is a project of American entrepreneur Erik Prince, known as the founder of the private military company Blackwater, which also produces drones for Ukraine.
The new company is adapting the “as-a-service” model, typically used by software companies, to the defense sector.
Customers will not need to purchase expensive air defense equipment. Instead, Vectus will determine the required level of protection and provide the necessary systems, including electronic warfare systems, artillery, and interceptors.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with UNITED24 ambassadors Katheryn Winnick, Liev Schreiber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, José Andrés, and Mstyslav Chernov, who will soon join the platform’s team of ambassadors.

The prosecutor’s office has released footage showing the destruction inside a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih.

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

Trump has rejected Ukraine’s push to get Elon Musk to enable Starlink for long-range drone strikes inside Russia, the FT reports.
Kyiv says access could help Ukrainian forces hunt Russian ballistic missile launchers more precisely as Patriot interceptor stocks run dangerously low ahead of winter.

The dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and graft probes around Bankova sharpen scrutiny on Ukraine’s wartime centralization.
While emergency powers are legal, questions mount over institutional checks on the presidency.

Volodymyr Zelensky appointed 16 new judges to the High Anti-Corruption Court and its Appeals Chamber.
The long-awaited move completes a key EU benchmark to unlock up to €300 million under the Ukraine Facility.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul arrived in Kyiv ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day, reaffirming Berlin's support.
He urged global partners to help protect energy infrastructure before winter.

Russia’s VK is suing Apple after its apps were removed from the App Store in June.
The company is demanding 58 million rubles in damages for every day the apps remain unavailable — including claims for VK, Odnoklassniki and VK Music.

More than 15 explosions rocked the Russian-occupied Simferopol amid drone activity, with drones also spotted near the Tavriyska Thermal Power Plant.
Russian authorities claimed two people were killed and six injured.

Ukraine’s SBU detained a senior Chornomorsk port official and an intermediary for demanding an $11,200 bribe from a contractor.
Both suspects face up to eight years in prison for abuse of influence.

Ukraine sanctioned five enterprises of Russian aluminum giant Rusal and nine affiliated citizens.
The targeted plants supply critical raw materials for missiles, armored vehicles, and military aviation.

Russian ballistic missiles struck a railway facility in Kyiv’s Darnytsia district, killing an Ukrzaliznytsia worker.
Strikes also damaged a station in Odesa region, though train schedules remain unaffected.

Drones attacked the seaport of Yeysk in Russia’s Krasnodar region on Saturday, sending smoke over the facility.
Reports suggest a vessel in the port caught fire following the strike.

Poland has granted legal and financial protection to over 1.7 million Ukrainian refugees since 2022, the Polish MFA reported.
About 77% of Poles engaged in aid efforts, with private public support surpassing 10 billion zlotys.

Russia brought new extremism charges against Nikita Uvarov, who was jailed at 14 over a Minecraft "FSB bombing."
The charges could add up to 12 years just before his scheduled release.

Ukraine is moving to push “Masha and the Bear” off Ukrainian screens, sanctioning the Russian cartoon’s producers and distributors.
Kyiv says the hugely popular children’s series is a Kremlin propaganda tool and should have no place in content aimed at Ukrainian kids. [mumbles I think that's going too far]

Russia struck a civilian minibus in Zaporizhzhia with a drone, seriously injuring at least three people.
The vehicle was carrying civilians when it was hit.

A Russian ballistic missile strike killed one and injured five in Kyiv’s Boryspil district.
In Zaporizhzhia, seven Russian strikes killed two people and wounded 15 others, including a child.

Russian strikes across Odesa region injured one person and damaged transport, industrial, energy, and residential sites.
The Rozdilna rail station sustained heavy damage, triggering power and water cuts.

The European Commission raised the Ukrainian flag in Brussels ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day.
European landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, will also be lit in blue and yellow to mark the occasion.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

NATO's Military Committee will visit Ukraine for the first time in eight years — this October, announced Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatyi.
Following talks with NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Drapatyi stated that Ukraine is not only receiving support from allies but is also "sharing combat experience that no one else currently has."
The commander-in-chief briefed on the front-line situation and the key priorities of the Ukrainian army: long-range strikes, flexible infantry tactics, frontline robotization, and air defense.
In response, Dragone confirmed that NATO is scaling up defense production both for its own defense and in support of Ukraine, as "Ukraine's security is our security."

Mykhailo Fedorov is traveling to the US to secure funding for new defense projects, Reuters reports, citing sources.
A source told journalists that Fedorov is not seeking political support for an initiative to hold elections in Ukraine, nor will he meet with US politicians or officials.
The former defense minister plans to launch several projects related to the war and Ukrainian startups, the source added. One of these projects will be an investment fund. The trip could take place as early as next week.

A scandal has erupted in Slovenia: President Nataša Pirc Musar is suspected of ties with Russian intelligence.
The friendship between Musar and Russian woman Viktoria Krivolutskaya came to light through a routine traffic accident.
In July, the Slovenian president's official car was involved in an accident. Along with her, two other people were inside, whom Pirc Musar described as friends. Among them was Viktoria Krivolutskaya. Together, they visited Russia several times before the 2022 elections.
Krivolutskaya, in turn, is closely connected to former Slovenian intelligence officer Roman Jeglič, who fled to Russia in the 1990s.
The parliamentary security committee, which includes representatives from all parties, has called an emergency meeting for next week. The committee demands that Slovenia's intelligence service report on possible Russian interference in the country's sovereignty and national security.
The ruling Democratic Party, meanwhile, has called on the government to revoke the president's access to intelligence reports, citing potential ties between Pirc Musar and Russian intelligence services.

A Su-24M aircraft and four pieces of airfield equipment were destroyed at the Saky airfield, — Zelensky.
Additionally, drone control relay stations in the Bryansk region were hit.

In Lutsk, a crowd of 30 civilians beat military personnel and smashed a TCC vehicle.
At a checkpoint, the driver refused to present documents and attempted to flee. Police and military personnel gave chase, stopping the vehicle in the archway of a residential building.
The attackers smashed the windows, headlights, and tires of the official vehicle, and stole a radio, body camera, and keys from the cabin. One of the participants in the conflict was detained by police.

🇩🇪A weapons cache, likely belonging to Russian agents, was discovered in a forest near Berlin, Süddeutsche Zeitung reports.
The cache contained two pistols. Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution received information about the weapons in the summer of 2025 and began monitoring the stash. However, after a year, no one ever came to collect it. According to the media, those who planted it likely learned of the discovery.

In Kryvyi Rih, the death toll has risen to 16. A total of 130 people have been injured.
Nine people are still considered missing. On the night of August 22, the Russians continued their strikes on Ukraine. Here is what is known about the aftermath:
🔵Kyiv. In the Darnytskyi district, there is one death and several injured. A fire broke out.
🔵Chernihiv region. The attacks caused fires, which have been extinguished.
🔵Zaporizhzhia district. In Kushuhum, one person was killed and four others injured.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-22-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. Russian President Vladimir Putin used his August 22 speech at the United Russia Party Congress to further establish United Russia as the war party, thus setting conditions to use the party’s inevitable victory in the upcoming State Duma elections as evidence that the Russian people support a protracted war in Ukraine while further solidifying the party’s pro-war stance as a central part of Russia’s informal state ideology.
2. Putin framed Russia’s ongoing combined strike campaign against Ukraine as a victory to the Russian public in order to offset Russia’s lack of tactical success on the battlefield and present Russia as having the capability to formulate kinetic responses to Ukrainian actions.
3. Putin acknowledged the effects of Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russia’s fuel infrastructure and emphasized the need to improve Russia’s air defense systems.
4. Putin reiterated his continued unwillingness to engage in any meaningful peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
5. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian port, oil, and dual-use logistics infrastructure.
6. Russian forces launched an unspecified number of ballistic and quasi-ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles, and 271 drones against Ukraine overnight.
7. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in central Kostyantynivka, northeast of Oleksandrivka, and west of Orikhiv.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️Kyiv launches ambitious plan to create 100,000 jobs for veterans.
Ukraine's Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said the goal is ambitious and will involve state companies and private businesses, calling for all ministries, government agencies and communities to work together as a "single system."

Scandal erupts over Ukraine's parliament move to block key EU integration bills
A parliamentary committee on Aug. 21 defended its earlier decision to block five bills intended to strengthen the country's fight against corruption.
The bills are requirements of the European Union, both to receive an estimated 2.1 billion euros ($2.45 billion) at the end of 2026, as well as to advance Kyiv's EU accession talks.
The move has sparked outrage and drawn sharp criticism from pro-reform lawmakers and anti-corruption activists. They argued that the decision was a major blow to both Ukraine's EU integration and anti-corruption reforms.

⚡️'Hunting their launch sites' — Zelensky reveals new details about Ukraine's ballistic missile defense.
Zelensky said that Ukrainian military struck an Iskander ballistic missile launcher near Ukraine's borders on Aug. 22, without providing further details.

⚡️France to speed up missile deliveries to Ukraine amid critical air defense shortage.
French President Emmanuel Macron also agreed to help Kyiv in its communications with international partners with supplies of Patriot air defense systems, which Zelensky has repeatedly said are critical for protecting Ukrainian civilians from Russian ballistic missiles.

⚡️Russia planning 'peripheral' mobilization of 300,000 men after elections, Zelensky says.
Russia's voluntary recruitment system has increasingly struggled to make up for losses on the battlefield, while diminishing returns in Russian offensives on the front line have fuelled talk of a new wave of mobilization in the country.

Exclusive: Inside the years-long scheme to turn a nationalized bank into Zelensky allies’ 'piggy bank'
Documents obtained by the Kyiv Independent show that a scheme at the center of Ukraine’s latest corruption scandal was years in the making, built by manipulating a state-owned bank’s oversight board after its nationalization in 2023.
On Aug. 19, Ukraine's anti-corruption authorities accused associates of President Volodymyr Zelensky of using Sense Bank, formerly Russian-owned Alfa Bank, to launder Hr 150 million ($3.4 million). The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) says the funds were used to secure bail for Energy and Justice Minister Herman Haluschenko, a key figure in a $100 million kickback scheme at the country's state-owned nuclear company Energoatom.

⚡️Zelensky, former Trump envoy Kellogg discuss Ukraine's air defense needs during visit to Kyiv.

⚡️Update: 'It was Ozon's turn' — Ukraine confirms strike on Wildberries rival.

⚡️Ukrainian drones reportedly strike Wildberries rival, Ozon, in Russia's Orenburg.

⚡️Ukraine hits Russian oil terminal in Krasnodar Krai, General Staff says.
The Yeysk oil terminal supplies fuel to the Russian armed forces, according to the Ukrainian military.

⚡️Fedorov decries corruption in Defense Ministry, doubles down on calls for elections.
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov detailed what he described as widespread corruption within Ukraine's Defense Ministry in a wide-ranging interview with Channel 24 released Aug. 22, while reiterating his call for Ukraine to prepare for elections even as war continues.

⚡️Putin claims Ukraine peace proposals too 'exotic' for Russia.
"The proposals being conveyed to us are sometimes, I would say, exotic in nature," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview following the United Russia party congress on Aug. 22.

⚡️Supermarket director under investigation after deadly Russian strike on Kryvyi Rih shopping center.
The director is being investigated for negligence after the business allegedly remained open during an air raid alert.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social
⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — AUG 23, 2026
■ Increased engagements, but casualties slightly below the 7-day average
■ Highest APV losses of 2026, and a confirmed loss of a Su-24M in the August 20 strike on Saky
■ Overnight attacks: all drones, but the interception rate could be better; 25 locations hit or affected by debris
■ Record 🇷🇺 drone launches; air strikes and shelling also above average; 8 🇺🇦 strikes reported (drone report missing)
■ Highlighted 🇺🇦 strikes: radar, USV launch/storage site, depots and repair units in occupied 🇺🇦 and Belgorod 🇷🇺

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

🇺🇦🇱🇹 Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda arrived in Kyiv on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day
“I stand in solidarity with Ukraine today — on its national holiday — and always,” Gitanas Nausėda wrote on X.

Germany will spend nearly €12 billion on a new arsenal of long-range weapons, including American, British, and Ukrainian missiles.
According to Politico, Berlin wants to develop its own long-range strike system capable of hitting targets hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away. Potential targets include command posts, airfields, launchers, and logistics centers.
Germany plans to begin deploying its first low-cost cruise missile as early as 2027. Candidates include the American-Israeli Anthem, as well as two Ukrainian developments, BARS and Flamingo from Fire Point.
Berlin also plans to purchase American Tomahawk missiles.
The most powerful part of the program is a group of cruise and hypersonic systems being jointly developed with the UK. They are designed to strike targets at ranges of more than 2,000 km.
German documents allocate nearly €12 billion to the entire program. However, the funds have not yet been approved, and the final decision must be made by the Bundestag.

🇩🇪 German Foreign Minister announces progress in talks on Patriot missiles for Ukraine
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that talks with European and other partners on strengthening Ukrainian air defense are progressing well.
Early next week, Wadephul plans to discuss the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“I am confident that we can achieve something. In any case, I emphasize once again the urgency of this issue. And this is also the basis of our constant readiness for negotiations,” Wadephul said.

HUR shows archival footage of the Ground Robotic Complex’s combat operations from spring 2026
Equipped with machine guns, the robotic ground systems can cover tens of kilometers of difficult terrain, providing sustained fire on occupiers’ positions, disrupting Russian attempts to advance, distracting enemy drones, covering special forces’ maneuvers, and protecting the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. https://t.me/United24media/45399

During this week, pilots of the Unmanned Systems Forces hit another 27 power plants in Crimea and the south of the temporarily occupied territories.
A total of 267 power plants have been disabled since July 1.

When the full-scale invasion began, Iryna Terekh, CEO and CTO of Fire Point, found herself under Russian occupation near Irpin and Bucha. 2 weeks of occupation changed how she understood self-defense and her own responsibility for Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.
For Iryna, that realization became a path into Ukraine’s defense sector and a commitment to help build the tools Ukraine needs to protect itself.
The defense tech CEO shared more of her insights at the UNITED24 MODE Summit 2026. https://t.me/United24media/45393

Mstyslav Chernov, director of the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Days in Mariupol, and 2000 Meters to Andriivka, speaks about how Ukraine’s global image is shifting, from that of a victim and financial burden to a defender of democracy and a leader in military innovation.
He also emphasizes the importance of preserving a culture of memory to honor those who gave their lives fighting for Ukraine’s, and all of Europe’s, freedom, after the war ends. https://t.me/United24media/45395

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said systemic corruption involving "hundreds of people" is preventing Ukraine from ending the war from a position of strength, adding that he hasn't spoken to Zelensky in weeks.

The leaders of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Norway have arrived in Kyiv to take part in Ukraine’s National Flag Day and Independence Day commemorations, standing in solidarity with Ukraine. https://www.kyivpost.com/post/82937

Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of holding wartime elections, warning that a vote right now would act as a "tsunami" that would split the nation.
He called for internal unity and outlined frontline and diplomatic dynamics.

A Shahed-138 (Geran-3) drone crossed into Moldovan airspace early Saturday during a Russian air raid on Ukraine.
Moldovan monitoring tracked the UAV over the Ștefan Vodă district for 17 minutes before it flew back into Ukraine.

A Russian jet-powered Shahed drone struck the locomotive of passenger train No. 147 in Odesa region.
An advance evacuation of all 593 passengers and crew prevented any casualties, Ukrzaliznytsia said

Russian forces launched a deliberate double-tap strike on passenger train No. 147 (Zhytomyr–Odesa) in Odesa region, striking the site again while first responders were assisting people, regional authorities reported.

Following a deadly strike on Kryvyi Rih, Vladimir Putin claimed Russian attacks impact frontline battles in a "positive way."
He warned Kyiv "opened a Pandora's box" by striking Russian logistics and dismissed ceasefire proposals.

A major fire broke out overnight at the Izhora industrial zone in Kolpino near Saint Petersburg, expanding to over 80,000 sq meters.
The site is located near an Ozon logistics hub and major industrial plants. https://t.me/Kyivpost_official/38907

Drones hit an Ozon marketplace hub in Orenburg, forcing 300 staff to evacuate.
Concurrently, a massive 82,000-sq-meter blaze engulfed a warehouse in St. Petersburg’s Izhora industrial zone, near another Ozon facility.

A Russian jet-powered Shahed drone struck private homes in Kharkiv’s Osnovyanskyi district early Sunday, injuring at least eight people, including a 15-year-old boy.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

Zelensky discussed the creation of a European anti-ballistic system with former US Special Representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg and emphasized that Patriot interceptors are indispensable for Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces struck the tanks of the Yeysk oil loading complex in Russia, the General Staff reported.
The complex is located in Russia's Krasnodar Krai and is part of the port of Yeysk.
Its cargo terminals have a throughput capacity of approximately 6.8 million tons of cargo per year.

In Lviv, a man stabbed a TCC soldier to death.
During a document check on Stepan Bandera Street, a 25-year-old Lviv resident stabbed a soldier from the Lychakiv-Zaliznychnyi district TCC in the neck. The 55-year-old serviceman died in the ambulance.

A giant Ukrainian flag was unfurled in the center of Washington to mark Ukraine's Flag Day and Independence Day.

🇩🇰Denmark plans to restrict the admission of Ukrainians from regions considered less affected by the war.
The government proposes to no longer grant residence permits under the simplified procedure to Ukrainians arriving from Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Kyiv (excluding the city of Kyiv), Lviv, Poltava, Rivne, Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Volyn, Zakarpattia, and Zhytomyr regions.
Currently, approximately 47,600 Ukrainians reside in Danish municipalities. The authorities cite the strain on local communities — struggling to provide housing and integration — as a reason for the restriction.
Similar restrictions were previously introduced by Norway and Switzerland. According to the Danish government, applications in those countries declined afterward.
Denmark also plans to require Ukrainians receiving social benefits to work under the same conditions as other benefit recipients. Additionally, the government wants to abolish special educational rules for Ukrainians that allow them to study in English or Ukrainian and pursue distance learning in Ukraine.

⚡️Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Oleksandr Syrskyi should have responded to the "Skelya" incident, but calling him a "devil" is going too far.

Russia has released a propaganda film about the drama theater in Mariupol, where approximately 600 people died in a Russian airstrike in March 2022.
In the film "Witnesses," the Russians attempt to rewrite the history of the Mariupol Drama Theater's destruction — pushing a version that the theater was blown up from inside. The filming took place on the stage of the rebuilt theater — the very place where the bodies of the dead civilians remained after the airstrike.
Earlier, an Associated Press investigation found that the attack may have killed nearly 600 people. Amnesty International concluded that the theater was most likely hit by two 500-kilogram aerial bombs.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has appealed to the UN, the ICC, UNESCO, the European Parliament, and other international organizations regarding the filming of the propaganda movie. He also called on the EU to consider sanctions against individuals and media involved in denying and falsifying Russia's war crimes.

Overnight, the Russians launched 127 drones at Ukraine. Air defense shot down 97 of them.
Another 27 UAVs struck 22 locations, with debris falling in three others. In Kharkiv, a drone struck the private sector, injuring 8 people, including a child.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a 15-year-old child was injured in an attack on the Synelnykove district.
In the morning, a jet-powered Shahed struck the locomotive of a passenger train on the Zhytomyr–Odesa route in the Odesa region. The train had been stopped before the attack, and passengers and staff were evacuated. All 593 passengers, including 15 children, as well as train and locomotive crews, survived.
In Kryvyi Rih, the number of injured from the August 21 strike on a shopping center has risen to 140. Sixteen people have been killed.

The Russians struck a civilian on a bicycle near Kramatorsk with an FPV drone.
In the video description, Russian terrorists referred to the civilian as "enemy manpower" and claimed he had been "neutralized." t.me/liveukraine_media/42791 [distressing to watch]

Live:Ukraine

⚡️Russia has released a propaganda film about the drama theater in Mariupol, where approximately 600 people died in a Russian airstrike in March 2022.

In the film "Witnesses," the Russians attempt to rewrite the history of the Mariupol Drama Theater's destruction — pushing a version that the theater was blown up from inside. The filming took place on the stage of the rebuilt theater — the very place where the bodies of the dead civilians remained after the airstrike.

Earlier, an Associated Press investigation found that the attack may have killed nearly 600 people. Amnesty International concluded that the theater was most likely hit by two 500-kilogram aerial bombs.

Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has appealed to the UN, the ICC, UNESCO, the European Parliament, and other international organizations regarding the filming of the propaganda movie. He also called on the EU to consider sanctions against individuals and media involved in denying and falsifying Russia's war crimes.

⚡️Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Oleksandr Syrskyi should have responded to the "Skelya" incident, but calling him a "devil" is going too far.

"Syrskyi has a large number of victories. But however it may be, he should have paid attention to the 'Skelya' situation and similar issues. He needed to react — that's a fact. Were there questions directed at him? Yes. But still, there is Kyiv, Kharkiv, and the Kursk operation. He is definitely not a 'devil.' [...] That is an exaggeration. Do you understand?" the president told journalists.

He condemned the offensive chants directed at military personnel — including Syrskyi and Yevhen Khmara — voiced during protests against Mykhailo Fedorov's dismissal, saying they "cannot be tolerated."

Zelensky also spoke about a "very serious" conflict between Fedorov and Syrskyi over the division of authority between the Ministry of Defense and military command.

According to him, at the start of his tenure at the Ministry of Defense, Fedorov presented a concept called the "Ministry of War," which proposed placing the General Staff under the Ministry's authority. The president asked him to abandon that approach, but later, as Zelensky said, Fedorov tried to implement it through other means. Syrskyi, in turn, began responding "with his own bureaucracy to another bureaucracy."

He noted that he gave Fedorov and Syrskyi two weeks to resolve the conflict themselves, but they failed to meet and reach an agreement. Fedorov then proposed dismissing both, but Zelensky decided not to do it simultaneously.

After Fedorov's resignation, the president offered him various formats of continued work within the team four times, but he refused all offers. At the same time, Zelensky said he has a very positive attitude toward Fedorov but believes that "he is either going himself — or being pushed — toward the wrong things."

Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said he has not spoken with Volodymyr Zelensky since his statement on elections. He also stated that the president must answer questions about corruption in the government.

Fedorov added that the NABU and SAPO investigation "Forest Gump" raises questions about whether the president knows what is happening in his inner circle.

He reiterated that "democracy should not be held hostage by Putin." He did not respond to questions about his own political ambitions, only clarifying that it is his "moral right" to initiate a discussion about elections.

▪️Today, at a press conference, Zelensky said that holding elections during wartime would be "a tsunami that would split Ukraine." According to him, none of Ukraine's Western partners have provided concrete proposals that would guarantee security during elections.

⚡️A Russian drone struck the electric train Lozova–Kharkiv. The train had been stopped in advance, and passengers were evacuated, said Minister of Restoration, Infrastructure, and Transport Mykola Kalashnyk.

Because some people remained near the train, one passenger was killed, and four others were injured. The Russians struck a second time while rescuers were working at the scene.

In the Odesa region, a drone struck the locomotive of a train carrying 593 passengers — no casualties were reported.

As a result of an airstrike on Sofiivka in the Donetsk region, two people are reported dead and two injured. Yesterday evening, the Russians attacked the settlement with nine FAB-250 bombs.

The Russians struck Voznesensk district in the Mykolaiv region twice with Shahed drones — a critical infrastructure facility was damaged, causing power supply issues.

⚡️ The Russians struck an American factory in the Sumy region with two drones, injuring several workers, said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

No one was killed. The factory building was damaged.

▪️Mondelēz International is an American multinational corporation and one of the world's largest snack, confectionery, and food product companies. The company owns brands such as Korona, Milka, Oreo, TUC, Lux, and Barney.

United 24 Media:

🇺🇦🇺🇸 A giant Ukrainian flag was unfurled in Washington for Ukraine’s Independence Day

The event was organized by the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States. The celebration also included a march and a concert featuring Ukrainian music, poetry, and dance. This is the fifth time the celebration has been held in the United States.

🇺🇦🇫🇮 Zelenskyy and Stubb sign documents on the development and production of drones in Finland for Ukraine

Ukrainian and Finnish companies signed agreements to jointly develop and produce drones in Finland for the needs of Ukraine and Europe, according to President Zelenskyy. The agreements also cover maritime unmanned systems and the production of unmanned ground vehicles.

🇺🇦🇳🇴 Ukraine and Norway signed the Drone Deal defense agreement and the Elizabeth strategic agreement — President Zelenskyy

Separately, the president thanked the Norwegian prime minister for the decision to allocate about $9 billion for Ukraine in 2027.

🔹 Russia struck a Mondelez plant in the Sumy region.

Two Russian drones damaged the facility and injured several workers. There were no fatalities.

The company produces well-known brands, including Milka, Toblerone, Picnic, Korona, Oreo, TUC, Belvita, Barney, 7Days, Lux, Dirol, and Halls.

Kyiv Independent:

⚡️Elections now would 'destroy Ukraine,' Zelensky says, revealing new details on disagreements with Fedorov.
"Elections right now are a tsunami for the state that will split Ukraine," Zelensky told journalists.

⚡️Ukraine strikes 2 Russian fighters, air defense assets in Krasnodar Krai, drone commander says.

The two jets, a Su-33 and a Mig-29, as well as a large Orion strike drone, were hit at the Vityazevo airfield in Russia's southern region of Krasnodar Krai, Robert Brovdi said.

⚡️Ukraine weighing 'radical' mobilization changes amid recruitment challenges, official says.

Ukraine is preparing changes to its mobilization system, including potential revisions to the country's draft age, secretary of the parliamentary defense committee Roman Kostenko said on Aug. 22.

⚡️Musk 'may change his mind' on using Starlink over Russian territory, Zelensky says.

"So far, he has said that this constitutes an escalation," President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Aug. 22. "However, he may change his mind once he sees further arguments."

⚡️Nordic, Baltic leaders arrive in Kyiv on eve of Independence Day.

"We feel we are not alone. Our allies are with us," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Ag. 23.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-23-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. Russian forces recently advanced east of Slovyansk as they continue prioritizing efforts to secure favorable positions east and southeast of the city in preparation for frontal assaults towards Slovyansk and the rest of the Fortress Belt.
2. Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to set unrealistic deadlines for the Russian military to seize the entirety of Donetsk Oblast likely in part because of his misunderstanding of the battlefield realities.
3. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly presented a joint Ukraine-US-Europe proposal on August 23 to end the war in Ukraine that offers significant Ukrainian concessions even as Putin and other Kremlin officials continue to refuse to compromise on any of their core demands. [I wonder what these concessions are]
4. Ukrainian forces are conducting an intermediate-range strike campaign in occupied Ukraine, including occupied Crimea, and Russia in a concerted effort to degrade Russia’s strike and air defense capabilities.
5. Russian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk direction.
6. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign targeting Russian logistics, fuel, and electrical infrastructure. Russian forces launched 127 drones against Ukraine overnight.

Happy Independence Day, Ukraine. Standing with you till victory and freedom 🇺🇦🇬🇧

Kyiv Post:

⚡️Following a deadly strike on Kryvyi Rih, Vladimir Putin claimed Russian attacks impact frontline battles in a "positive way."

He warned Kyiv "opened a Pandora's box" by striking Russian logistics and dismissed ceasefire proposals.

⚡️ Volodymyr Zelensky, joined by senior Ukrainian leadership and visiting European leaders, led the National Flag Day ceremony in Kyiv, raising the historic 1991 Flag of Independence in a powerful display of national unity.

⚡️ Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces struck Su-33 and MiG-29 jets, an S-400 division, and eight radars across Russia and occupied Crimea.

Commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi confirmed 11 out of 14 targets were hit.

⚡️ The UN Security Council will meet on Monday, Aug. 24, on Ukraine’s Independence Day, to address Russia’s ongoing war.

Initiated by five European states, the session will be chaired by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

⚡️ Norway plans to provide Ukraine with $9.2B in financial support for 2027, matching its 2026 aid level.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced the package in Kyiv, prioritizing military aid and domestic arms procurement.

⚡️ Russian skaters returned to the Junior Grand Prix after a four-year ban — and performed to one of Ukraine’s most iconic compositions.

Competing as “neutral” athletes in China, Maria Fefelova and Artem Valov skated to a mix featuring “Carol of the Bells” by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych.

Against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the choice is hard to see as just music. It is another example of Russia appropriating Ukrainian culture.

⚡️ Russia’s Krasnodar is in flames after a huge warehouse reportedly belonging to CMM-K is hit, with the blaze tearing through around 9,000 square metres.

Locals say the burning site is an Ozon warehouse, though this remains unconfirmed.

⚡️ European leaders arrived in Kyiv to mark Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

European Council President António Costa, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Estonian President Alar Karis and Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden were welcomed at Kyiv’s central railway station.

The leaders came to Ukraine to join celebrations marking 35 years since the restoration of independence.

Splitting updates last night/this morning as out all day today:

Kyiv Independent:

⚡️Ukraine reportedly targets Russia's Krasnodar, nearby Ozon logistics center in major attack.

Ukrainian forces struck a retail warehouse in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar and a nearby logistics center belonging to Russian e-commerce giant Ozon, monitoring channels reported Aug. 24.

⚡️ Update: Major Ukrainian attack reportedly targets 3 Ozon warehouses on 3rd night in row of attacks on Russia's Wildberries competitor.

Ukrainian forces struck three logistics centers belonging to Russian e-commerce giant Ozon for the third consecutive night, as several sites, including in occupied Crimea, were also hit, monitoring channels reported Aug. 24.

⚡️New British PM, other Western leaders arrive in Kyiv as Ukraine marks Independence Day.

"For Ukraine, independence is not an abstract idea. We defended it against all odds. In times like these, nations learn how important it is to have allies by your side," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

⚡️EU greenlights $7 billion in defense loans on Ukraine Independence Day.

"On Ukraine's Independence Day, Europe shows our support is unfaltering and concrete," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in the press release.

⚡️These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of Aug.24, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.