Ukraine Invasion - Part 62

[MagicFox]

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

**
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Oh no more donations are needed, another russian bot has found the thread. Not even an approximation of how a native English speaker would write.

Seriously, @Alonglife , what are you folks going to do about Putin?

Before 2022 Ukraine was not blowing up Russian fuel depots near Moscow or bombing Wildberries and Ozon.

Now they are.

Was that really what you wanted?

Oh, it's been a long time since we had one of doom, gloom, the West is evil, Russia is amazing brigade

Hm, yes, definitely time for a donation.

Perhaps doubled, for the really impressive lack of facts, lack of analysis of what this unprovoked invasion has cost Russia and ofc the faux-sympathy.

Должно быть, жутко паршиво получать по заднице от страны, которая в четыре раза меньше твоей, в войне, которую ты сам же и начал четыре года назад.

No it isn't, fuck off.

Russia waged this war. It invaded Ukraine 12 years ago and continues to attack Ukrainian civilians. The fault is Russia's. Ukrainians have every right to defend their homeland from Russian aggression.

As do Georgians, for that matter.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-27-2026/

Key Takeaways

1. US Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow suggests that Russia may be preparing to conduct an act of aggression against a NATO member in the relatively near term to invalidate NATO’s Article 5. A near-term Russian attack is highly unlikely to involve a full-scale conventional invasion of a NATO state.
2. The nature of the Russian threat that the US is reportedly attempting to deter in 2026 is significantly different from the threat of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late 2021.
3. The Kremlin continues to deflect Western concerns and deny any intention of conducting aggression against NATO, but these statements are part of a larger effort to create ambiguity and to degrade the alliance’s resolve to counter Russian threats.
4. Baltic state officials and government-affiliated analysts emphasized that NATO should take the Russian threat seriously but that their immediate threat assessment has not changed.
5. Russia may conduct air, missile, or drone strikes or a limited incursion against one or more Baltic states to test and seek to break NATO’s resolve to invoke and respond under Article 5.
6. Several unidentified drones entered Moldovan airspace on the night of August 26 to 27, demonstrating that the Kremlin continues to accept the risk that Russia’s war against Ukraine can cause damage to other states, including Moldova and NATO states bordering Ukraine.
7. Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov continues to make greatly exaggerated claims of Russian advances that do not match battlefield realities in order to construct a narrative of pervasive Russian military success.
8. Gerasimov’s exaggerated claims of advance are part of a broader cognitive warfare effort to falsely portray Russian advances as sweeping across the battlefield such that Ukraine and its Western partners should capitulate to Russia’s demands in negotiations.
9. Russia launched two Onyx anti-ship missiles, an unspecified number of Iskander-M and KN-23 ballistic missiles, and 258 drones against Ukraine overnight.
10. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian military assets and Ozon (another Russian analogue to Amazon and Wildberries’ main competitor) logistics facilities in Russia.
11. Russian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast and in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️Ukraine reveals latest intelligence on Russia’s mobilization plans.
Kyiv has been vocal in recent weeks about the threat of another wave of Russian mobilization.

⚡️Zelensky arrives in Chisinau for Moldova's Independence Day.
Zelensky's show of support for Moldova comes at a time when the country is reporting increasing airspace violations during Russia's attacks against Ukraine.

⚡️ Russia destroys all generating equipment at Kherson thermal power plant ahead of heating season.
The attack caused critical damage to the plant, which supplies heat to a significant number of residential buildings in Kherson.

Russian disinformation tests its Ukraine election playbook
While Ukraine cautiously begins discussing what wartime elections would actually mean, Moscow's propaganda machine has long been at work to undermine any result that the Ukrainian voters choose.
Whenever and however the elections are eventually held, Ukraine must brace itself for a Russian disinformation onslaught.

⚡️Baltics assessment of Russia threat 'unchanged' after CIA director's Moscow visit.

⚡️'There is no problem,' Trump says, dismissing Russia-NATO threat after CIA chief’s Moscow visit.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Aug. 27 that he was not concerned about the possibility of a Russian attack on NATO and downplayed CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s recent trip to Moscow.

⚡️Polish city pledges action against violence amid attacks on Ukrainians.
Wroclaw’s City Council adopted a resolution condemning hatred and violence based on nationality following a series of incidents involving Ukrainians in the city, Polish media reported on Aug. 27.

⚡️Ukrainian drones target Moscow, one of Russia's largest oil refineries in Yaroslavl, sparking fire, media reports.
The latest attack marked the eighth on the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in 2026, which has been targeted repeatedly in previous Ukrainian attacks, including on Aug. 6, July 16, July 6, May 22, May 8, April 26, and March 28.

⚡️Russian e-commerce giant Ozon reports Ukrainian attacks on facilities in Ufa, Orenburg.
"The logistics complex in Ufa received minor damage, but is still closed and the area needs to be thoroughly inspected," the company said.

Ukraine's economy shrinks as Russia continues bombing businesses
With Russia continuing to wage an unprecedented campaign against Ukrainian businesses, Ukraine’s Economy Ministry has downgraded its forecast for the country’s economic growth this year from 1.3% to 0.5%, as Moscow targets key industries such as steel production, e-commerce, and ports.

Washington will give Ukraine's next ambassador little time to learn
"Most of Washington does not expect Ukraine to be perfect, but in this political climate, every mistake Ukraine makes is amplified," writes Myroslava Gongadze, a foreign policy and security expert, in this op-ed.
"Sometimes an ambassador who can say, 'We made a mistake. Here is what happened, and here is how we are correcting it,' can do more for Ukraine than someone who reflexively defends every government decision. People here know the difference between an explanation and a talking point."

⚡️Kyiv records 13 air raid alerts in single day, most since full-scale invasion, as explosions continue overnight.
In total, Kyiv spent 872 minutes — nearly 15 hours — under air raid alerts throughout the day, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry. The previous record appeared to be set on March 1, 2022, when Kyiv was placed under air raid alert 12 times in a single day.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social
· 39m
⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — AUG 28, 2026
■ Increased engagements and 2nd highest casualties so far this year
■ Losses of unarmored vehicles remain slightly above average; three air defence systems hit
■ Overnight attacks: drone-only, with a decent interception rate; 20 locations hit or affected by debris
■ 🇷🇺 MLRS strikes and shelling above average; 11 🇺🇦 strikes reported, and 310 strike drones launched into 🇷🇺 and occupied 🇺🇦
■ Highlighted 🇺🇦 drone strike: Slavneft-YANOS refinery in Yaroslavl (capacity: 15 million tonnes/year)

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

Trump said he had a “good conversation” with Putin and that he does not believe Russia will attack NATO countries, according to Axios.
The remarks came amid reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow and warned Russian officials against attacking NATO members.

❗️The Russian Federation is preparing to mobilize 600,000 troops, with 300,000 to be recruited in each of 2026 and 2027.
According to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) and Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Russia’s General Staff has already prepared a plan to replace its battlefield losses.
From January through July, Russia lost approximately 240,000 troops, at least 140,000 of whom were killed, according to the Ukrainian intelligence agencies. During the same period, Russia recruited about 232,000 contract soldiers.
At the same time, the Kremlin is preparing new recruitment methods. It plans to expand the recruitment of prisoners, including those convicted of serious crimes. The authorities have also reportedly approved the possibility of mobilizing or signing contracts with certain categories of women held in prisons and penal colonies.
New recruits are expected to undergo 15 to 60 days of training, with some training potentially taking place at military training grounds in Belarus.
The Kremlin also plans to use restrictions to pressure potential recruits, including bans on leaving Russia, obtaining loans or conducting real estate transactions, as well as freezing bank accounts.
A decision on a new wave of mobilization is expected after the State Duma elections, scheduled for September 18-20.

There’s not enough money for everything: Russia has cut non-war spending by 35%, according to Bloomberg.
The austerity regime has been in effect since April, after the Finance Ministry warned of a shortage of funds to finance all obligations on time. The cuts have affected budget programs unrelated to the war, wages, social payments, regional support and national debt servicing.
Federal agencies were also ordered to postpone non-essential spending and prepare for a 15% staff reduction.
The reason is a rapidly growing budget hole. From January to July, the deficit reached 6.5 trillion rubles, or 2.8% of GDP, compared with the annual target of 1.6%.
At the same time, Bloomberg sources estimate that Russia is still far from financial collapse. Moscow will be able to finance the war for several more years. It will simply require greater savings elsewhere.

The Russian Federation is deliberately weakening the ruble to plug a budget hole, according to The Economist.
Oil and gas are sold in foreign currency, while the budget is financed in rubles. The weaker the ruble, the more rubles the state receives for each dollar of export revenue.
The 2026 budget was calculated based on an exchange rate of approximately 92 rubles per dollar, but in the first half of the year, the average rate was around 77. Even rising oil prices failed to save the situation: oil and gas revenues fell by 23% to 3.7 trillion rubles, while the budget deficit for the first half of the year reached 5.7 trillion rubles — more than planned for the entire year.
Now, the Ministry of Finance is increasing its purchases of foreign currency and gold, effectively weakening the ruble. This boosts ruble-denominated export revenues and facilitates the financing of growing military spending.
But there is no free money here, as Russians themselves will ultimately pay for the budget through more expensive imports, accelerating inflation and declining real incomes.

Russia used the upgraded Iskander-1000 missile against Ukraine for the first time this summer, according to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.
The missile was used in one of Russia’s combined attacks.
The 9M723-2, known as the Iskander-1000, is part of Russia’s Bora-M missile system. It differs from the basic 9M723-1 by having a larger engine, allowing it to strike targets at distances of up to 550 kilometers, compared with 390 kilometers for the standard version.
Militarnyi reports that an Iskander-1000 missile can cost up to $2.5 million.
Aviation expert Kostiantyn Kryvolap told RBC-Ukraine that Russia borrowed some technical solutions for the missile’s modernization from North Korea’s KN-23 missiles.
Despite the missile’s increased range, its interception remains no more difficult than that of the standard Iskander, Kryvolap said. Ukraine can intercept such missiles if it has the appropriate ammunition.

Sweden has allocated $14 million to purchase American weapons for Ukraine through the PURL mechanism.
In addition, Stockholm will transfer 10 coast guard speedboats to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service for mine clearance, the Swedish government reported.

🤬 Four guided aerial bombs at once. Russian forces again attacked Kherson’s CHP plant operated by Naftogaz overnight.
The combined heat and power plant suffered critical damage. The strike completely destroyed and disabled all remaining heat- and power-generating equipment at the facility, the company said.
The Russians struck a purely civilian facility that provides heat to a significant portion of Kherson’s residential buildings. The attack has no military purpose. Its sole aim is to terrorize civilians and deprive tens of thousands of Kherson residents of a source of heat ahead of the heating season, Naftogaz acting CEO Serhii Fedorenko said.

🇺🇦🇲🇩 Sandu presents Zelenskyy with Moldova’s highest state award, the Order of the Republic

Every third cyberattack on German businesses is linked to foreign intelligence services, mainly from China and Russia, DW reports.
Over the past 12 months, 37% of German companies that experienced cyberattacks, espionage or sabotage were able to link at least one incident to a foreign intelligence service. That compares with 28% in 2025 and 7% in 2023, according to a study by the Bitkom industry association cited by DW.
Among companies that were able to identify the source of an attack, 52% found evidence pointing to China, while 49% identified Russia. Another 27% traced attacks to the United States.
At the same time, most companies said the attacks were carried out by organized criminal groups.
“In many countries, the lines between organized crime and intelligence services are blurred. Intelligence services use criminal structures, while criminals are given freedom to operate when they target organizations in line with political objectives,” Bitkom President Ralf Wintergerst said.
According to Bitkom, German companies lose at least €211 billion a year to data theft, industrial espionage and sabotage. Cyberattacks account for 76% of those losses.

💵📉 Ukrainian attacks on Wildberries warehouses: Russia’s richest woman loses 40% of her fortune
The founder of Wildberries, Tatyana Kim, lost $3.1 billion after Ukrainian attacks on the company’s warehouses. Her fortune fell from $8.1 billion in February to $5 billion, a decline of 39%. Despite this, Kim retained her status as Russia’s richest woman.

This is all that remains of the 108,000-square-meter Wildberries warehouse in Kotovsk, Tambov region.

❗️ Drone debris fell near a school and kindergarten in Kyiv, damaging windows, Mayor Vitali Klitschko says.
In the Shevchenkivskyi district, drone debris fell near a school, damaging the institution’s windows. In the Podilskyi district, debris fell near a kindergarten and on the grounds of a nonresidential building.
In the Obolonskyi district, debris fell in a residential area, a park, a parking lot and a garage cooperative.
Three people have been injured so far, with two hospitalized. The Russian attack is ongoing.

🤬 In Nikopol, the Russian attack damaged major buildings, shops, cafes, banks and cars, injuring five people, the regional military administration said.
A 55-year-old woman and a 72-year-old man were hospitalized in serious condition. A 71-year-old man is also receiving treatment in the hospital in moderate condition. Two other victims will recover at home.

❗️ Russians hit a minibus in Kherson, injuring three elderly people, the regional military administration said.

Russians strike an Epicentr store in Kharkiv.
One man was killed and five people were injured.

❗️ One person was killed, two were injured and numerous warehouses and homes were damaged in a Russian attack on the Kyiv region, the regional military administration said.
A person was killed in the Bucha district, where a man also suffered multiple shrapnel wounds and was hospitalized. In the Fastiv district, another woman suffered cuts to her arm.
According to Kyiv Regional Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko, 14 warehouses, 16 private homes, three apartment buildings and 16 cars have been damaged so far.

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

Volodymyr Zelensky appointed battlefield commanders Denys Prokopenko and Andriy Biletsky to lead two restructured force groupings in the Donbas.
The reshuffle elevates younger, battle-tested generals to shore up critical defenses across the Donetsk region.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Russia for a working visit to meet with Vladimir Putin.
The talks on security and cooperation come just two days after CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe secretly traveled to Moscow and warned senior Russian intelligence officials that Russia’s military and economic position is worsening, as US intelligence questions whether Putin is receiving an accurate picture of the war.

Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89.
Harald, who had reigned since 1991 and was Europe’s longest-serving monarch, died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital. His son, Crown Prince Haakon, will become Norway’s new king.

Russia launched five missiles at the Zaporizhstal metallurgical plant in Zaporizhzhia, hitting the same area where employees were killed in an Aug. 11 attack.
Lawmaker Musa Magomedov reported severe damage, leaving resumption of operations uncertain.

Kyiv was placed under air raid alert 17 times between midnight on Aug. 27 and 9 a.m. on Aug. 28 as Russia launched repeated waves of attack drones.
The alerts disrupted public transport, businesses and daily life across the Ukrainian capital.

Russia condemned the UN tribunal that convicted Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic after he died in The Hague while serving a life sentence for genocide and war crimes.
Moscow accused the court of bias, renewing its long-standing attacks on international war crimes tribunals.

Russian State Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy openly called for Ukrainian cities to be bombed to break civilian morale and force people to surrender to Russian troops.
“Do you think we are calling for cruelty? We are calling for demoralizing the public to such an extent that they come out with their hands up to meet our troops,” Tolstoy said.

US Senator Richard Blumenthal visited Ukrainian drone manufacturer SkyFall in Kyiv, praising the company’s cutting-edge production and its role in modern warfare.
“Thousands of drones” and new technologies produced in Ukraine are helping power the country’s fight against Russia, the senator said.

Taken Hostage by Pro-Russian ‘DNR’ Forces
Award-winning reporter Simon Ostrovsky, of PBS Newshour and formerly Vice News, sits down with Jason Smart to unpack 10+ years in Ukraine: from surviving so-called "DNR" captivity to why Russia’s invasion derailed and the delusional reality of Crimea’s 2014 takeover.
https://www.kyivpost.com/videos/83227

Russia completely destroyed Global Spirits’ Khortytsia distillery in Zaporizhzhia, the company said.
The strike wiped out an estimated 3–4 million bottles of finished products, for which excise duties had already been paid.

Inside Kherson’s Red Zone, Kyiv Post takes you to one of Ukraine’s most dangerous civilian environments, where drones stalk streets, artillery crosses the Dnipro, and residents refuse to abandon their homes.
Journalist Korbinian Leo Kramer spent more than two weeks documenting life on the front line and the people who endure it.

A Russian attack destroyed the distribution center of Ukrainian toy store chain Budynok Ihrashok, the company’s CEO said.
The facility held a significant share of the company’s inventory and served as a key hub for daily customer orders across Ukraine.
The destruction may temporarily disrupt some of the retailer’s operations.

Russian forces launched nearly 40 attacks across the Dnipropetrovsk region on Thursday, injuring eight civilians.
Heavy shelling and drone strikes hit the Nikopol and Synelnykove districts, damaging schools, shops, and private homes.

Russian drone attacks set Nova Poshta warehouses and vehicle lots ablaze near Kyiv.
Over the past 24 hours, Kyiv and the surrounding region have endured 14 air raid alerts lasting a combined 13 hours. Emergency crews are working at the affected sites.

Good work getting rid of the Russian bot

Btw, I checked - the population of Ukraine is currently 39,535,849million.

The population of Russia is about 143.2 million to 143.4 million

Ukraine's doing pretty well considering it's been invaded by a country well over three times its size, who claimed to be able to take it over in 3 days.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

In Nepal, the number of missing due to floods and landslides has reached 1,300, AP reports.
Among them, according to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are 53 Ukrainians. The death toll has also risen to 168.
▪️In the Rasuwa district on the border with Tibet (China), an earthquake triggered a devastating flood and landslides that collapsed into the river.

Overnight, Russia attacked Ukraine with 164 drones; air defense neutralized 137. In 16 locations, drones reached their targets; debris fell in four others. Here is what is known about the aftermath in the regions:
🔴Zaporizhzhia. The enemy struck the Epicentr shopping center again. Four people were injured.
🔴Kyiv region. For the second day in a row, Russia is attacking the region. Fourteen warehouses, 16 private houses, 3 apartment buildings, and 16 vehicles were damaged in five districts.
🔴Zhytomyr region. The Russians attacked a private enterprise: 4 trucks and 3 semi-trailers caught fire. No casualties were reported.
🔴Kharkiv region. The Russians struck Zmiiv twice with jet-powered UAVs: one person was killed and two others injured, including a child. Two private houses were on fire.
🔴Sumy. A guided bomb strike killed one man and injured seven others.
🔴Kherson. A man who was attacked by a Russian drone in the city center this morning has died in hospital. Two other people were injured.
Overnight, the Russians also destroyed Nova Poshta sorting centers in Sumy and the Kyiv region. In Sumy, 4 guided bombs damaged three trucks, while in the Kyiv region, a drone destroyed a sorting depot. All employees survived.

Russian State Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy openly called for Ukrainian cities to be bombed to break civilian morale and force people to surrender to Russian troops.
“Do you think we are calling for cruelty? We are calling for demoralizing the public to such an extent that they come out with their hands up to meet our troops,” Tolstoy said

Wanker

Quite.

First of all aren't Ukrainian cities already been freely and continually bombed by Russia? Try to keep up. This guy been living under a rock.

Yes, he is calling for cruelty (does that word exist in the Russian language?) because he is delusional if he thinks Ukrainians will capitulate to Russia, not after 4 years, not ever.

Overnight, the Russians also destroyed Nova Poshta sorting centers in Sumy and the Kyiv region

Russia seems to be going after postal/parcel sorting hubs. Why is that?

They've bombed all the energy generation facilities, they are bombing trains, they are bombing post facilities. It's targeting infrastructure.

Kyiv Independent Telegram Highlights

⚡️Ukrainian ex-Defense Minister Fedorov becomes adviser to Italian official.
Fedorov said that, in this role, he "would help Italy develop modern warfare technologies, strengthen its defense sector, and adapt to emerging global security challenges."

⚡️Ex-Defense Minister Fedorov plans to visit US.

⚡️Ukraine must mobilize at least 30,000 people per month, Budanov says, warns war won't end soon
The comments come as Ukraine's leadership is under increasing pressure from both the military and society to tackle issues in the country's flawed and unpopular mobilization process.

⚡️Russia planning operation in northern Ukraine, including Kyiv, military says.
"The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has developed possible response scenarios, including measures to defend, protect, and counter these actions," Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa said.

⚡️Zelensky says US briefed Ukraine on Moscow talks
"I am grateful for the information and for the necessary tone of the conversation with Russia," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

A bridge, missiles, and billions in revenue: North Korea's role in Russia's war deepens again
No longer a minor player, Pyongyang has become an essential cog in Russia's war machine. Now, Kyiv warns that its role may grow further still — but not overnight.
Ukrainian intelligence in August issued alarming warnings hinting that Russia could soon ask North Korea to contribute up to 50,000 more of its troops for its war against Ukraine, with missiles, drone operators, and technical brigades to follow.
This influx of additional troops and materiel would come on top of the soldiers, shells, and missiles that Moscow had already received, helping it accelerate its offensives against Ukrainian forces and ramp up strikes against Ukraine's cities.

⚡️Ukraine says it downed more than 200 drones as rare days-long air raid alerts stretch into third morning.

⚡️Major highway section near Kyiv closed after Russian attack sparks warehouse fires
A major highway connecting Kyiv with western Ukraine has been temporarily closed on Aug. 28 after a Russian attack sparked fires and explosions at warehouse facilities in Kyiv Oblast, local authorities said.

⚡️More than 113,000 Russians cross into Georgia in a week as fears grow of new mobilization, Politico reports
Earlier, Ukraine's Presidential Office issued a warning, saying that Russia plans to mobilize 600,000 recruits over 2026 and 2027, with 300,000 to be called up this year and another 300,000 next year.

⚡️Media identify Russian officer killed in St. Petersburg car blast.
The victim is reportedly Sergei Sechkov, an officer at Russia’s 332nd Separate Helicopter Regiment.

⚡️Outspoken ex-commander who clashed with military leadership says drugs were planted in his car
Oleksandr Shyrshyn, a former battalion commander in Ukraine's 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade, said on Facebook on Aug. 28 that cannabis had been planted in his car in an apparent attempt to implicate him in the illegal production and possession of drugs.

⚡️Petition urging Zelensky to talk to independent media registered on 6th attempt, gains 7,000 signatures in a day.
The petition, created by activist Anna Repina, asks that the President's Office hold an "open press conference with the invitation of representatives of independent and socially responsible media," including the Kyiv Independent.

⚡️Update: 'Criminal negligence' — PM Koretskyi demands accountability after Russian attack injures 5, sparks fires and detonations near Kyiv

Shells, stalled contracts, and no armor for wounded — Ukraine's new defense minister's problem list
"Weapons production in Ukraine has a mountain of problems: short contracts, scandals over ammunition and other complex equipment procurement, inefficient drone purchasing, leaky quality control and oversight of manufacturers' capabilities, export rules that don't work, funding shortages, and more," writes Bohdan Miroshnychenko, editor-in-chief of Oboronka, in his op-ed.
"All of this ultimately adds up to poor supply for troops at the front."
"Partly through his own mistakes, partly through resistance from the system, and partly simply for lack of time in office, dismissed minister Mykhailo Fedorov failed to resolve all the industry's long-standing problems — so that burden now passes to his successor, Yevhen Khmara."

⚡️'Huge price of freedom' — Ukraine marks Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers.
The date, Aug. 29, is linked to the tragedy near the city of Ilovaisk, Donetsk Oblast when Russian forces in 2014 violated an agreement to provide a safe corridor for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from encirclement and opened fire on them.

⚡️Russia considers placing troops, weapons on civilian ships as it struggles to protect shadow fleet, Zelensky says
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) has concluded that Russian warships are effectively confined to the port of Novorossiysk on the southeastern Black Sea due to Ukrainian drone strikes, Volodymyr Zelensky said.

⚡️Update: Ukrainian forces reportedly strike Ozon warehouse, sites across Rostov Oblast in mass attack on southern Russia.

⚡️Russia has destroyed 90% of Ukraine's modern storage facilities, minister says
Agricultural Minister Taras Vysotskyi said attacks on logistics infrastructure could affect the range of goods available in stores, but assured that there is no risk of Ukrainians running out of food. [ @blueshoes - more infrastructure destroyed]

⚡️Ukraine prepares to ease residency rules for foreign fighters.
Under a newly prepared draft law, time spent in the Ukrainian Armed Forces would count toward the five year residency requirement for foreigners.

⚡️Russian attack destroys one of Ukraine's largest vodka plants
The Khortytsia Distillery, launched in 2003 by Global Spirits, a Ukrainian firm headquartered in the U.S., was hit four times, sparking a three-hour-long fire, the company’s press service said.

⚡️Ukraine anti-corruption agencies charge businessman in raiding case amid major corruption scandal
The case is part of the latest large-scale anti-corruption investigation into an alleged criminal organization that investigators say was led by a current and former Ukrainian lawmaker and involved senior officials from the Presidential Office, including former deputy head Iryna Mudra.

Ivan Mazepa — Ukraine's hero, Russia's devil
A monument to Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Mazepa is set to replace a toppled statue of Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin on one of Kyiv’s central avenues.
Mazepa led the Cossack Hetmanate in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Once an ally of Russian Tsar Peter I, he later rebelled against Russia and became a symbol of Ukraine’s struggle for independence — and, in Russia, of betrayal.

[yesterday]
⚡️Warehouses targeted outside Kyiv in all-day drone attack as Russian forces kill at least 10, injure 43 over past day across Ukraine.
Russia launched 164 Shahed-type drones against Ukraine, half of them jet-powered, overnight on Aug. 28, according to the Air Force.

⚡️56 Ukrainians still missing in Nepal after massive floods.

As of Aug. 29, there had been no reports of Ukrainian citizens being injured or killed, according to the ministry.

⚡️Update: At least 37 killed after Russian drone strike triggers deadly explosion near Kyiv.
At least 50 residential buildings were damaged in the attack and subsequent detonations. Along with residential buildings, a care facility for elderly people and people with disabilities was also damaged, according to local authorities.

Ragnar Bjartur Gudmundsson 🇺🇦
@ragnarbjartur.bsky.social
⚡️ RUSSIA'S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE — AUG 29, 2026
■ Engagements remain above average, with casualties slightly above average
■ Loss of a Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system near Klintsy, Bryansk Oblast 🇷🇺, confirmed
■ Overnight attacks included missiles; improved drone interception rate; 19 locations hit or affected by debris
■ 🇷🇺 strike indicators below average; 6 🇺🇦 strikes reported, and 370 strike drones — including jet-powered drones — launched into 🇷🇺 and occupied 🇺🇦
■ Highlighted 🇺🇦 drone strikes: UAV launch sites, an electronic warfare system and command posts in occupied 🇺🇦

Just to make myself feel better about this shit that is still going on I made a song on SUNO that I think a lot on here would appreciate about arm chair idiots that think we should just let Putin steamroll Ukraine! Feel free to have a listen or not. Just been bored whilst the weather is shit :)

suno.com/s/77vBhsrnFWQHQnMb

UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights

⚡️ Don’t expect the war to end this winter, — Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov said.
“I think that very soon everyone will see the negotiations, but they will concern more technical issues and preparations for something big that, I hope, we will eventually achieve.
“We will not stop the war now. Not because we don’t want to, but because it is simply unrealistic,” Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov said.

Belgium rejects calls to revisit plan to use €210 billion in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine — Politico
Belgium has rejected calls to revisit a plan to use €210 billion in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland have urged Brussels to reconsider the proposal, Politico reports.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévost said he had taken note of the letter from the four countries but stressed that Belgium’s position had not changed.
“Belgium’s position is well-known and consistent. It has not changed since last year. In particular, the risks associated with the use of these assets have not somehow disappeared,” Prévost said.
Belgium is concerned about assuming full financial and legal responsibility for potential Russian claims if the assets are confiscated or transferred to Ukraine. Most of the funds are held at Euroclear, an international securities depository based in Belgium.
Brussels does not oppose supporting Ukraine but is seeking concrete legal guarantees from its EU partners to protect Belgium’s economy and financial system.
Proceeds from the Russian assets frozen at Euroclear are already being used to support Ukraine. However, EU capitals fear Kyiv will need additional funding beyond the €90 billion loan approved by the bloc. [...]

Kyiv honors fallen defenders with a daily minute of silence at 9am On August 29, Ukraine marks the Day of Remembrance of the Defenders who died fighting for the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The date is closely linked to the 2014 Ilovaisk tragedy, when Ukrainian troops were killed during their attempted withdrawal from Russian-backed forces.

Russia plans to produce about 10,000 Dan-T cruise missiles by 2027, according to Militarnyi.
The Dan-T has a range of up to 500 kilometers and carries a 135-kilogram warhead. It can be launched from ground-based systems, aircraft and helicopters. The missile is difficult to intercept and costs about 35% less than the Banderol one.
Russia is considering gradually replacing the Banderol with the Dan-T. Mass production would allow Moscow to significantly increase its stockpile of relatively low-cost weapons for large-scale strikes against Ukraine.

Sweden to deploy Gripen fighter jets, warships and personnel to Finland
Sweden will deploy Gripen fighter jets, a corvette and military personnel to help monitor and protect Finnish territory through at least the end of 2026, the Finnish Defence Forces said.
The deployment will strengthen Finland’s air surveillance and free up Finnish military resources to respond to potential violations and other security incidents.
Sweden is also considering deploying ground-based anti-drone systems. The Swedish forces will additionally provide vessels with capabilities to counter unmanned aircraft.

💪🇺🇦 Ukraine’s Defense Forces are testing mobile ground drones equipped with turrets and Kalashnikov assault rifles — Defense Ministry
The unmanned ground vehicle was developed according to technical requirements set by Brave1. The development process took less than six months, from the initial concept to a working prototype.
Using standard assault rifles makes the systems cheaper to produce and easier to scale up.
The vehicle features a four-wheel chassis with airless tires and a protected hull designed to withstand shrapnel and bullets. Its fire module is equipped with a twin turret, providing a higher volume of fire.
The new systems are already being tested in combat conditions, including against enemy ambushes involving drones.

Ukraine launched a record number of strikes on Russian refineries in August, according to Bloomberg.
Ukrainian forces attacked Russian refineries at least 21 times in August, an all-time monthly record. Four of Russia’s 10 largest refineries were hit, while oil refining volumes fell to their lowest level in nearly two decades.
As a result, gasoline production and supplies to the domestic market fell by about 20% year-on-year during the first three weeks of August. Fuel sales restrictions are already in effect in dozens of Russian regions.
The shortage has now reached Moscow and the Moscow region, where queues of 30 to 50 cars at gas stations have reportedly become common. Recent reporting also indicates that Russia’s gasoline output has fallen to about 70% of domestic demand, forcing authorities to impose additional restrictions and increase imports.

Life-saving supplies for children and families were destroyed in an attack on a UNICEF-contracted warehouse in Chubynske, Kyiv region, UNICEF Ukraine said.
The destruction will hinder the delivery of life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable, especially as another harsh winter approaches.

❗️ A Russian drone strike destroyed a warehouse in the Kyiv region containing more than 60,000 books from Ukrainian publishers and bookstores, local media report.
The strike destroyed book stocks belonging to Readeat, Book.ua https://Book.ua and the publishing houses Uroboros, Osnovy and Vivat.
The estimated losses exceed $517,000, Readeat founder Dmytro Feliksov told Suspilne. Shipments to customers have been temporarily suspended because of the warehouse’s destruction.

Ukraine and Poland open international scientific equipment center on Mount Pip Ivan
Ukraine and Poland have opened an International Center for the Shared Use of Scientific Equipment on Mount Pip Ivan in the Ukrainian Carpathians.

NATO should strengthen dialogue with Moscow to avoid an “accidental war,” Russian ambassador to Norway says

At least 2,478 people are missing and 586 have been confirmed dead after flash floods hit the China-Nepal border on Wednesday.
Fifty-six Ukrainians remain missing following the disaster, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.

❗️ Russian drone attack hits a shopping center in Kharkiv: SES releases footage of the aftermath
According to the State Emergency Service, there were no casualties in the attack.
Russian forces struck a non-operational shopping center in Kharkiv’s Kyivskyi district. Parts of the building were destroyed, and a fire broke out but has since been extinguished.

A two-year-old girl injured in Kyiv’s Obolonskyi district after an enemy UAV crashed has died, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Kyiv Post Telegram Highlights

Ukraine asked the UN’s International Telecommunication Union to exclude Ukrainian territory from the frequency coverage of Russia’s “Rassvet” satellite network.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha emphasized the system is used to support war effort.

Russia is preparing for further escalation, with the next 7–8 months critical for regional security, Polish PM Donald Tusk warned.
He added Warsaw was aware of CIA chief John Ratcliffe's trip to Moscow.

Russia ordered its commanders to draft plans targeting Kyiv and Chernihiv, but no strike group is forming, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa said.
Ukraine's General Staff has ready response plans.

Russia has rebuilt a fortified laboratory complex on Lisiy Island that may be conducting research linked to biological weapons, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) told Kyiv Post.
The isolated site is guarded by the FSB, FSO, and air defense units.

Zelensky said, that Ukraine received information from the US about several meetings between CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Russian intelligence officials.
He welcomed Washington’s approach to talks with Russia, saying coordinated international action must create the conditions for Moscow to end its aggression against Ukraine.

The US State Department updated its travel advisory for Ukraine, maintaining its highest risk rating, Level 4: "Do Not Travel."
American citizens are urged to refrain from visiting due to persistent Russian missile and drone strikes nationwide.

Russians are rushing to secure long-term rentals in Georgia and Armenia as fears of a new mobilization wave grow.
Realtors say demand has surged to levels reminiscent of the mass exodus that followed Putin’s 2022 mobilization.

Ukrainian forces struck the main and reserve Russian command posts in occupied Donetsk with air-launched missiles.
OSINT analysts identified one target as a suspected headquarters of Russia’s 51st Combined Arms Army.
Russian-installed officials said eight civilians were wounded, while reports that Lt. Gen. Sergei Milchakov was killed and that Ukraine used the new JDAM-LR have not been confirmed.

A YASNO warehouse storing equipment for solar power plants burned down in a Russian attack, CEO Serhii Kovalenko said.
Most of the equipment was damaged, while no employees were injured. The surviving equipment has already been moved to other facilities.

Ukrainian drones struck warehouses belonging to electronics retailer DNS and a major Ozon logistics hub in Russia’s Rostov region early Saturday, sparking large blazes.

Vikings Star Katheryn Winnick Ran to a Shelter in Kyiv: ‘No Right to Be Tired’
Hollywood star and UNITED24 ambassador Katheryn Winnick (Vikings) sits down with Kyiv Post for an exclusive, raw interview in the heart of wartime Kyiv.
https://www.kyivpost.com/videos/83283

A Russian strike hit a supermarket in Pavlohrad, killing a 17-year-old boy and injuring seven people, three of them seriously, regional authorities said.
The attack sparked a fire at the store and also damaged a private home.

A Russian drone attack on the Izmail district in the southern Odesa region killed one person and injured three others early Saturday morning.
The strike damaged transport infrastructure and destroyed five grain trucks, igniting fires across the area.

At least 27 people have been killed and 42 others injured, including four children, following a Russian attack in the Bucha district of the Kyiv region, Tymur Tkachenko reported.
Rescuers have evacuated 381 people, while around 50 homes were damaged.

Devastating aftermath in the Bucha district following a Russian strike on an enterprise in the Kyiv region.
The attack triggered secondary explosions, killing at least 37 people and destroying local infrastructure and homes.

Taras Didych, head of the Dmytrivka community in the Kyiv region, was killed in a Russian attack on the Bucha district.
Didych was among the first to arrive at the strike site to help residents when a secondary detonation claimed his life.

Live: Ukraine Telegram Highlights

🇵🇱Poland has refused to host allied nuclear weapons on its territory, Politico reports, citing Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski.
According to him, Poland is ready to participate in NATO's nuclear defense, but this "does not mean" the presence of warheads on its territory.
The statement came amid warnings from Western officials that Russia could attack NATO territory before the end of the decade, with US intelligence suggesting it could happen even sooner. The outlet called this Warsaw's most categorical statement on nuclear weapons.
Earlier, the publication notes, Warsaw had also been skeptical about hosting nuclear weapons on its soil, but simultaneously conducted two separate dialogues: with the US — to expand their nuclear shield in Europe, and with France — joining its initiative to counter nuclear threats on the continent.

Ukrainian forces struck a Tu-95MS missile carrier in Russia's Engels, President Zelensky wrote.

CIA Director Ratcliffe's diplomatic mission to Russia this week was so secret that even some senior White House officials were not informed in advance — WSJ.
According to sources, Trump personally dispatched the CIA director to Moscow and did not inform his trusted aides and military leaders, who would typically have been briefed on the trip, about the message Ratcliffe was to deliver to Kremlin representatives.

A commercial vessel caught fire and sank off the coast of Romania. The country's president stated that the ship may have been struck, News.ro reports.
The vessel Progress IV, flying the flag of the Dominican Republic, caught fire on the evening of August 27 in Romania's exclusive economic zone, approximately 15 nautical miles from Sfântu Gheorghe. There were 12 crew members on board.
All sailors were rescued; one of them was injured.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan stated that the vessel was likely struck and appears to have sunk. Who or what may have carried out the attack is still unknown.

The car explosion that killed a Russian lieutenant colonel in St. Petersburg may have been carried out by a 24-year-old woman who allegedly communicated with "representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Russian media report.
According to Fontanka, several months ago the woman was contacted by unknown individuals, and later by people who introduced themselves as "representatives of the AFU." They allegedly convinced her that she was "living in the wrong country," and then offered her to plant explosives under a military officer's car and leave Russia.
Russian security forces, the St. Petersburg outlet reports, claim that the woman planted the explosives and then headed to Pulkovo Airport.
At dawn on August 27, she flew to Turkey and from there reportedly traveled to Chișinău. Her identity has already been established, according to Russian media.
Ukrainian monitoring channels report that the target was a serviceman of the 332nd Separate Guards Helicopter Regiment, Sergei Sechkov. According to Russian media, he had told his superiors that he was "on liquidation lists" and regularly checked his car before driving.
▪️The day before, a car carrying a Russian lieutenant colonel and his wife exploded in St. Petersburg. The officer died at the scene; his wife is in intensive care.

Overnight, the Russians launched 267 drones and missiles — including an Onyx anti-ship missile and an Iskander-M ballistic missile — at Ukraine. Air defense shot down 233 UAVs.

Impacts were recorded in 15 locations, with debris falling in 4 others. Here are the main consequences in the regions:
🔴Kyiv. In the morning, the Russians attacked residential buildings and an administrative building in the Sviatoshynskyi district. Two people are reported injured.
🔴Kyiv region. Yesterday evening, a Russian drone struck an enterprise, triggering a detonation. Overnight, the first casualties were reported; the number is being clarified. Over 200 people, including children, were evacuated from the scene.
🔴Odesa region. In the south of the region, the Russians attacked trucks carrying grain — one person was killed and three others injured.
🔴Kherson. A morning drone strike in the Korabelnyi district killed one man and injured another.
🔴Dnipropetrovsk region. In the Synelnykove district, two people were injured in drone and artillery attacks.
🔴Zaporizhzhia. One person was injured in a morning strike on a private house.
🔴Sumy. An enemy drone struck ambulances — no casualties were reported.

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