Friday, August 9

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A State Emergency Service’s service vehicle damaged in a Russian drone attack against Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Aug. 8, 2024. (State Emergency Service/Telegram)

Nuclear power covers 60% of Ukraine’s electricity consumption, minister says.

“Everyone understands that thanks to nuclear power, the whole country has been living without electricity supply restrictions for ten days now,” Minister Herman Halushchenko said.

Battles in Kursk Oblast ongoing in two districts, Russia claims. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Aug. 8 that the Russian army “continues to destroy” the Ukrainian Armed Forces units in the Suzhensky and Korenovsky districts of Kursk Oblast.

Ukraine launches new military app, aims to make soldiers’ service ‘paperless’. Ukraine has launched Army+, a new online application aimed at freeing the country’s military from its notoriously heavy paper-based bureaucracy.

Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast ‘consistent’ with US policy, Pentagon says. Singh said that the U.S. has “supported Ukraine from the beginning to defend themselves against attacks that are coming across the border.”

Russia ‘should feel what it has done’ to Ukraine, Zelensky says. “Russia brought war to our land, and it should feel what it has done,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Aug. 8, which avoided a direct mention of the ongoing fighting in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

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Gerasimov ignored warnings of Ukrainian troop buildup near border, Bloomberg reports. Gerasimov and top officials “seemingly dismissed intelligence warnings that Ukrainian soldiers were gathering near the border with Russia’s western Kursk region as much as two weeks before they began the assault,” Bloomberg said.

Displaced residents of Kursk Oblast will be paid $115, Putin decrees. In a video conference with Alexey Smirnov, the acting governor of Kursk Oblast, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that it would a be one-time payment to “citizens who need it.” He added that “other damage will also need to be assessed.”

Russia closes 3 train stations in Kursk Oblast for passenger transport. Sudzha, Korenevo, and Psel stations in Kursk Oblast are “temporarily closed to passengers,” Russian state-owned train operator Moscow Railway said on Aug. 8, as Russia claims ongoing battles in the region.

Any Ukrainian operations in ‘Russian border regions’ will benefit future talks with Moscow, presidential advisor says. “Will the events in this or that Russian border region have a psychological impact on society? It will, without a doubt,” Mykhailo Podolyak said on national television, implying this will create additional pressure on the Kremlin.

‘Many’ Russian soldiers captured in Kursk Oblast battles, Ukraine’s state project claims. The project published drone footage of what it presented as 32 captured Russian soldiers, adding that eight more did not fit into the frame.

Ukroboronprom joins ranks of world’s top 50 defense companies for first time. Ukroboronprom was ranked 65th last year, moving up by 16 positions in 2024.

Putin signs law banning ‘undesirable’ foreign state-funded organizations. The law on “undesirable” organizations has existed since 2015 and has been used to target perceived opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime, including NGOs, independent media outlets, human rights groups, and others.

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Ukraine war latest: Battles in Kursk Oblast ongoing in 2 districts, Russia claims

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Aug. 8 that its forces continue to engage Ukrainian troops in the Sudzhansky and Korenovsky border districts of Kursk Oblast.

Photo: Russian Defense Ministry/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images

Ukraine brings war back to Russian soil with unprecedented attack on Kursk Oblast

In a rare example of maneuver operations at this stage of the war, Ukraine reportedly managed to advance up to 15 kilometers into Russia’s Kursk Oblast in a short space of time.

Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images

Orban’s arguments crumble in Lukoil spat with Ukraine

The Hungarian government’s arguments against Ukraine’s sanctions on Russian oil company Lukoil are falling apart, as country fails to find supporters.

Even Russia, Hungary’s ally, has remained quiet despite a phone call between Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to discuss options.

Photo: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

Opinions and Insights

Francis Farrell: The difficult road forward to peace without catastrophe in Ukraine

Ukrainians want nothing more than to be able to live without fear of night-time missile attacks, to see their loved ones return home from the front not just for a short vacation but for good, and most of all, to stop the neverending conveyor belt of funerals and obituaries for the country’s best and bravest people

Photo: Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 2, injure 15 over past day. A “targeted” Russian drone attack also struck a department of the State Emergency Service in Nikopol, damaging a service car and the fire station but inflicting no casualties, the Interior Ministry said.

‘Accusations do not withstand criticism,’ Ukraine reacts to Niger breaking off relations. The West African nation of Niger cut ties with Ukraine on Aug. 6, two days after neighboring Mali made a similar announcement.

Russian airstrike against Sumy Oblast kills 2, including 6-year-old child. Russia attacked a border village in Sumy Oblast on Aug. 8 with KAB bombs, killing a 22-year-old man and his 6-year-old sister, Governor Volodymyr Artiukh said on television.

Russia strikes hospital in Nikopol, kills civilian. Russian forces attacked the city of Nikopol with artillery on Aug. 8, damaging a hospital and killing a 50-year-old man, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak reported.

Russian attack on Selydove in Donetsk Oblast kills 2, injures 11. A Russian glide bomb attack on the town of Selydove in Donetsk Oblast killed two civilians and injured 11 others, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported on Aug. 8.

International response

Ukraine may use German-supplied equipment in Kursk Oblast, Bundestag defense committee chair says. German-supplied weapons may be used in Ukraine’s “completely legitimate” incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, the Bundestag’s Defense Committee Chair Marcus Faber said on Aug. 8 after Russia claimed that German equipment was involved in the operation.

Bulgaria joins NATO mission to train Ukrainian military. Sofia said that this decision gives a “clear signal” of its commitment to supporting Ukraine, upholding Euro-Atlantic values, and strengthening allied solidarity in joint efforts to maintain international peace and security.

Estonia beefs up checks at Russian border to tighten sanctions. The new measures are designed to prevent sanctioned goods from entering Russia, the ERR public broadcaster reported.

Russia, China discuss barter trade as sanctions hamper payments, Reuters reports. Russia and China are discussing the possibility of a barter trade, with the first deal involving agriculture expected as early as this autumn, Reuters reported on Aug. 8, citing three undisclosed trade and payment sources.

Western companies continue insuring Russian oil tankers in spite of potential price cap violations, Reuters says. According to data seen by Reuters, five Western insurance companies have continued providing services to Russian oil tankers, despite concerns that most Russian oil is still being traded above the $60 per barrel price cap.

Ukraine at Olympics

Ukraine finishes 4th at Olympics in kayak quadruple sculls at 500 meters. The Ukrainian athletes completed the course in 1:21.01, behind Spain, Australia, and Germany.

Ukraine wins silver, bronze in Greco-Roman wrestling at Olympics. Ukrainian wrestlers Parviz Nasibov and Zhan Beleniuk won silver and bronze respectively at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 8.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Kateryna Hodunova, Nate Ostiller, Elsa Court, Francis Farrell, Rachel Amran, and Sonya Bandouil.

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