Thursday, August 8

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Ukrainian army medics treat wounded Ukrainian soldiers at a stabilization point in the Pokrovsk direction, Donetsk Oblast, on Aug. 7, 2024. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Russian governor declares ‘state of emergency’ in Kursk Oblast, says situation remains ‘very difficult.’ Several thousand people have been reportedly evacuated amid the ongoing fighting in the oblast, Russian media reported.

Putin meets top Russian officials over Kursk region situation as more battles reported. Russian pro-war Telegram channels claimed that fighting was ongoing in the region’s towns of Sudzha and Korenevo, writing that the Russian military has retreated from the Sudzha gas metering station, which transits gas to Europe through Ukraine.

‘Ukraine has legal right to defend itself,’ EU says on incursion in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. “The EU continues to fully support Ukraine’s legitimate right to defense against Russian aggression and its efforts to restore sovereignty and territorial integrity,” European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said.

Putin calls clashes in Russia’s Kursk region ‘large-scale provocation.’ Moscow claimed that Ukrainian forces crossed the border into Kursk region on Aug. 6, resulting in clashes on Russian soil. Kyiv has not commented on the fighting in the area.

Sumy Oblast announces mandatory evacuation for 6,000 residents as Russia intensifies attacks amid Kursk incursion. Over the past day, Moscow’s troops have increased aviation activity near the border areas of Sumy Oblast, dropping about 30 guided aerial bombs on the settlements, Ukraine’s General Staff said in its latest update.

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Russian offensive expected to wind down within 2 months, Budanov says. “The practice of a 10-year war shows that the offensive potential of any side does not last more than two months. The Russian offensive operations are approaching three months, so there will be some decline,” Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) chief Kyrylo Budanov said.

Ukrainian FPV drone hit Russian Mi-28 helicopter in ‘historic’ feat, source says. The drone operated by the Special Operations Center “A” of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) managed to hit the helicopter’s tail rotor, the source said, calling it “a unique special operation in military history.”

US citizen Ksenia Karelina pleads guilty to treason in Russian court over donation to Ukraine, state media reports. Ksenia Karelina, a U.S.-Russian dual national accused of treason for allegedly raising money for the Ukrainian military, plead guilty to treason, Russian state-run news agency TASS claimed on Aug. 7.

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Ukraine war latest: Russian offensive expected to wind down; more battles in Russia’s Kursk region reported

The main thrust of Russia’s offensive should come to a close within one and a half or two months, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in comments to graduates of the Kyiv School of Economics, Forbes Ukraine reported. “The practice of a 10-year war shows that the offensive potential of any side does not last more than two months,” Budanov said.

Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images

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

Russian sovereign territory is once again under attack after Ukrainian forces launched an ambitious operation across the state border in Kursk Oblast in large numbers on Aug. 6. As of the second day of the incursion, a mix of sources have reported a larger offensive involving a Ukrainian force likely numbering hundreds of troops and dozens of vehicles strong.

Photo: Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images

Oleksandr Khyzhniak wins Olympic gold, adds his name to a long list of Ukrainian boxing champions

Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak defeated Nurbek Oralbay of Kazakhstan 3:2 in the Olympic boxing middleweight final, claiming his first-ever gold. On his way to his second career Olympic final, Khyzhniak, coached by his father Oleksandr, has been out of the boxing ring for almost a year and underwent surgery, but he still remained the clear favorite to win in Paris.

Photo: Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Azov soldier Ishchenko died in Russian captivity due to ‘blunt force trauma,’ report shows. Azov Brigade soldier Oleksandr Ishchenko died in Russian captivity due to a blunt force trauma to his chest, according to a forensic expert report, published by Azov deputy commander, Sviatoslav Palamar on Aug. 7.

Prominent Russian war propagandist severely injured in Kursk Oblast. Prominent Russian propagandist and pro-Kremlin TV reporter Yevgeny Poddubny was severely injured during a drone attack on Russia’s Kursk Oblast on Aug. 7, Russian state media agency Rossiya 24 claimed.

Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 3, injure 14 over past day. A total of 13 Ukrainian oblasts came under Russian attacks – Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Sumy, Cherkasy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Luhansk, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk. Casualties were reported in the latter five regions.

International response

US reaching out to Ukraine over reports of Kursk region incursion, White House says. U.S. officials are reaching out to their Ukrainian counterparts “to get a little better understanding,” of the situation in Russia’s Kursk region, where clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces are currently taking place, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Aug. 7.

Vance says he ‘won’t even take calls from Ukraine’ in leaked texts, Washington Post reports. “Two very senior guys reached out to me. The head of their intel. The head of the Air Force. Bitching about F-16s,” J.D. Vance said in the leaked messages with far-right conspiracist Charles Johnson.

Ukraine, Zambia sign memorandum on political consultations. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba signed a memorandum on political consultations with his Zambian counterpart, Mulambo Haimbe, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said on Aug. 6.

Ukraine at Olympics

Ukraine to compete for gold, bronze in Olympic wrestling. Ukraine has so far won eight medals at the Paris Olympics - including three gold, two silver, and three bronze. The country is guaranteed at least one more medal on Aug. 8.

Ukrainian wrestler Oksana Livach finishes 4th in 50kg freestyle. Ukrainian Greco-Roman wrestler Oksana Livach finished in fourth place in the 50-kilogram category at the 2024 Paris Olympics losing her bronze medal bout to Japan’s Yui Susaki on Aug. 7.

Canoeist forced to hide ‘I am Ukrainian’ inscription during Olympics, sponsor says. Ukraine’s canoeist Anastasiia Rybachok was forced to paint over an inscription “I am Ukrainian” she had displayed on her boat during the Paris Olympics, Rybachok’s sponsor, BGV Group, said on Aug. 7.

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