Russia launched a large-scale air strike on Ukraine overnight, injuring at least four railway workers.

Highlights

18:42 American soldiers will remain in Poland and the United States is ready to increase their number if Warsaw wants, US President Donald Trump said today during a visit to the White House by Polish President Karol Nawrocki.

17:19 Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that it is possible to agree on an acceptable solution to the war conflict in Ukraine if"common sense prevails." He made the remarks at a press conference discussing his visit to China.

15:56 The presence of the leaders of Russia and North Korea alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping at a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday was part of efforts to build an anti-Western"new world order," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Wednesday. TASR reported this, according to an AFP report.

15:22 Ukrainian arms producer Fire Point will start producing fuel for long-range missiles in Denmark, the Danish government announced on Wednesday. Reuters reports that this will be the Ukrainian defense company's first expansion abroad, TASR writes.

Fire Point produces Flamingo missiles, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the country's most successful weapon.

The production of fuel for long-range missiles will be located near the Danish military air base Skrydstrup, where Copenhagen stores its fleet of F-16 fighter jets.

"It is a helping hand to Ukraine in its fight for security, its own independence and, last but not least, for the opportunity to live in peace," Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told reporters.

❗️⚔️ - Ukrainian media published a video purportedly showing launches of long-range "Flamingo" missiles.



"We will continue our proactive measures to protect Ukraine as needed. Forces and resources are ready, with more strikes planned," President Zelensky wrote following a… pic.twitter.com/YpDlRl6jrS

— The Informant (@theinformant_x) August 31, 2025

15:13 The head of the military administration of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syněhubov, said today that Ukrainian troops have repelled Russian attacks near Kupyansk. Moscow previously claimed that Russian troops had penetrated the center of Kupyansk and controlled half of this important frontline city.

The commander of one of the Ukrainian units fighting on this front line, Yuri Fedorenko, said that the report of the Russians penetrating the city center is a Russian information operation. According to him, the Russians are trying to infiltrate the city in civilian clothes to get a picture with the Russian flag. According to him, several dozen of them were captured this way."The situation in Kupyansk is fully under control. The occupiers are blocked on the northwestern outskirts," he told the Suspilne station.

14:36 The possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet in the coming weeks or months is very small and unlikely, according to experts. The current situation suits Russia, which does not want direct negotiations and is using time and favorable conditions on the front, agree analysts contacted by ČTK. A possible meeting between the leaders of the two countries was discussed two weeks ago after US President Donald Trump's talks with the Ukrainian head of state.

"Russia could not completely reject the American proposal for a meeting, because it would risk secondary sanctions, but it is also not interested in meeting with the top leadership of Ukraine," said Vlastislav Bříza of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University. According to him, Moscow is following the traditional tactic of trying not to provoke a conflict with the United States, but at the same time delaying direct negotiations with Kiev.

Karol Sloboda from the Institute of International Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University added that Russia has been questioning Zelensky's legitimacy from the beginning."Putin has never assessed Zelensky as an equal partner, he claims that he is a puppet of the West," he said. According to him, Moscow plans for talks to come only when Russia manages to significantly break Ukrainian resistance and impose its own conditions.

Analysts emphasize that Moscow is using the time to strengthen its position on the front."The Russian side is trying to weaken the Ukrainian army and gain a strategic advantage before possible negotiations. More intensive attacks are part of the strategy," Svoboda said. Breza added that Russia is combining military initiative with a favorable summer climate and slow pressure from the West to delay possible talks.

Pavel Havlíček from the Association for International Affairs also pointed out that Russia is blatantly showing disinterest in trilateral negotiations."It has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president and the validity of the documents he signed. We have thus reached an impasse resulting from the incompatibility of the Russian and Ukrainian positions," he said. According to him, the negotiations in the background are taking place primarily between the United States and Ukraine, often with pressure on Kiev to make concessions, while no significant results have been achieved on the Russian-American axis so far.

14:00 According to Atlantic Council analysts, the summer advance of Russian troops against Ukraine ended in a significant setback, which disrupts the long-term picture of an inevitable victory for Russia.

13:20 The Czech government has allocated one billion crowns each year for the program to support Ukraine from 2026 to 2030. (approximately 40.8 million euros) This was announced by Foreign Minister Ján Lipavský (non-partisan, running for Spolu) after today's cabinet meeting. In the years 2026 to 2028, the National Development Bank will receive half a billion crowns each year to co-finance European projects or for guarantees. Another 500 million crowns per year will go to bilateral humanitarian, stabilization and reconstruction projects, including assistance to Ukrainian refugees in Moldova.

The program for humanitarian, stabilization, reconstruction and economic assistance to Ukraine was allocated 500 million crowns each year from 2023 to 2025. There have been debates about the money for the program, and the Seznam Správy server reported in July that, according to its sources, the proposal is being blocked by the Ministry of Finance.

13:07 A man has died in a Russian attack in the Khmelnytskyi region in the west of the country, regional head Serhiy Tyurin announced. In Khmelnytskyi alone, several private and public buildings and two trolleybuses were damaged, he said. Authorities in Lutsk in the Volyn region and Ivano-Frankivsk region also reported damage.

12:55 Russia continues to seek international recognition of parts of Ukraine annexed and occupied by Russian forces. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says any peace agreement must include international recognition of the occupied Ukrainian territories as part of Russia.

But Ukraine insists it will never accept Russian control over its territory and vows to reclaim territory occupied by Moscow. Russia says it has annexed five Ukrainian regions - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia - as well as the Crimean peninsula, which it seized in 2014.

"For lasting peace, the new territorial realities that have emerged must be recognized and formally confirmed in accordance with international law," Lavrov said.

Ukraine is demanding a ceasefire before discussing territories, but Russia refuses to halt the current offensive until a full agreement is reached. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha responded by saying that Russia was responding to peace efforts led by US President Donald Trump with"old ultimatums."

"Russia has not changed its aggressive goals and shows no signs of readiness for meaningful negotiations," Sybiha said, adding:"It is time to impose new, tough sanctions on the Russian military machine and hold Moscow accountable."

Strike after strike. Ukrainian tanks destroy Russian occupiers

12:26 NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that he expects clarification from Thursday's summit of Ukraine allies on the security guarantees that Europe can offer Kiev after the end of Russia's war in Ukraine. TASR reports this according to a Reuters report.

"I expect that tomorrow or shortly after tomorrow we will have clarity on what we can offer together," Rutte said at a press conference with Estonian President Alar Karis at NATO headquarters in Brussels."This means that we can engage even more intensively with the American side to find out what it wants to offer in terms of security guarantees," he explained.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-chair a largely online meeting of leaders of the"coalition of the willing" working on a security guarantee plan for Ukraine on Thursday. Western officials say the main purpose of the guarantees will be continued strong support for the Ukrainian armed forces, but the measures are also expected to involve international forces. European leaders have made it clear that this will only be possible with US support, which US President Donald Trump promised during a joint meeting last month, AFP reports. However, Washington has not yet specified how it is willing to contribute.

Rutte tried to reassure NATO's eastern European members at a press conference that the resources dedicated to security guarantees for Ukraine would not be provided at the expense of the Alliance's eastern flank."We must avoid excessive dispersion of our resources and always consider the impact this will have on NATO's plans," he added, according to Reuters.

12:21 Britain has added 11 entities and individuals linked to Russia to its sanctions list, some of whom it accuses of participating in the forced deportations and re-education of Ukrainian children. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has called Russia's abductions of Ukrainian children despicable, Reuters reported today.

"The Kremlin's policy of forcibly deporting, indoctrinating and militarizing Ukrainian children is despicable," said Lammy, who, according to Sky News, promised to impose further sanctions against Russia on Tuesday.

Ukraine says Russia has abducted tens of thousands of children without the consent of their families or guardians since the start of the invasion. Ukraine has called this a war crime that meets the UN definition of genocide. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin's plenipotentiary for children's rights, Maria Lvovova-Belova, over the abduction of Ukrainian children from occupied territories to Russia.

12:05 Russian troops have penetrated the center of Kupyansk and control half of this important frontline city in eastern Ukraine, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said today. The information could not be independently verified, and the Ukrainian side has not yet commented on the report.

The Russian ministry has released drone footage showing a soldier standing on the road holding a Russian flag."The drone footage confirms the control of Russian troops over approximately half of the territory of the city of Kupyansk," the ministry said, adding that Russian troops are in the city center, in the area of the most important buildings.

Kupyansk is a railway junction that the Russians seized at the beginning of their large-scale invasion, which began in February 2022. The Ukrainians recaptured the city after a few months in a lightning counter-offensive in the area, and it now represents one of the bastions of Ukrainian defense in the Kharkiv region. The Russian army announced the penetration of the city, which was home to 25,000 people before the war, in November last year.

11:38 Leaders of the Nordic and Baltic countries will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Copenhagen on Wednesday. They will discuss further support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion. This was announced by the office of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, TASR reports, citing AFP.

"The heads of state and government will discuss how the Nordic-Baltic countries can provide further support for Ukraine on the front line and in the negotiating room," the statement said. According to Frederiksen, the leaders of the NB8 Nordic-Baltic cooperation group want to express unequivocal support for Ukraine and put further pressure on Russia.

"The response to Russian aggression is not just about the security of Ukraine. It is also about the security of Europe. The world order as we know it. Only with a strong Europe and a strong Ukraine can we ensure a lasting and just peace," the Danish Prime Minister declared.

11:32 Russia announced on Tuesday, August 2, that it had signed a legally binding agreement with China to build a new cross-border gas pipeline, Power of Siberia 2, which is another step in measures to strengthen relations between the two allies.

11:11 Russia carried out another large-scale air attack on Ukraine overnight. It used 502 drones and 24 flat-track missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. Railway and energy infrastructure suffered damage. Fighter jets were scrambled in Poland due to the attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was demonstrating his impunity with the attacks.

In the town of Znamyanka, a major railway hub in the Kirovohrad region, a Russian drone strike injured five people, said the head of the local military administration, Andriy Raykovch. He said 28 residential buildings were damaged, with one completely destroyed.

In the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine, a Russian attack has deprived more than 30,000 households of electricity, said the head of the local military administration, Vyacheslav Chaus.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia used 502 Shahid attack drones and other types of unmanned aerial vehicles in the attack, as well as 16 Kalibr flat-trail missiles and eight Kh-101 missiles. Some 430 drones, 14 Kalibr missiles and seven Kh-101 missiles were destroyed. In total, 14 unspecified locations were hit by three missiles and more than 60 drones.

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is demonstrating his impunity. And this definitely requires a world response. Only because of insufficient pressure, primarily on the war economy, does Russia continue this aggression," Zelensky wrote on Telegram, adding that international pressure on Russia will be discussed today in Copenhagen at a summit with the Nordic and Baltic countries.

9:33 The Polish army activated the highest level of alert on Wednesday night due to a massive Russian attack on western Ukraine. Polish and allied fighter jets, including F-35s, took to the air. Ground-based air defense systems and radar reconnaissance were also added. The Polish operational command reported this on the X network.

"On the night of September 2-3, 2025, the Russian Federation again launched attacks on targets located on Ukrainian territory," the command wrote."To ensure the security of Polish airspace, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces has activated all necessary procedures. Polish and allied aircraft are intensively operating in our airspace, and ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest level of alert," the Polish operational command added.

It later reported that operations by the Polish and allied air forces in Polish airspace had been terminated in connection with the cessation of attacks by the Russian Federation's long-range aviation on Ukraine.

"Thank you for the support of @NATO, @NATO_AIRCOM and the Royal Netherlands Air Force @Kon_Luchtmacht, whose F-35 fighters helped ensure security in Poland last night," the Poles wrote.

9:25 The DPRK is willing to help Russia in any way possible, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un told Russian President Vladimir Putin at the start of their bilateral meeting in Beijing.

8:47 Russia launched a large-scale air strike on Ukraine overnight, injuring at least four railway workers. Poland has deployed defense aircraft in response to the Russian strike, Ukrainian and Polish authorities said on Wednesday. TASR reports this according to a Reuters report.

The attacks occurred as Russian President Vladimir Putin was attending a military parade in Beijing to mark the end of World War II.

An air raid alert sounded across Ukraine for several hours, with explosions heard in nine of its 24 regions, from Kyiv to Lviv to Volyn in the west, Ukrainian officials and media said. Ukraine's western neighbor and NATO member Poland has activated aircraft to ensure its security, the armed forces command said."The Russian Federation is once again carrying out attacks on targets located on the territory of Ukraine," the operational command wrote in a post on X.

Four railway workers in the central Kirovohrad region were hospitalized after an airstrike, Ukrainian State Railways said on its Telegram platform, warning of delays to dozens of trains due to damage to its facilities. Five people were injured and 28 houses in the region were damaged in a Russian attack on the village of Znamyanka, Ukrainian emergency services said on Telegram.

In the western Ukrainian city of Khmelnytskyi, there were"significant disruptions" to public transport following the attack, city authorities said on Telegram. The governor there reported fires and damage to residential buildings. Russia did not immediately comment on the attack.

Ukrainian Marines Raise Ukrainian Flag in Occupied Kherson Region

7:39 A warning of Russian missile and drone attacks was in effect across Ukraine at around 4:40 a.m. local time (3:40 a.m. CEST) on Wednesday, Reuters reported. Five people were injured in a Russian drone strike in the village of Znamenka in the Kirovohrad region south of Kiev, the Ukrainska Pravda website reported, citing the head of the local military administration, Andriy Rajkovich.

Polish and allied aircraft have scrambled to protect Polish airspace after a nighttime airstrike by Russian forces in western Ukraine, the Polish military said. The Polish air force has repeatedly taken similar action.

In Russia's Rostov region, a drone that crashed near a train station has disrupted power supplies and delayed dozens of trains, local railways said. (Reuters)

7:30 Ukrainian border guards shot and killed a Ukrainian man on Tuesday who was trying to illegally cross the border. The incident occurred in the Odessa region. It is unclear whether he was trying to cross the border with Romania or Moldova.

The border guard says a group of people tried to cross the border. Officers responded with several warning shots. They managed to detain one man at the border barrier. However, another was found with fatal gunshot wounds. Authorities are investigating the incident.

Since the beginning of Russia's all-out invasion three and a half years ago, martial law has been declared in Ukraine. Men between the ages of 23 and 60 are only allowed to leave the country in justified cases. Only last week, the government allowed men between the ages of 18 and 22 to leave the country. Dozens of Ukrainian men have died trying to cross the so-called green border since the declaration of martial law. (tasr)

7:13 The Ukrainian State Office for Minority Affairs and Freedom of Conscience has filed a lawsuit in court, which seeks to terminate the activities of the Kiev Metropolitanate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church and its Moscow Patriarchate.

5:55 NATO chief Mark Rutte says no country in Europe is safe from Russian missiles. He has issued a stark warning to European countries over increased defense spending, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.

"We are not doing this just for a one-man audience (for Trump), we are doing this because... the threat from the Russians is increasing every day. Let's not be naive. One day it could also affect Luxembourg or my country, the Netherlands. We are all safe now. We think we are far from Russia, but we are very close," he said.

"With the latest Russian missile technology, for example, the difference between Lithuania on the front line and Luxembourg, The Hague or Madrid is now 5 to 10 minutes. That's the time it takes for this missile to reach these parts of Europe. So we are all under direct threat from the Russians, we are all now on the eastern flank, whether you live in London or Tallinn... there is no difference anymore," he said.

Rutte also responded to the suspicion of Russian GPS jamming that affected the plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Bulgaria over the weekend. He said NATO was taking it very seriously and had"stepped up its response to cyberattacks", pointing to a number of incidents across Europe.

"I've always hated the word hybrid because it sounds so cute, but hybrid is exactly that: the disruption of commercial aircraft with potentially catastrophic consequences, the attempted assassination of a major industrialist in one of NATO's allied countries, the attack on the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. These are not small, nice incidents. These are huge incidents with huge impact," Rutte said, according to The Guardian.

Regarding the situation in Ukraine, he noted that any lasting peace requires a stronger Ukrainian army, but also"security guarantees from Ukraine's friends and partners, the US, Europe and others." He noted that intensive work is being done on this.

The so-called Coalition of the Willing, which includes about 30 states actively assisting besieged Ukraine, will meet in Paris on Thursday. Some participants will join via video. They are expected to discuss, among other things, security guarantees for Ukraine after a ceasefire.

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