[NYP] WASHINGTON — CIA Director John Ratcliffe is visiting Moscow Tuesday, according to reports — after a mysterious military flight landed in the Russian capital.
Ratcliffe arrived aboard a C-17 transport plane that departed Joint Base Andrews, a base outside Washington used for high-ranking official travel.
The plane stopped in Latvia en route to Moscow, with the Pentagon and White House initially declining to comment on who was aboard.
CBS News and Axios reported that it was Ratcliffe who made the trip.
The CIA did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for information.
Ratcliffe is one of Trump’s most trusted advisers and heavily involved with the Iran war, though it is unclear what he may be discussing with Russian leaders.
Long-stalled efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war have been handled primarily by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law, …Jared Kushner… who traveled to Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin in January.
#4
He left after a few hours, so clearly this was something that needed to said face-to-face, and the discussion after it's delivery required the highest level of secure comms. Not a small matter, and clearly one of urgency. Very curious.
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/25/2026 14:45 Comments ||
Top||
#7
My guess, given the near toppling or at least major fracturing of the Iranians from the impact of the financial D-Day, we needed the Russians to stop something kinetic/terrorist the Iranians were planning, that had a Russian component or their awareness of it to help stop it.
#8
From CTH article posted earlier this morning:
"According to Visegrad, “President Putin had a major event scheduled for today, with hundreds of people preparing for it. The event was canceled due to the visit of the CIA director, according to Kremlin pool journalists.” CIA Director John Ratcliffe is now returning home from Moscow."
#9
... we needed the Russians to stop something kinetic/terrorist the Iranians were planning...
That is a good theory.
Another possibility, given Russian-Iranian economic ties, is we want to the Russians to back off a bit. In exchange for "other considerations", of course.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] A polar bear attacked a ranger patrolling the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve. Izvestia reported this on August 24,citing a source.
At the time of the incident, 53-year-old Pavel G. was checking the reserve's territory with his colleagues. He failed to notice the predator approaching, which suddenly attacked him.
The inspector was unarmed. His colleagues managed to drive the animal away, administer first aid, and transport the victim to safety. As a result of the attack, the man suffered lacerations to his shoulder and thigh.
However, due to adverse weather conditions, evacuation had to wait three days. A medical flight was only able to pick up the injured man from the island on August 22. He is currently in the surgical ward.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 22:36 On the evening of August 23, Russian forces launched a drone strike on the Ukrainian Red Cross warehouse in Kherson. A fire broke out at the site.
As a result of the fire, humanitarian supplies stored in the warehouse worth almost 28 million hryvnias were damaged and destroyed.
This includes equipment and materials for preparation for the autumn-winter period, as well as supplies for a rapid response to the consequences of shelling, including materials for temporary covering of damaged buildings.
The warehouse also stored medical supplies, blankets, hygiene kits, equipment for providing water and electricity, and other humanitarian aid.
There are no injuries among the employees and volunteers of the Ukrainian Red Cross.
22.18 Ukraine and the United Kingdom have signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence, which provides for the joint development of new defense technologies and the use of Ukrainian combat data to train AI models.
21.51 A search operation continues for the fourth day at the site of the Russian strike on a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih: three people are being sought, including a child.
Eight service dogs from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine also arrived at the scene, along with dog handlers from Sumy, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Poltava regions, and Dnipro.
Dog teams have already examined over 1,000 sq. m of the destroyed complex. Rescuers from the State Emergency Service dismantled 1,900 sq. m of damaged structures.
21.33 Ukraine is preparing its energy system for the new winter under constant Russian attacks, strengthening the protection of facilities and accumulating necessary equipment for the regions. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal.
21.06 For the first time in history, Russia purchased gasoline from Turkey, a country it has supplied with crude oil and fuel for years.
The first tanker with a consignment of Turkish gasoline in the volume of up to 50 thousand tons will arrive at one of the Baltic ports of the Russian Federation by the end of August. The fuel is being transported by the tanker Wendrix, which is included in the sanctions lists of the European Union, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, and was loaded in the Turkish port of Mersin.
This is the fifth import of gasoline to Russia since July. In early August, the first tanker with gasoline from India was unloaded in Murmansk. Russia also purchased gasoline from Morocco.
20.15 French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that allies cut off fuel supplies to Russia. The politician stated this while speaking at a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Kyiv on Ukraine's Independence Day.
The French leader noted that in recent months, Russia, which for a long time remained a large exporter of energy resources, has begun to import them itself.
"Now Russia is buying diesel fuel, oil and gas from third countries because of our measures against the "shadow fleet" and because of the very effective actions of the Ukrainian army. And I think it is very important that we introduce new sanctions to prevent our own countries or companies from supplying relevant resources to Russia," Macron said.
In this regard, the French president stressed the need to control the activities of Swiss and other intermediaries through which Moscow can receive Western fuel.
18.57 Russia spends about 340 billion euros a year on war, while Ukraine spends 140 billion euros. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference following the results of the summit of the Coalition of the Willing in Kyiv, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
18.44 Two more Russian FSB agents were sentenced to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property. The perpetrators directed hostile fire at the positions of the defenders of the Donetsk region.
18.29 There is currently no total blockade of the Black Sea. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this during a press conference following the summit of the Coalition of the Willing in Kyiv, Ukrinform reported.
18.26 On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence, ground robotic complexes, aircraft, drones, and sea drones were demonstrated in Kyiv.
Instead of the traditional military parade, Ukrainian ground robotic complexes Rys Pro and TerMIT drove along Khreshchatyk, and unmanned sea boats, including Magura and Sea Baby, which are used by the Defense Forces, sailed along the Dnieper.
In addition, fighter jets and strike drones of various types, including SHARK and P1-SUN, flew over Kyiv. Interceptor drones were also presented during the demonstration.
18.02 The FPV crew of the first separate assault regiment named after Dmytro Kotsiubayl destroyed the portable satellite Internet terminal of the Russian invaders, Spirit-030, in the Hulyaipil direction.
The Spirit-030 is a rare device that the Russians are using as a replacement for Starlink terminals. The antenna diameter of this equipment is only 30 cm, which makes it much more difficult to detect.
Russian troops began massively deploying Spirit-030 terminals after March of this year.
17.55 Russian military will regularly strike Kyiv, allegedly "in response" to Ukrainian drone attacks on Ozon marketplace warehouses and other trade infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this in a comment to Russian propagandists.
17.28 Ukrainian experts discovered Nvidia Jetson Orin microcomputers in the wreckage of Russian drones that could use fully autonomous guidance using artificial intelligence.
Experts have found microcomputers in the wreckage of drones that the Russian military launched during alleged tests of an autonomous target selection system in Zaporizhia. Nvidia said the Jetson Orin is a low-cost model designed for civilian robotics and machine vision systems.
The Ukrainian internal intelligence service showed the publication two such guidance systems with damaged but recognizable Jetson components. Air defense officials said that on July 6, a drone with one of these systems killed three people during an attack on Zaporizhia.
Based on the results of the chip analysis, Ukrainian investigators found that the Russian drones, which were tested in Zaporizhia from May to July, completely left the decision to strike to the Jetson Orin computer.
17.10 A Russian informant who installed hidden telephone cameras to correct shelling in western regions of Ukraine was detained in the Rivne region. The SBU reported this.
17.02 The court sentenced another Russian military officer involved in committing war crimes. The perpetrator brutally treated civilians during the temporary occupation of Bucha, Kyiv region. The perpetrator turned out to be a serviceman of the 234th Airborne Assault Regiment of the 76th Airborne Assault Division of the Russian Armed Forces.
16.32 Covert mobilization is spreading in Russia. Over the past month and a half, residents of at least 17 regions have complained of violent detentions and coercion to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense.
In most appeals to human rights activists, people indicated that the victims are men from vulnerable social groups. That is, those who have problems with alcohol, drugs, mental health, as well as those who are elderly or physically ill, lonely, or have problems with the law.
For example, a man in Novorossiysk was taken to the police station, beaten, drugged, and forced to sign a contract. In the Arkhangelsk region, a man was detained for drinking on the street and sent to the front, in Omsk, a man was taken straight from work, held, and a contract was signed for him, and in Udmurtia, a man was removed from the psychiatrist's register and sent to the Donetsk region.
16.29 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is continuing discussions on the possibility of lowering the mobilization age in Ukraine to 50-55 years. This was stated by Roman Kostenko, People's Deputy, Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda.
16.23 Russian occupiers launched several airstrikes on Sloviansk at around 10:10 a.m. Four hits were recorded in the central part of the city, said the head of the Donetsk OAV, Vadym Filashkin.
According to him, "at least 7 people were injured as a result of the airstrikes." Among the injured is a boy born in 2010. All the wounded are being provided with the necessary medical assistance.
16.14 Since the beginning of 2026, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine have performed more than 100 thousand logistical and evacuation tasks using ground robotic complexes (GRC). This was reported by the Ministry of Defense.
All operations of robotic complexes are recorded in the DELTA combat system. Ground drones operate where human presence is especially dangerous: they deliver ammunition, water and food to positions, and also help evacuate the wounded and fallen.
15.34 The number of people injured in the Russian drone strike on Chernihiv has increased to 20. This was reported by the head of the Chernihiv OVA Vyacheslav Chaus in Telegram.
Rescuers extinguished a fire that broke out after a Russian drone hit a high-rise building. The building was significantly damaged.
15.10 Russian troops launched an attack on Pavlograd. One person was killed and two others were injured. The attack set several cars on fire and damaged windows in a high-rise building.
14.58 The second stage of the next exchange of prisoners of war took place, as a result of which 10 citizens of Ukraine returned via Belarus. This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (KSHPPV). A feature of this exchange is that all rescued servicemen were registered as missing.
14.45 On August 24, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland a new honorary distinction of Ukraine - Gratitude of the Ukrainian People.
This award was only established on August 20 by presidential decree. It is intended to demonstrate "the respect and gratitude of the people of Ukraine" to the people of foreign countries who support Ukraine during the war. This includes military, humanitarian and financial assistance, political support, and shelter for Ukrainians.
Thus, it was the people of Great Britain who became the first to receive Ukraine's new honorary distinction after its founding.
14.02 British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was ready to increase military support for Ukraine, particularly in the area of air defense and countering Russian missile attacks. He said this during the celebrations for Ukraine's Independence Day on Sophia Square in Kyiv on Monday, August 24.
Burnham stressed that Ukraine is actually "on the front line of European security," so allies should not only help, but also show respect and gratitude to Ukrainians.
According to him, Britain will not abandon its support for Ukraine, even despite threats from Russia.
He specifically emphasized that it is not just about strengthening air defense. Among the priorities are "stopping Russia from launching its missiles," cutting off supply chains, and destroying weapons before they are used.
13.55 On the morning of August 24, the Russians shelled Izyum, Kharkiv region, according to preliminary data, with MLRS "Tornado-S". A man was killed, a child was injured. A man was killed, a child was injured due to shelling of Izyum with MLRS. This was reported by the press service of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office. It is noted that the hit was recorded in the ground near residential buildings. A 46-year-old man was killed. A 13-year-old girl suffered shrapnel wounds.
13.44 On Monday night, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine in Kamensk-Shakhtynsky, Rostov Region, Russia struck the federal state-owned enterprise Kombinat Kamensky. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this.
13.18 The Ukrainian Armed Forces' Unmanned Systems Forces (UAS) hit three Russian Ozon company warehouses, one MiG-29 fighter jet, and other enemy targets. This was reported by UAS Commander Robert "Magyar" Brovdi on Telegram.
13.10 On August 24, the Russians shelled the village of Komyshany with artillery. Three people were injured as a result of the shelling of the village. This was reported by the Kherson OVA. It is noted that a 76-year-old woman received mine-explosive and closed craniocerebral injuries, a concussion and contusion. Doctors are conducting additional examinations and providing her with assistance. Two more victims - a 75-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman - were prescribed outpatient treatment. As reported by the head of the Kherson OVA, Oleksandr Prokudin, the Russian occupiers killed a man in the Korabelny district of Kherson.
13.07 On the morning of August 24, an unidentified drone violated Moldovan airspace after Russia's massive attack on Ukraine. Romania scrambled F-16 fighter jets to control the situation, NewsMaker reports.
The Moldovan Defense Ministry said that the incident caused the airspace in the south of the country to be restricted for 15 minutes. It was later reopened. However, the origin of the drone has not yet been "established." The agency stressed that the violation occurred after a nighttime Russian attack on Ukraine.
12.41 A Russian Shahed jet drone hit a residential building in Chernihiv. 14 people are currently reported injured.
12.20 North Korea continues to prepare for additional troop deployment in Russia, but there are no signs that such a deployment will take place in the near future. This was reported by the South Korean Ministry of Defense, Reuters reports. It is noted that North Korea continues to supply Russia with weapons, including short-range ballistic missiles. According to estimates, North Korea has supplied Russia with more than 15 million units of artillery ammunition, including 152-millimeter shells.
12.12 Criminal proceedings have been initiated in Ukraine on the facts of new war crimes committed by Russian Army General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, First Deputy Minister of Defense of the aggressor country. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported this.
11.56 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on awarding military personnel with state awards, as well as three decrees on conferring the title of Hero of Ukraine. The documents were published on the president's website. The title of Hero of Ukraine with the award of the Order of the Golden Star for personal courage and heroism shown in the defense of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, selfless service to the Ukrainian people is awarded to Sergeant Major Danylo Biyanov, Major Yuriy Spassky, and Colonel Eduard Kolodiy.
11.49 As a result of a Russian missile and drone attack in Odessa, two Epicenter hypermarkets are burning - at the 7th kilometer market and in the village of Kotovskogo.
11.27 On Monday morning, power outages were recorded in six regions of Ukraine due to Russian attacks on civilian energy infrastructure. Ukrenergo reported this. Emergency restoration work is already underway wherever security conditions currently allow.
11.08 The British government will allow the European defense company MBDA to declassify information about British components of the Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles for Ukraine. This is stated in a press release of the British government. It is noted that the defense company MBDA may disclose classified information about British components of the long-range SCALP missile, as Ukraine and France seek to establish local assembly lines in Ukraine.
11.02 The European Commission has agreed to additional financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 6.1 billion euros for the purchase of weapons. This was announced by EC President Ursula von der Leyen on the social network X
10.46 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on behalf of the United States, congratulated the people of Ukraine on the 35th anniversary of independence and stressed that America is committed to Ukrainian sovereignty. This is stated in a statement by the US State Department. It is noted that the US continues to work to support a negotiated settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which will establish a strong and lasting peace. The States also reaffirm the strong cooperation between the two countries 35 years after Ukraine declared its independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991.
10.32 On Monday night, Russian aggressors attacked the territory of Ukraine with eight missiles, various drones, and Banderol loitering munitions. Air defense units destroyed most of the enemy targets, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
10.24 Ukrainian drones attacked several large warehouses of the Ozon marketplace in southern Russia on the night of August 24. The first to be hit was a logistics center in Krasnodar. The Moscow Times reports this. Drones also hit the largest Ozon warehouse in the North Caucasus - in Dagestan. In addition, last night, Ozon warehouses in Adygeysk and Nevinnomyssk were evacuated due to the threat of a drone attack.
9.10 Russian troops launched a massive missile and drone strike on food warehouses and energy infrastructure in the Odessa region. This was reported by the head of the Odessa OVA Oleg Kiper. Private houses were also damaged. Fires broke out. No information about the victims has been received yet. The consequences of the attack are being eliminated on the ground.
8.49 231 combat clashes were recorded on the front during the past 24 hours. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on August 24. Over the past 24 hours, aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces struck eight areas of concentration of enemy manpower, six control points of unmanned aerial vehicles, five artillery pieces, one control point, one communications node, two multiple launch rocket systems and one radar station of the Russian invaders.
8.20 Russian troops struck gas stations in Chernihiv and Poltava regions, one person was injured. This was reported by the State Emergency Service and the head of the Poltava OVA Vitaly Dyakivnych. It is noted that in Chernihiv region yesterday evening, the Russians struck a gas station in the Novgorod-Siversky district. A fire broke out on the territory of the facility. A 59-year-old gas station employee was injured. The occupiers also hit a UAV at a gas station in the Poltava region. According to the head of the OVA, no people were injured.
7.52 In the war against Ukraine, Russia lost another 1,490 soldiers, 68 artillery systems, and 554 units of automotive equipment and tanker trucks. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on August 24. The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 24.08.26 amounted to about 1,478,070 people.
7.23 Russian troops attacked Konotop with drones on the night of August 24. This was reported by Konotop Mayor Artem Semenikhin. According to him, the attack destroyed the Korund-S fleet and burned buses. In addition, most of the city was left without gas.
04.04 A large Ozon warehouse caught fire in Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Krai, Russia, after a drone attack, according to data from Astra OSINT analysis.
We are talking about the Ozon regional fulfillment center with an area of 93,514 sq. m. The facility is used for storage, sorting of goods, picking orders and sending them to customers.
03.27 Russian troops attacked an armored rescue vehicle in the Donetsk region with FPV drones.
The enemy used two FPV drones to attack an armored rescue vehicle that was on its way to respond to a call to help people in Kramatorsk.
As noted, no personnel were injured.
01.44 In Krasnodar, Russia, a warehouse of the Kuchenland Home chain of tableware and home goods stores caught fire after a UAV attack, according to data from the Astra Telegram channel.
OSINT analyst Astra identified the location of the fire based on eyewitness photos. It is a warehouse at 24/8 Krugovaya Street.
00.46 Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi, together with Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal and members of the Estonian delegation, visited Lukyanivka in the capital, an area that was devastated by Russian missile and drone strikes.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 21:00 Two civilians suffered during the attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Rakitnoye in the Belgorod region
Damage to residential buildings, commercial properties, and vehicles was also recorded in Novaya Tavolzhanka, the village of Oktyabrsky, and the villages of Gora-Podol, Pristen, and Krasnaya Yaruga.
20:13 During the day from 8.00 to 20.00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 42 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type over the territories of the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk regions, Krasnodar Krai, the Republic of Crimea and over the waters of the Black Sea.
19:27 During the day, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued striking at sea vessels, port and logistics infrastructure of Ukraine, deployed in the interests of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The following were hit by strike drones and air-launched precision weapons:
- at the port of Odessa – a dry cargo ship that delivered military cargo to Ukraine;
- at the port of Yuzhny – three tanks with fuel and lubricants and four storage facilities with military equipment intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as port infrastructure facilities used for unloading military cargo.
In addition, in the Odessa region, two logistics centers used for storing ammunition, weapons and military equipment, as well as military property intended for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, were hit.
18:08 Military engineers of the Dnepr group equipped more than 200 kilometers of anti-drone corridors in the Kherson region.
Special mesh screens along roads effectively stop enemy UAVs, protecting civilians and military convoys from attacks.
17:50 Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destroyed Ukrainian Armed Forces command post – video.
17:20 Aerial reconnaissance revealed position of a Ukrainian UAV crew. A reconnaissance drone tracked a Ukrainian Armed Forces fighter carrying an R-18 (Baba Yaga) heavy attack drone to cover. That cover was soon dismantled by soldiers of the 128th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade using FPV drones.
16:09 Paramilitary group demining neutralized a UAV and an explosive device in Nova Kakhovka.
15:52 Russia and Ukraine conducted a 10-for-10 prisoner exchange taking place in Belarus.
15:26 In Nova Kakhovka after shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces damaged MFC building with no civilian casualties.
14:42 In the Aleshkinsky district over the past two weeks, as a result of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, seven civilians were killed and 15 people were injured, including a teenage girl.
The district head reported that over the past two weeks, 1,863 shelling incidents and 2,161 Ukrainian Armed Forces UAV attacks have been recorded in Oleshki alone. Residential buildings, stores, cultural facilities, and energy infrastructure have been damaged and destroyed.
14:10 Two Epicenters at once burned down in the Odessa region after the Geranium raid
One fire occurred in Odessa, near the village of Kotovsky. A second Epicenter facility is burning at the Seventh Kilometer market. The company itself reported damage to both facilities.
13:45 Summary of the Ministry of Defense on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of August 24, 2026
Units of the "North" force group defeated the personnel and equipment of a mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade near the villages of Kyianytsia and Pisarevka in Sumy Oblast. In Khar'kov Oblast, units of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were defeated near the villages of Velykyi Burluk and Prykolotne in Khar'kov Oblast.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 235 servicemen and 11 vehicles.
Units of the Western group of forces have taken up more advantageous positions and lines.
The manpower and equipment of mechanized and assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a naval infantry brigade were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Izyumske, Selishche, Chervony Oskol in the Khar'kov region and Svyatogorsk in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy's losses amounted to more than 220 military personnel, 25 vehicles, three artillery pieces and three electronic warfare stations.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces have improved their position along the front line.
Formations of two mechanized and a mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Kondratovka, Semenovka and Vasilyevskaya Pustosh of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost over 255 servicemen, a German-made Leopard tank, two armored combat vehicles, 29 cars and four field artillery pieces.
Units of the Center group of forces, as a result of active operations, liberated the village of Kucherov Yar in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The manpower and equipment of the mechanized and assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, and two National Guard brigades were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Belozerskoye, Verovka, Dobropolye, Novotroitske, Sergeyevka in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Ivanovka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 330 servicemen, six armored combat vehicles, eight cars, and two artillery pieces.
Units of the "East" force group advanced deep into enemy defenses and liberated the village of Dolinka in the Zaporizhzhia region. They inflicted losses on the personnel and equipment of the assault and airborne assault brigades, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a naval infantry brigade near the villages of Vasylkivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, and Barvinovka, Nikolske, and Omelnik in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The enemy lost over 315 servicemen, three armored combat vehicles and five cars.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' mechanized brigade and the territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Malokaterinovka and Orekhov in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Up to 45 military personnel, 11 vehicles and two electronic warfare stations were destroyed.
13:14 Two people died and nine were wounded in LPR as a result of drone attacks
"Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian force also attacked vehicles and civilian, municipal, and industrial infrastructure in the Starobelsk, Perevalsk, Kremensk, Troitsk, Novopskov, and Belokurakinsky municipal districts, as well as in Luhansk, Rovenki, Lisichansk, Sverdlovsk, and Pervomaysk. Falling debris caused fires in open areas in four municipalities of the Republic," reported LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik.
12:49 Units of the Eastern Group of Forces released Dolinka settlement, Zaporizhzhia region.
12:25 Units of the North group of forces took the settlement of Pershe Travnya in Sumy Oblast is under control.
12:07 In the Boguslav direction, Russian Armed Forces continued an offensive to the village of Vysshee Solenoe
Unmanned aerial vehicle units of the 1st Tank Army of the West Guard continue to destroy the positions of Ukrainian Armed Forces UAV crews in a populated area.
11:34 Servicemen of the Dnepr group of forces destroyed enemy reconnaissance and attack UAVs in the Kherson direction
11:08 Russian Armed Forces applied strikes on targets in Slavyansk
10:40 The Investigative Committee of Russia will investigate crimes committed by Ukrainian armed forces against civilians in the Krasnodar Territory, Belgorod Oblast and the Donetsk People's Republic
According to local authorities, the attack by Ukrainian Armed Forces drones in Krasnodar resulted in minors being killed and injured, and their number is being determined.
In the Belgorod region, three people were injured due to Ukrainian drone strikes.
A man was injured in an explosive device explosion in Donetsk, DPR. A civilian in Horlivka was wounded in an attack by an Armed Forces UAV.
10:32 Number of casualties in the drone attack on Krasnodar increased to 12
According to the Krasnodar emergency response center, residents were injured when drone debris fell on a five-story apartment building and a private children's center. The strike killed two children and injured 12 civilians.
Currently, ten people, including six children, are hospitalized; doctors assess their condition as moderate.
9:57 Over the past 24 hours, the Kupol Donbassa system and combined mobile fire groups have been operating over the territory of the DPR, destroying 5 enemy drones aimed at civilian infrastructure facilities.
9:11 Summary about the operational situation in the Kursk region over the past 24 hours.
In total, 173 enemy drones of various types were shot down between 9:00 AM on August 23 and 9:00 AM on August 24. The enemy used artillery on evacuated areas 111 times. Drones attacked our territory seven times using explosive devices.
8:50 Crews of the 152mm 2S19 Giatsint-S self-propelled guns of the Vostok group destroyed enemy UAV control points in the Dnepropetrovsk direction.
8:41 During the past night, air defense forces on duty intercepted and destroyed 351 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type over the territories of the Astrakhan, Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov regions, Krasnodar Krai, Stavropol Krai, the Republic of Adygea, the Republic of Crimea and over the waters of the Azov and Black Seas.
8:06 Tonight, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued to carry out group strikes with high-precision air-launched weapons and attack unmanned aerial vehicles on Ukrainian ports and vessels involved in delivering cargo for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
As a result of strikes in the port of Yuzhny in the Odessa region, the following were damaged:
- a tanker that delivered fuel and lubricants intended to supply the Ukrainian Armed Forces;
- five tanks with fuel for the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the territory of the fuel and lubricants warehouse complex;
- ten storage facilities for military equipment on the territory of the logistics terminal;
- port infrastructure facilities used for unloading and storing military cargo.
In addition, the PS-330 Adzhalik electrical substation (28 km northwest of Odessa), which ensures the functioning of the Yuzhny port, was damaged.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Air defense systems destroyed 988 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones and 11 Flamingo long-range cruise missiles in the special operation zone in the past 24 hours. The Russian Defense Ministry press service reported this on August 24. But how many did Ukraine launch?
The agency also clarified that air defense forces shot down 17 guided aerial bombs and three rockets from a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system.
Furthermore, over the past 24 hours, Russian forces struck a military-industrial complex, Ukrainian port, energy, and transport infrastructure facilities that the enemy had exploited, logistics centers, a long-range drone production facility, and temporary deployment sites for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and foreign mercenaries of the Kyiv regime in 142 districts. The strikes were carried out using tactical aviation, drones, missile forces, and artillery.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have recently intensified attacks on civilian targets in Russia. For example, on the night of August 24, a Ukrainian Armed Forces strike on an apartment building in Melitopol killed a man and wounded another woman. Doctors are providing the injured woman with all necessary medical care.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has filed new charges in absentia against Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. The Ukrainian agency reported this on its Telegram channel on August 24.
The suspicion was brought against him following a massive attack on Kyiv on the night of July 2, 2026. According to Ukrainian investigators, Gerasimov personally commanded the attack.
This is the third charge brought against Gerasimov by the SBU. Ukraine announced the previous one on July 3, also in connection with the attack on Kyiv. And in 2015, the SBU placed the Chief of the General Staff on the wanted list, allegedly in connection with the encirclement and defeat of Ukrainian forces near Ilovaisk.
On July 2, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the Russian Armed Forces launched a massive retaliatory strike in response to the Kyiv regime's terrorist attacks on Russia's civilian infrastructure. Long-range air-, land-, and sea-based precision-guided weapons, as well as attack drones, struck military industrial facilities and fuel and energy complex facilities in Kyiv and the Kyiv region used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In addition, military airfield infrastructure in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions was hit.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko called the attack on the Ukrainian capital on the night of July 2 the most massive since the start of the special military operation. He said damage was recorded in all districts of the city.
Earlier, the SBU issued charges against two Russian military commanders for shelling Ukraine's critical infrastructure. These are Sergei Kobylash, commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces' Long-Range Aviation, and Admiral Igor Osipov, former commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The SBU accuses the former of shelling Tupolev missile carriers, and the latter of ordering Kalibr strikes from February 24 to August 10.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[TASS] Approximately 3 million skilled workers and operators of industrial equipment and machinery must be attracted to the Russian economy over the next seven years, according to Russian Minister of Labor and Social Protection Anton Kotyakov. The easiest way to grow a workforce is in the wombs of the nation’s women. This does require not killing off the potential husbands of those women in unnecessary wars.
"Over the next seven years, it will be necessary to attract approximately 3 million additional skilled workers and operators of production facilities and machines to the economy," Kotyakov said, as quoted by the Ministry of Labor's press service.
According to the minister, given continued demand, it's important to popularize blue-collar jobs among young people and highlight the opportunities they offer. By 2032, the economy will need to attract nearly 140,000 additional welders and gas cutters, while approximately 150,000 workers will need to be recruited into a group of professions that includes turners, milling machine operators, and CNC machine operators, Kotyakov added.
This is about whether migrants will be brought into the Russian Federation or not. Of course they will. Purely for economic reasons. Another issue is that this only partially solves the problem of a shortage of low-skilled labor and practically does nothing to address the shortage of highly skilled labor.
Not to mention that bringing in masses of foreigners, as Europe and America have both learnt, results in the culture being swamped by newcomers who see no reason to adapt to a people that so lacks confidence in itself that its people choose not to colonize the future for themselves.
Without restoring a properly functioning vocational school system, which effective managers have successfully ruined, there will be no source of large numbers of skilled workers. Hopes for Koreans here are illusory – the Koreans can send a maximum of a few tens of thousands of workers. This will not save the "father of Russian democracy."
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) Space Forces successfully launched the Soyuz-2.1b medium-class launch vehicle from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk Region. The Russian Ministry of Defense press service reported this on August 24.
The launch took place at 5:40 AM Moscow time from the Russian Ministry of Defense's State Test Cosmodrome. A Russian Aerospace Forces combat crew deployed the rocket carrying the spacecraft, which was launched on behalf of the military.
Earlier, the Angara-1.2 light launch vehicle carrying military satellites launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The launch was carried out by a combat crew of the Space Forces. The rocket successfully lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 11:29 AM Moscow time.
Previously, a rocket carrying spacecraft for the Ministry of Defense had successfully launched on April 17. The Soyuz-2.1b medium-class launch vehicle was launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 2:17 AM Moscow time. The spacecraft were inserted into their target orbit on schedule. A stable telemetry link was established with them, and the onboard systems were functioning normally.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
