Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my subscribers here on Substack and anyone who wishes to keep up with the news from the war.

Share Grumpy’s Substack

GSAFU Morning Report

For: Aug 31, 2026

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on Aug 31 stated that day 1650 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.

Ukrainian defenders continue to actively conduct the systematic destruction of the enemy and offer effective resistance in all areas of the front, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. The AFU are exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and disrupting their plans to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.

Over the past 48 hours, 446 combat engagements took place.

During the past two days, aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine have hit 16 enemy manpower concentration areas, 13 artillery systems, 12 BPLA control points and 9 other important enemy targets.

Over the past 48 hours, the enemy carried out 4 missile strikes,170 air strikes, used 22,871 attack drones and carried out approximately 6,100 attacks on populated areas and the positions of Ukrainian forces.

Air Force Daily Report

125 ENEMY TARGETS SHOT DOWN/SUPPRESSED

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During the night of August 30th (from 18:00 on August 29th), the enemy attacked with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from the Kursk region of Russia, as well as 130 attack drones of the Shahed type (most were jet-powered), Geran, S8000 “Banderol,” and imitation drones of the “Parody” type, launched from the directions of: Kursk, Orel, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia, TOT (Temporarily Occupied Territory) Donetsk, and Gardiivske - TOT Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, and unmanned systems, as well as mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

According to preliminary data, as of 08:30, air defense forces shot down/suppressed 125 enemy drones of the Shahed, Geran types, and other types of drones in the north, south, east, and center of the country.

Hits by enemy air attack assets were recorded at 13 locations, and debris from downed drones fell at 4 locations. In addition, some enemy attack assets did not reach their targets, and information about them is being clarified.

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96 ENEMY TARGETS SHOT DOWN/SUPPRESSED

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During the night of Aug 31 (from 18:00 on Aug 30), the enemy launched an attack using one Х-59 guided air-to-surface missile from the airspace over the Black Sea, as well as 121 attack drones of the Shahed type (mostly jet-powered), “Gerber,” and imitation drones of the “Parody” type, launched from the directions of: Kursk, Orel, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk – Russia, and also from the temporarily occupied Donetsk region and the village of Guards in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, and unmanned systems, as well as mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

According to preliminary data, as of 08:00, the air defense forces shot down/suppressed 96 enemy drones of the Shahed, “Gerber,” and other types in the north, south, east, and center of the country. The Х-59 guided air-to-surface missile did not reach its target.

Hits by enemy air attack assets were recorded at 11 locations, and debris from downed drones fell at 8 locations.

ALONG THE CONTACT LINE

Sumy Sector: A Ukrainian official source refuted Russian claims of advances northeast of Sumy City.

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed on Aug 29 that Russian forces seized Khrapivshchyna (northeast of Sumy City).

The Ukrainian Kursk Grouping of Forces refuted the Russian MoD claim on Aug 29 and stated that Ukrainian forces control Khrapivshchyna.

Kupyansk Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Kupyansk direction.

Ukrainian forces recently conducted a clearing mission with foot-mobile infantry in the Kupyansk direction, likely following a condition-setting effort aimed at suppressing Russian drone strike capabilities in the area. The Ukrainian 2nd Khartiya Corps reported on Aug 30 that Ukrainian forces have cleared two square kilometers of a forested area southwest of Zapadne and continue to advance west of Dvorichna (both north of Kupyansk).

The 2nd Khartiya Corps posted a geolocated video showing at least 15 to 20 Ukrainian servicemembers running into the forested area, and it is likely that Ukrainian forces conducted up to a platoon-sized infantry assault.

The footage shows that Ukrainian forces operated freely in the open field, which suggests that Ukrainian forces had likely successfully suppressed Russian drone capabilities in the area beforehand, such that Russian forces had not been able to repel the advance. Ukrainian forces previously seized seven and a half square kilometers of windbreaks southwest of Dvorichna and advanced into northern Zapadne.

Borova Sector: Russian forces recently conducted an infiltration mission in the Borova direction.

Ukrainian forces struck a Russian servicemember in northern Bohuslavka (northeast of Borova), according to geolocated footage published on Aug 30, which ISW assesses occurred after a Russian infiltration mission.

Slovyansk - Lyman Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk direction.

Ukrainian forces recently advanced east of Novoselivka (northwest of Lyman) according to geolocated footage published on Aug 29.

Kostyantynivka Sector: Russian forces continue infiltration missions in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.

Ukrainian forces struck Russian positions in southern and central Dovha Balka (south of Kostyantynivka), according to geolocated footage published on Aug 28, which ISW assesses occurred after Russian infiltration missions.

Russian forces struck a Ukrainian position in northern Stepanivka (southwest of Kostyantynivka), according to geolocated footage published on Aug 27, indicating that Russian forces have not consolidated positions in Stepanivka as ISW previously assessed.

Dobropillya Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Dobropillya direction. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Dorozhnye (southeast of Dobropillya), according to geolocated footage published on Aug 29.

Ukrainian forces also either maintained positions or advanced west and south of Novyi Donbas, given that Ukrainian forces are present in these areas according to geolocated footage published on Aug 28 and 29, contrary to Russian claims.

THE WAR AT SEA

Russian grain exports shift to Baltic as Black Sea trade disrupted

Russian grain exporters are ​rerouting shipments to the Baltic Sea, including ports in the Baltic states, after Ukrainian drone attacks in the Black Sea ‌and the Sea of Azov forced them to seek alternative routes, Reuters reported citing traders and analysts on Monday.

Russia and Ukraine have been pounding each other’s export terminals and grain-carrying vessels in the Black Sea, creating the biggest disruption to Black Sea trade since the conflict in Ukraine began more than four years ago.

Russia ​exported 46.3 million metric tons of grain via ports in the Azov and the Black Sea in the last exporting season - ​July 2025 to June 2026 - accounting for 90% of total Russian seaborne grain exports, industry data shows. ⁠Russian Baltic ports shipped only about 1 million tons.

Russian exporters are also increasingly looking to ports in the Baltic states, mainly in Latvia, an EU and NATO member, analysts and traders said, with shipments expected to spike next month.

Despite strained relations between Russia and its Baltic neighbours, Russian grain shipments through the ​Baltic countries have continued, although they fell to about 1 million tons in the last season from 2.5 million tons two years ago, ​according to analysts.

“The Baltic region, the northwest, is the main resource now,” said Andrey Sizov, head of Sovecon consultancy. “In September, I think, we will see ‌a sharp ⁠increase in shipments through the Baltic states and through Russian Baltic ports.”

Arkady Zlochevsky, head of the Russian Grain Union, a lobby group for farmers, estimated that Russian exports through the Baltic states could reach between 5 and 6 million tons this season or even 10 million tons if Estonian ports also become available.

Sizov at Sovecon estimates potential exports through Baltic state ports at between 200,000 and ​400,000 tons per month, or double ​his estimate for the Russian ⁠Baltic terminals.

Combined grain-handling capacity across the three Baltic states exceeds 18 million tons annually, but these facilities also handle grain from other origins in Europe.

The Baltic states were once key export gateways for Russian oil ​and fertilizers but, as relations deteriorated Russia sought to develop its own shipping infrastructure.

When Russia became ​a major player in ⁠the global agriculture trade and the world’s largest wheat exporter, it built grain terminals at Vysotsk and Ust-Luga ports. Grain can also be shipped via the ports of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.

Russian ports in the Baltic Sea have a total estimated capacity of up to 7 million tons of ⁠grain a ​year.

Despite their expansion, capacity is not enough to fully replace the Azov and ​Black Sea ports. Zlochevsky at the Russian Grain Union estimates that, at best, all other Russian ports combined as well as land transport could handle only about half of ​shipments that would normally go through Azov and Black Sea ports.

TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Nothing major to report.

THE HOME FRONT

Fourth strait day of Russian attack on Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast

Ukraine’s capital and the surrounding region are enduring their fourth consecutive day of attacks on Aug. 30 as Russia continues to launch waves of drones during the day and night, the Kyiv Independent reported citing local authorities.

Drones have been flying toward the capital for hours at a time, with explosions and the sound of air defense fire rocking the city throughout the morning and afternoon.

In Kyiv Oblast, two people were injured in the afternoon as a result of drone attacks, emergency services reported. Near the town of Fastiv, one person was injured after a house caught fire, while in Vyshhorod another person was injured after the attack set two garages ablaze.

In the capital itself, a fire broke out in a non-residential building in the city’s Shevchenko district, Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko reported at 1:26 p.m local time,. Shortly after, at around 1:40 p.m., Kyiv Independent journalists in the city center reported hearing a loud explosion.

Klitschko announced at 1:55 p.m. that a medical crew had been dispatched to the Holosiivskyi district. He later said that a cafe had been damaged from falling drone debris but that there were no casualties.

More explosions and air defense fire were heard at 3:10 pm, with smoke rising from an area near the city’s TV tower, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground.

Another attack earlier in the morning caused a massive fire at a non-residential building in the Holosiivskyi district, Ukraine’s Emergency Services reported.

In Odesa Oblast 3 people were injured as a result of Russian attacks

Rescuers are dealing with the aftermath of more than 20 Russian attacks in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast that included a hardware store, gas station, garages and residences, fortunately no injuries have been reported.

Russian attacks terrorized Mykolaiv Oblast overnight. As a result of one of the enemy attacks, a warehouse at a food processing plant was damaged, causing a large fire. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

Kyiv under near-constant air raid alerts for 5th day as Russian strikes kill 7, injure 43 across Ukraine

Ukraine is facing a fifth consecutive day of nonstop Russian jet-powered drone attacks, while Russian strikes in other regions have killed at least seven people and injured another 43 over the past day, the Kyiv Independent reported citing local authorities.

Russia has launched nearly 800 jet-powered drones toward Ukraine over the past four days, as the Aug. 31 attack continues. The drones can reach speeds of up to 600 kph (373 mph), making them roughly four times faster than earlier Russian Shahed-type models.

Kyiv Oblast remains the key target of the strikes, with eight air raid alerts sounding by 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 31. The capital recorded 13 alerts on Aug. 28 — the highest number since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Constant air raid alerts are disrupting businesses and public transportation, affecting both residents’ daily lives and the broader economy.

At the same time, the nonstop attacks are placing mounting strain on Ukraine’s air defenses, while also increasing the civilian casualty toll. The continued strikes targeting Kyiv on Aug. 31 injured six people, three of whom were hospitalized in serious condition. Most of the victims were in Pohreby, a village about two kilometers (1.2 miles) north of the capital, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Oblast State Administration, said Russian drones damaged warehouses and a retail outlet in Kyiv Oblast’s Brovary district, while three warehouses and a residential building were damaged in the Boryspil district.

In eastern Donetsk Oblast, four people were killed and seven injured in Russian strikes in the region over the past day, governor Vadym Filashkin said.

In southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, two people were killed, and three were injured by Russian attacks, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.

In southern Kherson Oblast, Russian attacks in the region killed one person and injured 16 others, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injured five people over the past day, governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported, according to the reports published on Aug. 30 and Aug. 31.

In a separate attack on an industrial facility in the city of Kryvyi Rih in the morning of Aug. 31, a fire broke out at the facility, injuring two men, Hanzha added.

In northeastern Kharkiv Oblast, over the past day, four people were injured, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

In southern Odesa Oblast, Russian forces struck Ukrainian postal giant Nova Poshta’s terminal on Aug. 31, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper said. No civilians were injured, Kiper added.

MOSCOVIIA

Ukraine Attacked Russian Oil Refineries 21 Times in August— A Monthly Record

In August, Ukraine launched a record number of strikes against Russian oil refineries—at least 21 attacks in a single month, Bloomberg reports.

The strikes led to a decline in oil refining volumes and triggered a new wave of gasoline shortages.

According to the publication, such a high number of strikes on Russia’s fuel infrastructure within a single month has never been recorded before.

In August, four of Russia’s ten largest oil refineries were targeted. These facilities supply fuel to Russia’s most densely populated and industrially developed regions.

According to estimates by EA Analytics, a division of Energy Aspects, Russian refineries processed slightly more than 3.8 million barrels of crude oil per day in August. A year earlier, during the summer, this figure stood at 5.3–5.5 million barrels per day.

In total, Ukrainian strikes using long-range drones have disabled more than 30% of the actual and 45% of the nominal capacity of Russian oil refineries.

Due to the decline in refining volumes, gasoline production and supply to Russia’s domestic market fell by nearly 20% in the first three weeks of August compared with the same period last year.

A record number of Ukrainian strikes also forced Russian authorities to tighten restrictions on fuel exports.

Moscow has banned most gasoline exports until the end of January 2027 and is considering extending restrictions on diesel fuel exports.

This intensity of attacks has caused a fuel shortage and forced Russia to seek quick ways to overcome it, including increasing imports from other countries such as India and South Korea, as well as making an unsuccessful attempt to import from Japan.

However, even these additional imports do not compensate for the shortage or meet Russia’s domestic needs.

RELATED INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Ukraine’s former defence chief seeks US investment for defence tech fund, FT reports

Ukraine’s former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov is seeking U.S. ​investment for a defence technology ‌fund, he said in an interview with the Financial Times that ​was published on Sunday.

In an interview with the FT in Washington, Fedorov, who was sacked by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month, also said he would be happy to help the US “build an army of drones” in exchange for American supplies of Patriot missile interceptors to help Ukraine in coming months.

Fedorov is seeking backing for the proposed fund from venture capitalists, private investors and US tech companies and said he was in discussion with “a large number” of prospective investors interested in Ukrainian innovation.

“This isn’t exactly a classic venture fund,” Fedorov said. “We’re writing a new history of the war,” he said.

The vehicle would go beyond a conventional venture capital fund, being able to create companies itself as well as invest in existing Ukrainian start-ups, he said. It would use western capital to develop technologies critical to Ukraine’s ability to resist Russia’s ongoing invasion.

He identified three initial priorities for the fund:

• battlefield robotics to reduce Kyiv’s reliance on manpower and the number of troops on the front line

• cheap high-speed interceptor drones to combat Russia’s new jet-powered attack drones

• low-cost AI-enabled missiles.

It was likely Russia would drag out the conflict, and if it did for another two or three years, the fund would develop state of the art “solutions for the battlefield” while also giving investors insights into the lessons Ukraine had learnt, he said.

Fedorov, 35, was Ukraine’s youngest-ever defence minister until he was sacked after just six months in office. The ousting sparked weeks of protest across the country and thrust Zelenskyy into the deepest political crisis of his presidency.

Ukrainian MPs, veterans and civil society leaders — including many who had supported Fedorov after his dismissal — were dismayed at news of his trip abroad. Many questioned his motives when he announced on Friday after a visit to Rome that he would serve as an unpaid adviser to the Italian defence minister.

Oleksiy Goncharenko, an opposition MP who chairs a parliamentary investigative committee, said in a post on social media that Fedorov’s Italian role could pose “a threat of leakage of knowledge about our cutting-edge military technologies”.

But Fedorov said helping Italy’s military innovate could open new doors for co-operation with a country that had air-defence capabilities Kyiv lacked. He said he would seek similar advisory positions with other partner nations, possibly including France and the US.

Fedorov declined to comment on whether he would meet anyone from the Trump administration while in Washington, but said he would be “very glad to help America build an army of drones — especially in exchange for Patriot [interceptors] so that we survive this winter”.

US Senator urges Congress to pass Russia sanctions bill ‘Moment of extreme urgency’

Democratic U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal urged his colleagues in the House of Representatives to approve long-awaited sweeping Russia sanctions legislation in an interview with CBS News on Aug. 30, as the House prepares to reconvene on Aug. 31.

The bill had been stalled in Congress since April 2025 amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s evolving approach to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly backed the legislation on Aug. 7, that, if passed through Congress, would impose tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas.

It remains unclear if the measure has enough support in the House to pass.

Blumenthal, who made a visit to Kyiv last week for Ukraine’s Independence Day celebrations, said he was “very hopeful” the measure would pass through the House, adding that during his visit to Kyiv he urged President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet with U.S. representatives, as he did with senators before the successful Senate vote.

“I’m very hopeful that he will because he’s Ukraine’s strongest advocate,” Blumenthal said referring to Zelenskyy.

The revised bill emerged from negotiations between the White House and the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who said shortly before his death on July 11 that he had secured the Trump administration’s support for the proposal.

Lawmakers argue the measure would provide the Trump administration with another tool to pressure Moscow to end its war against Ukraine.

Unlike the original version, which proposed a blanket 500% tariff on imports from countries purchasing Russian oil or natural gas, the revised legislation would impose tariffs of up to 100% on the world’s five largest buyers of Russian energy.

One U.S. official previously told the Kyiv Independent that Trump supports the legislation as a way to honor Graham, one of his closest allies in the Senate.

Fire breaks out at Polish manufacturer supplying drones to Ukraine

A fire broke out on Aug. 31 at a factory in the Polish city of Skarzysko-Kamienna that manufactures drone components, with investigators not ruling out arson, the Kyiv Independent reported citing Polish media.

The fire at the WB Electronics plant in south-central Poland broke out at around 12:23 a.m. local time and was brought under control in under two hours. No injuries were reported.

WB Electronics, one of Poland’s leading defense manufacturers, produces drones used by the Polish and Ukrainian militaries. The plant affected by the fire specializes in producing pumps for drones, according to Polish Radio.

The incident is under investigation by the Polish police and the Internal Security Agency (ABW). Investigators have not ruled out that the incident may be the result of arson, but have urged caution against spreading unverified claims about the cause.

WB Electronics was selected as one of the founding members of the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance, whose main stated goal is to strengthen joint security and encourage the “development of new drone and counter-drone technologies.”

The news comes as Western officials raise alarm over the rising cases of sabotage and arson across Europe, with many cases linked to Moscow. In Slovakia, three individuals were arrested in a plot to set fire to a Ukrainian-owned factory producing advanced surveillance drones on Aug. 25.

MILITARY & TECH

Musk Open to Ukrainian Drones Using Starlink in Russia – Decision Rests With U.S.

Elon Musk may allow Ukraine to use drones equipped with Starlink terminals to strike targets on Russian territory, but the final decision would have to be made by the White House. The Financial Times reports.

Meanwhile, he emphasized that the decision to grant such permission must be made by the U.S. administration.

According to the newspaper, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously approached Musk with a request to allow Starlink-equipped drones to be used to strike Russian ballistic missile launchers located up to 200 km from the Ukrainian border.

Starlink terminals are widely used by Ukrainian units on the front line. They provide internet access in areas where traditional communications infrastructure is unavailable or damaged.

Satellite communications also allow command centers to receive video feeds from drones and exchange data between units.

Starlink is also used directly in unmanned systems. Starlink terminals installed on drones have played an important role in Ukrainian operations against Russian military targets, including strikes on logistics routes in Crimea.

The system provides drones with a communications and data transmission link over significant distances.

That’s it for today’s Brief folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, it’s free!

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Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my subscribers here on Substack and anyone who wishes to keep up with the news from the war.

Share Grumpy’s Substack

GSAFU Morning Report

For: Aug 29, 2026

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on Aug 29 stated that day 1649 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.

Ukrainian defenders continue to actively conduct the systematic destruction of the enemy and offer effective resistance in all areas of the front, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. The AFU are exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and disrupting their plans to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.

Over the past 24 hours, 242 combat engagements took place.

During the past day, aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit three areas of concentration of enemy manpower and three points of control of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 77 air strikes, used 9,213 attack drones and carried out approximately 2,990 attacks on populated areas and the positions of Ukrainian forces.

Air Force Daily Report

233 ENEMY TARGETS SHOT DOWN/SUPPRESSED

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During the night of Aug 29th (from 18:00 on Aug 28th), the enemy attacked with an Onyx anti-ship missile, an Iskander-M ballistic missile launched from the temporarily occupied territory (TOT) of Crimea, and 267 Shahed-type attack drones (including jet-powered ones), as well as Gerber, S8000 “Bandera” and “Parody” type imitation drones, launched from the directions of Kursk, Orel, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia, and the TOT of the Donetsk region, and Guardskoye - the TOT of Crimea.

The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, and unmanned systems, as well as mobile fire groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to preliminary data, as of 08:30, the air defense forces destroyed/suppressed 233 enemy Shahed-type drones, Gerber drones, and drones of other types in the north, south, east, and center of the country.

Hits by enemy air attack assets were recorded at 15 locations, and debris from downed drones fell on 4 locations. In addition, some enemy attack assets did not reach their targets, and information about them is being clarified.

ALONG THE CONTACT LINE

Slovyansk - Lyman Sector: Russian sources are more frequently acknowledging the effectiveness of Ukrainian counterattacks in the Lyman direction.

A Kremlin-affiliated milblogger claimed on Aug 28 that Ukrainian forces hold the initiative in several areas of the frontline and are counterattacking southeast of Lyman, including west of Zherebets River, near Dibrova and Ozerne, and toward Yampil.

Kostyantynivka Sector: Ukrainian forces are reportedly making limited tactical gains in and near Kostyantynivka as Russian forces reduced ground activity in the area in the short-term.

Geolocated footage from early to mid-August 2026 provides more granularity about Ukrainian advances and Russian infiltrations in and near Kostyantynivka.

Ukrainian forces previously struck Russian positions and personnel in and west of Dovha Balka (west of Kostyantynivka), south of Chervone, and in southern Chasiv Yar (both northeast of Kostyantynivka) after what ISW assesses were Russian infiltration missions, according to geolocated footage published between August 2 and 17.

Russian forces also previously struck Ukrainian positions in northwestern, central, and southeastern Kostyantynivka, according to geolocated footage published on Aug 20 and 21.

Dobropillya Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced or maintained positions northeast and southeast of Dobropillya.

Russian forces recently struck Ukrainian positions in eastern Hannivka (just northeast of Dobropillya) and eastern Chernihivka (just southeast of Dobropillya) according to geolocated footage published on Aug 27, indicating that Ukrainian forces maintain positions in those areas contrary to previous Russian claims.

Western Zaporizhia Sector: Russian forces recently conducted infiltration missions in western Zaporizhia Oblast, as Ukrainian forces either advanced or maintained positions in southeastern Orikhiv.

Ukrainian forces recently struck a Russian position in southern Mala Tokmachka (southeast of Orikhiv) and Russian forces recently cleared a Ukrainian position in southeastern Orikhiv, according to geolocated footage published on Aug 28.

The geolocated footage indicates that Russian forces recently conducted infiltration missions in the areas and that Ukrainian forces maintain positions in southeastern Orikhiv contrary to Russian claims.

THE WAR AT SEA

Nothing major to report.

TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Nothing major to report.

THE HOME FRONT

Russian strike on Kyiv-area warehouse sparks detonation, killing 37

At least 37 people were killed after a Russian drone strike on a Kyiv-area warehouse ‌sparked a detonation, officials said on Saturday, as Moscow’s air attacks on the Ukrainian capital and surrounding region dragged into a third straight day Reuters reported on Aug 29.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to punish those responsible for the warehouse explosion late on Friday, which caused one ​of the highest death tolls in months and appeared to be the second such occurrence in ​two months.

Dozens were injured and more than 370 people evacuated from the area of ⁠the strike in the village of Myla, Zelenskiy said.

Nearby infrastructure suffered “significant damage”, he added, including residential buildings and ​a facility providing care for the elderly.

Friday’s blast follows a similar incident in the Kyiv-area ​town of Vyshneve ⁠last month, when 10 people were killed and hundreds of houses damaged after a strike triggered secondary explosions.

Zelenskyy said criminal cases had already been opened on charges of official negligence. ​Ukrainian officials rarely disclose damage to military targets from Russian attacks.

MOSCOVIIA

Russia’s gasoline output drops to 70% of domestic demand late in August following Ukrainian drone attacks

Russia’s gasoline production fell to about 70% of domestic consumption levels by the end of August after a series of drone attacks forced major refineries to suspend operations, according to two industry sources, Reuters reported on Aug 28.

Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure in ​a bid to curb Moscow’s revenues, creating a fuel crisis that has forced Russia to import ​petroleum products and maintain sales restrictions across the country.

After a brief respite at the ⁠end of July, when some local authorities began easing or lifting restrictions on fuel sales, shortages returned to ​Russian regions in August.

Gasoline production at the end of August dropped to roughly the same level seen in ​early July, at the peak of the first wave of a fuel crisis that had been building since May, according to sources.

Regional authorities have re-imposed restrictions, including limits on purchases per customer and sales schedules based on vehicle registration plate numbers.

The ​impact of the shortages has been partially softened by drivers avoiding non-essential trips because of the risk of ​long queues at filling stations or running out of fuel.

Over the past week, drones struck and halted operations at several major ‌refineries, ⁠including plants in Perm, Nizhny Novgorod and Yaroslavl, all significant producers of motor gasoline.

The emergency shutdowns widened the gap between gasoline production and market demand to about 35,000 metric tons per day, meaning that current output, of around 80,000 tons per day, compensates only for 70% of domestic demand, the sources said.

Seaborne supplies from Asian countries ​are expected ⁠to total about 270,000 tons in August, while gasoline imports from Belarus are seen reaching around 150,000 tons during the month, or roughly 5,000 tons per day, according to market participants.

In total, about 220,000 tons of imported gasoline have ⁠already arrived ​in Russia in August, traders estimate, averaging around 7,000 tons ​per day.

With gasoline exports banned until January 31 and imports supplementing domestic production, supplies to the domestic market could average about 97,000 tons ​per day in August, or around 85% of demand.

Shares in Russia’s second-largest bank hit record low

Shares in Russia’s second-largest bank VTB fell to an all-time intraday low of just under 50 rubles ($0.60) on 26 August, RBC’s exchange data showed. That was more than 40% below the 87-ruble (about $1) price set for a share sale partly intended to finance its Wildberries partnership. At that price, offering participants would pay about 75% more than investors buying the same shares on the stock market. Euromaidan Press reports.

VTB’s drop came amid a wider decline in Russian stocks. Kommersant’s market report said analysts also linked the fall to VTB’s own large new share issue.

Under the bank’s offering plan, VTB could issue almost one new share for every two already in circulation. If VTB sold the full amount, an existing shareholder who bought no new shares would see their ownership stake fall by about one-third. VTB planned to finish the sale and close its Wildberries deal by 1 September.

The bank expected to raise 300–400 billion rubles ($3.6–$4.7 billion). VTB said it had assembled a group of large investors willing to participate but would not disclose who they were. Those investors would receive the same class of shares traded on the Moscow Exchange, but at the price fixed by VTB.

VTB described the partnership primarily as a route into Wildberries’ 80 million users—more than twice the bank’s own customer base. VTB would initially acquire a 5% stake in Wildberries’ banking arm, with the option to increase its holding later.

Reuters described both companies—Wildberries and rival Ozon—as central to Moscow’s plans to use online commerce as an engine of economic growth.

On 9 July, VTB kept its price even after the stock had fallen well below the offering price. The bank said its large, long-term investors were willing to look past short-term price swings.

On 16 July, VTB hit another low as investors prepared for its dividend cutoff and the new share issue. The first drone strikes on Wildberries warehouses followed two days later.

RELATED INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Analysis - US ‘talking tough’ to Russia while carrying ‘smaller stick’

The United States is sending contradictory signals to Russia by trying to deter further aggression while reviewing its military presence in Europe, international security expert Roland Freudenstein, TVP World reports.

“The US is trying to talk tough to Russia while carrying a smaller and smaller stick,” said Freudenstein, a senior associate fellow at GLOBSEC’s Centre for Democracy & Resilience.

His comments follow CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow and Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby’s trip to Brussels this week, as Washington reviews its force posture in Europe.

Freudenstein also warned that Belarus could potentially be used in a future Russian attempt to test NATO’s Article 5.

“There is ongoing speculation that Belarus might be instrumental in a so-called false flag attack,” he said.

Backing Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski’s call for stronger deterrence, Freudenstein added: “If we blink, Putin will continue to push.”

MILITARY & TECH

Zelenskyy pledges to increase launches of long range drones targeting Russia to 1,000 drones daily

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for Ukraine to increase the frequency of its long-range drone strikes against Russia on Aug. 28, setting a goal of launching 1,000 drones a day.

Zelenskyy said in his daily evening address that Ukraine currently launches more than 300 long-range drones on average each day, but needs to significantly increase that number as Russia intensifies its aerial attacks against Ukrainian cities.

Zelenskyy’s comments came as Ukrainian forces have stepped up attacks on Russian energy and military infrastructure.

He also pointed to growing pressure on Russia’s fuel and export sectors, saying Moscow was already experiencing economic consequences from the war.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil infrastructure as part of its long-range strike campaign. Ukrainian forces launched a strike on Aug. 28 targeting one of Russia’s largest oil refineries in the Yaroslavl region. Ukrainian officials also said a Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber was damaged at Engels air base in the Saratov region.

The General Staff confirmed the target of the attack on Yaroslavl was the Slavneft-YANOS refinery, one of Russia’s largest oil-processing facilities.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine would continue expanding its long-range strikes if Russia refused to negotiate an end to the war.

“There will be even more such losses for them if Russia does not want to talk rationally about ending this war,” he said.

Ukraine Appeals to International Telecommunication Union to Exclude Ukraine From Rassvet System’s Coverage Area

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, appealed to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to exclude Ukraine’s national territory from the declared coverage areas of the Russian Rassvet satellite communications system in all frequency bands, Militarnyi reports citing Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on social media.

A corresponding note was transmitted to the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau through Ukraine’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva.

Ukrainian diplomats called on all partners to support the position and block the operation of the Rassvet system—not only over Ukraine’s sovereign territory but also over the sovereign territories of other countries.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the international use of the radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbits, as well as develops technical standards in the field of telecommunications. The organization includes member states, as well as companies and other participants in the telecommunications sector.

The organization plays a key role in the allocation and international coordination of radio frequencies used by satellites and ground stations. Through the ITU, countries register frequency assignments and the parameters of satellite networks to avoid harmful radio interference between systems in different countries.

The organization establishes international rules for the use of spectrum and orbital resources and provides a coordination mechanism in cases where the operation of one system may interfere with another.

On March 23, 2026, Russia launched into orbit the first group of 16 production Rassvet communications satellites from the company Bureau 1440, which are intended to serve as the Russian counterpart to the Starlink system. One satellite fell out of orbit, 12 formed an operational constellation, and three more continued to raise their orbits. The second batch of 16 satellites was launched on July 19.

An analysis of the orbits shows that the first operational constellation was already providing at least two stable communication windows per day over Ukraine, each lasting more than an hour. Russia can already plan specific operations while the satellites are passing overhead, even if it is not yet capable of maintaining a constant communication link.

Russia Announces Start of Mass Production of Volna Kupol Garant EW System to Counter Starlink

The Russians have announced the start of mass production of the Volna Kupol Garant electronic warfare system, designed to jam Starlink satellites, Militarnyi reports citing Russian news agency TASS.

Russia stated that it reserves the right to share this technology with all interested countries around the world.

Volna Kupol Garant directs a narrowband, high-frequency radio beam that overloads the satellites’ receiving antennas, preventing them from receiving signals from users within its range.

The electronic warfare (EW) system creates interference across eight satellite data transmission bands at 14–14.5 GHz, each with a bandwidth of 62.5 MHz, using a system of directional phased-array antennas.

The system is capable of operating within a 360-degree radius in the azimuth plane and 110 degrees in the elevation plane, and its total mass is 120 kilograms.

“The Russians, for example, took eight satellite ‘dishes,’ pointed them at a satellite, and each dish transmits jamming on its own channel… A single electronic warfare system provides protection for about 20 square kilometers,” explained Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, an advisor to the Ukrainian Minister of Defense on technology

According to Russian media, the electronic warfare project known as Russky Kupol first came to light on March 3, 2025, when it was launched by Sergey Aksyonov, head of the occupation administration of Crimea. The system is manufactured by a company of the same name, registered in Simferopol.

The cost of a single system is 150 million rubles — about 1.8 million U.S. dollars.

The developer is also known for the Volna 3M electronic warfare system designed to jam satellite navigation for UAVs, which the Russians have installed on Mi-8AMTSh multi-purpose helicopters.

The Russians are using the Volna Kupol Garant systems to protect key facilities, including the Kerch Bridge and Russian ports on the Black Sea, where they have been successfully targeted by the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

That’s it for today’s Brief folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, it’s free!

Subscribe now

Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my subscribers here on Substack and anyone who wishes to keep up with the news from the war.

Share Grumpy’s Substack

GSAFU Morning Report

For: Aug 28, 2026

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on Aug 28 stated that day 1647 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.

Ukrainian defenders continue to actively conduct the systematic destruction of the enemy and offer effective resistance in all areas of the front, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. The AFU are exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and disrupting their plans to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.

Over the past 24 hours, 250 combat engagements took place.

During the past day, aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit nine enemy manpower concentration areas, a gun and a BPLA control point.

Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 86 air strikes, used 10,602 attack drones and carried out approximately 3,340 attacks on populated areas and the positions of Ukrainian forces.

Air Force Daily Report

137 ENEMY TARGETS SHOT DOWN/SUPPRESSED

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During the night of August 28th (from 18:00 on August 27th), the enemy attacked with 164 attack drones of the Shahed type (half of which were jet-powered), Geran, and imitation drones of the “Parody” type, launched from the directions of: Orel, Bryansk, Millerovo (Russia), temporarily occupied Donetsk, and Guards (temporarily occupied Crimea).

The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, and unmanned systems, as well as mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

According to preliminary data, as of 09:00, air defense forces shot down/suppressed 137 enemy drones of the Shahed, Geran, and other types in the north, south, east, and center of the country.

Hits by enemy air attack assets were recorded at 16 locations, and debris from downed drones fell on 4 locations.

ALONG THE CONTACT LINE

Sumy Sector: Russian forces recently advanced northwest of Sumy City.

Russian forces recently advanced east of Bezsalivka (northwest of Sumy City) according to geolocated footage published on Aug 26.

Kostyantynivka Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.

Russian forces advanced in western Kostyantynivka according to geolocated footage published on Aug 26.

Ukrainian forces struck a single Russian servicemember west of Kostyantynivka after what ISW assesses was a Russian infiltration mission, according to geolocated footage published on Aug 27.

Eastern Zaporizhia Sector: Russian forces continue to conduct infiltration missions in the Hulyaipole direction.

Russian forces recently infiltrated in central Dobropillya (northwest of Hulyaipole), according to geolocated footage published on Aug 26.

THE WAR AT SEA

Nothing major to report.

TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Nothing major to report.

THE HOME FRONT

Russian forces kill at least 10, injure 43 over past day across Ukraine

Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, endured an unusual all-day barrage of Russian drones on Aug. 27, with warehouses coming under attack on the city’s outskirts, while at least 10 civilians were killed and 43 injured across Ukraine over the previous day, the Kyiv Independent reported citing local authorities.

As of 9 a.m. local time, at least 10 drones remained in Ukrainian airspace. Air raid alerts were issued several times throughout the morning in Kyiv and other regions amid the threat of jet-powered drones.

In Kyiv Oblast, one person was killed and two others were injured in Russian attacks overnight on Aug. 28, regional Governor Tymur Tkachenko said.

Throughout the day, Russian jet-powered drones targeted warehouses belonging to Ukrainian businesses in the region. At least 14 warehouses were damaged, as well as 16 houses and three apartment buildings, according to Tkachenko.

In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian attacks killed two people and injured four others, including two children, local authorities said. A 26-year-old man was killed in Kharkiv, while a 38-year-old woman was killed in Zmiiv.

In Sumy Oblast, a Russian drone attack killed a 54-year-old woman in the Seredyna-Buda community, while a Russian glide bomb strike killed a 61-year-old man in the Sumy community. Five other people were injured in Russian attacks across the region, the Kyiv Independent reported citing local authorities.

In Kherson Oblast, Russian attacks killed one person and injured 11 others, including a child, local authorities said.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a civilian woman was killed and six others were injured over the past day as Russian forces attacked 53 settlements across the region. A Russian drone struck an Epicenter hypermarket in Zaporizhzhia in the morning, sparking a large fire and injuring at least four people, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks killed one person and injured three others, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, two people were killed overnight on Aug. 28 after Russian forces attacked the Synelnykove district. Eight others were injured on Aug. 27 after Russian forces attacked the city of Nikopol and the Pokrovske community, according to Governor Oleksandr Hanzha.

MOSCOVIIA

Ukrainian drones target one of Russia’s largest oil refineries, Engels Air Force base overnight

Ukrainian drones struck the Yaroslavl oil refinery, one of Russia’s largest oil processing facilities, overnight on Aug 28, with attacks also reported on Moscow and the region, the Kyiv Independent reported citing confirmation by the General Staff.

The target of the attack was the Slavneft-YANOS refinery, one of Russia’s largest oil processing facilities, the General Staff said, adding that damage to the refinery was still being assessed.

The first footage published by Telegram channel Supernova+ earlier in the morning appeared to show at least two separate fires burning on the plant’s territory.

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.

The Slavneft-YANOS refinery, located about 250 kilometers (150 miles) northeast of Moscow and roughly 700 kilometers (435 miles) from Ukraine’s border, processes around 15 million tons of oil per year, making it one of Russia’s five largest oil refineries.

The plant produces gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation kerosene, oils, bitumen, liquefied gases, and fuel oil. It is the main refining asset of Slavneft, which is jointly controlled by Russian state energy giants Rosneft and Gazprom.

Earlier, Yaroslavl Oblast Governor Mikhail Yevraev reported a drone threat in the region. Traffic in the direction of Moscow was restricted, while public transport routes were adjusted following the attack.

Yevraev said the drone attack on the region killed one person and injured 27 others. According to the governor, 10 people were injured when drone debris fell onto a bus.

Debris also fell on industrial infrastructure, residential areas, and shops, without specifying which facilities or areas were affected, Yevraev added.

In a separate operation a Tu-95 strategic heavy bomber was damaged at Engels air base in Saratov Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The strategic bomber is one of Russia’s main platforms for mass cruise missile attacks against Ukraine and often operates from Engels Air Base, more than 600 kilometers (370 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled territory.

According to Zelenskyy, the successful strike on the plane was carried out by the Alpha special forces unit of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the same unit that carried out Operation Spiderweb in June 2025, using small truck-launched drones to strike strategic bombers at airfields deep inside Russian territory. No more details about the strike on the Tu-95 were disclosed.

Elsewhere in Russia, Ukrainian drones also attacked Russia’s capital and Moscow Oblast. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Russian air defenses shot down two drones heading toward Moscow.

Astra reported that a column of black smoke rose over the town of Pavlovsky Posad, located about 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of Moscow. The cause of the fire was unclear, the media outlet added.

RELATED INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Four EU countries renew push to use Russia’s €210bn assets to support Ukraine

Ukraine is facing a budget crunch, and EU member states are under pressure to find a solution ahead of next year’s election season, Euro News reported on Aug 27.

A group of four countries have relaunched the push to unlock immobilised Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s budgetary and military needs before European Union member states become distracted by their own domestic elections. The EU holds €210 billion of these assets, most of it in Belgium.

The letter was led by Sweden and co-signed by the Netherlands, Spain and Poland, a selection meant to represent Northern, Western, Southern and Eastern Europe.

It is addressed to High Representative Kaja Kallas and Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee, as Ireland currently chairs the Council’s rotating presidency.

Earlier this year, the bloc gave the final green light to a €90 billion support loan for Ukraine. But Kyiv is still strapped for cash, and EU capitals want a solution that does not further strain national budgets.

There is also urgency to lock in funding before next year’s election season, when key member states, including France, Poland, Italy and Spain, head to the polls.

At a press conference on Thursday, a European Commission spokesperson said it was “ready to provide any assistance that might be needed in this context” and would study the letter “carefully”

Using Russia’s immobilised assets was intensively debated last year as the EU grappled with the withdrawal of US assistance for Ukraine.

Under an inventive proposal, the Commission planned to convert the €210 billion into a zero-interest loan to cover Kyiv’s budgetary and military needs. Brussels insisted the scheme would stop short of confiscation, which is illegal under international law, since Russia could recoup the money if it paid war reparations.

Belgium opposed the plan from the outset. As the host of Euroclear, the assets’ main custodian, it feared being left exposed to Russian litigation.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever demanded “full mutualisation” of the risks to shield his country from Moscow’s retaliation and damage claims. Euroclear called the proposal fragile and overtly experimental, warning it risked an investor exodus. “There is no free money in the world. It just does not exist,” De Wever said then.

Despite a strong push from a group of proponents led by Germany, the plan eventually fell apart at a make-or-break summit in December. Now, supporters believe the timing is right to bring it up again.

As a fallback, the 27 leaders agreed to issue an extraordinary €90 billion loan for Ukraine, backed by common borrowing and repayable only once reparations are paid. Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia negotiated a full opt-out.

The loan was meant to cover Kyiv’s needs for both 2026 and 2027, split evenly at €45 billion a year. The first payment went out in June.

But Russia’s relentless bombardment has upended Kyiv’s calculations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged allies to plug a €23 billion deficit in the Ministry of Defence budget, telling them he needs “more money, much more” to stay “competitive” in deep strikes. He also raised the matter of the assets.

Zelenskyy’s request caught Brussels off guard, raising fresh concern over how long the bloc’s €90 billion credit line will last.

As Moscow escalates its campaign of ballistic missile strikes, prompting a scramble for air defence systems for Kyiv, capitals are realising the €90 billion loan may not stretch to cover 2026 and 2027 in full, as originally planned.

The new EU budget, with a dedicated Ukraine envelope, will not kick in until 2028.

As allies gathered in Kyiv for its 35th Independence Day, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard raised the issue again, signalling her intention to put it on the table at the next informal meeting of foreign ministers, set for Ireland on 1-2 September.

“Managing financial and economic risks, as well as compliance with international law, will constitute important components of this technical analysis and discussion,” it adds, acknowledging “the question is complex”.

Trump dismisses 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, the Kyiv Independent reported on Aug 28.

“I am not concerned ... at all. There is no problem,” Trump told Axios when asked about a possible Russian provocation against NATO countries.

Trump described Ratcliffe’s Aug. 25 visit as “standard business” and dismissed reports that the CIA director had traveled to Moscow to deliver a warning to Russia.

“Ratcliffe sees his Russian counterpart once every six months or once every year. They have a very good relationship. There was no message and there was nothing unusual,” Trump said.

Several major U.S. outlets have reported details about Ratcliffe’s trip that differ from Trump’s characterization of the visit, as efforts to broker an end to the war in Ukraine have stalled.

The Wall Street Journal and Politico reported that the visit included a warning to the Kremlin against attacking NATO members, amid U.S. intelligence concerns that Moscow could test the alliance with a limited move against a Baltic state.

NYT reporting added that CIA analysts have long questioned whether Russian President Vladimir Putin’s advisers are giving the Russian president an honest assessment of the war’s trajectory and toll.

Some officials believed that Putin, himself a former intelligence officer, would view a message from the director of the CIA as more urgent and credible than one delivered through lower level diplomatic channels.

The U.S. asked Ukraine not to strike Moscow or St. Petersburg while Ratcliffe was visiting Russia, another person familiar with the situation told the Kyiv Independent on Aug. 25.

According to publicly available flight tracking data, Ratcliffe departed for his trip to Moscow from Latvia. The CIA director did not meet with Putin during the roughly eight-hour visit and departed Moscow aboard the same U.S. military C-17 aircraft on which he arrived.

Sweden to deploy fighter jets, warships to Finland

Sweden’s military will participate in ​the surveillance and protection of Finland’s territory with Gripen ‌fighter jets and corvette warship, at least until the end of 2026, Finland’s defence forces said on Friday, Reuters reports.

The neighbouring countries, NATO’s two newest members, ​already have a close bilateral defence cooperation. Finland has a 1,340-kilometre (833-mile) ​long eastern border with Russia.

“Sweden has responded to a request from Finland to strengthen its air defence due to the deteriorating security situation,” Sweden’s ​Defence Minister Pal Jonson told Reuters, adding that the Swedish ​armed forces may under the agreement, if necessary, help Finland repel violations of ‌Finnish ⁠territory.

Besides fighter jets and vessels with drone combat capabilities, Sweden may also contribute ground-based anti-drone systems, he said.

Military drones straying into the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are stoking ​concerns that the war ​in Ukraine is ⁠spilling over into NATO’s northern borders with Russia. As Ukraine steps up attacks on Russian Baltic ​Sea oil shipping ports, some of its drones ​have ⁠missed their targets and led to security warnings in neighbouring countries.

Sweden’s SAAB the maker of Gripen, said separately on Friday it had ⁠won ​a 1.2 billion crown ($126 million) order from ​Finland for its RBS 70 NG portable air defence missile system.

MILITARY & TECH

Ukraine Resumes Intercepting Russian Iskander-M/KN-23 Missiles

On the night of August 27, Ukrainian air defenses shot down seven Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, Militarnyi reports citing the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted a few days ago that Ukraine had received additional missiles for the Patriot air defense system.

“And we received a few more Patriot missiles. I can’t say exactly how many, but a few. We need more,” the president said.

The Patriot air defense system is Ukraine’s primary means of countering ballistic threats.

A shortage of missiles for this system in the U.S. is creating problems for the normal supply of Ukraine’s air defense, which is reflected in the number of enemy ballistic missile intercepts.

In early July 2026, Donald Trump announced that Ukraine would be granted a license to produce its own Patriot interceptor missiles, although the decision has most likely not yet been finalized.

Furthermore, during one of the strikes this summer, Russia deployed for the first time the new 9M723-2 Iskander-1000 ballistic missile.

The Key To Ukraine Successfully Employing The SAMP/T NG Air Defence System

Ukraine is set to receive eight SAMP/T NG air defense systems from France and Italy, according to a plan announced back in November 2025, Defense Express reports.

At the same time, the methods for acquiring these systems vary. In particular, in July, four batteries were ordered from France using loan funds, with delivery scheduled to begin in 2027. Unofficial reports have now emerged that Italy is set to provide four more, this time as part of an aid package.

The main issue with SAMP/T, in both its old and new variants, is not the number of systems themselves, but the availability of Aster missiles. The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this during a press briefing on June 23, 2026.

There is no publicly available official information on how many Aster anti-aircraft missiles MBDA produces. Unlike Lockheed Martin, which officially announces its PAC-3 MSE production volume, the European conglomerate does not disclose its own.

It is important to note that the Aster missile family includes the shorter-range Aster 15, used on ships equipped with the Sylver A43 vertical launching system (VLS), as well as the Aster 30, launched from the Sylver A50 VLS and SAMP/T air defense systems.

Moreover, the SAMP/T NG’s ability to effectively intercept ballistic threats depends largely on the new Aster 30 B1NT missile. However, as MBDA officially notes, deliveries of this missile will not begin until 2027.

Essentially, in July 2026, Ukraine received political approval from France for the licensed production of the Aster 30, as well as SCALP cruise missiles and AASM Hammer long-range bombs.

It is hoped that Ukraine will be able to address the SAMP/T NG system’s main shortcoming - the slow production rate of Aster 30 missiles - through a combination of local production along with those of its allies in Italy and France.

That’s it for today’s Brief folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, it’s free!

Subscribe now

Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my subscribers here on Substack and anyone who wishes to keep up with the news from the war.

Share Grumpy’s Substack

GSAFU Morning Report

For: Aug 27, 2026

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on Aug 27 stated that day 1646 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.

Ukrainian defenders continue to actively conduct the systematic destruction of the enemy and offer effective resistance in all areas of the front, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. The AFU are exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and disrupting their plans to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.

Over the past 24 hours, 229 combat engagements took place.

During the past day, aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine have hit nine control points, seven enemy manpower concentration areas, three artillery systems, 10 BPLA control points and three other important enemy targets.

Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 88 air strikes, used 11,150 attack drones and carried out approximately 3,200 attacks on populated areas and the positions of Ukrainian forces.

Air Force Daily Report

233 ENEMY TARGETS SHOT DOWN/SUPPRESSED

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

During the night of Aug 27 (from 18:00 on Aug 26), the enemy attacked with two Onyx anti-ship missiles launched from the temporarily occupied territory (TOT) of Crimea, ballistic Iskander-M/KN-23 missiles launched from the Bryansk and Kursk regions of Russia, and 258 Shahed-type attack drones (approximately a third were jet-powered), as well as Gerber, S8000 “Bandera” and “Parody” type decoy drones, launched from the directions of Kursk, Millerovo, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia, and from the TOT of the Donetsk region and Guardske - TOT of Crimea.

The main targets of the attack were the Odesa, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, and unmanned systems, as well as mobile fire groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to preliminary data, as of 09:00, the air defense systems destroyed/suppressed

• 1 Onyx anti-ship missile

• 7 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles

• 3 S8000 “Bandera”

• 222 enemy Shahed-type drones, Gerber, and other types of drones in the south, north, east, and center of the country.

Hits were recorded at 15 locations, and debris from downed objects fell in 11 locations. In addition, some enemy strike assets did not reach their targets, and information about them is being clarified.

ALONG THE CONTACT LINE

Sumy Sector: Russian forces recently conducted infiltration missions in northern Sumy Oblast.

Ukrainian forces launched strikes against Russian servicemembers in western Kindrativka (north of Sumy City) and south of Andriivka (southwest of Sumy City), according to geolocated footage published on Aug 26, after likely Russian infiltration missions, indicating that Russian forces have likely infiltrated throughout Andriivka.

Ukrainian forces maintain control over Pysarivka (north of Sumy City), contrary to Russian claims. The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Russian forces seized Pysarivka.

Slovyansk - Lyman Sector: Russian forces recently conducted infiltration missions southeast of Lyman and east of Slovyansk.

Ukrainian forces struck Russian positions in eastern Dibrova (southeast of Lyman) and north of Rai-Oleksandrivka (east of Slovyansk) after what ISW assesses were Russian infiltration missions, according to geolocated footage published on Aug 25 and 26.

Kostyantynivka Sector: Russian forces continue to infiltrate into and around Kostyantynivka as part of the broader campaign to seize Ukraine’s Fortress Belt and all of Donetsk Oblast, while Ukrainian forces continue holding positions in northern and northwestern parts of the city.

Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets reported on Aug 26 that Russian main body elements have yet to enter most of Kostyantynivka to consolidate the penetrations that have been made by lead elements consisting of small infantry groups within and around Kostyantynivka.

Mashovets reported that Ukrainian forces continue to hold positions in northern and northwestern Kostyantynivka but recently withdrew their main body elements from southeastern Kostyantynivka to the eastern bank of the Kryvyi Torets River.

Mashovets added that individual Ukrainian forces continue to operate in central and southeastern Kostyantynivka as far south as the northern outskirts of Ivanopillya.

Mashovets reported on Aug 26 that Russian forces recently infiltrated along the Novodmytrivka-Molocharka line north of Kostyantynivka up into Stinky in an effort to outflank Ukrainian forces east of Kostyantynivka and west of Chasiv Yar (northeast of Kostyantynivka).

Mashovets reported that Russian forces seized Illinivka, are operating northwest of Stepanivka, and infiltrated north of the Dovha Balka – Illinivka road (all southwest of Kostyantynivka).

Dobropillya Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Dobropillya direction.

Geolocated footage published on Aug 26 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Vodyanske and in Krasnopodillya (both south of Dobropillya).

Ukrainian forces also either maintained positions or advanced in Matyasheve and west of Vodyanske (south of Dobropillya) and in Dobropillya (southwest of Dobropillya), as the same geolocated footage indicates that there are no Russian positions in these areas, contrary to Russian claims.

Novopavlivka Sector: Russian forces recently conducted an infiltration mission northeast of Novopavlivka.

Ukrainian forces struck a Russian position in southwestern Muravka (northeast of Novopavlivka) after what ISW assesses was a Russian infiltration mission, according to geolocated footage published on Aug 26.

Western Zaporizhia Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced or maintained positions in western Zaporizhia Oblast.

Russian forces struck a Ukrainian position in central Mala Tokmachka (southeast of Orikhiv) in an area where Russian sources previously claimed Russian forces held positions, according to geolocated footage published on Aug 26.

THE WAR AT SEA

World’s largest container shipping company suspends Novorossiysk bookings after drone attack

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co., the world’s largest container shipping company, has halted new bookings to and from Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk after one of its vessels was hit by a drone, Bloomberg reported.

The suspension took effect immediately following an attack on the MSC ULSAN III as the vessel was traveling toward Novorossiysk, according to a notice MSC sent to customers and reviewed by Bloomberg. It is unclear when the attack took place.

MSC operates a fleet with a total capacity of 7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), according to media reports, making it the first shipping line in history to reach that capacity threshold. A TEU is the shipping industry’s standard measure of container capacity, based on one standard 20-foot-long container.

MSC said it was monitoring security conditions and advised customers to contact its Russian office about alternative arrangements for imports and exports while regular weekly service through Novorossiysk remains suspended.

The shipping company has maintained limited operations in Russia despite scaling back its presence following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. International carriers that continue serving Russian ports generally transport goods including food, clothing, and medicine.

Shipping in the Black Sea has faced growing disruption amid an increase in attacks on ports and commercial vessels since July.

TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Nothing major to report.

THE HOME FRONT

Explosions, jet-powered drones rock Kyiv as rare hours-long Russian aerial attack continues into morning

The sounds of explosions, air defense fire, and jet-powered drones filled the morning air in Kyiv on Aug. 27, as an hours-long aerial barrage once again targeted Ukraine’s capital, the Kyiv Independent reported citing local authorities.

Russian forces launched ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones at Kyiv Oblast in the early hours of the morning.

At least six explosions were initially heard in the capital in quick succession around 3 a.m. local time on Aug. 27, Kyiv Independent editor Chris York reported. Debris was later found in the city’s Podilskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts, with two schools damaged.

After sunrise, as Kyiv began to go about its Thursday, Russia targeted the capital with more jet-powered drones, with explosions and air defense fire audible in the city throughout the morning.

According to city authorities, a sporting facility was damaged, with local Telegram channels reporting a fire near the Valerii Lobanovskyi Stadium — home of Dynamo Kyiv — in the city center.

The stadium is in the heart of Ukraine’s government quarter, adjacent to Mariynskyi Palace, the Cabinet of Ministers, and not far from the Presidential Office. It later announced it had not been damaged in the attack.

A drone also fell on a main road in the Holosiivskyi district in the southern part of the city center shortly after midday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Smoke was reported near the Gulliver shopping center in central Kyiv. A spokesperson from the building’s owner, Oschadbank, told the Kyiv Independent it was undamaged. It comes just a few days after Russia hit a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, killing at least 16 people.

Forbes Ukraine reported that a warehouse used by the supermarket chain Fora was damaged in the overnight attack, as well as distribution centers belonging to the Toy House chain, and domestic appliance store Comfy.

Klitschko added that two people had been injured in the capital as of 1:30 p.m. local time.

Ukrainian Railways reported long delays of up to 13 hours on some trains on Aug. 27.

Explosions were also reported in southern Zaporizhzhia Oblast. At least seven people, including three children, were injured in the attack on Zaporizhzhia and surrounding districts, Governor Ivan Fedorov said in his post on Telegram.

In Kherson Oblast over the past day, in various parts of the Kherson city, two private houses, a three-story apartment building, and apartments on the 4th and 9th floors caught fire due to the impact of explosions.

In Sumy Oblast as a result of shelling by Russia, 1 person was killed and 4 were injured.

In Donetsk Oblast two people were injured. Sixteen apartment buildings and other civilian infrastructure facilities were damaged, and fires broke out.

In Odesa Oblast Serhii Lysak, head of the Odesa City Military Administration, said the overnight attack damaged infrastructure, an educational institution, and a high-rise residential building in the city. No casualties had been reported as of 7 a.m. local time.

In Kharkiv Oblast a Russian jet drone struck a building of a shopping center in the Osnovyansky district of the city. Partial structural damage and a fire covering an area of 300 square meters occurred, 1 person killed, 5 injured.

MOSCOVIIA

Car Bomb Kills Military Officer in St. Petersburg

A Russian military official has been killed in a car explosion in St. Petersburg, investigators said Thursday, with local media identifying his rank as lieutenant colonel, the Moscow Times reports.

The blast occurred around 10 a.m. local time near a supermarket in the Shushary neighborhood, the news outlet Fontanka reported.

Investigators later confirmed the military official’s death but described the incident only as a “vehicle fire,” not an explosion. They also said his wife, who was also inside the car at the time of the blast, was receiving medical treatment.

The Investigation Committee, Russia’s top investigative body, said it launched a criminal probe into the incident.

Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out several assassinations of military officers since the full-scale invasion. Ukrainian sources have claimed responsibility for some of the attacks while denying involvement in others.

There was no immediate comment from officials in Kyiv in response to Thursday’s reported blast.

A Russian military officer was last killed in a bomb attack in annexed Crimea earlier this month. Police arrested a woman suspected of assassinating him on behalf of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s drones strikes have forced the shutdown of all major Lukoil refineries in Russia

Russia’s second-largest gasoline producer is offline as Moscow orders fuel redistribution and regional authorities tighten sales limits, Euromaidan Press reports.

All of Lukoil’s major refineries in Russia are now offline after a Ukrainian drone strike halted crude processing at its NORSI plant on 26 August, Reuters reported the shutdown. NORSI is Russia’s fourth-largest refinery and second-largest gasoline producer.

Ukraine’s General Staff said it had struck the refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, where a fire subsequently broke out. It said the refinery helps supply Russia’s armed forces.

Industry sources told Reuters that several processing units and other plant infrastructure had been damaged. No repair timetable is available, and Lukoil did not respond to the agency’s request for comment.

NORSI can process about 15 million tons of crude annually and produce about 5 million tons of gasoline and more than 5 million tons of diesel, according to Reuters.

A Reuters dispatch in The Moscow Times said Lukoil listed no NORSI-made gasoline, diesel, or other petroleum products for sale on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange after the shutdown.

NORSI’s closure followed the complete shutdown of Lukoil’s Perm refinery after a 21 August drone strike. The company’s Volgograd plant had already stopped processing on 31 July.

The Moscow Times listed four previous occasions this year when drone strikes stopped NORSI from processing crude: 5 April, 20 May, 24 June, and 2 July. The latest attack, therefore, produced the plant’s fifth drone-related shutdown in less than five months. Lukoil also operates a smaller refinery in Ukhta, which remains active.

RELATED INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russia says it could strike UK military targets in response to Kyiv’s use of British missiles

Russia warned on Thursday that it could strike British military targets inside and outside Ukraine ​in response to Ukrainian attacks on targets inside Russia using ‌long-range British cruise missiles, Reuters reports.

The warning, delivered by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova at a news briefing in Moscow, was the strongest of its kind ​yet from Russia to Britain, a NATO member state and ​a staunch ally of Ukraine.

Zakharova said London was “one step ⁠away” from becoming legally complicit in what she called “terrorism” against Russian ​civilians, something she said would have “catastrophic consequences” unless Britain changed course.

“We propose that the ​British leadership once again carefully analyse the situation and immediately, in the most ‌resolute ⁠and unequivocal manner, abandon the hostile, aggressive line, which can only ... create the risk of the conflict escalating to an entirely new level,” she said.

Zakharova issued her warning a day after Russia accused ​Ukraine of firing British ​Storm Shadow ⁠missiles at a shopping centre in the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine in an attack ​which it said wounded civilians, including children.

The Kremlin ​said on ⁠Monday that Britain was methodically adding “fuel to the fire” after London announced it would allow Kyiv access to classified technology to start its own ⁠production ​of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, capable of ​carrying out strikes deep within Russia. France has already given its assent to license ​the technology for the European missile.

Russian Flotilla about to enter the Mediterranean.

The Russian Navy is deploying ships to the Mediterranean Sea after an almost two month absence. The Admiral Levchenko anti-submarine destroyer is currently approaching Gibraltar, accompanied by the tankers General Skobelev and Akademik Pashin, as well as the Sparta ro-ro cargo ship, Defense Express reports.

This group was spotted off the coast of Spain. They are expected to enter the Mediterranean Sea on August 27, according to Russian Forces Spotter, which based its report on photographs of the ships and maritime traffic tracking data.

According to official data, Port Said, Egypt, is listed as the destination of the MV Sparta. The vessel is owned by the Russian company Oboronlogistics. This is how Russians usually indicate the route for ships heading to Tartus, Syria.

The Sparta was last spotted in Tartus in January 2025 and, together with the Sparta II, was transporting Russian equipment and weapons out of Syria. However, the purpose of the vessel’s current voyage remains unclear.

The repeated use of the Akademik Pashin tanker indicates that Russia faces critical challenges in supporting such long-range maritime missions.

The Admiral Levchenko anti-submarine ship, it is worth noting that it is one of the largest ships in the Northern Fleet.

The Admiral Levchenko belongs to Project 1155, a class of warships developed in the 1970s, and has a displacement of 7,480 tons.

Admiral Levchenko’s limited combat effectiveness may have been one factor behind the choice of this particular ship for the mission, even though Moscow could have deployed a more modern warship to the Mediterranean, such as one of the three Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates.

MILITARY & TECH

Zelenskyy assigns top commanders to lead reinforcement of Ukrainian positions in Donetsk Oblast

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Aug. 26 on social media that Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the Third Army Corps, and Denys Prokopenko, commander of the National Guard’s 1st Corps, will lead reorganized units tasked with reinforcing Ukrainian positions in Donetsk Oblast, the Kyiv Independent reports.

The announcement came during Zelenskyy’s visit to the front line with Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi, where they met with units fighting in the Oleksandrivka sector at the junction of the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk oblasts.

Prokopenko has fought against Russia since 2014, when he joined the then-volunteer “Azov” Battalion, founded by Biletskyi, who served as its first commander.

The battalion was reorganized into a regiment in fall 2014 and incorporated into Ukraine’s National Guard as the “Azov” Special Purpose Detachment. It became the 12th “Azov” Special Forces Brigade in 2023 following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, before becoming part of the 1st “Azov” Corps in 2025.

In early 2022, Biletskyi commanded the “Azov” Special Operations Forces Regiment. The unit was reorganized as the 3rd Assault Brigade in 2023 and expanded into the 3rd Army Corps in 2025.

Both Prokopenko and Biletskyi have commanded Ukrainian forces in some of the war’s most critical battles.

Prokopenko fought in the defense of Mariupol at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion before being captured by Russian forces. He was held in captivity until Sept. 21, 2022. After returning to service in 2023, he carried out combat missions in the Lyman sector.

Biletskyi, meanwhile, fought in the defense of Kyiv and liberation of Kyiv Oblast early in the full-scale invasion, as well as in the liberation of Kherson Oblast and the battles for Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast.

Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast is the place of the most intense battles on the front lines as Moscow’s main offensive effort is focused on the “fortress belt” cities in the region.

Both formations, commanded by Biletskyi and Prokopenko, have been deployed to some of the most heavily contested sectors of the Donetsk sector, including around Dobropillia and Lyman.

Russian forces have heavily struck Dobropillia since the August breach. Lyman, located in northern Donetsk Oblast with a pre-war population of around 20,000, has been a hotspot on the front line for years, where fighting raged in the Serebrianskyi Forest, just east of the city.

The meeting focused on the situation on the battlefield in the sector and the need to improve the effectiveness of Ukrainian forces.

Zelenskyy added that protection for Zaporizhzhia and the surrounding region should be strengthened, as the southeastern Ukrainian city faces constant Russian air attacks and lies about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the front line.

“Thank you to everyone working for Ukraine. We are doing everything to strengthen our positions,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

Italy to supply next-generation SAMP/T air defense systems, Aster 30 missiles to Ukraine

Ukraine is set to receive next-generation SAMP/T systems and additional air defense missiles by the end of the year as part of Italy’s latest military aid package, the Italian outlet La Repubblica reported on Aug. 26.

Citing its own sources, La Repubblica reported that the decision was made in secret, with the Italian government only officially announcing the transfer of civilian power generators to Ukraine. This was to sidestep internal political conflicts in Rome over continued military support for Kyiv, according to the outlet.

The package will include four SAMP/T NG air defense batteries, Aster 30 interceptor missiles, and seven long-range radars. Valued at nearly 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion), it marks Rome’s 13th military assistance package for Kyiv and will be funded through European Union loans.

The SAMP/T air defense system is co-produced by France and Italy and is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles — an urgent need for Ukraine as Russia’s strikes intensify. The two countries previously provided Ukraine with earlier SAMP/T models in 2023, and again in 2024.

The upgraded SAMP/T NG systems, first available in 2025, feature a longer range and improved radar coverage compared to older versions.

Paris and Rome have also agreed to authorize the production of French-Italian Aster 30 N1BT interceptor missile systems in Ukraine, according to La Repubblica. To bolster Ukraine’s air defenses amid critical shortages of interceptor missiles, Italy plans to transfer Aster 30 missiles directly from its own stockpiles by this October.

The long-range radars included in the package will be produced by the French defense company Thales and Italy’s Leonardo company.

The military aid reportedly resulted from a July agreement between French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with support from their respective defense ministers.

Macron said on July 13 that France would allow Ukraine to produce French-designed cruise missiles, glide bombs, and air defense interceptors. He also said France would transfer next-generation SAMP/T air defense systems and radar systems to Ukraine. At the time, Italy’s involvement was not announced.

The reported package comes amid a dire air defense shortage in Ukraine, with July 2026 marking the worst month for civilian casualties in Ukraine since the first month of the full-scale war. Russia’s increasing reliance on ballistic missile strikes on underprotected cities accounts for much of the rising death toll.

That’s it for today’s Brief folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, it’s free!

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Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my subscribers here on Substack and anyone who wishes to keep up with the news from the war.

Share Grumpy’s Substack

GSAFU Morning Report

For: Aug 26, 2026

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on Aug 26 stated that day 1645 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.

Ukrainian defenders continue to actively conduct the systematic destruction of the enemy and offer effective resistance in all areas of the front, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. The AFU are exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and disrupting their plans to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.

Over the past 24 hours, 203 combat engagements took place.

During the past day, aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine have hit three enemy manpower concentration areas, five unmanned aerial vehicle control points and two command and observation posts.

Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 81 air strikes, used 10,498 attack drones and carried out approximately 3,120 attacks on populated areas and the positions of Ukrainian forces.

Air Force Daily Report

134 ENEMY TARGETS SHOT DOWN/SUPPRESSED

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During the night of Aug 26 (from 18:00 on Aug 25), the enemy attacked with 162 attack drones of the Shahed type (including jet-powered ones), “Geran” drones, and imitation drones of the “Parody” type, launched from the directions of: Kursk, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk – Russia, TOT (Temporarily Occupied Territory) Donetsk, and Guardske – TOT (Temporarily Occupied Territory) of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, and unmanned systems, as well as mobile fire groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to preliminary data, as of 08:00, the air defense forces shot down/suppressed 134 enemy drones of the Shahed, Geran, and other types in the north, south, and east of the country.

There were confirmed hits by enemy air attack assets on 18 locations, as well as the fall of downed (debris) in 3 locations.

ALONG THE CONTACT LINE

Sumy Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced or maintained positions in the area.

The Ukrainian Kursk Grouping of Forces reported on Aug 25 that Ukrainian forces control Novokostyantynivka (formerly Pershe Travnya) (north of Sumy City), contrary to the Russian MoD’s Aug 24 claim that Russian forces seized the settlement.

Kupyansk Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced north of Kupyansk.

A Ukrainian assault regiment reported on Aug 25 that Ukrainian forces liberated northern Zapadne and advanced southwest of Dvorichna (both north of Kupyansk).

Borova Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Borova direction.

Russian forces struck a Ukrainian artillery position northeast of Nove according to geolocated footage published on Aug 18, indicating that Ukrainian forces likely regained control over Katerynivka and Nove (both southeast of Borova), advanced east of Novomykhailivka (east of Borova), and maintain control over Novyi Myr (southeast of Borova) contrary to Russian claims.

THE WAR AT SEA

Nothing major to report.

TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Nothing major to report.

THE HOME FRONT

Russian attacks kill 4, injure 95 across Ukraine over past day

Russian attacks killed at least four people and injured at least 95 across Ukraine over the past day, the Kyiv Independent reported citing local authorities on Aug 25-26.

In eastern Donetsk Oblast, Russian forces launched a double-tap attack on rescue workers who were dealing with the aftermath of a Russian strike on a nine-story residential block in Kramatorsk, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said on Telegram on Aug. 25.

A Russian first-person view (FPV) drone struck an armored ambulance belonging to the State Emergency Service. The vehicle was damaged, but no personnel were injured, the rescuers said.

This attack marks the second incident this week in which Russian troops attacked rescue workers on duty, according to the State Emergency Service

The attacks on Kramatorsk injured 26 people over the past day, regional governor Vadym Filashkin said on Aug. 26. He added that 37 high-rise buildings, three educational, and one infrastructure facility were damaged. Across Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed, and eight were injured.

In northern Chernihiv Oblast, Russian troops carried out 28 attacks over the day, killing a 39-year-old woman and her four-year-old daughter with a drone and injuring 14 others in the region, governor Viacheslav Chaus said on Aug. 26.

In southern Kherson Oblast, Russian attacks in the region killed one person and injured 12 others, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Another double tap occurred in Kherson when an engine responding an attack was itself attacked by a UAV one of the firefighters was hospitalized as a result.

In northeastern Kharkiv Oblast, over the past day, 23 people were injured, including two children, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

In southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, nine people were injured by Russian attacks, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said. Russian forces carried out 935 attacks on 47 settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past day, Fedorov said.

Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injured six people over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported, according to the reports published on Aug. 25 and Aug. 26.

Russian attacks in Sumy Oblast caused several buildings to be destroyed, no casualties were reported.

MOSCOVIIA

Ukraine Strikes Wildberries Warehouse and Oil Refinery in Russia

Ukraine struck and set fire to a Wildberries warehouse in the central Tambov region, the second time the facility has been targeted since July, as well as an oil refinery further to the east, the Moscow Times reported on Aug 26.

Tambov region Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said the blaze “completely” destroyed the Wildberries facility in the city of Kotovsk. One worker sustained a concussion from the blast wave, the governor said initially, only later to add that a second person was injured.

Wildberries said it safely evacuated all of its employees from the warehouse. It did not comment on the extent of the damage to the facility.

Videos and photos shared on social media showed a large column of black smoke rising from the warehouse and spreading across the morning sky in Kotovsk. The smoke cloud was also visible in NASA satellite images.

Local officials asked residents to avoid going outside over the next two days due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Elsewhere, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, Ukraine said it struck and set fire to a Lukoil-operated oil refinery in the town of Kstovo. The facility has been attacked at least twice this year.

The refinery produces gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, lubricants, and other petroleum products. Some of these products, particularly fuel, are also used to support Russia’s war effort.

“The war must return to where it came from. Ukraine responds to Russian strikes, and we do so in a way that ensures the cost of the war for the aggressor inevitably rises,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a post on social media.

Authorities in Nizhny Novgorod only confirmed that an industrial enterprise in the region was damaged in overnight attacks but did not provide further details.

Black Sea Grain Export Terminal Says Repairs After Ukrainian Attack May Take 4 Months

Repair works at NKHP, one of three grain terminals at Russia’s main Black Sea export port of Novorossiysk, could take up to four months following a Ukrainian attack, the Moscow Times reported citing an announcement by the company on Wednesday.

Attacks over recent months have halted almost all grain shipments through ports on the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, which used to account for 70% of all Russian grain exports.

Ukraine hit Novorossiysk in a major drone attack on August 12 that put all three grain terminals out of operation.

The other export terminal, owned by Demetra, suffered less significant damage than NKHP, while the third, owned by Delo Group, was not damaged in the attack, though operations were suspended.

The owner of NKHP, Russian state-owned United Grain Company, confirmed after the attack that the terminal had been damaged.

Reuters sources said the loading gallery was among the facilities affected. The final repair timeline has yet to be determined, according to a financial report published on Wednesday.

NKHP, with an annual capacity of 7.1 million metric tons, is one of the three largest terminals at the port of Novorossiysk with a combined annual capacity of over 20 million tons, while total seaborne exports stood at 52.7 million tons last season.

RELATED INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Kremlin says US spy chief held talks with Russian counterparts during Moscow visit

U.S. CIA Director John Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials ​during his visit to Moscow on Tuesday but did ‌not meet President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported citing the Kremlin on Wednesday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Putin had been briefed on ​the outcome of Ratcliffe’s talks, which come ​as the war in Ukraine is escalating and ⁠as efforts to reach a lasting peace deal between ​the U.S. and Iran have stalled.

Peskov declined to disclose ​what had been discussed or to provide any further details however.

Asked if visits by such senior U.S. officials could help improve the dire state of U.S.-Russia relations, Peskov said ​that contacts ​between the two ⁠countries’ intelligence agencies were a positive thing.

“These contacts often continue even during the ​most difficult periods in bilateral relations. Our ​president, incidentally, ⁠has spoken about this. However, it is still too early to say to what extent this will, overall, ⁠help ​to steer our bilateral relations out ​of the profound crisis in which they currently find themselves,” he ​said.

Slovak police thwart arson plot targeting Ukrainian drone maker Skyeton

Slovak police detained three foreign nationals on Aug 25 over an alleged plot to set fire to a Ukrainian-owned Skyeton factory producing advanced surveillance drones, the Kyiv Independent reports citing a company representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

The incident marks one of the first known attempts to target a military equipment manufacturer in Slovakia, according to Dennik N.

Two suspects were detained in Slovakia, while a third was arrested in Germany under a European arrest warrant. Slovak police did not disclose the nationalities of the detained individuals in its statement.

The alleged plotters’ actions could have sparked a “large-scale fire” at the facility, where about 70 people were present at the time and property was valued at “tens of millions of euros,” police said.

Police seized an incendiary mixture of gasoline and polystyrene — a homemade form of napalm — along with tools, cell phones, an action camera and a hand-drawn map of the facility they allegedly planned to set on fire.

Skyeton announced plans to open a production facility in Haniska, near Presov, Slovakia’s third-largest city, in spring 2024. The Ukrainian company expected the new site to employ up to 200 people by the end of 2025, according to the statement.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, sabotage and arson attempts targeting industrial and logistics infrastructure have increased across the EU, particularly at facilities involved in weapons production.

Similar incidents have been reported in other EU countries in recent months. In March, perpetrators set fire to a facility belonging to Ukrainian company Archer-LPP, which manufactured thermal imaging devices, in the Czech city of Pardubice.

Earlier in August, two suspects were detained in connection with an arson attack on a building belonging to Estonian defense company Milrem Robotics, which supplies unmanned ground systems to Ukraine.

Hungary calls Russia ‘threat to Europe and global order’

Hungary has described Russia as a “threat to Europe and the global order” in guidelines for its delegation attending the UN General Assembly next month, Der Spiegel reported on Aug. 26.

The move marks a dramatic shift in Hungary’s stance since Prime Minister Peter Magyar defeated the Russia-friendly Viktor Orban in elections earlier this year.

Hungary’s government has taken a more pro-European position than its predecessor. Orban was widely regarded as one of the most Russia-friendly leaders in Europe.

In recent weeks, Budapest and Kyiv have taken conciliatory steps toward one another.

On Aug. 19, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha praised Hungary’s closure of a money laundering investigation into a Ukrainian bank convoy from earlier in the spring, adding that “betting on anti-Ukrainian rhetoric for domestic gain yields nothing but political defeat and shame.”

Hungarian authorities had seized two bank vehicles in March traveling from Austria to Ukraine that were transporting a shipment of cash and gold worth about $82 million, claiming they were investigating a money laundering scheme.

After an agreement between Kyiv and Budapest cleared a key hurdle in June, all 27 EU member states gave the green light to open the first cluster of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.

Kremlin says ousted Ukrainian defence minister’s remarks show Kyiv is consumed by infighting

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that remarks by ousted Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov ​about official corruption and alleged shortcomings in ‌military strategy showed that Kyiv was consumed by intensifying political infighting, Reuters reports.

Fedorov told Reuters this week that Ukraine appeared to be ​slowly losing the war against Russia, warning ​that Kyiv had a window of several ⁠months to make key decisions needed to turn ​the tide in its favour. He also complained about ​what he described as engrained corruption and patronage networks.

Asked to comment on Fedorov’s remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told ​reporters that they were a sign of growing ​political infighting and accused European countries which support Ukraine of ‌failing ⁠to notice that the ruling elite in Kyiv was destroying itself from within.

Ukraine’s presidential office ​said ⁠in response to Fedorov’s comments that he had been positive about the conduct of the war when ⁠he ​was at the defence ministry ​and the only thing that had changed was his personal status.

MILITARY & TECH

Russia’s Starlink Alternative Is Struggling: Two More Rassvet-3 Satellites May Burn Up

Russia is facing serious difficulties deploying its Starlink alternative, the Rassvet-3 satellite constellation developed by Bureau 1440. One satellite has already re-entered the atmosphere and been lost, while two more now appear to be at risk of suffering the same fate. And those are far from the project’s only problems, Defense Express reports.

Bureau 1440 has already launched two batches of Rassvet-3 satellites into low Earth orbit as part of its effort to deploy a domestic alternative to the U.S. Starlink satellite network. The first launch took place on March 23, followed by a second on July 19.

However, Russia appears to be facing serious problems both with the satellites themselves and with the further deployment of the constellation. On June 6, the fourth Rassvet-3 satellite, catalogued as NORAD 68363, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and was lost following an unspecified malfunction.

One might have expected Russian engineers to investigate the incident and address the underlying problems to prevent similar failures. However, according to satellite-tracking services monitoring objects in Earth orbit, two satellites from the second batch now appear to be at risk of falling back into the atmosphere.

The satellites in question are Rassvet-3 No. 17 and No. 23, catalogued as NORAD 100083 and NORAD 100089, respectively. Since separating from their launch vehicle on July 19, neither satellite appears to have activated its propulsion system or performed any orbit-raising maneuvers.

At present, both satellites have an average orbital altitude of approximately 290 km, with their lowest orbital point, or perigee, at around 277 km. That altitude is gradually decreasing, and the rate of decay appears to be accelerating.

If the satellites do not raise their orbits, they could soon reach a point where atmospheric drag makes recovery increasingly difficult, eventually leading to re-entry and destruction in the atmosphere.

However, the possible loss of two additional satellites is not the only problem facing the Rassvet-3 constellation.

The satellites that have successfully begun raising their orbits have still not reached the planned operational altitude of approximately 800 km.

Even satellites from the first batch, launched more than five months ago, have yet to reach their intended orbit. Most of the first batch currently appears to be operating at altitudes of roughly 500 to 550 km, while some satellites remain below even that level.

For reasons that have not been publicly explained, Russia has not yet moved the satellites toward their planned 800 km orbit.

Russia’s problems with its Starlink alternative may extend beyond the satellites themselves. On the night of August 15, Ukrainian forces reportedly struck the Progress Rocket and Space Center in Samara with two FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles.

The facility is responsible for manufacturing Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicles, the same rockets used to launch Rassvet-3 satellites.

If the strike causes a prolonged disruption to production, especially given reports that the attack hit the final assembly area, Russia could face serious difficulties in continuing the deployment of the Rassvet-3 constellation and potentially supporting other space programs.

That’s it for today’s Brief folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, it’s free!

Subscribe now

Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my subscribers here on Substack and anyone who wishes to keep up with the news from the war.

Share Grumpy’s Substack

GSAFU Morning Report

For: 08 25, 2026

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on 08 25 stated that day 1644 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.

Ukrainian defenders continue to actively conduct the systematic destruction of the enemy and offer effective resistance in all areas of the front, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. The AFU are exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and disrupting their plans to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.

Over the past 24 hours, 209 combat engagements took place.

During the past day, aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine have hit 11 manpower concentration areas, five artillery systems, the BPLA control point and another important enemy objective.

Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 2 missile strikes, 80 air strikes, used 9,641 attack drones and carried out approximately 3,200 attacks on populated areas and the positions of Ukrainian forces.

Air Force Daily Report

124 ENEMY TARGETS SHOT DOWN/SUPPRESSED

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During the night of Aug 25 (from 18:00 on Aug 24), the enemy attacked with one Iskander-M ballistic missile launched from the Rostov region, one air-launched Kh-31P missile launched from the Bryansk region, and 150 Shahed-type attack drones (including jet-powered ones), as well as “Herbie” and “Parody” type decoy drones, launched from the directions of: Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia, TOT Donetsk, Guards - TOT AR Crimea.

The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, and unmanned systems, as well as mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

According to preliminary data, as of 09:00, air defense forces shot down/disabled 124 enemy Shahed, “Herbie,” and other types of drones in the north, south, and east of the country.

Hits by enemy air attack assets were recorded at 17 locations, and debris from downed drones fell at 7 locations.

ALONG THE CONTACT LINE

Slovyansk - Lyman Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk direction.

Ukrainian forces recently advanced east of Dibrova (southwest of Lyman) according to geolocated footage published on Aug 23.

Eastern Zaporizhia Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Hulyaipole direction.

Ukrainian forces recently cleared Russian infiltrators from central and southern Novosoloshyne (northwest of Hulyaipole) and northern Shyroke (west of Hulyaipole) according to geolocated footage published on Aug 23.

Western Zaporizhia Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in western Zaporizhia Oblast.

Ukrainian forces recently advanced in southeastern Orikhiv according to geolocated footage published on Aug 23.

THE WAR AT SEA

TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Nothing major to report.

THE HOME FRONT

5 killed, 99 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine in past day

Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least five people and injured 99 others over the past day, local authorities said, with Chernihiv Oblast among the hardest hit after Russia launched a wave of strikes following Ukraine’s Independence Day, the Kyiv Independent reported citing local authorities.

In Chernihiv Oblast, 38 people were injured as Russian forces carried out 45 attacks across the region, Governor Viacheslav Chaus said.

In the city of Chernihiv, 25 people were injured in a strike on a high-rise residential building. The blast also shattered windows in nearby residential and administrative buildings and damaged more than 20 cars.

Later in the evening, a Russian attack drone struck a building in the center of the city of Mena that houses telecommunications operators, injuring 12 people, including four teenagers. Three people were hospitalized in moderate condition.

Russian forces also launched waves of drones at Koriukivka overnight, striking several local businesses and damaging warehouses, outbuildings, and trucks. A 15-year-old girl was injured.

Russian drones also struck a woodworking enterprise, the Yalivshchyna regional landscape park, and open areas in Chernihiv, while critical infrastructure across the region was also hit, Chaus said.

In Kherson Oblast, two people were killed and 23 others, including one child, were injured in Russian attacks over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, two people were killed, while one woman was injured in attacks on Zaporizhzhia and the surrounding district, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

In Kharkiv Oblast, one person was killed and 13 others, including a 13-year-old girl, were injured in Russian attacks, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks injured 15 people, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

Three people were injured in Russian attacks across Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, local authorities said.

In Sumy Oblast, five civilians, including a 14-year-old girl, were injured in Russian attacks, local authorities said.

In Kyiv Oblast, one woman was injured after debris from a Russian drone hit a 16-story residential building in the Holosiivskyi district, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. The strike damaged walls and shattered windows on the 14th floor.

In Odesa Oblast Russian attacks caused damage to several buildings causing fires, no casualties were reported.

MOSCOVIIA

U.S. Military Transport Plane Landed in Moscow. The Kremlin Claims It Doesn’t Know Anything About It.

A U.S. military transport plane landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Tuesday, the Moscow Times reported citing data from the flight tracking service Flightradar24.

The large Boeing Globemaster with the U.S. registered tail number 07-7181 had flown directly from Riga in Latvia and landed in Moscow.

Reuters was unable to verify whether it carried any cargo or passengers. The Kremlin said it had no information on the plane.

The aircraft had arrived in Riga on Aug. 23 from Camp Springs airbase near Washington, D.C., data from Flightradar24 showed.

The last direct flight of a U.S. registered jet to Russia from Europe took place in January, carrying special envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner for peace talks with Vladimir Putin on Ukraine.

The Kremlin said last week that there was no information yet on another visit to Moscow by Kushner and Witkoff, as talks between the U.S. and Russia on Ukraine have largely stalled amid the war in Iran.

Fire at Amur Gas Chemical Complex Kills Chinese Worker, Injures Over 100

A Chinese contractor was killed and more than 100 other workers were injured after a fire broke out at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex (AGCC) in Russia’s Far East, the Moscow Times reported citing a statement from the company on Tuesday.

Located near the Amur region town of Svobodny, AGCC is a $10 billion joint venture between Russian petrochemical giant Sibur and China’s state-owned oil and gas company Sinopec. Designed to become one of the world’s largest polymer manufacturing facilities, the complex was undergoing final testing ahead of its planned launch in early 2027.

In a statement, AGCC said the fire broke out in a support section of a pyrolysis unit. The company said primary equipment was not damaged.

Nineteen workers were hospitalized with moderate to severe injuries. Another 104 workers received treatment for minor cuts and bruises.

“Despite prompt medical care, one victim, a Chinese national employed by a contractor, could not be saved,” the company said on its website.

AGCC said firefighting efforts were continuing and emergency services were conducting “controlled burning” of residual gases.

Consumer protection authorities said local air quality monitoring detected no toxic chemical spikes in Svobodny. The Amur region’s government said the incident posed no threat to people living in nearby towns.

A commission has been formed to investigate the cause of the fire, AGCC said.

Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery Halts Operations After Overnight Drone Attack

The Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Rostov region, Russia, has suspended operations following a UAV attack last night. Yuriy Slyusar, the region’s governor, reported this on Telegram.

Eyewitnesses among the local residents filmed the sounds of drones flying overhead, the operation of Russian air defenses, and explosions in the plant’s area.

“According to updated information, the Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery was damaged in an overnight enemy attack on the Rostov region. The facility has temporarily suspended operations,” the Russian official said.

The plant began operations in 2009. It became one of the first large oil refineries built in Russia in a long time.

The refinery is connected to main oil pipelines via the Transneft system, as well as rail lines, ensuring crude oil supply and shipping finished products by rail and water via a terminal on the Don River.

The facility has been attacked repeatedly in the past. In particular, during the night of May 31 this year, a strike with Neptune cruise missiles knocked two oil-processing units out of service.

Without these facilities, further oil refining is practically impossible, as they constitute the first stage of the entire refinery production cycle.

The Navy noted that the refinery is a key facility in Russia’s regional fuel infrastructure and plays an important role in supplying the occupation forces with fuel and lubricants.

Drones Strike Afipsky Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai

On the night of August 25, Ukrainian drones struck the Afipsky Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, causing a fire to break out on the enterprise’s grounds. Militarnyi reports citing monitoring outlet Exilenova+ which published footage of the fire.

In the morning, Veniamin Kondratyev, the region’s governor, confirmed the attack on the refinery.

He posted on Telegram that a fire broke out at the oil refinery in the Afipsky settlement.

According to him, at least 10 private homes in the settlement were damaged. This was likely the result of Russian air defense or electronic warfare systems’ work.

Footage released from the scene shows a glow from the flames and thick black smoke rising from the fire.

In addition, the governor stated that “debris” from the drone fell onto the grounds of the Afipsky railway station of the North Caucasus Railway. Subsequently, the Russian Federation’s Transport Prosecutor’s Office announced that operations at the station had been suspended.

The Afipsky Oil Refinery is one of the largest oil refineries in southern Russia, with an annual refining capacity of 6.25 million tonnes of crude oil, accounting for more than 2% of Russia’s total oil refining capacity. The plant produces gasoline, diesel fuel, gas oil, vacuum gas oil, fuel oil, sulfur, and gas condensate distillates, and plays an important role in supplying the Russian economy and military with diesel fuel.

RELATED INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Britain, France pledge stronger support as Ukraine marks Independence Day

The leaders of Britain and France pledged to provide Ukraine with stronger military support — including access to classified technology and faster deliveries of air defence missiles — at a meeting of allies to mark Kyiv’s independence ​day celebrations, Reuters reports.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, in Kyiv on his first foreign visit since taking office last month, urged the gathering of the “Coalition of the Willing” to “do everything we can” to bolster Ukraine’s ‌defences against Russian air strikes.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had earlier praised the resilience of the Ukrainian people during more than four years of war.

At the United Nations in New York, dozens of countries issued a joint statement reaffirming support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and urging Russia to accept an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire.

Wearing a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt, Zelenskiy thanked foreign leaders for travelling to Kyiv to show their support on the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s break from the Soviet Union.

Standing alongside Zelenskiy and European ​Council President Antonio Costa, Burnham said his choice of Kyiv for his first foreign visit showed the importance he attached to assisting in Ukraine’s defence.

Britain announced on Monday it would allow Kyiv access to classified technology to start its own production of Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles, capable of carrying out strikes deep within Russia. ​France has already given its assent to license the technology for the European missile.

In response, the Kremlin said the use of classified British technology would “add fuel to the fire” of their worsening relations, after it warned London last week there would be “consequences” for supplying drones to Kyiv.

With Russia escalating its ballistic missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, Kyiv is suffering an acute shortage of the U.S.-made Patriot air defence interceptors — the only weapon in its arsenal capable of downing such missiles.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine needed at least 300 interceptors ​to make it through the winter, and he appealed to allies to deliver an air defence package before Russia renews its strikes on his country’s energy infrastructure.

French President Emmanuel Macron, co-chairing the coalition meeting via video link, said that ​a string of deadly attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks had shown that allies needed to step up the deliveries of interceptors and France would do its part.

Zelenskyy told the meeting that Ukraine’s war effort was complicated by a $27-billion defence funding gap this year and appealed for additional financial support. He suggested that Russia’s frozen overseas assets could be used to finance the deficit.

In a joint statement, more than 50 countries at the U.N. called on Russia to accept an unconditional ceasefire. “This senseless war and the immense human suffering could end immediately,” the ​statement said. “Russia simply needs to accept the unconditional ceasefire that ​Ukraine and the international community has been calling for ⁠for over a year and a half now.”

Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, accused Western countries of using Ukraine as a tool for exerting pressure on Moscow while falsely portraying themselves as peace advocates.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, and swathes of Ukrainian territory have been laid waste, since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.

U.S.-led ​peace talks to bring a lasting end to the war fell apart earlier this year as Ukraine refused Russian demands to cede more territory. Fighting continues along a ​750-mile (1,200-km) front line and Ukraine has ⁠succeeded in bringing Russian advances overall to a virtual halt this year.

In a sombre moment, the Ukrainian leader rewarded ​fallen soldiers with state awards, which he presented to their mothers and family members.

Kremlin rebukes Finland’s Stubb over his support for long-range Ukrainian strikes on Russia

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that remarks by Finnish President Alexander Stubb approving of Ukrainian strikes ​on Russian territory, including on e-commerce warehouses, confirmed that ‌he belonged to the “party of war.” Reuters reports.

Stubb told a news conference in Kyiv on Monday that Ukraine’s partners must help it expand its ability to strike deeply ​inside Russia, arguing that what he called a “sensible military strategy” ​increased the cost of the war for Moscow and ⁠helped persuade ordinary Russians it was time to end the ​conflict.

Asked about Stubb’s comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they had ​come as a surprise for Moscow and accused the Finnish leader, along with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, of wanting the war in Ukraine to continue.

“Mr Stubb is also a prominent representative of the ‘party of war’ alongside the British prime minister. ​They are deceiving ​their voters by ⁠claiming that it is possible to defeat Russia - it’s a huge deception - and they appear to ​be refusing to heed the realities on the ​ground,” said ⁠Peskov.

Finland, a staunch ally of Kyiv, joined the NATO military alliance in 2023 a year after Moscow sent tens of thousands of ⁠troops ​into Ukraine. The move ended seven decades ​of military non-alignment and roughly doubled the length of the border that NATO shares ​with Russia.

US again snubs joint UN rebuke of Russian strikes against Ukraine

The U.S. did not join an Aug. 24 appeal by over 50 U.N. members urging Russia to halt its aggression against Ukraine and cease strikes against civilians, the Kyiv Independent reports.

The statement, backed by the EU and its member states, as well as the U.K., Canada, Japan, South Korea, Georgia, Australia, and others, urged “Russia to respond to the calls for a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire” and resume peace talks.

Dan Negrea, a U.S. envoy to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, did not sign off on the appeal during the Security Council meeting, instead calling upon “both sides” to cease any strikes that might pose a risk to civilian vessels.

Russia has increasingly targeted Ukrainian Black Sea ports and merchant ships to choke off the country’s export routes, while Kyiv has been striking Russia’s shadow fleet vessels helping Moscow dodge international sanctions.

Negrea also urged Kyiv and Moscow to go back to the negotiating table and “return peace and stability to both countries,” stopping short of condemning Russian aggression.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office last year, Washington has refrained from denouncing Russia’s invasion and has ceased nearly all military aid to Ukraine in the name of pursuing peace talks — an effort that has effectively stalled as Moscow continues to reject a ceasefire.

The Trump administration has also repeatedly opted out of joint appeals condemning Russian aggression at international forums. In May, the U.S. did not support a rebuke of Russia’s threats to foreign embassies in Kyiv.

MILITARY & TECH

UK, Ukraine sign AI defence partnership linked to battlefield technology

Britain said on Monday it had signed a partnership with Ukraine to jointly develop artificial intelligence tools for defence and security, ​giving British researchers access to a Ukrainian battlefield data platform ‌used to train military AI systems, Reuters reported on Aug 24.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed the agreement in Kyiv, making Britain the first international partner to access Ukraine’s ​Avengers AI Labs, a government statement said.

Avengers Labs was built ​around an annotated dataset of 5 million battlefield images, Ukraine’s ⁠Defence Ministry said earlier in August, largely drawn from the military’s DELTA ​combat system – a domestically developed battlefield management and situational-awareness system.

The platform uses ​data collected from cameras and sensors across Ukraine’s battlefield, including information on tanks, artillery systems, drones and other military targets.

Under the deal, Britain and Ukraine will collaborate on pilot projects including technology that uses fibre-optic cables as AI-enabled sensors to help protect military facilities, and research into low-power AI chips for ​drones and autonomous ​systems.

The British government ⁠said the partnership would initially focus on defence and national security projects bringing together researchers, engineers, technology companies ​and military experts from both countries.

Burnham on Monday visited ​Ukraine ⁠for his first trip abroad since becoming prime minister, where he had talks with Zelenskiy and co-chaired a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing.”

His office ⁠had ​earlier announced Britain would allow missile maker ​MBDA to release classified information on British-made components used in the SCALP long-range cruise missile to help ​establish assembly lines in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Mi-8 Helicopters Armed With Interceptor Drones

Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters equipped with interceptor drones were first revealed during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Independence Day address. The helicopters have been armed with the drones to improve their ability to intercept russian UAVs, including Shahed-type attack drones, Defense Express reports.

Previously, Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters relied primarily on various machine guns to intercept UAVs. To improve target detection and illumination, the helicopters were also fitted with electro-optical targeting systems and searchlights.

Now, Ukrainian F7 Litavr interceptor drones, produced by the Ukrainian company F-Drones, can be seen mounted on the Mi-8’s external weapon pylons. Based on the released footage, a single Mi-8 can reportedly carry up to 12 interceptors, with two drones mounted on each pylon.

This theoretically means that, using interceptor drones alone, an Mi-8 could engage up to 12 Russian UAVs during a single sortie. In addition, as mentioned above, the helicopters retain their machine guns, which could potentially be used to shoot down additional drones. Naturally, this would only be possible under ideal conditions and assuming the helicopter has sufficient fuel for such an extended mission.

The Mi-8 may also be able to carry other types of interceptor drones produced by different companies. A similar approach has previously been demonstrated with an An-28 aircraft, which can reportedly carry P1-SUN interceptors and Surveyor drones from the Merops system.

Equipping Mi-8 helicopters with interceptor drones is particularly important given the growing number of Russian Shahed-type UAVs with real-time control capabilities. Some of these drones have reportedly been adapted to carry R-60 air-to-air missiles and Verba man-portable air-defense systems.

Interceptor drones could allow Mi-8 crews to engage remotely controlled Russian UAVs from distances of tens of kilometers while remaining outside the engagement range of air-to-air missiles carried by Shahed-type drones. This would allow the helicopters to attack the UAVs without exposing themselves to the same level of danger.

That’s it for today’s Brief folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, it’s free!

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Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my subscribers here on Substack and anyone who wishes to keep up with the news from the war.

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GSAFU Morning Report

For: Aug 24, 2026

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on Aug 24 stated that day 1643 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.

Ukrainian defenders continue to actively conduct the systematic destruction of the enemy and offer effective resistance in all areas of the front, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. The AFU are exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and disrupting their plans to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.

Over the past 48 hours, 485 combat engagements took place.

During the past two days, aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine affected 11 areas of concentration of enemy manpower, 10 control points for unmanned aerial vehicles and 1 command and observation point, 5 artillery pieces, 1 control point, 1 communications hub, 2 multiple rocket launchers and 1radar station.

Over the past 48 hours, the enemy carried out 2 missile strikes, 193 air strikes, used 22,606 attack drones and carried out approximately 6,430 attacks on populated areas and the positions of Ukrainian forces.

Air Force Daily Report

97 ENEMY TARGETS SHOT DOWN/SUPPRESSED

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During the night of Aug 23 (from 18:00 on Aug 22), the enemy launched an attack using 127 Shahed-type attack drones (including jet-powered ones), “Geran” drones, and imitation drones of the “Parody” type, from the directions of: Kursk, Millerovo, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia, Donetsk - temporarily occupied territory (TOT), TOT Crimea.

The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, and unmanned systems, as well as mobile fire groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to preliminary data, as of 09:00, air defense forces destroyed/neutralized 97 enemy Shahed-type drones, “Geran” drones, and other types of drones in the north, south, and east of the country.

It was recorded that 27 attack drones hit 22 locations, and debris from downed drones fell on 3 locations.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

114 ENEMY TARGETS SHOT DOWN/SUPPRESSED

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During the night of Aug 24 (from 18:00 on Aug 23), the enemy attacked with two Onyx anti-ship missiles launched from the temporarily occupied territory (TOT) of Crimea, 6 air-to-air missiles (Kh-31P, Kh-59) from the airspace over the Black Sea, and 143 attack drones of the Shahed type (one-third were jet-powered), as well as Geran-2 drones, S8000 “Bandera” drones, and imitation drones of the “Parody” type, launched from the directions of: Kursk, Millerovo, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia, and the TOT of the Donetsk region, and Gardiivske - the TOT of Crimea.

The main direction of the attack was the Odesa region.

The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, and unmanned systems, as well as mobile fire groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to preliminary data, as of 09:00, the air defense forces destroyed/suppressed one Onyx anti-ship missile, 2 air-to-air missiles (Kh-31P, Kh-59), and 2 S8000 “Bandera” drones, as well as 109 enemy drones of the Shahed, Geran-2, and other types in the south, north, and east of the country.

Hits were recorded at 22 locations, and debris from downed objects fell on 5 locations. Additionally, some enemy missiles did not reach their targets, and information about them is being clarified.

ALONG THE CONTACT LINE

Kharkiv Sector: Russian forces recently conducted an infiltration mission in northern Kharkiv Oblast.

Ukrainian forces struck Russian servicemembers northwest of Starytsya (northeast of Kharkiv City) after what ISW assesses was a Russian infiltration mission according to geolocated footage published on August 23.

Slovyansk - Lyman Sector: Russian forces recently advanced east of Slovyansk

Russian forces recently advanced east of Slovyansk as they continue prioritizing efforts to secure favorable positions east and southeast of the city in preparation for frontal assaults towards Slovyansk and the rest of the Fortress Belt.

Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets reported that Russian forward units in the Slovyansk direction are advancing across several tactical areas simultaneously and added that the command of the Russian 3rd Combined Arms Army (Southern Military District) reinforces assault infantry presence immediately after successful infiltrations and the consolidation of positions.

Mashovets reported that Russian forces reached the southeastern outskirts of Pyskunivka (east of Slovyansk) from the east and northeast from positions they have seized on the southern bank of the Siverskyi Donetsk River, indicating that Russian forces have consolidated positions in Zakitne (northeast of Pyskunivka) and Kryva Luka (southeast of Pyskunivka).

Mashovets reported that Russian forces also infiltrated into the southern and southeastern outskirts of Mykolaivka (east of Slovyansk) from western Rai-Oleksandrivka (east of Slovyansk). Russian forces are likely attempting to seize Mykolaivka to set conditions for future Russian attacks against Slovyansk from the east as Ukrainian defenses have stalled Russian efforts to advance from the Lyman and Yampil directions to the northeast. ISW observed evidence on August 22 indicating that Russian forces infiltrated south of Rai-Oleksandrivka.

ISW observes Russian forces are likely prioritizing attacks on the southern bank of the Siverskyi Donets River and from Rai-Oleksandrivka toward Mykolaivka in an attempt to seize local tactical heights and create more favorable conditions for an offensive against Slovyansk that bypasses difficult terrain and tough Ukrainian defenses to the northeast. Russian forces are thus conducting a dual tactical effort to connect elements operating near Kryva Luka and Rai-Oleksandrivka to launch an assault against the settlement simultaneously from dominant terrain to the east and south.

Kostyantynivka Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in central Kostyantynivka.

Geolocated footage published on Aug 21 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently advanced in central Kostyantynivka.

Eastern Dnipropetrovsk Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced northeast of Oleksandrivka as Russian forces conducted limited offensive operations in the Oleksandrivka direction on August 21 and 22.

Geolocated footage published on August 21 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently advanced in eastern Zaporizhzhia (northeast of Oleksandrivka).

Western Zaporizhia Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced west of Orikhiv.

Geolocated footage published on August 21 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently advanced northeast of Stepove (west of Orikhiv).

THE WAR AT SEA

Nothing major to report.

TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Nothing major to report.

THE HOME FRONT

Russian attacks kill 5, injure 44 across Ukraine on Aug 23

Russian attacks killed at least 5 people and injured at least 44 across Ukraine over the past day, as its forces attacked a passenger train in Odesa Oblast, the Kyiv Independent reported citing local authorities on Aug 22-23.

In Odesa Oblast, a Russian jet-powered attack drone hit a passenger train that was traveling from Zhytomyr to Odesa, Ukrainian Railways CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi said in a post on Facebook on Aug. 23.

There were 593 passengers on board, including 15 children, but no casualties were reported as an evacuation was ordered in time and the train was brought to an emergency halt on the track, Pertsovskyi said.

In southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, three people were killed, and 20 were injured by Russian attacks, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on Aug. 23. Russian forces carried out 559 attacks on 40 settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past day, Fedorov said.

He later added at around 10 a.m. local time that Russia attacked the area around a shopping center in the city of Zaporizhzhia. A 49-year-old man was injured as a result of the attack.

In eastern Donetsk Oblast, two people were killed and five injured in Russian strikes in the region over the past day, governor Vadym Filashkin said.

In southern Kherson Oblast, Russian attacks in the region injured 11 people, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

In northeastern Kharkiv Oblast, over the past day, three people were injured, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported on Aug. 23 that overnight Russia launched a drone attack on a post office in the town of Lozova, Kharkiv Oblast, and a fire broke out covering an area of 350 square meters.

Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injured two people over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Hanzha reported, according to the reports published on Aug. 22 and Aug. 23.

In Poltava Oblast Russian UAVs struck civilian infrastructure including a warehouse, there were no initial reports of casualties.

Russian attacks kill 8, injure 43 over past day

Russian attacks killed at least eight people and injured at least 43 across Ukraine over the past day, as the country marked the 35th anniversary of its independence on Aug 24, the Kyiv Independent reported citing local authorities.

In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian drones struck railway infrastructure in the Lozova community overnight, killing two women and injuring six other people, including an 11-year-old girl, local authorities said.

The girl, whose mother was among those killed, was in serious condition with burns, while five other people suffered blast injuries.

Russian attacks killed five people and injured 17 others, including two children, in Kharkiv and 16 other settlements across the oblast over the past day, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks killed two people and injured one in Kramatorsk, while six others were wounded elsewhere in the region over the past day, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

In Sumy Oblast, one person was killed and 12 others injured in Russian attacks, according to local authorities. Russian forces carried out more than 50 attacks against 25 settlements in the region.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, three people were injured in attacks on Zaporizhzhia and the surrounding district, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. Russian forces carried out 518 strikes against 38 settlements across the oblast over the past day.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, three people were injured as Russian forces attacked three districts nearly 30 times using drones, artillery, and a guided aerial bomb, local authorities said.

In Chernihiv Oblast, a 59-year-old gas station employee was injured after a Russian Geran drone struck a facility in Korop, according to local Governor Vyacheslav Chaus.

Later in the day Russia targeted an apartment building in Chernihiv, injuring 16.

MOSCOVIIA

Four of Ozon’s Logistics Hubs Targeted By Ukraine Overnight

Four logistics hubs owned by Russia’s second-largest online retailer Ozon ​in southern Russia were targeted in Ukrainian ‌drone attacks, the company said on Monday, bringing the number of targeted facilities to six since August 22, Reuters reports.

Ozon said its ​logistics hub in Makhachkala, Dagestan, was on ​fire after a drone attack, while workers at ⁠warehouses in Adygeysk, in the Adygeya region, and ​Nevinnomyssk, in the Stavropol region, had been evacuated.

“According to ​preliminary information, several people were injured,” Ozon said in a statement, referring to the facility in Makhachkala, which had halted operations.

The ​company also said a large fire broke out ​at its facility in the town of Enem in the ‌Krasnodar ⁠region. It added that facilities in Adygeya and Stavropol were not damaged.

Shares in Ozon fell by as much as 12% on the Moscow Exchange on news ​of the attack, ​while shares ⁠in its major shareholder, private equity firm AFK Sistema, fell by almost 13%.

Ozon ​has become Russia’s second e-commerce giant, after ​rival ⁠Wildberries, to be targeted in Ukrainian drone attacks. Work at a logistics centre in the Samara region was ⁠halted ​after the first Ukrainian strike ​on the company’s facilities on August 22.

Ukraine strikes strategic Russian missile facility

Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed that Ukrainian forces struck the Kombinat Kamenskiy, a Russian defense-industrial facility in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov Oblast, overnight on Aug. 24.

A fire was recorded at the facility following the strike, while the extent of the damage is still being assessed, the General Staff said.

The Kombinat Kamenskiy is part of Russia’s military-industrial complex and produces solid rocket fuel for Uragan, Smerch and Tornado-S multiple-launch rocket systems, as well as various missile systems and air-launched weapons, according to the General Staff.

RELATED INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Norway pledges over $9 billion to Ukraine for 2027

Norway plans to give another 85 billion Norwegian crowns ($9.2 ​billion) in financial support to Ukraine in ‌the 2027 fiscal year, in line with the amount given in 2026, the Nordic country’s government said in ​a statement on Sunday, Reuters reports.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas ​Gahr Stoere and leaders from across the ⁠Nordic and Baltic region are visiting Kyiv on ​Sunday in a show of support for Ukraine ​in the war with Russia.

Norway’s donation will be for both military and humanitarian spending, Stoere was quoted as saying ​in the text of a speech released by ​the government in Oslo.

In comments published on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Kyiv had opened a “Pandora’s box” ​with its ​strikes on ⁠Russian economic targets and that Moscow would hit back at Ukraine’s “most sensitive economic ​sectors”.

Russia and Ukraine are both ramping ​up ⁠drone campaigns aiming to cripple each other’s economic infrastructure, often striking targets far beyond the frontlines of ⁠the ​war started by Moscow, as ​fighting on the battlefield grinds toward the 4-1/2-year mark.

France to focus on delivery of missile interceptors as Russian attacks intensify

French president Emmanuel Macron has promised to strengthen support for Ukraine with the delivery of interceptor missiles after a call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which they discussed Kyiv’s shortage of air defences, the Guardian reports.

The move comes amid a surge in Russian strikes that have pushed civilian deaths in the war to their highest since the first months of Moscow’s invasion. Macron said they would continue to work with the Anti-Missile Coalition launched at a meeting in Paris in July.

Speaking on the Telegram app, Zelenskyy said: “We agreed to accelerate the delivery of the latest French equipment and missiles,” without providing further details. “Thank you for confirming the readiness to provide licences for missile production.”

President Macron wrote on social media: “It is crucial to provide Ukraine with all the necessary means to defend its skies and thwart this aggression.” The Patriot air defence system is the only weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal capable of downing high-speed ballistic missiles used by Russia in its war in Ukraine. Russia has pounded Ukraine – the capital Kyiv especially – with ballistic missile attacks in recent months. The hard-to-intercept super-fast weapons reach their target within minutes, making it virtually impossible for people to reach underground shelters in time.

UK’s Burnham visits Ukraine with plan to support long-range missile production

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Ukraine on Monday on his first overseas trip since taking office, and will announce British support to ​help Kyiv improve its domestic production of long-range missiles, Reuters reports.

Burnham will be ‌in Ukraine to co-chair a meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, a group of countries backing Ukraine, on Monday when he is also due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He is ​set to announce that Britain has agreed to allow European missile manufacturer ​MBDA to release classified information on British-made components used in the SCALP ⁠long-range cruise missile, according to his office.

That will help enable France and Ukraine ​to establish local assembly lines for the missile, which shares British and French technology, ​according to Downing Street.

Britain has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters ​since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, providing military support, economic aid and diplomatic backing.

Britain ​was the first country to announce plans to supply Ukraine with Western-made battle tanks and long-range ‌cruise ⁠missiles following the invasion and has pledged more than £25 billion ($34 billion) so far in military and civilian support.

Burnham is expected to use his visit to reassure Ukraine and its allies that ​Britain would continue to play a leading role in efforts ​to strengthen ⁠Ukraine’s security under his government.

The push to expand Ukraine’s domestic missile production comes as Ukraine increasingly relies on long-range drones and strike weapons to target Russian oil refineries and logistics ⁠facilities far ​behind the front lines.

The visit comes weeks after ​Zelenskyy travelled to Britain in late July as Burnham’s first international guest, following the Labour leader’s election as ​prime minister a week earlier.

Kremlin says British missile help for Ukraine ‘adds fuel to the fire’

The Kremlin said on Monday that Britain’s decision to ​hand Ukraine classified information on British-made components used ‌to make SCALP long-range cruise missiles would “add fuel to the fire” and was regarded by Moscow extremely negatively, Reuters reports.

British Prime Minister Andy ​Burnham arrived in Kyiv on Monday on his ​first overseas trip since taking office and was ⁠due to announce British support to help Kyiv improve ​its domestic production of long-range missiles.

Asked about the visit and the ​support, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Britain of doing everything it could to prevent any progress towards an eventual peace deal.

Peskov said that the Russian military was already systematically gathering ​data to ​identify the location ⁠of any missile production sites and then destroying them.

Moscow warned London last week ​of unspecified “consequences” for supplying drones to Kyiv, ​accusing Britain ⁠of deepening its involvement in the war following a report that British-made drones had been used for long-range strikes ⁠against ​Russia for the first time. Burnham ​said at the time that London was committed to support Ukraine ​100% against “this illegal war.”

MILITARY & TECH

Alexa Spatium Jet Interceptor Enters Ukrainian Defense Forces Service

The first Ukrainian unmanned interceptor designed to engage jet-powered drones, Alexa Spatium, has entered service with the Ukrainian Defense Forces, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported.

The manufacturer of Alexa Spatium is currently has not been publicly disclosed, but the Ministry of Defense emphasizes that it was developed and manufactured by Ukrainian engineers.

The system’s primary targets are Russian Geran-3, Geran-4, and Geran-5 loitering munitions, as well as the Shahed-131. The interceptor can also be employed against reconnaissance UAVs and helicopters.

The UAV is equipped with a turbojet engine and features a high service ceiling, an extended operational range, and the capability to operate at low and medium altitudes.

The system can be operated using pre-programmed coordinates as well as in direct-guidance mode. For target detection and engagement, it employs electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) seeker and targeting systems.

Alexa Spatium is equipped with various warhead options, including high-explosive fragmentation, shaped-charge, and thermobaric warheads. The developers have also incorporated a return-to-launch capability, allowing the UAV to return to its launch point if the mission is not completed and be reused.

The UAV measures approximately 1.5 × 1.7 meters and can be launched from a mobile catapult within several minutes. Its airframe is constructed from lightweight composite materials, providing high maneuverability in flight.

According to the developers, the system’s key advantages include rapid deployment, process automation, resilience under challenging operating conditions, and high mobility. The entire system can be deployed on a pickup truck.

The jet engine enables the Alexa Spatium to achieve high speeds, which is intended to facilitate rapid response to airborne threats and reduce target interception time.

The developers state that the interceptor is equipped with reliable flight-control and video-transmission systems.

Zelenskyy - Ukraine Launches New Operation Hunting Russian Ballistic Missile Launchers

Ukraine has launched a new operation targeting Russian ballistic missile launchers near its borders, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 22, as Kyiv faces a shortage of missiles capable of intercepting ballistic weapons, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s military struck an Iskander ballistic missile launcher near Ukraine’s borders on Aug. 22, without providing further details.

The strike was part of a separate operation to hunt down Russian missile systems positioned near Ukraine, which Zelensky described as an alternative tactic amid the dire lack of anti-ballistic missile interceptors.

The Iskander is Russia’s main surface to surface tactical ballistic missile system, with a stated range of around 500 kilometers.

Complemented with North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles and advanced Zircon cruise missiles, the Iskander has been the workhorse of combined mass attacks again Ukrainian targets in recent months.

When attacking Kyiv and other targets inside Ukraine, Iskanders are launched from mobile erector-launcher systems inside Russian territory, usually in border regions like Bryansk or Kursk oblasts.

With Ukraine’s stocks of Patriot ballistic missile interceptor at or near empty, strikes against Iskander launchers have long been proposed as an alternative method of fighting the Iskander threat, but Ukraine has lacked options for quickly detecting and hitting launch sites.

Zelenskyy said Russia could potentially produce up to 1,300 ballistic missiles annually and currently has around 600–630 in stock. Moscow could eventually aim to produce around 100 ballistic missiles per month, he said, although it has not yet reached that rate.

Ukraine is also seeking more Patriot interceptors ahead of winter, Zelenskyy said, revealing that Ukraine had only received 264 missiles for the advanced surface-to-air system this year so far.

The Air Force has requested 360 missiles, up from an initial target of 300. According to the president, Kyiv hopes to secure 5–10% of U.S. stocks, with Ukraine prepared to pay for the missiles.

Zelensykyy also said Germany had agreed to provide 600 PAC-2 missiles for Patriot systems in 2027–2028, while negotiations with Washington over additional supplies continue.

Longer-term alternatives to the Patriot are also moving ahead, the president said, referring specifically to the Freyja project, a joint effort by European and Ukrainian defense companies to produce a new anti-ballistic missile system.

The project has moved from political discussions to the technical stage, with companies now beginning practical work, Zelenskyy said.

That’s it for today’s Brief folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, it’s free!

Subscribe now

Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my subscribers here on Substack and anyone who wishes to keep up with the news from the war.

Share Grumpy’s Substack

GSAFU Morning Report

For: Aug 22, 2026

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on Aug 22 stated that day 1641 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.

Ukrainian defenders continue to actively conduct the systematic destruction of the enemy and offer effective resistance in all areas of the front, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. The AFU are exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and disrupting their plans to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.

Over the past 24 hours, 202 combat engagements took place.

During the past day, aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit 12 enemy manpower concentration areas, two artillery systems and two enemy communications.

Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 96 air strikes, used 10,953 attack drones and carried out approximately 3,130 attacks on populated areas and the positions of Ukrainian forces.

Air Force Daily Report

191 ENEMY TARGETS SHOT DOWN/SUPPRESSED

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During the night of Aug 22 (from 18:00 on Aug 21), the enemy attacked Ukraine with missiles that followed a ballistic trajectory, including Iskander-M and S-400 systems, as well as three Х-31П/Х-59 air-to-surface missiles launched from the Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions, and from the airspace over the Black Sea. Additionally, they used loitering munitions called “Bandera” and 217 Shahed-type attack drones (over 50 of which were jet-powered), as well as “Gerbera” and “Parody” type drones launched from the Kursk, Orel, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk areas in Russia, as well as from the temporarily occupied Donetsk region and the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula.

The main direction of the attack was Kyiv and Odesa regions.

The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, and unmanned systems, as well as mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

According to preliminary data, as of 09:00, the air defense systems destroyed/suppressed:

• 3 Х-31П/Х-59 air-to-surface missiles

• 6 “Bandera” loitering munitions,

• 182 enemy Shahed, Gerbera, and other types of drones in the north, south, east, and center of the country.

There were confirmed hits by enemy air attack assets on 41 locations, as well as debris from downed objects falling on 12 locations.

ALONG THE CONTACT LINE

Slovyansk - Lyman Sector: Ukrainian forces either recently advanced or maintained positions in the Slovyansk direction.

Geolocated footage published on Aug 20 shows Russian forces striking a Ukrainian position in southern Rai-Oleksandrivka (southeast of Slovyansk), indicating that Ukrainian forces maintain positions in southern Rai-Oleksandrivka contrary to Russian claims.

Kostyantynivka Sector: Russian forces recently marginally advanced in western Kostyantynivka.

Geolocated footage published on Aug 20 shows a Ukrainian airstrike against a Russian-occupied building in western Kostyantynivka, indicating that Russian forces have likely consolidated positions in the building.

ISW continues to assess that Russian forces do not control all or even most of Kostyantynivka, but that Russian infiltration missions throughout the city continue to degrade Ukrainian defenses.

Eastern Zaporizhia Sector: Ukrainian forces either recently advanced or maintained positions in the Hulyaipole direction.

Geolocated footage published on Aug 20 shows Russian forces striking a Ukrainian position north of Verkhnya Tersa (northwest of Hulyaipole), indicating that Ukrainian forces maintain positions north of Verkhnya Tersa contrary to Russian claims.

Western Zaporizhia Sector: Russian forces recently conducted infiltration missions in western Zaporizhia Oblast.

Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets reported on Aug 21 that Russian forces recently infiltrated between Charivne and Luhivske, throughout Luhivske, into southeastern Bilohirya, south of Mala Tokmachka, and in northwestern Mala Tokmachka (all southeast of Orikhiv).

Mashovets also reported on Aug 21 that Russian forces recently infiltrated into eastern Novodanylivka (south of Orikhiv) and into southwestern Orikhiv itself.

THE WAR AT SEA

Nothing major to report.

TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Nothing major to report.

THE HOME FRONT

Russian ‘double-tap’ strike on shopping centre in Ukraine kills 16 and wounds 130

At least 16 people were killed and more than 130 wounded on Friday when ​several Russian drones struck a shopping centre in central Ukraine, authorities said, ‌with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promising a response to what he called an “act of barbarism.” Reuters reports.

Regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said that 22 children were among the wounded in the daytime ​attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih, which is Zelenskyy’s hometown.

“There ​are 29 people in serious condition, including five children,” Hanzha ⁠said. He posted a photo of black smoke billowing from a large ​industrial building.

In an update early on Saturday, Hanzha said nine people were preliminarily ​considered missing, including two children, and that rescuers were continuing to clear the rubble of the shopping centre.

In a separate attack on Friday, at least four people, including three children, were killed and a woman was ​wounded after a ​Russian drone strike ⁠in Ukraine’s southern region of Mykolaiv, Ukrainian state media said on Telegram.

Russia is escalating its air war on ​Ukraine as fighting on the battlefield grinds toward the ​4-1/2-year mark. ⁠On Thursday, 17 people were killed in a Russian ballistic missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

Elsewhere in Ukraine Russian attacks kill at least 7, injure 31

Russian attacks killed at least six and injured at least 26 people over the past day, as Moscow continues to strike Ukrainian civilians,the Kyiv Independent reported citing Ukrainian authorities on Aug 22.

In Kherson Oblast, three people were killed, and 13 were injured as Russian strikes damaged houses and apartments, the Kherson Military Administration reported. In the regional capital, Kherson, a Russian drone hit a shopping center, burning it to the ground. No victims were reported.

In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks killed one person and injured seven others, including five people in the front-line city of Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

In Sumy Oblast, a Russian drone hit a house, killing one man, while six people were injured in separate drone attacks in the region, including a 12-year-old boy after his house was hit by a drone and a 37-year-old man whose truck was targeted by another drone, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported.

In Kyiv Oblast, Russian forces launched an overnight wave of ballistic missiles, killing an employee of Ukrainian Railways, Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Chairman of the Board of Ukrainian Railways, wrote on social media.

Later in the day, on Aug. 22, Russia struck Kyiv’s suburbs in a daytime attack, killing at least one person in Boryspil and injuring five others, reported Tymur Tkachenko, the regional military administration head. A house, gas station, and a warehouse were damaged.

Russian forces struck Zaporizhzhia Oblast with drones. At one of the locations, a fire broke out after a drone hit the roof of a five-story residential building. Emergency services extinguished the fire.

In Odesa Oblast Russia launched a massive combined attack on the region overnight. The enemy targeted civilian, critical, and energy infrastructure facilities.

In one district of the region, the building of a railway station was damaged. Several parked cars nearby caught fire.

In another district, the roof of a 5-story residential building was damaged as a result of the attack. According to preliminary information, one person was injured.

A Russian overnight Shahed attack also damaged a border crossing with Moldova in Odesa Oblast, the State Border Service reported. While the crossing was temporarily out of action, it has since been restored.

MOSCOVIIA

Ukraine strikes Wildberries rival, oil refinery, and airbase in overnight attacks

Ukraine’s military launched attacks across on Russia and the occupied territories on Aug 22, setting fire to an Ozon logistics center and the Novokuibyshevskyi oil refinery in Samara Oblast, and damaging planes at the Saky airbase on the occupied-Crimean peninsula, the Kyiv Independent reports.

Ozon, Russia’s second-largest online marketplace, said the drone attack caused a fire at its warehouse and prompted the evacuation of more than 500 employees within minutes. Several people were injured, the company said.

That same night, Ukraine also hit the Novokuibyshevskyi refinery in Samara Oblast, which produces fuel and lubricants used by the Russian military, Ukraine’s General Staff reported.

While the damage is still being assessed, it is one of the largest refineries in Russia, capable of producing 8.8 million metric tons of oil per year. Photos and videos posted by local residents on social media appeared to show thick black smoke rising from the facility following the strike.

In Crimea, Ukrainian forces destroyed one Su-24M aircraft and four pieces of airfield equipment at the Saky airbase, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. Ukraine also destroyed relay stations in Bryansk Oblast, western Russia, used to control drones, he added.

The Ozon facility and refinery are roughly 900 kilometers (560 miles) from the front lines in Ukraine.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil infrastructure as part of its campaign to disrupt Moscow’s fuel supply. Strikes on refineries have forced some facilities to reduce or halt production, contributing to Russia’s fuel shortages.

Ukrainian Defense Forces Attack Russian Port

Drones belonging to the Ukrainian Defense Forces attacked the port in the city of Yeysk in the Krasnodar Krai of the Russian Federation, Astra news outlet reported.

The attack took place on the morning of August 22, 2026. Thick smoke rose over the port area following the strike. According to local residents, the drone may have struck a ship. It is currently unknown which ship was hit.

The Yeysk port is a general-purpose port with shallow waters, so its harbor area can be used primarily by small vessels.

At the same time, the port is important for the Russian Federation’s military logistics. It can be used to load fuel and supplies onto ships that transport cargo to the temporarily occupied Crimea and the occupied territories of Ukraine.

A terminal operated by the company ‘Yeisk-Port-Vista,’ which specializes in the transshipment of diesel fuel, is located within the port.

Its capacity is approximately 3 million metric tons per year, and it uses mixed river-sea-going vessels for its operations.

There is also a military airfield near Yeysk, where the Russian Navy’s 859th Center for Combat Application and Crew Training for Naval Aviation is stationed.

In the event of a full-scale war, the airfield is also used by other combat aviation units of the Russian Federation, in particular for strikes against Ukraine.

Earlier, Militarnyi reported that during a strike on the airfield in Yeysk on May 15, 2026, the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed a Russian Be-200PS aircraft.

RELATED INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Attack on Ukraine shopping centre that killed 16 is ‘terror by design’, says EU foreign policy chief

Russian drones have slammed into a busy shopping centre in central Ukraine, killing 16 people in an attack that Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned as “cynical and despicable”, the Guardian reports.

“Russia’s attack against a shopping centre in [Kryvyi Rih] shows the absolute and utter depravity of Moscow’s war,” Kallas said on social media, claiming that Moscow “wants to make Ukrainian cities unliveable”.

The strike comes as Russia has intensified its bombardments of Ukrainian cities in recent months. Separately, four more people, including three children, were killed in another strike in the southern Mykolaiv region, the interior minister, Ivan Vygivsky, said on Telegram.

Videos on social media of the Kryvyi Rih attack showed rescuers rushing to help the wounded on the street outside, as smoke poured out of the building.

A second drone smashed into the roof of the building about half an hour after the first – a repeat strike that Zelenskyy said in a post on social media was “targeting the emergency responders”.

Ukrainian emergency services initially said the attack had killed 15 people and wounded 130 others, 23 of them children.

The head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, Oleksandr Ganzha, later said on Telegram the death toll had risen to 16.

In his social media post, Zelenskyy condemned “an absolutely cynical and despicable strike ... carried out by the Russians against an ordinary shopping centre”.

Kryvyi Rih, an industrial city about 60km (37 miles) from the front line, has come under repeated Russian attacks throughout the war.

Ukraine’s allies are to meet on Monday to reaffirm their support for Kyiv in talks held on the country’s independence day. The meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing” will be co-chaired by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, the UK prime minister, Andy Burnham, and the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz.

About 10 leaders including the European Council chief, António Costa, will be in Kyiv for the coalition meeting, according to an EU official. Zelenskyy urged a strong response from Ukraine’s allies.

Zelenskyy held a call with the UN chief, António Guterres, on Friday, updating him on Russian strikes and the civilian casualties they had caused, the Ukrainian leader said on social media.

Kyiv has repeatedly appealed to its allies for additional support as Russia steps up its strikes, with Ukrainian forces struggling in particular to intercept salvos of ballistic missiles.

Germany pledges additional 50 million euros in humanitarian aid to Ukraine ahead of winter

As Russia intensifies its campaign against Ukrainian civilians, Germany pledged an additional 50 million euros ($58 million) in humanitarian support to help people in front-line regions and prepare for the coming winter, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters in Kyiv on Aug 22, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day, Wadephul emphasized Germany’s continued support for Ukraine, particularly after July was recorded as the deadliest month for civilians in more than four years of full-scale war.

The funding will go to UN organizations and NGOs that provide urgent support for affected civilians, including mobile sanitation facilities, housing repairs, and heating equipment. Wadephul stressed that heating was particularly important ahead of the coming winter, as Russia carries out attacks on energy facilities.

At the same time, Germany will also provide an additional 10 million euros ($11.6 million) to NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package for decentralized energy supplies for the military, equipment for military hospitals and urgently needed air defense equipment.

Wadephul noted that air defense equipment is extremely important and reminded reporters that Berlin agreed to support NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative and the Jumpstart Agreement with $200 million each in June. The funds will be used to purchase critical weapons from the U.S. for Ukraine.

While Berlin helps Ukraine at the governmental level, Wadephul also pointed to joint ventures between German and Ukrainian defense companies, including the development of drone systems and ballistic missiles.

Over the last year, Germany has become one of the leading investors and partners in Ukraine’s growing defense tech industry.

In May, Berlin and Kyiv launched “Brave Germany,” a joint initiative aimed at advancing defense technologies and supporting innovative startups. Backed by Ukraine’s Brave1 defense-tech platform, the project will provide grants to Ukrainian and German companies operating in the defense sector.

German Intelligence Agencies Discovered Russian Weapons Cache Near Berlin

German intelligence agencies discovered a secret cache containing two pistols on the border between Berlin and the state of Brandenburg. Süddeutsche Zeitung reported citing its own sources within law enforcement agencies.

According to the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the cache belongs to Russian intelligence services and was intended for contract killings.

Among the potential targets of Russian hitmen are executives of defense companies, Russian opposition figures, and activists who support Ukraine.

After discovering the cache, law enforcement officers secured the pistols, fitted them with GPS trackers, and placed the location under round-the-clock surveillance. However, no one came to retrieve the weapons, so the cache is now considered ‘dead’ due to the possible exposure of the operation.

As part of the investigation, a suspect who may have been the direct organizer of this cache has already been detained in Romania. The German Public Prosecutor General has been handling the case since last November.

Such caches of weapons, explosives, and communications equipment were standard practice for the Soviet KGB during the Cold War to prepare sabotage operations against NATO infrastructure.

MILITARY & TECH

Western Fighters Now Form Core of Ukraine’s Air Force, But Soviet Era Fighters Still Play A role

The backbone of the Ukrainian Air Force currently consists of Western-made F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighter jets.

At the same time, the Soviet-designed MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets still in service continue to play an important role in the Ukrainian Air Force, carrying out air defense missions and striking ground targets with AGM-88 HARM missiles and Western-designed guided bombs. This is reported in a RUSI publication authored by Justin Bronk.

This publication is of particular interest for what it reveals about how one of the leading Western think tanks assesses the use of the Ukrainian Air Force at this stage of the war, even if its assessments and assumptions may not fully reflect reality.

In particular, it is noteworthy that the F-16, Mirage 2000, MiG-29, and Su-27 are primarily used for air defense missions, while operations against ground targets also account for a significant share of their missions.

Currently, Ukrainian pilots flying Western-supplied aircraft use not only short-range AIM-9M/L and Magic 2 air-to-air missiles to engage aerial targets, but also APKWS II rockets and aircraft cannons. It should be noted that the high number of aerial targets intercepted—approximately 2,500 Shahed drones by F-16s alone since 2025—also indicates an intensive rate of engine service-life consumption.

It is noteworthy that Justin Bronk assesses the prospect of acquiring new JAS 39 Gripen fighters equipped with Meteor missiles specifically in the context of strengthening Ukraine’s fighter capabilities, particularly for long-range air combat. This is particularly noteworthy given claims by Western partners that a Ukrainian F-16 reportedly shot down a Russian Su-35S, although the claim has not been confirmed by official Ukrainian sources.

It should also be noted that the author makes the assertion that Ukrainian tactical aviation can strike targets up to 60 kilometers behind Russian lines using guided bombs such as JDAM, SDB, and AASM Hammer. However, it is difficult to determine how closely this assessment corresponds to reality.

At this point, however, a certain degree of subjective interpretation is unavoidable. In his article, Bronk argues that strikes using Western precision-guided munitions launched from Ukrainian aircraft would be more effective if they were no longer directed by ground-based command posts and if pilots were instead given greater flexibility to conduct missions independently. This, however, raises two questions: first, why does the RUSI author hold this view? And second, does he himself understand how his ideas and recommendations could be implemented in practice?

This article is of interest primarily because it reflects how one of the leading Western think tanks views the current use of aviation by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, even if its assessments do not always fully correspond to reality.

That’s it for today’s Brief folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, it’s free!

Subscribe now

Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my subscribers here on Substack and anyone who wishes to keep up with the news from the war.

Share Grumpy’s Substack

GSAFU Morning Report

For: Aug 21, 2026

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on Aug 21 stated that day 1640 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.

Ukrainian defenders continue to actively conduct the systematic destruction of the enemy and offer effective resistance in all areas of the front, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. The AFU are exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and disrupting their plans to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.

Over the past 24 hours, 238 combat engagements took place.

During the past day, aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit six points of control of unmanned aerial vehicles and three areas of concentration of enemy manpower.

Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 1 missile strike, 87 air strikes, used 10,821 attack drones and carried out approximately 3,080 attacks on populated areas and the positions of Ukrainian forces.

Air Force Daily Report

107 ENEMY TARGETS SHOT DOWN/SUPPRESSED

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During the night of Aug 21 (from 18:00 on Aug 20), the enemy launched an attack using 135 Shahed-type attack drones (including jet-powered ones), “Geran” drones, and imitation drones of the “Parody” type, from the directions of: Kursk, Millerovo, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia, Donetsk - temporarily occupied territory (TOT), TOT Crimea.

The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, and unmanned systems, as well as mobile fire groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to preliminary data, as of 08:00, air defense forces destroyed/suppressed 107 enemy Shahed-type drones, “Geran” drones, and drones of other types in the north, south, and east of the country.

It was recorded that 27 attack drones hit 16 locations, and debris from downed drones fell on 3 locations.