Short of air defense interceptors, Ukraine is looking to drones connected to the Starlink network as a possible response to the threat of Russian ballistic missiles. The objective, according to what the Financial Times reports citing sources familiar with the dossier, would be to hit Moscow's launchers reaching up to 200 kilometers beyond the border, deep into Russian territory. However, the road remains uphill. The final word belongs to Elon Musk, whose attitude towards Kiev has changed several times during the conflict, and Trump would have refused Kiev's request to intercede with Musk himself.
New appeal from Volodymyr Zelensky to Western partners: "Unfortunately, while Russia invests in rockets and continues to escalate, the world does not always react adequately", declared the president. The issue, he explained, is ballistic missiles: if around 90% of cruise missiles have been intercepted, the situation is much worse against ballistic missiles. "We are defenseless against ballistic missiles, we need Patriots", he reiterated, underlining that Kiev is not asking for gifts but is ready to buy weapons, and that what is missing are the political decisions of its partners, starting with the United States.
Finland reports an alleged airspace invasion which it is investigating.
"Last October the police received information about a warehouse near Berlin. The regional crime branch LKA located it." Inside the hideout "two firearms and their ammunition were found". German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt explained this at a press conference in Berlin, confirming the news leaked by the German press. The CSU minister confirmed the arrest of a suspect in Romania, a "low level" agent. The investigators believe they are dealing with "a case of espionage activity and the preparation of a serious crime". The investigations are still ongoing. The place was kept under observation but no attempt to remove the weapons was detected. Dobrindt did not mention the suspicions about Russia, but linked the finding to the "hybrid threat" situation facing Germany.
Ukraine is seeking permission to use Starlink-equipped drones against ballistic missile launchers up to 200km inside Russian territory, as Kiev faces a severe shortage of air defense interceptors. The Financial Times reports it. The move would require approval from Elon Musk, whose stance on Ukraine and its use of its satellite Internet service has fluctuated. According to people present, during the White House meeting in July Zelensky asked Trump to talk to Musk about getting permission for Ukraine to use Starlink beyond its borders to hit Russian ballistic missile launchers. Zelensky's request was that Musk allow Ukraine to use Starlink on attack drones up to 200 km deep inside Russia, a range that would include ballistic missile launch infrastructure, command systems and other assets. "Kiev believed that limiting the depth of such attacks could incentivize Musk to approve the request. However, according to participants in the Oval Office meeting, Trump was evasive and did not appear to be in favor of the plan. The sources added that they believed that Musk would not have granted approval", glosses the Ft.
US President Donald Trump would have rejected Kiev's request to intercede with Elon Musk for the use of drones equipped with Starlink technology for attacks on Russian territory. The Financial Times reports it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his July visit to the White House "asked Trump to talk to Musk to obtain permission for Ukraine to use Starlink outside its borders. However, according to those present at the meeting in the Oval Office, Trump did not give a definitive answer and did not support the plan", writes the FT. Musk himself had previously prevented the use of Starlink for deep strikes against Russia, fearing a possible nuclear escalation.
Ukrainian forces have conducted new attacks deep into Russian territory. President Volodymyr Zelensky claims this, according to which on August 20 an oil refinery in Perm, over 1,600 kilometers from the border, and the Marinovka military air base in the Volgograd region were hit. Successes, he adds, have also been achieved in the Black Sea.
Zelensky also announces a new package of sanctions against Moscow, to "ensure that the consequences of the war return to where they came from".
The president then confirms the results of previous operations: a Russian Su-34 fighter would have been damaged at the Akhtubinsk air base, about 600 kilometers from the front line, while in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, almost 180 kilometers away, a structure used for the storage, preparation and launch of attack drones used against the Ukrainian population was hit. “I thank all units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces for their precision and accuracy,” concludes Zelensky. "Glory to Ukraine".
The Finnish border guard has opened an investigation into a possible incursion into its airspace attributed to a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance plane. The episode occurred yesterday evening in the south of the country, south of the island of Uto, in the Gulf of Finland: according to the border agency, the military aircraft crossed the border for approximately 4.7 nautical miles (8.7 kilometers), remaining in Finnish airspace for approximately three minutes. “The Border Guard has launched a preliminary investigation into the alleged violation of territorial sovereignty and will communicate the results once concluded,” the statement read. Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen reiterated the firm line: "We take any potential violation of our airspace very seriously. The investigation is ongoing."
More than 200 rescue interventions were carried out by firefighters during the night in Lombardy, where bad weather is affecting several provinces. According to the rescuers, the situation appears to be improving overall, while safety operations continue. In the Bergamo area, in Isola di Fondra, the evacuations of the campsite which involved around 250 people on the evening of 20 August were concluded, after a landslide in the upper part of the area and a flood. Heavy rain also occurred in the Como area, where in Domaso the overflowing of a stream affected traffic along the "Regina" state road. Critical issues were reported in the Sondriese area due to the flooding of the Forni basin and the collapse of a pedestrian bridge. Thunderstorms also underway in Milan and its province.
Russian authorities have announced the arrest of eight people accused of planning an attack on a business in the Moscow region. According to the Tass agency, which cites the Federal Security Service (FSB), the eight would have had at their disposal 35 drones loaded with explosives, introduced clandestinely by the EU, to attack a strategic defense company.
In a separate operation, the Ria agency reports, a foreign citizen of unspecified nationality was stopped in the Murmansk region while he was preparing to cross to Norway: he was allegedly monitoring railway convoys with petroleum products and administrative buildings in Moscow. According to state agencies, all those detained worked for the Ukrainian special services. Kiev did not comment.
A Russian attack with six drones hit the village of Lebyazhe in the Chuhuiv district of the Kharkiv region of Ukraine during the night. A 73-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman lost their lives, while two other people - a 41-year-old man and a 73-year-old woman - were injured. This was announced by the regional governor Oleg Synegubov, quoted by the UNIAN agency.
The damage toll is heavy: "Fires were recorded in 5 private residential buildings, 3 of which were completely destroyed, and 20 private residential buildings, of which 3 annexes, were damaged. All emergency services are working at full speed," said Synegubov.
Work continues in Kiev and in the region - between Boryspil and Brovary - in the areas affected by the latest Russian attack. Volodymyr Zelensky made this known on his Telegram channel, describing a combined raid with numerous ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. The Ukrainian president indicates ballistic missiles as the most insidious threat of the moment: if around 90% of cruise ships have been intercepted, the defense against ballistic missiles is much less effective. Hence the request for equipment for the Patriot systems, which according to Zelensky only the allies are capable of providing.
The Ukrainian leader emphasizes conveying to partners, at all levels, both Kiev's needs and the belief that they have the means to satisfy them. "We are not talking about gifts," he says, recalling that Ukraine is ready to purchase arms. What is needed, he adds, are relevant political decisions by allies, "primarily in the United States." Finally, thanks to those who, he underlines, are concretely helping Ukraine to defend itself and save lives.
