Marie Boms
Freighter sank off Bulgaria after drone attack - crew missing
After a drone attack in the Black Sea off the coast of NATO member Bulgaria, a freighter sank and the crew is missing. In the incident on Tuesday, two ships were hit around 112 kilometers off the eastern coastal town of Byala, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said in a televised speech. According to him, the crew of one grain freighter was rescued, but the other ship, flying the Togo flag, sank. It initially remained unclear who was responsible for the bombardment with aerial and sea drones. A Russian statement was initially not available.
Initial assessments from maritime security circles indicated a Russian attack. Radev did not directly comment on who was behind the attack, but pointed to Russia's war against Ukraine. “If this war is not stopped, it will expand geographically and increase the risk of global conflict,” he said.
Luke Bay
Kremlin rejects BND warning of conflict with Russia
Moscow has rejected warnings from BND chief Martin Jäger of an impending violent conflict with Russia. The presidential office in Moscow said the statements were baseless and served as a pretext to justify higher defense spending. The head of the Federal Intelligence Service said on Monday that Germany was in danger of entering into a violent conflict with Russia. The attempted attack at Leipzig Airport is just one example of this. Russia accused Jäger of waging an increasingly aggressive “shadow war” against European democracies.
Luke Bay
Russia attacks bridge in Zaporizhia
After bridges in Kiev, according to Ukrainian authorities, Russia also attacked a bridge over the Dnipro River in the city of Zaporizhia. Five people were injured, the region's governor, Mykhailo Semikin, said on Telegram.
He did not comment on the nature of the attack, but spoke generally about shelling. He also published a photo that is supposed to show a crater on the bridge's roadway. Traffic was temporarily stopped.
Sarah Sendner
Mayor: Ukraine attacks Moscow with 650 drones
According to authorities, Ukraine attacked the region of the Russian capital Moscow with around 650 drones during the night. Most of them were rendered harmless by air defense from a great distance, wrote Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on the Telegram platform. 105 drones were destroyed on their approach to the capital. There was initially no information about damage or injuries. The information from Moscow could not initially be independently verified.
If the Russian information about the number of drones shot down is correct, it would indicate a major attack by Ukraine. The Kyjiv Independent portal, citing eyewitnesses, reported that the attack targeted an oil production facility around 40 kilometers from Moscow. Ukraine is targeting Russian oil industry facilities in order to target energy exports that are important to Moscow's war chest.
Angelika Ahrens
Russia: Ukraine attacks Zaporizhia nuclear power plant with drones
Russia has accused Ukraine of a deadly drone attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant occupied by Russian troops. In the attack on Monday night, a driver who was delivering food for employees was killed, said the head of the Russian nuclear company Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev. The targets were a laboratory building and a facility for processing radioactive waste. However, there is no threat to nuclear safety. A Ukrainian statement was initially not available.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the West of enabling the Ukrainian attacks through a lack of condemnation. The factory management appointed by Russia had already stated on Saturday that Ukrainian shelling had damaged the external power supply. The power plant is currently powered by emergency diesel generators. The largest nuclear power plant in Europe was occupied by Russia in the first weeks of the war. Since then, Moscow and Kiev have accused each other of endangering nuclear safety. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has stationed observers on site.
Eva Glaser
Zelensky expects negotiations in October
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes that talks on ending the war will resume soon, despite increased Russian attacks on his country. “I assume that the American side will be able to organize a three-way meeting in October,” he said in his evening video address. The Ukrainian negotiating team is ready. “This willingness must now also come from Russia.”
Diplomacy must now also become a priority in Russia. “So far they have focused exclusively on attacks on Ukraine and on destabilizing activities in Europe,” Zelensky said. An important task for the USA and all of Ukraine's strong partners is to persuade Russia to engage in diplomacy, “to take concrete steps instead of killings”.
Eva Glaser
Latvia: German-Russians convicted of military aid to Russia
In Latvia, a German-Russian was sentenced to seven years in prison and one year on probation for allegedly collecting and passing on money and goods to Russian military personnel. These were said to have included night vision devices and telescopes, reported the Latvian news agency Leta, citing the responsible court in Riga.
The verdict against the man with German and Russian citizenship is not yet final. It was based on correspondence, photos and videos seized from the cell phone. The convicted man denied knowingly supplying sanctioned military goods. According to his own statements, he transported supplies such as wheelchairs, crutches and diapers in his vehicle for humanitarian reasons. According to a report by Latvian Radio, he said in court that he had given the night vision devices to hunters.
Julius Stockheim
One dead in Russian attack on Sloviansk
One person was killed in a Russian attack on the community of Slovyansk in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. This was announced by Vadym Lyakh, head of the city's military administration. He urged residents to leave the area and not wait for a mandatory evacuation order.
Julius Stockheim
Putin approves sale of Russian UniCredit subsidiary
Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the sale of UniCredit's Russian business. A corresponding decree on the restructuring of the subsidiary of the major Italian bank and the subsequent sale of the newly created entity was published on the Russian government website on Monday.
The transaction required the approval of the president: Russia has imposed strict conditions on transactions with assets of investors from countries that the government in Moscow considers “unfriendly”. In May, UniCredit signed a non-binding agreement for the partial sale with an established private investor from the United Arab Emirates. The institute plans to split its Russian business into two parts.
It wants to retain full control of the payments sector to process international payments for unsanctioned corporate customers, while the unnamed Emirati buyer will take over the rest. According to previous information, the Milan-based financial institution expects the deal to have a negative impact on earnings of 3.0 to 3.3 billion euros.
Julius Stockheim
Merchant ship sank after Russian attack
At least two people are said to have been killed in a Russian drone attack on a cargo ship in the Black Sea. The Romanian authorities announced this. Eleven more people were rescued. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj wrote on Platform X on Monday that two drones had attacked the ship owned by Turkey in neutral waters.
The ship that was transporting corn caught fire and later sank. The captain's death is confirmed. The fate of another person is still being clarified, Zelenskyj wrote, contrary to the Romanian information. Zelensky also spoke of eleven people being rescued, including one injured person. Citizens of Azerbaijan and India were on board.
Julius Stockheim
Russia: Hit supply ship for Ukrainian military
Russia says it has fired on a cargo ship in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Pivdennyi. The Russian Defense Ministry said the ship was used to supply the Ukrainian military.
Julius Stockheim
Ukraine: Three dead in Russian airstrike on Kharkiv
Three people have been killed in a Russian airstrike with guided bombs on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, according to local authorities. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on the short message service Telegram that 25 other people were injured and residential buildings and warehouses were damaged.
Marie Boms
Ukrainian Air Force: Jet drones intercepted with robotic guns
Ukraine says it has shot down Russian jet-powered drones for the first time using automated turrets. The Ukrainian Air Force said the Geran-5 was among the drones that were fended off. Machine vision was used for the launches, Air Force spokesman Yuri Ihnat said on Ukrainian television. “Artificial intelligence makes it possible to even combat jet-powered drones.”
Julius Stockheim
Kyiv installs AI-controlled guns against Russian drones
According to a presidential adviser, Ukraine is using AI-controlled guns to defend against Russian drones in the capital Kiev. Twelve automatic gun turrets have already been installed and more are to follow, Serhiy Beskrestnov said on social media.
The systems are machine guns that are controlled using artificial intelligence and are intended to shoot down Russian jet-powered Shahed drones. Kyiv is repeatedly the target of Russian drone and missile attacks. Air raid alarms and explosions are now part of everyday life for residents of the Ukrainian capital.
Julius Stockheim
Border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova closed after bullet strike
After a Russian attack on Ukrainian infrastructure, operations at a border crossing between Moldova and Ukraine have been suspended. A bullet fell on Monday near the Palanca-Majaky-Udobne crossing, the Moldovan border police said.
The bullet hit the ground early in the morning and was then thrown against a coach parked near the barrier. The bus and a checkpoint were damaged. A border service employee suffered minor injuries. There were no other injuries.
Julius Stockheim
Mayor: Dead and injured in attack on Kharkiv
According to Mayor Ihor Terekhov, one person was killed in a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Six other people were injured. Vehicles and an administration building caught fire and residential buildings were also damaged. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday that an electrical substation in the Kharkiv region had been attacked. In addition, energy and port infrastructure as well as ships used by the Ukrainian military were attacked.
Julius Stockheim
Kallas: Russia is endangering lives across Europe with hybrid attacks
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accuses Russia of endangering lives across Europe with hybrid attacks. There has been a sharp increase in Russian sabotage attempts and airspace violations in recent weeks, Kallas said at a press conference with Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan in Brussels. The fact that Russian missiles and drones violated Moldova's airspace again at the weekend is completely unacceptable.
Julius Stockheim
According to Ukraine, 51 percent of Russia's refining capacity was down
Ukraine says it has shut down more than half of Russia's oil refining capacity. Recent attacks on refineries in Moscow, Yaroslavl, Ust-Luga, Perm, Saratov and Syzran, among others, have crippled 51 percent of capacity, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said. The information could not initially be independently verified.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara said intelligence analysts, the General Staff and his ministry had assessed the impact of the attacks on targets deep inside Russia. The lost refinery capacity is a significant blow to Russia's economy and Moscow's ability to wage war against Ukraine and supply the troops fighting there.
Marie Boms
BND boss: Supporting Ukraine is Germany's core interest
BND boss Martin Jäger has warned against cutting back on aid to Ukraine in its defense against Russia. “Supporting Ukraine is Germany’s core interest,” he said in the German intelligence services hearing in the Bundestag. He warns of serious consequences if Russia wins the war. “It is a great illusion that the conflict with Russia would be over with the end of the war in Ukraine.” Russia is pursuing an expansive, hegemonic project that goes beyond Ukraine and includes the Baltics.
Laura Thalmeyer
Russia attacks industrial and infrastructure in Odessa
Russia said it attacked the port of Vylkove, fuel depots in Chornomorsk and cargo ships in the southern Ukrainian region of Odessa. The Defense Ministry in Moscow said a power plant in the northeastern region of Kharkiv was also hit. The targets were selected because they would be used for military purposes.
Odessa Governor Oleh Kiper confirms that industrial and port infrastructure in the region have been the target of massive Russian attacks.
