Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Kyiv, August 24, 2026 (Sky)
EA-Ukraine VideoCast: A Federov-Musk Scheme v. President Zelensky?
Monday’s Coverage: Zelensky Again Rejects Elections During Russia’s Invasion
UPDATE 1652 GMT:
At least five civilians were murdered and 99 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day.
In the Kherson region in the south, two people were killed and 23 injured, including one child.
In the neighboring Zaporizhzhia region, two people were slain and one wounded.
In the Kharkiv region in the northeast, one person was killed and 13 injured, including a 13-year-old girl.
In the Chernihiv region in northeast Ukraine, 38 people were injured amid 45 attacks across the region. In Chernihiv city, 25 were wounded in a strike on a high-rise residential building. Later, a Russian drone attack on a site for telecommunications operators injured 12 people, including four teenagers, in Mena.
Casualties were also reported from Donetsk, Sumy, and Kyiv regions.
UPDATE 1511 GMT:
US Central Intelligence Agency director John Ratcliffe is visiting Moscow for meetings.
Officials confirmed the trip after flight data showed a US military C-17 transport flew from Andrews Air Force Base via Riga, Latvia to the Russian capital.
The trip is Ratcliffe’s first to Russia as CIA chief.
The Financial Times reports that Trump Administration officials asked Ukraine not to strike Moscow, St Petersburg, and northern Russia on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday because of Ratcliffe’s trip. Kyiv agreed.
UPDATE 1206 GMT:
Ukraine has recently received a small number of US-made Patriot interceptors, President Volodymyr Zelensky told State TV.
Zelensky also cited confirmation of future supplies of the French Crotale surface-to-air missile system. He did not say how many had arrived, or who had supplied them.
UPDATE 1033 GMT:
Russian media report a fire, with a pyrolysis unit burning, at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex in the Amur region.
One person has reportedly been killed and 90 injured.
The plant is a joint Russia-China project and was supposed to start commercial operation soon.
Today, a fire broke out at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex in Russia's Amur region. According to preliminary data, a pyrolysis unit caught fire, sending a thick column of smoke over the facility.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) August 25, 2026 at 9:39 AM
The Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery in the Rostov region has suspended operations after a drone attack. Governor Yuri Slyusar said the complex was damaged but provided no further details.
The refinery is one of the largest in southern Russia, with a capacity of 5.6 million tons.
Six Russian refineries have suspended operations in August following Ukrainian attacks.
UPDATE 1027 GMT:
The UN has confirmed the killing of at least 16,874 civilians in Ukraine, including 820 children, during Russia’s full-scale invasion. Another 51,273 civilians, including 3,126 minors, have been wounded.
Deputy Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo emphasized that the actual number of killed and injured is likely “significantly higher”, as the UN is unable to verify figures for territories where fighting is ongoing or under Russian control.
In July, at least 437 civilians — including 17 children — were killed and 2,610 were injured in Ukraine. The monthly toll was the highest since May 2022.
DiCarlo noted that Russian forces intensified their large-scale strikes on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure in August.
The UN Under-Secretary-General also reported an increase in civilian casualties in Russia, with authorities stating that 329 civilians were killed and 2,197 injured from January to July 2026. The total is a 119% increase compared to the same period last year.
UPDATE 1021 GMT:
A US Air Force military transport aircraft landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport this morning, reports Flightradar24.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin has no information about the arrival. He said the Russian side is not planning any meetings with Trump Administration officials this week.
The plane departed Latvia’s capital Riga aournd 8:50 a.m. and landed at 10:04 a.m. It previous departure point had been Camp Springs, Maryland, home to Andrews Air Force Base.
The last time a US jet flew to Russia was in January, when Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.
UPDATE 1000 GMT:
President Volodymyr Zelensky has posted “warm and heartening congratulations” from Donald Trump’s office for Ukraine’s Independence Day.
With courageous, brave, and talented people, you have built a great country. As you commemorate this important occasion, know that the United States stands in admiration of your resilient spirit, honors your sacrifices, and remains confident in your future as a sovereign, prosperous nation.
Let us seize this moment to end the conflict and build a durable, lasting peace that unleashes the tremendous potential of Ukraine for generations to come.
Zelensky posted:
These words, much like the sound of a Patriot PAC-3 launch, lift our spirits and give hope that lives can be protected from Russia’s savage attacks and that a dignified peace can be achieved. Thank you, President Trump and all Americans, for your support and congratulations!
UPDATE 0727 GMT:
The US has again refused to join a UN statement condemning Russia’s strikes on Ukraine and calling for an immediate end to hostilities.
The document, for the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, was supported by 50 countries. Among them were all 27 European Union countries, the UK, Japan, Canada, Georgia, Moldova, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
“We urge Russia to heed calls for a complete, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire and to resume negotiations on a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine,” the statement set out.
The signatories called for the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of illegally detained persons, and the return of deported Ukrainians, including children.
In late May, the US refused to join Ukraine’s statement at the UN condemning Russia’s threats to launch “systemic attacks” against Kyiv. Last fall, the Trump Administration did not support a Ukrainian statement accusing Moscow of waging an “unprovoked war”.
UPDATE 0708 GMT:
Ukraine’s air defenses downed 124 of 150 attack drones launched by Russia overnight.
The Russians also fired an Iskander-M ballistic missile and a Kh-31P guided aircraft missile.
Strikes were recorded at 17 locations.
UPDATE 0706 GMT:
Ukraine’s drones struck the Afipsky Oil Refinery, one of the largest in southern Russia, overnight.
The facility processes roughly 6.25 million tons of crude annually, around 2% of Russia’s refining output.
The strike is the fifth on the complex this year.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Gathering in Kyiv on Ukraine’s Independence Day, Europe’s leaders pledged further support for the resistance against Russia’s 54-month full-scale invasion.
The leaders focused on the threat to Ukraine this winter from Russia’s ballistic missile strikes, exploiting Kyiv’s lack of air defenses.
The European Union released another €6.1 billion ($7.1 billion). The financing is part of a €90 billion loan, including €60 billion in military aid, approved by the EU this spring.
Commitments included support of Ukraine’s counter-attacks inside Russia. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced consent for defense company MBDA to release classified information about components used in Britain’s Storm Shadow long-range missile. The provision will help France and Kyiv advance plans for production of the French SCALP missile in Ukraine.
The UK will have access to Ukraine’s AI Avengers Labs and its real-world battlefield data for training on AI defense systems.
Addressing the Coalition of the Willing, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the assurance of the package for air defense ahead of winter. He asked partners to help cover a funding gap of €27 billion for defense in 2026, citing the possible use of frozen Russian assets in Europe.
The Coalition “expressed their determination to increase military support to Ukraine, strengthen its air defense as a matter of urgent priority, enhance cooperation with its defense industry, and share relevant technologies, including through the anti-ballistic missile coalition”.
Leaders pledged to continue efforts to “constrain Russia’s war chest” through sanctions and actions against Moscow’s shadow fleet”. They agreed on the need for “immediate assistance” for Ukraine’s energy sector.
Zelensky: “Ukrainians Will Not Submit”
At the Independence Day ceremony in front of St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Zelensky said:
Ukrainians restored the independence of their state, and we will definitely protect the independence of Ukraine. No doubt about it….
Ukrainians will not be cobblestones under the feet of tsars and rulers. Ukrainians will not submit. Ukrainians will not be bargaining chips in the disputes of capitals. Ukrainians will not submit to what they do not believe in. And they will definitely not abandon their own dream. Dream to live, dreams to live independently.
Burnham drew upon Britain’s refusal to surrender to Germany’s Blitz in World War II:
My nation kept the flame of European freedom alive in the 20th century, you hold that flame in the 21st.
Despite Russia’s outrageous threats to my country, we will continue our support for Ukraine.
The Prime Minister praised “the sheer strength” of the Ukrainian people: “This is the moment to keep up the pressure on Russia, the moment to squeeze their ability to fund this illegal war.”
European Union Council President António Costa hailed Ukrainian people for their “courage and bravery” that “inspires the world.”
“We will continue to provide as much support as necessary for as long as necessary,” he pledged.
