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Morning Headlines
Politico: CIA Director John Ratcliffe warned Russian officials in Moscow this week not to escalate conflict with America’s NATO allies, in particular Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The U.S. spy chief also used the rare, unannounced trip to the Russian capital on Tuesday to press Russia to reduce military and economic support for Iran.
A letter seen by RFE/RL reveals growing concern about Russian aggression in the Baltic States, speaking of a "deteriorating security environment" amid an "increased frequency of airspace violations and drone incursions."
Reuters: EU countries, including Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland, are urging Brussels to revive efforts to use immobilised Russian sovereign assets to fund Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
The Kyiv Independent: 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.
ISW: Russian forces are conducting two main efforts attacking the northern and southern tips of Ukraine’s Fortress Belt in Donetsk Oblast — Russia’s primary objective in its Spring-Summer 2026 offensive.
More News
ABC News: An explosive drone found near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig airport in Germany earlier this month bore the hallmarks of devices typically employed by Russia's Military Intelligence Directorate, the GRU, a U.S. intelligence source told ABC News.
Ukrainska Pravda: Russia is reported to be preparing to increase the intensity of ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine as talks on a peace deal reach a deadlock.
Reuters: President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has appointed two of Ukraine's most prominent commanders to oversee the defence of the country's eastern strongholds, as Kyiv struggles to beat back a Russian onslaught on a region at the centre of stalled peace talks.
The Kyiv Independent: 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.
The Moscow Times: 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 company said on Wednesday.
Reuters: Russia's fourth-largest oil refinery and second-largest gasoline producer NORSI suspended crude oil processing on Wednesday after a Ukrainian drone attack.
RFE/RL: Children at a Russian Orthodox Christian military-patriotic camp have allegedly been beaten and subjected to other physical punishment, prompting a criminal investigation and scrutiny of an organization that has received millions of rubles in state grants.
Meduza: Four senior managers at Gazprombank’s Luxembourg branch made more than nine million euros in profit by exploiting market turmoil that followed sanctions imposed on Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Financial Times reported.
The Moscow Times: Trump confirmed Wednesday that he had dispatched CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow the day before, expressing hope that the spy chief’s unannounced visit could help end the war in Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukraine's National Police and Security Service (SBU) prevented an FSB plot to assassinate the head of a defense company in Kyiv, the SBU announced on Aug. 26.
RBC-Ukraine: Indian refineries are being forced to cut back on Russian oil imports from their current elevated levels. The main reason is Ukraine's successful strikes on Russian infrastructure, which have significantly disrupted export shipments.
The Barents Observer: The pro-Russian hacking group Server Killers has announced that it is declaring “cyberwar” on Norway and has claimed responsibility for a large-scale DDoS attack on the country’s government digital services.
Euronews: Italian arms maker has set up Leonardo Ukraine to shape future defence: drones, battlefield data for AI and tests of the Michelangelo air-defence system, a strategic partnership boosting Europe's technological and military innovation.
Politico: Hungary’s government has formally condemned Russia’s military aggression and announced its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, according to policy guidelines published late Tuesday — marking a sharp break with the Russia-friendly policies of former PM Viktor Orbán.
Ukrainska Pravda: Ukrainian forces have struck 16 targets in Russia over the past day – oil infrastructure, airfields, a missile unit, a military facility and logistics sites used by Russia to wage its war against Ukraine.
RBC-Ukraine: Russia's Shahed drones got more dangerous with China's help: Proliferation of cheap one-way drones was made possible by a complex global supply chain that keeps leading back to China.
Reuters: German companies are increasingly being targeted by cyberattacks that they suspect are linked to foreign intelligence services, a study by digital industry association Bitkom showed on Wednesday.
United24 Media: Belarus is building new railway infrastructure near its border with Ukraine designed to rapidly unload large quantities of heavy wheeled and tracked military equipment directly from military trains.
worth mentioning
Russia is escalating hybrid attacks and Europe has no answer
US chips outnumber China's in Russian missiles, Ukraine says
'Shocking' book about Putin's private life wins French literary prize
Ex-foreign minister Kuleba may become Ukraine's ambassador to US
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