03.08.2025

Reuters: A top aide to President Donald Trump on Sunday accused India of effectively financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, after the U.S. leader escalated pressure on New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil.

The Kyiv Independent: Work is ongoing between Ukraine and Russia as the warring parties prepare to each exchange 1,200 prisoners of war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 3.

United24 Media: Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate has acquired a full set of classified internal documentation concerning the Russian Navy’s newest nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, “Knyaz Pozharsky”, part of the Borei-A (Project 955A) class.

Reuters: A Russian attack killed three people in southeastern Zaporizhzhia region on Sunday, the regional governor said. A missile strike on the city of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine injured at least seven people.

The Kyiv Independent: President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on Aug. 3 imposing sanctions against 94 individuals and five legal entities, primarily targeting the captains of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" vessels.

ERR: According to Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur, NATO is considering stationing its German-Dutch corps in Estonia. If that decision is made, Pevkur believes the corps could be based in Pärnu. A decision is expected sometime this year.

Reuters: A Ukrainian drone attack caused two oil tanks to catch fire at an oil depot in Sochi in southern Russia but the blazes were later extinguished, local authorities said on Sunday.

02.08.2025

The Kyiv Independent: The embattled town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast remains one of the "most difficult" areas of the front line, with Russian forces employing "total infilitration" tactics in attempts to breach Ukraine's defenses, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on Aug. 2.

The Insider: German prosecutors and customs investigators have raided the premises of a machine tool manufacturer near Munich. The company is suspected of supplying more than 20 high-precision machines worth approximately €5.5 million to Russia in violation of EU sanctions.

Reuters: Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies said on Saturday they had uncovered a major graft scheme that procured military drones and signal jamming systems at inflated prices, two days after the agencies' independence was restored following major protests.

The Hill: Republican senators are getting ready to leave Washington without advancing a major sanctions bill against Russia, giving Trump sole discretion over whether to follow through on his threats against Putin.

United24 Media: Hungary has emerged as a critical conduit for Russia’s defense industry to circumvent EU sanctions, according to a new investigation by InformNapalm and Militant Intelligence, based on documents obtained through the OpsHackRussia’sDay cyber operation.

Reuters: India will keep purchasing oil from Russia despite Trump's threats of penalties, two Indian government sources told Reuters.

ISW: Putin appears to be transforming Russia into a Soviet-style police state, likely in preparation for expected anti-war sentiment in the Russian population as the Kremlin prolongs the war in Ukraine and prepares for a future war with NATO.

Reuters: Ukraine's military said on Saturday that it had struck oil facilities inside Russia, including a major refinery as well as a military airfield for drones and an electronics factory.

01.08.2025

France 24: Russian organisation the Global Fact-Checking Network, which was launched in April 2025, claims to fight disinformation. But a number of the 60-odd members of the network regularly share disinformation online.

Reuters: The U.S. and NATO are working on a novel approach to supply Ukraine with weapons using funds from NATO countries to pay for the purchase or transfer of U.S. arms.

The Moscow Times: A drone believed to be Russian-made was found at a military training site after it flew into Lithuanian airspace from neighboring Belarus, Lithuania’s army said on Friday.

Reuters: Trump on Friday said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in "the appropriate regions" in response to remarks from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries.

The Insider: Sergei Matviyenko, the son of Russian Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko, resides in a villa in the Italian seaside town of Pesaro on the Adriatic coast, an investigation by the Italian newspaper Linkiesta has found.

The Insider: Russia's Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov and his close associates have purchased several extravagant villas in one of Dubai’s most exclusive developments, according to a new investigation by RFE/RL’s investigative unit Systema.

Reuters: At least two vessels loaded with Russian oil bound for refiners in India have diverted to other destinations following new U.S. sanctions.

Reuters: Germany said on Friday that it will deliver two Patriot systems to Ukraine after reaching an agreement with the U.S. that Berlin will be first in line to receive the latest systems in return.

The Kyiv Independent: Cases of HIV among Russian soldiers have soared 2,000% since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a new report reveals, attributing the rise both to unprotected sex and drug use among troops, and political decisions made by the Kremlin.

Reuters: Activity across Russia's manufacturing sector declined at its fastest pace since March 2022 in July, a business survey showed on Friday, with business confidence slipping to an almost three-year low.

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