After the explosions at the Saki base in Crimea, an insider sees the Russians as considerably weakened. A significant number of fighter jets are no longer operational. Meanwhile, the USA are announcing new arms deliveries to Ukraine and the struggle for the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia continues. The 177th day of the war at a glance:
Russian anti-aircraft defenses active again over Crimea
The Russian air defense stationed on the Crimean peninsula opened fire in the evening. Sevastopol, the home port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and the seaside resort of Yevpatoria were named as places. "Like many other residents, I heard explosions over the center," Sevastopol chief administrator Mikhail Rasvozhayev wrote on Telegram. "Probably drones. The targets were destroyed."
Unverified social media videos allegedly filmed in Yevpatoria showed tracers of anti-aircraft fire over the city. Similarly, the night before, alleged drones had been shot down over the city of Kerch and the Belbek airbase near Sevastopol. Observers did not rule out that the Ukrainians wanted to test the Russian air defenses before possible attacks.
Russia weakened after explosions
According to an insider, the explosions at the Saki base in Crimea have severely damaged the Russian Black Sea Fleet. More than half of the fighter jets belonging to the fleet are no longer operational, says the western official. The naval forces would find it difficult to do more than a "coastal defense flotilla". They are also hampered in their ability to threaten the Ukrainian port city of Odessa with amphibious assaults. The insider sums up that, overall, a virtual stalemate was achieved in the war. "The ground forces on both sides do not have the strength to launch effective offensives that would in any way materially change the course of the war."
Tense situation at Ukrainian nuclear power plant
Despite mediation efforts by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, among others, the situation in and around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, which is occupied by Russian troops, continues to deteriorate. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of planning an attack there. Guterres again advocated demilitarization of the power plant and its surroundings.
During a phone call, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French colleague Emmanuel Macron spoke out in favor of an inspection of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant by international experts. Accordingly, representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should assess the situation on site. According to the Kremlin, Russia will provide the "necessary assistance". According to French information, the arrival should take place via Ukraine under the control of the local government. A ceasefire is necessary for the safety of the experts, even if it is not easy to negotiate.
US supplies more weapons
The US Department of Defense has announced that it will continue to supply around $775 million worth of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. Washington wants to provide Ukraine with a "continuous supply of ammunition," a senior Pentagon official told reporters. Kyiv has made good use of the 19 arms deliveries from Washington so far, the government representative added. At the moment, "no progress" can be seen for Russia on the battlefield.
The now announced delivery should include, among other things, precisely controllable rockets for rocket launchers of the HIMARS type. The system had already enabled the Ukrainian army in the past few weeks to hit Russian command centers and ammunition depots far behind the front line. Anti-tank guided missiles of the TOW and Javelin types will also be part of the next delivery, as well as anti-radar missiles, surveillance drones and howitzers.
Gazprom announces further delivery stoppage
Meanwhile, Russia announced that it would interrupt gas supplies via the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline for three days at the end of August. The state-owned company Gazprom announced that no gas would flow to Germany from August 31 to September 2 due to maintenance work. In the three days, the only functioning turbine at the Portovaya compressor station had to be checked and overhauled. This should be done in cooperation with specialists from Siemens Energy. Because repairs are said to be necessary, Gazprom has long since throttled the gas flow to 33 million cubic meters.
Kubicki meets resistance with advance to Nord Stream 2
In Germany, meanwhile, a debate about the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline, which had already been considered over, flared up again. FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki called for the pipe to be opened to improve the gas supply in Germany, but was met with sharp opposition. The initiative was rejected by leading liberals and the coalition partners SPD and Greens. FDP boss and finance minister Christian Lindner also kept his distance. He thinks the proposal is "wrong and absurd," said a spokeswoman for his ministry in Berlin. After the Russian attack on Ukraine, the German government had ruled out the commissioning of the completed Nord Stream 2 line.
UN Secretary General in Odessa
The UN Secretary-General came to the port city of Odessa today as part of a trip to Ukraine to get an idea of the recently resumed grain exports there. "It is very unfortunate that the significant capacities of this large port are not being fully utilised," said the 73-year-old after a report by Ukrainian public television. At the same time, he emphasized that not only Ukrainian, but also Russian food exports should be possible. "Getting more food and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia is important for commodity markets and prices," the UN chief said.
Xi plans summit with Putin
According to a media report, Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to travel to Central Asia next month to meet Russian President Putin. The Wall Street Journal reports that the occasion is a regional summit meeting. The paper, citing people involved in the planning, writes that the potential meeting was envisaged after senior US politician Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. The reason is the fear of unwanted military clashes.
Heavy attacks on Kharkiv in Ukraine: the death toll rises to 21
About a day after heavy Russian rocket attacks on the eastern Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkiv, the number of dead has risen to 21, according to information from Kyiv. The city was shaken by massive attacks on Thursday night. Two dormitories and the railway culture center were destroyed. Several dozen people were also injured. Russia only confirmed attacks on towns outside of Kharkiv, which would only have been military targets.
Estonia is sending more weapons to Ukraine
Estonia also wants to supply Ukraine with more weapons, including mortars and anti-tank weapons. That was decided by the government in Tallinn. The Baltic EU and NATO country also wants to support Great Britain's initiative to train Ukrainian soldiers. Estonia also wants to send another field hospital to Ukraine with Germany. The small country says it has given Ukraine military aid worth 250 million euros since the Russian attack. Large European countries such as Germany, France or Italy no longer announced any significant military or financial aid in July.
Starbucks becomes Stars Coffee in Russia
It's the latest high-profile renaming of a major Western chain in Russia: a rapper who supports Putin has reopened the formerly Starbucks coffeehouse chain under the new name Stars Coffee. As The Guardian reports, rapper Timati and restaurateur Anton Pinskiy, who acquired the rights to the chain in Russia, took part in the opening of the first of 130 cafes previously owned by Starbucks. During the opening in central Moscow, the pair also unveiled the chain's new logo. This has replaced Starbucks' iconic siren with a woman wearing the traditional Russian kokoshnik headdress, but is otherwise quite similar to the old logo.
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