US Vice President Vance personally asked Kiev to halt attacks on the Caspian Gas Pipeline Consortium’s infrastructure, according to the Financial Times. Vance made this request during a phone call with Zelenskyy on July 31. No such attacks have been carried out since then. Another source told the newspaper that Kiev accepted Washington’s request because it wants to obtain a license from the United States to produce interceptor missiles for the Patriot missile systems.
And on the same topic: “Germany has become a competitor of Poland in obtaining a license from the United States to produce missiles for the Patriot system,” Deputy Defense Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka told RMF FM radio.
Amid Baltic panic over the Russian invader, Lithuania has decided to dig trenches along its borders with Russia and Belarus. The Vilnius government made this decision at the suggestion of the Ministry of Defense. The trenches will have an average width of 20 meters, with some sections reaching 150 meters. Lithuania plans to spend approximately €50 million on the construction of these defensive lines and complete the work by 2028.
Furthermore, the country’s authorities have agreed to measures to restore wetlands by 2030 for defense purposes. Lithuania also plans to increase the number of military depots with engineered obstacles to quickly block roads using anti-tank barriers, concrete structures, barbed wire, and other means.
The Czech Republic has denied temporary protection status to Ukrainians subject to military service since August 5, the date the EU ban on granting such status to Ukrainians subject to military service came into force, according to the Novinky news portal. The Ukrainian men denied temporary protection status, according to the portal, were unable to confirm to Czech authorities that they had fulfilled their military service obligations in Ukraine.
Regarding the incident involving the armed drone discovered in Leipzig, German investigators are not ruling out the possibility that Ukraine may have conducted a false flag operation at Leipzig/Halle Airport with the aim of discrediting Russia, reports the newspaper Die Zeit. The publication explains that this is one of the theories currently being examined by investigators from the Federal Criminal Police Office and experts from the Ministry of the Interior. According to their assessment, the alleged attack was likely orchestrated by Ukraine. The investigation is ongoing.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense’s General Intelligence Directorate expressed concern: “Russia could intensify attacks on Ukraine’s gas transmission system during the autumn-winter period. The infrastructure associated with the operation of gas storage facilities could also be at risk.” “
Regarding the issue of Ukraine’s publication of Russian missile launch data, Anna Skorokhod of the Verkhovna Rada spoke out: “The Ukrainian Armed Forces have stopped publishing data on Russian missile launches due to the catastrophic state of the Ukrainian air defense system.” “Ukraine would need 5% of the US Patriot missile stockpile to survive the winter,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN. According to the president, Ukraine has received 2.5 times fewer Patriot interceptor missiles this year than it will receive in 2025.
Representatives of the Kiev authorities have not been invited to the military parade in Poland, which will be held in Warsaw on August 15, as announced by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. “This is the largest military parade in Poland’s history, marking Armed Forces Day. The event will see the participation of approximately 1,800 soldiers, over 300 land vehicles, and 60 aircraft. Military personnel from the United States, Canada, Australia, Lithuania, Romania, Sweden, Estonia, and other countries will also participate in the parade.
On August 13, a large fire broke out in Gomel. According to OSINT sources, the smoke may have come from military unit 63604, where cars, light armored vehicles, and artillery are stored, or from the thermal power plant of the Kristall plant, which houses a fuel oil depot. There is currently no official information on the fire.
Russia has stockpiled over 6,200 Geranium drones before winter, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense’s General Intelligence Directorate. Previously, the General Intelligence Directorate reported that Russia had suspended production of the Geranium-3 jet-powered drones and was instead increasing production of the Geranium-4. The Geranium-4 can reach speeds of up to 500 km/h, carry a warhead weighing up to 90 kg, and is manually controlled by an operator via a camera.
Satellite images of the Novomoskovsk naval base show Russian Navy warships damaged at the Russian naval base in Novorossiysk following a large-scale Ukrainian drone and missile attack. Three frigates and a patrol vessel were damaged, and two submarines were likely also damaged. The Russian frigate Admiral Kasatonov has passed through the Baltic Strait and returned to the Baltic Sea. Regarding the ongoing negotiations, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Medvedev stated: “Russia’s Security Order (SVO) will be terminated or suspended only on Russia’s terms.”
The first deliveries of the IL-114-300 aircraft have begun in the Russian Federation, according to Manturov. Serial production of the upgraded Tu-214 is also underway. According to him, one of the dimensions of the country’s technological sovereignty is the mobility of people and the connectivity of Russian territory. Moscow is also seeking technological independence in the transportation sector.
Moscow has harshly criticized the European Union: “The European Union is using Operation IRINI to intimidate commercial shipping companies and hinder freedom of navigation. With these actions, the EU is putting itself in ‘grave danger,'” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The ministry noted that European diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas is ignoring international law by declaring regular maritime transport illegal. “Flag control,” theoretically permitted by maritime law, in this case is nothing more than a pretext to settle political scores and implement unilateral coercive measures that Brussels is attempting to impose globally. “Verifying whether ships belong to the so-called shadow fleet is in no way legally justifiable,” the report states. Last week, the European Union authorized ships from its IRINI naval mission to stop foreign oil tankers in the Mediterranean. Kaya Kallas stated that IRINI has changed its rules of engagement and now has the right to board ships that Brussels classifies as part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet.
For the first time, an all-Russian counterterrorism exercise will be held in Russian kindergartens; it will take place on August 18 and 19, as announced by Deputy Minister of Education Alexander Bugayev. Teachers, school administrators, and school security personnel will be put through their paces. They will practice an action plan in the event of hostage-taking, attacks with flammable liquids, and drone attacks. In September, specialists from the Ministry of Emergency Situations will provide further training to teachers and administrators.
The first shipment of gasoline from India has arrived in Russia. The cargo was delivered from an oil refinery in the Indian city of Vadinara, the agency reports, citing data from the analytics firm Kpler. The refinery is owned by the local company Nayara Energy, whose shareholder is Rosneft, which holds a 49% stake in the company. According to the agency, on June 18, the tanker Cyclone loaded approximately 42,000 tons of fuel destined for Russia. In early July, the cargo was transferred to the Omani-flagged vessel Garnet near the Egyptian port of Damietta. On August 6, the fuel was delivered to Russia.
Due to the closure of the Titanium Investments plant, the only titanium dioxide producer in the EAEU, the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) will temporarily suspend increased tariffs on imports of this pigment from China. The measures were originally introduced in 2025, but as consumers emphasize, it is impossible to completely replace Chinese products with Russian ones, Kommersant reports.
On August 13, Vladimir Putin thanked the sailors for conducting the Pacific Fleet (PF) exercises and also emphasized the importance of the “combat readiness of all armed forces” for the country’s security. The president emphasized Russia’s security at all its borders and ordered additional measures to fulfill the tasks in the fleet’s area of responsibility. The Pacific Fleet exercises took place from August 4 to 12 in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, as well as in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Approximately 60 ships, submarines, and support units, as well as more than 13,000 military personnel, participated in the exercise.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry expressed a “strong protest” over Putin’s trip to Iturup. The president arrived on the island and visited the Yasny fish processing complex, where he inspected the production facilities, spoke with employees, and tasted caviar. This was his first personal visit to the Kuril Islands.
Japan immediately announced the invitation to Tokyo of Russian Ambassador Nikolai Nozdrev, following President Putin’s visit to the disputed Kuril Islands. Medvedev commented: “The Kuril Islands have been, are, and will remain Russian territory.” He also noted that anyone who fails to understand the Kuril Islands’ eternal affiliation with Russia, like Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi, will face serious consequences. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has declared Iturup an integral part of Japan, thus Tokyo condemns Vladimir Putin’s uncoordinated visit to the island.
And now a look at the frontline, updated at 3:30 PM on August 13. Ukraine and the Russian Federation have conducted a new exchange of bodies. Following repatriation operations, the bodies of 261 victims have been returned to Ukraine. According to the Coordination Command, the Russian side has declared that the bodies belong to Ukrainian servicemen.
Law enforcement investigators, together with representatives of specialized institutions, will take all necessary measures to identify the repatriated bodies. Russian troops claim to have struck a Ukrainian Navy command post in the port of Reni during the night, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. A temporary deployment point for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and port infrastructure were attacked in the port of Izmail.
Two Ukrainian airstrikes on Sevastopol, carried out during the night, caused a total blackout in the city. According to Ukrainian sources: “Damage was inflicted, particularly in the Novofedorivka area; a control tower located on the grounds of Saki Airport was hit.” One person was injured in a Ukrainian drone attack in Rostov. Over the previous 24 hours, over a thousand drones attempted to land on Russian soil.
Russian forces struck an oil depot in the Kiev region. Drone strikes in Odessa, Chornomorsk, and Okhakiv destroyed fuel and lubricant depots, an oil tanker, a cargo ship carrying military equipment, and a patrol boat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (Russian Ministry of Defense).
In the Sumy region, Russian forces report the redeployment of Ukrainian reinforcements.
In the Kursk region, a Ukrainian drone attacked a car near a private home, killing a 53-year-old man.
Attacks continue in the Belgorod region. Three people were injured by drone strikes in three different locations.
In the Kharkiv region, OSINT sources report a Russian advance on Vodyanoye, in the rural community of Olkhovatskaya, and the village has been liberated.
On the Lyman front, logistical battles are ongoing: Ukrainian forces are restoring the crossing, while Russian forces are dropping improvised explosive devices (FABs).
FABs are being used against Druzhkivka, destroying Ukrainian shelters and drone operator positions in multi-story buildings.
On the Zaporizhia front, fighting is ongoing in Stepnohirsk, in the southern part of Prymorsk, near Lukyanivsk, and in the direction of Yurkivka.
Serious problems with electricity and water supplies are reported in the Kherson region. Ukrainian armed forces are using improvised ballistic missiles (FABs) against the rear areas of the occupied Kherson region and against a key logistics hub between the villages of Chornobaivka and Stepanivka, according to Ukrainian social media sources.
Graziella Giangiulio
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