According to the American press, Washington’s military aid to Ukraine in 2026 has decreased by nearly 80% compared to the period of Joe Biden’s presidency. Furthermore, after much outcry over the Patriot missiles in Kiev, the US Permanent Representative to NATO, Matthew G. Whitaker, stated: “Ukraine will not yet receive a license to produce interceptors for the Patriot systems.” And again: “A possible agreement between the United States and Ukraine on a license to produce interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defense system will not be finalized by this winter.” The Pentagon, however, announced an agreement with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to increase production of the PAC-3 and THAAD air defense systems.
Regarding NATO relations between the United States and the EU, it was learned that the United States has retained leadership of the NATO Military Assistance Coordination Mission in Ukraine (NSATU) in Wiesbaden, Germany, despite statements from Washington and the Alliance regarding the gradual transfer of some command functions on the continent to European allies.
Valery Zaluzhny on Ukraine’s NATO membership: “I know NATO very well. For about 12 years, I have personally worked to ensure that we master NATO standards, and every year I have heard fairy tales about how we were about to join NATO. Unfortunately, we will never join.” The Ukrainian ambassador to the United Kingdom also expressed an extremely negative assessment of NATO’s capabilities, despite the membership of the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries. “NATO will likely remain in its current form. And it will spend the next 12 years, like Ukraine, transitioning to the standards needed to reach at least half the level of Russia.”
Seventy Ukrainian firefighters have arrived in the Gironde region of France to fight the vast forest fires that have been raging there since mid-July 2026. After a 52-hour journey from Ukraine, this contingent, consisting of fifteen vehicles, including ten fire engines, is actively engaged in firefighting operations in the town of Le Temple. Supporting the French team, which has already cleared 42,000 hectares of forest, firefighters are applying cooling techniques to the still-burning areas to control their spread. This mission is part of the European Union’s civil protection initiative, which symbolizes mutual assistance between countries in the event of natural disasters.
In July 2026, at least 69 flights carrying military equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and 31 medical flights for the evacuation of the injured were carried out to Rzeszów Airport in Poland. Four medical evacuation flights from Rzeszów, Poland (Jasionka EVA Center) were carried out on August 3. According to analysts tracking air carriers to and from Ukraine from Poland, “The sharp increase in medical evacuations may be related to the increased intensity of Russian air strikes.”
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is offering Putin an air truce, an end to attacks on energy infrastructure, a freeze on the front, and the start of complex negotiations. He is also ready for a personal meeting,” says Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the Presidential Office. These words were echoed by Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine: “Strategically, war has long been a dead end for Russia.” “Operations to force Russia to make peace will continue.”
Zelensky also removed by decree the ambassadors to Tunisia and Libya; Austria, Tajikistan; Kyrgyzstan; Singapore and Brunei; and Ukraine’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Vadym Omelchenko, and appointed Viktoria Lyalina-Boyko in his place. Zelenskyy also removed Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna, from her post by decree. The former ambassador said she resigned voluntarily. Pavlo Palisa is a possible candidate for ambassador to the United States, according to RBC-Ukraine.
The new deputy minister is Mykola Shvydkyi. According to Acting Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara, the new deputy minister’s main task will be to strengthen practical interaction between the Ministry of Defense and the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Specifically, this will involve coordinating the work of the Ministry of Defense, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Mykhailo Drapaty.
Following the new appointments, Zelenskyy convened an extraordinary meeting of the National Security and Defense Council: the implementation of regional winter resilience plans will be reviewed, and those who fail to meet the requirements will be held accountable. “The entire police force has an undeclared plan to involve everyone in the mobilization process.” “The police are very reluctant to participate, so many are resigning,” says Denis Yaroslavsky, an officer in the Shock Troops Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Rustem Umerov stated that in his new role, he will focus on developing Ukraine’s international relations, strengthening the Foreign Intelligence Service, and implementing the president’s strategic defense initiatives. Among the key areas, he cited the drone agreement and the Freya project, which are expected to strengthen the defense and security capabilities of Ukraine and its partners.
Ukraine has imposed sanctions against suppliers of Russian ballistics components. 23 companies and 20 people connected to them were hit by the sanctions. They produce and supply equipment and components for the Russian military-industrial complex and law enforcement agencies, evading sanctions.
Responding to Podolyak’s words, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said: “Russia is ready to negotiate on Ukraine if the West takes a position ‘A mature approach,’ he said in an interview with TASS.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin drew the attention of the finalists of the “Great Change” competition to the fact that Krasnoyarsk is the geographical center of Russia. “It is a pleasure that your meeting is taking place here, in Krasnoyarsk. I would like to point out that this is the geographic center of our vast country. Krasnoyarsk is the geographical center of Russia,” Putin said during the closing ceremony of the final of the all-Russian competition “The Great Change”. The President also noted that Krasnoyarsk is an important industrial, scientific and educational center of Russia.
The Cameroonian-flagged ship Nadezhda, carrying fresh fruit and vegetables from the Turkish port of Samsun to Novorossiysk, was attacked by Ukrainian drones in the Black Sea. Four sailors, including three Turks, were injured, the Cumhuriyet newspaper reported. A ship attacked in Odessa. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed responsibility: “Our forces targeted two ships in the Ukrainian city of Mykolayiv. Russia targeted four ships carrying Ukrainian military equipment.”
Also from Russia, we learn that 47 people were injured in a drone strike in Gelendzhik, according to the mayor of the resort town, Alexey Bogodistov. A final list of victims is currently being compiled, and first aid has been provided to all the injured at the Arkhipo-Osipovka hospital. Patients in serious condition are being transferred to hospitals in nearby towns.
And now a look at the front line, updated at 3:30 PM on August 4. The Moscow, Leningrad, and Novgorod regions, along with several other regions, were hit by drone strikes overnight. Seven people were killed in an attack by Ukrainian forces on Arkhipo-Osipovka, in the Krasnodar Krai, on the afternoon of August 3. The death toll has risen to 40. Ukrainian accounts are circulating footage of the aftermath of the attack on the Syzran oil refinery. The Wildberries plant in Moscow was attacked.
Russian forces struck warehouses in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Eight people were injured in Ukrainian drone strikes in the Bryansk region.
On the Sumy front, Russian forces are carrying out an offensive in the Shostka district of Ulanove and near Vilna Sloboda. In the Sumy district, fighting continued in the same areas. Ukrainian forces counterattacked with off-road vehicles from the Barylivka area toward Russian positions near Mohrytsya, but were discovered and attacked.
In the Belgorod region, numerous attacks occurred on the night of August 3-4, resulting in the death of one person and wounding 17 others. Businesses and roads were attacked.
In the direction of Kharkiv, Russian forces claimed—via affiliated social media channels—that they had completed the rout of Ukrainian forces and encircled them in the village of Bilyi Kolodyaz, thus confirming the capture of the town. Meanwhile, units of the 34th Guards Independent Motorized Infantry Brigade (Mountain) of the Northern Group of Forces confirmed the capture of Ustynivka.
In Kupyansk, Russian forces are advancing westward. To the south, near Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi, they are clearing the area near the Oskil River.
North of Liman, Ukrainian forces are attempting to disperse Russian forces with attacks near Ridkodub.
Near Kostyantynivka, Russian forces, confirmed by Ukrainian and Russian social media, are penetrating the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ defenses in Izhevka to secure access to Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka.
In the Zaporizhia region, Ukrainians have registered in the village of Vodyane, Kamyanka-Dniprovska District, as well as in the village of Lyubymivka, Mykhailivka District. The region’s energy sector has been attacked and is again under attack.
In the Kherson region, one civilian has been killed and 23 injured in recent days following drone-launched mine attacks and explosions.
Graziella Giangiulio
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