There is currently no direct conventional threat from Russia to the Nordic and Baltic countries or other NATO members, but Moscow will continue its hybrid attacks and efforts aimed at discouraging partners from providing further assistance to Ukraine.
During the National Prayer Breakfast in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and James Lankford, with whom he discussed increasing pressure on Russia, in particular through the implementation of Lindsey Graham’s sanctions bill.
Ukraine is ready to negotiate with Russia on halting strikes against energy and agricultural infrastructure, but Russia is not currently showing readiness for such agreements
Ukraine is continuing talks with the U.S. side about the possibility of using the Starlink satellite system in Russia for the needs of Ukraine’s defense.
The UN Security Council will meet on Monday, August 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day, to discuss the situation amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
The invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact forces, predominantly Soviet troops, overnight on August 21, 1968, has much in common with what Russia is doing in Ukraine today.
Russia’s total combat losses in personnel since February 24, 2022, have reached approximately 1,474,030, including 1,390 troops killed or incapacitated over the past 24 hours.
Russia may continue the war “for some time yet,” as sanctions have not brought its economy to a halt, and oil revenues and aid from other countries allow it to circumvent the restrictions.
Drones attacked an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, Russia, as well as an oil terminal and a power substation in the Krasnodar region on the night of August 19-20.
Russia had been preparing for today's massive attack on Ukraine for a long time, combining ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones in an effort to inflict the maximum possible damage on civilian infrastructure.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is being advised against announcing mobilization, as it could undermine the existing social contract with the Russian public. Instead, Russia is considering covert coercive measures to increase the number of people signing military contracts.
Russia could theoretically attempt to launch an offensive in northern Ukraine this year, but there are currently no conditions necessary for such an operation. Those conditions could emerge if Russia conducts a new mobilization campaign after its parliamentary elections in September.