FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann appeals to the Germans to be willing to make sacrifices in the dispute with Russia. “We must resolutely oppose Putin and the dictators of this world, who hate and want to destroy our democratic life,” the defense expert told the newspapers of the Funke media group. “This will also require personal sacrifices from all of us, but we shouldn’t become weak despite everything.”
+++ 03:24 USA expect Russian attacks on infrastructure of Ukraine +++
According to the United States, Russia is preparing new attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure. “We have information that Russia is planning increased attacks against civilian infrastructure and government facilities in Ukraine in the coming days,” said a US government official, citing US intelligence information. “Given Russia’s record in Ukraine, we are concerned about the continued threat to civilians and civilian infrastructure from Russian attacks.” Ukraine itself last warned of airstrikes on August 24, the country’s national holiday.
+++ 2:28 a.m. The amount of the gas levy could change soon +++
According to the company responsible, the amount of the gas levy is likely to change soon. “The levy can be adjusted every three months. Because of the dynamic development, I assume that the levy will have to be adjusted this winter,” says Torsten Frank, Managing Director of Trading Hub Europe (THE), the “Rheinische Post”. . “The surcharge can fall when the situation calms down, but it can also rise if, for example, Gazprom should further reduce its deliveries or if the companies’ forecasts change,” says Frank. The surcharge is intended to benefit suppliers who have to buy replacement gas from Russia for the missing, cheaper gas at high prices. THE put the levy at 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour last week.
+++ 02:28 IW boss Hüther: “The sanctions are working” +++
Six months after the start of the war, Michael Hüther, head of the German Economic Institute (IW), takes stock of the western sanctions. “The sanctions are working, especially those on the export of high-tech goods. Russia can only ever use the penultimate technology and is thus permanently hampered in technical progress,” says Hüther of the “Rheinische Post”. “When it comes to energy, on the other hand, we have less leverage.” But fossil energy has no future in the long run anyway. In the end, Russia is only accelerating the conversion of the German economy to more climate protection. “The sanctions are right because the West is showing its solidarity with Ukraine.” The debate about Nord Stream 2 is a sham debate, says Hüther. “It wouldn’t change anything if we allowed the pipeline to be connected to the grid. Putin could also find excuses here to switch it on and off.”
+++ 01:55 USA: Don’t know any background to the Dugina attack +++
According to the US government, it has no precise information about the background to the assassination attempt on Russian war supporter Darya Dugina in Moscow. “We don’t really know who was behind it and what the motive might have been,” National Security Council communications director John Kirby told CNN. There was no direct communication with the Ukrainian government accused by Russia. However, Kyiv was “very transparent” when it denied any involvement. Dugina, who was considered an advocate of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, died on Sunday night at the age of 29 when her car exploded near Moscow.
+++ 01:07 trading against complete shutdown of the shop lighting +++
Retail warns against completely switching off all shop lighting in city centers to save energy. “With the shop window lighting, we also ensure safety and social responsibility in the cities – above all in the less frequented time windows at night,” says the general manager of the German Retail Association (HDE), Stefan Genth, the newspapers of the Funke media group. At this point, saving energy should not come at the expense of safety. “That’s why I think completely dark inner cities are difficult, a sense of proportion is required here.” Lighting could be switched to LED.
+++ 23:59 Dugina attack: USA condemn every attack on civilians +++
In connection with the deadly bomb attack on the daughter of a leading Russian nationalist, the USA declares that it condemns every attack on civilians without any ifs or buts. A State Department spokesman in Washington declined to say whether the US government knows who is responsible for the killing of political journalist Darya Dugina, daughter of Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin. There is no doubt that Russia will come up with “certain conclusions,” he said.
+++ 23:30 USA reject general visa ban for Russians +++
The US government rejects Ukraine’s call for a general visa ban on Russians. “The US would not want to block the avenues of refuge and security for Russian dissidents or others threatened by human rights abuses,” said a State Department spokesman.
+++ 22:59 Ukraine and neighboring countries establish “Kiev Initiative” +++
Ukraine and its EU neighbors have established the so-called Kiev Initiative to strengthen their regional cooperation. This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. He named the neighbors Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary as well as the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as participants. Cooperation is open to other countries. Zelenskyj said they wanted to cooperate primarily on security issues. “This is a very promising line of our work within the Euro-Atlantic alignment.”
+++ 22:24 Released Ukrainian soldiers report “severe torture” +++
Ukrainian soldiers captured in the battle for Mariupol accuse the Russian military of severe abuse after their release from captivity. In an online press conference, former fighters in the Azov regiment said, among other things, that prisoners had broken bones as a result of beatings. The information provided by the former soldiers cannot be independently verified. The men had been released as part of a prisoner swap. One of the released soldiers spoke of observing cases of “severe torture”. “They stripped us and made us squat naked. If one of the boys raised his head, they hit him immediately,” reported Denys Tscherpouko.
+++ 21:52 Melnyk: Putin has declared war “also on the Germans” +++
The Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk warns that Germany’s commitment to the Russian war in Ukraine is flagging. “One must not let this war fall into oblivion, because this war affects us all,” said the outgoing ambassador at the opening of the “Testament of Bucha (Butscha)” exhibition. It was understandable when people in Germany said they didn’t want to be drawn into the war. “We don’t want the Germans to become a war party either,” said Melnyk. “But that’s not your choice. Putin made that choice.” Putin declared war not only against Ukraine and people fleeing. “This war was also declared on the Germans.”
+++ 21:32 Selenskyj receives the US Medal of Freedom +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to be awarded the 2022 American Medal of Freedom. According to the National Constitution Center, Zelenskyy will be honored at a ceremony in October for his “heroic commitment to freedom in the face of Russian tyranny.” “President Zelensky courageously led the Ukrainian people in defending freedom against Russian tyranny, and his courage inspired people around the world to defend liberal democracy and the rule of law,” President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen said in a statement .
+++ 21:05 anti-aircraft system is said to have shot down “object” over the Crimea +++
In occupied Crimea, an anti-aircraft system shot down an “object in the sky”. This is what the governor of the city of Sevastopol, Mikhail Rasvozhayev, appointed by Russia, wrote on Telegram. Accordingly, the system was triggered “nearby”. There have been repeated explosions on the peninsula in the past two weeks. Moscow accused saboteurs. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attacks, but has indicated involvement, Reuters writes.
+++ 20:51 training between sirens: Ukrainian football season starts +++
Russia’s war of aggression is not bringing professional football to a standstill in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Premier League starts tomorrow, the teams are preparing for the competition, as reported by “Sky News”. The Shakhtar Donetsk club practiced between the sirens of the planes ahead of tomorrow’s match against Metalist 1925 in Kyiv. The team has only played its home games in other cities since 2014 because of the war.
The players of Shakhtar Donetsk ahead of the friendly against AS Roma in Rome in early August.
(Photo: picture alliance / ZUMAPRESS.com)
+++ 20:25 Scholz: Must not fall into Putin’s trap +++
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has praised cooperation with Canada in the dispute over a turbine for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. “Of course, Russia is trying to divide the world community. And also those who have allied themselves to support Ukraine.” It is therefore important that Canada has helped ensure that the overhauled turbine can be returned. “It was an important decision because it exposed Putin’s strategy aimed at dividing allies, aimed at undermining support for Ukraine.” Russia has reduced gas supplies across Europe, citing technical reasons that never existed. “And that’s why it’s important that we don’t fall into Putin’s trap and stick together and stand together.”
+++ 19:57 Dugin calls on the Russians to win after the death of his daughter +++
After the murder of his daughter Darja, Alexander Dugin called on the Russians to fight in the spirit of his right-wing nationalist and imperialist ideology. “Our hearts do not simply thirst for revenge or retribution. That would be too small, not Russian,” Dugin told Telegram about his confidante, the oligarch Konstantin Malofeev. “All we need is our victory. On its altar my daughter has laid her girlish life. So please win!”
You can read earlier developments relating to the Ukraine war here.