02/08/2024
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 05:18 Night drone attacks on Odessa +++
Russia once again sent numerous combat drones into Ukrainian areas during the night. There was an air alert in the Odessa region, among others. A high-rise building under construction is said to have been hit. There is also said to be damage to the building of an educational institution. Apparently no one was injured in the attacks.
+++ 03:42 Tucker Carlson’s Putin interview goes online Friday night +++
The interview that US presenter Tucker Carlson conducted with Russian President Putin will be published at midnight today (6:00 p.m. Eastern time). Carlson announced this on Instagram. It is Putin’s first interview with a Western journalist since Russia’s attack on Ukraine almost two years ago. Carlson is known for sharply right-wing positions, the spread of conspiracy theories, a close proximity to former US President Donald Trump – and, with regard to the Ukraine war, for a very Russia-friendly and Kiev-critical stance.
+++ 01:50 IAEA boss: Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant “relatively stable” +++
The head of the International Nuclear Regulatory Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, welcomes the decline in hostilities around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. “The physical integrity of the facility is relatively stable,” Grossi said in a video posted on the IAEA website. “There have been fewer direct attacks or shelling in the area surrounding the facility, which is a positive development, although we view this with great caution.” Grossi said that during his visit to the nuclear power plant on Wednesday, he also inspected the newly drilled wells, which are important for cooling, and discussed the availability of qualified personnel. Grossi was accompanied by Russian soldiers during his visit.
+++ 00:33 Zelenskyj wants confiscated Russian assets for Ukraine +++
Ukrainian President Zelensky is calling for all frozen Russian assets to be transferred to Ukraine. “Everything should be confiscated and used to counter terrorism,” Zelensky said in his evening video speech. The handling of the funds was also a topic during the visit of the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to Kiev. “We really need a unified and strong decision,” said Zelensky. There are plans in the EU to send Ukraine the proceeds from frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank as a first step. That would mean several billion euros per year.
+++ 23:05 Explosion at the test site of a Russian arms factory +++
According to media reports, a serious explosion occurred at the test site of a Russian arms factory 1,000 kilometers east of Moscow. The Russian state news agency Tass confirmed the incident. The explosion and the column of fire that can be seen on social networks did not come from an accident, but from the planned test of a rocket engine. The agency reports this, citing local civil protection. This representation cannot be independently verified. According to reports, the explosion occurred on a site belonging to the Votkinsk machine-building factory in the Udmurt Republic. The direct distance to Ukraine is at least 1,400 kilometers. Among other things, Russian nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles are built in the factory.
+++ 22:32 Ukraine wants to mass produce copies of Russian kamikaze drones +++
Ukraine says it will sign the first contracts for the mass production of kamikaze drones similar to the Russian Lancet drone “in the coming weeks.” This was announced by the Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, in an interview with Forbes magazine. The Lancet drone has a range of 40 kilometers and is manufactured by Zala Aero Group, a subsidiary of Russia’s Kalashnikov Group. The drone is one of Russia’s most effective weapons on the battlefields in Ukraine. “We have a lot of drones in the 20-kilometer range. But we also have to hit targets at a distance of 40 kilometers,” says Fedorov. “It took six months to accelerate the market in this direction. A certain number of companies are on the radar and we are testing their products.”
+++ 21:56 IAEA boss Grossi explores the situation in the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant +++
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, visited the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, which is occupied by Russian troops, on Wednesday. The visit helped to complete his organization’s impression of the state of the nuclear facility, Grossi said in a short video after returning to Ukrainian-controlled territory. According to the count, it was his fourth visit to the largest nuclear facility in Europe since the Russian war of aggression began in February 2022. Grossi does not comment on his findings. It was about the protection of the plant, nuclear safety, the condition of the reactors and the cooling system, the qualifications of the operating team and other aspects.
+++ 21:32 US Senate rejects billion-dollar package for migration and Ukraine aid +++
The US Senate is rejecting a $118 billion bill that would provide money for securing the US border with Mexico and aid for Ukraine and Israel. The package failed to pass due to a lack of approval from Republicans. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announces a quick second vote that will only focus on foreign aid.
+++ 21:12 Kiev asks EU to “triple” efforts to procure ammunition +++
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urges the EU to make more efforts in procuring artillery ammunition. “We are having the biggest war in Europe since World War II and we need these shells to defend Europe,” says Kuleba in Kiev. “We are talking here today about the defense of Europe and this requires extraordinary measures.” Specifically, he suggests, among other things, that the EU should change or terminate existing supply contracts with third countries. “Let us not forget that there are still a lot of artillery shells in the world,” explains Kuleba. The EU should “triple” its efforts to ensure that these shells reach Europe and thus Ukraine.
+++ 20:39 Russian upper house votes for confiscation of assets +++
Russia’s upper house approves a bill to confiscate the assets of critics of the military. The House of Commons had already approved it last week. President Vladimir Putin is expected to sign the law and it will come into force soon. Under the law, Russian authorities would be able to confiscate assets such as money and valuables from people convicted on charges of spreading “deliberately false information” about the Russian military. Real estate is not affected.
You can read all previous developments here.