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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Firefighters extinguish a blaze following a fatal Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv overnight on Aug. 1, 2026. (State Emergency Service/Telegram)
9 killed, 27 injured in Kyiv as Russia launches 2nd major attack in 48 hours. At least nine people have been killed and 27 others injured in the ballistic missile attack, including four children, authorities reported.
Wildberries CEO speaks out after week of Ukrainian warehouse strikes. Founder and CEO Tatiana Kim claimed that Wildberries entrepreneurs in Russia and partner countries, including China and Kazakhstan, had “suffered losses amounting to billions.”
Rubber plant on fire in Russia’s Tatarstan, over 1,200 km from Ukrainian border. Nizhnekamskneftekhim (NKNK) is one of the largest petrochemical enterprises in Eastern Europe. It has previously been targeted in reported Ukrainian strikes.
Poland confirms Russian Kh-101 missile fell in Lublin region during mass attack on Ukraine. “It was a provocation, an intention, an alliance test. In this case, the next weeks will probably give us more answers,” Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said.
5 special forces soldiers missing, 3 injured after ammunition detonation at training ground in Western Ukraine. The incident began at around 11:55 a.m., with the ammunition detonation continuing until 7 p.m. The cause and circumstances remain unclear.
Khartiia brigade commander Obolienskyi targeted in assassination attempt, Zelensky says. “We will definitely respond to this attempted strike against Ukraine and the Ukrainian commander,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
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Ukraine war latest: Zelensky cites new Ukrainian, Russian casualty figures
President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed new estimates of military casualties on both sides of Russia’s full-scale war, saying that around 50,000 Ukrainian service members had been killed and approximately 400,000 wounded.
Image: Henry Nicholls / AFP / Getty Images
Poland’s main conservative party splits as debate over Ukraine intensifies
For days, Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) party has been consumed by a crisis of its own making. The party, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023, has now split into two ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections.
Image: Neil Milton / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty Images
Exclusive: Board members of problematic state-owned shipping giant say they are being set up to fail
Three board members of one of Ukraine’s largest state-owned shipping companies say that they feel pressured to take actions that are not in the best interest of the company, neglected as they try to fix severe financial, management, and governance issues — but then accused of not having the company’s best interests at heart.
Image: Sergii Kharchenko / NurPhoto / Getty Images
Human cost of war
Russian losses KIA 14 times higher than Ukraine’s, Zelensky says. Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Zelensky added that many Ukrainian troops remained missing in action.
Russian attacks kill 9, injure 48 across Ukraine over past day as country reels from deadly mass strike. Russian forces launched another large-scale aerial attack on Ukraine, deploying 255 Shahed-type attack drones overnight on July 31, the Air Force said.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,446,150 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. The figure includes 1,340 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Ukrainians farming watermelons under drones
In other news
Thousands of Ukrainians gather for a march in downtown Kyiv, as protests enter 3rd week. Ukrainians gathered in Kyiv on July 31 for what organizers described as a “march for dialogue and reforms in defense,” renewing demands that President Volodymyr Zelensky reinstate former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
‘Nature of the threats has changed’ — Kyiv removes protective structures from city monuments. “After more than four years of war, the nature of the threats has changed, and so have our approaches to preserving monuments,” Serhii Anzhyiak, director of the city’s Department of Culture, said.
Ukraine’s assault regiments ordered to halt recruitment amid allegations of misconduct, media reports. One source said their regiment was currently unable to recruit personnel from reserve battalions or newly mobilized soldiers assigned through enlistment offices. Another source confirmed that their unit had received notice of a “suspension of personnel allocations” following a decision by the commander-in-chief.
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Opinions and insights
Russia’s war of conquest and its war on civilians
There is a second war, one that has consumed Ukraine since the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022 — a war that explicitly targets civilians, far from the killing fields of the front line.
Image: Yuriy Dyachyshyn / AFP / Getty Images
International response
‘We have not agreed to that’ — Trump walks back promise of Patriot licenses for Ukraine. Speaking to members of his Cabinet and the press on July 31, Trump was hesitant about the license, calling it a “big step” and emphasizing the need to be careful about divulging the secrets of American defense tech.
Zelensky, Vance discuss Ukraine’s air defense needs in ‘productive’ call. Zelensky underscored that strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses remains Kyiv’s top priority amid ongoing Russian attacks, with particular emphasis on obtaining additional Patriot missile interceptors to protect against ballistic missile attacks.
Meet the collection inspired by Kyiv’s embroidery
Two collaborations, one enduring Ukrainian tradition. Created so you can carry a piece of Kyiv with you, wherever you go.
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