Heavy clashes persist along multiple fronts in Donbas, as Ukrainian commander Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi briefs President Volodymyr Zelensky about the fight around Pokrovsk and Toretsk. The combat zones are approximately 12 kilometers from Pokrovske, and Russian forces have reached the outskirts in two locations around Toretsk. Zelensky describes the situation as challenging on this sector of the Donbas front.

As of August 19, battles are ongoing on two fronts in Donbas. Ukrainian forces (AFU) are …

In Bashkortostan, Russia, a fire erupted at the "Sterlitamak Petrochemical Plant" (SNHZ). Local residents first heard "explosions" before seeing a column of black smoke. The official cause of the incident is suspected to be safety protocol violations rather than external factors, according to the Investigative Committee of Russia. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia detailed the incident's impact on their Telegram channel.

The first report of the blaze in Sterlitamak emerged online …

The Kremlin has deemed peace talks with Ukraine "inappropriate" for the time being, according to Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy aide to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Ushakov suggested that the initiation of such negotiations would hinge on the evolving situation, particularly on the battlefield.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in Russia's Kursk region has rendered peace negotiations with Ukraine "inappropriate" for the Russian side, although Putin's "peace proposals" remain intact …

Ukrainian forces have destroyed the third and final bridge over the Seym River in the Glushkovo district of the Kursk region, according to several Russian Telegram channels on August 19.

The bridge near the settlement of Karyzh was the last standing link in the area. The news was first reported by pro-war blogger Vladimir Romanov on his channel, "Romanov Light". Later, military blogger Yuri Podolyaka also confirmed the destruction.

Podolyaka wrote, "Now our group in this area is fully …

Russian Kadyrov forces have allegedly robbed the "Megafon" mobile store in Glushkovo in the Kursk region. The footage was shared by the local Telegram channel "Typical Kursk," which referred to the men as "looters." 

In the footage dated August 17, men in military uniforms, purportedly from the Chechen "Akhmat" battalion, can be seen entering the store through a window and then breaking the door with difficulty, using a fire extinguisher to finally manage it.

Over the next 30 minutes, the …

In a dramatic leak published by the news outlet Astra, an audio recording captures Alexander Garkavenko, the head of administration in Goncharovka, Kursk Region, discussing the dire situation amid the Ukrainian advance in the Kursk region. Garkavenko reveals that for two days, officials in Moscow were fed "pleasant news" while Russia was losing ground. Describing the event as rooted in "corrupt chaos," he details a feeling of widespread betrayal among local officials.

Garkavenko outlines how …

The German government's decision to limit aid to Ukraine to previously approved funding has come under heavy criticism from both opposition and ruling parties in Germany.

"Germany's traffic light coalition is engaging in Trump-style politics, halting further aid to Ukraine due to domestic squabbles. The difference is that for Germany, supporting Ukraine means financing our own security," wrote Norbert Röttgen, foreign policy expert for the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), on …

During an interview with Russia's Channel One, self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stated that the "denazification" of Ukraine has already taken place, urging peace talks just a week after.

"You sometimes talk about Nazis. There are no Nazis anymore. Ukraine has been denazified. Only a few insane Nazis remain, but they are no longer in trend. Today, over 70 percent of people hate Zelensky because he promised one thing and does another, and people are dying," said …