Ukraine War News Today - Top Stories and Breaking Updates from Kyiv Post

The Ukrainian president also warned that “any productive talks without [Ukraine] at the table” will not be accepted ahead of Friday’s Trump–Putin talks in Alaska.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out handing over Donbas to Russia, saying it would “clearly open a bridgehead for the preparation of a Russian offensive” in the future.

In a meeting with journalists in Kyiv on Tuesday, Aug 12, Zelensky likened the industrial heartland to a “springboard” for future Russian aggression should it fall into Moscow’s hands. 

State Department and White House briefing stress the purpose of the Anchorage meeting is to “see what’s possible,” not to forge a peace deal.

WASHINGTON DC – The White House is working overtime to manage expectations for US President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, publicly insisting the meeting is a cautious “listening exercise” rather than a formal negotiation.

As the diplomatic event draws international criticism, both the White House and the State Department have adopted a unified message, framing the talks as a necessary first step toward peace while fending off claims that the summit is a premature victory for the Kremlin.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said easing the restrictions would be a “positive and worthwhile initiative” for young Ukrainians.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has told the government and military command to consider simplifying border crossing for Ukrainian men under the age of 22.

“Currently, there is an age restriction at the border for those over the age of 18,” Zelensky said in a speech during a meeting with participants of the Ukrainian Youth Forum on Tuesday.

The Trump administration’s 2024 human rights report highlights Russia’s alleged execution-style killings, sexual violence, forced child deportations in Ukraine, and rising repression in Russia.

The US State Department’s latest Country Reports on Human Rights Practices delivers a sobering global review, with Russia standing out as a key focus of concern.

The comprehensive report, reviewed by Kyiv Post, meticulously documents an array of alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, and systematic internal repression orchestrated by Moscow, fundamentally challenging international norms and inflicting widespread suffering.

Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service said internet restrictions had also been seen in the temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Donetsk and Kherson regions.

Russia is turning off mobile internet for an unspecified but prolonged period in Crimea amid concerns of sweeping internet shutdowns in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

The anti-occupation civil resistance movement “Yellow Ribbon” wrote on Telegram on Tuesday: “The occupiers are going to turn off mobile internet in Crimea for more than a week… They say that they will turn it off for a long time – it has already been several days, so we think it will be for a week plus.”

Kremlin infighting, crushing losses in Ukraine, and secret outreach to Trump reveal the cracks in Putin’s grip and the chaos consuming his regime.

A purge appears to be ripping through Russia as Vladimir Putin’s FSB turns on its own to consolidate power and loot a collapsing economy, this analysis with political advisor Jason Smart and former Navy SEAL and SEAL Team 6 leader Chuck Pfarrer finds.

In this light, the internal war is likely a direct result of humiliating defeats in Ukraine, possibly forcing the Kremlin into a shocking new gamble: secret talks with Donald Trump.

The EU will direct $1.6 billion in interest earnings from frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine repay loans under the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) initiative.

The European Union will channel €1.6 billion ($1.9 billion) in interest from frozen Russian central bank assets to Ukraine, with 95% of the latest tranche earmarked to help Kyiv repay loans from G7 partners. The funds are part of the EU’s plan to use revenue from immobilized Russian assets – seized under sanctions over Moscow’s full-scale war – to support Ukraine’s military, reconstruction, and debt obligations.

EU member states agreed in May to direct billions in profits from frozen Russian holdings toward Ukraine in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor. The funds will help support Ukraine’s military and reconstruction needs.

HUR chief Budanov inspected Zmiinyi Island and the reclaimed “Boyko Towers” in the Black Sea, praising “Timur” fighters and vowing Ukraine will defeat an even stronger enemy.

Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR), has visited Zmiinyi (Snake) Island and the offshore gas production platforms in the Black Sea – key sites reclaimed from Russian occupation during successful Ukrainian operations.

Budanov inspected the positions of the HUR’s elite “Timur” Special Unit defending the area, including the so-called “Boyko Towers” — strategic platforms now back under Ukraine’s lawful control. HUR announced Budanov’s visit on social media Tuesday, Aug. 12, without disclosing the date of the visit.

The General Staff reported on Monday evening that a “high-precision” weapon took out a Russian brigade commander with the call sign “Dnepr” along with five other Russian troops.

Ukraine says it has eliminated a Russian brigade commander in the occupied Donetsk region, as the region braces for intensified assaults ahead of Friday’s talks that could see Kyiv pressured to cede the hard-fought territory.

In its Monday evening update, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) said that using an unspecified “high-precision weapon,” Ukraine struck a Russian-occupied Donetsk region command post used by Russia’s 85th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade, killing a brigade commander with the call sign “Dnepr” and five other “operational personnel.” 

It’s a real penetration into Ukrainian lines definitely led by lots of infantry on foot but it’s not clear how many and where exactly they are.

Russia’s armed forces have punched deep behind Ukrainian lines in the war’s hottest Pokrovsk sector, and possibly scored Moscow’s most successful breakthrough in the past twelve months, news reports and milblogger comment in Ukraine said Tuesday, Aug. 12.

Russian infantry teams operating on foot without heavy weapons like tanks and armored personnel carriers had pushed at least 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and by some reports as much as 17 kilometers (10.6 miles) into Ukrainian-army-held territory to the north of Pokrovsk, in a push reaching the town of Dobropillia, the reports said.

Ukraine’s Special Ops destroyed a vital Russian Skala-M radar complex in occupied Crimea, reducing Russia’s ability to bombard civilians by air.

Special Operations Forces (SSO) have destroyed the stationary TRLK-10 Skala-M radar complex in occupied Crimea.

According to a Telegram report, in the early morning of Aug. 10, Special Ops units struck and destroyed the radar located in the settlement of Abrykosivka.

Putin is taking advantage of both Trump’s eagerness to strike a deal he can show to the world and his reluctance to pull the trigger on previous threats.

Regardless where one sits on the political spectrum, another ultimatum from the Trump Administration lapsed without being enforced. As expected by numerous analysts and political pundits, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented President Donald Trump with an alternative to confrontation, which he promptly accepted.

According to the President, special envoy Steven Witkoff had a “highly productive meeting with Putin” last Wednesday, adding “great progress” was made in the eleventh-hour meeting.

“The people of Ukraine must have the freedom to decide their future. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the statement reads.

European Union leaders issued a joint statement supporting Ukraine ahead of the upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Hungary abstained from endorsing the statement.

HUR drones struck Russia’s only helium plant in Orenburg, 1,200 km from Ukraine’s front line, dealing a major blow to a key missile, space, and aviation production facility.

On Monday, Aug. 11, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence (HUR) drones hit the Orenburg Helium Plant in the city of Orenburg – the only facility in Russia producing helium, a vital component for missile manufacturing, space technology, and the aviation industry, Kyiv Post sources in HUR said.

Orenburg Oblast borders Kazakhstan in southern Russia, with the helium plant situated about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) from Ukraine’s front line.

The Saratov oil-processing facility is the third to suffer damage from drone strikes so far this month as Ukraine continues to disrupt Russia’s critical infrastructure.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Saratov refinery, operated by Russia’s largest oil producer Rosneft, halted oil intake from Sunday according to Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The Saratov refinery was hit by Ukrainian drones overnight on Sunday, Aug. 10, sparking fires and a huge plume of smoke. Concerned locals recorded the images and shared them on social media.

A Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian training unit killed one soldier and injured 23, despite troops moving to shelters after a missile warning.

Russian forces launched a missile strike early Tuesday, Aug. 12, targeting a training unit of Ukraine’s Ground Forces.

According to a report on Telegram, personnel were immediately alerted after receiving the “missile danger” signal.

Markets in Russia have been particularly volatile over the past two weeks since Trump set an August 8 deadline for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or face tightened sanctions.

Russian stocks climbed to their highest level in over three months on Monday amid hopes that this week’s meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin might bring Moscow and Kyiv closer to a ceasefire.

Markets in Russia have been particularly volatile over the past two weeks since Trump set an August 8 deadline for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or face tightened sanctions.

“The Alaska summit can only help if it delivers greater consequences for Putin if he doesn’t stop killing Ukrainians,” Burns said.

Pastor Mark Burns, spiritual advisor to US President Donald Trump, is convinced that the meeting between the US and Russian presidents in Alaska will be successful if it leads to increased pressure on Putin in case he refuses to stop killing people in Ukraine.

He said this in an exclusive interview with Ukrinform on Monday.

EU leaders back Trump’s efforts for peace in Ukraine but insist on no border changes by force, pledging continued support; Hungary declines to join statement.

European Union leaders have expressed support for US President Donald Trump’s efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine but stressed that any peace deal must uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In a joint statement, the EU said peace must be “just and lasting,” in line with international law, and cannot involve changing borders by force.

Trump and Putin will meet in Alaska to discuss ending the Ukraine war. However, the basis for any agreement remains unclear.

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are to meet in Alaska on Friday to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. However, the basis for any agreement remains unclear. Trump has spoken of a “swapping of territories to the betterment of both”. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by saying that his country was interested in a peaceful solution but would not “give any land to the occupier”.

A deal without Kyiv is no deal at all

Ahead of the Alaska summit, a Yale lab chief tells Kyiv Post the White House lacks action on repatriating 35,000 abducted children, urging Red Cross access despite Trump’s past rhetoric.

WASHINGTON DC – As US President Donald Trump prepares for high-stakes talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday, a leading expert on abducted Ukrainian children is sounding the alarm, warning that any ceasefire deal failing to prioritize their return could be “disastrous.”

Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) at the Yale School of Public Health, has been at the forefront of tracking thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly taken by Russia since the full-scale invasion.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• US President Donald Trump expressed the United States’ willingness to facilitate substantive peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in an effort to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine.
• Trump signaled that the United States would aim to return some of Ukraine’s economically and strategically significant territories during the peace negotiations process.
• Trump indicated that Putin’s fear of the impact of US sanctions against Russia and Russia’s economic partners drove Putin to propose a bilateral summit.
• Putin’s decision to reach out immediately before Trump imposed further economic restrictions against Russia or its trading partners undermines the Kremlin’s ongoing narrative that sanctions have not and will not affect the Russian economy.
• Kremlin officials continue to emphasize that Russia is unwilling to compromise and remains committed to achieving its original war goals in Ukraine.
• Russian officials and media are also setting informational conditions for Russia to renege on any future peace agreement to end the war.
• Putin may try to use the prospect of US-Russian arms control talks to gain concessions from Trump about the war in Ukraine in the August 15 meeting in Alaska.
• Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups are reportedly infiltrating areas near Dobropillya (northwest of Pokrovsk), and Russian forces likely recently advanced southeast of the settlement.
• Ukraine continued its long-range drone strike campaign against Russian defense industrial infrastructure overnight on August 10 to 11.
• Russian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast and near Lyman, Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk.

“We coordinated positions ahead of important diplomatic steps planned for this week,” Zelensky’s right-hand man wrote on social media about his call with the US top diplomat.

The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed ways to achieve a “just peace” in Ukraine on Monday and mapped out diplomatic steps planned for this week, Yermak reported on his Telegram channel, ahead of the meeting on Friday in Alaska this week between US President Donald Trump and Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin.

“I spoke with U.S. Secretary of State and Acting U.S. National Security Advisor Marco Rubio. I informed him about active communication with our partners, in particular during my meeting with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. We coordinated positions ahead of important diplomatic steps planned for this week,” Yermak wrote.

“We’re going to see what he has in mind and if it’s a fair deal, I’ll reveal it to the European Union leaders and to NATO leaders and also to President Zelensky,” Trump said.

US President Donald Trump on Monday described his upcoming summit with Vladimir Putin as a “feel-out meeting” to gauge his ideas for ending the war in Ukraine, as European leaders rushed to ensure respect for Kyiv’s interests.

Trump has invited his Russian counterpart to Alaska on Friday – the first face-to-face meeting between the two countries’ presidents since Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022 – as he criticizes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for rejecting territorial concessions.