In its crackdown on Internet services (see entry 22:33), Russia is also reportedly planning to block WhatsApp, reports the news site “Kyiv Independent”. According to the report, Moscow has made preparations to block the messaging app. The messenger could be blocked in Russia in the autumn, reports the independent Russian publication Verstka, citing sources at the Russian IT company VK, which is developing an application to replace WhatsApp. The Russian media outlet Gazeta.ru, which is close to the Kremlin, reported in July that the Russian government was planning to completely block YouTube in September. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the alleged plans.
+++ 04:05 USA releases further military aid for Kiev worth 125 million dollars +++
The USA has promised Ukraine further military aid worth 125 million dollars (around 114 million euros). The aid package underscores “our unwavering support for Ukraine, which continues to defend itself against Russian aggression,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken explained that the aid would include interceptor missiles for air defense systems, ammunition for missile systems and artillery, multi-purpose radars and anti-tank weapons, among other things, and would come from US stockpiles. The equipment would “help Ukraine protect its troops, its people and its cities from Russian attacks and strengthen its capabilities across the entire front,” Blinken continued.
+++ 03:19 Russia claims to have issued 2.2 million passports in occupied territories +++
Russia claims to have issued 2.2 million passports in the Ukrainian regions occupied by its war of aggression. Since October 2020, these have been distributed in Zaporizhia, Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson, the Russian Interior Ministry says. This information cannot be independently verified. In the past, there have been repeated reports that Russian authorities systematically force people to accept such passports.
+++ 02:30 IAEA warns of nuclear accident in nuclear power plant as a result of fighting in Kursk region +++
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is warning of fighting near a nuclear power plant in view of the large-scale Ukrainian advance in the Kursk region in western Russia. “At this point in time, I would like to call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid a nuclear accident with potentially serious radiological consequences,” said IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, referring to fighting near the Kursk nuclear power plant. He is “personally in contact with the relevant authorities in both countries.” The Kursk nuclear power plant is located near the town of Kurchatov, which is about 100 kilometers from the Russian border with Ukraine. The Russian state news agency Ria Novosti reported, citing the power plant’s press service, that “everything is working normally” at the plant, with the usual radiation levels. In Kurchatov itself, residents are currently without electricity. According to regional governor Alexei Smirnov, a power plant caught fire due to falling parts of repelled Ukrainian drones.
+++ 01:55 Russia implements anti-terror measures in Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk +++
Russia is introducing anti-terror measures in three regions bordering Ukraine, according to Russian media reports. According to a report by the RIA news agency, the measures include possible relocation of residents, traffic restrictions in certain areas, increased security in sensitive locations, and wiretapping of telephones and other means of communication. According to local authorities and the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, the anti-terror regulations apply to the Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk regions, the news agency reports.
+++ 00:36 Nouripour on country leaders: Cowardice will not create peace in Ukraine +++
The Green Party leader Omid Nouripour criticizes the prime ministers of Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony for their recent statements on Ukraine policy. Dietmar Woidke, Bodo Ramelow and Michael Kretschmer are “running away from reality,” Nouripour told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). “They act as if peace can be achieved by burying one’s head in the sand. But cowardice does not create peace.” Woidke says he has good contacts in Russia and can mediate. However, it is “strange that he has thought of this two and a half years after the start of the war and just a few weeks before the state elections,” says Nouripour. Ramelow is calling for a non-aggression pact with Russia. But such a pact was made by Germany 85 years ago and has caused great suffering to other European countries, the Green Party politician continued. Kretschmer finally acts “as if he does not know that only Putin can end this war quickly.” With a view to the federal budget, Kretschmer had called for a reduction in arms aid to Ukraine and advocated diplomatic initiatives in the Ukraine conflict.
+++ 00:13 July deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since October 2022 +++
According to the United Nations, no month since October 2022 has seen as many Ukrainian civilians die from Russian shelling as this July. “The high number of casualties in July continues an alarming trend since March 2024,” the UN Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said.
+++ 23:43 Construction workers are being withdrawn from Kursk nuclear power plant +++
Because of the advance of Ukrainian troops in the Russian region of Kursk, workers are being withdrawn from the construction site for two new nuclear reactors at the Kursk nuclear power plant. The number of construction workers will be temporarily reduced, announced the company Atomstroiexport, a subsidiary of the Russian state nuclear company Rosatom. The other specialists are continuing their work as planned. The Kursk nuclear power plant in the town of Kurchatov is repeatedly mentioned as a possible target of the advance into Russian territory that began on Tuesday. However, it is about 60 kilometers from the border. The furthest advances by Ukrainian troops, which have been reported but not confirmed, reached a good 30 kilometers into Russia. According to official information, the Russian National Guard had increased protection of the power plant after the Ukrainian offensive became known. Two new reactors are being built at the nuclear power plant to replace the two oldest, already decommissioned blocks of the plant. Two further reactors are in operation.
+++ 23:11 Ukraine seizes Gazprom plant in Kursk region +++
According to a video published by Ukrainian media, Ukrainian soldiers have seized control of a facility belonging to the gas company Gazprom in the Russian region of Kursk. The facility in the town of Sudzha and the town itself have been taken over, Ukrainian soldiers explain in the recording.
+++ 22:33 Russia blocks chat service Signal +++
In its crackdown on foreign Internet services, Russia is also blocking the encrypted chat service Signal for alleged violations of the law. Signal is not complying with the legal measures necessary to combat terrorism and extremism, the responsible authority Roskomnadzor in Moscow announced. Throughout the day, complaints from Signal users in Russia had been piling up that the messenger service was not available. Portals such as Sboj.rf, which collect reports of disruptions, reported around 2,000 complaints. Signal was developed in the USA and is valued by its users as a particularly secure means of communication. On Thursday, users in Russia also complained that YouTube was running slower and that videos were difficult to download. The Russian authorities made no official statement on this. However, according to statements made in recent days, they are targeting the extremely popular video service because it allegedly refuses to remove extremist videos. Russia has already blocked large social networks with US owners such as X and Facebook, and they can only be used via protected connections (VPN). Even before the war of aggression against Ukraine, Moscow was also making preparations for a possible isolation of the Internet in the country. Since the war began in 2022, Roskomnadzor has blocked thousands of websites that are not approved by the Russian power apparatus.
All previous developments Can you read here.
