Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump discussed raising the rank of the Russian and Ukrainian representatives who take part in direct talks:
“In a subsequent phone call, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump voiced …
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Spies, Lies, and Algorithms
Amy B. Zegart
Ukraine
Russia
USA
Kremlin aide: Putin and Trump discussed elevating level of Russian and Ukrainian negotiators
Ukraine
Russia
Ukraine’s SBU says drones blew up Russian ammo depots near Luhansk
Explosions rocked Russian ammunition depots outside Luhansk overnight, according to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).
Drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine struck two Russian Armed Forces ammunition depots located deep behind the front …
Ukraine
Photos
USA
US troops won't be sent to Ukraine as part of security guarantees, Trump says
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Aug. 19 that U.S. soldiers will not be on the ground in Ukraine to ensure security guarantees are upheld, deflecting the responsibility to European allies.
Ukraine
Russia
Ukrainian forces blow up Russian fuel train near Tokmak, severing rail line in occupied Zaporizhzhia
In the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine’s Forces destroyed a freight train carrying fuel. The blast completely ruined the railway tracks Russia uses to move weapons and military equipment to the southern front.
Petro …
Ukraine
Russia
Second strike in five days: Ukrainian drones hit Volgograd oil refinery again
Ukrainian drones attacked an oil refinery in Volgograd overnight into August 19.
Regional governor Andrei Bocharov confirmed the strike on the refinery, but said the fire was caused by falling drone debris on the plant’s grounds.
Local social media …
Ukraine
Russia
Ukraine reports gains as fighting intensifies on the Pokrovsk axis near Dobropillya
Ukraine’s General Staff reports gains on the front’s hottest sector near Pokrovsk and Dobropillya
The Pokrovsk sector, including Dobropillya in Donetsk region, is currently the hottest along the entire front line.
According to Ukraine’s general …
Ukraine
Russia
Photos
Ukrainian drones destroy 2 Russian ammo depots in Luhansk Oblast, Security Service says
The strikes hit warehouses in the village of Bilokurakyne, located on a key railway line supplying Russian forces on the Pokrovsk front, where Moscow is focusing its primary offensive efforts.
Ukraine
Russia
Photos
Ukraine repatriates 1,000 bodies of fallen soldiers from Russia
According to Russian authorities, the remains belong to Ukrainian servicemembers killed in action in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kursk regions.
Russia
Joint training and NUCLEAR testing: what are Russia and Belarus preparing? #shorts
Ukraine
Photos
USA
Warm words, thin results: White House meeting lifts Ukraine, but tough road ahead
When President Volodymyr Zelensky joined U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Aug. 18, the positive mood between the leaders stood in stark contrast to their disastrous encounter in February in the same spot.
This shift alone was seen as …
Ukraine
Russia
Photos
USA
Russian strikes killed 21, injured 99 in Ukraine since Trump-Putin summit
Five people were killed and 11 injured on Aug. 17, followed by eight killed and 35 injured on Aug. 18, and at least eight killed and 53 injured on Aug. 19.
Ukraine
Russia
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USA
European leaders mobilize on Ukraine’s security guarantees ahead of potential Putin-Zelensky-Trump summit
BRUSSELS, Belgium — European leaders are set to meet to coordinate the next steps on security guarantees for Ukraine after high-level talks in Washington, as diplomatic efforts intensify ahead of a possible trilateral summit involving Kyiv and …
Ukraine
Russia
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Hungary emerges as potential venue for Zelensky-Putin meeting, Reuters reports
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blocked or delayed military aid to Ukraine, maintained ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and echoed Kremlin narratives.
Ukraine
Russia
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Ukrainian drones hit oil refinery in Russia's Volgograd Oblast, governor says
The refinery is the second-largest owned by Lukoil and a key producer of petroleum products in Russia’s Southern Federal District.
Ukraine
Russia
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Zelensky, Putin may meet within 2 weeks, German chancellor says
“The American president spoke with the Russian president on the phone and agreed that there would be a meeting between the Russian president and the Ukrainian president within the next two weeks,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
Ukraine
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Foreign troop deployment to Ukraine not discussed during Washington talks, NATO chief says
“That will be part of the discussions, which will now start. We will try to bring them to the next stage of understanding over the coming days and weeks, of course,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
Ukraine
Russia
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General Staff: Russia has lost 1,071,780 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
The number includes 890 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Ukraine
Russia
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Zelensky says he will discuss territory with Putin as Ukraine signals readiness for unconditional peace talks with Russia
“(T)he question of territory is a question that we will leave between me and Putin. Security guarantees will probably be negotiated with our partners,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine
Russia
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Explosions reported in Kremenchuk amid Russian drone, missile attack on Ukraine
Explosions were reported in Kremenchuk amid a Russian drone and missile assault on Ukraine overnight on Aug. 19.
Russia
URGENT! From Washington, ZELENSKYY declares his READINESS to meet with PUTIN #shorts
Ukraine
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Ukraine proposes $100 billion US weapons deal backed by European allies, FT reports
By tying its defense needs to a major boost for U.S. industry, Ukraine hopes to turn its request into an investment opportunity that appeals directly to American interests. The proposal also includes a separate $50 billion agreement for producing …
Ukraine
Russia
Photos
Pipeline attack stops Russian oil flow to Hungary, Slovakia
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha neither confirmed nor denied the account of the latest attack but wrote on X that Hungary “can now send complaints” to Moscow, not Kyiv.
Ukraine
Russia
Photos
USA
Trump phones Putin, prepares for direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian leaders
According to Russian foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, the call took place after midnight Moscow time. Trump reportedly briefed Putin on his negotiations with Zelensky and the European leaders.
Ukraine
Creation of Assault Troops in the Ukrainian Army
The Ukrainian Army has established a new type of troops, the Assault Forces, which unites all assault regiments under a single command. Previously, these regiments were part of the Mechanized…
Russia
Russia’s military contract enlistment plunges to two-year low
In the second quarter of 2025, 37,900 Russians signed contracts with the Defense Ministry, according to the Russian outlet Vazhnyye Istorii ( Important Stories), which cited federal budget spending data.
The recruitment figure is the weakest in the …