Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground heard explosions as Russia launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv and said multiple missiles appeared to strike the city.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 4 signed a law imposing sweeping financial, digital, and consular restrictions on Russian citizens living abroad who have been convicted in absentia, including under laws commonly used against Kremlin critics.

Key developments on Aug. 4: * Russian drone seen targeting vegetable seller at Kherson market in horrific footage * Ukraine reportedly strikes Wildberries warehouses near Moscow, St. Petersburg, as Syzran oil refinery burns * US unlikely to reach Patriot co-production deal with Ukraine before winter, NATO envoy says * Ukraine will 'never' join NATO, ex-commander Zaluzhnyi says * Zelensky signs new law giving full rights to former convict soldiers in army * Over 8,300 glide bombs dropped b

Reuters' sources said the dramatic depletion may result in riskier bomber missions needed to strike targets that would otherwise be hit from a safe distance.

The number passes the previous record of 8,266 set the previous month, the Defense Ministry said.

The law guarantees new rights, including 15 days of annual leave, access to proper medical care after injury, and the ability to transfer between units after one year of service or earlier for health reasons.

The Air Force said that Russian troops launched 136 drones against Ukraine overnight, of which 117 were shot down in the east, south, and north of the country.

The video was widely circulated on social media as yet another example of what has been dubbed the "human safari."

Ukraine's military launched a wide-ranging drone attack on Russia overnight on Aug. 4, reportedly striking logistics and oil infrastructure in various regions of the country, Russian Telegram media channels reported.

The measures target the Russian Main Missile and Artillery Directorate, the 1061st Material-Technical Support Center, the Directorate for Advanced Inter-Service Research and Special Projects, and the Russian Ground Forces.

KI Insights invites you to take part in a special summer briefing that will depart from our standard content to examine contemporary Ukrainian soft power and cultural exports. Ukraine's contribution to the creative arts is not limited to Shevchenko's poetry or Parajanov's film. It is a live (and lucrative) sector in the country which spans fashion, music, and more recently, gaming. Please join our Director, Jakub Parusinski, and a special guest to discuss: * How does Ukrainian art and creati

"It is impossible for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, given their current level of development, to join an organization that is guided by World War II doctrines," Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.K., Valerii Zaluzhnyi, said.

The figure includes 1,240 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

A senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader claimed that Tehran had prepared to strike three sites in Ukraine before canceling the operation after what he described as an "apology" from Kyiv, according to Iranian state broadcaster PressTV.

Washington is unlikely to reach an agreement with Ukraine on the joint production of Patriot interceptor missiles before this winter, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said in a Fox News interview aired on Aug. 3.

Ukraine has imposed a new round of sanctions on the Russian defense industry, according to a presidential decree signed on Aug. 3.

President Volodymyr Zelensky didn't provide a reason for Olha Stefanishyna's dismissal and has yet to announce her successor.

"Every time I come to Kyiv, there are protests," my French colleague once told me. "That's so great that at least in Ukraine, protests work. You can't persist while fighting on both fronts." He's right: protests do work. But only to a degree. More importantly, they are symptoms of a far more problematic phenomenon: the systematic use of ostensibly legal mechanisms to undermine civil society. If left unchecked, this practice could jeopardize Ukraine's democratic future. Last July, the swift ado

Key developments on Aug. 3: * Ukraine's new Magura naval platforms strike Russian radar systems in occupied Crimea for 1st time, military intelligence says * Most key Russian ballistic missile manufacturers circumvent sanctions as Ukraine faces interceptor shortage, Zelensky says * Russian attack on gas station in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast kills 3, including rescue worker and his 8-year-old son * Russian attack on 'transport infrastructure' in Odesa Oblast wounds 13 people, governor says Ukrai

As U.S. President Donald Trump backs away from giving Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot air defense missiles, Ukrainian officials say Kyiv had a chance to solve the problem years ago — but Washington rejected the idea back then as well. The Ukrainian side has been trying to secure the licenses for almost two years. Officials told the Kyiv Independent that if the previous U.S. administration had approved the proposal, Ukraine could already be producing the interceptors needed to defend its cit

The Russian authorities prohibited Nadezhdin on July 16 from legally leaving the country, less than a week after labeling him a foreign agent.

The attack comes as Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry reported that Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure.

The attack occurred in the town of Shyroke, which sits on a highway about 30 kilometers (about 19 miles) south of Kryvyi Rih.

"Some key Russian enterprises involved in ballistic missile production are not under sanctions imposed by the U.S., the U.K., Japan, Switzerland, and other jurisdictions," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

In this interview, the Kyiv Independent's Martin Fornusek speaks with Martin Sklenar, former Slovak defense minister, about the likelihood of a Russian attack on NATO, Europe's military readiness, U.S. troop reductions, defense spending, and the growing debate over conscription.

The operation, carried out by HUR's Group 13 special unit in late July, targeted a command vehicle belonging to a Podlet radar system and a Parol-4 identification friend-or-foe radar interrogator, according to the agency.

An explosion ripped through a restaurant in central Moscow on the evening of Aug. 1, killing five people and injuring 21 others.

Ukraine's military reportedly struck a Wildberries logistics center in the town of Khryastovo in Russia's Vladimir Oblast on the morning of Aug. 3, Russian Telegram media channels reported.

Rustem Umerov will continue coordinating the Drone Deal initiative while remaining involved in peace talks to end Russia's all-out war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Alongside the attack on Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russia launched 181 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said.

The figure includes 1,390 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

On average, Russian losses have averaged about 34,000 personnel per month throughout 2026, according to statistics provided by the General Staff.