According to an unnamed senior U.S. defense official, Russia wants to grow its military from 137,000 to 1.5 million. “This effort is unlikely to succeed, as Russia has historically not met personnel and strength targets,” the official said. “In fact, if you look at the Russian armed forces, prior to the invasion, they may have already been 150,000 personnel short of their million personnel goal.” U.S. officials estimate that Russia has lost between 60,000 and 80,000 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. On Aug. 25, Putin signed a decree to expand Russia’s military to 2 million.
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Sunday, August 31
The positions previously allowed Russian troops to control the road leading into Kupiansk, approximately 104 kilometers (65 miles) east of Kharkiv, the regional capital.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV described China-Russia relations as at their "best in history," calling them "the most stable, mature and strategically significant among major countries."
Kyrylo Budanov said that upcoming joint exercises, set to begin in two weeks, will pose challenges for both Ukraine and European countries, particularly through what he described as "cognitive influence."
The 1st Azov Corps said the victim was clearly in civilian clothes and unarmed, calling the incident a direct violation of the Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians.
Sunday, August 31
The bloc has frozen some 210 billion euros ($245.85 billion) in Russian assets under sanctions imposed over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russian forces have been surrounded by Ukraine's military near Dobropillia in the Pokrovsk district in Donetsk — currently the hottest sector of the front line — military spokesperson Viktor Trehubov announced on Aug. 30.
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Andrii Parubii, a Ukrainian politician who previously served as the parliament speaker and played a prominent role in the EuroMaidan Revolution, was shot dead in Lviv on Aug. 30.
(Updated: )
Russia launched a missile and drone attack targeting various Ukrainian regions overnight on Aug. 30, killing at least one person and injuring 34 others, officials reported.
U.S. officials have grown increasingly impatient with European leaders, whom they allege are pushing Ukraine to hold out for a "better deal," Axios reported in an exclusive scoop on Aug. 30.
The focus for such U.S. contractors appears to be on helping to build new defenses and securing U.S. business interests in Ukraine, the Telegraph reported.
The so-called "dragon teeth" — pyramid-shaped concrete anti-tank obstacles — were set up as part of the Baltic Defense Line, a planned string of defenses along the Baltic countries' borders with Russia and Belarus.
Polish authorities have expelled 15 Ukrainian citizens after they were detained for offenses like drug possession, drunk driving, theft, and illegal border crossings, RMF24 reported on Aug. 30.
(Updated: )
Ukrainian forces intercepted 510 drones, six ballistic missiles, and 32 cruise missiles launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
The facility was used to store pyroxylin gunpowder, a smokeless powder used in the production of small arms, artillery, and rocket systems, a military intelligence source claimed.
