Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1265: Russian forces punch 12-km hole near Pokrovsk as Ukraine’s military chiefs deny crisis

Exclusives

Ukraine built a drone wall to stop Russia—then fiber cables made it useless. Electronic warfare became obsolete overnight, thanks to Beijing.

Russia punches narrow hole in Ukraine's Pokrovsk front — can Kyiv close it before it widens?. A 10-kilometre Russian advance has left Ukrainian commanders racing to prevent a deeper breach in Donetsk.

Belgium's biggest Ukraine military aid is 30 F-16s it won't deliver until 2028. The country also controls €180 billion in frozen Russian assets that help bankroll Kyiv's defense.

Ukraine's draft evasion problem is a symptom of a deeper crisis. Why do Ukrainian men refuse mobilization, hide in their homes, and let their wives, sisters, and mothers do the everyday heavy lifting? Why does Ukraine's mobilization system no longer work?

CS2 Wiki explained: How to use it for smarter skin trading. In a trading environment where milliseconds and margins matter, the wiki can mean the difference between scoring a deal and getting left behind.

Military

DeepState: Russians breach near Pokrovsk, cut highway toward Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast. The OSINT project warns the wedge could endanger Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, and Kostiantynivka unless Ukrainian reserves regain the roads. Bloomberg: Ukraine drone attack stops Saratov oil refinery powering Russia's heartland. Fires broke out after an 10 August drone strike forced one of Russia's largest Volga-region oil plants offline. Frontline report: Ukrainian gas pipeline deep strike on Russia achieves swift economic damage where Western sanctions lag. While Western sanctions crawl forward through bureaucracy, Kyiv delivers its own economic warfare with immediate, devastating precision of drone attacks, cutting power to key Russian military plants. Drone strikes sanctioned plant producing military aircraft control systems deep inside Russia [updated]. The Arzamas Instrument-Making Plant manufactures gyroscopic instruments, control systems, onboard computers, steering mechanisms, and testing equipment for Russian military aircraft and spacecraft. Frontline report: Russia's oil barges pile up — India's ports won't take them. When tariffs threatened $186 billion in US trade, India's Russian oil deal ended overnight.

Intelligence and technology

HRU reportedly attacks major Russian provider of services to security services. Ukrainian intelligence destroyed 800 terabytes of data and disabled 600 virtual machines belonging to the Filanko group, a major Russian IT provider serving security agencies Rheinmetall to double production of 155mm shells at new plant in Ukraine. Production of 155mm artillery shells will begin at Rheinmetall's new Ukrainian facility in 2026, with capacity reaching 300,000 rounds annually after a two-year ramp-up period

International

"Alaska opposes tyranny": Protest is organised in Alaska ahead of meeting between Putin and Trump. Alaskan activists will stage a counter-demonstration in Anchorage on 14 August, challenging their governor's endorsement of hosting Putin for talks with President Trump the following day. Kallas's pre-Trump summit warning: No concessions without ceasefire—and EU's preparing more sanctions. Europe's top diplomat insists on proper sequencing as Putin tries to flip script with territorial demands. Zelenskyy: diplomatic push creates real chance to achieve peace. President Zelenskyy declared "now is the moment when there is a real chance to achieve peace" during a phone call with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, while rejecting any territorial concessions days before a planned Trump-Putin meeting. Zelenskyy and European leaders to talk to Trump before his meeting with Putin – European Commission. Eight Nordic and Baltic countries demanded that any diplomatic settlement preserve Ukraine and Europe's "vital security interests" as Trump prepares to meet Putin with proposals that could cede occupied territories to Russia. Modi tells Zelenskyy India opposes deciding Ukraine's fate behind its back. Ukraine and India will meet at the UN General Assembly in September to discuss peace initiatives and sanctions against Russian energy exports The Times: Europe spent € 72 billion on Ukraine — but has no role in Trump–Putin peace talks. Why?. Europe outspent the US on Ukraine aid but is "years away" from defending it — and absent from the Trump–Putin summit. Nordic-Baltic nations remind before Trump-Putin meeting: international borders must not be changed by force. Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden released a joint statement three days before Trump's Alaska summit with Putin, demanding "robust and credible security guarantees" for Ukraine. NATO chief: weapons keep flowing to Ukraine—even if Trump cuts a deal with Putin in upcoming Alaska meeting. The meeting on 15 August excludes Ukraine initially, but Rutte insisted that any substantive negotiations on territory and security guarantees "will have to be—and will be—involved" Ukrainian participation.

Humanitarian and social impact

Foreign volunteers killed in Russian strike on training camp near Kropyvnytskyi – NYT. An American recruit from Florida witnessed "at least 15 dead soldiers and more than 100 wounded" when Russia targeted a mess hall packed with international volunteers eating lunch at a training camp in central Ukraine. Russia bombed Azeri energy assets in Ukraine. Now Baku sends millions in aid to Ukraine. The Russian missile attacks targeted facilities crucial to Azerbaijan's new energy corridor to Europe, with sources close to the Azeri's president saying restrictions of weapons deliveries may also be lifted soon.

Political and legal developments

Ukraine receives third $ 1.9 bn payment from EU's frozen Russian assets program. The European Union announced its third transfer of €1.6 billion generated from frozen Russian assets, with 95% of the funds now flowing through Ukraine's loan cooperation mechanism Read our earlier daily review here.