(SIBERIA, RUSSIA) – A consignment of North Korean ballistic missiles being transported through Russia, almost certainly for use against Ukraine, has reportedly been destroyed. Unconfirmed reports suggest Ukrainian military intelligence, the HUR, destroyed the missiles as they were being carried through Siberia, 6,000 kilometres from Ukraine.
Allegedly, North Korean KN23 and KN24 missiles were blown up after explosives placed under the rail tracks of the Trans-Siberian Railway were detonated by remote control. This is a developing story.
The reported strike comes as port infrastructure in Russia’s Ust-Luga region, approximately 100 kilometres west of St Petersburg near the border with Estonia, was hit overnight. Russia’s regional governor, Alexander Drozdenko, confirmed the attack on the oil terminal, a major export hub. He said a fire was burning at the port after a drone attack on the region that officials claimed saw 51 Ukrainian drones brought down.
This follows reports from the governor of Russia’s Orenburg Oblast that the oil refinery in the city of Orsk, about 1,300 kilometres from Ukraine, has completely shut down following a recent Ukrainian drone strike. Governor Yevgeny Solntsev said it will take months to repair. The attack damaged key infrastructure which cannot currently be restored. He said the equipment is imported and, given the sanctions, repairs could take up to six months. The plant has completely shut down.
Meanwhile, across Ukraine, it was a relatively quiet night. According to the Air Force, 90 of 133 drones were brought down. However, Kherson has been under attack from glide bombs and drones this morning. A family home in Sumy was destroyed by drones. A 29 year old mother and her nine year old son are said to have been killed there. The father and grandmother were hospitalised. Those deaths were two of four across the country, with 60 other people injured.
In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said yesterday that Polish authorities have arrested a Russian man accused of planning to kill a US Ukrainian dual citizen in Warsaw. The arrest happened on 7th August in a joint operation between Polish security services, police, and US authorities. Donald Tusk said this marks the first instance where someone acting on Russian orders has attempted to assassinate an American citizen on the territory of another NATO country. He gave no details of the alleged target beyond describing the individual as a thorn in the side of the Putin regime.
Latvia’s military said earlier today that fighter jets had shot down a drone that had entered its airspace. Around the same time, Finland separately imposed temporary aviation and maritime restrictions in the eastern Gulf of Finland region as a precaution against potential drones. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence said a NATO fighter jet stationed in Lithuania shot down the drone. Estonia’s foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, said the incident shows that the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression extend far beyond Ukraine.
In Italy, a huge explosion destroyed a munitions factory near the town of Colleferro, about 30 kilometres southeast of Rome, yesterday. No injuries were reported by the Franco German defence group KNDS that owns the site, probably as it was closed for the summer holidays. The plant makes medium and large calibre ammunition for land and naval defence systems. An investigation is ongoing and there is currently no evidence presented to suggest the Kremlin is behind the blast.
On the diplomatic front, Ukraine proposed a mutual halt to attacks on civilian ships and port infrastructure on the Black Sea, with the offer transmitted to Russia through an unnamed third country. Moscow has dismissed that offer. At least 50 cargo ships were attacked in June and July by both sides. Odesa handles about 60 percent of Ukraine’s monthly export revenue.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said that parliamentary elections next month that Russia is holding in occupied territories are illegal and any results will be invalid. Major election monitors have not been allowed into the territories.
A BBC investigation has found 34,000 properties belonging to Ukrainian citizens that have been seized or identified for seizure since 2024. They can be given to Russian passport holders. In some cases, the homes can be temporarily leased to local officials like judges, soldiers, and state workers.
A woman has been accused of assassinating a former Ukrainian submarine commander who defected to Russia. Robert Sheagv was wanted for high treason by Kyiv. A woman identified as 32 year old Margarita Reut was arrested in Sevastopol in Crimea on suspicion of carrying out the bombing on behalf of Ukrainian special services.
Ukraine received the remains of 261 people whom Russia says were Ukrainian servicemen yesterday, repatriated through cooperation with Ukrainian security services, defence and law agencies, and assistance from the Red Cross. Ukrainian authorities have introduced safety checks after explosive devices were reportedly discovered multiple times among bodies returned from Russia since June.
Conor Kennedy, the son of US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, has been placed on Russia’s wanted list after fighting in Ukraine in 2022. Russian state media says a Moscow court has authorised his arrest in absentia, accusing him of serving as a mercenary for Ukraine.
Canada has named a new ambassador to Russia, Robert Brookfield. For the past year he has led Ottawa’s sanctions policy.
President Zelenskyy visited Ivano-Frankivsk for an event bringing together Ukrainian soldiers, veterans, and people with disabilities who are recovering from injuries and returning to life through sport.
A partial solar eclipse could be seen in western and some central regions of Ukraine on Wednesday. Residents of Zakarpattia, the westernmost region, had the greatest phase of the eclipse. Additionally, because of the war and the frequency of blackouts, Ukraine has indirectly become a highly regarded place in which to view the stars. One photographer, Pablo Pakovnco, took shots in the centre of Kharkiv yesterday at the peak of a meteor shower. Due to the lack of street lighting, the Milky Way can be seen in the city centre.
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