The main points from President Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Rutte at a press conference in Kyiv:

▫️ Zelenskyy: Security guarantees should be “Article-5-like” (similar to NATO’s collective defense clause). Current discussions focus on financing the Armed Forces of Ukraine, weapons, and diplomacy.

▫️ Zelenskyy on a possible meeting with Putin: He had a long conversation with Trump about the diplomatic track. According to him, Trump is the only person who can call Putin. Initially, a trilateral meeting was discussed, but later Russia proposed a bilateral one. Zelenskyy stressed he would not accept conditions that block peace.

▫️ Zelenskyy: “The Russians are doing everything to prevent the meeting, but Ukraine is not afraid of it.” If Moscow rejects diplomacy, strong sanctions packages are needed.

▫️ Rutte: In Washington, Trump set a priority — to show Putin that the US is part of the security guarantees.

▫️ Rutte: Security guarantees have two layers — a peace agreement with a strengthened Armed Forces of Ukraine, and guarantees from the US and Europe to deter new Kremlin aggression.

▫️ Rutte: Discussions continue on the possible deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine as part of security guarantees. It is too early to speak of the outcome.

🦩 New footage of the tests of the Ukrainian cruise missile "Flamingo" (FP-5) has appeared online.

New satellite images show that Russia has been building a large-scale radio reconnaissance facility in the Kaliningrad region for two years, just 25 kilometers from the NATO border — Bild.

According to the Tochnyi investigative platform, it is a giant ring antenna complex near the city of Chernyakhovsk.

Construction reportedly began in March 2023. Since then, the forest has been cleared, a fence erected, roads built, and sites for buildings prepared.

“Pit holes for antenna masts are visible on the outer site. At least six rings can also be distinguished,” the investigators noted.

Experts believe this is a ring antenna array — a system of antennas used for military radio reconnaissance and communications. The facility’s diameter may reach up to 1,600 meters, several times larger than conventional complexes of this type.

Once completed, investigators say, Russia will be able to intercept NATO radio communications in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states, as well as establish more reliable communication with submarines in the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic.

Romania is not ready to send troops to Ukraine but agrees to provide NATO with its military bases for the deployment of F-35 fighters.

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said that patrols and security missions are already being carried out from Romanian airfields to monitor the situation in the Black Sea, and joint exercises with NATO are underway.

According to Bolojan, this decision will be “Romania’s contribution to ensuring long-term peace in Ukraine.”

The US still plans to increase import duties on goods from India by 25% over its purchases of Russian oil, said Peter Navarro, senior adviser to the US president on trade and production.

On August 6, the US announced an increase in import duties on goods from India by 25% (up to 50%) due to its imports of Russian oil and petroleum products. The measure is expected to take effect on August 27. At the same time, after talks with Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump admitted that Washington would not impose import duties on Russia’s trading partners.

“I think it will happen,” Navarro told reporters at the White House when asked about the decision.

Earlier, Indian Minister of Oil and Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said that cooperation between Moscow and New Delhi, especially in the energy sector, “remains at a high level and is developing even against the backdrop of international instability.”

As of this morning, the fire in Mukachevo, which broke out after Russian shelling on August 21, is still being extinguished, the State Emergency Service reported.

Fifty-four rescuers and 15 units of equipment are working at the site, along with two Ukrzaliznytsia fire trains.

Twenty-one people were injured in the attack.

Kim Jong-un has awarded North Korean army officers who took part in battles in Russia’s Kursk region.

The leading German arms manufacturer KNDS Deutschland plans to set up new joint ventures in Ukraine for the production of equipment and spare parts, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said after a meeting with the company’s delegation.

The concern intends to significantly expand its presence in Ukraine and launch repair and service hubs for the rapid restoration and maintenance of weapons.

According to the minister, the company will also develop a network of centers for repairing heavy equipment in Ukraine. As part of this cooperation, the first three Gepard air defense systems have already been repaired.

Volunteers from Brazil and Portugal are undergoing training in the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Ukrainian aviation struck enemy positions in temporarily occupied parts of the Zaporizhzhia region with AASM-250 HAMMER bombs, targeting basements in buildings where Russians were hiding.

The third explosion occurred when an enemy Buk missile, attempting to intercept the bombs, instead hit its own target.

Fearing Western Unity, Russia Scrambled to Twist the White House Multilateral Summit

At the White House, Zelenskyy, Trump, and Western allies vowed to pursue peace and security for Ukraine. In Moscow, propagandists scrambled to twist the summit into another “victory” for Putin—trying to stir up a fight in an empty room.

Ukrainian FPVs on their duty 🫡

Missile, drone, laser — HUR fighters destroyed an enemy boat near Zalizny Port

On August 20, 2025, during an operation by the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry in the Black Sea near Zalizny Port, Kherson region, an air-launched missile destroyed a Russian boat. All five occupiers were eliminated.

The high-precision strike was made possible by laser targeting from a drone, which also recorded the successful destruction of the Russian military boat.

Inside the Flamingo: Ukraine’s Cruise Missile That May Carry US Warhead

Ukrainian defense analysts say the country’s newest long-range cruise missile, the FP-5 “Flamingo,” is a weapon with surprising sophistication and firepower.

Russian precision strike targeted a US-owned appliance plant in Mukachevo, wounding 15 and igniting an inferno that took hours to contain.

But it’s not the first time Moscow has attacked American businesses in Ukraine.

Read more: https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/russia-is-deliberately-destroying-american-businesses-in-ukraine-10957

Ukraine has launched serial production of drones with a range of over 1,000 km.

According to Associated Press photojournalist Efrem Lukatsky, the new FP-1 drone can fly more than a thousand kilometers, and its mass production has already been set up at the facilities of one of Ukraine’s leading defense companies.

European NATO leaders should not be naive when discussing a peacekeeping force for Ukraine but should recognize the reality that tens of thousands of troops will have to be deployed long-term, said Colonel Andre Wüstner, head of the German Armed Forces Association, which represents more than 200,000 active and retired soldiers, as quoted by Reuters.

US President Donald Trump is seeking to mediate peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv but has ruled out sending American troops to Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have spoken in favor of deploying troops as part of a post-war settlement within a coalition of the willing, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also expressed readiness for Germany to participate.

On Thursday, Wüstner urged European leaders not to downplay the scale of the military task but to be honest about the challenges, although a quick ceasefire still seems unlikely.

“It is not enough to have a few generals and small military units running a command post in Ukraine. We need to make it clear to Putin from the start — and back it up with international forces — that we are absolutely serious about security guarantees. We are serious about supporting Ukraine, we are serious about ensuring a ceasefire, and we are serious about our response if Putin tries to launch another attack on Ukraine,” Wüstner told Reuters.

A “bluff and hope” approach would be reckless and would only increase the risk of escalation, the colonel warned.

He estimated that each of the major countries in the coalition of the willing, such as Britain, France and Germany, would have to commit at least 10,000 troops to Ukraine over the long term — a huge challenge for their already stretched and underequipped forces.

“Europeans remain military dwarfs and are already struggling to meet the new NATO commitments made at the last summit. Europe is still far from being able to defend itself,” said Wüstner.

He stressed the urgent need to accelerate armament and strengthen NATO’s European pillar.

Ukrainian schoolchildren won five medals at the International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics in India

From August 11 to 21 in Mumbai, the Ukrainian team earned one gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.

The gold went to Andrii Zagika, silver to Dmytro Giley and Maria Mazur, and bronze to Uliana Gerbut and Bohdan Ogorodnyk.

Photo: Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine / Facebook

American Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is demanding that Russia return all abducted Ukrainian children. Otherwise, he says he will push for Russia to be recognized as a state sponsor of terrorism.

❗️Syrskyi visited the fighters holding the defense in the Pokrovsk sector

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine visited military command bodies, corps, and brigades conducting stabilization operations on the Dobropillia salient.

Despite the enemy’s numerical superiority, units of the Armed Forces and the National Guard are honorably fulfilling their tasks. As a result of successful strike and search operations, six settlements were cleared and hundreds of Russian occupiers eliminated, the general reported.

Russian forces launched a massive nighttime attack on the city of Okhtyrka in Sumy region. Fourteen people were injured, including three children.

Emergency workers rescued a woman from the rubble and handed her over to ambulance crews.

Strikes hit several locations simultaneously. Private homes, non-residential buildings, and civilian cars were damaged. Fires broke out but were extinguished by rescuers.

President Trump said Washington could provide air support to Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal with Russia.

“When it comes to security, the Europeans are willing to send people there. We are willing to help them with certain things, especially from the air,” the US president said.

At the same time, he reiterated that American troops will not be sent to Ukraine.

Russia has lost more than 13% of its oil refining capacity due to drone strikes — The Moscow Times.

Since the beginning of August, drone attacks have disabled at least four major refineries: in Novokuibyshevsk, Saratov, Samara, and Volgograd. Rosneft’s largest refinery in Ryazan has also partially shut down.

The total loss of capacity amounts to about 44 million tons per year (13.5%). For comparison, in 2023 Russian refineries processed 267 million tons — the lowest in 12 years.

According to Reuters, repairs at some refineries will take at least a month, while the Samara refinery will remain idle until the end of August.

FPV operators of the "B.G" unit (Crimean SBU Directorate) publish footage of strikes on Russians on the Kinburn Spit.

A Ukrainian MiG-29 carried out an attack on the enemy using AGM-88 HARM missiles.

A Russian general has been taken out of action.

On August 16, at around 9:30 p.m., during a series of pinpoint strikes by the crew of UA_REG FPV drones, a military vehicle was hit on the Rylsk–Khomutovka highway. According to available information, the vehicle with the military number 9828 RM was carrying Lieutenant General Esedulla Abachev, deputy commander of the Russian “Sever” military grouping.

As a result of the strike, the Russian officer sustained severe injuries that led to the amputation of both limbs and the loss of his ability to serve.

Golfing in Prosthetics? Even War Wounds Can’t Stop the Players in Ukraine

On a golf course outside Kyiv, four players move unhurriedly along the fairways, chatting as they go. All of them are Ukrainian veterans who have been through the hell of Russia’s war, lost a limb, and yet today hold a golf club with confidence.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented Donald Trump with a golf club. The club had been given to Zelenskyy by Ukrainian Junior Sergeant Kostiantyn Kartavtsev, who lost his leg saving his fellow soldiers in 2022.

Golf has become a part of Kartavtsev’s rehabilitation, helping him regain both physical and emotional balance. During the meeting, Zelenskyy showed a video message from Kartavtsev. The US leader made a video in return.

AI technologies that detect enemy mines and camouflaged drones: Dropla Tech raises €2.4 million

BRAVE1 participant Dropla Tech develops AI solutions that detect not only mines but also camouflaged enemy drones. The company secured €2.4 million in funding from the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark, Maj Invest, and Final Frontier. These resources will allow Dropla Tech to scale its solutions, strengthen R&D, and deploy advanced technologies directly to Ukrainian Armed Forces units.

Dropla Tech developments:

🔹 BLUE EYES — an autonomous real-time system for detecting explosives and drones in ambush scenarios. It operates even when communication and navigation are lost and does not require access to external servers.

🔹 DROPLA VISION — a mapping system that integrates data from five sensors into a single “smart” layer. The technology identifies hidden threats, including mines, explosives, ordinary objects, or natural obstacles. It enables military personnel to conduct rapid, efficient route clearance while protecting troop movements.

Through testing via Brave1 and feedback from soldiers, the system continually learns and becomes increasingly accurate.

Dropla Tech’s technologies are already on the front lines, detecting explosives, safeguarding logistics, and saving lives.

🛢 The EU said that the attack on the Druzhba oil pipeline did not affect oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia

“We are in contact with the Hungarian and Slovak authorities and, importantly, the suspension does not affect the security of oil supplies, which is always a priority for the European Commission,” said European Commission spokeswoman Ewa Grncirzová.

⚡️After meeting with Zelenskyy and EU leaders, Trump called Orbán and urged him to lift the veto on Ukraine’s EU accession talks.

❗️The White House has confirmed that Putin promised President Trump he would meet directly with President Zelenskyy.

Video and photos have emerged showing the destruction of a Russian freight train in the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia region.

Spoke with President of the European Council António Costa, said President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“He had just chaired a meeting of the European Council dedicated to the results of our negotiations with European colleagues and President Trump in Washington. We have taken an important step toward ending this war and guaranteeing security for Ukraine and all of Europe. Reliable security guarantees for Ukraine that will work are the key achievement of our joint efforts — of all partners, and most importantly, of the Ukrainian courage that defended our independence.

We discussed with António the outcome of the European Council meeting and further joint actions. We value the unity and unwavering support of the European Union. We agreed to continue working closely together.

We also discussed our next steps and preparations for the 19th package of EU sanctions against Russia. Pressure must increase until Russia takes real steps to stop the war.

We separately discussed the importance of unity among all 27 EU member states for Ukraine’s movement toward EU membership and the opening of negotiation clusters,” Zelenskyy said.

During a conversation with President Trump, Putin proposed holding a trilateral meeting in Moscow. Reportedly, President Zelenskyy and President Trump rejected the offer.

Switzerland will grant Putin “immunity” on the condition that he attends a peace conference, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said.

“Last year, the federal government established rules for granting immunity to a person subject to an international arrest warrant, provided that the person is attending a peace conference and not for personal reasons,” Cassis explained.

Macron called the Russian dictator a “predator” and “a cannibal at the door of Europe.”

The French president warned that Russia has become a permanent source of destabilization and a long-term threat to Europe.

Macron noted that Moscow spends 40% of its budget on the military and has mobilized an army of more than 1.3 million troops, stressing that “it will not return to peace and democracy in a single day.”

“For his own survival, Putin needs to keep absorbing. He is a predator, a cannibal at our door. I am not saying that France will be attacked tomorrow, but this is a real threat to all of Europe,” he said, urging Europeans “not to be naive.”

Macron also stated that he does not share Trump’s optimism about a possible peace agreement.

“When I look at the facts, I do not see that President Putin wants peace now. Perhaps I am too pessimistic,” he added.

The US can assist Europe with troop deployment in Ukraine, including providing air support, President Trump said.

❗️European leaders at the White House meeting accepted the need for territorial concessions from Ukraine — Trump

“France, Germany, and the United Kingdom want to deploy their troops in Ukraine as part of security guarantees.”

❗️President Zelenskyy must show flexibility in negotiations to end the war, — President Trump

“I am confident that I will organize a bilateral meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin, but I will not take part in it myself.”

Meanwhile, Lavrov: “Without respect for Russia’s security and the full rights of Russians in Ukraine, there can be no talk of long-term agreements. The Russian Federation has never set itself the goal of seizing Crimea, Donbas, or [so-called] ‘Novorossiya.’ The main task was to protect the Russian people.”

The bodies of 1,000 deceased citizens have been returned to Ukraine from Russia.

The Russian side claims they are Ukrainian servicemen.

My advice to President Trump and Marco Rubio is this: you must convince Putin that if this war does not end fairly and with dignity, and if Ukraine is forced to make concessions, we will destroy the Russian economy. We have the ability to do that, said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

“I think Putin is planning to destroy Ukraine and bring the former Soviet states back into his orbit. I cannot say what drives him, but I can say that we can destroy the ruble and the Russian economy.

The Russian people are not our enemy — Putin is. We are fighting one man. I want Russian military leaders to ask themselves: is this the future you want for your country? Are you going to follow this man to the gates of hell?

There is a chance to break Putin away from his people. We have a historic moment to do what has not been possible for 20 years — to take him out of the game,” Graham said.

The senator also urged Europe to impose tariffs on China and India, the two largest buyers of Russian oil.

“Europe can do more. If Europe and the US unite and tell Russia that unless the war ends we will destroy its oil and gas economy, the war will end.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lead task force on security guarantees for Ukraine — The Wall Street Journal

The US President and European leaders have agreed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will head a task force of national security advisers and NATO representatives to develop security guarantees for Ukraine.

According to the publication, the package of guarantees will include four key elements: military presence, air defense systems, arms supplies, and oversight of the cessation of hostilities.

At the same time, the WSJ notes, the US may provide indirect military support to European peacekeepers without deploying its own troops.

A Russian fuel depot was blown up near Tokmak, causing rail cars to derail.

❗️Today, the enemy attacked Ukraine with 270 Shahed and simulator drones, five Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and five Kh-101 cruise missiles, the Air Force reported. Ukrainian defenders shot down 230 UAVs, two Iskander missiles, and four Kh-101s.

Four missiles and 40 UAVs were intercepted over 16 locations, with falling debris reported in three more areas.

Putin agreed to meet with President Zelenskyy within two weeks — Merz

Vladimir Putin has agreed to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy within two weeks of his conversation with President Trump, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

According to him, the location of the summit has not yet been determined, and the meeting will require serious preparation.

President Zelenskyy made it clear at a briefing after the White House talks that he is prepared to discuss the “territorial issue” with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

The president noted that he “argued a little” over the percentage of occupied territories shown on a map presented by the Americans during the meeting. At the same time, he emphasized that he had no disagreements with President Trump, describing their exchange as a “good, warm, and substantive conversation.”

According to him, Russia proposed holding a bilateral meeting first.

“And after that, we expect a trilateral meeting. The question will be how the bilateral meeting takes place,” Zelenskyy said.

On security guarantees, he stated that they will be formalized in a document within the next 7–10 days.

The head of state also noted that he does not expect all members of the “Coalition of the Resolute” to send contingents to Ukraine as part of these guarantees.

“Some may be ready to discuss presence, others intelligence, others maritime security, and others air defense. Some states do not have the constitutional right to provide direct security assistance, but they can finance the production of defense industry goods for Ukraine’s armed forces,” he explained.

How Ukraine Upgraded US Bradleys to Survive Russia’s Drone Warfare

Ukrainian defense engineers have developed a specialized protection system to increase the survivability of American-supplied M2A2 Bradley ODS-SA infantry fighting vehicles against drones and other modern threats.

The solution, known as Tower 1, has been installed on several vehicles and continues to be refined based on battlefield experience.

Find out more: https://united24media.com/latest-news/how-ukraine-upgraded-us-bradleys-to-survive-russias-drone-warfare-10847

The Ukrainian national team is among the top three at the World Games.

Our non-Olympic athletes won 44 medals in Chengdu — 16 gold, 14 silver, and 14 bronze — placing third after Germany (45 medals) and China (64 medals).

Ukrainians reached the podium in 11 sports, including underwater sports, powerlifting, sambo, and others.

The Guardsmen stopped enemy assault attempts in the Kupiansk direction.

The enemy deployed four MT-LBs with landing troops and one tank.

As a result of fire from the Separate Artillery Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, coordinated with adjacent units, the enemy’s equipment and personnel were destroyed.

Ukraine cannot be forced to make territorial concessions. Russia’s demand that Ukraine withdraw its troops from Donetsk region is comparable to asking the United States to give up Florida. This is unacceptable for a sovereign state, said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at a briefing in Washington.

“Any summit between Ukraine and Russia must be carefully prepared. Whether Putin will have the courage to come — we do not know. We discussed this issue, and President Trump took a break to call Putin. They agreed that Zelenskyy and Putin would meet within two weeks, face to face. The location has not yet been determined. Trump then expressed his readiness to join them in a trilateral format.

During the meeting, we had a very frank conversation with Trump and aligned our positions. In recent days, we spent many hours preparing for this meeting. My expectations were not only met but exceeded.

The meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump was very constructive and took place in a relaxed atmosphere.

We welcome Trump’s readiness to join in providing security guarantees for Ukraine. This was the subject of a long and detailed discussion. In the event of peace, Ukraine will receive appropriate security guarantees from Europe with the full support of the United States.”

The head of the German government also stressed that real negotiations are possible only with Ukraine’s direct participation and only with a complete ceasefire. He recalled that he had again raised this demand at the joint meeting:
“It is difficult to imagine a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin without a ceasefire. But this will still be discussed.”

Merz added that Trump is also open to humanitarian issues:
“We discussed in detail the fate of 19,000 abducted children. Zelenskyy showed him a specific case — the fate of one child, a story that reflects what has been happening to Ukrainian children every day for three and a half years. It was very emotional for Trump to see this.”

😈It is reported to be a Ukrainian cruise missile, “Flamingo,” with a range of over 3,000 km and already in mass production.

“I believe we should meet with Putin without any conditions. If we start by demanding a ceasefire, Russia will put forward a hundred other conditions. The issue of territories is one that will remain between me and Putin,” said President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.