“Ukraine – Russia”

North Korea is preparing a massive troop surge to help its ally Moscow in its war on Ukraine, with up to 50,000 North Koreans to be deployed in Russia, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In late July, the Ukrainian leader said Russia wanted to bring in another 30,000 North Korean troops, before adding this weekend that Pyongyang decided to have between 30,000 and 50,000 North Koreans deployed on Russian territory. He did not specify if this number included the North Korean troops already taking part in the conflict.

Russia is increasingly relying on ballistic missiles for its attacks on Ukraine — precisely the weapons that Ukraine’s armed forces depend heavily on Western support to ward off.

However, the crucial US-produced Patriot interceptor missiles are often in short supply.

In other Ukraine news …

Ukrainian economic migrant on receiving $3K CAD per month

“My Airbnb costs $2,000CAD a month!” pic.twitter.com/FcOGBvbLjt

— Jungle Journey (@JnglJourney) August 26, 2025

h/t Hermes

American intelligence experts believe Russia was behind an attack on a German airport last week with a drone laden with explosives, US media have reported, as Berlin remained silent on the likely culprit.

Last week’s security emergency prompted the interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, to break off his summer holiday in Italy and rush to the scene in the eastern city of Leipzig, as he spoke of a “new level of danger” for Germany.

Dobrindt called the incident, in which a quadcopter with semtex plastic explosives attached was found next to a Ukrainian cargo plane at the major shipping and military hub, part of a “professional hybrid threat scenario” by a well-equipped foreign actor.

In a sparsely furnished four-room apartment on the 18th floor of 9a Hrushevskoho Street, Kyiv, several well-connected businessmen are discussing deals involving some of Ukraine’s most powerful politicians and officials. Meanwhile, anti-corruption investigators are listening in via a concealed bug. The contents of the 1,000 hours of conversation that they record are shocking. They reveal large-scale war profiteering among President Zelensky’s inner circle. In one case concerning the state nuclear company, Energoatom, contractors were forced to pay an extra 10-15 percent in kickbacks in order to avoid contracts being blocked or canceled.

Nearly 16,000 foreign volunteers from at least 72 countries are currently serving in Ukraine’s Defence Forces, Ukraine’s Military Ombudsman Olha Reshetilova has said, Euractiv reports.

Speaking at a meeting with the heads of Ukraine’s foreign diplomatic missions, Reshetilova said that almost 40% of those volunteers come from Latin American countries.

She said the government is working to establish mechanisms to safeguard the rights and legitimate interests of foreign servicemen throughout their military service.

The armed drone found at Leipzig airport on Wednesday may not have exploded, but the fact that it got inside the perimeter, close to Ukrainian cargo planes, raises obvious concerns for the security of international aviation.

Though the identity of the culprits is unknown, the initial evidence points firmly towards a Russian-orchestrated plot. It is the first time that a drone with explosives has been found in Europe far from the Ukrainian border.

More … Germany news: Search for second drone after Leipzig incident

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has shared a video on social media of a drone hunting down a man in southern Ukraine, saying it showed an instance of a Russian “safari” attack against civilians.

The video shows the drone pursuing a street vendor on a city street in the Kherson region. The man moves away from the drone hovering above, before it chases him as he runs around a white van. Eventually, the drone swoops down on him and explodes on impact.

The man escaped with multiple shrapnel wounds, concussion and trauma, a doctor said.

Human Safari in Kherson

Russian troops practice controlling FPV drones on Ukrainian civilians.

Footage filmed today shows a Russian drone deliberately hunting a vegetable seller who clasps his hands in a pleading gesture.

Fortunately, the man survived but sustained injuries. pic.twitter.com/uPIhZCHdp0

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) August 4, 2026

Donald Trump has backed off a promise to let Ukraine manufacture its own Patriot air defense interceptors, telling reporters that handing over the underlying technology was “a hard thing to give away” during a cabinet meeting at Camp David.

The retreat, billed by the White House as “something different” for the cabinet to experience together, was the first such meeting at the presidential compound of Trump’s second term.

Laura Loomer, the online Maga provocateur, has never worked in the White House or anywhere else in the government, but her sudden conversion to the Ukrainian cause this week is significant because her social media posts often have real policy implications in the second Trump administration.

The rightwing commentator has spent the last few days in Kyiv, where she announced a newfound sympathy for Ukraine in its long war with Russia, and admitted that she had previously fallen for Russian propaganda.

Mykhailo Drapatyi became widely known in Ukraine when his armoured vehicle was the first to crash through pro-Russian barricades in the city of Mariupol in 2014. Yesterday, he was made commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, replacing the unpopular Oleksandr Syrskyi after a week of protests calling for his removal.

Ukraine’s allies have hailed the move as good news, putting a talented military professional in charge of the war effort and proving the continued vibrancy of Ukraine’s democracy. Look more closely, however, and this narrative is nothing but a spin job. Instead, Kyiv’s latest saga points to a country that is increasingly consumed by political dysfunction as it tries to distract audiences at home and abroad from its military struggles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing mounting political pressure after days of nationwide protests over the dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Kyiv and at least sixteen other cities since July 16, marking the largest anti-government demonstrations in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022.

🚨🇺🇦Protests Against Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Regime Are Still Ongoing in Ukraine!

As Zelenskyy reshuffles ministers at will, Ukrainians – mostly women, as many men have been kidnappe – continue to protest.

EU is trying everything to hide this from the public. pic.twitter.com/1zwlllen6o

— Mario ZNA (@MarioBojic) July 20, 2026

The US does not have enough missiles to return to an all-out war with Iran, an American official has warned.

Donald Trump is considering his options to launch a “wider war” against Tehran as more American warplanes are deployed to the Middle East.

However, a US official familiar with administration discussions said the operation would be limited by dwindling stockpiles of air defence and long-range munitions.

🚨BREAKING :

American forces reportedly launched 7 consecutive airstrikes targeting Iranian military, missile, and drone bases at 3 PM ET today.
Massive fires reported at multiple sites with casualties feared.
IRGC headquarters is allegedly suppressing the news and banning… pic.twitter.com/h5yBrQlHWt

— US AIRFORCE 🇺🇲 (@usairforce_x) July 20, 2026