After the death of his daughter, the Russian ultra-nationalist Dugin calls on the Kremlin troops to win. President Putin offers him his condolences, while Kyiv rejects the intelligence construction of the explosion. MEPs want to see 6,000 more Russians on the sanctions list, Berlin doesn’t want to empty the Bundeswehr’s arsenal any further. The 180th day of the war at a glance.
Russian ammunition dump in Donetsk explodes
According to the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti, Ukrainian troops have hit a Russian ammunition dump near a supermarket in the city of Donetsk. There is no information about dead or injured. Users posted photos and videos of the explosion on social networks.
Several explosions have also occurred in the annexed Crimea around Yevpatoria in recent days. According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, a Russian tourist accidentally revealed the location of a Russian anti-aircraft position on the peninsula. “Maybe we’re being too harsh on Russian tourists… Sometimes they can be really helpful. Like this man taking photos of Russian air defense positions near Yevpatoria in occupied Crimea. Thank you and keep it up!” the ministry wrote Twitter and published a photo showing a man in swimming trunks in front of a Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile system.
FSB secret service blames Ukraine
The Russian domestic secret service FSB blamed Ukraine for the attack on the daughter of the Kremlin ideologue Alexander Dugin. The “assassination” of Daria Dugina was “prepared and carried out by Ukrainian special forces,” the secret service said, according to reports from Russian news agencies. Dugina was killed on a highway near Moscow on Saturday evening after an explosive device detonated in her car, according to investigators.
Commenting on the allegations, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said: “Russian propaganda lives in a fictional world.” “Surprisingly, they didn’t find the ‘Estonian visa’ on the spot,” he said, referring to the FSB’s claim that the alleged perpetrator had fled to Estonia in the meantime.
Putin condemns attack
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the attack a “disgraceful, cruel crime”. In a message of condolences to the family, Putin said that he had prematurely ended the life of a “brilliant and talented person with a truly Russian heart.” “Journalist, scholar, philosopher, war correspondent, she honestly served the people, the motherland and showed through deeds what it means to be a patriot of Russia,” Putin continued.
Dugin: My daughter’s life on Altar of Victory
Dugin himself called on the Russians to fight in the spirit of his right-wing nationalist and imperialist ideology. “Our hearts don’t just thirst for revenge or retribution. That would be too small, not Russian,” Dugin told Telegram about his confidante, the oligarch Konstantin Malofeev. “All we need is our victory. On its altar my daughter has laid her girlish life. So please win!” Dugin has now praised his daughter as a “beautiful Orthodox girl” and a “patriot” who was killed by “the enemies of Russia”.
Ukraine estimates casualties: 9,000 soldiers killed
According to Ukrainian sources, almost 9,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the Russian war of aggression that started at the end of February. According to a report by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Ukrainian army chief Valeriy Zalushny said at a forum in Kyiv that Ukrainian children deserve special attention because their fathers are at the front and “possibly among the nearly 9,000 heroes killed.” It is one of the extremely rare statements by the Ukrainian government or army leaders about their own losses in the war.
The Ukrainian General Staff, on the other hand, put the losses of the Kremlin troops at 45,400 soldiers. In addition, Russia has so far lost 1,919 tanks, 4,230 armored fighting vehicles, 1,032 artillery systems, 198 helicopters, 234 aircraft, 815 drones and 15 boats.
London: Auxiliary troops refuse to go to the front
According to British estimates, Russia is finding it increasingly difficult to motivate its auxiliary troops from the separatist areas in the Donbass for the ongoing war. The Ministry of Defense in London said some commanders would probably promise their soldiers financial incentives. Some associations would be considered unreliable and therefore not tasked with attacks. As an example, the ministry cites a video from mid-August in which members of a unit of the self-proclaimed “Luhansk People’s Republic” are said to have refused to take part in offensive operations.
Letter to Borrell: 6,000 Russians should be on the EU sanctions list
MEPs called for a drastic expansion of EU travel bans against Putin supporters. At least the more than 6,000 people who are on a list of the foundation of the imprisoned Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny should be subject to punitive measures, according to a letter sent to the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. In addition to an EU entry ban, the sanctions should also include the freezing of assets.
The public debate about Russians being given visas for holiday trips in the EU despite their country’s war against Ukraine is cited in the letter as the background to the demand. It is also likely to be an issue at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Prague next week.
Berlin: Do not further weaken the Bundeswehr
The Federal Ministry of Defense rejected an attempt by coalition politicians to supply Ukraine with more weapons and, if necessary, to accept a weakening of the Bundeswehr. In view of the threat from Russia, the Bundeswehr cannot risk such an approach, said a spokesman for the Berlin Ministry. “We have to be prepared that Putin could exploit any weakness or even temporary gap in NATO’s defense readiness,” he warned.
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