Houthi Strikes Kill Troops and Civilians in Yemen While Israeli Raids Hit Five West Bank Communities
Houthi Attacks Intensify in Yemen and Saudi Border
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militia launched a drone attack on pro-government forces on Friday, killing two personnel and injuring three others, military sources told dpa. [2] The attack took place in the eastern province of Marib, one of the main strongholds of Yemen's internationally recognized government. [2] Separately, Health Minister Qasim Buhaibeh said at least two civilians were killed and 14 others injured in a Houthi attack on camps for displaced people in Marib. [2] In a post on X, Buhaibeh accused the Houthis of targeting residential areas and displacement camps and called on the international community to take a "serious" stance to protect civilians in war-torn Yemen. [2] Witnesses had earlier told dpa that around 10 displaced people were injured in Houthi shelling of a camp north of Marib. [2] There was no immediate comment from the Houthis. [2] Meanwhile, tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have escalated in recent weeks, with Saudi airstrikes targeting the Houthi-controlled capital Sana'a. [2] Saudi Arabia supports the internationally recognized Yemeni government. [2] The Houthis, for their part, have attacked several Saudi vessels or forced them to change course after announcing a naval blockade in the Red Sea against the oil-rich kingdom. [2] A Saudi-led military coalition said on Friday that 11 civilians were injured in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's southern Najran region the previous day. [2] "The terrorist Houthi militia carried out these terrorist attacks using indiscriminate shelling against civilian objects," coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki wrote on X, saying the attacks violated international law. [2] The coalition would continue taking "deterrent measures" to protect civilians from further attacks, he said. [2] An unofficial ceasefire has largely held in Yemen since 2022, but there are growing concerns that the civil war could flare up again. [2] Yemen has been mired in conflict since the Houthis seized Sana'a and other parts of northern Yemen in late 2014. [2]
Israeli Operations Across the Occupied West Bank
Houthi drone attack kills troops and civilians in Yemen's Marib province. — Source: cnn Israeli raids, occupier attacks, detentions, assaults and a demolition notice targeted five Palestinian communities across four governorates in the occupied West Bank, local sources say. [1] Incidents include detentions, occupier assaults, demolition notice across 4 governorates, local sources say. [1]
Russian Missile Barrage Overwhelms Kyiv Air Defenses
Ukraine lacks missiles to protect itself against Russian attacks. [5] VG accompanied the air defense during an attack. [5] Only one of 27 ballistic missiles was shot down in a recent attack. [5] Russia has increased attacks with ballistic missiles. [5] At the same time, it is difficult to produce new interceptor missiles. [5] During the interview, the message came: – Three drones are heading here! [5] The mood changes in a second. [5] Men in military uniform prepare the machine gun and jump into the pickup. [5] With full throttle, they head to try to intercept some of the deadly Russian attack drones that are terrorizing Kyiv's residents. [5] VG sits in the car while they turn on the siren and drive at 150 km/h on the narrow roads. [5] The soldiers swerve the car out into a field and take position with the machine guns. [5] Then, just as quickly as the drones appeared, they disappear. [5] In the air, the drones make a turn eastward toward another area. [5] One by one, they are shot down by some other soldiers and disappear from the radar. [5] The threat is gone. [5] For now. [5] Ukrainian air defense soldiers train before the night's shift. [5] In recent times, there have been several extensive attacks on Kyiv, where Ukrainian soldiers have struggled to shoot down everything. [5] Especially ballistic missiles are now causing great damage in the capital. [5] There is a concrete reason for this: Ukraine has run out of advanced interceptor missiles. [5] The night before VG visits the air defense group, there was a major attack on Kyiv. [5] Russia used 27 ballistic missiles, but only one was shot down in the attack on the night of August 1. [5] – Only one ballistic missile was shot down simply because there are no missiles for the Patriot system, said Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy afterward. [5] In the same attack, 185 drones were used, of which 154 were shot down. [5] On Wednesday this week, Russia sent 28 missiles toward Kyiv. [5] None were shot down. [5] 17 people were killed and several dozen injured. [5] Patriot missiles, which are used to shoot down such missiles, are produced by the USA. [5] But now it is said that the stocks are beginning to run empty. [5] July became the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since spring 2022, when the full-scale war broke out, reports the UN. [5] – Shooting down drones is an art, says Oleg Vorosylivskiy and peers out over the fields. [5] The job of protecting Kyiv is becoming increasingly difficult. [5] During the day, he is a middle manager in a company that works with customer service. [5] In the evening and at night, he has volunteered to protect the airspace over Kyiv together with several of his neighbors. [5] In their small group, there is a farmer, a municipal employee, and a retired colonel. [5] The drones that cause the most problems often come very low. [5] Some fly only 50 to 100 meters above the ground, says Oleg. [5] The Russians do this to save fuel and to make them harder to detect on radar, according to him. [5] – At the same time, they change direction all the time. [5] That makes them difficult to hit, he says. [5] Oleg Vorosylivskiy (center) has spent hundreds of nights protecting his village. [5] On a small tablet, they can monitor Russian drones and missiles in real time. [5] To protect Ukraine, various layers of air defense are used. [5] It involves everything from volunteers like Oleg, equipped with machine guns, to units with interceptor drones, to fighter jets, helicopters, Norwegian-produced NASAMS, and the Patriot system. [5] All have their dedicated tasks and are specialized. [5] Military expert Viktor Kevliuk, who works as an analyst at the Center for Defense Strategies in Ukraine, says to VG that Russia will continue to hit the capital unless air defense is quickly strengthened. [5] – The most realistic short-term prospects for the residents of Kyiv are still – and possibly intensified – pressure from the air, he says. [5] He points out that the lack of Patriot missiles is a decisive factor. [5] These are missiles that shoot down ballistic missiles. [5] – As long as there is a shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, Russia will continue to prioritize ballistic missiles against the capital. [5] He says they should expect more large-scale attacks, more nights spent in metro stations and shelters. [5] – Civilian losses will likely remain higher than in periods when Ukraine had stronger anti-ballistic coverage, says Kevliuk. [5] Ukraine researcher Tor Bukkvoll confirms that Ukraine's ability to shoot down Russian missiles is now in poor shape. [5] – It is a huge problem. [5] But historically, we have also seen that it is difficult to bomb a country into surrender. [5] Tor Bukkvoll Chief researcher at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment He says that Russia also does not have an unlimited number of such missiles. [5] Some Ukrainian estimates suggest that Russia produces around 130 such missiles per month, the researcher says. [5] – But it is a dramatic development. [5] This is the first time in the war that we see something like this. [5] It is a development that has been warned about, and this might not have happened if the USA had not used up enormous amounts of these missiles during the Iran war. [5] Now work is being done at full speed to produce more Patriot missiles, in addition to building new systems with interceptor missiles, he says. [5] – But this is technologically difficult. [5] It is like hitting a bullet with another bullet. [5] Out at the soldier's position, the sun is setting. [5] The men bring out food, soda, and tea. [5] The vegetables are from their gardens in the neighborhood, he says and points down toward the Dnipro River. [5] – Our wives and children are there. [5] We must protect them, says Oleg. [5] What pains him the most is when they do not succeed – when the drone is too far away, or when they cannot hit it. [5] – It feels bad when you cannot shoot it down, and you cannot do anything. [5]
International Volunteers and the Human Cost in Ukraine
Farewell held in Kyiv for Polish volunteer killed in Ukraine. — Source: ukrainskapravda A farewell ceremony for Polish volunteer Marek Rusek-Wolski, who was killed in Ukraine, was held in Kyiv on 7 August. [4] Source: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda. [4] Details: Sybiha said the Polish volunteer, who was helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression, was killed in Kharkiv in a Russian drone attack. [4] He expressed condolences to Rusek-Wolski's family and loved ones and stressed that he became a true friend of Ukraine. [4] Sybiha also stressed that Russian aggression "will never destroy Ukrainian-Polish friendship". [4] Quote: "It will never destroy Ukrainian-Polish allied cooperation. Because it is rooted in a shared alliance against challenges facing not only Ukraine, but Poland and Europe as a whole." [4] More details: Photos posted by Sybiha show that the farewell ceremony was attended by Vasyl Bodnar, who has served as Ukraine's ambassador to Poland since 2024, and Piotr Łukasiewicz, Poland's chargé d'affaires in Ukraine. [4] Background: On 4 August, Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the death of a Polish volunteer in Ukraine after his friends had earlier posted about it on social media. [4]
Broader Implications for Regional Stability
Why is there fighting in Yemen and what does it mean for the Iran war? [3] The fighting in Yemen connects to the Iran conflict. [3] There are growing concerns that the civil war could flare up again. [2] The lack of Patriot interceptor missiles is a decisive factor in Ukraine. [5] This is the first time in the war that such a shortage has been seen. [5] It is a development that has been warned about, and this might not have happened if the USA had not used up enormous amounts of these missiles during the Iran war. [5]
July the Deadliest Month for Ukrainian Civilians Since Spring 2022
July became the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since spring 2022, when the full-scale war broke out, reports the UN. [5] Civilian losses will likely remain higher than in periods when Ukraine had stronger anti-ballistic coverage, says Kevliuk. [5] As long as there is a shortage of Patriot interceptor missiles, Russia will continue to prioritize ballistic missiles against the capital. [5]
What to watch next: Russia will continue to hit the capital unless air defense is quickly strengthened, and more large-scale attacks should be expected. [5]
