Russian Forces Infiltrate Last Town Before Sloviansk as Daily Losses Exceed Recruitment
Russian forces have begun infiltrating the last town before Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine while sustaining daily troop losses that exceed recruitment, as multiple conflicts worldwide continue to inflict heavy civilian and aid worker casualties.
Russian Advance on Sloviansk
The battle for the last town before Sloviansk has begun at Mykolaivka. [2] Before the invasion Mykolaivka had a population of 14,000, but by June this year only 709 remained. [2] The town combines neighbourhoods of family homes and housing estates with apartment blocks, and the high-rise buildings are in the eastern part where the Russian army must break through. [2] The town is shifting to defence and becoming part of the forward frontline, according to local news channel Mykolaivka–Sloviansk Online. [2] The currently contested locations remain more than 13 km from the centre of Sloviansk but less than five kilometres from its administrative boundary. [2] Several DRGs infiltrated Mykolaivka on Wednesday, with fighting active on the road from Rai-Oleksandrivka and around the landfill in the direction of the Sloviansk thermal power plant. [2] Russians had probably entrenched themselves in a large residential building at 11 Peace Street. [2] On Friday morning further infiltrations were reported, with one possibly hiding in the building at 8 Yuvileina Street where an FPV drone attacked at the entrance. [2] Previous infiltrations were further north. [2] A FAB aerial bomb damaged more than 20 private buildings, a medical facility and a shop in Sloviansk on Thursday. [2] Fire from a Tornado-S multiple rocket launcher injured three people and damaged nine buildings and two cars. [2] Molniya drones struck several targets across the town, injuring three people, while FPV drones struck several residential buildings and injured one civilian. [2] The Russian Rybar attributed the advance to the systematic destruction of bridges and equipment across the entire urban area, which left the Ukrainian army unable to move reserves and replace losses. [2]
Russia's Mounting Troop Losses
Russia lost an average of 1,400 troops a day last week, with this trend continuing and Russian military losses exceeding the number of newly recruited soldiers by several thousand a month. [3] Front-line fighting remained intense, averaging 231 combat engagements a day, with the heaviest fighting around Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka in Donetsk region, followed by areas near Sloviansk, Hulyaipole and southern Slobozhanske. [3] Ukrainian forces also mounted counterattacks in several areas. [3] Russian long-range strikes hit infrastructure, homes and other civilian targets in at least 10 Ukrainian regions, while airstrikes caused power outages in at least six. [3] Attacks on Ukrainian ports and nearby shipping also continued. [3] Most civilian casualties since May 2022 came from long-range Russian weapons, and July saw Ukraine's highest monthly civilian toll since May 2022 with 437 people killed and 2,610 injured. [3] Jet-powered drones now account for between one-fifth and two-thirds of Russian attacks, with their share continuing to grow. [3]
Russian forces advance into Mykolaivka, the last town before Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine. — Source: euobserver
Ukrainian Strikes Deep Into Russia
Ukraine stepped up strikes on Russian and Russian-held energy and military targets. [3] Ukrainian forces carried out two major attacks on Crimea's energy infrastructure last week, with drone units also targeting Bastion-M missile systems, airfields, radars and drone-control equipment on the peninsula. [3] Ukrainian troops have struck nearly 240 energy facilities in Crimea since July 1. [3] Recent Ukrainian strikes also hit a Russian rocket-fuel plant in Rostov Oblast, oil refineries in Leningrad Oblast and Bashkortostan, Wildberries warehouses in Moscow and Tver Oblasts, a chemical plant in Moscow Oblast as well as Savasleyka Air Base in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. [3] A recent strike on Roscosmos' Progress facility in Samara Oblast, which assembles Soyuz-2 rockets used to put satellites into orbit, could hobble Russian military capabilities by delaying launches for Rassvet, Russia's planned alternative to Starlink. [3] Attacks on Russia's fuel industry have also caused fuel shortages, with reduced availability reported in 10 regions and among Russian units fighting in Ukraine. [3] Strikes on seven of Wildberries' ten largest warehouses have cut the Russian online retail giant's turnover by as much as 25 percent. [3] Russian authorities canceled a military music festival along with other military-patriotic events, noting that organizers cited circumstances beyond their control likely as a reference to the threat of Ukrainian drone attacks. [3]
West Bank Settler Violence
A Palestinian teenager was killed by Israeli settlers Friday after a rock throwing incident in the occupied West Bank. [1] Turkey announced it is asking for an international warrant for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his role in stopping. [1]
Houthi Offensive at Yemen's Mocha Port
Mocha port on Yemen's south-western Red Sea coast was once one of the world's top coffee export ports in the 17th and 18th centuries, where Arabica beans from Yemen's mountainous regions were gathered and sold to European, Ottoman and Indian merchants. [4] Houthi rebels have intensified missile and drone attacks on the port, which has now become a frontline in renewed clashes with Saudi-backed forces after the 2022 truce collapsed. [4] Houthi forces have targeted Saudi-linked vessels and declared a blockade on Saudi Red Sea ports while launching ballistic missiles and drones. [4] In one recent attack Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed strikes on a Saudi landing ship and four escort frigates near the port. [4] About 10 civilians have been killed in Mocha in recent attacks, port operations have been paralyzed, fishermen have stopped work and public facilities in the city have closed. [4] Houthi demands include Saudi payment of salaries for officials in Houthi-controlled areas, access to oil imports in government-controlled regions, war compensation, permission to use airports in northern strongholds and free ship movement to rebel-controlled ports. [4] Saudi Arabia fears these concessions would allow further Iranian military support to the Houthis. [4] Experts expect Saudi Arabia to use forces linked to the Yemeni government to pressure the Houthis and return to negotiations on better terms. [4]
Aid Workers Under Attack in Sudan
Sudan and Gaza topped the list of the world's deadliest places for aid workers in 2025, with 71 humanitarian workers killed in Sudan. [5] Sudanese volunteer Idris Ibrahim Sidi was killed after the vehicle carrying him came under attack by armed looters near the Chadian border while he was on his way to carry out professional duties. [5] Drones were responsible for about 80 percent of civilian deaths in Sudan during the first four months of 2026, targeting markets and health facilities. [5] The United Nations called for civilians to be respected and protected under international humanitarian law, including humanitarian and medical workers, and for parties to armed conflicts to allow and facilitate humanitarian access. [5] Youth initiatives and local civil society organisations have formed resistance, emergency and service committees that organised communal kitchens known as takayas. [5] The UN World Food Programme honoured Sudanese humanitarian workers who have stayed in their homeland for their people throughout the past three years of conflict. [5] Dr Salah El Amin noted that World Humanitarian Day on 19 August commemorates the 2003 attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad that killed 22 aid workers. [5] He called for the signing of a humanitarian truce under clear agreement with international oversight, or at minimum temporary truces that respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians, along with safe humanitarian corridors. [5]
What to watch next: Ukrainian strikes on Crimean energy facilities and Russian fuel infrastructure may continue to affect availability in multiple regions, while Houthi attacks on Mocha port risk further escalation if Saudi-linked forces respond with new pressure on rebel positions.
