Ukraine "Counteroffensive" In Kherson , Russia Alleges US Aid to "Collaborators", EU Mulls Training

Ukraine says its forces have penetrated the first line of Russian defences on the Kherson front. Ukrainian officials also say that HIMARS missiles have destroyed almost all large bridges in the Kherson region. Khlan told the Pryamyi TV channel that Ukrainian troops now had "the advantage" on the southern front. Ukrainian military spokeswoman Natalia Gumeniuk said Kyiv's forces were attacking the front from "many directions," as per local media.

Amid Putin’s energy war in Europe, Norway, Europe’s second largest energy supplier after Russia, is facing flak from its neighbours.

Russia claims Moscow’s air defence forces have eliminated the entire staff of Ukraine’s Air Force.

Russia claims to have struck a factory that repaired Ukrainian military helicopters in the Zaporizhzhia region. Moscow also claimed that “more than 100 nationalists” were killed in a high-precision strike on at Ukrainian military training center in Slavyansk. Mykolaiv Oblast Governor, Vitaliy Kim, alleged that Russian shelling destroyed several houses and other buildings in the last 24 hours. Ukrainian forces claim to have hit a large Russian military base in occupied Melitopol overnight.

Russia has claimed its Iskander-M missile can strike a target the size of a “window leaf” from tens of kilometres away. State-owned Rostec Corporation cited the Iskander missile strikes on “military targets in Ukraine” to back up the audacious claim. Russia on August 25 said an Iskander-M had struck a military train in Dnipropetrovsk, but Ukraine says the missile attack killed civilians.

Russian-made air defence systems reportedly shot down Israeli missiles and bombs on August 25. According to Yegorov, the Pantsir-S1 and S-75 systems intercepted two missiles and seven guided aerial bombs. The latest Israeli-Russia flare-up in Syria comes amid reports of Israeli F-35 jets repeatedly penetrating Iranian airspace in the last two months. As per Saudi-run news outlet Elaph, the Israeli jets successfully evaded Russian and Iranian radars during massive drills with the United States.

The death of pro-Kremlin TV commentator Daria Dugina in a suspected car bomb near Moscow prompted speculation that the intended target of the attack may have been her father. Alexander Dugin is a prominent ultranationalist philosopher and writer who advocates a vast new Russian empire and is a vehement supporter of the country's war in Ukraine. Some believe that the 60-year-old has been a major influence on Vladimir Putin, although he has no official ties to the Kremlin. In this week's Crux Decode, Zakka Jacob discusses how Dugin's vision has influenced the politics of Vladimir Putin.

What’s hurting Swedish defence sector? Should Swedish govt be more involved in defence deals?

Norway and the UK will jointly supply micro drones to Ukraine to fight against the Russian onslaught.

Russian President Putin was reportedly seen rushing to the Kremlin, late night on August 26, in a highly unusual move. The “midnight dash” to the Kremlin has triggered fears that Putin is plotting a major new move in the war in Ukraine.