Ukraine live blog: ++ Russian airstrikes reported from Kiev++

Russian airstrikes reported in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev – all drones destroyed, according to the military. Criticism of the way the Traffic Light Alliance is aiding Ukraine. All developments in the live blog.

All drones were destroyed during Russia’s nighttime airstrikes in Ukraine, according to the Air Force. The Air Force announced on the messaging service Telegram that there were 11 drones. Among other things, their target was Kiev. Drones were also destroyed in other regions, such as Kharkiv, Sumy and Donetsk.

Russia is reportedly making a formal request to Germany regarding an investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline explosion in 2022. “We are faced with the issue of fulfilling the obligations assumed by Germany and other affected countries under the Anti-Terrorism Convention. The Russian news agency Ria quoted Oleg Tyapkin, director of the European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, as saying.

He said the issue was raised to ensure that Germany and other affected countries met their obligations under the UN convention. “We have formally raised the corresponding requests on this matter bilaterally, including with Berlin.”

Air defense forces were deployed on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital to repel Russian air strikes, according to military authorities in Kiev. The authorities announced the news overnight via the Telegram messaging service. Reuters witnesses reported that explosions indicated that air defense systems were being used. Further details about the scope of the attack and possible damage were not immediately clear.

President Zelensky says Ukraine wants to create a “buffer zone” during offensive on Russian territory. In his evening speech, Zelensky said the purpose of the offensive in Russia’s Kursk border region was to “create a buffer zone on the territory of the aggressor,” confirming previous statements by senior Ukrainian officials.

Zelensky also praised the Ukrainian military. “Our people are doing well in all areas,” he said of the offensive in the Kursk region. However, the Ukrainian president again called on Western countries to deliver key equipment faster. The Ukrainian army unexpectedly began its offensive in the Kursk region on August 6. It is the largest cross-border offensive in Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression and the first time foreign troops have launched an offensive on Russian territory since the end of World War II.

The TLAC’s move to further finance Ukraine has also been criticized internally. “It would be a fatal signal from the federal government to Ukraine if no further funding for new military aid is planned in the future,” Social Democrat Michael Roth, chairman of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, told Fink Media Group’s newspaper Federal Budget. “There were some signs as to whether this would actually happen, but it remained unclear over the weekend.”

Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) wrote in a letter to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) and Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock (Green Party) that “new measures” should only be taken if “financing is guaranteed” in the budget plans for the next few years. The letter was reported unanimously by several media outlets.

By their own account, Russian troops are continuing their advance in the Donetsk region. Ukraine says it has hit another important bridge in its offensive in Russia’s Kursk region. Sunday’s live blog is available for reading.