>>>513923746 (cont'd)
Russia & the Warfront
>>> Overnight, Russia launched a mixed strike package of Shahed-type drones, decoys, and one Iskander-M; Ukraine downed or suppressed 48 drones, though a missile and dozens of UAVs struck multiple sites across the north, east, and south.
>>> Explosions and fires raged at the Ust-Luga port complex in Leningrad region after long-range Ukrainian attacks, forcing emergency responses more than 1,500 km from the frontline.
>>> The Novoshakhtinsk refinery continued burning into a fourth day, with fires spreading to storage tanks; satellite heat signatures confirmed persistent hotspots.
>>> Moscow claimed mass UAV attacks near the Kursk nuclear plant and at a Russian port, using the narrative to escalate rhetoric about “nuclear risks” and “Western escalation.”
>>> Russia announced adjustments to its nuclear program and repeated maximalist conditions for ending the war, signaling no shift away from coercive diplomacy.
>>> Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov derided evidence of Russian war crimes as “naïve,” alleged the West is blocking talks, and said Moscow “recognizes” President Zelensky with caveats.
>>> Russia has slashed unit costs for Shahed-class drones and is ramping mass production, betting saturation can strain Ukraine’s layered air defenses.
>>> Ukrainian General Staff reported Russian losses on 24 August at 910 personnel, 3 armored fighting vehicles, 40 artillery systems, 1 air defense system, and 121 UAVs, reflecting heavy attrition from failed assaults and Ukrainian strikes.