- Closed border between Latvia and Belarus: what is happening
- One of Trump’s most influential people: “We were the ones who came later”
- Russia launched another massive attack on Kyiv: houses collapsed, residents trapped under the rubble
All news about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can be found HERE.
Closed border between Latvia and Belarus: what is happening
09:05
Due to technical reasons, the border between Latvia and Belarus was closed, Interior Minister Janis Dombrava announced on the social network “X” on Friday evening.
Read more Vehicles worth 60 thousand euros stolen in Kaunas and Rumšiškės
He urged those wishing to return to Latvia to use alternative routes.
Border control impossible to carry out
Kristine Peterson, public relations specialist of the State Border Guard Service, confirmed to the news agency LETA that there are currently technical problems at the Paternieki border control point on the Belarus-Latvia border.
Due to these problems related to information system malfunctions, border control is currently impossible.
K. Peterson also noted that the causes of the problems and the time for their resolution are unknown, but the State Border Guard Service will provide updated information about border crossing possibilities.
On Thursday, J. Dombrava urged Latvian residents to abandon any plans to travel to or return from Belarus.
“Under the conditions of Belarus’s hybrid migration war, safe travel between countries may become complicated,” the minister noted.
He also mentioned that Estonia “is a friend of Latvia” and reported that after last week’s meeting with Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro, he received confirmation that Estonia is sending additional border guards to strengthen Latvia’s external border.
Enhanced monitoring regime until the end of the year
It was previously announced that the government extended the enhanced monitoring regime along Latvia’s border with Belarus until the end of the year. The enhanced border protection regime applies in Ludza and Ludza municipality parishes, Kraslava and Kraslava municipality parishes, Augšdaugava municipality, Daugavpils, and Kaunata in Rēzekne municipality.
In 2025, 12,046 people were prevented from illegally crossing the Belarus-Latvia border, and 31 people were allowed entry for humanitarian reasons. In 2024, border guards prevented 5,388 migrants from entering Latvia, while 26 people were allowed to cross the border for humanitarian reasons.
Latvian officials consider the attempts by Belarusian authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko’s regime to push migrants across the borders of Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland as hybrid warfare methods directed against these countries.
Russian aggression felt by the Lithuanian embassy in Kyiv: “Missiles hit just a few meters away”
10:10
The Lithuanian embassy was damaged during last night’s Russian attacks on Kyiv. This was reported by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys.
“Missiles hit just a few meters from the embassy building. Fortunately, the staff were unharmed. Today, the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon the Russian representative in Vilnius.
Russia’s terror campaign against Ukraine continues without limits. There are no signs indicating a genuine desire to stop it, seek peace, or enter negotiations. The Kremlin’s goal remains the same: destruction, death, and intimidation.
The response is clear: increase pressure on Russia by tightening sanctions and strengthen support for Ukraine,” the Lithuanian minister said on the social network “X”.
{embed|383650Read more HERE.
One of Trump’s most influential people: “We were the ones who came later”
09:45
Elbridge Colby, head of policy planning at the US Pentagon, is one of the most influential officials in Donald Trump’s administration. Linas Kojala, head of the Center for Geopolitics and Security Studies, analyzed his interview with The New York Times (NYT) and highlighted the most important statements.
“I had some interaction with him and followed (once) his academic work, so it’s interesting to see the subtle synthesis of his own ideas – and commitment to defending the administration’s policy. Not always simple,” recalls L. Kojala.
In his interview with NYT columnist Ross Douthat, E. Colby illustrates his principles with an episode from the anniversary of the Normandy landings by allies. According to him, when the Belgian defense attaché began to “moralize” about US isolationism, E. Colby reminded Europeans of their historical responsibility for their own security.
“If their economies grew enough to be taken seriously”
“I said: we want that Britain and that Canada that fought four years in the First World War and six years in the Second. We were the ones who came later,” recalls E. Colby.
“Europeans would be in a much better position to moralize us if they spent as much as we do, if they were ready to build real military capabilities, and if their economies grew enough to be taken seriously.”
However, this time the tone of the conversation with the NYT columnist was not only sharp, notes L. Kojala.
What does he say about Ukraine?
About Ukraine, E. Colby speaks more favorably than in some previous public statements.
“Ukrainians have been defending themselves persistently and with respect for four years,” he says, emphasizing adaptation to technological changes, especially drone warfare.
He also acknowledges that Ukraine’s situation “has improved in some aspects,” although the war remains exhausting in essence.
To Vladimir Putin, E. Colby would suggest: “Now is a good time to end this conflict. President Trump sincerely wants peace.”
At the same time, he emphasizes that the administration is not pro-Putin: “If you want to make peace with a great power, you have to understand how it thinks and acknowledge that it has a lot of power.”
Read more Dietitian warns: cancer is caused by two food products – and sugar is not among them
Asked about reports that he himself sought to stop arms supplies to Ukraine, E. Colby categorically denies it: “That was a false story.” He emphasizes that he does not have such powers and has personally approved several transfers to Ukraine.
Read more HERE.
Russia launched another massive attack on Kyiv: houses collapsed, residents trapped under the rubble
08:16
After the night ballistic missile attack by Russia on August 1 over Kyiv, thick smoke hung over the city, and a series of explosions shook the capital. Residential buildings were damaged, reports Kyiv Independent.
Preliminary data indicate at least nine people died, and 28 were injured, including four children.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that 17 injured were hospitalized.
The Ukrainian State Emergency Service reports that rescuers saved a total of 105 people.
Fires and destruction were recorded in at least five Kyiv districts – residential buildings and industrial facilities were affected.
The greatest damage was in the Darnytskyi district. Seven people died there, and 14 were injured, including two children.
This is the second large-scale Russian strike on Ukraine within the past 48 hours.
Explosions shook the city all night
The attack began around 1:33 a.m. local time. According to Kyiv Independent journalists, a series of very loud explosions were heard in Kyiv. At that time, the Ukrainian Air Force warned that several ballistic missiles were flying towards the capital.
Less than half an hour later, another wave of explosions occurred, with new strikes recorded around 2:16 and 3:20 a.m.
V. Klitschko urged residents to take shelter immediately, warning that the city was being attacked by Russian ballistic missiles.
People trapped in collapsing buildings
According to local authorities, missiles hit both residential and non-residential buildings – apartment blocks, warehouses, a car wash, and a parking lot.
In some apartment buildings, residents were trapped after the strikes.
According to V. Klitschko, missile debris hit a five-story building in the Solomianskyi district. A fire broke out in the yard, and evacuation of residents became very difficult.
“People are trapped,” the mayor wrote on the Telegram platform.
Later, the State Emergency Service reported that the building partially collapsed and caught fire.
A similar situation occurred in the Shevchenkivskyi district – a building partially collapsed there as well, with people underneath. Rescue services were dispatched to the scene.
In this district, a commercial building and several ambulances caught fire. The fire has been extinguished. Additionally, another fire broke out on the territory of a film studio, but it was also brought under control. One person was injured in the district.
According to V. Klitschko, fires broke out in the Holosiivskyi, Darnytskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, and Solomianskyi districts. Many residential buildings were damaged during the strikes.
The State Emergency Service states that in the Darnytskyi district, administrative and commercial buildings were damaged, cars caught fire, and residential buildings were affected. Firefighters managed to extinguish the fires.
Another massive attack within two days
Two more people were injured during the night attack in the Kyiv region.
On the night of July 30, Russia struck several Ukrainian cities, including Lviv, with missiles and drones. At least eight people died, and more than 50 were injured.
During that attack, an air raid alert was also declared in eastern Poland when a Russian missile fell into a field in the Lublin Voivodeship.
Just two days later, ballistic missiles targeted Kyiv again.
In spring and summer 2026, Russia repeatedly launched ballistic missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital. According to Ukrainian officials, Moscow’s tactic is to overload Ukraine’s exhausted air defense and cause as much damage as possible to residential areas and cultural sites.
Ballistic missiles are considered one of the most dangerous weapons because only a few air defense systems can shoot down Russian “Zircon” and “Iskander” missiles flying at high speed. Ukraine has repeatedly emphasized that the only effective protection is the US-made “Patriot” systems, but their missile stocks are almost depleted.
US President Donald Trump had stated that Ukraine could be licensed to produce “Patriot” missiles itself, but just hours before the latest Russian attack, these plans were abandoned.
“We did not approve that. We are discussing it, but transferring such technology is very complicated,” Trump said during a cabinet meeting.
Read more Scammers cheated a woman from Vilnius and a man from Mažeikiai out of 27.7 thousand euros
