"Ukrainian President Zelensky is once again under immense internal pressure, amid new corruption investigations which run straight through the presidential office as well as growing calls to finally hold elections despite the ongoing war with Russia. Mykhailo Fedorov, the country's popular young former defense minister and a longtime political ally of Zelensky - who was dismissed just last month largely as a result of tensions between him and army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi - stunned Kiev's political establishment this week by issuing a video address urgently calling for a path to elections.
"We have to answer a fundamental question – how should a state function, if the war has lasted for years?" Fedorov said in the nine-minute-long YouTube video. "Can Russia actually be entitled to define when Ukrainians can elect their authorities next time? I’m sure it’s not. Democracy can’t be Russia’s hostage," he said." Zerohedge
"A drone attack was reported at an oil refinery in Russia's Perm Krai, according to Telegram media channels.
Videos shared by Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ purportedly show explosions and a fire in Perm, a city roughly 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from Ukraine.
Exilenova+ said local residents reported a series of explosions at the refinery. OSINT analysts from ASTRA, an independent Russian Telegram channel, geolocated footage showing smoke rising near the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez oil refinery." KI
"A strong magnitude 5.6 earthquake occurred in the Flores Sea near the coast of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, in the early morning at 2.12 am local time (GMT +8). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow. The quake was felt by many near the epicenter." VD
"A very strong magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit 111 km (69 mi) away from Andahuaylas, Region de Apurimac, Peru, around noon of Thursday, Aug 20, 2026 at 1.00 pm local time (America/Lima GMT -5). The quake had a moderate depth of 99 km (62 mi) and was felt over a large region." VD
"Ukrainian forces and Russian troops engaged in 238 combat clashes over the past day.
In the Northern Slobozhanshchyna and Kursk sectors, Ukrainian forces repelled three Russian assaults. Russian forces also carried out three airstrikes, dropping six bombs, and shelled Ukrainian positions and settlements 53 times, including twice with multiple rocket launchers.In the Southern Slobozhanshchyna sector, Ukrainian forces repelled eight Russian attacks. Russian troops attempted to advance toward Lyman, Izybytske and Okhrimivka, as well as near Starytsia.
In the Kupiansk sector, Russian forces launched 15 offensive actions toward Radkivka and Hlushkivka.
In the Lyman sector, Ukrainian forces repelled six Russian attempts to breach their defenses toward Lyman, Novosеrhiivka and Drobyshеve, as well as near Novoselivka.
In the Sloviansk sector, Russian forces carried out 15 assaults toward Ozerne, Orikhuvatka and Rai-Oleksandrivka, as well as near Kryva Luka and Riznykivka.
In the Kramatorsk sector, Russian troops launched two offensive actions near Nykyforivka and Minkivka.
In the Kostiantynivka sector, 26 Russian attacks were recorded. Russian forces conducted assaults near Kostiantynivka, Ivanopillia, Illinivka and Novoselivka, as well as toward Stepanivka, Dovha Balka and Vilne.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Russian forces launched 32 attacks. They attempted to advance near Dorozhnie, Novooleksandrivka, Udachne and Kotlyne, as well as toward Novyi Donbas, Biliakivka, Bilytske, Hannivka, Svitle, Shevchenko, Myrne, Vasylivka, Serhiivka and Novopavlivka.
In the Oleksandrivka sector, Russian forces launched three attacks toward Nove Zaporizhzhia and near Zaporizke and Rybne.
In the Huliaipole sector, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions 16 times, attempting to advance toward Verkhnia Tersa, Charivne, Vozdvyzhivka, Rivne and Dolynka, as well as near Bilohiria.
In the Orikhiv sector, Ukrainian forces stopped three Russian attempts to advance near Plavni and toward Mala Tokmachka and Novoandriivka.
In the Dnipro River sector, Russian forces conducted no offensive operations.
In the Volyn and Polissia sectors, no signs of Russian forces forming offensive groupings were detected." Ukrin
"Russian forces struck a market in Kherson's Korabelnyi district at around 06:40 injuring five people. Two women, 54 and 35, and three men aged 38, 49 and 64 have sustained blast injuries, concussion and shrapnel wounds to the torso." NI
"Switzerland will extend temporary protection status (Status S) for Ukrainians who fled the country following Russia's full-scale invasion until March 4, 2028, while tightening the rules for obtaining the status." NI
"A strong magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit 53 km (33 mi) away from Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, shortly after midnight, at 12.17 am local time (Asia/Makassar GMT +8). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow. The quake was felt by many near the epicenter. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would." VD
"A strong magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit 32 km (20 mi) away from Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, in the morning at 10.46 am local time (Asia/Makassar GMT +8). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow. The quake was felt by many near the epicenter. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would." VD
"A strong magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit 25 km (16 mi) away from Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, in the early morning at 6.45 am local time (Asia/Makassar GMT +8). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow. The quake was felt widely in the area. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would." VD
"Strike drones attacked the 500 kV Taman electrical substation and the Tamanneftegas oil terminal in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai.
The targeted 500 kV substation serves as one of the primary electrical hubs for the energy bridge supplying power to the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula.
A series of powerful explosions shook occupied Sevastopol, after which widespread electricity disruptions were recorded in Simferopol and Dzhankoi. The ATESH partisan movement also reported explosions near a local thermal power plant in Simferopol." NI
"A drone entered Romanian airspace overnight on August 20 and crashed shortly afterward inan uninhabited area of Tulcea County, according to a statement by the Romanian Ministry of National Defense.
Romanian military radars picked up a group of airborne targets near the Ukrainian border at 02:23 a.m. local time.
The National Military Command Center issued an air raid warning at 3:20 a.m.
The drone crossed Romanian airspace roughly 13 kilometers east of Galați." NI
"During the air raid alert in the capital, explosions were heard—the enemy launched ballistic missile strikes, and damage was reported in several districts." Ukrin
"Ukrainian drones targeted Russia's Tula and Nizhny Novgorod oblasts overnight on Aug. 19, monitoring channels reported.
Eyewitnesses reported explosions in Novomoskovsk, Tula Oblast, as drones were shot down near a residential building in the city of Dzerzhinsk in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, according to monitoring channel Exilenova Plus.
Tula Oblast Governor Dmitry Milyaev confirmed a Ukrainian drone attack took place, reporting that Russia's air defenses intercepted 27 drones." KI
"The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) is searching the premises of Iryna Mudra, a presidential deputy chief of staff, and Vadym Stolar, a member of parliament, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told the Kyiv Independent on Aug. 19.
The NABU said on Aug. 19 that it was "conducting a special operation to expose a criminal organization allegedly led by a current and a former Ukrainian lawmaker and involving senior officials from the President's Office." The bureau said that further details would be published later.
Stolar represented the pro-Russian Opposition Platform-For Life faction in parliament until it was banned amid the full-scale invasion in 2022. Now he represents the Restoration of Ukraine group, an offshoot of the Opposition Platform-For Life." KI
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