RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine taking heavy losses in Kursk – FT Ukrainian troops that invaded Russia’s Kursk Region have taken heavy losses in men and Western-provided vehicles, the Financial Times (FT) has reported. The attack that began last Tuesday involved units drawn from six Ukrainian frontline brigades, soldiers told the outlet. They also claimed to have caught the Russians by surprise, but quickly came under fire from drones and FAB glide bombs. Russian estimates of over 1,600 Ukrainians killed were “impossible to verify” and “exaggerated,” according to the FT, which nevertheless reported “many ambulances and armored medical evacuation vehicles rushed to…

Hamas casts doubt on participation in new Gaza ceasefire talks Palestinian militant group Hamas on Sunday asked mediators to present a plan based upon previous talks instead of engaging in new negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire deal, casting doubt on its participation in a Thursday meeting called by the mediators. Last week, leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar urged Israel and Hamas to meet for negotiations on Aug. 15 in either Cairo or Doha to finalize a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal. Israel said it would send negotiators to take part in the meeting. Hamas initially said it…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Kursk attack will pressure Russia and 'restore justice,' Zelenskiy says President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine had launched an incursion into Russian territory to "restore justice" and pressure Moscow's forces, in his first acknowledgement of Kyiv's surprise offensive into the western Kursk region. Moscow's forces on Sunday were in their sixth day of intense battle against Kyiv's largest incursion into Russian territory since the start of the war, which left southwestern parts of Russia vulnerable before reinforcementstarted arriving. Russian authorities rushed to evacuate residents and imposed a sweeping security regime in three border regions on Saturday, after the attack…

Families flee new Israeli assault in Gaza's Khan Younis Israeli tanks returned to the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Friday, forcing families to evacuate along congested roadways, as Palestinian fighters continued to attack Israeli troops from the ruins, residents and the military said. Israeli planes carried out strikes across the enclave on Friday, killing at least 35 Palestinians, the Gaza health ministry said. Thousands of people fled eastern Khan Younis in vehicles and on foot, belongings heaped on donkey carts and motorcycle rickshaws as they made their slow escape along congested roads. With Israel and Lebanon braced for…