International
Ukraine and Russia exchange more prisoners while attacking and counterattacking in Kursk
Ukrainian troops continue to press and even advance in some areas of the Russian region of Kursk, despite the recent counteroffensive initiated by Russia, which carried out this Saturday with Ukraine the third exchange of prisoners of war since the Kiev incursion into Russian territory.
According to the Ukrainian analytical project DeepState, in the Kursk region the Kiev forces occupied Vetreno, Durovka and part of Zhuravli, while the Russians recovered Snagost with the surrounding peoples and advanced towards Liubimivka.
The Russian Army launched a counteroffensive this week in Kursk, where Ukrainian troops entered on August 6 to try to ward off Russian attacks against the northeastern regions of Kharkiv and Sumi and slow down Russian pressure on the eastern front of Donetsk, and came to occupy 1,300 square kilometers of territory.
Russia claims to have regained control of ten localities and, although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted this week that a Russian counteroffensive is underway, both the Pentagon and the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) consider the operation “marginal” today.
Zelenski also assures that Russia has not obtained “important achievements” in the counterattack, for which Russia plans – as he said – to increase the number of soldiers deployed in Kursk to between 60,000 and 70,000.
Russia deploys more soldiers in Kursk
At the beginning of the Ukrainian incursion, the Russians kept about 11,000 soldiers in this area, while now, according to various estimates, there are 30,000 to 45,000, said Vadim Misnik, spokesman for the tactical-operational group “Síversk” on Ukrainian television.
“The enemy is trying to increase forces to stop our offensive,” he said.
Moscow said in the meantime this Saturday that the Russian Army rejected in the last 24 hours up to five attempts by Ukrainian troops to cross the border, especially near the small town of Veseloye.
However, the Ukrainian drone unit Jorne, assured the day before that Kiev’s troops had penetrated the Russian border in a new place and advanced “kilometers within Russia.” As alleged evidence, he published a video on Telegram that would show Ukrainian forces allegedly advancing towards Veseloye.
However, Russia and Ukraine carried out this Saturday the third exchange of prisoners of war since the incursion of Ukrainian troops in Kursk.
More than 300 soldiers exchanged since the incursion
The day before, the Ukrainian president reported an exchange that resulted in 49 prisoners released from Russian captivity – among which 23 women were for the first time in a long time – and today each side recovered 103 soldiers with the humanitarian mediation of the United Arab Emirates.
Among the Russian fighters released this weekend are Russian soldiers that Ukraine captured in Kursk, as well as at the end of August, when the two parties exchanged 230 prisoners of forerra.
Zelenski celebrated on his Telegram channel the return of 82 plains and non-commissioned officers and 21 officers, including 31 defenders of the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, in the eastern region of Donetsk.
On this front, Zelensky’s plan to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to deploy more troops in Kursk by removing soldiers assigned to the Donetsk sector is only partially successful, since Russia continues to advance on this front, although only marginally.
According to DeepState, in the last few hours it has done so in Pishchane, Niu-York, Ukrainsk, Sinkivka and three other towns in Donetsk.
The ISW in turn points out that geolocated images of Thursday and Friday also show the Kremlin troops advancing gradually in the east of Toretsk and southeast of Pokrovsk, as well as southeast of Khasiv Yar, and that it continues its offensive west of the city of Donetsk.
They have also further consolidated control over Klishchiivka, according to the same source.
The General Staff of Ukraine indicated in its afternoon war part that another hot spot is the Kurajove sector, where the Russians attacked Ukrainian units on 27 occasions today.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
Trump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International4 days agoTrump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
-
International4 days agoBolsonaro misses appeal deadline, faces imminent prison order by Brazil’s Supreme Court
-
International4 days agoMan pleads not guilty in Liverpool parade incident that injured more than 130
-
Central America3 days agoPanama reinforces security with new helicopters and Super Tucano Aircraft purchases
-
International4 days agoMacron to announce new voluntary military service amid rising security concerns in Europe
-
Central America3 days ago
Trump urges hondurans to back conservative candidate Nasry Asfura in november elections
-
International3 days agoArchbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
-
Central America24 hours agoTrump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
-
Central America3 days agoWashington calls for oversight as Honduras faces allegations of electoral interference
-
International23 hours agoMeta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication