Russian Navy forces illegally inspecting dry cargo ship SUKRU OKAN under the flag of Palau in the southwestern part of the Black Sea with Ka-29 helicopter today.

Chinese Defense Minister to visit Russia and Belarus on August 14-19.

Niger's military junta has agreed to start talks with ECOWAS leaders.

However, they intend to charge ousted President Mohamed Bazoum & his accomplices to be prosecuted on charges of treason and endangering state security.

Ukraine claims to have shot downed another Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter at 5:00 in the morning.

Ukrainian soldiers with a Russian POW.

Damaged and abandoned 3 x Russian T-90M "Proryv" tanks, MT-LB & BMP (?) near Andriivka, Donetsk.

Very rare footage of the separation and opening of the wings of 2 x FAB-500M62 guided bombs from Russian Su-34 bomber.

Bosnia and Herzegovina-based website etto claims Serbia ordered 20,000 Shahed-136 kamikaze UAVs from Iran, saying "there are no obstacles to improving relations."

Russian MoD ordered a batch of Tigr-M armored vehicles with additional armor for doors, hood and wheels.

The developers call this version of the armored vehicle "Mad Max".

WSJ, citing Austin Gray, a former US Navy intelligence officer who now works for a UAV manufacturing company:

U.S. defense-tech firms have spent months testing their drones in Ukraine, but some now leave their drones in storage because they couldn’t perform perfectly in Ukraine’s harsh battlefield conditions.

U.S. firms don’t have a mass-market consumer drone that costs only a few thousand dollars, which is what Ukraine needs to replace DJI’s Mavic-3, the ubiquitous Chinese tool on the front line.

The Pentagon or Commerce Department could encourage U.S. firms to enter the cheaper drone market, but they can’t buy drones that don’t exist at scale.

FT:

Russian ruble hits 16-month low amid rising military spending and falling exports.

Russia's Central Bank says it may raise interest rates because the Russian currency is weakening - the dollar is already at 101 rubles.

Russian currency has lost about 25% of its value this year and weakened more than 101 rubles against the dollar.

Russian Defence Minister Shoigu examines Iranian & Chinese defence industry products at Army-2023.

Massive explosion after Ukrainian bomber drone strike on abandoned Russian Army vehicle.

The U.S. announces new security aid to Ukraine worth $200 million.

The new package includes ammunition for air defense systems, artillery, anti-tank weapons, and demining equipment.

Reported footage of German-supplied Ukrainian Gepard SPAAG destroying Russian-launched Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze UAV over Odesa last night.