WORLD WORLDWIDE EUROPE UKRAINE KYIV - THE KYIV POST DAILY - It’s Thursday, Aug. 27.

It’s Thursday, Aug. 27 There are conflicting signals on whether peace talks are back on the table – or maybe escalations are underway. Amid rampant speculation over why Ratcliffe was in Moscow – some say it was to deliver a warning against a Baltic invasion – Trump said the US is supposedly working very hard to end the war, and Budanov said peace talks might resume by September. Other accounts are less optimistic – the Kremlin is reportedly eyeing a September deadline to capture Donetsk, as its top general Gerasimov visited the front, with Ukraine deploying two “mustang” generals to hold the line. Other reports suggest that the Kremlin is also eyeing mobilizing 600,000 troops into 2027, while Belarus continued building up rail links for military facilities, which is concerning for Kyiv, which has also been grappling with a rare, hours-long daytime assault with explosions reported in the city center. Russia is also said to be considering the nuke option again – though granted, it came from “Kremlin-linked sources,” so take that with a grain of salt. By Leo Chiu Your Ideas, Your Voice Join us on Telegram! Follow our coverage of the war 24/7 at @Kyivpost_official. View Ukraine War Updates Ukraine’s Top Two ‘Mustang’ Generals Named to Hold Critical Donbas Sector Russia’s objective is to conquer Ukraine’s Donetsk region by the end of September. Two of the AFU’s best “new generation” officers will try to stop that. Other war-related updates: Russia Preparing New Mobilization Wave of 600,000, Ukrainian Intelligence Says Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Could Resume in September, Budanov Says Russian Military Lieutenant Colonel Reportedly Killed in Car Blast in St. Petersburg Russian Army Chief Visits Troops on Ukraine Front Ukrainian Drones Hit Ozon Logistics Hubs in Russia as Marketplace Warehouses Come Under Sustained Attack Kyiv Endures Hours-Long Russian Drone Assault as Drones Fall in City Center Russian Barrage Hits Kyiv, Sets Warehouses Ablaze in Latest Overnight Attack Russian Drone Strikes on Kherson Injure 4, Including Child Russia’s Mobilization Looming as Putin Sticks to Ambitions Russia May Escalate Strikes on Ukraine, Kremlin Sources Say For the Record “Something may come out of it.” – US President Donald Trump commenting on CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s recent surprise visit to Moscow Politics & Economy Hungary Formally Classifies Russia a ‘Threat’ in UN Document Budapest’s new government formally backs Ukraine’s sovereignty, ending years of Moscow-aligned foreign policy under former PM Viktor Orbán. Other developments: Polish President Wishes Ukraine Victory in War With Russia, Zelensky Publishes Letter 53 Ukrainians Missing After Nepal-Tibet Disaster, Second Flood Feared US Senator Says ‘Sledgehammer’ Russia Sanctions Could Pass House Next Month France Warns of New Hybrid Threat After Leipzig Drone Attack EXPLAINER: The Birth of an Independent Ukrainian Press: From Samvydav to Modern Journalism OPINION: How Russia Finds the Cracks in American Society – and Widens Them EU States Push to Revive Russian-Asset ‘Reparations Loan’ for Ukraine Berlin Reportedly Weighs Funding UK Nuclear Arsenal Amid Growing Russian Threat In Focus Inside Kherson’s Red Zone: A Kyiv Post Special Report  Inside Kherson’s Red Zone, Kyiv Post takes you to one of Ukraine’s most dangerous civilian environments, where drones stalk streets, artillery crosses the Dnipro, and residents refuse to abandon their homes  By Korbinian Leo Kramer Thanks for reading. See you soon. Looking to share KP’s news briefing with friends? They can subscribe here. Visit Our Site Our mailing address is: support@kyivpost.com