Ukraine reported drone activity near Dnipro and Kyiv early on August 30th, with a large group of approximately 17 unmanned aerial vehicles heading towards settlements from the Poltava region, according to war monitor reports. One drone was reported above Pavlograd, and another near Syrets Lukyanivka in Kyiv. In parallel, the U.S. State Department approved a potential sale of satellite communications services for Starlink terminals to Ukraine, valued at approximately $150 million. This follows a separate approved sale for sustainment of Ukraine's Patriot Air Defense Systems, estimated at $179.1 million, which includes spare parts, maintenance, software updates, and training. A resident of Russia's Kaluga region appealed to the Ukrainian army via video to strike the Typhoon military plant, stating that salaries had not been paid for two months. The plant specializes in radio electronic equipment, including communication systems and radar, and manufactures components for aircraft and air defense systems. France and Germany announced they will provide additional air defense systems to Ukraine and deepen security cooperation, according to a joint statement following a Franco-German ministerial summit. Separately, a Russian RQ-4B Global Hawk was reported to have transmitted a distress signal while flying along the borders of Crimea and Sevastopol. Recent analysis suggests Russia may have stockpiled drones and missiles in the lead-up to the Alaska summit, launching fewer and smaller strikes to appear as a good-faith negotiator. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted that strikes between August 27th and 28th, which killed at least 21 civilians, were the largest since the August 15th summit and indicated a potential escalation to target Ukraine's infrastructure before winter. Peugeot Landtrek pickups equipped with M1910 machine guns have been observed in Ukrainian service, with around a dozen vehicles recently handed over to the 111th Territorial Defense Brigade for potential weapon platforms. Meanwhile, the gaming platform Roblox removed "Nuclear Power Plant" and "Chernobyl: Night Of The Disaster" after the Russian government considered banning the platform.
