2024: Monday, August 19

THE WAR NEWSLETTER — AUGUST 19 2024

It’s Monday again. Welcome back to The War Newsletter. You didn’t miss much over the weekend - but we’ll get you up to speed.

Welcome to your daily international conflict update.

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1. 🇮🇱 Blinken goes to Israel

2. 🇺🇦 Ukraine pushes further onto Russian soil

3. 🇸🇾 Turkish PM Erdogan invites Assad to meet

1 - ISRAEL

Yesterday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv to meet with top Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. 

On Tuesday, Blinken will travel to Cairo to resume negotiations about a ceasefire between Israel and terrorist group Hamas, which still holds Israeli hostages taken 319 days ago in the October 7th attack. Hamas continues to reject the idea of reaching a ceasefire agreement soon.

Read more on ISW, AP, or Times Of Israel

2- UKRAINE

The Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast - the largest invasion of Russian territory since WWII - has forced the evacuation of more than 120,000 civilians, and continues to force Russian forces to be redeployed from elsewhere.

Ukrainian forces claim they have destroyed a second bridge within the region as they push toward the village of Korenevo. The motive so far for the invasion seems to be largely a morale booster for Ukraine, and the US still considers it a defensive move that justifies the use of US weapons.

In response, Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian cities, though Ukrainian defense forces were able to shoot down all 14 drones that were launched for an overnight attack on night of the 17th.

Read more on RFE/RL here or here, or ISW

3 - SYRIA

The Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Erdogan, recently invited Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to a meeting. Turkey’s growing interest in diplomatic relations with the Syrian government comes as rebel forces in northern Syria - the Kurdistan Workers’ party and the Syrian Democratic Forces - continue to clash with Turkish forces in the region.

Read more on Global Conflict Tracker or Middle East Eye

THE REST OF THE WORLD…

• Thailand gets a new prime minister after previous PM removed by court order [AP]

• Protesters continue to oppose dictator Maduro’s victory in the Venezuela elections [Reuters]

• US military executes joint drills with South Korea [AP]

P.S. If you have a source, tip, or piece of information we missed, please reply to this email and tell us about it. Thank you!