Russia Prepares to Strike Ukrainian Energy Facilities, CIA Proposes Three-Way Talks

On August 31, according to Jinshi Data, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that its troops are prepared to launch large-scale strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with the Kremlin confirming systematic strikes on Ukrainian military targets. NATO assesses that Russia has escalated hybrid operations but poses no imminent threat. On the diplomatic front, reports indicate that during a secret visit to Russia, the CIA director proposed trilateral talks among Trump, Putin, and Zelensky, and suggested that the head of Russia's Federal Security Service could help restart diplomacy. Peskov responded that conditions for peace talks are currently lacking, and a three-way meeting could only serve to finalize agreements.

On the economic data front, Russia has faced over 33,000 sanctions since 2014. Consulting firm statistics show that Ukraine's major grain weekly exports in late August rose 28% to 240,900 tons. Putin, meanwhile, claimed Russia maintains a leading position in the global coal market.

[TechFlow]