Aug 4, 2026, 07:30 PM UTC

Spanish authorities and Moroccan officials are managing administrative fallout and contrasting data following a major migration wave into Ceuta and Melilla. Local leaders in Ceuta estimate that up to 80,000 individuals entered the enclave, reporting a potential death toll of 88 and prompting the Guardia Civil to establish a missing persons office.

Conversely, Morocco’s Interior Ministry acknowledged 40,000 migration attempts toward Ceuta and 1,135 toward Melilla, confirming 11 fatalities on its territory. In Madrid, Spain's central government dismissed a National Security Department communication official over an alert citing 49,000 entries.

Meanwhile, operational friction has emerged between Spain's Interior and Defense ministries over perimeter military deployments and summary returns at the border.

Sources: Canarias7, El Día, El Mundo, La Vanguardia

Turkish authorities have called on Russia and Ukraine to guarantee maritime safety in the Black Sea after drone attacks near the Russian port of Novorossiysk damaged two commercial vessels, the Yasar and Nadezhda. Turkish officials warned that escalating military actions along vital shipping lanes risk global food security and commercial trade.

Concurrently, Russian aerial bombardments struck multiple Ukrainian regions. In Sumy, guided bomb attacks killed three civilians, including two young children. Russian drone strikes on port infrastructure in Mykolaiv and Odesa damaged two civilian vessels. In Kherson, Ukrainian authorities accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting non-combatants after police footage showed a drone chasing a street vendor. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, stating the video "shocked" the nation. Ukrainian officials labeled the Kherson incident a war crime.

Sources: Adevărul, Digi24, HotNews, Moldova1, Ziarul de Gardă

A wave of Ukrainian drone attacks across multiple Russian regions has caused civilian casualties and damaged commercial infrastructure. In Krasnodar Krai, regional officials reported seven fatalities, including three children, and around 40 injuries after a drone crashed on a beach in Arkhipo-Osipovka. Strikes in Moscow Oblast targeted warehouse complexes, leaving five dead and ten injured. In Leningrad Oblast, air defense systems intercepted 17 drones, though falling debris ignited a fire at a Wildberries logistics center in Krasny Bor, injuring one worker.

Meanwhile, a Russian strike on Kyiv killed nine people and injured 33. On the battlefield, Russian forces made tactical advances near Artelne in the Kharkiv region, while Ukrainian troops continued pushing toward Uspenovka. Belarus also announced the formation of a new air assault brigade near the Ukrainian border.

Sources: France24, Mediazona, Point, Радіо Свобода, The Insider

The U.S. Board of Peace has assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israeli forces will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas fully completes its disarmament. The clarification follows formal security objections raised by Israel regarding a proposed framework that called for an immediate end to strikes and a phased troop exit.

U.S. President Donald Trump had previously stated that Israel fully supported the arrangement. While Hamas representatives indicated tentative agreement to hand over weapons, they insisted implementation depends on initial actions by Israel.

Concurrently, residents in Gaza expressed skepticism regarding the diplomatic initiative, describing it as "out of touch" amid ongoing military action. Recent Israeli air strikes reportedly killed 18 people in Gaza, raising further doubts about the feasibility of the proposed cease-fire framework.

Sources: Cyprus Mail, Daily Sabah, France24, ORF, Tagesschau.

A cargo vessel was hit by an "unknown projectile" in the Strait of Hormuz approximately 20 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The incident follows a similar attack on a tanker in the same area a day earlier, where crew and vessel were reported safe. Maritime authorities have advised ships passing through the region to exercise caution.

Amid rising regional tensions, Tehran is reportedly negotiating a temporary maritime framework with Oman. According to a senior Iranian source, Tehran aims to regulate ships entering the Persian Gulf and maintain oversight of outgoing traffic, including the authority to intervene if necessary.

Sources: Finansavisen, ORF, Respect, Seznam Zprávy, VG (Verdens Gang)