Two items lead today.
Ukraine. Briefing the UN Security Council on 24 August, UN officials reported 1,396 Ukrainian civilians killed and 7,978 injured in the first half of 2026, with July the deadliest month for civilians since April 2022. Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and other cities are continuing well behind the front line, and 10.8 million people now need humanitarian assistance. For any movement in or near Ukraine, strikes are a nationwide risk with limited warning, and shelter access and alert discipline should sit at the centre of planning.
UK threat level. The national terrorism threat level stands at SEVERE, meaning an attack is highly likely, while Northern Ireland-related terrorism is assessed at SUBSTANTIAL, meaning an attack is likely. For protective teams that is the standing baseline: plan for low-complexity attacks on crowded and symbolic locations, and keep crowded-place and arrivals-departures drills sharp.
Both stories are covered in full in today's edition.
