The Russian government has authorized the production, import and sale of Euro 2, Euro 3 and Euro 4 gasoline until July 1, 2027, temporarily reversing environmental standards that had phased out older fuel grades. The move comes amid a nationwide fuel shortage that has hit Russia’s North Caucasus particularly hard, with motorists facing gasoline shortages, long queues at filling stations, purchase limits and sharp price increases throughout the summer.

Khalid Karaf, a resident of Nalchik who had spent months trying to determine the fate of his missing son, was summoned—along with his wife and daughter—to the FSB headquarters, where they were informed that the son had died. *Kavkazsky Uzel* (Caucasian Knot) reported this, citing the man himself and a source within a Circassian organization.

Azerbaijani truck drivers transiting through Georgia have been unable to clear customs for several weeks. They report that their trucks are being held at the Sarpi and Red Bridge border crossings, as well as at the customs clearance center in Tbilisi, without any official explanation regarding the reasons.

Operation "Jihad" began at dawn on August 6, 1996. A force of just 887 fighters from the Armed Forces of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria entered Grozny, facing a Russian military contingent numbering in the thousands. Learn more about the course of the operation and its aftermath in our video report.

On August 8, U.S. President Donald Trump will host Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House. News of the upcoming meeting was first reported by *The Washington Post*, citing sources, and was subsequently confirmed by the Armenian government.

Four people injured in a drone strike on a beach in the Black Sea resort village of Arkhipo-Osipovka near Gelendzhik remain in critical condition three days after the attack. An 11-year-old girl with severe shrapnel injuries is being prepared for transfer to a Moscow hospital, while authorities have begun paying compensation to the injured and to the families of those killed.

Georgia’s Ministry of Education has opened applications for prospective students residing in the self-proclaimed regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In 2026, they will be able to enroll in the country's state universities without taking the Unified National Exams, and their tuition will be fully covered by the state.
Registration is already underway and runs until September 5.

A system failure at the Enguri Hydropower Plant on the evening of August 5 left all of Abkhazia without electricity and simultaneously triggered widespread power outages across Georgia. For Georgia's electricity grid, the incident marks the third major blackout in less than two weeks.

Washington and Yerevan have agreed to accelerate implementation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP)—also known as the Zangezur Corridor—a transport project that would connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory. Construction of the railway alone is expected to cost between $250 million and $400 million, while the route is ultimately intended to become part of the Trans-Caspian, or Middle Corridor, linking Asia and Europe.

Young residents of Ingushetia will be trained in search techniques for missing persons, first aid, and emergency response. This course will take place as part of the "Targim" youth forum, according to Akhmed Khalukhaev, director of the regional branch of the "Znanie" (Knowledge) Society.

A widespread power outage hit Tbilisi and several other Georgian cities on Tuesday evening, marking the third major disruption to the country's electricity grid since late July. The causes of the two previous blackouts remain under investigation by Georgia's State Security Service.