TOP HEADLINES

· Kremlin-installed authorities were already claiming victory in referendum votes in the regions of Ukraine now under Russian control. Ukraine and its allies have denounced the referendums as a sham. "It's already clear that the vast majority of people supported the issue of secession from Ukraine and joining Russia," Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-appointed head of the Russian-held Kherson region, said on social media.

· U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed the West will never recognize the vote. "We and many other countries have already been crystal clear. We will not - indeed, we will never - recognize the annexation of Ukrainian territory by Russia," Blinken told reporters.

· Explosions were recorded before mysterious leaks in two Baltic Sea gas pipelines linking Russia and Europe, seismologists said, raising suspicions of sabotage. Photos taken by the Danish military showed large masses of bubbles on the surface of the water emanating from the three leaks in Sweden and Denmark's economic zones north of Poland, from 200 to 1,000 meters in diameter.

· The Kremlin said it had not ruled out sabotage as the cause of the damage. Nord Stream, the operator of the network, said that three offshore lines of the gas pipe system sustained "unprecedented" damage in one day. European countries raced to investigate the unexplained leaks. READ MORE BELOW

· Any use of nuclear weapons by Russia is unacceptable and would have severe consequences, NATO said after an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin issued another stark nuclear warning. "Any use of nuclear weapons is absolutely unacceptable, it will totally change the nature of the conflict, and Russia must know that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

· Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the military effort in the Donetsk region was the country's "number one goal" because it was also Russia's top priority. Ukraine also reported fierce fighting in Kherson in the south, where it is trying to cut off Russian occupying forces.

· An ally of President Vladimir Putin outlined the scenario of a nuclear strike on Ukraine, saying that the U.S.-led NATO military alliance would be too scared of a 'nuclear apocalypse' to directly enter the conflict in response. Dmitry Medvedev, a former president who now serves as deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said Russia had the right to defend itself with nuclear weapons if it is pushed beyond its limits and that this is "certainly not a bluff."

· The United Nations human rights office said Russia's attack on Ukraine had caused a dire human rights situation and led to a wide range of rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and torture, that could amount to war crimes. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a report that it was particularly concerned about torture and ill-treatment of detainees by Russian forces and affiliated armed groups, but said there had been rights violations by both sides. READ MORE BELOW

· French foreign minister Catherine Colonna is in Kyiv on an unannounced visit in a show of support for the country. "Good morning Ukraine, it's good to be back," she wrote on Twitter, posting a picture of herself walking in Kyiv with the French ambassador to Ukraine, Etienne de Poncins. During her visit, Colonna is expected to meet with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and with Ukraine's top prosecutor Andriy Kostin.

· The U.S. announced another $457.5 million for Ukrainian law enforcement, which is separate from the billions it has pledged for the military. The latest assistance will support the national police and border guards and also support efforts to probe alleged atrocities by Russian troops as they withdraw.

Gas pipeline leaks
European countries raced to investigate unexplained leaks in two Russian gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Denmark, the infrastructure at the heart of the energy crisis since the war began. Experts said the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out, a message that was echoed by Moscow.

Sweden's Maritime Authority issued a warning about two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 pipeline was discovered. That Nord Stream 2 leak had prompted Denmark to restrict shipping within five nautical miles.

Both pipelines have been flashpoints in an escalating energy war between European capitals and Moscow that has pummelled major Western economies, sent gas prices soaring and sparked a hunt for alternative energy supplies.

"There are some indications that it is deliberate damage," said a European security source, while adding it was still too early to draw conclusions. "You have to ask: Who would profit?"

Russia also said the leak in the Russian network was cause for concern and sabotage was one possible cause. "No option can be ruled out right now," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Both sides accused of human rights violations

The United Nations human rights office said Russia's offensive in Ukraine had caused a dire human rights situation and led to a wide range of violations, including extrajudicial killings and torture, that could amount to war crimes.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a report that it was particularly concerned about torture and ill-treatment of detainees by Russian forces and affiliated armed groups, but said there had been rights violations by both sides.

The OHCHR also said it was "highly concerned" about the "enormous risks" posed by hostilities near or in nuclear power plants, and called for immediate steps to demilitarize the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, occupied by Russian forces.

Kyiv and Moscow did not immediately comment on the report, carried out between February 1 and July 31, based on work of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Both sides have denied allegations of human rights abuses.

The OHCHR said it was continuing to document and verify allegations of unlawful killings of hundreds of civilians by Russian armed forces in the Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions. 

It said it had also documented at least six killings of civilians perceived as traitors of Ukraine for alleged collaboration with Russia in occupied areas.