00:56 Report: Bridgehead at Dnipro costs Kiev many casualties
At a now abandoned bridgehead on the Dnipro in the southeastern part of the country, Ukraine has reportedly suffered heavy losses according to media reports. Over the course of the month-long battle for the small town of Krynki, more than 1000 soldiers on the Ukrainian side are said to have lost their lives. 788 soldiers deployed there are listed as missing, reports Slidstwo.Info citing police circles. 262 soldiers were found dead during the same period. The fighting for the town of Krynki was criticized from the start due to its futility. The troops stationed there could scarcely be supplied from across the river. Dead and wounded could rarely be transported away.
23:52 Air Alert: Drones attack Kiev
An air alert has been triggered in Kiev. Loud explosions can be heard over the city. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram that the air defense systems have been activated. Debris have reportedly fallen in the central district of Darnytsky, but initial reports indicate no damages. Shortly beforehand, the Ukrainian Air Force had warned that drones from the east were heading towards Kiev. Furthermore, drones were reportedly detected in the regions of Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk. At least 43 people were killed in Russian air raids on Kiev on July 8.
23:10 Estonia and Lithuania ban cars with Belarusian license plates
Estonia and Lithuania announce that they will no longer allow cars with Belarusian registration plates into their country at their borders with Russia and Belarus. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna states that the ban has been imposed because Belarus "directly contributes to Russian aggression in Ukraine and supports it." Lithuania had recently announced similar measures. The three countries, as well as Poland, Finland, and Norway, had already banned the entry of cars with Russian registration into their sovereign territory in 2023.
22:23 Zelenskyy on prisoner exchange: "We must bring them all back"
In his evening video address, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy welcomes back the 95 soldiers who have returned from Russia (see entry at 14:36). Zelenskyy writes on X: "We are bringing our people home. Another 95 defenders have been released from Russian captivity. These include fighters from the Ukrainian armed forces, the National Guard, and the Border Guard." After thanking the United Arab Emirates for their role in securing this release, he continues: "We must bring them all back."
21:56 Moscow sentences Ukrainian collaborators to lengthy prison terms
A Moscow district military court has sentenced two Russians to lengthy prison terms for attempting to join the "Freedom Legion of Russia" recruiting agents. Radio Free Europe (RFE) reports this. The Freedom Legion is a paramilitary unit where Russian deserters and other Russian and Belarusian volunteers fight on the Ukrainian side against Russia. The 24-year-old Andrei Morozov was sentenced to twelve years in prison. The 56-year-old Muscovite Anatoli Poplavski was sentenced to five and a half years in prison. According to RFE, Poplavski has two young children living in Ukraine and a wife he is currently divorcing. The statement notes that the man had lived in two countries.
21:00 Lawrow holds US accountable for violence in Ukraine and Palestinian territories
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during a UN Security Council session, has blamed the US for the many deaths in Ukraine and the Palestinian territories. "By giving diplomatic protection to Israel and supplying weapons and ammunition, Washington has become - it's clear to all - a direct party to the conflict, just as in Ukraine," Lavrov told Russian agencies in New York. He further stated that once the US ceases its support, the bloodshed would end in both cases. The unprecedented wave of violence in the Middle East is a result of US policy in the region, claims the Russian top diplomat, whose government itself initiated the attack on Ukraine.
20:08 Over 4.6 million Ukrainians register for military service
From May 18 to July 16, 2024, 4,690,496 men in the military age in Ukraine registered for military service. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry shared this information in a Facebook post. To expedite the mobilization, Ukraine tightened the enlistment rules in April. Men in the military age were required to update their military documents at public centers, enlistment offices, or the "Reserv+“ app. Failure to comply was penalized. Among the over four million conscripts, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that three million would be made reservists.
19:22 Putin warns against cryptocurrency mining draining power in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has cautioned against the mining of cryptocurrencies draining power in his country. Currently, "almost 1.5 percent of the total power consumption" is being used for crypto mining, Putin said during a televised meeting with government officials. This number "is growing," the president warned. Russia is one of the major countries for the mining of new cryptocurrencies. Miners validate transactions and receive new cryptocurrency in return, often operating in large halls housing thousands of computers. The Kremlin is skeptical of the unregulated industry. Putin warned that the uncontrolled growth of power consumption for crypto mining "could lead to power outages in certain regions." According to him, three Siberian regions have already experienced power shortages due to intensive crypto mining. Siberia has been a hub for crypto mining due to its cheap electricity and cold weather for a long time.
18:53 EU releases 4.2 billion Euros to Ukraine
Ukraine is set to receive the first regular payment from the EU's new billion-dollar aid program shortly. The country has met the conditions for this payout, the EU commission responsible for the evaluation announced. Nearly 4.2 billion Euros could be disbursed. The conditions for the first payment reportedly included the Ukrainian government passing new laws to facilitate a more effective fight against tax evasion and economic crime. Additionally, principles for the management of state-owned enterprises had to be adjusted, and a national energy and climate plan had to be adopted.
18:17 Russia dismantles Holodomor memorials in LuhanskIn the Russian-occupied eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk, memorials for the victims of Stalin's repressions and victims of the Holodomor have been dismantled. This is reported by Radio Free Europe (RFE). RFE refers to videos that will be spread on Telegram. The Holodomor, also known as the Ukrainian Famine, was a famine caused by Stalin in Ukraine from 1932 to 1933, which millions of people fell victim to.
17:49 Power outages in the hot southern RussiaDue to extreme heat and the failure of an atomic reactor, power consumption must be reduced in many regions of southern Russia. Planned power outages affect consumers in the Rostov region, as Governor Vasili Golubev writes on his Telegram channel. In Sevastopol on the annexed Crimean Peninsula, the local power supplier announces power cuts of twelve hours a day - every two hours with electricity, then every two hours without.
17:05 Russia ships first grain from new Baltic Sea terminal to CubaRussia has reportedly shipped the first grain from a new terminal in its Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga. The Agriculture Supervisory Authority informed Reuters news agency about this. Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter and about 90% of its exports go through ports in the Black Sea. Recently, Russia has been trying to use various export routes. From the Lugaport, the first 12,000 tons of grain were shipped in June. According to data from the information provider LSEG, the destination was Cuba. The port of Ust-Luga was in the headlines in January when an oil terminal caught fire. Ukrainian media reported that the cause was a drone attack by the Ukrainian intelligence services.
16:29 Ukraine arrests "Russian informant" in KharkivThe Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has reportedly arrested a "Russian informant" in the Kharkiv region. The SBU announced this in a statement. The woman is said to have shared information in a Telegram channel of the Russian intelligence services. The SBU reports that the woman was in the eastern outskirts of Kharkiv and recorded the locations of Ukrainian troops' checkpoints and other military "fortifications" covertly.
15:44 NATO sends top British officials to KievNATO is strengthening its civilian representation in Ukraine and sending a high-ranking alliance representative to Kiev. The former deputy secretary-general, Patrick Turner, will lead the NATO representation in the Ukrainian capital from September and serve as the central contact person for local authorities. The Briton will also help coordinate military assistance for Ukraine and provide Allies with information and assessments of the situation in the country. This follows the decisions of the NATO summit last week in Washington.
15:03 Russia: Ukrainian drone kills two civilians in BelgorodTwo civilians were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Russian border region of Belgorod, according to local authorities. The victims were reportedly a young couple traveling in a civilian vehicle outside the city of Belgorod, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced.
14:36 Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war
According to Russian reports, Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of war. Each side is said to have handed over 95 soldiers. The Russian Defense Ministry and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have both confirmed this on the platform X. The United Arab Emirates are said to have mediated the exchange. The returning Russian soldiers will first undergo medical checks in Moscow.
13:55 Sharma: Ukraine must give up symbolic village
Ukraine is taking a series of setbacks at the front, as reported by NTV reporter Kavita Sharma in Kiev. After the Russian missile attack on a children's clinic in the Ukrainian capital, the military reports withdrawals in the regions of Dnipro and Donetsk.
13:24 Kremlin denies doubts about offensive success
The Kremlin has dismissed speculation about the failure of the Russian offensive in the northeast of Ukraine. "The operation is continuing and will continue until it is successfully completed," said Kreml spokesman Dmitri Peskov today. Yesterday, the governor of Belgorod announced access restrictions to 14 villages on the Russian side near the border. This is to protect the population from Ukrainian attacks. In response to a question about whether the access restrictions meant that the offensive in the northeast had failed, Peskov said: "No, that's not the case."
12:48 Study: Social benefits have little influence on employment of Ukrainian refugees
Social benefits such as welfare payments have little influence on the employment rate of Ukrainian refugees. According to a European-wide study by the Institute for Labor Market and Vocational Research (IAB), factors such as social networks in the respective countries, the level of English language skills of the population, and childcare are more significant.
11:53 Protection against rockets: Charkiw pupils to learn under ground
Children in the city of Charkiw, which has been under almost daily Russian shelling since the start of the war in the northeast of Ukraine, will be taught more frequently in underground schools, according to official reports. An underground school project has already been implemented, and the construction of three further such facilities has begun. The children will be better protected from Russian air raids in this way.
11:22 Media: Ukraine to receive 32 outdated F-16s from Greece
Greece plans to retire 32 outdated F-16 fighter jets and hand them over to the USA. According to a report by the portal "New Voice of Ukraine", these jets will then be modernized and supplied to Ukraine. Kiev already has 60 F-16 jets from Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, but needs at least 150 combat jets, according to its own statements, to launch rockets and missiles against Russia and defend against aerial attacks on a wide front. There have been devastating bombing raids, the latest being on a children's hospital in Kiev with at least seven fatalities.
10:35 Ukraine reports 112 front clashes since yesterdayIn the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Army General Staff recorded 112 clashes at the front. Among them were reportedly four rocket attacks on Ukrainian unit positions and inhabited areas, as well as 71 air raids with 119 guided air bombs. In addition, Russia conducted over 4,300 artillery attacks, including 121 with multiple rocket launchers, according to the update.
09:54 Russia and China start joint drillsRussia and China have started a naval exercise in the South China Sea. The exercise is expected to last three days, according to Russian and Chinese state media. They plan to practice air and submarine defense during the drills. Sharp ammunition is also reportedly to be used. Few days before the Russian invasion in Ukraine 2022, both countries announced a strengthening of their partnership and described it as "boundless."
08:43 Ministry reports 42,000 missing UkrainiansApproximately 42,000 people are currently missing in Ukraine, including soldiers and civilians, according to the Interior Ministry. The number was previously higher at around 51,000, the ministry stated. However, about 4,000 soldiers reportedly missing in battle have since been found and identified. Around 3,000 missing persons were found alive, many of whom were prisoners of war. Identifying the dead is reportedly difficult because the Defense Ministry does not take DNA samples from soldiers it sends into the field.
08:15 Hungary lobbies for Russia's participation in second Ukraine peace conferenceHungary is lobbying for Russia's participation in the planned second Ukraine peace conference. There are efforts to hold another peace conference this year, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. "I believe if we want to hope for the success of a future peace conference, we must ensure that both sides are represented." Hungary currently holds the EU presidency. The first peace conference took place in mid-June at the request of Ukraine, with representatives from over 90 countries attending in Switzerland. Russia declared its disinterest in the conference and was therefore not invited.
07:46 Russia and Ukraine to exchange 90 prisoners todayRussia and Ukraine plan to exchange 90 prisoners today. This was reported by the news agency Bloomberg, citing a source. Last week, Ukrainian parliamentary human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinez reportedly announced that the Ukrainian government was planning, with the help of the United Arab Emirates, a large prisoner exchange with Russia soon. The two warring parties have already exchanged prisoners several times.
06:55 Ukrainian startups develop robots for the frontUkrainian startups are developing affordable robots for mine clearance, evacuation of battlefields, transportation of equipment, and combat supplies. This was reported by the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. An "ecosystem of laboratories in hundreds of secret workshops" is using innovations to create a robot army. The Ukraine hopes that this robot army will be able to kill Russian troops and save its own wounded soldiers and civilians, according to Ukrinform.
06:20 State and Government Heads of 47 Countries Discuss Ukraine
At the invitation of the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the State and Government Heads of 47 countries will meet tomorrow. The 27 EU member states plus 19 third states will discuss among other things further aid for Ukraine in the defense war against Russia. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also registered. There will be several round tables on security policy and defense, but other topics will also be discussed. Ukraine is represented at the conference.
04:37 Japan Grants Ukraine a Loan from Frozen Russian Assets
Japan reportedly grants Ukraine a loan of 3.3 billion Dollars from the interest on frozen Russian assets. The sum is part of the 50-billion-Dollar package of the G7 countries, according to the Kyodo news agency, quoting informed sources. The distribution of the credit package provides that the USA and the European Union (EU) each provide 20 billion Dollars. Japan, Great Britain and Canada contribute a total of 10 billion Dollars. The package is expected to be adopted at a G7 meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Finance Summit at the end of the month in Brazil.
03:26 German Government Grants Kiev Ten Million Euros for Reconstruction of Children's Clinic
After the rocket attack on the children's hospital in Kiev, the German Development Ministry grants the Ukrainian government ten million Euros for the reconstruction. The funds will be used together with funds from other donors and sponsors to quickly make the hospital operational and winterproof again, according to the "Rheinische Post", quoting ministry statements. This includes repairs and maintenance work on facades, in treatment rooms, and in the power and heating supply.
02:10 Medvedev Warns NATO of "Point of No Return"
Following the NATO summit's promise to offer Ukraine membership, former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev renewed his threats against the Alliance. In an article for the Russian news portal Argumenty I Fakty, he called a possible Ukrainian membership a potential declaration of war against Russia. "This would essentially be a declaration of war - if only with a delay. The measures taken by our adversaries against us for years, by expanding the Alliance, ... bring the NATO to a point of no return." Russia does not threaten the NATO, but will react to attempts by the Alliance to advance its interests. "The harder their attempts, the harsher our responses will be," Medvedev said. "Whether this tears the whole planet apart depends only on the wisdom of the (NATO) side."
01:00 Ukrainian Soldiers Use "Expired" Munition
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has returned a "considerable amount" of old ammunition to the military, which should have been disposed of before the first Russian attack on Ukrainian territory in 2014, according to its own statements. The ammunition is already being used on the battlefield. "We are looking for internal reserves to supply Ukrainian soldiers with ammunition. We know that every shot, every rocket, and every grenade on the battlefield is life-saving today," said Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Dshyhar. Everything that can be repaired and reused is given a second life.
23:37 Ukrainian troops give positions in the southeast
According to unofficial reports, Ukrainian troops have had to give up positions in the southeastern part of the country, at Krynky in the Cherson region and Uroschajne in the Donezk region, under Russian pressure. "In both settlements, it no longer made sense to hold the positions due to the extensive damage," Ukrainian media quote sources in the General Staff. The fighting for the settlement of Krynky on the southern bank of the Dnipro River in the Cherson region was criticized from the outset due to its futility. It is unclear whether Ukrainian soldiers are still present on the southern bank of the Dnipro River.
More about this here.
22:07 New aid for Ukraine
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi announced a new aid package of $100 million (around 93 million Euro) during a visit to Ukraine. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will support the preparation for winter and will continue to support the Ukrainian government in Kiev, helping displaced or otherwise affected Ukrainians, Grandi said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev. The UNHCR also plans to mobilize future funds to support the attacked land. Zelenskyy thanked for the aid, which is urgently needed due to the damage to the energy infrastructure from Russian attacks. At the same time, Zelenskyy, according to a statement from the Presidential Administration, emphasized that the country still needs help to rebuild destroyed houses and set up bomb shelters in schools and hospitals. This gives displaced Ukrainians the security to return home.
21:27 Ukraine reports destruction of Russian S-300 air defense system
Ukraine claims to have destroyed a Russian S-300 air defense system in the occupied Donetsk oblast. This was announced by Ukrainian General Staff Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi on Twitter. In a video spread by the Ukrainian military, several alleged ATACMS rocket hits with cluster munitions can be seen. According to Syrskyi, several launchers and a radar station of the system were destroyed.
20:49 Report: Ukrainian government may be on the verge of resignation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reportedly on the verge of reshuffling his cabinet and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. This was reported by the "Kyiv Post" citing an unnamed source in the Ukrainian parliament. The Ukrainian parliament was instructed to prepare for a discussion and vote on a new cabinet on Tuesday in the coming week, the newspaper reported. Zelenskyy himself also spoke about the possibility of changes in the government on Monday. "Could there be changes in the government? Probably yes," so the Ukrainian president. One is in the process.
20:02 The Baltic States disconnect from the Russian power grid
According to their own statements, the Baltic States have informed Russia and its ally Belarus of their exit from the power grid of the former Soviet Union. "We will cut the last energy connections with Russia," declares the CEO of the state Lithuanian grid operator Litgrid, Rokas Masiulis. This step is supposed to take place in February 2025. Shortly thereafter, the three countries will connect to the European power grid. "In half a year, we will not only disconnect from the Russian and Belarusian power grid, but also dismantle the last power lines," Masiulis explains.
19:20 Lindner criticizes Orbán's "Solitariness"
Following the controversy over Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Moscow trip, Germany and other EU partners are increasing pressure on Budapest. During a finance ministers' meeting in Brussels, most member states called on Hungary to prioritize Ukraine aid. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner accused Orbán of "Solitariness." "Hungary should know that the peace and freedom order of Europe as a whole is being defended in Ukraine," Lindner said in the public debate. Ukraine's EU presidency must also remain a "Top Priority" until the end of the year. Hungary's Finance Minister Mihaly Varga had previously presented seven priorities, from the fight against illegal migration to competitiveness, but did not mention Ukraine.
You can read about all previous developments here.**
- The heavy losses reported in the battle for Krynki in Ukraine have been criticized due to its futility and the difficulty in supplying and transporting troops and casualties.
- Amidst the Ukraine-Conflict, Estonia and Lithuania have imposed a ban on cars with Belarusian license plates at their borders with Russia and Belarus, citing their involvement in Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
- In his address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his determination to bring all Ukrainian soldiers back, including the 95 who had recently been released from Russian captivity.
- Moscow has sentenced two Russians to lengthy prison terms for attempting to join the "Freedom Legion of Russia," a paramilitary unit that fights on the Ukrainian side against Russia in the Ukraine-Conflict.
- In response to the many deaths in Ukraine and the Palestinian territories, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has blamed the US for its diplomatic protection of Israel and its supply of weapons, making the US a direct party to the conflict.
