04:59 Czech Republic prepares security agreement with Kiev
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announces on X that the Czech Republic will sign a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine during the EU summit on July 18 in London. He had agreed with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the day before to finalize the negotiations on the text of the Czech-Ukrainian security agreement before the NATO summit in Washington. The next NATO summit is planned for July 9-11. The Czech Republic will join 19 other countries, including the USA, the UK, Germany, France, and the European Union, which have already signed similar bilateral agreements.
03:59 USA to supply KIEV with HAWK missiles
The US government is set to supply Ukraine with weapons and ammunition worth $150 million, including HAWK air defense missiles and 155-millimeter artillery shells. Two unnamed US officials announced that the weapons aid package is expected to be presented on Monday. The Biden administration is responding to Ukraine's desperate pleas for air defense support after Russia bombed Ukrainian energy infrastructure with air raids in recent weeks.
02:58 Report: Russian agents in Vienna implicated in Kusminow assassination
Russian agents based in Vienna are suspected of assisting in the recruitment and financing of Russian operations, such as the assassination of the Russian military helicopter pilot Maxim Kusminov. He had defected to the Ukraine and lived in Spain, where he was killed by the hit squad. The "Wall Street Journal" reports this with references to Western security circles. The killers, who shot him five times and then ran him over with a SUV, were criminals who were paid in cash provided by Russian state officials in Vienna, according to the paper. "We are now a burden to our neighbors because Russia uses us as an operational base," a high-ranking Austrian intelligence officer told the newspaper. According to Austrian intelligence sources, the number of active Russian diplomats in Austria has increased from around 400 to over 500 in the past two years. About half of them are diplomats and managers, while the other half act as spies.
01:58 Russia captures territory north of Bachmut - Ukraine denies
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian forces have taken control of the town of Rosdoliwka in eastern Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian military denies this, stating that fierce fighting is taking place in the areas around the settlement. Rosdoliwka is located in the Donetsk region, the epicenter of Russia's advance in eastern Ukraine. It is located north of Bachmut and Soledar, two towns that Russia captured last year.
00:58 US Army awards Lockheed Martin contract worth $4.5 billionIn the USA, the US Army has awarded defense contractor Lockheed Martin a multi-year contract worth $4.5 billion for the Patriot air defense system. The Pentagon announced this. The contract includes 870 PAC-3 MSE missiles and the associated hardware. Lockheed produces the latest version of the missile defense system, which equips the Patriot, known as PAC-3 MSE. The Patriot System belongs to a series of advanced air defense systems that the West has provided to Ukraine.
23:58 More Olympic starting places for Russians - Judokas rejectedThe International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that further athletes from Russia and Belarus will be invited to the Summer Games in Paris as neutral athletes. According to the IOC's announcement on Friday evening, 50 athletes from the two countries have been invited to compete at the Olympics under a neutral flag. However, not all of these invitations have been accepted, some have already withdrawn. Some Judokas were rejected because of their affiliation with military sports clubs. Of the twelve quota places for Russian Judokas, only two will be allocated to each gender - it remains to be seen whether the four will accept the invitation.
22:59 Ten Ukrainian civilians return from Russian captivityTen Ukrainian civilians have returned home from Russian captivity, according to reports from Kyiv. Among the released prisoners was Nariman Dzhelyal, the leader of the Crimean Tatars, writes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media on Friday. He thanks the Vatican for its role in the release of the civilians. Dzhelyal was arrested in 2021, before the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in the Crimea, and later sentenced to 17 years in prison.
22:30 Lithuania's Foreign Minister: Kallas nomination acknowledges stance on RussiaLithuania has welcomed the nomination of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the new EU Foreign Policy Chief. Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis speaks of a recognition of the views of the Baltic States and other NATO countries on the eastern flank, which have taken a firm stance against Russia and supported Ukraine until its victory. "She has never hidden her position, she has clearly and openly expressed herself on issues that are important to us," Landsbergis told the BNS agency in Vilnius about Kallas. Kallas was appointed as the EU's representative for external and security policy at the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. The 47-year-old liberal has been in power in Estonia since 2021 as the first woman in Estonian history to lead the government - and is known as a supporter of a resolute Western stance towards Moscow. (Also see entries at 15:36 and 13:38 hours.)
23:00 Baerbock: Support for Ukraine is the best protection for peaceful sleeping
According to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's conviction, the continuous support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion troops is also linked to peace and security in Germany. "If Ukraine can no longer defend our peace, our freedom, because we no longer support it, then the question is how far Putin's troops will advance then," Baerbock said during a talk by RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), NDR, and "Hannoverscher Allgemeine Zeitung". "That's why support for Ukraine is the best protection for our own peace and our own security." Baerbock referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Of course, one can discuss whether the billions in aid for Ukraine should be used differently, Baerbock said. But in this case, she had to say: "I don't know how long we can continue to sleep peacefully here in Brandenburg, directly on the border with Poland." There are "light tests" everywhere at the EU border and the NATO outer border from Russia. "Every reasonable person in the world, in Europe, and in Ukraine" wishes nothing more ardently than peace in Ukraine. That depends on Putin. "For that, Putin must withdraw his troops and finally end this killing." Instead, his answer is "always more violence and terror".
You can read about previous developments here.
- Following the announcement by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, there are concerns in Ukraine about potential cyberwar threats during the military operations in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, given Russia's history of cyber attacks.
- Volodymyr Selenskyy, the Ukrainian President, has appealed to NATO, including the Czech Republic, for increased support in defending against potential cyberwar attacks during the military operations in Ukraine.
- In the context of politics, the supply of HAWK missiles by the USA to Ukraine is seen as a strategic move to aid in military operations against potential cyberwar attacks from Russia during the Ukraine conflict.
- The Czech Republic's decision to sign a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine during the EU summit in London is viewed as a strong statement against Russian cyberwar activities in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
- The increasing number of Russian diplomats in Austria has raised concerns about potential cyberwar attacks during the military operations in the Ukraine conflict, as espionage and cyberwar activities are often carried out under diplomatic cover.
