05:43 General Staff in Kiev: 102 battles on the front line
Ukrainian General Staff reports 102 engagements at the front within 24 hours. The enemy has increased the tempo of its offensive actions since Friday morning, according to the situation report of the Ukrainian General Staff on Facebook. Most engagements were reported near Pokrovsk. The Russian troops attempted to dislodge Ukrainian units from their positions 28 times. The Ukrainian army repelled 21 attacks. Seven engagements are ongoing, it is stated in the announcement.
04:59 Czech Republic preparing security accords with KievThe Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on X that the Czech Republic would sign a bilateral security accord with Ukraine during the EU summit in London on July 18. He had agreed with President Zelenskyy the day before to finalize the negotiations on the text of the Czech-Ukrainian security accord before the NATO summit in Washington. The next NATO summit is scheduled for July 9-11. The Czech Republic thus joins 19 countries, including the USA, Great Britain, Germany, and France, as well as the European Union, which have already signed similar bilateral agreements.
03:59 USA to supply Kiev with Hawk missilesThe US government will provide weapons and ammunition worth $150 million to Ukraine, including Hawk air defense missiles and 155-millimeter artillery ammunition. Two unnamed US officials announced that the weapons aid package would likely be presented on Monday. The Biden administration is responding to Ukraine's desperate pleas for support in air defense, as Russia has bombarded Ukrainian energy infrastructure with air raids in recent weeks.
02:58 Report: Russian agents in Vienna implicated in Kusminow murderRussian agents based in Vienna are suspected of having assisted in the recruitment and financing of Russian operations, such as the murder of the Russian military helicopter pilot Maxim Kusminow. 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 reference 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 officials in Vienna, the paper writes. "We are now becoming a burden for our neighbors because Russia uses us as an operational base," says a high-ranking Austrian intelligence officer to 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 last two years. About half of them are diplomats and managers, while the other half functions as spies.
01:58 Russia: Town north of Bachmut taken - Ukraine deniesAccording to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian forces have taken control of the town of Rosdoliwka in eastern Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian military denies that there are heavy fights in the areas around the settlement. Rosdoliwka is located in the Donetsk region, the epicenter of the Russian 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 billion DollarsThe US Army in the USA has given Lockheed Martin, the defense contractor, a multi-year contract worth 4.5 billion Dollars for the Patriot air defense system. The Pentagon announced this. The contract includes 870 PAC-3 MSE missiles and the related hardware. Lockheed manufactures 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 highly developed air defense systems that the West provides to Ukraine.
23:58 Additional 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 in the evening, 50 athletes from the two countries have been invited so far. However, not all of these invitations have been accepted yet, some have already withdrawn. Some Judokas were rejected because of their affiliation with military sports clubs. Out of the twelve quota places for Russian Judokas, only two will be allocated to men and women each - it remains to be seen whether the four will accept the invitation.
22:59 Ten Ukrainian civilians returned from Russian captivityAccording to reports from Kiev, ten Ukrainian civilians have returned from Russian captivity. Among the returnees is Nariman Djeljal, a leader of the Crimean Tatars, writes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in social media on Friday. He thanks the Vatican for its mediation in the release of the civilians. Djeljal was arrested in 2021, before the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in the annexed 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 an acknowledgment of the position of the Baltic States and other countries at the NATO Eastern Flank, which have advocated for a firm stance against Russia and support for 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 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 Estonia's 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 belief, 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," 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 along 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.
The escalating cyberwar between Russia and Ukraine has raised concerns in the political sphere, with Volodymyr Selensky calling for increased cybersecurity measures. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to provide cyber defense support to Ukraine in response to the attack on Ukraine's critical infrastructure. NATO allies have also been urged to bolster their cyberdefenses in the face of Russian cyber threats. The attack on Ukraine has highlighted the need for strengthened military operations to counteract potential cyberwarfare tactics used by Russia. The attack on Ukraine is not just a military conflict, but a broader political and cyber war. The Czech Republic, a NATO member, has joined forces with Ukraine to enhance their military cooperation and cyberdefenses.
