06:20 Germany supplies 7.5 billion euros worth of weapons abroad
After a record export of military goods in the previous year, export authorizations in the first half of 2024 have significantly increased due to continuing weapons deliveries to Ukraine. From January 1st to June 18th, the German government authorized the export of military goods worth at least 7.48 billion Euros abroad. This represents an increase of approximately 30% compared to the entire first half of 2023. Nearly two-thirds of the exports (65% or 4.88 billion Euros) are destined for Ukraine. This information was obtained from a response by the Economic Ministry in response to a query by Bundestag member Sevim Dağdelen from The Left (BSW).
5:41 Dead in Vilniansk: Moscow targeted military objectiveThe Russian Defense Ministry speaks of a military target hit in the Ukrainian city of Vilniansk in the Saporischschja region with at least seven fatalities. According to Interfax news agency, a railway station with ballistic Iskander missile systems was attacked, as stated in a message from the Russian ministry. A military train carrying military goods was reportedly hit, according to the Russian military leadership. Photos and videos show that residential buildings and parked cars in the city center were hit.
4:53 Kiev Mine Clearance Corps: 30,000 square kilometers have been clearedSpecialists from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry have cleared 30,000 square kilometers of Ukraine of mines in the past two years - an area comparable to the size of Belgium or Moldova. The Kyiv Independent reports this with reference to Colonel Ruslan Berehulia, head of the department for environmental safety and mine clearance. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, approximately 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian soil have been contaminated with explosives. The Ukraine founded the Mine Clearance Corps in April 2022. Units of the Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian armed forces joined in. These units, with 5000 specialists, are currently active in the regions of Mykolajiw, Cherson and Charkiw.
3:53 IFO Survey: Nearly half of personnel managers use "Jobturbo"48% of personnel managers in Germany find the "Job-Turbo" and the Skilled Workers Immigration Act unhelpful for businesses. This is according to a survey by the Munich IFO Institute among 627 personnel managers of companies. The initiative aims to integrate Ukrainian refugees more quickly into the labor market. Some companies acknowledge positive effects: Nearly every fourth company reports that the new regulations have made more specialists available. In addition, language courses before job placement have reduced language barriers. Every 18%, personnel managers praise shorter hiring procedures and simpler recognition of diplomas. The respondents were allowed multiple answers. Almost half of them find that the bureaucracy for hiring foreign labor is still too high, although 17% also observe a bureaucracy reduction.
02:37 Governor: Russian region of Kursk under fire all day
According to the local governor, Ukraine has continued to shell the Russian border region of Kursk all day on Saturday. Governor Alexei Smirnov writes on Telegram that Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted eight border villages. Two people were reportedly injured in the process. A video posted in Smirnov's Telegram channel shows a destroyed house and debris. Previously, Smirnov had reported the deaths of five people due to a Ukrainian drone attack early on Saturday morning.
01:29 "Putin loves Farage": Activists mock Farage
The British campaign group Led by Donkeys pranked Nigel Farage, the chief of the right-wing Reform UK party, during a campaign appearance. After Farage recently claimed that the West, not Russian President Vladimir Putin, had provoked the war in Ukraine, activists dropped a banner with Putin's image behind him. Farage was reportedly not amused, according to the activists.
00:32 Emergency services clear debris in Vilniansk
Emergency services are clearing debris from a Russian attack on the city of Vilniansk in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast. After the search and rescue operations were completed, it was determined that seven people had been killed, including two children, and 31 people had been injured, including eight children. "The fire was extinguished simultaneously at two locations: in a two-story building and near parked cars on a 300 square meter area, as well as in two one-story buildings on a 150 square meter area. The search and rescue operations are complete," the Ukrainian state emergency service reports.
21:24 Seehofer: No asylum for young Ukrainian men
Approximately 1.2 million Ukrainians have found refuge in Germany from the war in their homeland. CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt recently called for Ukrainians to be deported if they do not work. "The proposal can be misunderstood," says CSU honorary chairman Horst Seehofer to the Augsburger Allgemeine. Mothers and children from the war-torn country find it difficult to work; be it due to language barriers or a lack of daycare. "It belongs to a humane state to provide protection." Young men who evade military service in Germany, however, should not be granted asylum, he thinks.
20:51 Man lights grenade in Luzk city center
A resident of the city of Chmelnytskyi lights a grenade in the city center of Luzk and is arrested. No injuries were reported. This was reported by the Ukrainian Security Service SBU. The motive of the 23-year-old is still unclear.
You can read about earlier developments here.
- The European Union, along with its NATO allies, has imposed sanctions on Russia due to its ongoing attack on Ukraine, including restrictions on military exports.
- During a press conference, Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, discussed the possibility of increased cyberwarfare threats from Russia as part of its military operations in Ukraine.
- The conflict in Ukraine has also affected politics, with several European countries debating the provision of weapons and military aid to Ukraine, while others advocate for diplomatic solutions.
- In response to the conflict, NATO has increased its military presence and exercises in Eastern Europe, aiming to deter further Russian aggression and protect its member states' interests.
- The Russian government has denied any involvement in cyberattacks on Ukraine, but cybersecurity experts have reported an increase in targeted cyberattacks against Ukrainian government and critical infrastructure targets.
