06:55 Ukraine: Russian troops drop aerial bombs on Derhachi
Russian troops have attacked the city of Derhachi in the Charkiw region. This was announced by the head of Derhachi's military administration, Vyacheslav Zadorenko, on Telegram. According to Zadorenko, three people were injured in the attack. It was the most massive attack on Derhachi since 2022, during which four fighter bombers were dropped. Two men aged 68 and 75, and a 71-year-old woman were hospitalized. According to Zadorenko, the shelling damaged several buildings, including at least 25 residential houses, agricultural buildings, a garage cooperative, cars, and a civilian company, and partially destroyed power lines.
06:20: Defense exports have increased again: Germany exports weapons for 7.5 billion Euros
Following a record year for defense exports in the previous year, defense export authorizations in the first half of 2024 have significantly increased due to further rising weapons deliveries to Ukraine. From January 1 to June 18, the German government authorized the export of military goods for at least 7.48 billion Euros abroad. This represents an increase of around 30% compared to the entire first half of 2023. Almost two-thirds of the exports (65% or 4.88 billion Euros) are intended for Ukraine. This is evident from a response from the Economy Ministry in response to a query from Bundestag deputy Sevim Dağdelen from the Left Party (The Left).
05:41: Dead in Vilniansk: Moscow targeted a military objective
Following the Russian shelling of the Ukrainian city of Vilniansk in the Saporischschja region with at least seven fatalities, the Russian Defense Ministry speaks of an attack on a military objective. According to Interfax news agency, a railway station with ballistic Iskander missiles was attacked near Saporischschja. A train loaded with military cargo 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.
04:53: Kiev's Mine Clearance Corps: 30,000 square kilometers have been cleared
Specialists from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry have cleared 30,000 square kilometers of Ukraine of mines in the past two years - an area comparable in size to Belgium or Moldova. This was reported by the "Kyiv Independent" with reference to Colonel Ruslan Berehulia, head of the Environmental Safety and Mine Clearance Department. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, approximately 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian soil have been contaminated with explosives. The Ukraine established 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.
03:53 IFO-Survey: Nearly Half of Personnel Heads Dismiss "Jobturbo" and the Skilled Labor Immigration Law as Unhelpful
According to a survey of 627 personnel heads in Germany by the Munich IFO Institute, nearly half find the "Job-Turbo" and the Skilled Labor Immigration Act unhelpful for their companies. The initiative aims to integrate Ukrainian refugees more quickly into the labor market. However, nearly every fourth company acknowledges positive effects: More than a third report that the new regulations have made more skilled workers available. In addition, they mention that language barriers have been reduced due to mandatory language courses before job placement. Every 18th personnel head praises shorter hiring procedures and simpler recognition of degrees. The interviewees were allowed to give multiple answers. Nearly half of them find that the bureaucracy in hiring foreign labor is still too high, although 17% also observe a bureaucracy reduction.
02:37 Governor: Russian Region Kursk Shelled All Day Long
According to local governor Alexei Smirnov, the Ukrainian forces have shelled the Russian border region of Kursk all day long on Saturday. Smirnov posted on Telegram that Ukrainian forces had repeatedly targeted eight border villages. Two people were injured during the shelling. A video Smirnov posted in his Telegram channel shows a destroyed house and debris. Previously, Smirnov 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 Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage 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 not pleased, according to the activists.
00:32 Emergency Services Clear Debris in Vilniansk
Emergency services clear debris from a Russian attack on the city of Vilniansk in the Saporischschja Oblast. After the completion of search and rescue operations, it is determined that seven people were killed, including two children, and 31 people were 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 single-story buildings on a 150 square meter area. The search and rescue operations are completed," the Ukrainian state emergency service reports.
21:24 Seehofer: No accommodation for young Ukrainians
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 the expulsion of Ukrainians who 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 land find it difficult to work; be it due to lack of language skills or a lack of kindergarten places. "It belongs to a humane state to grant protection." Young men who evade military service in Germany, however, should not be granted asylum, according to him.
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. There are no injured reported. The Ukrainian Security Service SBU reports this. The motive of the 23-year-old is still unclear.
You can read about all previous developments here.
- The increase in defense exports from Germany is largely due to the ongoing military operations in Ukraine, with Germany authorizing over 7.5 billion Euros worth of military exports to Ukraine in the first half of 2024.
- The conflict in Ukraine has resulted in a significant increase in the need for mine clearance, with Ukrainian specialists clearing 30,000 square kilometers of land, an area comparable to Belgium or Moldova, in the past two years.
- Following the Russian attack on Vilniansk in the Saporischschja region, which resulted in at least seven fatalities, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the attack was on a military objective.
- NATO has been closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and has provided military aid and support to Ukraine's armed forces, including cyberwarfare assistance.
- Volodymyr Selensky, the President of Ukraine, has called for international support in the face of Russia's aggressive actions, including the cyberwarfare attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure.
