08:21 Large proportion of Ukrainians feel unity in society
44% of Ukrainians believe that Ukrainian society is united at the moment, according to a nationwide survey conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on July 2nd. A smaller portion of interviewees, 15%, view Ukrainian society as divided. Corruption is cited as the main issue, followed by language problems. Unfairness during the war, collaboration, and Russophilism are also considered factors contributing to societal division.
07:55 Kremlin: Ten Ukrainian attack drones destroyedThe Russian Defense Ministry, through Telegram, reportedly shot down ten Ukrainian attack drones over Russian territory. Five were destroyed over the Belgorod border region, four over the Brjansk border region, and one over the Moscow region. Additionally, two Ukrainian reconnaissance drones were destroyed, which had been heading towards the Noworossijsk seaport in the Krasnodar region. Noworossijsk is Russia's largest seaport on the Black Sea.
07:20 Ukrainian General Staff: nearly 1200 Russian losses yesterdayThe Ukrainian General Staff reported 1,180 losses on the Russian side in the past 24 hours. Among these losses were 16 destroyed tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 57 artillery systems, and 63 tank and other vehicles. Two Russian anti-aircraft defense systems were reportedly destroyed by the Ukrainians, along with a missile. The number of dead or injured soldiers on the Russian side, according to the General Staff, has surpassed 546,000 since the full-scale invasion began.
06:48 Putin arrives at SOZ summit in KazakhstanAccording to Russian reports, President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kazakhstan. He is participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana. The two-day event focuses on regional security, defense, and cooperation issues. The heads of state and government of the SCO member states discussed "the current state and prospects for the further deepening of multifaceted cooperation," according to Moscow. Putin is scheduled to hold bilateral talks, including with China and Turkey. The summit is attended by representatives from 16 countries - among them India, Iran, and Pakistan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also expected to attend.
06:11 Ukraine continues to reject territorial concessions to PutinAccording to the words of Andrij Yermak, the chief of staff of the Ukrainian president, Ukraine continues to categorically reject territorial concessions to Russia to end the war. "We are not willing to make compromises on important things and values," Yermak said to journalists and named "independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty." In response to statements from Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump, who claimed he could quickly end the conflict, the government in Kiev is open for advice to achieve a "just peace." Trump stated during the television debate that he would not accept Putin's conditions. Putin had declared that Russia would end the war if Kiev was willing to surrender the territories claimed and occupied by Moscow in the east and south of the country. In response to a question about how Ukraine evaluates Trump's handling of the war, Yermak replied: "Honestly speaking: I don't know. We'll see."
05:42 USA to provide new military aid for UkraineThe Ukrainian military is in urgent need of supplies. The USA will make available to Ukraine in the near future additional military aid in the amount of around 2.3 billion US dollars (around 2.14 billion Euros) to counter the Russian attack war in Ukraine. This was announced by US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin during a visit by his Ukrainian colleague Rustem Umjerow in Washington. The package approved by US President Joe Biden includes "additional surface-to-air missiles, anti-tank weapons, and other important ammunition from US stocks," explained Austin. A "realignment of some foreign military deliveries" will also allow the USA to make available Munition for Patriot and other air defense systems "in an accelerated timeframe."
04:49 NATO to expand presence in KievThe NATO is expanding its civilian presence in the attacked Ukraine. As a spokesperson confirmed, the 32 alliance members have decided to send a type of special envoys to the capital Kiev. The high-ranking official is to steer political and practical support of the alliance on site. The background is particularly that the NATO intends to give the start signal for a new deployment at the upcoming summit in Washington for the coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces. The headquarters for this should be built in Wiesbaden. Who will receive the new NATO post in Kiev is still not known.
03:42 UN calls for release of GershkovichExperts of the United Nations are calling for the immediate release of US journalist Evan Gershkovich, who is in Russian custody on espionage charges. "The deprivation of liberty of Evan Gershkovich is arbitrary" and violates several articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the experts write in a statement. In light of the circumstances of the case, the "immediate" release of Gershkovich is appropriate.
02:40 Serbian President Vucic receives Russian deputy foreign ministerThe Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received the Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Gruschko in Belgrade. He spoke with Gruschko about the bilateral relations between Serbia and Russia and assessed them as "very good", Vucic stated on Instagram. He also thanked Russia "for its support for Serbia's territorial integrity, as well as in relation to the UN Resolution on Srebrenica". Moscow still refuses to recognize Kosovo's independence. Serbia has been an EU membership candidate since 2012 but maintains good relations with the Kreml despite the Russian annexation of Crimea.
01:29 Russian court sentences 19-year-old to twelve yearsA Russian court sentenced a 19-year-old man to twelve years in prison for "treason," after he was accused of donating money to the Ukrainian army. "The Rostov Regional Court found him guilty and sentenced him to a twelve-year term in a penal colony," says a comment from the Russian domestic security service FSB, which was picked up by state Kremlin media. The teenager is accused of sending money to help the Ukrainian army buy food and drones. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Russians have been arrested and many have been imprisoned. According to Amnesty International, at least 21,000 people were targets of repressions against war opponents in 2023.
00:20 One quarter of US citizens find US aid to Ukraine insufficientAlmost a quarter of Americans believe that the United States is not providing enough military aid to Ukraine. This percentage has risen since November last year, according to a Pew Research Center survey. According to the survey, 24 percent of respondents believe that the United States is not providing enough aid, compared to 18 percent in November 2023, when the survey was last conducted. However, more Americans (31 percent) believe that the United States is providing too much aid, and 25 percent believe that the US aid is sufficient.
22:53 Lithuania reports airspace violation by Russian aircraftLithuania reports a violation of its airspace by a Russian aircraft. The unspecified aircraft of the Russian airline Pobeda entered the airspace of the Baltic EU and NATO member illegally in the evening of June 30 and stayed there for approximately one minute, according to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry in Vilnius. The representative of the Russian embassy was summoned and the Russian authorities were urged to take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The airspace violation occurred over the Baltic Sea, as the aircraft was on its way from Moscow to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad bordering Lithuania. The EU has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft as a reaction to Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
22:12 Survey in Member States: High Trust in NATO, Low Trust in Zelenskyy
Coming Week, NATO Celebrates Its 75-Year Anniversary. In member states, the transatlantic defense alliance is viewed favorably, according to a Pew Research survey. On average in 13 countries, 63 percent of the population holds a positive view, 33 percent a negative. Germany is slightly above average with 64 percent positive sentiment. Exceptional is the assessment in Poland: 91 percent have a positive image of the alliance. The trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stands at an average of 40 percent and has decreased in member states over the past year. Poland stands out again, where the head of state has lost 22 percentage points - from 70 to 48 percent. In Germany, trust has decreased by 7 percentage points to 54 percent.
21:27 Zelenskyy Rejects Orban's Peace Proposal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected a peace proposal from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for peace negotiations, according to a spokesperson for the Presidential Administration. During his first visit to Kiev since the war began, Orban proposed a quick ceasefire. This could "accelerate peace negotiations with Moscow," he said. "The president listened to him, but in response clarified Ukraine's stance and rejected the proposal," the spokesperson said. Previously, Kiev had rejected ceasefires, citing the possibility that Russian forces could reorganize during this time.
21:02 Ukraine: Moscow Recruits Minors
Russia is actively recruiting minors for the war in Ukraine, Ukraine claims. The recruitment contracts are reportedly signed with minors, taking effect upon reaching adulthood. "They hope to recruit tens of thousands of teenagers with propaganda," says the Ukrainian agency "National Resistance Center": "We warn that any enemy on our territory will be eliminated." Russia is also reportedly employing minors on occupied Ukrainian territory, for example, to manufacture drones.
You can read about earlier developments here.
- Despite the increased support from NATO and the United States, Russia continues to attack Ukraine, with recent reports of ten Ukrainian drones being shot down over Russian territory.
- The Kremlin's actions in Ukraine have led to a divided society within Ukraine, with 44% believing the society is united and 15% viewing it as divided. Corruption and unfairness during the war are among the factors contributing to this division.
- Despite rejections of territorial concessions from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyy, political talks are ongoing, including with representatives from NATO and other countries, to find a "just peace" in the Ukraine conflict.
- The Russian government has been accused of recruiting minors for military operations in Ukraine, using propaganda to recruit tens of thousands of teenagers.
- In the wake of these events, the politics surrounding the Ukraine conflict have become increasingly complex, with international alliances shifting and accusations of human rights violations against the Russian government.
