08:40 Russia: 36 Ukrainian drones shot down
Russia claims to have shot down 36 Ukrainian drones in various regions in the south of the country. Fifteen drones were intercepted over the border region of Kursk, nine over the region of Lipetsk several hundred kilometers south of Moscow, and four each over the regions of Voronezh and Bryansk, according to the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow. The governors of Lipetsk and Bryansk report on Telegram that there were no casualties or major damage.
07:55 Swedish Defense Minister: Russia wants to split EU and NATOSweden's Defense Minister, Pål Jonson, told the "Bild" newspaper in an interview that Russia is interested in politically splitting the EU and NATO. "I believe that those in the Kremlin and Putin himself are aware that they would lose this war. But I believe that Russia is very interested in splitting us politically, both within the EU and in NATO," Jonson said. The best way to maintain peace, according to Jonson, is to make NATO stronger and focus on deterrence and defense. Jonson believes that increasing responsibility for European security means investing more in military forces. Sweden gave up its neutrality in response to Russia's attack on Ukraine. In March 2024, Sweden became the 32nd NATO member.
07:24 Zelensky: Death toll may rise after Russian attack on Velyka Nova HrebleivkaA Russian attack on the Ukrainian town of Velyka Nova Hrebleivka in the Zaporizhzhia region resulted in fatalities and injuries (see entries 00:32 and 05:41). At least seven people, including children, have been reported killed, according to official reports. Thirty-one people were injured in the rocket attack, the Civil Defense reports. "Unfortunately, the number of casualties may still rise," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on the X platform.
06:55 Ukraine: Russian troops bombard Derhachy with air bombsRussian troops have attacked the city of Derhachy in the Kharkiv region. This was reported by the head of the Derhachy Military Administration, Vyacheslav Zadorenko, on Telegram. According to Zadorenko, three people were injured in the attack. This is the most massive attack on Derhachy since 2022, during which four air bombs were dropped. Two men, aged 68 and 75, and a 71-year-old woman were taken to the hospital. According to Zadorenko, the shelling damaged several buildings, including at least 25 residential buildings, agricultural buildings, a garage cooperative, cars, and a civilian enterprise, and partially destroyed power lines.
06:20: German weapons exports increase again: Germany exports weapons for 7.5 billion EuroFollowing a record-breaking weapons export in the previous year, export authorizations in the first half of 2024 have significantly increased due to rising weapons deliveries to Ukraine. The German government authorized the export of military goods worth at least 7.48 billion Euro abroad from January 1 to June 18. This represents an increase of over 30% compared to the entire first half of 2023. Nearly two-thirds of the exports (65% or 4.88 billion Euro) are destined for Ukraine. This information was obtained from a response by the Economy Ministry to a query by Bundestag deputy Sevim Dağdelen of the Left Party (The Left).
05:41: Dead in Velynyansk: Moscow may have targeted a military objectiveFollowing the Russian shelling of the Ukrainian city of Velynyansk in the Zaporizhzhia region with at least seven fatalities, the Russian Defense Ministry speaks of an attack on a military target. According to Interfax news agency, a railway station with ballistic Iskander missile launchers was attacked, as stated in the ministry's announcement in Moscow. A military train carrying military cargo was reportedly hit, claims the Russian military leadership. Photos and videos show that residential buildings and parked cars in the city center were hit.
04:53: 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 land 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 5,000 specialists, are currently active in the regions of Mykolajiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv.
03:53: IFO Survey: Nearly half of personnel managers use "Jobturbo" ineffectively48% of personnel managers in Germany find the "Job-Turbo" and the Skilled Workers Immigration Act unhelpful for businesses. This is according to an IFO Institute survey of 627 personnel managers from companies. The initiative aims to integrate Ukrainian refugees more quickly into the labor market. Some respondents acknowledge positive effects: Nearly every fourth company reports that the new regulations have made more skilled labor available. In addition, they mention that mandatory language courses before job placement have reduced language barriers. Every 18% of personnel managers praise shorter hiring procedures and the simpler recognition of diplomas. The respondents could give multiple answers. Almost 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 of Kursk under fire all day
According to the local governor, Ukraine continued to shell the Russian border region of Kursk all day on Saturday. Governor Alexey Smirnov writes on Telegram that Ukrainian forces had 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 not pleased, the activists wrote laconically.
00:32 Emergency services clear debris in Vilniansk
Emergency services are clearing the debris of a Russian attack on the city of Vilniansk in the Saporischja region. After the search and rescue efforts 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 efforts 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 state group leader Alexander Dobrindt recently called for Ukrainians to be deported if they did 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 found it difficult to work; be it due to language barriers or a lack of childcare. "It belongs to a humane state to provide protection." Young men who evaded 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 Chmelnyzkyj 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.
- Amidst the ongoing Ukraine conflict, Sweden's Defense Minister, Pål Jonson, expressed concerns about Russia's interest in politically splitting the EU and NATO, believing that Russia seeks to do so by dividing both organizations internally.
- The cyberwar aspect of the Ukraine conflict was evident when Russia was accused by Ukrainian authorities of conducting a cyberattack on Ukraine's government websites, resulting in disruptions to various services.
- Volodymyr Selensky, the President of Ukraine, emphasized the need for international support in the face of the military operations carried out by Russia, calling on NATO to strengthen its commitment to defending Ukraine's sovereignty.
- The attack on Ukraine by Russia has resulted in a significant increase in arms exports from Germany to Ukraine, with over 65% of German weapon exports in the first half of 2024 destined for Ukraine.
- Poised to join NATO in March 2024, Sweden, in response to Russia's aggression towards Ukraine, has decided to invest more in its military forces, prioritizing deterrence and defense as key strategies to maintain peace.
