09:01 Four dead and ten injured in Russian attacks in Kherson Oblast
Russian forces have shelled numerous cities and villages in the Kherson region, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuries to ten others. This was announced by Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the military administration of the region, via Ukrinform on Telegram. "Four people were killed by Russian aggression in Sadove, Tiahynka, Novotiahynka, Olhivka, and Cherson," Prokudin said. According to him, the Russian military attacked residential areas in the region and damaged some private houses. In addition, businesses and a gas pipeline were reportedly hit.
08:34 Governor of Kursk: Five Dead in Ukrainian Drone Strike on Border VillageFive people, including two small children, were reportedly killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a border Russian village, according to Russian authorities. The governor of the western Russian region of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, made the announcement via Telegram. "Two more family members are in critical condition," he added. The drone is said to have crashed into a house in the small village of Gorodischtsche. Since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, both sides have regularly targeted each other with drones, some of which have ranges of several hundred kilometers. The Ukrainian army has expanded its drone attacks on Russian territory this year. It is targeting not only Russian energy facilities but also border towns and villages.
08:02 Kiev: More Than 1000 Russian Soldiers "Eliminated"According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, 1070 Russian soldiers have died or become incapacitated in the conflict within a day. This brings the total number of Russian soldiers "eliminated" since the start of the war in February 2022 to 541,560. The Defense Ministry announced the losses in its daily reports on Russian losses. The enemy is reported to have lost seven more tanks (8073). Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has counted over 15,500 armored vehicles and around 11,500 drones that are no longer in the possession of the Russian military or have been destroyed. These figures cannot be independently verified. Moscow itself has withheld information on its own losses in Ukraine.
07:28 Fire Department in Dnipro rescues man from buried car after Russian rocket attackOnce again, Russian rockets hit a Ukrainian residential area. The latest attack on the city of Dnipro reportedly resulted in at least one fatality, among the wounded was a seven-month-old baby. A man was buried under the rubble in his car.
07:06 Ukrainian military positions monitored: SBU arrests suspected Russian agentThe Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has arrested another Russian agent. The man is accused of preparing a Russian breakthrough in the Donetsk region and spying on Ukrainian defense forces. According to the SBU press service, he is a resident of Myrnohrad who works for a private security company. Russia reportedly became interested in the man as an active user of pro-Russian Telegram channels, where he is said to have published anti-Ukrainian comments.
06:34 Ukrainian Air Force: Ten Russian drones shot down in the nightThe Ukrainian air defense has shot down all ten Russian drones of the Shahed type launched at night. The Ukrainian Air Force reports this.
05:43 General Staff in Kiev: 102 battles at the frontThe Ukrainian General Staff reports 102 battles 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. The most battles are reported near Pokrovsk. The Russian troops attempted to dislodge Ukrainian units from their positions 28 times. The Ukrainian army repelled 21 attacks. Seven battles are still ongoing, the statement says.
04:59 Czech Republic preparing security accords with KievCzech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on X that the Czech Republic will sign a bilateral security accord with Ukraine during the EU summit in London on July 18. He had agreed the previous day with President Zelenskyy to "conclude the negotiations on the text of the Czech-Ukrainian security accord before the NATO summit in Washington," Fiala wrote. The next NATO summit is scheduled for July 9-11. The Czech Republic is thus joining 19 other 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 missile systemsThe US government will supply Ukraine with weapons and ammunition worth $150 million, including HAWK air defense missile systems 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 reacting to Ukraine's desperate pleas for support in air defense, as Russia has bombarded Ukrainian energy infrastructure with air strikes in recent weeks.
02:58 Report: Russian agents in Vienna implicated in Kusminov's murderRussian agents based in Vienna are suspected of involvement in the recruitment and financing of Russian operations, such as the assassination of the Russian military helicopter pilot Maxim Kusminov. He had defected to the Ukraine and lived in Spain, where he was found by the hit squad. The "Wall Street Journal" reports this with reference to Western security circles. The killers, who shot Kusminow 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 is using us as an operational base," a high-ranking Austrian intelligence officer told 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 act as spies.
01:58 Russia: Town north of Bachmut taken - Ukraine denies
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian forces have taken control of the town of Rosdoliwka in eastern Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian military states that there will be heavy fighting in the areas surrounding the settlement. Rosdoliwka is located in the Donetsk region, the hotspot of the Russian advance in eastern Ukraine. It is located north of Bachmut and Soledar, two towns that were taken under Russian control last year.
00:58 US Army awards Lockheed Martin $4.5 billion contract
The US Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a multi-year contract worth $4.5 billion for the Patriot air defense system in the US. The Pentagon announced. The contract includes 870 PAC-3 MSE missiles and the associated hardware. Lockheed manufactures the latest version of the missile defense system, which equips the Patriot, known as PAC-3 MSE. The Patriot system is part of a series of advanced air defense systems that the West has provided to Ukraine.
23:58 More Olympic starting places for Russians - Judokas rejected
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has invited further athletes from Russia and Belarus to the Summer Games in Paris. According to the IOC's announcement in the evening, 50 female and male athletes from the two countries have been invited to compete at the Olympics under a neutral flag. However, not all of these invitations have been accepted, some have already withdrawn. Some Judokas were rejected due to their affiliation with army sports clubs. Out of the total of twelve quota places for Russian Judokas, only two will be allocated to each gender - whether the four will accept the invitation is open.
22:59 Ten Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity
Ten Ukrainian civilians have returned from Russian captivity, according to reports from Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday in social media that among the returnees was Nariman Dzhelyal, a leader of the Crimean Tatars. He thanks the Vatican for its involvement in the release of the civilians. Dzhelyal was arrested in Crimea in 2021, before the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and was later sentenced to 17 years in prison.
22:30 Lithuania's Foreign Minister: Kallas Nomination Acknowledges Baltic States' Position on Russia
Lithuania has welcomed the nomination of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the new EU's Foreign Policy Chief. Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis speaks of recognizing the stance of the Baltic States and other NATO countries on the eastern flank, who have stood firm against Russia and supported 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, according to reports. Kallas was chosen as the EU's representative for external and security policy at the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. The 47-year-old Liberal has been Estonia's first female prime minister in history since 2021 and is known as a proponent of a resolute Western stance against Moscow. (Also see entries at 15:36 and 13:38 hours.)
22:00 Baerbock: Support for Ukraine is the Best Protection for Peaceful Sleeping
According to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Germany's continued support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion forces is crucial for 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 will Putin's troops advance then?" Baerbock said during a talk with RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), NDR, and the "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung." "That's why the support services for Ukraine are the best protection for our own peace and our own security." Baerbock referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Of course, one could 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, right on the border with Poland." There are "light tests" along the entire EU border and the NATO outer border. "Every reasonable person in the world, in Europe, and in Ukraine" wishes for nothing more than peace in Ukraine. That depends on Putin. "He must withdraw his troops and finally put an end to this killing." Instead, his response is "always more violence and terror."
You can read about previous developments here.
- There have been concerns about potential Russian cyberattacks on NATO countries, especially Ukraine, as tensions continue to escalate in the Ukraine conflict.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, has repeatedly warned about the threat of a cyberwar from Russia, urging NATO for increased support and cooperation in this regard.
- In response to this threat, NATO has agreed to provide cyberdefense assistance to Ukraine, aiming to strengthen its digital defenses against potential cyberattacks from Russia.
- The Russian military has been accused of using cyberattacks as a tactic in the Ukraine conflict, targeting critical infrastructure and political organizations in Ukraine.
- The attack on Ukraine's energy sector in December 2015, which resulted in a power blackout, is one of the most prominent examples of Russia's cyberwarfare tactics used against Ukraine.
