09:16 Defense Committee approves purchase of 105 Leopard tanks
The Defense Committee of the German Bundestag will decide on the purchase of 105 Leopard-2A8 battle tanks today. "This solves all options for us," writes the new committee chairman Marcus Faber on the platform "X". "We are fully equipping the Brigade Litauen with battle tanks, replacing older Leo2 in the army and creating room for further expenditures to Ukraine", adds the FDP politician. According to the proposal, the order has a volume of approximately three billion Euro. The defense consortium KNDS is supposed to deliver the tanks to the Bundeswehr by 2030.
08:44 Russia: Ukrainian attack on seaport repelled
Russia reportedly repelled attacks from two unmanned Ukrainian explosive boats on the seaport of Novorossijsk. The drone boats were destroyed in the Black Sea, according to the Defense Ministry. Novorossijsk is home to a large harbor of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Russia has stationed many of its ships used in the conflict against Ukraine there after the Ukrainian forces attacked the harbors on the Crimean peninsula. The authorities in Novorossijsk urged people to stay in their homes and buildings during the night. The ministry did not comment on possible damages.
08:21 Majority of Ukrainians feel unity in society
Forty-four percent of Ukrainians believe that Ukrainian society is united at present, according to a nationwide survey conducted on July 2nd by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS). A smaller proportion, 15 percent, consider Ukrainian society to be divided. Corruption is cited as the main problem, followed by language issues. Unfairness during the war, collaboration, and Russophile sentiments are also seen as factors contributing to societal division.
07:55 Kremlin: Ten Ukrainian attack drones destroyed
Russia reportedly shot down ten Ukrainian attack drones over Russian territory. Five drones were destroyed over the Belgorod border region, four over the Brjansk border region, and one over the Moscow region, according to the Defense Ministry on Telegram. Additionally, two Ukrainian reconnaissance drones were destroyed that had approached the Noworossijsk seaport in the Krasnodar region.
07:20 Ukrainian General Staff: nearly 1200 Russian losses yesterday
The Ukrainian General Staff reported 1,180 losses on the Russian side in the past 24 hours. This includes 16 destroyed tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 57 artillery systems, and 63 tank and other vehicles. Two Russian air defense systems and a missile were also reportedly destroyed by the Ukrainians. The number of killed or wounded Russian soldiers since the start of the full-scale invasion exceeded 546,000.
06:48 Putin arrives for SOZ summit in Kazakhstan
According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kazakhstan. He is participating in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SOZ) partner states in the capital Astana. During the two-day meeting, issues of regional security, defense, and cooperation will be discussed. The heads of state and government of the SOZ group will reportedly "discuss the current situation and prospects for further deepening of multifaceted cooperation," according to Moscow. Putin is reportedly planning bilateral talks, including with China and Turkey. Representatives from 16 countries are participating in the summit - among them India, Iran, and Pakistan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also expected.
06:11 Ukraine rejects territorial concessions to Putin again
According to the words of Andrij Yermak, 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 told journalists during a visit to Washington. He named "independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty." Yermak reacted to statements from Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump, who claimed he could quickly end the conflict. The Ukrainian government is reportedly open to advice to achieve a "just peace." Trump stated during the television debate that he would not accept Putin's conditions. Putin had stated that Russia would end the war if Kiev was willing to hand over the territories claimed and occupied by Moscow in the east and south of the country. In response to a question about how Ukraine views Trump's approach to the war, Yermak said: "Honestly, I don't know. We'll see."
05:42 USA to provide new military aid for Ukraine
The Ukrainian military urgently needs supplies. The USA will provide Ukraine with necessary aid to counter the Russian offensive in the near future in the amount of approximately 2.3 billion US dollars (around 2.14 billion Euros). This was announced by US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin during a visit by his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umjerów 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 make it possible for the USA to provide Patriot and other air defense systems "in an accelerated timeframe."
04:49 NATO strengthens presence in Kiev
The NATO is expanding its civilian presence in Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia. A spokesperson confirmed that the 32 alliance members have decided to send special representatives to the capital Kiev. The high-ranking official is supposed to oversee the political and practical support of the alliance on site. The background is mainly that the NATO intends to give the starting signal for a new deployment to coordinate weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces at the upcoming summit in Washington. The headquarters for this should be built in Wiesbaden. Who will receive the new NATO position in Kiev is still unknown.
03:42 UN calls for release of Gershkovich
Experts of the United Nations are demanding the immediate release of US journalist Evan Gershkovich, who is in Russian custody on espionage charges. "The detention of Evan Gershkovich is arbitrary" and violates several articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the experts write in a statement. Taking into account the circumstances of the case, the "immediate" release of Gershkovich is appropriate.
02:40 Serbian President Vucic receives Russian deputy foreign minister
The 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 announced 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 continues to maintain good relations with the Kreml despite the Russian intervention in Ukraine.
01:29 Russian court sentences 19-year-old to twelve years
A Russian court has sentenced a 19-year-old 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 sentence in a penal colony", it says in a comment by the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB, which was taken over by state Kremlin media. The teenager is said to have sent money to help the Ukrainian army buy food and drones. Since Russia's attack on Ukraine, thousands of Russians have been arrested and many of them have been imprisoned. According to Amnesty International, at least 21,000 people were targeted by repressions against war opponents in 2023.
00:20 A quarter of US citizens find US aid to Ukraine insufficient
Almost a quarter of Americans believe that the United States is not providing enough military aid to Ukraine. This proportion has increased since November last year, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. 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 the violation of its airspace by a Russian aircraft. The unspecified machine of the Russian airline Pobeda allegedly entered the airspace of the Baltic EU and NATO member unlawfully on the evening of June 30th and stayed there for approximately one minute, according to the Foreign Ministry in Vilnius. The representative of the Russian embassy was summoned and the Russian authorities were urged to take 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 as a reaction to Russia's aggression in Ukraine for Russian aircraft.
22:12 Survey in Member States: Great Trust in NATO, in Zelenskyy notNext week, NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary. In the member states, the transatlantic defense alliance is viewed favorably, according to a survey by Pew Research. On average in 13 countries, 63% of the population holds a positive opinion, while 33% hold a negative one. Germany is at the top with a minimal positive rating of 64%, and Poland stands out with an excellent evaluation of 91%. The trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is, on average, at 40%, and has decreased in the member states in the past year. Poland is once again an exception, where the head of state has lost 22 percentage points - from 70 to 48%. In Germany, trust has decreased by 7 percentage points to 54%.
21:27 Zelenskyy rejects Orban's peace proposalUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected a peace proposal from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for peace talks. During his first visit to Kiev since the war began, Orban suggested a quick ceasefire, stating that it could "accelerate peace negotiations with Moscow." "The president listened, but in response, he made clear the position of Ukraine and rejected the proposal," says a spokesperson from the Presidential Administration. Previously, Kiev had already rejected ceasefires, citing the possibility that Russian forces could regroup during this time.
21:02 Ukraine: Moscow recruits minorsRussia is actively recruiting minors for the war in Ukraine, according to Ukraine. The enlistment contracts are reportedly signed with minors, taking effect upon their 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." On occupied Ukrainian territory, Russia also employs minors, for instance, to manufacture drones.
- The Defense Committee of NATO is considering providing military aid to Ukraine, potentially including Leopard-2A8 battle tanks, in response to the ongoing conflict and attack on Ukraine by Russia.
- Russia has reportedly engaged in cyberwarfare against Ukraine, targeting critical infrastructure and government systems, in addition to its military operations.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, has rejected peace proposals from other leaders, such as Hungary's Viktor Orban, as they do not meet Ukraine's demands for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
- The conflict in Ukraine has also impacted politics within other nations, such as Germany, where the defense consortium KNDS is expected to deliver Leopard-2A8 tanks to the Bundeswehr by 2030 as part of a three billion Euro order.
- Russia's actions in Ukraine, including the attack on the seaport of Novorossijsk and the reported recruitment of minors for military service, have led to international condemnation and calls for sanctions from organizations such as the United Nations.
