10:08 Kremlin does not comment on Trump's remarks about end of war
The Kremlin declines to comment on Donald Trump's statement that he would have ended the war in Ukraine if he had been re-elected in November. This was reported by the British newspaper "Guardian." Trump made these remarks during the US Presidential debate with incumbent Joe Biden on the previous Thursday. "As for Russia and Ukraine: If we had a real president, a president who respected Putin, he wouldn't have gone into Ukraine," Trump said.
09:26 Zelenskyy thanks Coe at meeting for exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the President of World Athletics, Sebastian Coe. This was reported on Zelenskyy's Facebook page. "We welcome the decisions made by World Athletics at the beginning of March 2022 to ban representatives of Russia and Belarus from participating in international athletics competitions," Zelenskyy wrote. He also thanked the Ukrainian athletes for their support.
09:01 Four dead, ten injured in Russian attacks in the Kherson region
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 reported by Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the military administration of the region, on Telegram. "Four people were killed by Russian aggression in Sadove, Tiahynka, Novotiahynka, Olhivka and Cherson," Prokudin said. According to him, 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 attack on border village
According to Russian reports, five people were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on a border village. The governor of the western Russian region of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, reported this on Telegram. "Two children under the age of seven were among the dead," Smirnov added. The drone allegedly crashed into a house in the small village of Gorodischtsche. Since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, both sides have been regularly attacking each other with drones, some of which have a range of several hundred kilometers. The Ukrainian army has expanded its drone attacks on Russian territory this year. It targets both Russian energy infrastructure and border towns and villages.
08:02 Kiev: Over 1000 Russian soldiers "eliminated"
According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's daily reports, 1070 Russian soldiers have lost their lives in the war or can no longer fight, making a total of 541,560 Russian soldiers "eliminated" since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022. The Defense Ministry announced in its daily reports that the enemy had also lost seven more tanks (8073). Since the start 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.
07:28 Russian attack: Fire department in Dnipro rescues man from buried car
Once again, Russian rockets hit a Ukrainian residential area. The latest attack on the city of Dnipro resulted in at least one fatality, among the injured was a seven-month-old baby. A man was buried under the rubble in his car.
07:06 Ukrainian military positions spied on: SBU arrests suspected Russian agent
The 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 office, the man is a resident of Myrnohrad, who works as an employee of a private security company. Russia reportedly became aware of the man as an active user of pro-Russian Telegram channels, where he allegedly published anti-Ukrainian comments.
06:34 Ukrainian Air Force: Ten Russian drones shot down at night
The Ukrainian air defense forces have shot down all ten Russian drones launched at night. According to the Ukrainian Air Force.
05:43 General Staff in Kiev: 102 battles at the front
The 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 fighting is 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, according to the announcement.
04:59 Czech Republic prepares security agreements with Kiev
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on X that the Czech Republic will sign a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine during the EU summit in London on July 18. Fiala had agreed with President Zelenskyy the day before to "finalize the negotiations on the text of the Czech-Ukrainian security agreement before the NATO summit in Washington." The next NATO summit is scheduled for July 9-11. The Czech Republic is thus joining 19 other countries, including the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and France, as well as the European Union, which have already signed similar bilateral agreements.
03:59 USA to deliver HAWK missiles to KievThe US government is set to provide weapons and ammunition worth $150 million to Ukraine, including HAWK air defense missiles and 155-millimeter artillery ammunition. Two unnamed US officials have announced that the weapons aid package is expected to be presented on Monday. The Biden administration is responding to Ukraine's desperate pleas for air defense support, as Russia has bombarded Ukrainian energy infrastructure with air raids in recent weeks.
02:58 Report: Russian agents in Vienna implicated in assassination of helicopter pilot KusminowRussian agents stationed in Vienna are under suspicion for their involvement in recruiting and financing Russian operations, such as the assassination of the Russian military helicopter pilot Maxim Kusminow. He had defected to Ukraine and was living in Spain when he was found by the hit squad. The "Wall Street Journal" reports this with reference to western security circles. The killers, who shot him five times and then ran him over with a SUV, were criminals paid in cash, which was provided by Russian officials in Vienna, according to the paper. "We are now becoming a burden to 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. Approximately half of them are diplomats and managers, while the other half function as spies.
01:58 Russia: Town north of Bachmut taken - Ukraine deniesAccording to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian forces have taken control of the town of Rosdoliwka in eastern Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian military claims that heavy fighting is taking place in the areas around the settlement. Rosdoliwka is located in the Donetsk region, the epicenter of Russia's 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 contractIn the US, the US Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a multi-year contract worth $4.5 billion for the Patriot air defense system. The Pentagon announced this. The contract includes 870 PAC-3 MSE missiles and the associated hardware. Lockheed manufactures the latest version of the missile defense system, known as PAC-3 MSE, which equips the Patriot system. The Patriot system is part of a series of highly developed air defense systems provided by the West to Ukraine.
23:58 More Olympic Starting Places for Russians - Judokas rejected
The International Olympic Committee continues to invite more athletes from Russia and Belarus to the Summer Games in Paris. According to the IOC's announcement in the evening, 50 athletes from the two countries have been invited so far to compete under a neutral flag at the Olympics. However, not all these invitations have been accepted, some have already withdrawn. Some Judokas were rejected due to their affiliation with Army sports clubs. Of the twelve quota places for Russian Judokas, only two will be allocated to men and women each - whether the four accept the invitation is open.
22:59 Ten Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity
Ten Ukrainian civilians have returned home from Russian captivity, according to reports from Kiev. Among the freed prisoners is Nariman Djeljal, a leader of the Crimean Tatars, writes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in social media on Friday. He thanks the Vatican for its mediation in the release of the civilians. Djeljal was arrested in 2021, before the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in the Crimea, which has been annexed by Russia since 2014, and later sentenced to 17 years in prison.
22:30 Lithuania's Foreign Minister: Kallas nomination acknowledges stance on Russia
Lithuania has welcomed the nomination of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the new EU Foreign Policy Chief. Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis speaks of a recognition of the views of the Baltic States and other countries on the NATO eastern flank, which have taken a firm stance 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 about Kallas. Kallas was appointed 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 since 2021 and is known as a supporter of a resolute Western stance towards Moscow.
22:00 Baerbock: Support for Ukraine is the best protection for peaceful sleeping
According to Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's belief, the ongoing support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion forces is also a prerequisite 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 Putin's troops will advance," Baerbock said in a talk with RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), NDR and "Hannoverscher Allgemeine Zeitung". "That's why the support efforts for Ukraine are the best protection for our own peace and our own security." Baerbock referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Naturally, one can discuss whether the billions in aid for Ukraine should be used differently, Baerbock says. But in this case, she has to admit: "I don't know how long we can continue sleeping peacefully here in Brandenburg, right at the border with Poland." There are "light tests" everywhere at the EU border and the NATO outer border by Russia. "Every reasonable person in the world, in Europe and in Ukraine" wishes nothing more ardently than peace in Ukraine. But that lies with Putin. "For that, Putin must withdraw his troops and finally put an end to this killing." Instead, his answer is "always more violence and terror."
You can read about all previous developments here.
- The Guardian reported that Donald Trump stated during a US presidential debate that he would have ended the war in Ukraine if he had been re-elected, implying that he believes a close relationship with Putin could have prevented Russia's attack on Ukraine.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, thanked Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics, for the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in international athletic competitions due to the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
- Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the military administration of the Kherson region, reported that Russian forces have shelled numerous cities and villages in the region, resulting in four fatalities and ten injuries in attacks on residential areas.
- Russian reports indicate that five people, including two children under seven, were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on a border village, highlighting the escalating military operations in the Ukraine conflict.
- The Czech Republic announced its intention to sign a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine during an EU summit, demonstrating international support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia and efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities with NATO assistance.
