10:40 Ukraine: Several civilians killed in Russian attacks
Russian troops have shot at the village of Borova in the Charkiw region in the past night, according to the Charkiw Military Administration's Telegram message. One man was reportedly killed, and two others were injured. At least three people were killed and 18 more were injured in a Russian rocket and drone attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, according to local authorities.
10:19 Kremlin: No talks with Trump about UkraineThe Kremlin is not in dialogue with former US President Donald Trump about Ukraine, Interfax news agency reported, citing a Kremlin spokesperson. Trump, during a TV duel with President Joe Biden last week, said he would end the war in Ukraine before his swearing-in in January if he won the November election.
9:46 Ukraine lacks hangars to protect fighter jetsThe Ukrainian army does not have enough hangars to protect all its fighter jets from Russian attacks, according to a report by the Ukrainian Defense Express. A military airbase in the Poltava Oblast does not have sufficient large hangar spaces for Su-27 fighter jets. The newspaper reports that Russian footage shows several Ukrainian Su-27 aircraft damaged at the airfield. The Ukraine lacked hangars to protect all its fighter jets.
9:16 Defense committee approves purchase of 105 Leopard-2A8 tanksThe German Defense Committee will approve the purchase of 105 Leopard-2A8 tanks today. "We are exhausting all options," writes the new committee chairman Marcus Faber on the platform "X." "We are fully equipping the Brigade Litauen with combat tanks, replacing older Leo2 in the army, and creating space for further appropriations to Ukraine," adds the FDP politician. According to the proposal, the order has a volume of approximately three billion euros. The defense consortium KNDS is expected to deliver the tanks to the Bundeswehr by 2030.
8:44 Russia: Ukrainian attack on Black Sea port repelledRussia has reportedly repelled attacks by two uncrewed Ukrainian explosive boats on the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The Defense Ministry stated that the drone boats were destroyed in the Black Sea. Novorossiysk is home to a large port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Russia has stationed many of its warships used in the conflict against Ukraine there after Ukraine attacked its ports on the Crimean peninsula. The Ministry did not comment on possible damages. The authorities in Novorossiysk urged people to stay in their homes and buildings during the night.
8:21 A large part of the Ukrainians feel unity in societyAccording to a nationwide survey conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on July 2, 44% of Ukrainians believe that Ukrainian society is currently united. A smaller group of 15% considers 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 the division within society.
07:55 Kreml: Ten Ukrainian attack drones destroyedAccording to Russian statements, ten Ukrainian attack drones have been shot down over Russian territory. Five drones were destroyed over the Russian border regions of Belgorod and Brjansk, and one over the Moscow region. Additionally, two Ukrainian cruise missiles were destroyed, which were headed for the Noworossijsk Black Sea harbor in the Krasnodar region.
07:20 Ukrainian General Staff: nearly 1200 Russian casualties yesterdayThe Ukrainian General Staff reports 1,180 casualties on the Russian side in the past 24 hours. Furthermore, 16 tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 57 artillery systems, and 63 other vehicles were destroyed. Two Russian air defense systems were reportedly destroyed by the Ukrainians, as well as a missile. The number of dead or wounded soldiers on the Russian side, according to the General Staff, has exceeded 546,000 since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
06:48 Putin arrives at the SOZ summit in KazakhstanAccording to Russian reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kazakhstan. He is participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SOZ) summit in its 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 member states will reportedly discuss "the current state and prospects for further deepening of multifaceted cooperation." Putin plans to hold 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 againAccording to the words of Andrij Yermak, chief of staff of the Ukrainian president, Ukraine continues to reject territorial concessions to Russia to end the war. "We are not ready 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 Ukrainian government is open to advice to achieve a "just peace." Trump stated during the television debate that he would not accept Putin's conditions. Putin had announced that Russia would end the war if Kiev was ready to surrender the territories in the east and south of the country that Moscow claims and occupies. Regarding the Ukrainian assessment of 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 UkraineThe Ukrainian military is in urgent need of supplies. The USA will make military aid worth approximately 2.3 billion US dollars (around 2.14 billion Euros) available to Ukraine in the near future to counter the Russian offensive war in Ukraine. This was announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a visit by his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umjeroв in Washington. The package from 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 munitions for Patriot and other air defense systems "available in a expedited timeline."
04:49 NATO to expand presence in KievThe NATO is expanding its civilian presence in the Ukraine, which has been 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 to coordinate political and practical support from the alliance on site. The background is that the NATO intends to give the start 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 post in Kiev is still not known.
03:42 UN call for release of GershkovichExperts from the United Nations have called for the immediate release of US journalist Evan Gershkovich, who is in custody in Russia 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. 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 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Gruschko in Belgrade. He spoke with Gruschko about the bilateral relations between Serbia and Russia and evaluated them "very positively," Vucic said in an Instagram post. 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 despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it continues to maintain good relations with the Kremlin.
01:29 A Russian court sentences a 19-year-old to twelve yearsA Russian court sentenced a 19-year-old man to twelve years in prison for "high treason," after he was accused of donating money to the Ukrainian army. The Rostov Regional Court found the man guilty and sentenced him to a twelve-year term in a penal colony, according to a comment from the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB, taken up by Kremlin-controlled media. The teenager is said to have sent money to help the Ukrainian army buy food and drones. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Russians have been arrested and many of them have been incarcerated. According to Amnesty International, at least 21,000 people were the 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 proportion has risen 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 a violation of its airspace by a Russian aircraft. The unidentified plane of the Russian airline Pobeda allegedly entered the airspace of the Baltic EU and NATO member unlawfully in the evening of June 30 and stayed there for approximately one minute. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has summoned the Russian ambassador and demanded that all necessary measures be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. The airspace violation occurred over the Baltic Sea, as the plane 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 ZelenskyNext week, NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary. In the member states, the transatlantic defense alliance is generally viewed favorably, according to a survey by Pew Research. On average in 13 countries, 63 percent of the population holds a positive opinion, 33 percent a negative. Germany is slightly above the average with 64 percent positive views. The evaluation in Poland stands out: 91 percent have a positive image of the alliance there. Trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is low on average, at 40 percent, and has decreased in the member states in the past year. Poland is an exception, where the president has lost 22 percentage points - from 70 to 48 percent. In Germany, trust has decreased by 7 percentage points to 54 percent.
21:27 Selenkyi rejects Orban's peace proposal
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Selenkyi declined Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban's proposal for peace talks. During his first visit to Kiev since the war began, Orban suggested a rapid ceasefire that could "accelerate peace negotiations with Moscow," according to him. "The President listened to him, but in response clarified Ukraine's position and rejected the proposal," said a spokesperson from the Presidential Administration. Previously, Kiev had rejected ceasefires, citing the possibility that Russian forces could regroup during this time.
21:02 Ukraine: Moscow recruits minors
Russia is actively recruiting minors for the war in Ukraine, according to Ukraine. The recruitment contracts are reportedly being signed with 17-year-olds, taking effect upon their reaching adulthood. "They hope to recruit 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 is also reportedly employing minors, for instance, to manufacture drones.
You can read about previous developments here.
- Amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict, President Volodymyr Selensky has rejected Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban's proposal for a rapid ceasefire, citing concerns about potential Russian regrouping during a pause in fighting.
- Cyberwarfare has become a significant aspect of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with reports of numerous Russian cyberattacks aimed at disrupting Ukrainian infrastructure and military operations.
- The conflict in Ukraine has implications for international politics, with NATO and other Western countries providing military aid and support to Ukraine, while Russia continues to deny involvement in the conflict.
- The defense committee of Germany has approved the purchase of 105 Leopard-2A8 tanks, which will be used to support the Ukrainian forces fighting against Russian forces in the ongoing conflict.
- The Kremlin has denied dialogue with former US President Donald Trump about Ukraine, despite Trump's claims during a TV duel with President Joe Biden that he could end the war before his inauguration if he had won the November election.
