11:04 Selenskyj publishes video of the reunion of prisoners of war with their families
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy showed a moment in a video where ten Ukrainians, recently released from Russian captivity, returned home and met their families. He published the recording on his Social media channels.
10:36 Ukrainian police car in Sumy attacked by Russian droneA Ukrainian police car in Sumy, in the northeastern part of Ukraine, was attacked by a Russian drone. This was reported by the Ukrainian newspaper "Kyiv Post" citing the Ukrainian National Police. According to the report, the policemen were not in the vehicle at the time of the attack, but were nearby when they suddenly heard the explosion.
10:08 Kremlin declines comment on Trump's remarks about ending the warThe Kremlin declined to comment on Donald Trump's remarks that if he were re-elected in November, he would end the war against Ukraine. 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 athletesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Sebastian Coe, President of the World Athletics Championships. This was announced by the Ukrainian head of state on his Facebook page. "We welcome the decisions made by World Athletics at the beginning of March 2022, banning representatives of Russia and Belarus from participating in international athletics competitions", Zelenskyy wrote. He also thanked Coe for supporting Ukrainian athletes.
09:01 Four dead, ten injured in Russian attacks in the Oblast of KhersonRussian forces have shelled numerous towns and villages in the Oblast of Kherson, 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 forces attacked residential areas in the region and damaged several private homes. Additionally, businesses and a gas pipeline were reportedly hit.
08:34 Governor of Kursk: Five people killed in Ukrainian drone attack on border village
According to Russian reports, five people have been killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on a border Russian village. Among the fatalities were two small children, Governor of the western Russian region Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, announced on Telegram. "Two more family members are in critical condition," he added. The drone reportedly crashed into a house in the small village of Gorodischtsche. Since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, both sides have been regularly targeting each other with drones, some of which have ranges of several hundred kilometers. The Ukrainian army has expanded its drone attacks on Russian territories this year. It targets not only Russian energy facilities but also border towns and villages.
08:02 Kiev: Over 1000 Russian soldiers "eliminated"
According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's reports, 1070 Russian soldiers have either been killed or incapacitated in the war as of one day. Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, a total of 541,560 Russian soldiers have reportedly been "eliminated." The Defense Ministry, in its daily reports on Russian losses, announced that the enemy had lost seven more tanks (8073). Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has counted more than 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 keeps information on its own losses in Ukraine to itself.
07:28 After 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 alleged Russian agent
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has arrested another Russian agent. The man was allegedly preparing a Russian troop breakthrough in the Donetsk region and was spying on Ukrainian defense forces. The SBU press office reported this. According to the report, the alleged Russian spy is a resident of Myrnohrad, who worked for a private security company. Russia reportedly became interested in the man as an active user of pro-Russian Telegram channels, where he was said to have published anti-Ukrainian comments.
06:34 Ukrainian Air Force: Ten Russian drones shot down at night
The Ukrainian Air Defense shot down all ten Russian drones launched by Russia 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 battles were 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, it is stated in the announcement.
04:59 Czech Republic preparing security accords with Kiev
The Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on X that the Czech Republic would sign a bilateral security accord with Ukraine during the EU Summit on July 18 in London. He had agreed with President Zelenskyy the previous day to conclude the negotiations on the text of the Czech-Ukrainian security accord 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 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 systems
The US government will provide 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 US government is reacting to Ukraine's desperate pleas for support in air defense, as Russia has bombed Ukrainian energy infrastructure with air raids in recent weeks.
02:58 Report: Russian agents in Vienna ordered hit on helicopter pilot Kusminov
Russian agents based in Vienna are suspected of having helped recruit and finance 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 and killed by the hit squad. This is reported by the "Wall Street Journal" with reference to Western security circles. The killers, who shot him five times and then ran him over with a SUV, were criminals who were paid in cash, which was provided by Russian officials in Vienna, the paper writes. "We are now becoming a burden for our neighbors, as Russia uses us as an operational base," says a high-ranking Austrian intelligence officer to 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, the Russian military has taken control of the town 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 Donezk 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 contract worth $4.5 billion
In the USA, 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, 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 because of their affiliation with military sports clubs. Of the twelve quota places for Russian Judokas, only two each will be allocated to men and women - whether the four will accept the invitation is open.
22:59 Ten Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity
According to reports from Kiev, ten Ukrainian civilians have returned from Russian captivity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this on social media on Friday. He thanks the Vatican for its mediation in the release of the civilians. Among the returnees is Nariman Djeljal, a leader of the Crimean Tatars. He was arrested in Crimea in 2021, before the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and later sentenced to 17 years in prison.
22:30 Lithuania's Foreign Minister: Kallas Nomination Acknowledges Baltic States' Stance Towards 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 a report. 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 since 2021 and is known as a proponent of a resolute Western stance against Moscow. (You can read earlier developments here and here.)
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 troops is also 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 Putin's troops will advance then," Baerbock said during a talk with RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), NDR, and "Hannoverscher 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" everywhere along the EU border and the NATO outer border. "Every reasonable person in the world, in Europe, and in Ukraine" wishes nothing more ardently than peace in Ukraine. That depends on Putin. "He needs to withdraw his troops and finally end this killing." Instead, his answer is "always more violence and terror."
*You can read about earlier developments here.
- There have been concerns about potential cyberwar attacks on Ukraine, with the country being a frequent target due to its conflict with Russia.
- The attack on Ukraine by Russia has not been limited to conventional military operations, with cyberattacks also being a significant threat.
- In response to the conflict, NATO has been providing support to Ukraine, including military equipment and training, as well as political and economic assistance.
- The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Selensky, has been a strong advocate for NATO support and has called for more international action to help Ukraine defend against Russian aggression.
- Recently, there have been reports of an alleged Russian agent being arrested by the Ukrainian security services, suspected of spying on Ukrainian military positions and preparing for a Russian troop breakthrough in the Donetsk region.
