Ukraine receives over two billion Euro tranche from International Monetary Fund (IWF)
11:31 Ukraine receives another two billion from the IMF
The financially stricken Ukraine, due to Russia's attacks, has received another tranche of over two billion Euro from the International Monetary Fund (IWF). This money is part of an ongoing credit program worth approximately 15 billion Euro. According to the Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal, the funds will primarily be used for social aid and salaries of public servants, including doctors and teachers. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has reportedly received over 80 billion Euro in financial aid from foreign partners in the form of household budget support.
11:01 Military base on fire in Russian Kursk
Videos from the Russian city of Kursk show a large smoke cloud over the city. Ukrainian forces are reported to have set several vehicles on fire at a military base in the city. The regional governor has confirmed a fire in the city center.
11:01 Multiple civilians killed in Russian attacks
Russian troops shot at the village of Borova in the Charkiw region overnight. The Military Administration of Charkiw reports on Telegram that one man was killed, and two others were injured. In a Russian rocket and drone attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, authorities report that at least three people were killed and 18 others were injured.
10:40 No dialogue with Trump over Ukraine - Kremlin
Russia is not in dialogue with former US President Donald Trump over Ukraine, according to the Kremlin. The news agency Interfax reports, citing a spokesperson for the Russian Presidium. Trump, during a recent TV debate with President Joe Biden, stated that if he won the November election, he would resolve the war in Ukraine before his inauguration in January.
09:46 Ukraine lacks hangars to protect jet fighters
According to a report in the Ukrainian newspaper "Defense Express," the Ukrainian army does not have enough hangars to protect all of its fighter jets from Russian attacks. The newspaper reports that a military airbase in the Poltawa Oblast does not have sufficient large hangar spaces for Su-27 fighter jets. Russian media have released images of a recent air raid on the airfield, showing several damaged Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jets in the open. The Ukraine lacks hangars to protect all its fighter jets.
09:16 German defense committee approves purchase of 105 Leopard 2A8 tanks
The German defense committee is set to approve the purchase of 105 Leopard 2A8 battle 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 battle tanks, replacing older Leo2 in the army, and creating room for further commitments to Ukraine," adds the FDP politician. According to the proposal, the order has a volume of approximately three billion Euro. The defense company KNDS is expected to deliver the tanks to the Bundeswehr by 2030.
08:44 Russia: Ukrainian attack on Black Sea port repelled
Russia, according to its own reports, repelled attacks from two unmanned Ukrainian explosive boats on the Black Sea port of Novorossijsk. The drone boats were destroyed in the Black Sea, according to the Defense Ministry. Novorossijsk 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 the Crimean ports. The ministry did not comment on possible damages. The authorities in Novorossijsk urged people to stay in their homes and apartments during the night.
08:21 Most Ukrainians feel unity in society
Forty-four percent of Ukrainians believe that Ukrainian society is united at present, according to a nationwide survey conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on July 2. A smaller group of interviewees, 15 percent, view Ukrainian society as divided. Corruption is cited as the main problem, followed by language issues. Unfairness during the war, collaboration, and pro-Russian sentiment are also considered factors contributing to division within society.
07:55 Kremlin: Ten Ukrainian attack drones destroyed
Russia, according to its own reports, shot down ten Ukrainian attack drones over Russian territory. Five drones were shot down over the Belgorod border region, four over the Brjansk border region, and one over the Moscow region. Additionally, two Ukrainian sea drones were destroyed that had been heading towards the Noworossijsk port in the Krasnodar region.
07:20 Ukrainian General Staff: nearly 1200 Russian losses yesterday
The Ukrainian General Staff reports 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 were also reportedly destroyed by the Ukrainians, along with a missile. The number of dead or wounded Russian soldiers, according to the General Staff, has exceeded 546,000 since the start of the full-scale invasion.
06:48 Putin arrives at SOZ summit in Kazakhstan
According to Russian reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kazakhstan. He is participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit 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 SCO member states will 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. The summit is attended by representatives from 16 countries - among them India, Iran, and Pakistan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also expected.
06:11 Ukraine continues to reject territorial concessions to PutinAccording to the words of Andrij Yermak, the chief of staff of the Ukrainian president, Ukraine continues to categorically reject territorial concessions to Russia for the sake of ending the war. "We are not willing 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 government in Kiev is open to advice to achieve a "just peace." Trump stated during a television debate that he would not accept Putin's conditions. Putin had declared that Russia would end the war if Kiev was willing to surrender the territories in the east and south of the country that Moscow claims and occupies. In response to a question about how the Ukraine evaluates Trump's handling of the war, Yermak replied: "Honestly speaking: 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 available to Ukraine, in the near future, military aid in the amount of approximately 2.3 billion US dollars (around 2.14 billion Euros) to counter the Russian attack war in Ukraine. This was announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a visit by his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umjerow in Washington. The package approved by US President Joe Biden includes "additional air defense missiles, anti-tank weapons, and other important ammunition from US stocks," Austin explained. A "realignment of some foreign military deliveries" will also allow the USA to make available Munition for Patriot and other air defense systems "in an accelerated timeframe."
04:49 NATO expanding presence in KievThe NATO is expanding its civilian presence in the attacked Ukraine. A spokesperson confirmed that the 32 alliance members have decided to send a type of special envoys to the capital Kiev. The high-ranking official is to steer political and practical support of the alliance on site. The background is that the NATO intends to give the start signal for a new deployment at the upcoming summit in Washington for the coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces. 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 calls for release of GershkovichExperts of the United Nations are calling for 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 ministerThe 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 evaluated them as "very good", Vucic stated on Instagram. He also thanked Russia "for its support of Serbia's territorial integrity, as well as in regard to the UN Resolution on Srebrenica". Moscow still refuses to recognize Kosovo's independence. Serbia has been an EU membership candidate since 2012 but maintains good relations with the Kreml despite the Russian annexation of Crimea.
01:29 Russian court sentences 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 him guilty and sentenced him to a twelve-year term in a penal colony," says a comment from the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB, picked up by the state-controlled Kremlin media. The teenager is accused of sending 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 imprisoned. According to Amnesty International, at least 21,000 people were 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 percentage has risen since November last year, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center. According to the survey, 24% of respondents believe that the United States is not providing enough aid to Ukraine, compared to 18% in November 2023, when the survey was last conducted. However, more Americans (31%) believe that the United States is providing too much aid, and 25% 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 unspecified aircraft of the Russian airline Pobeda entered the airspace of the Baltic EU and NATO member illegally in the evening of June 30th and stayed there for approximately one minute, according to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry in Vilnius. The representative of the Russian embassy was summoned and the Russian authorities were urged to take all necessary measures 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 closed its airspace to Russian planes as a reaction to Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
22:12 Survey in Member States: High Trust in NATO, Low Trust in Zelenskyy
Coming Week, NATO Celebrates its 75-year Anniversary. In member states, the transatlantic defense alliance is viewed favorably, according to a Pew Research survey. On average in 13 countries, 63 percent of the population holds a positive opinion, while 33 percent hold a negative one. Germany stands out with 64 percent positive sentiment, just above the average. Exceptional is the assessment in Poland, where 91 percent hold a positive image of the alliance. The trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy averages 40 percent and has decreased in member states in the past year. Notably, Poland stands out, 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 Zelenskyy Rejects Orban's Peace Proposal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected a peace proposal from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for peace talks, according to the Presidential Press Office. During his first visit to Kiev since the war began, Orban suggested a rapid ceasefire that could "accelerate peace negotiations with Moscow," he said. "The president listened to him but clarified Ukraine's position and rejected the proposal," the press office stated. Previously, Kiev had rejected ceasefires, citing the concern that Russian forces could regroup during this time.
21:02 Ukraine: Moscow Recruits Minors
Russia is actively recruiting minors for the war in Ukraine, Ukraine claims. The recruitment contracts are reportedly signed with minors, taking effect upon 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 also employs minors, for instance, to manufacture drones.
You can read about previous developments here.
- Amidst the ongoing 'Attack on Ukraine' by Russia, NATO is expanding its civilian presence in Kiev with the aim of providing political and practical support to Ukraine's armed forces.
- The 'Ukraine conflict' has led to a significant financial aid influx into Ukraine, with over 80 billion Euro received since February 2022 from foreign partners.
- The Russian government has rejected any dialogue with former US President Donald Trump over Ukraine, stating that they are not engaged in such discussions.
- Ukrainian cyberwarfare capabilities have come under scrutiny, with reports suggesting that the Ukrainian army lacks sufficient hangars to protect all its fighter jets from Russian attacks.
- Volodymyr Selenskyy, the President of Ukraine, has rejected Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's peace proposal for talks to end the 'Ukraine conflict', citing concerns about Russian forces regrouping during a ceasefire.
