12:24 Ukraine: 5 dead after attack on Dnipro
The number of victims in the Russian attack on Dnipro increases, according to Ukrainian reports, to 4. At least 34 people were injured, among them a 14-year-old girl. The attack reportedly took place with rockets and drones, causing several explosions and fires in the city. Reports indicate that a shopping mall and a weapons factory were hit.
11:31 Ukraine receives additional two billion from the IWF
Financially stricken Ukraine has received an additional tranche of over two billion Euro from the International Monetary Fund (IWF). The money is part of an ongoing credit program worth around 15 billion Euro. The money will be used by the government, according to Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal, mainly for social aid and salaries of state employees, including doctors and teachers. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has received over 80 billion Euro in foreign aid in the form of household budget support.
11:01 Military base in Russian Kursk on fire
Videos from the Russian city of Kursk show a large smoke cloud over the city. A Ukrainian attack is said to have set several vehicles on fire on a military base in the city center. The regional governor has confirmed a fire in the city.
10:40 Multiple civilians killed in Russian attacks
Russian troops reportedly shot at the village of Borova in the Charkiw region overnight. The Military Administration of Charkiw reports on Telegram that a 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.
10:19 Kremlin: No talks with Trump about Ukraine
Russia, according to Kremlin statements, is not in dialogue with former US President Donald Trump about Ukraine. The news agency Interfax reports this based on a spokesperson for the Russian Presidium. Trump had announced during a TV duel with President Joe Biden in the past week 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 fighter jets
According to a report in the Ukrainian "Defense Express," the Ukrainian army does not have sufficient hangars to protect all its fighter jets from Russian attacks. The newspaper reports that a military airbase in the Poltawa region does not have sufficient large hangar spaces for Su-27 fighter jets. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has confirmed that the country lacks hangars to protect all its fighter jets. Russian media have released footage of a recent air raid on the airfield, showing several damaged Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jets in the open.
09:16 Defense Committee approves purchase of 105 Leopard-2A8 tanks
The Defense Committee of the Bundestag will approve the purchase of 105 Leopard-2A8 battle tanks today. "We are solving 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 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, according to its own reports, repelled attacks by two unmanned Ukrainian explosive boats on the seaport of Novorossijsk. The drone boats were destroyed in the Black Sea, according to the Defense Ministry. In Novorossijsk, there is a large seaport of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Russia has stationed many of its warships used in the conflict against Ukraine there after the Ukrainian forces attacked the Crimean ports. The authorities in Novorossijsk urged people to stay in their homes and apartments in the night.
08:21 Majority of Ukrainians feel unity in society
According to a nationwide survey conducted on July 2, 44% of Ukrainians believe that Ukrainian society is united at present, according to the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS). A smaller portion of interviewees, 15%, consider Ukrainian society to be divided. Corruption is named as the main problem, followed by language issues. Unfairness during the war, collaboration and pro-Russian sentiment are also identified as factors contributing to division within society.
07:55 Kremlin: Ten Ukrainian attack drones shot down
Russia claims to have 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, according to the Defense Ministry on Telegram. In addition, two Ukrainian reconnaissance drones were destroyed that had approached the Noworossijsk seaport in the Krasnodar region.
07:20 Ukrainian General Staff: almost 1200 Russian losses yesterday
The Ukrainian General Staff reports 1180 losses on the Russian side in the past 24 hours. In addition, 16 tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 57 artillery systems, and 63 tank and other vehicles were destroyed. Two Russian air defense systems and a missile were also reportedly destroyed by the Ukrainians. The number of dead or wounded soldiers on the Russian side, according to the General Staff, has exceeded 546,000 since the full-scale invasion began.
06:48 Putin arrives at the 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. The two-day event in the capital Astana will focus on issues of regional security, defense, and cooperation. The heads of state and government of the SOZ member states will discuss "the current situation and prospects for further deepening of multifaceted cooperation," Moscow reports. Putin is reportedly planning 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 continues to reject territorial concessions to Putin
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 ready to make compromises on important things and values," Yermak said to journalists during a visit to Washington. He named "independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty." Yermak reacted to statements by Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump, who claimed he could quickly end the conflict. The Ukrainian government is open to advice, however, to achieve a "just peace." Trump said during the television debate that he would not accept Putin's conditions. Putin had stated that Russia would end the war if Kiev were willing to surrender the territories claimed and occupied by Moscow in the east and south of the country. Regarding Ukraine's assessment of Trump's handling of 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 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 help Ukraine counter the Russian aggression. This was announced by US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin during a visit by his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umjeróv in Washington. The package, authorized by US President Joe Biden, includes "additional surface-to-air missiles, anti-tank weapons, and other important ammunition from US stocks," Austin explained. The "realignment of certain foreign military sales deliveries" will also enable the USA to provide Patriot and other air defense systems "on an accelerated timeline."
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 NATO intends to give the green light 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 get the new NATO position in Kiev is still unknown.
03:42 UN calls for release of Gershkovich
Experts 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 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 evaluated them as "very good". 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 the man guilty and sentenced him to a twelve-year sentence in a penal colony", it says in a comment from the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB, which was taken up by the state-controlled 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 the target of repression 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 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 to Ukraine, 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 all 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: 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 Pew Research survey. On average in 13 countries, 63% of the population holds a positive opinion, while 33% have a negative one. Germany is slightly above the average with 64% positive sentiment. The best rating comes from Poland, where 91% have a positive image of the alliance. The trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stands at an average of 40% and has decreased in the member states in the past year. Notable is Poland, where the president's approval rating has dropped from 70% to 48%. In Germany, trust has decreased by 7 percentage points to 54%.
21:27 Zelensky rejects Orban's peace proposalUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected a peace proposal from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for peace talks with Moscow. During his first visit to Kiev since the war began, Orbán suggested a rapid ceasefire that could "accelerate peace negotiations with Moscow," he said. "The president listened, but as a response, he clarified Ukraine's stance and rejected the proposal," said a spokesperson for the Presidential Administration. Previously, Kiev had also rejected ceasefires, citing the concern that Russian forces could regroup during this time.
21:02 Ukraine: Moscow recruits minorsRussia is actively recruiting minors for the war in Ukraine, Ukraine claims. The recruitment contracts are allegedly signed with minors, and they take 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 earlier developments here.
- The Kremlin has rejected any talks with former US President Donald Trump about resolving the Ukraine conflict, according to Interfax.
- Russian troops reportedly attacked Borova in the Charkiw region overnight, killing a man and injuring two others.
- The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has confirmed that the country lacks hangars to protect all its fighter jets from Russian attacks.
- Cyberwar experts have warned of increased Russian cyber attacks on Ukraine, including attacks on critical infrastructure.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated Ukraine's stance that it will not make territorial concessions to Russia to end the war.
