15:20 Estonia delivers several Mistral systems
Ukraine receives new air defense system from EstoniaThe Ukrainian country is getting a new air defense system this time from Estonia. The country attacked by Russia has already received several short-range anti-aircraft missile systems along with ammunition, according to the Estonian Defense Ministry. This is a French-made system with a range of six kilometers that is supposed to provide protection against low-flying helicopters and airplanes.
14:44 Turkey proposes "Peace Platform"The Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made a new proposal for peace in Ukraine. According to a Turkish newspaper, a "Peace Platform" could expand efforts to end the war. "A Peace Platform that prevents deepening polarization, has a wide participation and representation, and prioritizes diplomacy should be established," he reportedly said. He did not provide details. Previously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had also offered to help mediate an end to the war at an international summit in Kazakhstan. Russia rejected this.
13:53 Russia reports capture of additional settlement in DonetskRussian troops, according to Moscow's announcement, have taken control of another settlement in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. The approximately 30 kilometer northwest of the city of Donetsk located village of Sokil was "liberated," the Russian Defense Ministry said. The region of Donetsk, along with Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, is one of the Ukrainian regions that Moscow declared annexed in September 2022. According to Ukrainian reports, the fiercest fighting along the entire front line is currently taking place in the region.
13:40 Le Pen: No French long-range weapons on targets in RussiaMarine Le Pen, the leader of the right-wing National Rally (RN), announced that in the event of an RN election victory, French long-range weapons would not be allowed to be used for attacks on Russia. She made this statement in an interview with the US broadcaster CNN. Her party would also not allow French troops to be stationed in Ukraine, which French President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out. "If Emmanuel Macron wants to send troops to Ukraine and the prime minister is against it, then there will be no troops in Ukraine," Le Pen said. The only red line, according to her, is to prevent France from becoming a warring party. The French are voting for their parliament tomorrow.
12:49 ISW: Putin confirms goal of destroying Ukraine as a stateDuring a visit by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin again rejected the idea of a negotiated ceasefire. According to the US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Putin instead aims for an end to the war that erases Ukraine's sovereignty as a state. Among the conditions for peace talks Putin demands are the cession of significant Ukrainian territories to Russia and the complete surrender of the Ukrainian military.
12:30 Ukraine: Half of power generation capacity lost due to Russian attacksThe Ukraine has lost more than half of its power generation capacity, as reported by the EU ambassador in a Financial Times report in June, due to Russian attacks on critical infrastructure. This was revealed in a comparison of the current situation with the pre-war period. The hostile attacks of the past three months have reportedly reduced the country's power generation by nine Gigawatts - approximately half of what was required for the country's power grid in the previous winter. There is a risk that Ukraine may not have electricity, and possibly also heating and water, during the upcoming winter.
11:58 Ukrainian General Staff: 139 battles yesterdayThe Ukrainian General Staff reported 139 battles at the frontlines in their daily report for the past 24 hours. Most of these took place in the Pokrowsk sector in the Donetsk Oblast in the southeast of Ukraine. The army recorded six rocket attacks and 55 air raids with 72 guided bombs, as well as over 3000 attacks using grenades. In the northern region around Kharkiv, Russian troops also used combat jets.
11:22 Ukraine calls for Olympic ban for Russian athletes supporting the warUkraine is calling for Russian athletes to be excluded from the Olympics in Paris if they are found to be supporting the military. The International Olympic Committee decided in December that Russian and Belarusian athletes could participate as "neutral athletes" if they met strict participation conditions. They were not allowed to participate in teams, present flags, or anything else associated with their home country. The Ukrainian Olympic Committee now reports that some Russian athletes who have qualified for the Olympics have been found to support the Ukrainian war and Putin's politics on the internet. Some athletes have also participated in propaganda tournaments.
10:52 Ukraine: 12 civilians killed by Russian attacksThe Russian army reportedly dropped 19 bombs on the Charkiw region, according to the head of the military administration in the Charkiw region, as reported by the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. Three people were reportedly killed and six others were injured. Eleven civilians were reportedly killed in the Donetsk Oblast and 43 were injured.
10:08 Ukrainian General Staff: 1260 Russian losses since yesterdayThe Ukrainian General Staff reported 1260 losses among Russian soldiers for the past 24 hours. According to Ukrainian sources, the total number of Russian soldiers killed and injured since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022 is approximately 547,000. In addition, since yesterday, eleven tanks, 58 drones, 18 armored vehicles, and nine Russian missile systems were reportedly destroyed, as well as 66 artillery systems.
09:29 It could happen that way if Putin attacks the Baltic regionSecurity experts consider a Russian attack on the Baltic region in the next few years to be possibly to realistic. NATO assures its members of support, but the alliance's solidarity leaves room for different reactions from other states. How could an attack on NATO's northern flank unfold?
09:11 NATO summit brings news of F-16 jets for UkraineDuring the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, Ukraine can expect new statements regarding the delivery of F-16 fighter jets. This was announced by a high-ranking US government official during a briefing. The training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s has reportedly made significant progress. The Ukrainian army is still waiting for the first jets to arrive. The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium have pledged to provide them.
08:30 One-third of Russians support atomic attack on UkraineAccording to an opinion poll presented by Russian propagandist Sergey Mardan on Russian state television, one-third of the Russian population is in favor of attacking Ukraine with atomic weapons. They align themselves with Vladimir Solovyov, who constantly calls for the use of atomic weapons in the Ukrainian conflict. In the Russian nightlife, patriotism is on the rise. Russian artists are making clear patriotic appeals.
08:17 AfD welcomes Orban's visit to PutinThe AfD welcomes the criticized Ukraine talks between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Hungary is taking the lead and speaking with both direct conflict parties from the first day of its EU presidency," explains the foreign policy spokesperson of the faction, Matthias Moosdorf. "The AfD-faction welcomes the fact that, on the highest European level, the possibilities of a ceasefire with the goal of peace talks are being prioritized." He refers to the "EU and its personnel" as warmongers.
07:52 Ukraine: Invaders threaten to deport Ukrainians without Russian passportsIn the occupied territories of Ukraine, the Russians are reportedly threatening to deport residents without Russian passports, according to Ukrainian sources. The National Resistance Center reports that the occupiers have used this practice before. "The occupiers take people to the checkpoint and expel them from their homeland," the resistance center shares. In some cases, people are reportedly forced to obtain passports. During the latest raids in the south, residents were allegedly threatened with deportation and confiscation of their property.
07:19 SPD expert calls for more money for defense
Members of the German government are expressing concerns over the financing of the Bundeswehr in light of the agreement on the federal budget 2025. The troops must procure weapons and ammunition, which they hand over to Ukraine, from their own budget. SPD budget expert Andreas Schwarz spoke of a "disappointing figure" in response to the meager increase in defense spending of only 1.2 billion euros. This does not meet "what we need in the defense sector," Schwarz told the "Tagesspiegel." The president of the Reservists' Association, Patrick Sensburg, also stated that this would make Germany "not war-ready."
06:37 Ukraine: Drones attacked Belgorod, Russia
In drone attacks on the Russian city of Shebekino in the Belgorod Oblast, several buildings, vehicles, and an industrial plant were damaged, and one person was injured, according to the local governor. At least 11 houses were damaged, power lines in the community were damaged, as well as social infrastructure.
06:10 Zelensky thanks new British prime minister
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for his support for Ukraine. "I am grateful to Keir Starmer for his assurance that the United Kingdom's support for Ukraine remains unchanged in principle," Zelensky wrote on Telegram. He and Starmer had aligned their positions ahead of the NATO summit in the coming week. According to a high-ranking US official, NATO will present a "bridge to membership" for Ukraine at the meeting in Washington.
03:45 Burning oil depots after drone attack in Russia
Ukrainian drones reportedly attacked several areas in the Russian region of Krasnodar during the night. According to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, debris from a downed drone damaged a mobile phone mast in Jeisk. In other places, several fuel tanks were reported to have caught fire. There were no reported injuries.
02:07 Sumy without water and power due to drone attacks
According to local authorities, Russian drone attacks have disrupted the water and power supply in the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy. The public broadcaster Suspilne reported a series of explosions in the city. The Sumy region is almost daily targeted by Russian positions across the border.
00:28 Eight people killed, 28 injured in Russian attacks in Eastern Ukraine
According to Ukrainian reports, eight people were killed and at least 28 were injured in Russian attacks in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. "Every city and every village in the Donetsk region is constantly threatened by enemy attacks," Governor Wadym Filaschkin wrote on Telegram. Independent of this, Russian troops had dropped three guided bombs on the further southwest located village of Komar, killing a 32-year-old woman and injuring twenty more people. Thirteen private houses, four businesses, two residential buildings, and two infrastructure facilities were damaged in the attack.
23:16 Starmer confirms "unwavering" support for Biden on UkraineBritain's new Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed Britain's "unlimited" support for Ukraine in its war against Russia during his first phone call with US President Joe Biden. The two leaders reaffirmed their "unwavering commitment to Ukraine" and Starmer emphasized that "the UK fully supports Ukraine," according to a statement from Starmer's office just hours after his swearing-in.
21:49 US cancels military drills with GeorgiaThe US is canceling planned joint military drills with Georgia amid tensions with the Georgian government. The US military participation in the scheduled "Noble Partner" exercises, originally set for July 25 to August 6, is "suspended indefinitely," the US Defense Department announced. The background is "baseless accusations" from the Georgian government. The Pentagon refers to statements that the US pressured Georgia to go to war with Russia and was involved in "two coup attempts" against the government.
20:35 Insider: Hungary cancels planned meeting with BaerbockThe planned Monday trip of Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to Budapest is not taking place. The Hungarian side suddenly canceled the meeting with Baerbock, according to the Foreign Office.
21:20 Zelensky thanks Germany for third Patriot systemUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanks Germany for the delivery of the third Patriot air defense system. "This is great news," says Zelensky in his evening video message. He also thanks the US for further steps to strengthen Ukrainian air defense. He does not provide details, but says that the country's partners have fulfilled their commitments. "Ukraine has already shown that it has no Russian rockets that we cannot shoot down," says Zelensky. The country is doing everything to ensure that Russian terror ends.
20:48 NATO expert: "We must bring down Russia"NATO expert Stefanie Babst calls for a more decisive approach by the defense alliance against Russia. "We can only keep up with this adversary by bringing down the Russian regime. And not just drive it out of Ukraine, but reduce its influence in its area of operations so that it no longer exerts its toxic influence in Europe," Babst said in the t-online Tagesanbruch podcast. For this, more decisive action is needed. "We look at Putin like Lord Voldemort and are afraid that he will pull out his wand. We need to get rid of this notion," Babst appeals. The 60-year-old is a former leading staff member of the NATO International Staff.
20:15 Kreml not optimistic after Labour victory in Britain
The Russian leadership does not expect any changes in the strained relations between Moscow and London following the Labour Party's victory in Britain. The Kreml is "not optimistic" according to its spokesperson Dmitri Peskov in Moscow. "Based on their previous statements, they do not lean towards any flexibility or creativity to normalize the bilateral Russian-British relations."
You can read about previous developments here.
- Despite the ongoing Ukraine conflict, Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan proposed a "Peace Platform" to end the war, prioritizing diplomacy and preventing polarization.
- Russia reported capturing another settlement in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, Sokil, which is one of the regions Moscow declared annexed in September 2022.
- Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally in France, stated that in case of an RN election victory, French long-range weapons would not be used to attack Russia or for stationing troops in Ukraine.
- The Ukrainian General Staff reported 139 battles at the frontlines in the past 24 hours, with the majority taking place in the Pokrowsk sector in the Donetsk Oblast.
- Russia has been accused of dropping bombs on the Charkiw region in Ukraine, leading to the deaths of 11 civilians in Donetsk Oblast and 6 others in the Charkiw region, according to Ukrainian reports.
