15:34 Video: Russians report massive Ukrainian drone attack
Ukraine attacks Noworossiysk, according to Russian reports, with threats from the air and water. The Russian Defense Ministry reports the shooting down of twelve objects. Fire and explosions illuminate the night sky over the Black Sea port city at the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains.
15:02 Poll: Ukrainians see Germany as conditionally reliable, fear US negotiations with Moscow
According to a survey conducted nearly two and a half years into the war, almost half of Ukrainians in a poll conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations expressed concern that the United States could negotiate a peace plan with Russia behind their backs. Forty-seven percent held this worry, while forty-nine percent had little or no concern. The views of Ukrainians towards their allied partners in the defense war against Russia vary by country. Eighty-four percent view Britain as reliable or somewhat reliable, the highest percentage. Seventy-six percent felt the same about Germany, but only nineteen percent considered Berlin's support very reliable.
14:23 Scholz: Germany will not be a war party in the future
During the Bundestag government questioning, the issue of Ukraine also came up. When Left party deputy Gesine Lötzsch asks if Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz would give the people "the guarantee" that Germany would not become a war party, Scholz replied: "Yes, I give that guarantee. I am the Chancellor." When asked about when a ceasefire could be reached, Scholz responded: "From my perspective, a ceasefire that aims for Ukraine's capitulation is one we cannot support from Germany." This is not an abstract question, as one can see from Putin's 'peace offering.' Putin has stated that he is open to a ceasefire 'if Ukraine also gives away some more territories for free on top of that.' This shows 'how cynically they think and that the Russian president does not at all intend to end his aggressive war.' Putin speaks only of peace negotiations to continue the war. "We will not tolerate that," Scholz assured.
13:55 International Criminal Court investigates torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating the torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians in detention facilities in the previously occupied territories and in Russia, according to the Ukrainian news agency "Ukrinform." The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office is working with the ICC on this matter. Ukrainian photographers Kostiantyn and Vlada Librov show on Instagram photos of Ukrainian soldiers who had been taken prisoner by the Russians and had since been freed. "This was the most difficult shooting of the last six months," the photographers wrote afterwards.
13:19 Russian postal workers to replace doctors in rural areas
Due to a shortage of medical personnel in rural areas, postal workers in some regions of Russia are now taking on medical tasks. This was reported by the "Moscow Times" on Telegram. In rural post offices, medical stations and maternity wards are being set up. Postal workers are supposed to diagnose and perform various medical interventions. Russian publicist Alexander Nevzorov described the practice as a return to the Middle Ages in an article in the "Kyiv Post."
12:58 NATO countries: No agreement on multi-year Ukraine aidNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg failed in his attempt to secure long-term commitments from NATO members for military aid to Ukraine. The 32 allies could only agree, in the lead-up to the Washington summit, to provide support in the amount of at least 40 billion Euros within the next year. This is reported by the German Press Agency and refers to statements from several delegations.
12:24 Ukraine: Five dead after Dnipro attackThe number of casualties from the Russian attack on Dnipro has increased to at least five, according to Ukrainian reports. At least 39 people were injured, including a 14-year-old girl. The attack reportedly occurred 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 IMFFinancially stricken Ukraine has received an additional over two billion Euros from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This money is part of an ongoing credit program worth around 15 billion Euros. The money will be used primarily for social welfare and salaries of public servants, including doctors and teachers, according to Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has reportedly received over 80 billion Euros in aid from foreign partners in the form of budgetary assistance.
11:01 Military base in Russian Kursk on fireVideos 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 at a military base in the city center. The regional governor has confirmed a fire in the city center.
10:40 Multiple civilians killed in Russian attacksRussian troops reportedly shot at the village of Borova in the Charkiw region overnight. The Military Administration of Charkiw reported this on Telegram. According to their reports, 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.
10:19 Kremlin: No dialogue with Trump over UkraineAccording to Kremlin statements, Russia is not in dialogue with former US President Donald Trump over Ukraine. This is reported by the Interfax news agency, citing a spokesperson for the Russian Presidential Administration. Trump had stated during a recent TV debate with President Joe Biden 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 Combat jetsAccording to a report by the Ukrainian "Defense Express", the Ukrainian army does not have sufficient Hangars to shield all their fighter jets from Russian attacks. The newspaper reports that a military airbase in the Poltava Oblast lacks sufficient large Hangar spaces for Su-27 combat jets. Therefore, Russia has released images of a recent air raid on the airfield, in which several Ukrainian Su-27 aircraft are seen damaged in the open. The Ukraine is lacking Hangars to shield all the fighters.
09:16 Defense Committee approves purchase of 105 Leopard-2A8 TankThe Defense Committee of the German Bundestag is set to approve the purchase of 105 Leopard-2A8 combat 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 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 conglomerate KNDS is set to deliver the tanks to the Bundeswehr by 2030.
08:44 Russia: Ukrainian attack on Black Sea port repelledRussia claims to have repelled attacks by two unmanned Ukrainian explosive boats on the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The Defense Ministry reports that the drone boats were destroyed in the Black Sea. In Novorossiysk lies a large port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. There, Russia has stationed many of its warships used in the conflict against Ukraine, after the Ukrainian forces attacked the ports on the Crimean peninsula. The Ministry does not comment on possible damages. The authorities in Novorossiysk urged people to stay in their homes and buildings during the night.
08:21 Majority of Ukrainians feel unity in societyForty-four percent of Ukrainians believe that Ukrainian society is currently united, according to the results of a nationwide survey conducted on July 2nd by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS). A smaller portion, 15 percent, consider Ukrainian society divided at present. Corruption is identified as the main problem, followed by language issues. Injustices during the war, collaboration and Russophile sentiments are also seen as factors contributing to the division within the society.
07:55 Kremlin: Ten Ukrainian attack drones destroyed over Russian territoryRussia 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, the Defense Ministry reports on Telegram. Additionally, two Ukrainian seed drones were destroyed that had been heading towards the Noworossijsk port in the Krasnodar region.
07:20 Ukrainian General Staff: nearly 1200 Russian casualties yesterday
The Ukrainian General Staff reports 1,180 casualties on the Russian side in the past 24 hours. Accordingly, 16 tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 57 artillery systems, and 63 other tanks and vehicles were destroyed. Two Russian air defense systems were allegedly 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 Kazakhstan
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kazakhstan, according to Kremlin reports. He is participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana. During the two-day conference, 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," Moscow reports. 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 again
Ukraine continues to reject territorial concessions to Russia to end the war, according to the words of Andrij Yermak, chief of staff of the Ukrainian president. "We are not willing 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 is reacting to statements from Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump, who claimed he could end the conflict quickly. 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 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. Regarding the Ukrainian assessment of Trump's approach to the war, Yermak said: "Honestly, I don't know. We'll see."
05:42 USA provides new military aid to Ukraine
The Ukrainian military urgently needs supplies. The USA will make available to Ukraine in the near future additional military aid in the amount of approximately 2.3 billion US dollars (about 2.14 billion Euros) to counter the Russian attack. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced this during a visit to his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umjero in Washington. The package Biden authorized includes "additional air defense missiles, armored personnel carriers, and other important ammunition from US stocks," Austin explained. A "realignment of some foreign military deliveries" will also make it possible for the USA to provide Munition for Patriot and other air defense systems "in an accelerated timeframe."
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 expected to oversee political and practical support for 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 purpose is to be built in Wiesbaden. Who will receive the new NATO position in Kiev is still unknown.
03:42 UN calls for release of Gershkovich
Experts from the United Nations have called 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
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 assessed them as "very good", Vucic said on Instagram. 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 maintains 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 man to twelve years in prison for "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 sentence in a penal colony," says a comment from the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB, which was taken up by state 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 targets 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 poll 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 the violation of its airspace by a Russian aircraft. The unspecified machine of the Russian airline Pobeda is said to have 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 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: Great trust in NATO, in Zelenskyy notNext 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% of the population have a positive opinion, 33% a negative. Germany is slightly above the average with 64% positive views. The evaluation in Poland stands out: 91% have a positive image there. The trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is, on average, at 40% and has decreased in the member states last year. Poland also stands out, where the head of state has lost 22 percentage points - from 70 to 48%. In Germany, trust has decreased by 7 percentage points to 54%.
21:27 Zelenskyy rejects Orban's peace proposalUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected a peace proposal from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for peace negotiations. During his first visit to Kiev since the start of the war, Orbán proposed a rapid ceasefire. "This could accelerate peace negotiations with Moscow," he said. "The President listened, but in response made clear the position of Ukraine and rejected the proposal," said a spokesperson for the Presidential Administration. Kiev had already rejected ceasefires, citing the possibility that Russian forces could regroup during this time.
21:02 Ukraine: Moscow recruits minorsRussia is actively recruiting minors for the war in Ukraine, according to Ukraine. The recruitment contracts are reportedly signed with minors and take effect upon reaching adulthood. "They hope to recruit tens of 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 example, to manufacture drones.
- The Russian Defense Ministry claims the shooting down of twelve objects during Ukraine's attack on Noworossiysk.
- According to a poll, almost half of Ukrainians are concerned that the United States could negotiate a peace plan with Russia behind their backs.
- During a Bundestag government questioning, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz guarantees that Germany will not become a war party in the future and expresses opposition to a ceasefire aimed at Ukraine's capitulation.
- The International Criminal Court is investigating the torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians in detention facilities in previously occupied territories and in Russia.
- NATO countries have agreed to provide military aid to Ukraine in the amount of at least 40 billion Euros within the next year, but failed to secure long-term commitments for multi-year aid.
