16:10 Ukraine thanks for Crimean Tatar translation tool

Google's Online Translator now includes Crimean Tatar as part of an extension for 110 new languages. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs publicly thanks Google for the initiative. Crimean Tatar is endangered in Ukraine due to the decreasing number of speakers. Mass deportations and repression waves against Crimean Tatars by the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union have significantly contributed to the decline. The illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 intensified the trend. Crimean Tatars on their homeland are subjected to persecution and deportation by the Russian occupiers.

15:29 EU imposes sanctions on BelarusThe EU imposes sanctions on Belarus due to its involvement in Russia's offensive war. This aims to make it harder for Russia to bypass the sanctions.

Export restrictions on goods and technologies for maritime transport, as well as luxury goods to Belarus
Expansion of the export ban on technology and goods that could contribute to increasing Belarusian industrial capacity
New export ban to Belarus for goods and technologies suitable for oil refining and gas liquefaction
Import ban from Belarus of gold, diamonds, helium, coal, and mineral products, including oil
Comprehensive ban on services for Belarus
Ban on goods transport in the EU for Belarusian trailers and semi-trailers

14:56 Ukraine's Foreign Minister aims to make war "impossible"Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba shares his goal for the post-war period during a podium discussion. "As we have learned from our own recent history and from the history of other regions, peace without justice leads to a new war," he said. "Therefore, the goal is not just to end the war, but to create a reality where peace is fair and lasting, and a new war is impossible. This will be the victory."

14:31 Belarus strengthens air defense at the Ukrainian borderBelarus, according to its own statements, strengthens its air defense at the border with Ukraine. The reason is an increase in Ukrainian drone activities in the area, the military of the close ally Russia reports. Additional air defense forces have been sent to the border to protect "critical infrastructure installations." The situation in the airspace over the border remains tense. The Defense Ministry reports that they have information that Ukraine has moved more troops, weapons, and military equipment to the northern region of Schytomyr, which borders Belarus.

13:52 Seehofer on Scholz's "No" to Taurus Deliveries for Ukraine: "Scholz's Behavior is Spot On"

Former Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer endorses Chancellor Olaf Scholz's "No" to Taurus Missile Deliveries to Ukraine. In an interview on the occasion of his 75th birthday in the "Augsburger Allgemeine," Seehofer, a CSU politician and former Bavarian Minister-President, stated, "I find Scholz's behavior exactly right - in the question of Taurus Deliveries." The CSU politician added that Scholz aimed to prevent escalation and work together with the Americans under all circumstances. "I have always considered that right, even though that is not the view in my party," said Seehofer regarding Scholz's stance on the Taurus issue. "This stance does not build the chance that, when the Ukrainians consider it right, they might try to end this horrible and brutal war of the Russians," said the CSU politician.

13:23 More Russia and China? Economists Warn Against New External Policy Course of the AfD

Economists warn against the intentions of influential AfD politicians to distance themselves from the EU and the US and to orient more strongly towards Russia and China. Oliver Holtemöller, Vice-President of the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research Halle, told "Handelsblatt," "A departure from the US and EU to cooperate more strongly with China could contribute significantly to political and economic uncertainty and also carry long-term risks." The President of the German Institute for Economic Research, Marcel Fratzscher, told the newspaper that orienting more strongly towards Russia and China would be the "biggest mistake" that Germany could make politically and economically.

12:58 Russia Claims Capture of Settlement in the Donezk Oblast

According to reports from Russian state media, the Russian military has taken control of the Ukrainian village of Schumy in the Donezk region. The state Russian news agency Ria, citing the Russian Defense Ministry, reported that the army had taken over the settlement near the city of Torezk. The announcement states that Ukrainian troops suffered 360 casualties. The claims cannot be independently verified.

12:38 Zelensky: Russian Attacks Have Destroyed 80 Percent of Ukraine's Thermal Energy and One-Third of Its Hydroelectric Power

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement to the British newspaper "Guardian," Russian attacks have destroyed 80 percent of Ukraine's thermal energy and one-third of its hydroelectric power. The report indicates that Russian attacks often targeted energy facilities and other essential infrastructure. The recent attack in Dnipro demonstrates, according to the Ukrainian head of state, that Ukraine requires more air defense systems. "Only sufficient quantities of high-quality air defense systems, only sufficient resolve from the entire world can stop Russian terror," said Zelensky.

12:25 Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba in Croatia for a Visit
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is in Croatia for a visit. He is participating in the 17. Dubrovnik Forum. According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the focus of the meeting will be on restoring peace and security in Ukraine and Europe, as well as the results of the first peace summit. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and EU Foreign Policy Chief Joseph Borrell are among those attending the meeting.

11:51 Military Economist: The War Could Be Over by the End of 2025 - "Time is Running Against Russia"
According to military economist Marcus Keupp, Russia may not be able to sustain the war against Ukraine for years to come. In an interview with the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung," he says that the Russian supply chain is expected to collapse by mid-2027 at the latest, and possibly even by the end of 2025. "That's the computational end, then the warehouses will be empty." Keupp bases his calculations on documented losses of the Russian army, which have been reported on open-source websites on the internet. According to his calculations, Russia has lost an average of four tanks per day since the start of the war. With only 300 to 500 new tanks produced annually, Moscow cannot sustain this indefinitely, says the military economist. Satellite images already show that old Soviet military bases are emptying out at a rapid pace throughout Russia, according to Keupp. "Russia is living off its reserves. It's basically on the dead legs of the Soviet Union." Keupp's conclusion: "Time is running against Russia." In his opinion, Russia's method of warfare is not sustainable. "Putin has the same problem as Hitler. His resources are melting away, he's stuck in the mud of the Soviet Union."

11:33 Draft Dodgers: Some Ukrainian Men Seek Help from Forgers
A new recruitment drive is underway in Ukraine to mobilize more soldiers for the fight against Russia. Therefore, some Ukrainian men are turning to online dealers and forgers to avoid the horrors of military service, according to the British newspaper "Guardian." It is expected that attempts to flee the country will also increase. Ukraine recently passed far-reaching mobilization measures that allow the military to call up more soldiers and impose stricter penalties for military desertion. In April, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a controversial law that lowers the draft age from 27 to 25. Anyone who refuses military service can lose their driver's license and access to their bank accounts. Property can also be confiscated.

11:04 Zelenskyy Releases Video of Reunions of War Prisoners with Their Families
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shared a video on his social media channels showing the moment when ten prisoners of war returned home from Russian captivity and reunited with their families.

10:36 Ukrainian police car in Sumy attacked by Russian droneIn the Sumy Oblast in northeastern Ukraine, a Ukrainian police car was attacked by a Russian drone. This was reported by the Ukrainian newspaper "Kyiv Post" citing the Ukrainian National Police. The policemen were not in the vehicle at the time of the attack but were nearby when they 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 Leichtathletik-Weltmeisterschaft. This was announced by the Ukrainian leader on his Facebook page. "We welcome the decisions made by World Athletics at the beginning of March 2022 to ban 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 Kherson regionRussian forces have shelled numerous towns and villages in the Kherson region, resulting in four deaths and ten injuries. 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. He added that Russian military attacked residential areas in the region and damaged several private houses. Businesses and a gas pipeline were also reportedly hit.

08:34 Governor of Kursk: Five dead in Ukrainian drone attack on border villageAccording to Russian reports, five people were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on a border village. The governor of the western Russian region of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, made the announcement on Telegram. "Two children under the age of seven were among the dead," Smirnov said. He added that two other family members were in critical condition. The drone reportedly crashed into a house in the small village of Gorodischtsche. Since the beginning 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 territory this year, targeting both Russian energy infrastructure and border towns and villages.

08:02 Kiev: Over 1000 Russian soldiers "eliminated"

According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's daily reports, 1070 Russian soldiers have died or are unable to continue fighting in the war as of one day ago. Since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022, a total of 541,560 Russian soldiers have reportedly been "eliminated." The Defense Ministry has announced that the enemy has also lost seven more tanks (8073). Since the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has counted over 15,500 armored vehicles and around 11,500 drones that are no longer in the possession of the Russian military or have been destroyed.

07:28 Russian attack: Fire department in Dnipro rescues man from buried car

Once again, Russian rockets have 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 suspected Russian agent

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has arrested another Russian agent. The man is accused of preparing a Russian breakthrough in the Donetsk region and spying on Ukrainian defense forces. According to the SBU press office, the man is a resident of Myrnohrad who works for a private security company. Russia reportedly became interested in the man as an active user of pro-Russian Telegram channels, where he allegedly published anti-Ukrainian comments.

06:34 Ukrainian Air Force: Ten Russian drones shot down at night

The Ukrainian air defense forces have shot down all ten 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 the past 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 are 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, according to the announcement.

04:59 Czech Republic preparing security agreements with Kiev

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on X that the Czech Republic will sign a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine during the EU summit in London on July 18. He had agreed with President Zelenskyy the day before to finalize the negotiations on the text of the Czech-Ukrainian security agreement before the NATO summit in Washington. The next NATO summit is scheduled for July 9-11. The Czech Republic will join 19 other countries, including the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, and the European Union, which have already signed similar bilateral agreements.

03:59 USA to deliver HAWK missiles to KievThe US government is set to provide weapons and ammunition worth $150 million to Ukraine, including HAWK air defense missiles and 155-millimeter artillery ammunition. Two unnamed US officials announced that the arms aid package is expected to be presented on Monday. The Biden administration is responding to Ukraine's desperate pleas for air defense support, following Russian air strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent weeks.

02:58 Report: Russian agents in Vienna implicated in assassination of helicopter pilot KusminowRussian agents based in Vienna are under suspicion for their involvement in the recruitment and financing of Russian operations, such as the assassination of the Russian military helicopter pilot Maxim Kusminow. He had defected to Ukraine and was living in Spain when he was found by the hit squad. The "Wall Street Journal" reports this with references to Western security sources. The killers, who shot him five times and then ran him over with a SUV, were criminals 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," a high-ranking Austrian intelligence officer told 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. Approximately half of them are diplomats and managers, while the other half function as spies.

01:58 Russia: Village north of Bachmut taken - Ukraine deniesAccording to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian military has taken control of the village of Rosdoliwka in eastern Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian military claims that heavy fighting is taking place in the areas around the settlement. Rosdoliwka is located in the Donetsk region, the epicenter of Russia's offensive in eastern Ukraine. It is located north of Bachmut and Soledar, two towns that fell under Russian control last year.

00:58 US Army awards Lockheed Martin $4.5 billion contractIn the US, 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, known as PAC-3 MSE, which equips the Patriot with the newest missiles. The Patriot system is part of a series of advanced air defense systems provided by the West to Ukraine.

23:58 More Olympic Starting Places for Russians - Judokas rejected

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) continues to invite more athletes from Russia and Belarus to the Summer Games in Paris. According to the IOC's announcement in the evening, 50 athletes from these two countries have been invited so far to compete under a neutral flag at the Olympics. However, not all these invitations have been accepted, some have already withdrawn. Some Judokas were rejected due to their affiliation with Army sports clubs. Out of the twelve quotas for Russian Judokas, only two will be allocated to men and women each - whether the four accept the invitation is open.

22:59 Ten Ukrainians Return from Russian Captivity

Ten Ukrainian civilians have returned home from Russian captivity, as reported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in social media on Friday. Among the freed prisoners is Nariman Dzheljal, a leader of the Crimean Tatars. The Vatican played a role in their release, according to Zelenskyy. Dzheljal was arrested in 2021, before the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, on the Crimean Peninsula, which has been under Russian control since 2014. He was later sentenced to 17 years in prison.

22:30 Lithuania's Foreign Minister: Kallas Nomination Acknowledges Stance on Russia

Lithuania has welcomed the nomination of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the new EU Foreign Policy Chief. Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis speaks of recognition of the stance of the Baltic States and other countries at the NATO Eastern Flank, which have consistently taken a firm stance against Russia and supported Ukraine until its victory. "She has never hidden her position, she has clearly and openly expressed her views on issues that are important to us," Landsbergis told the BNS agency in Vilnius about Kallas. Kallas was appointed as the EU 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 supporter of a resolute Western stance towards Moscow.

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 forces 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," Baerbock said during a talk by RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), NDR and "Hannoverscher Allgemeine Zeitung". "That's why the support efforts for Ukraine are the best protection for our own peace and our own security." Baerbock referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Naturally, one can discuss whether the billions in aid for Ukraine should be used differently, Baerbock says. But in this case, she has to admit: "I don't know how long we can continue sleeping peacefully here in Brandenburg, right at the border with Poland." There are "light tests" everywhere at the EU border and the NATO external border by Russia. "Every reasonable person in the world, in Europe and in Ukraine" wishes nothing more ardently than peace in Ukraine. But that lies with Putin. "For that reason, Putin must withdraw his troops and finally put an end to this killing." Instead, his answer is "always more violence and terror."

You can read about previous developments here.

The EU Sanctions on Belarus also affect Russia's ability to bypass sanctions due to their close alliance.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has impacted politics, with NATO supporting Ukraine and expressing concern over Russian military operations.
Volodymyr Selensky, the Ukrainian President, has condemned cyberwar attacks from Russia during the conflict.
Cyberwarfare has become a part of the Ukraine conflict, as Russia is accused of conducting attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
The Ukraine conflict has also led to increased tensions between Russia and the West, with concerns over possible escalations and attacks on other countries.