16:10 Ukraine thanks for Crimean Tatar translation tool
Google's Online Translator now includes Crimean Tatar as part of an extension with 110 new languages. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs publicly thanks Google for this 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 this trend. The illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 intensified it. Crimean Tatars on their home peninsula 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 aggression war. This aims to make it harder for Russia to bypass the sanctions.
- Export restrictions on goods and technologies for shipping, 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 semitrailers
14:56 Ukraine's Foreign Minister aims to make war "impossible"Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, during a podium discussion, states the goal for the post-war period. "As we have learned from our own recent history and 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 just and lasting, and a new war is impossible. This will be the victory."
14:31 Belarus strengthens air defense at border with UkraineBelarus, according to its own statements, strengthens its air defense at the border with Ukraine. The reason is an increase in Ukrainian drone activities in that 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 it has 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 Exactly Right in This Point"
Former Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer endorses Chancellor Olaf Scholz's "No" to delivering Taurus Missile Systems 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, said, "I find Scholz's behavior exactly right - in the question of Taurus deliveries." The Chancellor aimed to prevent escalation and work together with the Americans under all circumstances. "I have always considered that to be right, even though that is not the view in my party," Seehofer added regarding Scholz's stance on the Taurus issue. "This stance does not make use of 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 Foreign Policy Course of the AfD
Economists warn against the intentions of influential AfD politicians to distance themselves from the EU and the US and align more closely with Russia and China. "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," said Oliver Holtemöller, Vice-President of the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research Halle, to "Handelsblatt." The President of the German Institute for Economic Research, Marcel Fratzscher, told the newspaper that aligning more closely with Russia and China would be the "biggest mistake" that Germany could make politically and economically.
12:58 Russia Claims Capture of Village 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 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% of Ukraine's Thermal Energy and One-Third of Its Hydroelectric Power
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian attacks have destroyed 80% of Ukraine's thermal energy and one-third of its hydroelectric power. The British newspaper "Guardian" reported this. Russian attacks often targeted energy facilities and other essential infrastructure. The recent attack in Dnipro shows, according to the Ukrainian head of state, that Ukraine needs more air defense systems. "Only sufficient quantities of high-quality air defense systems, only sufficient determination from the whole 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 is expected to be on the restoration of 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 states 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 four tanks per day since the start of the war. Since only 300 to 500 new tanks can be built annually, Moscow cannot sustain this indefinitely, says the military economist. Satellite images already show that old Soviet military bases are emptying out at a massive rate throughout Russia, according to Keupp. "Russia is living off its reserves. It is essentially 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, and he's stuck in the mud of the Soviet Union."
11:33 Draft Evasion: 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 horror 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, which allow the military to call up more soldiers and impose stricter penalties for draft evasion. Volodymyr Zelensky signed a controversial law in April 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 Zelensky Releases Video of Reunited War Prisoners with Their Families
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has released a video showing the moment when ten prisoners of war returned home from Russian captivity and were reunited with their families. He shared the recording on his social media channels.
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 the President of the World Athletics Championships, Sebastian Coe. This was announced by the Ukrainian head of state 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 the deaths of four people and injuries to ten others. 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, including two children, were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on a border village. This was announced by the governor of the western Russian region of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, on Telegram. "Two other family members are in a critical condition", Smirnov added. 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 a range of several hundred kilometers. The Ukrainian army has expanded its drone attacks on Russian territory this year, targeting not only Russian energy infrastructure but also 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 announced in its daily reports that the enemy had 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 struck a Ukrainian residential area. The latest attack on the city of Dnipro resulted in at least one fatality, with injured parties including a seven-month-old baby. A man was buried under the rubble in his car.
07:06 Ukrainian military positions monitored: SBU arrests suspected Russian agent
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has apprehended another Russian agent. The man is alleged to have prepared a Russian breakthrough in the Donetsk region and to have spied on Ukrainian defense forces. According to the SBU press office, the suspect is a resident of Myrnohrad who works for a private security company. Russia reportedly took notice of the man as an active user of pro-Russian Telegram channels, where he is said to have 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 Russian drones launched 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 General Staff's situation report 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 prepares 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. Fiala stated that he had agreed with President Zelenskyy the previous day to finalize the negotiations on the text of the Czech-Ukrainian security agreement before the NATO summit in Washington, which 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 have announced that the weapons aid package is expected to be presented on Monday. The Biden administration is responding to Ukraine's desperate pleas for support in air defense, as Russia has bombarded Ukrainian energy facilities with air strikes 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 recruiting and financing Russian operations, such as the assassination of the Russian military helicopter pilot Maxim Kusminow. He had defected to the 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 circles. The killers, who shot him five times and then ran him over with a SUV, were criminals who were paid in cash provided by Russian officials in Vienna, according to the paper. "We are now becoming a burden for our neighbors, as Russia uses us as an operational base," says a high-ranking Austrian intelligence officer to 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 past two years. About half of them are diplomats and managers, while the other half function as spies.
01:58 Russia: Town north of Bachmut taken - Ukraine deniesAccording to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian military has taken control of the town 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 advance in eastern Ukraine. It is located north of Bachmut and Soledar, two towns that Russia captured 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. The Patriot system is part of a series of advanced air defense systems that the West provides 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 the two countries have been invited so far to compete under a neutral flag at the Olympics. However, not all of these invitations have been accepted, some have already declined. 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 - it remains to be seen if the four will accept the invitation.
22:59 Ten Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity
Ten Ukrainian civilians have returned home from Russian captivity, according to reports from Kiev. Among the released prisoners is Nariman Djeljal, a leader of the Crimean Tatars, writes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in social media on Friday. He thanks the Vatican for its mediation in the release of the civilians. Djeljal was arrested in Crimea in 2021, before the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and 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 an acknowledgement of the views of the Baltic States and other countries on the NATO eastern flank, who have 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 a guarantee of 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 along the EU border and the NATO outer border from 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 all previous developments here.
- The Ukraine conflict continues to escalate with regular military operations and reports of cyberwarfare attacks.
- The political situation in Ukraine remains tense as President Volodymyr Selensky calls for more military aid and support from NATO.
- Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to an attack on Ukraine's critical infrastructure, with reports of 80% thermal energy and one-third of hydroelectric power being destroyed.
- The EU imposes sanctions on Belarus due to its involvement in Russia's aggression war, including export restrictions and a comprehensive ban on services.
- There have been reports of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine's borders, including a recent attack on a Ukrainian police car in Sumy Oblast.
