16:44 Russian Foreign Ministry indirectly threatens German company
16:17 Another Finnish volunteer soldier falls in UkraineThe fourth Finnish volunteer soldier has fallen in the war in Ukraine. News site Yle reports this, citing the "Sodan kokeneet ry" (War Veterans Association). According to the association, the Finn died mid-July north of Donetsk. Finnish authorities confirm this information. The family of the deceased soldier has been notified. The director of the association, Juha Kreus, says the association is working with Finnish and Ukrainian authorities. On its Facebook page, the association states that it supports volunteers fighting in Ukraine and their families. Previously, three Finns fighting on the side of Ukrainian forces were killed in Ukraine.
15:29 "Kremlin lies" - UK Defense Ministry sees Russian strugglesThe attack on Ukraine is making the Russian economy thrive, especially in the defense industry, according to reports from the country. However, the UK Defense Ministry calls this a lie and sees problems. "Inflation is twice the central bank's target, and war spending is causing unsustainable growth and overheating the economy," it says from London. High interest rates are making Russia a bad place for investments, and the country is drawing from its sovereign fund to finance rising war costs, the Defense Ministry says.
15:00 Ukraine could produce several million drones a yearUkraine currently has a production capacity of three million drones a year, Deputy Minister of Strategic Industries Anna Gvozdiar told Suspilne media. However, this requires funding, Gvozdiar said. Drones are one of the main tools in Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion. Some are funded by foreign donations and produced by volunteers.
14:28 Germany delivers more Leopard tanks to Czech RepublicAs compensation for military aid to Ukraine, Germany is delivering 14 more Leopard 2A4 battle tanks and one Buffalo-3 armored recovery vehicle to the Czech Republic. Both sides have signed the final documents for this, the Czech Defense Ministry said. The first tanks should be delivered by the end of the year, with the rest by early 2026. This agreement builds on the delivery of 15 tanks from Germany in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, the NATO country plans to buy more Leopard 2A4 and 2A8 tanks as part of its military modernization. Talks about this are ongoing, Czech Republic said.
13:49 SBU suspects Putin's close associates of aiding war against UkraineThe Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has issued a suspicion notice to one of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's closest associates, Alexei Dyumin, and Deputy Russian Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. "RBC-Ukraine" reports this, citing the press service of the Security Service of Ukraine.
Investigations suggest that Alexei Dyumin, a former bodyguard of Putin and current Secretary of the State Council of the Russian Federation, was involved in mobilizing the Tula region for combat operations in Ukraine. He is said to have organized partial mobilization of men, established the Center for Unmanned Systems, and developed the production of FPV drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles. Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, is reportedly responsible for training contract soldiers and mobilized personnel who will then participate in the fighting in Ukraine.
13:06 Russia begins "third phase" of tactical nuclear weapons exercisesRussia has begun the third phase of exercises aimed at testing the readiness of its forces to use non-strategic nuclear weapons, according to a statement by the Russian Ministry of Defense reported by "Kyiv Independent". Units from the central and southern military districts are involved, including those stationed in the occupied territories of Ukraine. "During this phase of the exercise, personnel of the rocket formations of the southern and central military districts will conduct combat training, including the acquisition of special training ammunition for the tactical missile systems Iskander-M," the statement said. The first phase of the exercises began in May. Russian President Vladimir Putin presented this as a response to alleged and unspecified "provocative statements" from the West.
12:45 Authorities: Russians hold children from Luhansk in military campChildren from the occupied Bilowodsk in the Luhansk region are being held in a Russian military camp in the Novosibirsk region of the Russian Federation, where they are being taught marksmanship and drills by military personnel, according to "Ukrinform" citing the Facebook page of the state regional administration of Luhansk. According to the head of the regional state administration, Artem Lysohor, schoolchildren from the Russian-occupied Bilowodsk are still in the military-patriotic tent camp of the "Youth Army" established in the Novosibirsk region. "Sending children aged 11 to 17 to this camp, where combat officers teach them tactics, fire, and drills, is considered a benevolent act in the Russian Federation," Lysohor said.
12:30 Duma legalizes cryptocurrency mining to circumvent sanctionsThe Duma has passed a law legalizing cryptocurrency mining in Russia, according to "Meduza", a Russian media outlet based in Latvia, citing the website of the lower house of the Russian parliament. The document published there provides that Russian legal entities and individual entrepreneurs registered in the relevant register are entitled to engage in cryptocurrency mining. Individuals who do not exceed the energy consumption limits set by the government can engage in cryptocurrency mining without being included in the register.
12:06 Putin Doubles One-Time Payment for War DeploymentRussia's leadership is offering more money to attract more volunteers for its attack on Ukraine. According to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin, anyone who signs a contract for frontline duty between August 1 and December 31 will receive a one-time payment of 400,000 rubles (around 4,200 euros), more than double the previous 195,000 rubles. In addition, they will receive a monthly salary that is significantly higher than the average Russian income. Since the forced mobilization of reservists in the fall of 2022, Russia has primarily relied on financial incentives to recruit soldiers for the war. Many regions offer cash bonuses for signing contracts. For example, Moscow set a one-time bonus of 1.9 million rubles (about 20,300 euros) for contracts lasting one year or longer this month.
11:30 Russian Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Attempted Arson at Recruitment OfficeA man in Russia has been sentenced to seven years in prison for attempting to set fire to a recruitment office. The military court of the southern district of Russia also found him guilty of maintaining ties with the "Free Russia Legion." He was charged with attempted terrorism and collaborating "on a confidential basis with a representative of a foreign state." The "Free Russia Legion" was founded in Ukraine in March 2022 and is an armed group of Russians fighting alongside Ukrainian forces against Russia. Its members have also carried out cross-border actions in Russia and, according to reports, sabotage operations within the country.
11:06 Fire After Ukrainian Strike on Weapon Depot in KurskA fire broke out at a weapons and military equipment storage facility in the Russian border region of Kursk following a Ukrainian attack. The General Staff in Kyiv reported that the strike was carried out using a modified rocket system of the Ukrainian Navy. Explosions were observed at the target. The Navy has anti-ship missiles of the Neptune type that can reach targets nearly 300 kilometers away. Kursk is only slightly more than 80 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that a cruise missile of this type had been shot down over the Kursk region. The fire has been contained, according to the governor of the region, Alexei Smirnov. Additionally, Russian military reports claim that a total of 19 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the cities of Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Kaluga, Rostov, and the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
10:36 Munz on Russia's War Tactics: Motorcycle Attacks "Follow a Certain Pattern"Sightings of Russian soldiers on motorcycles in Ukraine have increased, leading some observers to believe that Russia is running out of armored vehicles. ntv correspondent Rainer Munz disagrees and explains the strategy behind these attacks.
10:02 Reisner: Russia may have lost up to 750,000 soldiers in UkraineRussia may have suffered 500,000 to 750,000 casualties, including up to 150,000 killed, in its war against Ukraine, according to Markus Reisner, a colonel in the Austrian Armed Forces, in an interview with the Ukrainian news agency "Ukrinform". "Recently, an interesting study was published that, in my opinion, is very well-researched. It suggests that perhaps 100,000 to 150,000 Russian soldiers have already been killed," says Reisner. Considering the lessons of military history and "the fact that there are about 3-4 times more wounded than killed", the losses are enormous, says the military expert. And this is realistic given the intensity of the conflict," estimates Reisner, while also noting that the Ukrainian side "has also suffered heavy losses". Kyiv puts the current Russian losses at 578,120 military personnel (see entry from 07:35).
09:24 Ukraine: Claims to have attacked weapons depot in Russian region of KurskThe Ukrainian military claims to have attacked a weapons and military equipment depot in the Russian region of Kursk overnight. Kursk borders Ukraine and has been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian fire. On Tuesday night, the Ukrainian military claimed to have attacked a Russian oil depot in the region. "Intelligence reports indicate that a fire broke out at the enemy's facility as a result of the attack," the Ukrainian General Staff said on Facebook yesterday.
08:55 Kyiv reports one of the most massive Russian drone attacks since the start of the warThe Russian military attacked targets in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other parts of the country with dozens of combat drones overnight. "In two waves, over 40 enemy drones were shot down over Kyiv and the outskirts of the capital," the Kyiv military administration said on Telegram. Not a single drone reached its target in the capital. The attack was described as one of the strongest on Ukraine during the entire war. Overall, there was an air alert in the three-million-strong city for over eight hours overnight (see also entries 06:33 and 23:52). Russian drone attacks were also reported in other regions. Six were shot down over the southeastern Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk - four more over the region of Mykolajiw in the south of the country. A general overview of the Ukrainian air defense's operations overnight is still pending.
08:36 Ukraine reports 144 engagements along the front line over the past dayAccording to the spokesman of the Ukrainian General Staff, Dmytro Hutsulyak, there were 144 engagements along the front line over the past day. "Over the past day, 144 combat actions took place. Over the past day, Russian terrorists carried out a total of 1 rocket attack with 1 rocket on our troops' positions and residential areas, as well as 85 air strikes. During this time, 141 guided air bombs were dropped. In addition, more than 4350 attacks were carried out, 90 of which were with multiple launch rockets," says Hutsulyak in the program "United News".
08:09 Governor: Man Dies from Russian Fire in KhersonRussian forces shell the outskirts of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson in the morning. A man is killed and a woman injured, writes the governor of the Kherson region, Roman Mrochko, in a Telegram post. According to him, the Russian army shelled the outskirts of Kherson from the occupied left bank of the Dnieper River. A 68-year-old man sustained fatal injuries. Rescue workers reportedly retrieved his body from the rubble. A 73-year-old woman suffered a concussion and head injuries from an explosion. She was provided medical aid at the scene.
07:35 Ukraine Reports Over 1000 Russian Losses in a DayRussia loses 1060 soldiers, 30 artillery systems, 20 armored combat vehicles, and 9 tanks in the past day, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports in its Facebook update. Since the start of the invasion on February 24, 2022, the total combat losses of the Russian Armed Forces amount to 578,120 military personnel, 8,390 tanks, 16,161 armored combat vehicles, 16,086 artillery systems, 1,131 multiple launch rocket systems, 907 air defense systems, 363 fixed-wing aircraft, 326 helicopters, 12,853 strategic and tactical unmanned aerial vehicles, 2,407 cruise missiles, 28 ships and boats, 1 submarine, 21,739 vehicles and fuel tanks, and 2,697 special vehicles and other equipment. These figures cannot be independently verified, as Russia does not report its losses.
07:14 Ukraine Spots Two Russian Warships with Cruise Missiles in the Black SeaRussia allegedly maintains two warships in the Black Sea armed with up to eight Kalibr cruise missiles each, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports. There are no enemy ships in the Azov Sea. In the Mediterranean, Russia has two warships, one of which is armed with up to 16 Kalibr cruise missiles, it says. However, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, Dmytro Pletenchuk, considers it unlikely that Russia would dare to fire missiles from the Mediterranean at Ukraine, as doing so would violate NATO airspace, according to "RBC-Ukraine."
06:33 Massive Drone Attack on Kyiv - Over 30 Drones InterceptedThe Ukrainian air defense intercepts more than 30 Russian drones over Kyiv overnight, the military administration of the capital reports on Telegram. This is one of the most massive drone attacks on Ukraine since the start of the war. Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital, Reuters reports, citing eyewitnesses. The detonations sounded like air defense systems repelling enemy flying objects. An air raid alert had been issued in Kyiv and across much of Ukraine earlier (see entry from 23:52). "This was the seventh enemy drone attack on Kyiv in July," writes Serhii Popko, head of the military administration of the city, in a post. The air raid alarm lasted for more than seven hours. Enemy drones infiltrated Kyiv in waves from almost all possible directions, it says. No information is available on possible damage or casualties.
06:10 Zelensky to Protect Schoolchildren from Russian Attacks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to ensure special protection for the schoolchildren of his country from the war. "The school year is approaching, and the priority now is to ensure that children, wherever possible thanks to the shelters, can learn normally and not remotely," says Zelensky in his evening video address. The government has been instructed to accelerate its efforts to build shelters.
04:38 Pistorius on New US Weapons: "Genuine Deterrence"
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius dismisses criticism of the federal government's approach to the agreement with the US on the deployment of long-range weapons. While open discussion in the Bundestag is welcome, he argues that this topic did not necessarily need to be debated in parliament beforehand. He emphasizes that the weapons in question are conventional and not intended to be equipped with nuclear warheads. "This must be clearly stated to reassure those who are concerned," he says. The deployment is about "genuine deterrence."
02:33 Finnish Volunteer Killed in Ukraine
A Finnish volunteer who fought on the side of Ukraine has been killed in the northern Donetsk region in mid-July. The Finnish War Veterans' Association announced this, stating that the authorities had informed the man's family. He is the fourth Finnish citizen to have fallen in Ukraine. In February, the country's foreign ministry reported that 20 to 30 Finns were deployed at the Ukrainian front.
23:52 Air Force Reports Numerous Drones Over Ukraine
In numerous regions of Ukraine, the army sounds the air alert at night. Russia is attacking the country from several directions with drones. An explosion was heard in Kyiv, according to reporters of the "Kyiv Independent." It is still unclear whether the capital was hit.
22:05 Medium-Range Missiles from the US in Germany: Former SPD Leader Criticizes "Solo Move"
Former SPD leader Norbert Walter-Borjans regrets the lack of debate over the planned stationing of US weapons in Germany. He finds it problematic that "such a far-reaching decision is practically not debated, but rather decided and announced more or less unilaterally." He also questions whether such a measure would actually enhance security or, conversely, make Germany a target for a first strike. Recently, the White House and the federal government announced that the US would again station weapons systems in Germany from 2026, which can reach far into Russia. Named were Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles, and new hypersonic weapons.
21:35 Ukrainians facing Russian occupiers less "condemned"Many Ukrainians live in their own country under Russian occupation, inevitably coming into contact with the invaders of the brutal illegal war - something that elsewhere is taken badly or seen as treason. However, "currently, Ukraine is experiencing a decrease in the level of condemnation towards citizens from temporarily occupied areas for their various forms of communication with the occupation authorities," says Daria Svyrydova, member of the Advisory Board for De-Occupation and Reintegration of the Crimea regions, at an event in the Media Center Ukraine. "In general, the Ukrainian population considers the possible communication of people in the occupation acceptable in certain situations." According to Svyrydova, this is an important factor for future reintegration processes and an indication of what the state should focus on in developing reintegration policy. Many people believe in a "shared future with the people in the temporarily occupied territories," says Svyrydova.
20:54 Reports of large fire in Russian arms factoryAmong others, the Ukrainian medium Euromaidan Press reports on a fire in a factory in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. The factory produces parts for military rockets, it is said. The factory has been under Western sanctions since 2014 and is an important actor in the Russian defense industry, according to the report. There has been no official confirmation yet, and the authenticity of the videos on social media is not confirmed. There are also no indications about how the fire started.
20:32 Zelensky visits troops at border with BelarusThe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky inspects the fortifications and defensive positions of his troops at the border with Belarus. Accompanied by leading military officials, he is on a working visit to the Volhynia region, as reported by the presidential administration in Kyiv. "The head of the state border guard service, Serhiy Deineko, reports on the protection of the border, including the number of soldiers involved, their skills and weapons," it says in the statement. Zelensky gets a personal impression of the construction of fortifications, trenches and shelters. "We have a strong defense, both in terms of personnel and defense lines," he says. "And we will continue to strengthen it." The Ukrainian military has significantly reinforced the border with the neighboring country Belarus in recent months.
In light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, it's crucial to address cybersecurity threats that could potentially emerge. Given the scenario of a potential 'Cyberwar', here are two sentences that could follow the provided text:
- To strengthen its defense in the digital domain, Ukraine is intensifying efforts to improve its cybersecurity infrastructure and training, collaborating with international cybersecurity experts to prevent and counteract potential cyberattacks.
- Concerns over potential 'Cyberwarfare' tactics have led the Ukrainian Government to issue warnings to critical infrastructure providers, urging them to enhance their digital security measures and report any suspicious activities to relevant authorities.
