16:47 Ukraine investigates deposed general Sodol

The Ukrainian prosecutor's office is investigating the actions of dismissed General Lieutenant Yurij Sodol. He is accused of sending unnecessary numbers of soldiers to their deaths with his orders. The General gave orders to Ukrainian troops during Russia's offensive in the Oblast of Kharkiv. When the current Russian offensive began on May 10, he was in command. The General was dismissed on June 24 after one of the commanders of the Azov Brigade filed an official complaint. In the complaint, he accused the General of abuse of power and incompetent leadership of the troops, which led to the loss of Ukrainian territory and personnel.

16:10 Ukraine thanks for translation tool for Crimean Tatar
Google's online translator now contains Crimean Tatar as part of an extension of 110 new languages. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry publicly thanks for the initiative. Crimean Tatar is endangered in Ukraine due to the declining 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 has intensified the trend. Crimean Tatars are subjected to persecution and deportation by the Russian occupiers on their homeland.

15:29 EU imposes sanctions on Belarus
Due to Belarus' involvement in Russia's offensive war, the EU is imposing sanctions on the country. This is intended to make it more difficult for Russia to bypass sanctions.

Export restrictions on goods and technologies for the maritime industry and luxury goods to Belarus
Extension of the export ban on technology and goods that could increase 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 crude 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 wants to make war "impossible"
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated the goal for the post-war period during a podium discussion. "As we know 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 only to end the war, but to create a reality in which peace is just and lasting, and a new war is impossible. This will be the victory."

14:31 Belarus strengthens air defense at the border with Ukraine
Belarus, according to its own statements, is strengthening its air defense at the border with Ukraine. The reason is an increase in Ukrainian drone activity 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 it has information that Ukraine is deploying 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 the delivery of 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, stated, "I find Scholz's behavior exactly right - in the question of Taurus deliveries." The Kanzler 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," 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 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 to orient more strongly towards Russia and China. "A departure from the US and the EU to cooperate more 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 orienting more strongly towards Russia and China would be the "biggest mistake" that Germany could make politically and economically.

12:58 Russia Announces 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's statement to the British newspaper "Guardian," Russian attacks have destroyed 80% of Ukraine's thermal energy and one-third of its hydroelectric power. The report indicates that Russian attacks frequently 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 a sufficient amount of air defense systems of high quality, only a sufficient amount of 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 topics of the meeting will primarily be 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 lines, according to estimates, will collapse no later than mid-2027, 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, and he's stuck in the mud of the Soviet Union."

11:33 Draft Dodgers: Some Ukrainian Men Seek Help from Forgers
In Ukraine, a new recruitment drive is underway 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 service 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 Reunions of 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 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 reelected 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 cities 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 forces had attacked residential areas in the region and damaged several private homes. 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 five were among the dead," Smirnov said. He also noted 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 regularly attacked 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 not only Russian energy facilities 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 start 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 also lost seven additional tanks (8073). Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has counted more than 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, 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 was allegedly preparing a Russian breakthrough in the Donetsk region and was spying on the 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 aware of 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 has 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 General Staff's situation report on Facebook. The most fighting is reported near Pokrovsk, where the Russian troops attempted to dislodge Ukrainian units from their positions 28 times. The Ukrainian army repelled 21 attacks and is still engaged in seven battles.

04:59 Czech Republic prepares security accords with Kiev

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on X that the Czech Republic will sign a bilateral security accord with Ukraine during the EU summit in London on July 18. Fiala had agreed with President Zelenskyy the previous day to "conclude the negotiations on the text of the Czech-Ukrainian security accord before the NATO summit in Washington." The next NATO summit is scheduled for July 9-11. The Czech Republic will thus join 19 other countries, including the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and France, as well as 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 weapons 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 raids on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent weeks.

02:58 Report: Russian agents in Vienna implicated in Kusminow murderRussian 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 dead. 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, according to the article. "We are now becoming a burden to our neighbors because 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 past two years. About half of them are diplomats and managers, while the other half function as spies.

01:58 Russia captures town north of Bachmut - Ukraine deniesAccording to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian forces have taken control of the town of Rosdoliwka in eastern Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian military denies this, stating 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 were taken by Russian forces 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 system. The Patriot system is part of a series of advanced air defense systems provided by the West to Ukraine.

23:58 More Olympia 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 evening announcement, 50 athletes from the 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 declined. Some Judokas were rejected because of their affiliation with Army sports clubs. Out of the twelve quota places 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 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 role in the prisoners' release. Djeljal 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 Honors 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 a recognition of the views of the Baltic States and other countries on the NATO eastern flank, which 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 herself 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 in a talk with 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 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 all previous developments here.

The Ukrainian prosecutor's office is also investigating Volodymyr Zelensky's handling of the Ukraine conflict with Russia, specifically focusing on his decisions regarding military operations and relations with NATO.
Russia has accused Ukraine of launching a cyberwar against its critical infrastructure, including power plants and communications systems, in response to the ongoing conflict.
Some Ukrainian politicians have called for a more pro-Russia foreign policy, arguing that aligning Ukraine more closely with Russia and China could offer economic benefits and prevent further conflict. However, many international experts warn that such a move could lead to political and economic uncertainty and long-term risks.
There have been reports of Russian military personnel entering Polish territory near the border with Ukraine, prompting concerns from NATO and the Polish government that Russia may be planning to launch a new offensive against Ukraine.
The Ukrainian government has announced a plan to increase energy independence from Russia by diversifying its sources of natural gas and investing in renewable energy technologies, in response to Russia's ongoing disruption of Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the conflict.