17:21 Ukraine: Russia abducts children and puts them in its youth army
According to the Ukrainian regional administration of Luhansk, children from the occupied town of Bilowodsk have been sent to a tent camp of the Russian youth army "Junarmija" in the Russian region of Novosibirsk. A statement on social media says children aged 11 to 17 are being sent there and are being trained tactically and in shooting and drill exercises by combat instructors.
16:44 Russian Foreign Ministry indirectly threatens German companyThe German defense conglomerate Rheinmetall plans to build a munitions factory in Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry comments on this with an indirect threat; spokesman Andrei Nastasyin emphasizes that "every factory is a legitimate target":
16:17 Another Finnish volunteer soldier killed in UkraineThe fourth Finnish volunteer soldier has been killed in the war in Ukraine. The news site Yle reports this, citing the association "Sodan kokeneet ry" (War Veterans Association). According to the association, the Finn died in mid-July north of Donetsk. The Finnish authorities have confirmed this information. The family of the deceased soldier has been notified. The director of the association, Juha Kreus, says that the association is working with Finnish and Ukrainian authorities. On its Facebook page, the association explains that it helps volunteers who are fighting in Ukraine and their families. According to media reports, three Finns who were fighting on the side of the Ukrainian forces had previously been killed in Ukraine.
15:29 "Kremlin lies" - British Defense Ministry sees Russian problemsThe Russian economy, especially the defense industry, is booming due to the war against Ukraine, according to reports from the country. However, the British Defense Ministry speaks of a lie and sees problems. "Inflation is twice as high as 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 per yearUkraine currently has a production capacity of three million drones per year, Deputy Minister of Strategic Industries Anna Gvozdiar told the media outlet Suspilne. However, this requires funding, Gvozdiar said. Drones are one of the most important means in Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion. Some of the copters are funded by donations from abroad and produced by volunteers:
14:28 Germany delivers more Leopard tanks to Czech RepublicAs compensation for military aid to Ukraine, Germany is delivering another 14 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 are expected to 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. In addition, the NATO country plans to buy more Leopard tanks of types 2A4 and 2A8 as part of the modernization of its armed forces. Talks about this are underway, the Czech Republic said.
13:49 SBU Suspects Putin's Inner Circle of Aiding War Against UkraineThe Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has filed a suspicion notice against one of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's closest associates, Alexei Dyumin, and Russia's Deputy Defense Minister, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. "RBC-Ukraine" reports, 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 alleged 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, Russia's Deputy Defense Minister, is said to be responsible for training contract soldiers and mobilized personnel who then participate in the fighting in Ukraine.
13:06 Russia Begins "Third Phase" of Tactical Nuclear Weapon ExercisesRussia has begun the third phase of exercises to test the readiness of its forces to use non-strategic nuclear weapons. "Kyiv Independent" reports, citing a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry. According to the statement, units from the central and southern military districts are involved, including those stationed in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine. "During this phase of the exercises, 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 Iskander-M tactical missile systems," the Defense Ministry 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 Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region are in a Russian military camp in the Novosibirsk region of the Russian Federation. There, they are being taught by military personnel how to handle firearms and drills. "Ukrinform" reports, citing the Facebook page of the Luhansk regional state administration. According to the head of the regional state administration, Artem Lysohor, schoolchildren from the Russian-occupied Bilohorivka are still in the military-patriotic tent camp of the "Yunarmia" 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," says Lysohor.
12:30 Duma Legalizes Cryptocurrency Mining to Circumvent SanctionsThe Duma has passed a law legalizing cryptocurrency mining in Russia. "Meduza," a Russian media outlet based in Latvia, reports, citing the website of the lower house of the Russian parliament. According to the document published there, 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 mine cryptocurrencies without being included in the register.
12:06 Putin Doubles Special Payment for War DeploymentRussia's leadership is offering more money to attract more volunteers for its attack on Ukraine. A decree signed by President Vladimir Putin states that anyone who signs a contract for deployment at the front 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. Additionally, a monthly salary that exceeds the average Russian income will be provided. Since the controversial mobilization of reservists last fall, Russia has primarily relied on financial incentives to recruit soldiers for the war, with many regions offering signing bonuses. For example, Moscow set a one-time premium 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 charged him with maintaining ties with the "Freedom of Russia" legion and conspiring with a representative of a foreign state. The court found him guilty of attempted terrorism and collaboration on a confidential basis with a foreign representative. The "Freedom of 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 has broken 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, with explosions observed at the target. The Navy possesses Neptune anti-ship missiles that can reach targets nearly 300 kilometers away and are also capable of targeting land-based objectives. Kursk is located just over 80 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported shooting down a missile of this type over the Kursk region. The fire has been contained, according to the governor of the region, Alexei Smirnov. Additionally, Russian military reports claim that 19 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the cities of Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Kaluga, Rostov, and the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
10:02 Reisner: Russia may have lost up to 750,000 soldiers in UkraineRussia may have suffered between 500,000 and 750,000 casualties, including up to 150,000 killed, in its invasion of 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, the military expert says. 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's current update puts Russian losses at 578,120 military personnel.
09:24 Ukraine: Claims to have attacked weapons depot in Russian region of KurskThe Ukrainian military says it has 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. In the early hours of Tuesday, the Ukrainian military said it had 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 heaviest 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 the Kyiv area and on the outskirts of the capital," Kyiv's 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 at 06:33 and 23:52). Reports of Russian drone attacks were also made 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 dayOver the past day, there were 144 engagements along the front line, according to the spokesperson of the Ukrainian General Staff, Dmytro Hutsulyak. "Over the past day, there were 144 combat engagements. Over the past day, Russian terrorists carried out a total of 1 missile attack with 1 missile on the positions of our troops and residential areas, as well as 85 air strikes. During this time, 141 guided aerial bombs were dropped. In addition, more than 4,350 attacks were carried out, 90 of which were with multiple launch rocket systems," says Hutsulyak in the program "United News".
08:09 Governor: Man Dies from Russian Shelling in KhersonRussian forces shell the outskirts of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson in the morning. A man is killed and a woman is 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 services reportedly retrieved his body from the rubble. A 73-year-old woman suffered a concussion and head injuries from an explosion. She was provided with 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 course of the previous day, reports the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Facebook update. According to the report, the total combat losses of the Russian armed forces since the start of the invasion on February 24, 2022, 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. Russia does not provide information on its losses.
07:14 Ukraine Spots Two Russian Warships with Cruise Missiles in the Black SeaRussia is believed to maintain two warships in the Black Sea armed with up to eight Kalibr cruise missiles each, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. No enemy ships are present in the Azov Sea. In the Mediterranean Sea, Russia has two warships, one of which is armed with up to 16 Kalibr cruise missiles, it is reported. However, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, Dmytro Pletenchuk, considers it unlikely that Russia would dare to fire missiles from the Mediterranean at Ukraine, as reported by "RBC-Ukraine". If they did, Russian missiles would violate NATO airspace, Pletenchuk said.
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 reportedly one of the most massive drone attacks on Ukraine since the beginning 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 previously been sounded in Kyiv and large parts of Ukraine (see entry from 23:52). "This was the seventh enemy drone attack on Kyiv in July," writes Serhii Popko, head of the city's military administration, in a post. The air raid alert lasted for more than seven hours. Enemy drones infiltrated Kyiv in waves from almost all possible directions, it is reported. 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, 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: "Real 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 it's open to discussing this topic in the Bundestag, the SPD politician says, "It's not originally a topic that should be previously discussed in parliament. It's also not comparable to the NATO Double Decision from the 1980s." At the recent NATO summit in Washington, the US and Germany announced the deployment of Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles, and new hypersonic weapons from 2026, justified as a response to threats from Russia. Pistorius emphasizes that these are conventional weapons not intended as weapons with nuclear warheads. "That must be clearly stated to reassure those who are concerned here." It's about "real deterrence," says the defense minister (see also the criticism of the former SPD chairman Norbert Walter-Borjans in the entry at 22:05).
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 his family. He is the fourth Finnish citizen to have fallen in Ukraine. In February, the country's foreign ministry said 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 calls for air alert at night. Russia is attacking the country from several directions with drones. An explosion was heard in Kyiv, reporters of the "Kyiv Independent" report. It's still unclear whether the capital was hit.
22:05 Mid-Range Missiles from the US in Germany: Former SPD Chief Criticizes "Solo Run"
Former SPD chairman Norbert Walter-Borjans criticizes the lack of debate over the planned deployment of US weapons in Germany. "That such a far-reaching decision is practically not debated, that it is more or less decided and announced unilaterally," is problematic, says Walter-Borjans in an interview with the "Deutschlandfunk". Moreover, from the perspective of the former SPD chairman, it's not clear whether such a measure "actually increases security or whether it doesn't make us a target for a first strike instead." Recently, the White House and the federal government announced that the US wants to station weapons systems in Germany again from 2026, which reach far into Russia. Named were Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles, and new hypersonic weapons.
21:35 Ukrainians face less backlash for contact with Russian occupiersMany 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 frowned upon or seen as treason. However, "currently, Ukraine is experiencing a decrease in the level of condemnation towards citizens from temporarily occupied territories 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 possible communication of people in 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," Svyrydova said.
20:54 Reports of major fire in Russian arms factoryAmong others, the Ukrainian media outlet Euromaidan Press reports on a fire in a factory in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. This 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 of how the fire started.
20:32 Zelensky visits troops at border with BelarusUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky inspects the fortifications and defensive positions of his troops at the border with Belarus. Accompanied by senior military officials, as reported by the presidential administration in Kyiv, Zelensky learns about the protection of the border, including the number of soldiers involved, their skills, and weapons. Zelensky gets a personal look at the construction of fortifications, trenches, and shelters. "We have a strong defense, both in terms of personnel and defensive lines," he says. "And we will continue to strengthen it." In recent months, Ukrainian military forces have significantly reinforced the border with the neighboring country of Belarus.
You can read about all previous developments here.
The Ukrainian conflict continues to escalate, with children from the occupied town of Bilowodsk being sent to a Russian youth army camp in Novosibirsk for training in tactical exercises and shooting drills by combat instructors. This is a concerning development, as it involves the involvement of minors in potential military activities. This situation further highlights the complexity and intensity of the conflict in the region.
