18:43 Moscow: Two places in Donetsk conquered

Russia captures two more villages in eastern Ukraine. According to the Russian news agency RIA, citing the Defense Ministry in Moscow, the villages are Spirne and Nowoolexandriwka in the Donezk region.

18:20 Ukraine: Russian combat aircraft, Cruise missiles and hundreds of drones destroyed

The Ukrainian commander of the ground troops, Oleksandr Pavliuk, has published a balance of air defense in June. Accordingly, the defenders registered the shooting down of a Russian Su-25 combat aircraft and three Cruise missiles in the past month. In total, they shot down 296 drones in the past month. "Under conditions of intense hostilities," the Ukrainians could have intercepted a "considerable number" of tactical drones from the sky, Pavliuk writes.

17:27 Zelenskyy: Trump's possible peace plan in 24 hours "a bad idea"

Donald Trump, the Republican Party's designated presidential candidate in the US, has repeatedly claimed that he could end the Ukraine conflict "in 24 hours" if he wins the November election. Now Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he doesn't know how to end the conflict in 24 hours, but if the plan involves making territorial concessions to Russia, then it's a "bad idea." "If Trump has such a model, then everyone would want to end the war," says Zelenskyy in an interview with the "Philadelphia Inquirer": "Perhaps it would even be better in an hour." The ceding of one's own territory to Russia is not new. Putin will not solve the problem. He must be put in his place, as he is reliant on "pseudo-victories."

16:49 Men attack Ukrainian border guards with machetes

A Ukrainian border guard is seriously injured by two men wielding a machete in Ukraine. One of the attackers was killed by a shot from the guard. The second man was injured, reports the news portal "Ukrajinska Pravda," citing Ukrainian authorities. The incident occurred on a Saturday evening at the border with Romania. The motive is unknown. However, due to the war, men of military age try to leave the country illegally to avoid being drafted and sent to the front. Previously, 17 men were detained at the Hungarian border who wanted to illegally leave Ukraine and pay their helpers between 3000 and 12,000 US dollars for a successful exit.

16:14 More injured and damage after rocket attack on Vilniansk

After the lethal Russian rocket attack on civilians in Vilniansk, 75 people report damaged or destroyed property. The police in the Saporischschja region document "the crimes of the Russian army," the authorities report. The number of registered injured from the attack has risen to 38, including nine children. A mobile aid station is in operation. At least seven people were killed in the attack on Saturday, including a woman and three children.

15:51 Controversial Kanye West reportedly in Moscow
The controversial US rapper Kanye West is reportedly in Moscow on a private visit, according to Russian media. "That's great news, he's in the heart of the capital," quotes the state news agency Tass producer Yana Rudkovskaya. Former Russian presidential candidate Xenia Sobchak published a short video, which she claims shows Kanye West observing the Red Square from the roof of the famous GUM shopping center. According to Sobchak, West is in Moscow to celebrate the 40th birthday of his friend Gosha Rubchinskiy, a renowned Russian fashion designer. West has expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past. In the US, the musician is now an outcast in the entertainment industry due to his antisemitic and Hitler-glorifying statements.

15:24 Russia disrupting GPS signals for British military flights
This year, Russia has disrupted the GPS navigation system for hundreds of British military flights of the Royal Air Force (RAF) over Eastern Europe, according to a report in the British Telegraph. More than one in four transportation and surveillance flights in the first four months of the year 2024 were affected by active GPS disruptions, according to data analysis of thousands of flights. This illustrates the extent of Russian interference in aviation. "This is another example of Russia's recklessness and another proof that it has become an out-of-control hostile state," quoted British Defense Minister Grant Shapps. Between January and April, 142 out of 504 transportation and surveillance flights of the RAF over Eastern Europe experienced GPS disruptions.

14:41 Ukrainian hackers sabotage Russian systems
Activists, in collaboration with experts from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, have carried out a series of attacks on Russian companies. According to the Ministry, hackers have destroyed over 100 Terabytes of data from OrbitSoft, a software developer that works with the Russian army. They also deleted data on eight servers of Orient Systems, a supplier of navigation devices for Russian military manufacturers, particularly for manufacturers of unmanned aerial vehicles. They also deleted the data of an Internet provider in Nizhny Novgorod and sent messages to all subscribers about an "inevitable retaliation" for Russia's war.

14:06 Ukraine begins mass production of combat drones
Ukraine has begun mass production of combat drones with a range of over 1,000 kilometers. According to the head of the state arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom. In an interview with ArmyInform, Herman Smetanin said that Russia's "huge resources and powerful industry" force Kiev to adopt a more flexible and inventive approach to weapons production. Ukraine uses long-range drones to attack military infrastructure such as airfields and logistics facilities, as well as oil refineries and depots deep in Russian territory.

13:36 SBU publishes video of Snake Island liberation
The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has published new footage on social media of the liberation of Snake Island. In the post, SBU describes the "unique and extremely important operation". The footage is supposed to begin with an aerial view of an air raid on the island, before Ukrainian troops land on it with a helicopter and attack Russian troops. "It consisted of several stages and was of strategic significance, as the gradual displacement of the enemy from the Black Sea began since then", writes SBU. On June 30, 2022, Ukrainian troops repelled the Russian troops' retreat from the strategic outpost on the Black Sea.

13:14 Zelenskyy: Russia fires over 800 guided bombs on Ukraine in a week
In the past week, Russia has fired over 800 guided bombs against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the platform X. "The Ukraine needs the necessary resources to destroy the carriers of these bombs, including Russian combat aircraft, wherever they are located. This step is essential", he writes further.

12:48 After Russian attack on Velyka Novosilka, number of wounded increases
The number of wounded has further increased after a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Velyka Novosilka in the Zaporizhzhia region. According to official reports, at least seven people, including three men, a woman, and three children, have been killed. Thirty-six people, including nine children, were injured in the missile attack, according to the National Police over social media. Previously, 31 injured were known.

12:18 Ukraine publishes numbers on Russian losses
The Ukrainian General Staff has published new figures on Russian troop losses in Ukraine. According to this, Russia has lost approximately 542,700 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022. Alone within 24 hours, the losses amounted to 1,140. According to the report from Kiev, 24 tanks, 60 artillery systems, and an aircraft were destroyed. In total, Russia has lost 8,080 tanks, 15,524 artillery systems, and 360 aircraft, 326 helicopters, 11,584 drones, 28 ships, and a submarine since the beginning of the large-scale attack, according to Ukraine. Western estimates mention lower loss figures - which are also only minimum values.

11:45 OSCE: Russia commits genocide in Ukraine
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has passed a resolution recognizing Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide against the Ukrainian population. Pavlo Frolov, a member of the Kiev delegation, announced this on social media. Frolov writes in social media that the document defines "the denazification of the Russian Federation as a necessary prerequisite for creating a lasting peace". The OSCE has 57 member states, including Ukraine and Russia. With 57 countries from Europe, Central Asia, and North America, the OSCE is the largest regional security organization in the world.

11:11 Weichert: People in Odessa "trying to live normal lives"While at least seven people have died in the vicinity of Zaporizhzhia due to Russian attacks, the beaches of the coastal city Odessa are filled with bathing tourists. It is a much-needed respite for the Ukrainians plagued by the war, as NTV reporter Jurgen Weichert describes.

10:44 Russia: Four firefighters injured in the Donesk regionIn the Russia-claimed region of Donesk in eastern Ukraine, according to Russian reports, four firefighters were injured in Ukrainian attacks. They had extinguished a fire caused by a Ukrainian attack in the Petrovski district and were then hit by renewed shelling, the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations explains.

10:08 Russia: Ukrainian forces driven back from the left bank in KhersonThe fighting in the Kherson region is currently taking place on the islands, as Ukrainian troops have been driven back from the left bank of the Dnipro, Kherson Governor Vladymyr Saldo tells the Russian news agency TASS. "The fighting has shifted to the islands, and the Russian army has intensified its activities," he says. The islands and the Dnipro river in the Kherson region form a natural frontier.

09:43 Ukraine: One dead, two injured in Russian attack on ChersonA man is reportedly dead and two people injured following a Russian attack on the Ukrainian region of Cherson. The governor of the region, Oleksandr Prokudin, announced on Telegram that a 67-year-old man in Odradokamyanka was killed by a drone attack. A 76-year-old woman in Kozatske was injured in an artillery attack and was taken to the hospital with severe injuries. Additionally, a 63-year-old woman in Komysany was reportedly injured by Russian troops who fired on a farmer's homestead. There were no injuries reported in a drone attack on a residential building in Mykhailivka, and the damage is currently being assessed.

09:08 Ex-NATO chief: "Putin's Plan A has failed"Former NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen believes that the Russian war against Ukraine will continue for at least the rest of 2024. "Putin's Plan A, which was to conquer all of Ukraine in a few days, has failed," Rasmussen told ntv.de in an interview. "His Plan B is now a frozen conflict and the Russian occupation of eastern Ukraine, in the hope that the West will weaken and give in." The presidential elections in the United States on November 5 are particularly significant for Putin in terms of potential changes that could benefit him.

08:40 Russia: 36 Ukrainian drones shot downRussia claims to have shot down 36 Ukrainian drones in various regions throughout the country. Fifteen drones were intercepted over the border region of Kursk, nine over the region of Lipetsk some hundreds of kilometers south of Moscow, and four each over the regions of Voronezh and Bryansk, the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow reports. The governors of Lipetsk and Bryansk report on Telegram that there were no casualties or significant damage.

07:55 Swedish Defense Minister: Russia intends to split EU and NATO
Russia has an interest in politically splitting the EU and NATO. This is what the Swedish Defense Minister, Pal Jonson, stated in an interview with the "Bild" newspaper. "I believe that those in the Kremlin and with Putin himself are aware that they would lose this war. But I believe that Russia is very interested in politically dividing us, both within the EU and in NATO", says Jonson. To maintain peace, it is best to strengthen NATO and focus on deterrence and defense. According to Jonson, this means investing more in European security, especially in military forces. Sweden, under the impression of Russia's attack on Ukraine, gave up its neutrality. In March 2024, Sweden became the 32nd NATO member.

07:24 Zelenskyy: Death toll may rise after Russian attack on Velyka Nova Basanova
Following a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Velyka Nova Basanova in the region of Zaporizhzhia, the death toll may still rise. According to official reports, at least seven people have been killed, including children. Thirty-one more people have been injured in the rocket attack, reports the Civil Defense. "Unfortunately, the number of victims may still increase," writes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the platform X.

06:55 Ukraine: Russian troops bombard Derhachiv
Russian troops have attacked the city of Derhachiv in the Kharkiv region. This was reported by the head of the Derhachiv Military Administration, Vyacheslav Zadorenko, on Telegram. According to Zadorenko, three people have been injured. This is the most massive attack on Derhachiv since 2022, during which four aerial bombs were dropped. Two men aged 68 and 75 and a 71-year-old woman were taken to the hospital. According to Zadorenko, the shelling damaged several buildings, including at least 25 residential buildings, agricultural buildings, a garage cooperative, cars, and a civilian company, and partially destroyed power lines.

06:20 Arms exports increase again: Germany exports weapons for 7.5 billion Euros
Following a record year for arms exports in the previous year, arms export approvals have significantly increased in the first half of 2024 due to rising arms deliveries to Ukraine. According to the Federal Government's response to a parliamentary question from Bundestag member Sevim Dağdelen of the Left party (Die Linke), the German government authorized the export of military goods for at least 7.48 billion Euros abroad from January 1 to June 18. This represents an increase of around 30% compared to the entire first half of 2023. Almost two-thirds of the exports (65% or 4.88 billion Euros) were destined for Ukraine.

05:41 In Wilnjansk, Ukraine: Moscow reportedly targeted a military objective
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, at least seven people were killed in the Russian shelling of the Ukrainian city of Wilnjansk in the Saporischja region. Interfax news agency reported from the Russian ministry's statement that a railway station with Iskander ballistic missiles was attacked. A military train carrying military cargo was hit, according to the Russian military leadership. Photos and videos show that residential buildings and parked cars in the city center were hit.

04:53 Kyiv Mine Clearance Corps: 30,000 square kilometers have been cleared
Specialists from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry have cleared 30,000 square kilometers of Ukraine from mines in the past two years - an area comparable to the size of Belgium or Moldova. According to the "Kyiv Independent" with reference to Colonel Ruslan Berehulia, head of the department for environmental safety and mine clearance. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, approximately 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian soil have been contaminated with explosives. The Ukraine founded the Mine Clearance Corps in April 2022. Units of the Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian Armed Forces joined by 2024. These units with 5000 specialists are currently active in the regions of Mykolajiw, Cherson and Charkiw.

03:53 IFO Survey: Nearly half of personnel managers use "Jobturbo"
According to an IFO Institute survey of 627 personnel managers in Germany, 48 percent find the "Job-Turbo" and the Skilled Workers Immigration Act unhelpful for companies. The initiative aims to integrate Ukrainian refugees more quickly into the labor market. However, nearly every fourth company reports positive effects: More skilled workers are available. In addition, language courses before job placement have led to fewer language barriers. 18 percent praise shorter hiring procedures and the simpler recognition of diplomas. The respondents were allowed multiple answers. Almost half of them find that the bureaucracy in hiring foreign labor is still too high, but 17 percent also observe a bureaucracy reduction.

02:37 Governor: Russian region of Kursk shelled all day
According to local governor Alexej Smirnow, the Ukrainian forces continued to shell the Russian border region of Kursk all day on Saturday. Smirnow wrote on Telegram that Ukrainian forces had attacked eight border villages repeatedly. Two people were injured. A video Smirnow posted in his Telegram channel shows a destroyed house and debris. Previously, Smirnow reported the death of five people in a Ukrainian drone attack early on Saturday morning.

01:29 "Putin loves Farage": Activists mock Farage
The British campaign group Led by Donkeys pranked the leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, Nigel Farage, during a campaign appearance. After Farage recently claimed that the West, not Russian President Vladimir Putin, had provoked the war in Ukraine, activists dropped a banner with Putin's image behind him. Farage was not pleased, the activists write laconically.

00:32 Emergency services working through the ruins in Varniansk
Emergency services are clearing the ruins of a Russian attack on the city of Varniansk in the Saporischja region. After completing the search and rescue operations, it is determined that seven people were killed, including two children, and 31 people were injured, including eight children. "The fire was extinguished simultaneously at two locations: in a two-story building and near parked cars on a 300 square meter area, as well as in two one-story buildings on a 150 square meter area. The search and rescue operations are complete," the Ukrainian state emergency service reports.

21:24 Seehofer: No asylum for young Ukrainian men
Approximately 1.2 million Ukrainians have found refuge in Germany from the war in their homeland. CSU state group leader Alexander Dobrindt called for the expulsion of Ukrainians who do not work. "The proposal can be misunderstood," says CSU honorary chairman Horst Seehofer to the "Augsburger Allgemeine." Mothers and children from the war-torn land find it difficult to work; be it due to a lack of language skills or a lack of daycare. "It belongs to a humane state to provide protection." Young men who evade military service in Germany, however, should not be granted asylum, he thinks.

20:51 Man lights grenade in Luzk city center
A resident of the city of Chmelnyzkyj lights a grenade in the city center of Luzk and is arrested. There are no injuries reported. This is reported by the Ukrainian Security Service SBU. The motive of the 23-year-old is still unclear.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Donald Trump's suggested peace plan for Ukraine, stating that making territorial concessions to Russia would be a "bad idea."
According to the Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Pavliuk, Ukrainian air defenses shot down a Russian Su-25 combat aircraft and three Cruise missiles in June, in addition to intercepting 296 drones.
The Russian news agency RIA reported that Russia captured two more villages, Spirne and Nowoolexandriwka, in the Donezk region of Ukraine, as per the Defense Ministry in Moscow.
The conflict in Ukraine has led some men of military age to attempt to leave the country illegally to avoid being drafted and sent to the front, as seen in the detainment of 17 men at the Hungarian border.
Russia has been accused of carrying out a cyberwar against Ukraine, with Ukrainian hackers reportedly attacking Russian systems and destroying over 100 Terabytes of data from OrbitSoft, a software developer that works with the Russian army.