21:41 Ukraine imports more electricity in June than in the whole of 2023, rationed strictly
Ukraine imported over 858,000 Megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity in June 2024, which is 91% more than the amount imported in May and more than the total imported in the entire year 2023. According to statistics from July 3rd. The largest electricity imports for Ukraine in June came from Hungary (42%). Slovakia and Romania each provided 17%, Poland 16%, and Moldavia 8%. Russia intensified attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure in the spring, bringing the power grid to the brink of collapse. Since mid-May, electricity has been strictly rationed. The largest private energy company in Ukraine, DTEK, produces 90% less electricity.
20:49 "Eastern flank out of balance": Lithuania plans to allow stream ammunitionLithuania, considering Russia's war against Ukraine, intends to withdraw from the international Stream Ammunition Agreement. The government of the Baltic EU and NATO country is approving a corresponding bill from the Defense Ministry. Parliament still needs to approve it. Stream ammunition includes rockets and bombs that explode in mid-air and scatter numerous small explosive charges. Lithuania's government sees it as an effective defense weapon.
Russia and Belarus could use stream ammunition in case of armed conflict, thus gaining a military advantage. "Even if allies wanted to use this tool on our territory, they couldn't, not even to transport it through Lithuania," says Lithuania's Defense Minister: "This brings the entire Eastern flank completely out of balance and must certainly be addressed." Estonia, Latvia, Finland, and Poland have not signed the agreement.
20:12 White House: Russian offensive on Kharkiv likely failedThe US government announces another security package for Ukraine, the seventh since the aid was passed in April. It contains rockets, artillery ammunition, additional rocket systems, and other military equipment from US military stocks. More systems are reportedly being ordered with the financial resources. Additionally, the White House press secretary commented on the situation in Ukraine. According to her, it is "clearer than ever" that the Russian offensive on Kharkiv "has failed."
19:26 Ukraine's 47th Brigade: Russians use massive infantry, "massive cemeteries" of vehiclesThe area around the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region is currently the focus of the frontline activity. According to the 47th mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces deployed there, Russian troops are attempting to breach the Ukrainian defense lines: with massive infantry attacks supported by drones, explained Brigadier Anastasija Blischtschik. "The fact that we have barely seen armored vehicles on the battlefield for a month is at least unique, as their weapons have run out," said Blischtschik. Reconnaissance drones showed "massive cemeteries" of destroyed armored vehicles. Therefore, the Russian side is trying to dominate the combat situation with strong infantry forces. According to the General Staff in Kiev, the Russian military is attempting to increase its firepower in the Pokrowsk region.
18:49 House Committee approves armament package with 105 Leopard 2A8 Tanks105 Battle tanks, four Patriot and Lenkflugkörper air defense systems, as well as artillery ammunition: The House Committee of the German Parliament is bringing a more than six billion Euro package for the new equipment of the German military on its way. With the Leopard 2A8 tanks, the future Brigade in Lithuania is to be equipped, and at the same time, significant and long-standing gaps in the German military are to be closed, says Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) after the meeting. "The procurement of ammunition will be significantly accelerated and expanded. This will provide the German industry with a substantial basis for its planning for this decade, the Bundeswehr will have full stocks, and Ukraine will receive urgently needed supplies," share the government reporters. German production capacities for ammunition are to be significantly expanded. The Brigade in Lithuania is expected to be ready for deployment by 2027.
18:17 Zelenskyy: We want to know from Trump if US support will end after the electionUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asks Trump for clarity on how he intends to end the war in 24 hours. Zelenskyy states in an interview with "Bloomberg TV" that he is ready to meet with Trump and his team and listen to their proposals. "We want to know if we will have the powerful support of the USA in November (after the US elections) or if we will be alone." The former US President and designated candidate for the upcoming presidential elections has repeatedly claimed that he can end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. He never provided details. "If Trump knows how to end this war, he should tell us today," says Zelenskyy: "Should there be risks for Ukraine's independence, should we lose our statehood - we want to be prepared, we want to know that."
17:39 ROSATOM Chief complains about Ukrainian attacks on nuclear power plant substationIn a drone attack on a substation at the southern Ukrainian Enerhodar, eight employees of the nearby Saporischschja Nuclear Power Plant were injured, according to Russian statements. The men were engaged in repair work to restore power supply, says the head of the Russian Atomic Energy Agency, Alexei Likhachev. This not only compromises the safety principle of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), "this is a demonstrative violation," Likhachev complains. The substation is part of the infrastructure of the NPP and supplies the city with electricity. There were reportedly three drone attacks within an hour. He demands a reaction from the IAEA regarding the attack. Russia took control of Europe's largest nuclear power plant shortly after the start of its invasion and has held it since. The NPP is located on the southern bank of the Dnipro, the northern bank is controlled by Ukraine.
17:14 Video: Russian National Guards shoot at conscriptsIn the Russian city of Osinniki, conscripts are dancing on the roof of the draft board. This bothers the National Guards, who then attack the apparently drunk-looking men. Shots are heard, a woman falls to the ground. It is unclear whether she was hit by a crossfire.
16:39 Russian Army makes "New Town" district of Chassiv Yar "level with the ground"
According to Russian reports, the Russian army is taking control of a district in the strategically important city of Chassiv Yar in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. The troops have reportedly "liberated" the neighborhood of Novi, the Russian Defense Ministry announced. It is not known if the Russian soldiers managed to overcome a canal in the eastern part of the small town that serves as a natural defensive line for the Ukrainian army.
The military-affiliated news channel "DeepState" reports that the neighborhood has been "completely leveled." Further resistance would have resulted in heavy losses, it adds. The withdrawal from the neighborhood is therefore a "logical, if difficult, decision," it further states. Chassiv Yar is about ten kilometers from Bachmut, which was captured by Russian troops in May 2023 after long battles. A breakthrough could give the Russian army easier access to important mining towns in the Donbass region, such as Kramatorsk, which are still controlled by Ukraine.
16:04 Russian Security Services: French "Agent" Vinatier confesses
The Frenchman Laurent Vinatier, who is being held in Russia, has confessed to the Russian security services that he gathered information on the Russian military, according to Russian reports. A worker for a Swiss non-governmental organization, Vinatier has reportedly admitted to his guilt "in full," the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said. Vinatier allegedly made numerous contacts with military experts, scientists, and officials during his visits to Moscow. Through these contacts, the Frenchman reportedly collected "military and military-technical information that could be used against the security of the Russian Federation." Vinatier works for the Swiss non-governmental organization Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) and was arrested in Moscow on June 6. He is charged with failing to register as a "foreign agent."
15:34 Video: Russians report massive Ukrainian drone attack
According to Russian reports, Ukraine is attacking Novorossiysk with drones from the air and the water. The Russian Defense Ministry reports the shooting down of twelve objects. Sniper fire and explosions illuminate the night sky over the Black Sea port city on the shores of the Caucasus Mountains.
15:02 Poll: Ukrainians see Germany as conditionally reliable, fear US secret negotiations with Moscow
According to a survey conducted nearly two and a half years into the war, almost half of Ukrainians believe that the USA could negotiate a peace plan with Russia behind their backs. Forty-seven percent expressed this concern, while 49 percent had little or no concern. The views of Ukrainians on their allies in the defense against Russia vary by country. Eighty-four percent see Great Britain as reliable or conditionally reliable, the highest percentage. Seventy-six percent felt the same way about Germany, but only nineteen percent considered German support very reliable.
14:23 Scholz: Germany will not be a war party in the future
During the government questioning in the Bundestag, the topic of Ukraine also came up. When the Left's parliamentarian Gesine Lötzsch asks if Chancellor Olaf Scholz would give people "the guarantee" that Germany would not be a war party, Scholz replied: "Yes, I give this guarantee. I stand for that as Chancellor." Regarding when a ceasefire could be achieved, Lötzsch asked further. "In my opinion, a ceasefire that aims for Ukraine's capitulation is one that we cannot support from Germany," answered Scholz. This is not an abstract question, as one can see from Putin's "peculiar peace offering," he said. Putin had stated that he was ready for a ceasefire "if Ukraine also gives further annexations, effectively for free on top." This shows "how cynically they think and that the Russian president does not at all intend to end his aggressive war." Putin speaks only of peace negotiations to continue the war. "We will not tolerate that," Scholz assured.
13:55 International Criminal Court investigates torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating the torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians in detention facilities in the formerly occupied territories and in Russia, according to the Ukrainian agency "Ukrinform." The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office is working with the ICC on this matter. Ukrainian photographers Kostiantyn and Vlada Librov show on Instagram photos of Ukrainian soldiers who had fallen into Russian captivity and have since been freed. They wrote that it was "the most difficult shooting of the last six months."
13:19 Russian postal workers to replace doctors in rural areas
Due to a lack of medical personnel on the land, postal workers in some Russian regions are now taking on medical tasks. This was reported by the "Moscow Times" on Telegram. In rural post offices, medical stations and maternity wards are being set up. The postal workers are supposed to diagnose and perform various medical interventions. Russian publicist Alexander Nevzorov called this practice, as reported by the "Kyiv Post," a return to the Middle Ages.
12:58 NATO countries: No agreement on multi-year Ukraine aid
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg failed to convince NATO countries to make multi-year commitments for military aid to Ukraine. The 32 allies could only agree in the run-up to the Washington summit on providing support in the amount of at least 40 billion Euros within the next year. This was reported by the German Press Agency and relied on statements from several delegations.
12:24 Ukraine: 5 dead after attack on Dnipro
The number of casualties from the Russian attack on Dnipro has risen to at least 5, according to Ukrainian reports, with at least 39 people injured, including a 14-year-old girl. The attack reportedly took place with rockets and drones, causing several explosions and fires in the city. According to reports, a shopping mall and a weapons factory were hit.
11:31 Ukraine receives additional two billion euros from the IWFThe financially stricken Ukraine has received an additional tranche of over two billion Euros from the International Monetary Fund (IWF). The money is part of an ongoing credit program worth around 15 billion Euros. According to the Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal, the funds will mainly be used for social aid and salaries of civil servants, including doctors and teachers. Since the Russian attack in February 2022, Ukraine has reportedly received over 80 billion Euros in foreign aid for budget support.
11:01 Military base in Russian Kursk on fireVideos from the Russian city of Kursk show a large smoke cloud over the city. An Ukrainian attack is reported to have set several vehicles on fire at a military base in the city. The regional governor has confirmed a fire in the city center.
10:40 Multiple civilians killed in Russian attacks in UkraineRussian troops reportedly shot at the village of Borova in the Charkiw region overnight. The Military Administration of Charkiw reports on Telegram that one man was killed and two others were injured. In a Russian rocket and drone attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, at least three people were reportedly killed and 18 others injured.
10:19 Kremlin denies talks with Trump over UkraineRussia is not in dialogue with former US President Donald Trump over Ukraine, according to the Kremlin. The news agency Interfax reports this, citing a spokesperson for the Russian Presidium. Trump had announced during a TV duel with President Joe Biden in the previous week that, if he won the November election, he would resolve the war in Ukraine before his inauguration in January.
09:46 Ukraine lacks hangars to protect fighter jetsAccording to a report in the Ukrainian "Defense Express," the Ukrainian army does not have enough hangars to protect all its fighter jets from Russian attacks. The newspaper reports that a Ukrainian air force base in the Poltawa region does not have large enough hangar spaces for Su-27 fighter jets. Russian media have published images of a recent air raid on the airfield, which show several Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jets damaged in the open. The Ukraine lacks hangars to protect all its fighter jets.
09:16 Defense Committee approves purchase of 105 Leopard-2A8 tanksThe Defense Committee of the German Bundestag is expected to approve the purchase of 105 Leopard-2A8 battle tanks today. "We are exhausting all options," writes the new committee chairman Marcus Faber on the platform "X." "We are fully equipping the Brigade Litauen with combat tanks, replacing older Leo2 in the army, and creating room for further appropriations to Ukraine," adds the FDP politician. According to the proposal, the order has a volume of approximately three billion Euros. The defense company KNDS is expected to deliver the tanks to the Bundeswehr by 2030.
08:44 Russia: Ukrainian attack on Black Sea port repelled
According to Russian reports, two unmanned Ukrainian bomb boats attacked the Black Sea port of Novorossijsk but were repelled. The drone boats were destroyed in the Black Sea, according to the Defense Ministry. Novorossijsk is home to a large port for the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Russia has stationed many of its warships used in the conflict against Ukraine there after the Ukrainian attack on Crimean ports. The ministry did not comment on possible damages. The authorities in Novorossijsk urged people to stay in their homes and buildings during the night.
08:21 Most Ukrainians feel unity in society
Forty-four percent of Ukrainians believe that Ukrainian society is united at present, according to a nationwide survey conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on July 2. A smaller group of interviewees, 15 percent, consider Ukrainian society to be split. Corruption was named as the main problem, followed by language issues. Unfairness during the war, collaboration, and pro-Russian sentiments were also identified as factors contributing to societal division.
07:55 Kremlin: Ten Ukrainian attack drones destroyed
Russia claims to have shot down ten Ukrainian attack drones over Russian territory. Five drones were reportedly shot down over the Belgorod border region, four over the Brjansk border region, and one over the Moscow region, according to the Defense Ministry on Telegram. Additionally, two Ukrainian seed drones were destroyed that had been heading towards the Noworossijsk Black Sea port in the Krasnodar region.
07:20 Ukrainian General Staff: nearly 1,200 Russian losses yesterday
The Ukrainian General Staff reports 1,180 losses on the Russian side in the past 24 hours. This includes 16 destroyed tanks, 17 armored vehicles, 57 artillery systems, and 63 tank and other vehicles. Two Russian air defense systems were allegedly destroyed by the Ukrainians, as well as a missile. The number of Russian soldiers killed or wounded since the start of the full-scale invasion exceeded 546,000.
06:48 Putin arrives at SOZ summit in Kazakhstan
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kazakhstan, according to Kremlin reports. He is participating in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SOZ) partners in the capital Astana. The two-day meeting focuses on regional security, defense, and cooperation issues. The leaders of the SOZ member states discussed "the current situation and prospects for further deepening of multifaceted cooperation," according to Moscow. Putin plans to hold bilateral talks, including with China and Turkey. The summit involves representatives from 16 countries - including India, Iran, and Pakistan. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also expected to attend.
06:11 Ukraine continues to reject territorial concessions to Putin
According to the words of Andrij Yermak, the chief of staff of the Ukrainian president, Ukraine continues to categorically reject territorial concessions to Russia to end the war. "We are not willing to make compromises on important things and values," Yermak said to journalists and named "independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty." The chief of staff reacted to this during a visit to Washington regarding statements from the republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump, who claimed he could end the conflict quickly. The government in Kiev is, however, open for advice to achieve a "just peace." Trump said during the television debate that he would not accept Putin's conditions. Putin had declared that Russia would end the war if Kiev was ready to hand over the territories claimed and occupied by Moscow in the east and south of the country. In response to a question about how the Ukraine evaluates Trump's handling of the war, Yermak replied: "Honestly speaking: I don't know. We'll see."
05:42 USA releases new military aid for Ukraine
The Ukrainian military is in urgent need of supplies. The USA will make additional military aid to Ukraine available in the near future in the amount of around 2.3 billion US dollars (around 2.14 billion Euro). This was announced by US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin during a visit by his Ukrainian colleague Rustem Umjerow in Washington. The package approved by US President Joe Biden includes "additional surface-to-air missiles, anti-tank weapons, and other important ammunition from US stocks," Austin explained. A "realignment of some foreign military deliveries" will also make it possible for the USA to make munition for Patriot and other air defense systems "available in an accelerated timeframe."
04:49 NATO builds presence in Kiev
The NATO is expanding its civilian presence in the attacked Ukraine. A spokesperson confirmed that the 32 alliance members have decided to send a kind of special representative to the capital Kiev. The high-ranking official should coordinate political and practical support from the alliance on site. The background is that the NATO intends to give the start signal for a new deployment at the upcoming summit in Washington for the coordination of weapons deliveries and training activities for the Ukrainian armed forces. The headquarters for this should be set up in Wiesbaden. Who will receive the new NATO post in Kiev is still not known.
03:42 UN calls for release of Gershkovich
Experts from the United Nations are calling for the immediate release of the US journalist Evan Gershkovich, who is in detention in Russia on espionage charges. "The deprivation of freedom of Evan Gershkovich is arbitrary" and violates several articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the experts write in a statement. Taking into account the circumstances of the case, the "immediate" release of Gershkovich is appropriate.
02:40 Serbian President Vucic receives Russian deputy foreign ministerThe Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received the Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Gruschko in Belgrade. He spoke with Gruschko about the bilateral relations between Serbia and Russia and evaluated them as "very good", Vucic stated on Instagram. He also thanked Russia "for its support of Serbia's territorial integrity, as well as in relation to the UN Resolution on Srebrenica". Moscow still refuses to recognize Kosovo's independence. Serbia has been an EU membership candidate since 2012 but maintains good relations with the Kreml despite the Russian annexation of Crimea.
01:29 Russian court sentences 19-year-old to twelve yearsA Russian court sentenced a 19-year-old man to twelve years in prison for "high treason" after he was accused of donating money to the Ukrainian army for the purchase of food and drones. "The Rostov Regional Court found him guilty and sentenced him to a twelve-year term in a penal colony," it says in a comment from the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB, which was picked up by the state-controlled Kremlin media. The teenager is accused of sending money to help the Ukrainian army buy supplies. Thousands of Russians have been arrested and many of them imprisoned since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to Amnesty International, at least 21,000 people were targeted by repressions against war opponents in 2023.
00:20 One quarter of US citizens find US aid to Ukraine insufficientAlmost a quarter of Americans believe that the United States is not providing enough military aid to Ukraine. This percentage has risen since November last year, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. According to the survey, 24 percent of respondents believe that the United States is not providing enough aid, compared to 18 percent in November 2023, when the survey was last conducted. However, more Americans (31 percent) believe that the United States is providing too much aid, and 25 percent believe that the US aid is sufficient.
22:53 Lithuania reports airspace violation by Russian aircraftLithuania reports a violation of its airspace by a Russian aircraft. The unspecified aircraft of the Russian airline Pobeda entered the airspace of the Baltic EU and NATO member without permission in the evening of June 30th and stayed there for approximately one minute. The representative of the Russian embassy was summoned and the Russian authorities were urged to take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The airspace violation occurred over the Baltic Sea, as the aircraft was on its way from Moscow to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad bordering Lithuania. The EU has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft as a reaction to Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
22:12 Survey in Member States: High Trust in NATO, Low Trust in Zelenskyy
Coming Week, NATO Celebrates Its 75-Year Anniversary. In member states, the transatlantic defense alliance is generally well-regarded, according to a Pew Research survey. On average in 13 countries, 63 percent of the population holds a positive opinion, while 33 percent hold a negative one. Germany stands out with 64 percent positive sentiment, just above the average. The evaluation of NATO in Poland is exceptional: 91 percent have a positive image there. The trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy averages 40 percent and has decreased in member states in the past year. Poland stands out again, where the head of state has lost 22 percentage points - from 70 to 48 percent. In Germany, trust has decreased by 7 percentage points to 54 percent.
21:27 Zelenskyy Rejects Orban's Peace Proposal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected a peace proposal from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for peace talks, reports the Ukrainian presidency. During his first visit to Kiev since the war began, Orban proposed a quick ceasefire. This could accelerate peace negotiations with Moscow, he said. "The president listened to him, but in response, he clarified Ukraine's position and rejected the proposal," said a spokesperson for the presidency. Previously, Kiev had already rejected ceasefires, citing the possibility that Russian forces could reorganize during this time.
21:02 Ukraine: Moscow Recruits Minors
Russia is actively recruiting minors for the war in Ukraine, Ukraine claims. The recruitment contracts are reportedly signed with minors, and they take effect upon reaching adulthood. "They hope to recruit tens of thousands of teenagers with propaganda," says the Ukrainian agency "National Resistance Center": "We warn that any enemy on our territory will be eliminated." Russia also employs minors on occupied Ukrainian territory, for example, to manufacture drones.
You can read about previous developments here.
- Lithuania's Defense Minister expresses concern about withdrawing from the Stream Ammunition Agreement due to Russia's war against Ukraine, stating it would "bring the entire Eastern flank completely out of balance."
- The US government announces another security package for Ukraine, including rockets, artillery ammunition, and additional rocket systems, in response to Russia's continued offensive on Kharkiv.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for clarity from Donald Trump on his intentions for ending the war in Ukraine after the US elections, expressing concerns about potential loss of support.
- Russian cyber attacks have targeted Ukraine's critical infrastructure, including the power grid, leading to strict electricity rationing and significant decreases in electricity production by private companies like DTEK.
- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expresses concern over drone attacks on a substation at the Saporischschja Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, potentially compromising its safety principles.
