23:52 Air alarm: Drones approaching Kiev
In Kiev, an alarm has been triggered. Over the city, loud explosions can be heard. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated on Telegram that the air defense systems have been activated. In the central district of Darnyzky, debris have fallen, but damages are not reported according to initial findings. Shortly beforehand, the Ukrainian Air Force warned that drones from the East were heading towards Kiev. Additionally, drones were reported in the regions of Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk. At least 43 people were killed by Russian air raids on Kiev on July 8.
23:10 Estonia and Latvia ban cars with Belarusian license plates
Estonia and Latvia announce that they will not allow in Belarus-registered cars into their country at their borders with Russia and Belarus. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna says the ban has been imposed because Belarus "directly contributes to Russia's aggression in Ukraine and supports it." Lithuania had recently announced a similar ban. The three countries, as well as Poland, Finland, and Norway, had already banned the entry of cars with Russian registration into their sovereign territory in 2023.
22:23 Zelenskyy on prisoner exchange: "We must bring them all back"
In his evening video address, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy welcomes back the 95 soldiers who have returned from Russia (see entry at 14:36). Zelenskyy writes on X: "We are bringing our people home. Another 95 defenders have been released from Russian captivity. Among them are soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the Border Guard." After thanking the United Arab Emirates for their mediation in this release, he writes further: "We must bring them all back."
21:56 Moscow sentences Ukrainian collaborators to harsh prison terms
A Moscow military court has sentenced two Russians to lengthy prison terms for attempting to join the "Freedom Legion of Russia" recruiters. Radio Free Europe (RFE) reports. The Legion is a paramilitary unit where Russian deserters and other Russian and Belarusian volunteers fight on the Ukrainian side against Russia. The 24-year-old Andrei Morozov was sentenced to twelve years in prison. The 56-year-old Muscovite Anatoli Poplavski was sentenced to five and a half years in prison. According to RFE, Poplavski has two young children living in Ukraine and a wife he is currently divorcing. The announcement states that the man lived in two countries.
21:00 Lavrov blames US for escalation of violence
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke at a UN Security Council meeting and accused the US of being responsible for the many deaths in Ukraine and the Palestinian territories. "By giving diplomatic protection to Israel and supplying it with weapons and ammunition, Washington has become - this is clear to all - a direct party to the conflict, just as in Ukraine," Lavrov told Russian news agencies in New York. Further, he said that as soon as the US ceases its support, the bloodshed would end in both cases. The unprecedented wave of violence in the Middle East is a result of US policy in the region, claimed the Russian chief diplomat, whose government itself initiated the attack on Ukraine.
20:08 Over 4.69 million Ukrainians register for military serviceFrom May 18 to July 16, 2024, 4,690,496 men in the military age in Ukraine have registered for military service. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced this in a Facebook post. To speed up mobilization, Ukraine tightened the call-up rules for men in April. Men in the military age were required by law to update their military documents at public centers, draft offices, or the "Reserv+“ app. Failure to comply was punishable. Among the over four million conscripts, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reports that three million will become reservists.
19:22 Putin warns against cryptocurrency mining in Russia draining powerRussian President Vladimir Putin has warned against the mining of cryptocurrencies in his country due to the high power consumption. Currently, "almost 1.5 percent of the total power consumption" is going towards crypto mining, Putin said during a televised meeting with government officials. This number "is growing," the president cautioned. Russia is one of the major countries for mining new cryptocurrencies. Miners operating thousands of computers housed in large halls validate transactions and receive new cryptocurrency in return. The Kremlin, however, is skeptical of the unregulated industry. Putin warned that the uncontrolled growth of power consumption for crypto mining "could lead to power outages in certain regions." According to him, three Siberian regions have already experienced power shortages due to intensive crypto mining. Siberia has long been a hub for crypto mining due to its cheap electricity and cold weather.
18:53 EU releases 4.2 billion euros to UkraineUkraine is set to receive the first regular payment from the EU's new multi-billion euro aid program. The country has met the conditions for this payment, the EU commission responsible for the evaluation announced. Nearly 4.2 billion euros could be disbursed. The conditions for the first payment reportedly included the Ukrainian government in Kiev passing new laws to more effectively combat tax evasion and economic crime. Additionally, principles for the management of state-owned enterprises had to be adjusted, and a national energy and climate plan had to be adopted.
18:17 Russia demolishes Holodomor memorials in LuhanskIn the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk, which is under Russian occupation, memorials for victims of Stalin's repressions and victims of the Holodomor have been dismantled. This is reported by Radio Free Europe (RFE). RFE refers to videos that are being spread on Telegram. The Holodomor, also known as the Ukrainian Famine, was a famine caused by Stalin that affected millions of people in Ukraine from 1932 to 1933.
17:49 Power outages in the hot southern RussiaDue to extreme heat and a failed atomic reactor, power outages are necessary in many regions in southern Russia. Planned power cuts affect consumers in the Rostov region, as Governor Vasili Golubev announced on his Telegram channel. In Sevastopol on the annexed Crimean Peninsula, the local power supplier has announced power cuts of twelve hours a day - two hours with electricity, then two hours without.
17:05 Russia ships first grain from new Baltic Sea terminal to CubaAccording to Russian statements, Russia has shipped the first grain from a new terminal in its Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga. The Agriculture Supervision Authority announced this to the Reuters news agency. Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter, and about 90% of its exports go through ports in the Black Sea. Russia has recently tried to use various export routes. From the Lugaport terminal, the first 12,000 tons of grain were shipped in June. According to data from the information provider LSEG, the destination was Cuba. The port of Ust-Luga was in the headlines in January when a fuel terminal there caught fire. Ukrainian media reported that the cause was a drone attack by the Ukrainian intelligence services.
16:29 Ukrainian security service detains "Russian informant" in KharkivThe Ukrainian security service (SBU) has reportedly detained a "Russian informant" in the Kharkiv region. The SBU announced this in a statement. The woman is said to have shared information in a Telegram channel of the Russian intelligence services. The SBU claims to have documented how the woman was on the move in the eastern outskirts of Kharkiv and recorded the locations of Ukrainian troops' checkpoints and other military "fortifications" in secret.
15:44 NATO sends top British officials to KievNATO is strengthening its civilian representation in Ukraine and sending a high-ranking alliance representative to Kiev. The former deputy secretary-general, Patrick Turner, will lead the NATO representation in the Ukrainian capital from September and serve as the central point of contact for local authorities. The Briton will also help coordinate military support for Ukraine and provide Allied information and assessments of the situation in the country. NATO announced this.
15:03 Russia: Two civilians killed by Ukrainian drone in BelgorodAccording to Russian authorities, two civilians were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Russian border region of Belgorod. The victims were reportedly a young couple who were traveling in a civilian vehicle outside the city of Belgorod, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported.
14:36 Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of warRussia and Ukraine have reportedly exchanged prisoners of war. According to Russian statements, there were 95 soldiers on each side involved. The Russian Defense Ministry and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this on the platform X. The United Arab Emirates mediated the exchange. The returning Russian soldiers will first be examined medically in Moscow.
13:55 Sharma: Ukraine must give up symbolic village at the frontAccording to NTV reporter Kavita Sharma from Kiev, Ukraine is taking a series of setbacks at the front. After the Russian rocket attack on a children's clinic in the Ukrainian capital, the military reported withdrawals in the regions of Dnipro and Donetsk.
13:24 Kremlin casts doubts on offensive success
The Kremlin has dismissed speculation about the failure of the Russian offensive in the northeastern Ukraine. "The operation is continuing and it will, until it is successfully completed," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said today. Yesterday, the governor of Belgorod announced access restrictions to 14 villages on the Russian side near the border. This is to protect the population from Ukrainian attacks. In response to a question about whether the access restrictions meant that the offensive in the northeast had failed, Peskov replied: "No, that's not the case."
12:48 Study: Citizen's income has little impact on employment of Ukrainian refugees
Social transfer payments such as citizen's income have little influence on the employment rate of refugees from Ukraine. However, factors such as social networks in the respective countries, the level of English language proficiency of the local population, and childcare are significant. This is according to a Europe-wide study by the Institute for Labor Market and Vocational Research (IAB). In Germany, the employment rate of Ukrainian refugees is 27%, which is in the middle. The highest rate is in Lithuania with 57%, Denmark with 53%, and Poland with 48%.
11:53 Schoolchildren in Charkiw to be taught underground
Children in the city of Charkiw, which has been under almost daily Russian shelling since the start of the war in the northeastern Ukraine, will reportedly be taught more frequently in underground schools: According to city administration reports, an underground school project has already been implemented. The construction of three more such facilities has begun. The children will be better protected from Russian air raids in this way.
11:22 Media: Ukraine to receive 32 outdated F-16s from Greece
Greece plans to retire 32 outdated F-16 fighter jets and hand them over to the USA. According to a report by the portal "New Voice of Ukraine", these planes will then be modernized and delivered to Ukraine. Kiev already has 60 F-16 jets from Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, but needs at least 150 combat aircraft, according to its own statements, to launch rockets and missiles against Russia and repel air raids along a broad front. There have been devastating bombing raids, the latest being on a children's hospital in Kiev with at least seven fatalities.
10:35 Ukraine reports 112 frontline engagements since yesterday
The Ukrainian military general staff recorded 112 engagements along the front line in the past 24 hours. Among them were reportedly four rocket attacks on Ukrainian army positions and inhabited areas, as well as 71 air raids with 119 guided air-to-ground bombs. In addition, Russia conducted more than 4,300 artillery attacks, of which 121 were with multiple rocket launchers.
09:54 Russia and China launch joint naval exercise
Russia and China have begun a naval exercise in the South China Sea. The exercise is scheduled to last three days, according to Russian and Chinese state media today. They report that air and submarine defense training will take place during the maneuvers. Sharp ammunition is also expected to be used. Just a few days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia and China announced a strengthening of their partnership and described it as "boundless".
08:43 The German authorities report 42,000 missing Ukrainians
Approximately 42,000 people are currently missing in Ukraine, among them soldiers and civilians. The figure was published by the Interior Ministry. The number had previously been higher, around 51,000, according to the ministry. However, later, the bodies of around 4000 soldiers reported missing in action were found and identified. About 3000 missing persons were found alive, many of them prisoners of war. Difficulties in identifying the dead arise because the Defense Ministry does not take DNA samples from soldiers it sends into the field.
08:15 Hungary lobbies for a peace summit with Russia
Hungary is lobbying for Russia's participation in the planned second Ukraine peace conference. There are efforts to hold another peace summit this year, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. "I believe if we want to hope for the success of a future peace conference, we must ensure that both sides are represented," Szijjarto added. Hungary currently holds the EU presidency. The first peace summit took place in mid-June at the request of Ukraine, with representatives from over 90 countries attending in Switzerland. Russia declared its disinterest in the conference and was therefore not invited.
07:46 Russia and Ukraine plan to exchange prisoners today
Russia and Ukraine plan to exchange 90 prisoners today. This was reported by the news agency Bloomberg, citing a source. Ukrainian media reported last week that the parliament's human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinez, had announced that the government was planning, with the help of the United Arab Emirates, a large prisoner exchange with Russia soon. The two warring parties have already exchanged prisoners several times.
06:55 Ukrainian startups develop robots for the frontline
Ukrainian startups are developing affordable robots for mine clearance, evacuation of battlefields, transportation of equipment, and combat support. This was reported by the Ukrainian agency Ukrinform. An "ecosystem of laboratories in hundreds of secret workshops" is using innovations to create a robot army. The Ukraine hopes that this robot army will be able to kill Russian troops and save its own wounded soldiers and civilians, according to Ukrinform.
06:20 State and government leaders of 47 countries speak about Ukraine
At the invitation of the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, state and government leaders from 47 countries will meet tomorrow. The 27 EU member states plus 20 third countries will discuss, among other things, further aid for Ukraine in its defense war against Russia. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also registered. There will be several round tables on security policy and defense, but other topics will also be discussed. Ukraine is represented at the conference.
04:37 Japan grants Ukraine a loan from frozen Russian assets
Japan is reportedly granting Ukraine a loan of 3.3 billion dollars from the interest on frozen Russian assets. The sum is part of the 50 billion dollar package from the G7 countries, according to the Kyodo news agency, citing informed sources. The United States and the European Union are each contributing 20 billion dollars, while Japan, Great Britain, and Canada together contribute ten billion dollars. The package is expected to be adopted at a G7 summit on the sidelines of the G20 finance summit at the end of the month in Brazil.
03:26 German government gives Kiev ten million Euros for reconstruction of children's clinic
According to reports in the "Rheinische Post" newspaper, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has pledged ten million Euros to the Ukrainian government for the reconstruction of a children's hospital in Kiev. The funds will be used in conjunction with contributions from other donors and sponsors to quickly make the hospital operational and winter-proof again. This will include repairs and maintenance on facades, in treatment rooms, and the electrical and heating systems.
02:10 Medvedev warns NATO of "point of no return"
Following the NATO summit's announcement that it would consider Ukraine as a member, former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev renewed his threats against the alliance. In an article for the Russian news portal Argumenty I Fakty, he referred to a potential Ukrainian membership as a potential declaration of war against Russia. "This would essentially be a declaration of war - albeit with a delay. The actions taken by Russia's adversaries for years, by expanding the alliance, ... are bringing NATO to a point of no return." Russia does not threaten NATO, but will respond to attempts by the alliance to advance its interests. "The more such attempts there are, the harsher our responses will be," Medvedev said. "Whether this tears the entire planet apart depends only on the sanity of the NATO side."
01:00 Ukrainian soldiers use expired ammunition
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has returned a "considerable amount" of old ammunition to the military, which should have been disposed of before the first Russian attack on Ukrainian territory in 2014. The ammunition is already being used on the battlefield. "We are looking for internal reserves to supply Ukrainian soldiers with ammunition. We know that every shot, every rocket, and every grenade on the battlefield is life-saving," said Deputy Defense Minister Yuriy Dyzhjar. Anything that can be repaired and reused will be given a second life.
23:37 Ukrainian troops give up positions in the southeast
Ukrainian troops have reportedly given up positions in the southeast of the country at Krynky in the Cherson region and Uroschajne in the Donezk region under Russian pressure. "In both settlements, it no longer made sense to hold the positions," Ukrainian media quote sources in the General Staff. The fighting for the settlement of Krynky on the southern bank of the Dnipro River in the Cherson region was criticized from the outset due to its futility. It is unclear whether Ukrainian soldiers are still holding positions on the southern bank of the Dnipro River. Read more here.
22:07 New Aid for Ukraine
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi announced a new aid package of $100 million (around 93 million Euro) during a visit to Ukraine. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will support the preparation for winter and continue to aid the Ukrainian government in Kiev to help displaced or otherwise affected Ukrainians, Grandi said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev. The Agency will also mobilize future funds to support the attacked country. Zelenskyy thanked for the help, which is urgently needed due to the damage to the energy infrastructure caused by Russian attacks. According to a statement from the Presidential Administration, the country still needs help to rebuild destroyed houses and install bomb shelters in schools and hospitals. This will provide security for the displaced Ukrainians to return home.
21:27 Ukraine reports destruction of Russian S-300 Air Defense System
Ukraine claims to have destroyed a Russian S-300 Air Defense System in the occupied Donetsk Oblast, according to its own reports. Ukrainian General Staff Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced this on Twitter. A video spread by the Ukrainian military shows several hits of alleged ATACMS rockets with cluster munitions. According to Syrskyi, several launchers and a radar station of the system were destroyed.
20:49 Report: Ukrainian Government may be on the brink of resignation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reportedly on the verge of reshuffling his cabinet and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal. This was reported by the "Kyiv Post" citing an unnamed source in the Ukrainian parliament. The Ukrainian parliament was instructed to prepare for a discussion and vote on a new cabinet on Tuesday in the coming week, the newspaper reported. Zelenskyy himself also spoke about the rumors of a possible cabinet reshuffle on Monday. "Could there be changes in the government? Yes, probably," so the Ukrainian President. "We are in a process."
20:02 Baltic States to leave Russian power grid
The Baltic States have reportedly informed Russia and its ally Belarus of their departure from the power grid of the former Soviet Union. "We will cut the last energy connections with Russia," explains the head of the state Lithuanian power grid operator Litgrid, Rokas Masiulis. This step is expected to take place in February 2025. Shortly thereafter, the three countries will connect to the European power grid. "In six months, we will not only disconnect from the Russian and Belarusian power grids, but also dismantle the last power lines," Masiulis explains.
19:20 Lindner criticizes Orbán's "Alone Actions" towards Orbán
Following the controversy over Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Moscow trip, Germany and other EU partners are increasing the pressure on Budapest. During a Finance Ministers meeting in Brussels, most member states called on Hungary to keep prioritizing Ukraine aid. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner accused Orbán of "Alone Actions." "Hungary should know that the peace and freedom order of Europe as a whole is being defended in Ukraine," Lindner stated in the public debate. This should remain a "Top-Priority" during Hungary's EU Presidency until the end of the year. Hungary's Finance Minister Mihaly Varga had previously presented seven priorities, ranging from fighting illegal migration to competitiveness, but Ukraine was not mentioned.
You can read about previous developments here.**
- In response to the escalating Ukraine-Conflict, NATO considers increasing its military deployments near Ukraine's border.
- Russian military deployments in Crimea have raised concerns among Ukrainian officials, with Volodymyr Zelensky warning of a potential attack on Ukraine.
- Cyberwarfare has become a significant component of the conflict, with allegations of Russian hackers targeting Ukraine's critical infrastructure.
- The NATO-member countries have pledged their support to Ukraine, including providing military aid and cyberdefenses to help protect against Russian attacks.
- The Ukraine-Conflict has also led to increased tensions between Russia and NATO, with Moscow accusing NATO of provoking the conflict and interfering in Russian internal affairs.
