Ukraine is now producing 200,000 drones per month — the new reality of its war effort. Drone manufacturing in Ukraine has surged by 900% over the past year, reports Defense Express.

Analytical centers, such as the Atlantic Council and Georgetown Security Studies Review, say that this rapid growth is only the first stage.

The drone sector has become a key response to Russian aggression, with monthly output rising from 20,000 to over 200,000 units in just one year.

To bolster its defense potential, Ukraine must establish long‑term investment mechanisms and more actively protect its technologies with patents.

Experts note that Ukraine currently files fewer patents for drone technologies than Russia or other countries, limiting its innovative defense industry prospects. Intellectual property protection, they say, is “an integral part of national security.”

Although the study covers primarily 2022–2023 data, Defense Express confirms that the lack of long‑term contracts and support mechanisms remains a pressing issue for many Ukrainian defense firms.

After a Ukrainian drone strike, Russia plunges into aviation chaos and loses a minister. The country is still grappling with widespread flight delays and cancellations following a massive attack on the night of 5 July, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports. 

By 7 June, nearly 2,000 flights have been delayed, over 500 have been canceled, and at least 88 aircraft have been diverted to alternate airports.

Major hubs were hardest hit, including Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo, and Chkalov Airport in Nizhny Novgorod.

While Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency claimed “normalization” by the morning of 7 July, dozens of flights remained disrupted.

Sheremetyevo saw over 40 delayed flights, while Pulkovo faced delays on more than 100 routes and at least eight cancellations. Similar disruptions occurred in Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg. Russian media estimate financial damages from the air traffic meltdown to exceed 20 billion rubles.

Amid the chaos came a bombshell: Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was found dead just hours after being fired by Russian President Vladimir Putin. His sacking was linked to the air transport collapse following the drone strikes, according to UNIAN. 

According to early reports from Russian Telegram channels, Starovoit died as a result of suicide, allegedly shooting himself in his car with an award pistol received in 2023.

While aviation failures were cited as the reason for his dismissal, other reports suggest he faced imminent criminal charges related to the alleged embezzlement of funds intended for building fortifications in Kursk Oblast, which he previously governed.

One of his former deputies is already implicated and is believed to have testified against him.

Moscow and Budapest may be preparing for the “protection of citizens” in Ukraine. Russia is seeking to join efforts with Hungary to “save” national minorities in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Magyar Nemzet in an interview.

Lavrov reiterated Kremlin narratives about the alleged persecution of the Russians in Ukraine. According to him, they were “banned from using the Russian language in education, science, culture, media, advertising, public services, and even in daily life.”

There are no laws in Ukraine that explicitly ban the Russian language, Russian culture, or the very existence of Russia as a country.

At the same time, 82% of Russian-speaking Ukrainians hold a negative view of Russia. Among them, 81.5% trust the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 

Meanwhile, Lavrov claimed that members of other national minorities have been forcibly Ukrainianized.

“Other ethnic groups, Hungarians, Romanians, Poles, Bulgarians, Armenians, Belarusians, Greeks, also faced forced Ukrainianization. Today, Russia and Hungary are openly standing up to defend their compatriots. We can combine our efforts in this regard,” said Lavrov.

It’s worth noting that Hungary frequently blocks or slows down European initiatives aimed at supporting Ukraine or tightening sanctions against Russia.

Budapest sharply criticizes Ukrainian language and education laws, citing alleged violations of the rights of the Hungarian minority in neighboring Zakarpattia Oblast of Ukraine. 

Moreover, Hungary’s government is obstructing the start of Ukraine’s EU accession talks. In June 2025, the Hungarian government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, held a so-called “national referendum” on Ukraine’s accession to the bloc. According to official government data, more than 2.2 million people (around 29% of voters) participated, with 95% voting against Ukraine joining the EU.

Although the referendum has no legal force, Orbán used its results as a political tool to block Ukraine’s further progress toward EU membership, HVG reports. 

During the referendum, Hungarian citizens received anti-Ukrainian leaflets alongside their ballots, claiming that Ukraine’s EU membership would threaten pensions, cause epidemics, flood Hungary’s market with cheap and low-quality Ukrainian agricultural products, bring Ukrainian organized crime, and allow mass Ukrainian migration that would take jobs from Hungarians.

Russian occupiers have appropriated 110 cultural artifacts discovered during illegal archaeological excavations in occupied Crimea between 2014 and 2025, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence reports.

Details about the stolen items have been published in the Stolen Heritage section of the War&Sanctions portal. The website was launched to expose and document individuals, companies, and entities that support or facilitate Russian aggression against Ukraine. 

“The artifacts were uncovered by the occupiers during unauthorized digs at archaeological sites such as the Artezian Settlement, Genoese Fortress of Chembalo, and the Southern Suburb of Chersonesus Taurica,” the report states.

Among the stolen findings are cultural items from the Kadykivske settlement, the site of a Roman military camp where the occupation authorities in Sevastopol are planning to build a shopping mall. Additionally, some of the stolen artifacts were removed from the National Preserve of Chersonesus Taurica.

“The portal section has been updated with details on the locations of illegal digs, theft of cultural heritage, and other unlawful actions by the Russian occupation regime in Crimea,” Ukraine’s military intelligence adds.

The agency emphasizes that each war crime committed against the Ukrainian people will be justly punished.

A Canadian-made armored vehicle from the Roshel company withstood a direct hit from a Russian FPV drone, saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. 

The National Guard’s Special Purpose Center OMEGA has released video footage from a soldier’s body camera capturing the aftermath of the strike. According to the report, the drone attacked the soldiers as they were heading to carry out a combat mission.

“The entire team was at the epicenter of the explosion. Fortunately, all of the special forces soldiers survived. After a successful evacuation, fighters from the 5th Special Purpose Detachment ‘OMEGA’ completed their mission,” the National Guard states.

The unit added that these images should serve as a reminder of the extreme conditions Ukrainian special forces face daily on the frontline.

Earlier, Ukrainian forces launched a successful maritime drone strike, destroying a high-value Russian Nebo-M radar complex near the village of Mayak on northwestern Crimea’s Tarkhankut Cape. 

This marked the first known instance of Ukrainian naval drones deploying munition-carrying quadcopters mid-mission, expanding the offensive utility of these platforms beyond carrying FPV kamikaze drones.

Ukrainian soldier Valerii Zelenskyy, 57, has died less than a month after returning from Russian captivity, Suspilne reports.

He spent more than three years in Russian captivity. Upon returning to Ukraine, he received medical care. But his condition deteriorated rapidly, and he was eventually admitted to intensive care.

Doctors initially suspected pancreatic issues and began active treatment. Eventually, he underwent surgery, during which it became apparent that his internal organs were “falling apart.” He died on 16 June, which is less than a month after returning home.

“The first feeling is endless pain, because your beloved person is gone. He was simply tortured to death,” his daughter Valeria says.

She describes her father as a natural leader and an athlete. Before the all-out war, he had worked in the police, but later joined the military. While serving in the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, he was promoted to sergeant major.

When mass hostilities began, her father’s unit supported the defenders of Mariupol, including delivering weapons to them.

“When the assault started, they asked for volunteers. Eight of forty men stepped forward — my father was one of them. He was a sapper and had to mine a bridge,” she recalls.

In eastern Ukraine, Russian forces captured Valerii. The family only learned about his capture several days later. At the time, they were hiding in a basement in Sievierodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast under heavy shelling and had no quick mobile communication.

Upon his return, Valerii was filled with joy. Not only did he meet with his two granddaughters, whom he dreamed of raising, but he also discovered that a grandson had been born in his absence. When asked by doctors about suicidal thoughts, he replied that he had many reasons to live: “My children are waiting. The world is waiting. I have a whole life to live.”

“He came back without any muscles, too much time had passed. You have to understand, those men are literally on the brink of life and death in captivity,” his daughter says.

He told her, “Three of us died from torture. When I felt like I might not make it, I asked God: Please, just let me see the eyes of my beloved.”

According to his medical report, Valerii had suffered nearly every type of torture. He returned from Russian captivity with multiple injuries. One of his shoulders and an arm were no longer functional.

The UK has provided critical support to Ukraine in the fight against Russian chemical weapons. London has made a voluntary contribution of £400,000 to support the activities of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in Ukraine.

These funds will be used to supply Ukraine with specialized equipment, training, expert, logistical, and technical assistance to strengthen the country’s resilience against chemical weapons threats.

An OPCW report previously confirmed the presence of the toxic substance 2-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS gas) in seven samples collected in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

CS is a tear gas banned for use in war under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Nevertheless, Russia resorts to this type of weaponry.

The UK has been an active member of the OPCW since the Chemical Weapons Convention came into force in 1997. Overall, the country has already contributed £950,000 to the Ukraine assistance project through the OPCW fund.

Through this fund, the organization provides technical support to Ukraine, including deployments of technical experts, supplying protective, detection, and identification equipment, and training Ukrainian specialists and first responders.

Earlier, an environmental expert said that Russian attacks and fires they cause release large amounts of toxic substances entering the air and soil, many of which are carcinogenic and mutagenic. 

These include nitrogen oxides, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzopyrene, and vapors of sulfuric and hydrocyanic acid. They are extremely dangerous for people, especially children. 

Exclusive

How Ukraine can win, p.5: Russia is winning the recruiting war. That’s also how it could lose.. Russia isn’t going to run out of men. But it may run out of volunteers.

Russia’s terror on civilians: I sleep in my bathroom and text friends to see who survived. By 6 AM, I know who made it through another night.

A Russian drone found the toughest armor on the battlefield—and lost. Russian observers celebrated a drone strike on a Ukrainian Leopard 2A6 near Pysarivka. They filmed the moment it hit the tank’s frontal turret—the exact spot where its armor is thickest.

“Luxury TikToking”: French MEP slams Macron’s call with Putin as narcissism while Ukraine burns. While Ukraine fights for survival, Macron phones Putin. French MEP Glucksmann calls it peak European performance: busy, public, and strategically empty.

Ukraine needs air defenses—US pulls Patriots, Europe can’t help. As the US withdraws Patriot missiles this week, UK defense expert Frank Ledwidge warns: Europe lacks the systems Ukraine needs to survive.

Military

Ukraine reportedly conducts one of most distant sabotage operations, targeting Russian military infrastructure near Vladivostok. Russian authorities move quickly to control information on the blast.

Ukraine strikes Russian facility making components for Shaheds and Iskander missiles used to bomb schools and hospitals. Ukrainian forces struck the Kometa antenna plant.

Frontline report: Ukrainian drone strikes on military targets race to weaken Russia before major offensive launch

. Ukraine systematically targets Russian command centers, ammunition and oil depots, and railway networks to delay Moscow’s planned multi-front summer offensive spanning from Sumy to Kherson—the largest coordinated assault Russia has attempted since the full-scale invasion began.

In one night Ukrainian drones hit Russian military airfield and drone defense factory used to fuel aggression. Fires erupted at Russia’s Borisoglebsk aviation center where Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM aircraft conduct training operations before attacking Ukraine.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine is becoming naval power: two ships pass NATO certification. Two Ukrainian vessels have officially become interoperable with NATO standards, and Ukraine’s Marine Corps is now the largest in Europe.

Ukraine develops new laser drone that guides precision strikes through jamming. The R-34-T drone allows Ukrainian forces to illuminate Russian targets from safe distances, keeping operators in safety.

Ukraine leads NATO into future of combat medicine

. Ukraine’s combat medics warn: evacuating the wounded is the most dangerous job in field medicine.

International

Former Polish President Duda: US blocked Polish MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine in 2022. President Zelenskyy asked. Poland agreed. But the US vetoed the transfer.

Ukraine’s Intelligence: Moscow accelerates its troop buildup in Armenia as tensions with Azerbaijan rise. Ukraine’s military intelligence warns: this is not a coincidence—it’s part of a calculated move to destabilize the region.

Armenia accuses Russian state TV of “hostile propaganda” against its government. Armenian officials claims that the country’s democracy is “under attack” through Russian media, while also considering to block Russian television broadcasts.

Trump satisfied with Zelensky call, suggests Patriot missiles still possible for Ukraine despite deliveries halt

. In contrast, the US President expressed sharp frustration with Vladimir Putin after their phone call that preceded Zelenskyy’s, telling reporters the Russian leader rejected ceasefire discussions and “wants to continue killing people.”

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian missiles and drones continue to kill after impact, releasing toxic clouds of carcinogens over Ukrainian cities. Children may need evacuation from cities hit hardest by toxic fallout.

Ukraine on fire with civilians injured as Trump doubts Putin wants to end war. Russia launched 322 drones at Ukraine on the night of 5 July, sparking fires at different locations and injuring at least 16 civilians, including children.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Masks are not helping. After Russian attacks and the fires they cause, large amounts of toxic substances enter the air and soil, many of which are carcinogenic and mutagenic, says Tetiana Tymochko, head of the All-Ukrainian Environmental League, UkrInform reports.

“Primarily, these include nitrogen oxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur oxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzopyrene, and vapors of sulfuric and hydrocyanic acid,” she explains.

Become one of our 200 defense patrons!

According to Tymochko, masks do little in this case. They can only trap solid particles from the incomplete combustion of certain substances and materials. Toxic substances also enter the environment as a result of large fires caused by strikes. All of this, she says, has a very negative impact on human health.

“Substances like benzopyrene and formaldehyde have carcinogenic and mutagenic effects,” she continues.

Nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, colorless gases, are released into the environment and then into the respiratory system. Once released, they cause coughing, choking, and raised blood pressure. People with cardiovascular conditions are also affected.

“There’s little advice one can give in such a situation. Ideally, stay indoors where these pollutants aren’t present,” Tymochko says.

She adds that children should be evacuated from cities that have been attacked, if possible. The toxins in the air settle and contaminate the soil.

“Even if several days have passed after such strikes, air masses can carry these toxic substances from vegetation or soil,” she notes.

The pollution also disrupts plant root nutrition and leads to stunted growth or even plant death.

Russia tries to conceal a deep rear explosion near Vladivostok, located near North Korea and Japan. In the early hours of 5 July, a powerful explosion rocked a major gas pipeline near Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East, according to sources in Ukraine’s military intelligence cited by UNIAN.

“Branches of the ‘Vladivostok’ gas pipeline running along the Sea of Japan coastline were destroyed,” the sources say.

The pipeline supplied gas to several Russian military facilities, including units of the 155th Marine Brigade of Russia’s Pacific Fleet. Intelligence also reported the destruction of a water pipeline that supplied drinking water to military garrisons.

Explosions occurred between 1 and 2 a.m., sparking a large fire. Emergency services and special units were dispatched to the scene.

To prevent panic during Vladivostok’s 165th anniversary celebrations, mobile internet and communications were shut down in the Lazurnaya Bay (Shamora) area.

Earlier, a powerful explosion occurred in the engine room of the Vilamoura tanker, while it was en route from the Libyan port of Es-Zuwaytina. The vessel was located about 150 km northeast of Libya’s territorial waters and was carrying approximately 1 million barrels of crude oil. 

Ukraine’s Intelligence: Explosion disables Russian shadow fleet tanker, carrying 1 million barrels of sanctioned oil

Become one of our 200 defense patrons!

Ukraine has struck Russia’s military-industrial complex in an effort to degrade its ability to produce precision-guided weapons. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the target was the production of Kometa antenna arrays at a defense enterprise in the Russian city of Cheboksary.

These antenna arrays are used in Shahed-type drones, Iskander-K missiles, and unified glide and correction modules (UMPK) for guided aerial bombs. Russia regularly employs these weapons to attack Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, including schools, kindergartens, and hospitals.

In 2025, Russia planned to produce 75,000 aerial bombs equipped with such modules, which turn a standard unguided bomb into a precision-guided munition with an extended range.

Russian bombs cause massive destruction and pose a significant threat to Ukrainian cities, with a few capable of leveling a five-story building.

“It is confirmed that the strike reached the target area. Results are being clarified,” the General Staff reported.

Ukraine’s defense forces said they are continuing to take all necessary measures to undermine Russia’s military-economic potential and force it to end its armed aggression. They also pledged further strikes.

At the beginning of Russia’s all-out war in 2022, Ukraine asked Poland for MiG-29 fighter jets, but the US blocked the request, former Polish President Andrzej Duda told Polskie Radio in an interview. 

“Ukraine was literally pleading with us for MiGs. It came up constantly in my conversations with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We turned to our allies to ask if we could transfer the aircraft as a NATO member state, and the Americans blocked it,” Duda said.

He added that during negotiations, the Ukrainian side expressed frustration, since the US did not publicly acknowledge its ban.

“The Ukrainians would come to us with complaints because they heard from the Americans: go talk to the Poles. So it created the impression that it was Poland refusing to provide the jets,” the former Polish president explained.

According to Duda, the US similarly blocked the transfer of tanks and other heavy assault vehicles. However, he emphasized that Poland was ultimately the first country to provide Ukraine with heavy weaponry, which he called “a major contribution to saving Ukraine.”

Earlier, the Norwegian Defense Ministry announced it would send F-35 fighters to Poland to protect NATO’s strategic logistics hub in Rzeszów from potential sabotage and missile strikes.

This year, the US said it planned to redeploy some of its military equipment and personnel from the Polish military airport Jasionka, near Rzeszów, to other locations within Poland.

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence or HUR has reported that the Kremlin has accelerated the buildup of its military base in Gyumri, Armenia, aiming to increase military-political pressure on the South Caucasus countries. During the Soviet era, its nations, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, were under Moscow’s control and subjected to centralized governance.

Personnel for the Gyumri base are being recruited from Russian troops stationed in the Rostov and Volgograd regions, as well as from occupied Crimea.

In addition, Russia is actively seeking volunteers from oppressed Caucasian ethnic groups, particularly in North Ossetia and Adygea.

According to HUR, the deployment of Russian troops in Armenia is part of the Kremlin’s broader strategy to destabilize global security. 

“Alongside stoking interethnic conflict, Moscow is expanding its military presence in the Caucasus. The worsening of Russian-Azerbaijani relations was likely planned in advance,” noted Ukrainian Defense Intelligence representative Andrii Yusov.

Ukraine’s military intelligence continues to monitor Russian troop movements both inside and beyond Russian territory.

Become one of our 200 defense patrons!

Ukraine is moving closer to NATO even without formal membership. Two Ukrainian mine countermeasure vessels, Cherkasy and Chernihiv, have passed the Alliance’s Level 1 certification, Ukraine’s Naval Forces report. 

“We still have to move forward with our naval fleet, but we are developing rapidly, even amid war,” says Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa.

The Maritime Capability Coalition, launched under the leadership of the UK and Norway, has already united 19 countries to help turn Ukraine’s Armed Forces into a naval force in Europe.

One of Ukraine’s most ambitious projects is the construction of Corvette-class ships. However, it is a technically and financially complex challenge: building one vessel takes 3 to 6 years, and another 1 to 2 years are needed for full combat integration.

“This is a major challenge for Ukraine, considering the war and limited budget. Some criticize these decisions, but the future of our fleet is strong, and it is already taking shape,” Neizhpapa explains.

Ukraine also proudly boasts the largest Marine Corps in Europe, which has already proven its effectiveness on the front lines.

“It’s important that our partners see how we fight at sea and learn from our experience,” concludes the Navy Commander.

Earlier, Ukraine upgraded its sea-based Katran drone with strike capabilities reaching targets up to 100 kilometers away, according to Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence.

The unmanned vessel, originally designed as a kamikaze platform, evolved into a strategic multi-role system capable of deep and extended operations. The drone can operate for up to six days on water and reach targets as far as 3000 kilometers, nearly tripling the publicly stated range of 1,000 kilometers that had been reported back in March.

When the enemy targets evacuation vehicles carrying the wounded, every second can save a life. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry reports that its representatives took part in a conference of NATO’s Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine (NATO MILMED COE), held at JATEC in Poland. 

The main focus was held on effective battlefield casualty evacuation, integration of civil-military planning, and the implementation of innovations in military medicine: unmanned aerial vehicles, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence.

“During the conference, JATEC reviewed Ukraine’s unique combat experience and enhanced cooperation with NATO to strengthen the medical capabilities of both the Alliance and Ukraine,” says JATEC Commander Brigadier General Wojciech Ozga.

The meeting brought together over 230 participants from 18 NATO countries and partners.

The Ukrainian representatives emphasized that the enemy deliberately targets evacuation teams along with the wounded in order to demoralize units. This makes evacuation one of the most dangerous tasks in field medicine.

“Effective evacuation of the wounded is one of the most difficult aspects of field medicine under conditions of large-scale aggression,” said Valerii Vyshnivskyi, Director of Program Implementation at JATEC.

Key challenges include interoperability, communications, and planning. These areas require revision of evacuation and pre-medical aid mechanisms to save more lives under real combat conditions.

Anna Paulina Luna, a US lawmaker from the Republican Party, has connected an arms freeze to Ukraine’s ban on the Moscow-affiliated church.

This week, the Pentagon halted the delivery of certain air-defense missiles and precision-guided munitions to Ukraine, citing concerns over depleting US stockpiles.

In a post on X, Anna Paulina Luna accused President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of banning the Orthodox Church.

Fact check for Tucker Carlson: Russia, not Ukraine, is persecuting Christians

“Zelenskyy BANNED THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. I CAN PROMISE THERE WILL BE NO WEAPONS FUNDING FOR YOU @ZelenskyyUa. NEGOTIATE FOR PEACE. WE ARE NOT YOUR PIGGY BANK,” she wrote on X. 

Meanwhile, an analysis conducted by senior US military officers showed that the weapons package for Ukraine, but halted, did not pose a threat to American military capabilities. Sources say that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has unilaterally blocked arms for Ukraine, which were approved during Joe Biden’s presidency.

No fresh arms sanctions have been endorsed by US President Donald Trump’s administration. At the same time, since Trump’s peace efforts began, the only thing that has changed for Ukraine is the intensification of Russian attacks and an increase in the number of civilian victims. 

US military leaders are clear: aid to Ukraine does not harm America. But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth once again says “no,” despite the facts, the pressure, and the law, NBC News reports. 

Chaos in sky: Hegseth halts Ukraine’s weapons flights without Trump’s order

An analysis conducted by senior US military officers showed that the weapons package for Ukraine, but halted, did not pose a threat to American military capabilities. Nevertheless, Hegseth suspended the shipment, the media outlet writes, citing three US officials.

According to sources, the Pentagon chief’s decision has surprised the US State Department, members of Congress, Ukrainian officials, and European allies. It has been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats in the US. 

Representative Adam Smith, a Democrat from the House Armed Services Committee, has stated that the Pentagon’s explanation for pausing the aid was disingenuous, saying the real reason appears to be simply to end US support for Ukraine.

“We are not at any lower point, stockpile-wise, than we’ve been in the 3½ years of the Ukraine conflict,” Smith says, adding that his staff “saw the numbers,” and there was no evidence of shortages that would justify halting the aid.

The sources said Hegseth was supported by Elbridge Colby, the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy. Colby has long advocated reducing American aid to Ukraine and shifting weapons and resources to the Pacific region to counter China.

Congressional aides said lawmakers from both parties have been frustrated that they had not been informed in advance and were reviewing whether the delay violated legislation requiring continued security assistance to Ukraine. The White House has defended the decision, stating it followed an ongoing Pentagon review of support to allies and partners.

The review began after Hegseth ordered the Pentagon Joint Staff to reassess stockpiles of all munitions. According to three officials, while some US precision munitions were at lower levels, the figures had not crossed critical thresholds.

Officials say the Joint Staff has concluded that further aid to Ukraine would not reduce US stockpiles below the levels required for military readiness.

Ukraine will establish defense plants in Denmark. Ukraine’s Minister for Strategic Industries, Herman Smetanin, and Denmark’s Minister for Industry, Morten Bødskov, have signed an agreement on cooperation.

Herman Smetanin recalls that a year ago, Denmark was the first to begin financing weapons production by Ukrainian companies.

Today, it has become the first country where Ukraine exports its own defense technologies for production, scaling, and delivery to the Ukrainian military.

“This is a unique case of international cooperation for the Ukrainian defense industry. I am extremely grateful to Denmark for such significant support of Ukraine’s defense sector,” the minister states.

He adds that Ukraine will make every effort to strengthen Denmark’s and its partners’ defense capabilities.

In 2024, Ukraine and Denmark introduced a new mechanism for funding arms procurement for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This mechanism was named the “Danish model.”

It is a system of military assistance to Ukraine that involves direct financing and procurement of weapons from Ukrainian defense companies. This approach supports Ukraine’s defense industrial base, helping to equip Kyiv troops with NATO-standard technology.

The first project under the Danish model was the procurement of 155mm 2S22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzers with full-cycle financing, from production to crew training and technical support. In 2025, defense support under this model will scale up to over €1.3 billion, part of which comes from frozen Russian assets. The funds will go toward the production of artillery, attack drones, missiles, and anti-tank systems.

The Security Service of Ukraine has found Chinese-made components in the debris of Iranian Shahed drones used by Russia to strike Kyiv.

According to an official statement, the Russian-modified Shaheds contained launch parts marked with the name of Suzhou Ecod Precision Manufacturing Co., Ltd. These drones were used in an overnight attack on Kyiv on 4 July.

“These components, specifically catapult launch mounts, were recovered from the drones that Russian forces used to attack the capital,” the SBU stated, releasing photographic evidence.

A criminal case has been opened, with the strike on Kyiv classified as a war crime.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has pointed to the symbolic irony: “We found a component of the Shahed-136/Geran-2 in Kyiv, manufactured in China and delivered quite recently, while just the day before, the Russian strike damaged the building of China’s Consulate General in Odesa.”

To the minister, this illustrates how Putin has drawn third countries into his war.

“North Korean troops, Iranian weapons, Chinese manufacturers — this is what Ukraine is fighting against,” said Sybiha. 

The Ukrainian foreign minister has emphasized that global security is interconnected: “Security in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific region is inseparable. This is not a competition for attention.”

He has called on the US and the international community to increase pressure not only on the Kremlin but also on all those supporting its war.

Russian soldiers stripped Ukrainian civlians and beat them with sticks in 2022. The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office reported that two occupiers will face justice for organizing torture chamber in Kupiansk, in Kharkiv Oblast. 

The torture chamber operated inside the occupied district police department. Another 16 Russia suspects are wanted and will be tried in absentia.

“People were beaten with fists, feet, and sticks, and electrocuted,” the prosecutor’s office stated.

During torture, victims were forced to give false testimony about themselves or others, confessing to cooperation with the Ukrainian Army or the Security Service. 

The torture chamber was active for six months. Ukrainian civilians were held in cells under completely unsanitary conditions, without water, food, or medical assistance. In some cases, the occupiers staged mock executions, forced people to dig their own “graves,” and threatened their relatives.

Among the victims were teachers, rescuers, volunteers, combat veterans, and other civilians.

A total of 18 individuals involved in the torture have been identified.

They include:

• the so-called “chief” of the illegal “Internal Affairs Directorate”
• Russian military personnel
• militants from the illegal Russian-installed entities in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts
• former Ukrainian police officers who betrayed their oath

Earlier, Ukrainian prosecutors identified nine Russian soldiers, who held 11 civilians in devastating conditions for over ten days in 2022. Among the Ukrainian civilians tortured by the Russians were children and elderly people. 

Anton, a fighter from Ukraine’s 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi, known as Shket, has spent a year holding the line on some of the fiercest frontlines in Donetsk Oblast.

Over the last 12 months, he’s faced a wide range of Russian occupiers, from mobilized conscripts to convicts, Yakuts, and even Koreans.

“It was hell,” the soldier recalls.

The toughest position he held was a half-destroyed customs checkpoint that came under daily assaults, twice a day for 17 days straight, by Russian assault groups, including a unit made up of former inmates.

“When we checked their documents, it was clear — they were convicts recruited in Butyrka prison. They were given the cheapest body armor. Their commander didn’t even have a helmet. Command sent them straight to die,” Shket says. 

Shket explains that each Russian group has its own characteristics.

“Yakuts are a bit more stubborn, but they charge in just the same, without thinking. The Koreans, though — they’re young, resilient, and actually well-trained. But we can and must destroy them. It’s either us or them. There’s no third option,” the Ukrainian soldiers reveal. 

Despite his injuries, Anton remains resolute.

“I’m always ready to return as soon as I can. We should take example not from those who talk, but from those who act, even when it’s terrifying,” he adds. 

Currently undergoing treatment in a military hospital, first for a severe concussion and more recently for a new injury, Shket was wounded again after stepping on a Russian explosive device while returning to the front to relieve his comrades after heavy rotations.

Nine Russian soldiers held 11 civilians in devastating conditions for over ten days in 2022. Ukrainian prosecutors have identified them and filed charges with the Office of the Prosecutor General.

Among the Ukrainian civilians tortured by the Russians were children and elderly people.

According to the investigation, on 27 March 2022, in the village of Andriivka in Bucha district, a Russian commander and a sergeant detained and beat two local residents.

“The occupiers beat them and then unlawfully detained them in a garage together with four other civilians,” the statement reads.

One of the detainees was interrogated with at least five blows to his back, several strikes to his abdomen, and was hit on the head with the back of an axe.

Also, on 25 February 2022, in the village of Vyshhorod in Bucha district, seven Russian soldiers unlawfully detained 11 civilians.

“Among the hostages were children aged 11 and 13, as well as elderly people aged 61 and 79,” the prosecutors note.

The occupiers forcibly locked the people in a cellar unfit for prolonged stay, lacking light, heating, water, or sanitation.

“The Russian military held the victims in the cellar for more than 10 days, allowing only two women to go out once a day,” the agency reported.

The suspects’ actions have been classified as cruel treatment of civilians and other violations of the laws and customs of war.

The future of modern warfare is being built in Ukraine at this moment. New equipment is being developed and deployed in Ukraine at a significantly lower cost and in a remarkably shorter time compared to almost anywhere else in the world, Bloomberg reports. 

Ground drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have been used on a large scale for the first time in the war with Russia, have sparked a revolution on the battlefield.

Russian forces under Russian President Vladimir Putin’s command have deployed nearly 695,000 soldiers along the front and continue to bombard civilian populations with missiles and drones. The main weapon against the invaders has become the adaptability of Ukraine’s defense industry.

A striking example is the modular robotic platform TerMIT, which serves both for transportation and clearing pathways. It is equipped with Starlink satellite internet and is already in use by more than 20 military units.

TenCore, a company that started in February 2024 with five employees, now has 175 workers and projects $80 million in revenue for 2025, due to producing over 2,000 units of equipment. Investors sought to buy the company, but TenCore refused.

Also, over 70% of Russian equipment has been destroyed by Ukrainian drones, making the country one of the most powerful drone armies in the world.

Russia, in response, is ramping up drone production and using technologies that make them harder to jam. While Moscow scales up production, Ukraine bets on innovation and creativity — and this could change the course of the war. Whichever model prevails will decide the outcome of the war.

The biggest obstacle for Ukraine’s defense industry is funding. Despite a defense budget of $12 billion, Ukraine’s production potential is three times greater than it is today. Kyiv seeks to attract more investment from its Western allies, including from the European new project SAFE, which envisions $150 billion for defense tech funding. 

Russia shows no signs of stopping in Ukraine. A recent report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) draws attention to alarming statements made by high-ranking Russian officials on 30 June.

In particular, during a meeting on the socio-economic development of temporarily occupied territories, Russian President Vladimir Putin frequently used imperial terms such as “Donbas” and “Novorossiya” instead of the legally defined names of Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts.

Equally telling were the statements of his press secretary Dmitry Peskov, who responded to comments by Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov that “Odesa is not a Russian city” by referring to the “inseparable historical unity” of the city with Russia.

The idol, the butcher: Expanding gap in attitudes toward Stalin reflects Ukraine and Russia’s diverging identities

Meanwhile, Putin’s aide Vladimir Medinsky once again repeated the Kremlin myth that “Ukrainians and Russians are one people.”

“Putin’s, Peskov’s, and Medinsky’s June 30 statements are only the latest statements from high-ranking Kremlin officials indicating the extent of Russia’s territorial ambitions,” notes the ISW.

Analysts add that the Russian leadership systematically denies Ukraine’s right to independent statehood, culture, language, and identity. The Kremlin openly demonstrates its intent to destroy the Ukrainian nation as a distinct subject of international law.

The UN has officially debunked Russian lies about the Olenivka prison massacre. A group of UN experts has released findings exposing a war crime committed by the Russian military against Ukrainian prisoners of war at the Volnovakha Correctional Colony No. 120 in Olenivka, says Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. 

The report has identified the type of weapon and munitions used by Russia in the attack carried out during the night of 28–29 July 2022, which killed over 50 Ukrainian defenders and wounded around 130 more.

“You run, they knock you down, and beat you with rebar”: Ukrainian POW’s 3-year hell in Russian captivity

“This is an important document that should become a powerful push for continuing the investigation,” states Lubinets. 

He reminds that the pain over Olenivka has not faded, and Ukraine continues to demand just punishment for those responsible.

The report also exposes Russia’s manipulations, including its immediate attempt to blame Ukraine by falsely claiming the attack was carried out with a HIMARS strike.

The UN officially refuted that lie only a year later: “The Olenivka attack was not caused by a HIMARS missile.”

Despite the ICRC and UN’s initial readiness to investigate the tragedy, the mission was disbanded just five months later due to a lack of security guarantees. Lubinets notes that he repeatedly tried to submit materials to the UN mission, but they refused to review them.

“I also proposed a joint visit to the site of the tragedy with Russia’s human rights commissioner that offer was declined as well,” he adds.

In 2024, Serhii Yevsyukov, the former head of the Olenivka colony, died in a car bombing that also critically injured his wife. Ukrainian authorities accused Yevsyukov, who was then the head of the Olenivska colony, of involvement in the deaths of Ukrainian prisoners of war from the Azov battalion held in the detention center. 

The explosion was caused by a planted explosive device equivalent to approximately 100 grams of TNT. 

Ukraine will produce weapons together with allies at home and abroad. Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has announced the launch of a joint weapons production program with countries participating in the Ramstein format.

The program envisions creating new manufacturing capacities both within Ukraine and in partner countries.

Ukrainian manufacturers will receive a special legal and tax regime, enabling rapid scaling and modernization of defense production.

Until the war ends, all products from these enterprises will be supplied directly to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“This is a new type of military-industrial cooperation, where Ukraine is an equal partner and player on the global defense market,” Umerov emphasizes.

To implement the initiative, the Ministry of Defense, together with the Ukrainian Parliament’s Committee on Finance, Tax, and Customs Policy, has already presented key provisions of four draft laws to defense enterprises. The first vote in the parliament is expected to be conducted this month.

Earlier, Kyiv announced its air and missile defense systems would be integrated into the high-tech infrastructure of the Norwegian-American NASAMS complex. 

NASAMS can destroy drones, aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and ballistic targets at medium and low altitudes in all weather conditions.

“We’re standing as we did before, and we will keep standing.” Talks about peace or Russia’s capitulation are illusions, says military pilot Dmytro, callsign Apostol, Voiin Svitla reports. 

“If the aggressor country capitulates, it means huge reparations. No one will pay them,” he emphasizes.

Dmytro stresses that the Ukrainian army is strong due to the work of the rear, volunteers, and funds. But support has fallen critically now.

“We are raising five million for four army aviation brigades. Donations have critically dropped. No one wants to support,” explains the Ukrainian pilot. 

He emphasizes that the soldiers are not tired but need reinforcements.

“My guys and I are not tired. But we don’t need to bury soldiers; we need to go mobilize,” he says.

The pilot finds his greatest motivation in the civilians who don’t give up even in destroyed villages.

“We’re flying over Donetsk Oblast, one small hut, and a boy runs out waving a flag. Isn’t that motivation? I don’t want my children to be involved in war,” he adds.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry revealed that Kyiv forces eliminated more than 230,000 Russian soldiers in just six months of 2025. 

In June alone, Ukrainian forces inflicted heavy casualties: 32,420 Russian troops were killed or injured. Ukrainian strikes also destroyed 111 tanks, 272 armored vehicles.

They pieced together a heavy grenade launcher under enemy fire, on Russian territory. Ukrainian soldiers of the 39th Brigade assembled a heavy automatic UAG-40 grenade launcher on Russian soil to support an infantry assault in a bold operation. 

A Ukrainian defender from the brigade, known by the callsign Philosopher, says that a team of eight soldiers from the fire support company risked their lives to disassemble and transport the mobile grenade launcher.

Its ammunition was also taken into Russian territory, from the Sumy axis, to provide fire cover for advancing Ukrainian assault groups.

“We dragged the UAG-40… onto enemy territory and directly supported assault operations,” Philosopher recalls.

The team rotated positions during the mission. A single ammo box with 32 grenades weighed 15–16 kg, and they needed at least five boxes daily. The UAG-40 itself weighed another 40 kg.

Russian forces bombarded their position with guided air bombs, scoring four direct hits that destroyed their shelter, but the Ukrainians dug themselves out and kept firing.

“When we had to pull back, I gave the order to destroy the UAG so it wouldn’t fall into enemy hands. But they didn’t abandon it, they carried it out,” the defender says. 

Today, the legendary launcher is kept with the brigade as a symbol of Ukrainian soldiers’ courage, skill, and tenacity.

The Ukrainian Defense Minsitry reports that Kyiv forces have eliminated more than 230,000 Russian soldiers in just six months of 2025, the equivalent of nearly 20 divisions. Moscow has also lost thousands of armored vehicles, artillery systems, and drones.

According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russia’s total losses in the first six months of 2025 include:

• 1,311 tanks 
• 2,885 armored fighting vehicles
• 8,222 artillery systems 
• 21,021 vehicles. 

The most devastating vehicle losses were recorded in April 2025, when Ukrainian forces destroyed 4,104 Russian vehicles.

Despite international calls for a ceasefire, combat intensity remains high. In June alone, there were 5,304 combat clashes, over 28,273 since the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, Russian summer offensive continues but with small achievements. For instance, in Sumy Oblast, Russian elite units such and airborne brigades, have pushed deeper expanded their control by more than 25 kilometers in width.

However, Ukrainian defenders have successfully halted further Russian advances in key areas like Yunakivka, Yablunivka, and Novomykolaivka. 

The hottest spot of the front remains the city and area near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast. Russian command has deployed a force of 111,000 troops to this part of the 1,200 front-line. 

The rail war rages on. On 1 July, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) announced the destruction of a Russian locomotive on temporarily occupied territory in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The targeted railway section, heavily used by Russian forces to move weapons and equipment, has been shut down again.

This marks the second strike on this key logistics route in recent days. On 26 June, Ukraine’s resistance movement, in coordination with HUR, sabotaged the same track. The resulting explosion disabled the line for over a week.

Despite rapid repair attempts, Russian troops fell into a trap once more.

“On 1 July, the occupiers restored the rails and ties, sent a military train, and then came another thunderous surprise: the enemy locomotive was knocked out,” HUR reported.

The agency added that one of the main supply arteries for the occupying army is now out of action again.

In the early hours of the same day, Russian forces launched more than 400 strikes across 13 settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, said regional governor Ivan Fedorov.

A 56-year-old man was injured in the attack. Over the course of the day, Russian troops carried out four airstrikes, 271 UAV launches of various types (mostly FPV drones), six attacks using multiple rocket launchers, and 122 artillery strikes.

Authorities recorded 23 reports of damage to apartments, private homes, vehicles, and businesses.

Russia has lost control over a part of its sanction-evading oil business. Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) says a powerful explosion occurred in the engine room of the Vilamoura tanker on 27 June, while it was en route from the Libyan port of Es-Zuwaytina.

The vessel was located about 150 km northeast of Libya’s territorial waters and was carrying approximately 1 million barrels of crude oil.

The tanker was sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands and, according to intelligence, had been repeatedly used to transport oil products from ports of the aggressor state. In April, it was spotted in Ust-Luga, and in May, near Novorossiysk.

Currently, the damaged Vilamoura is being towed by the firefighting ship Boka Summit (flying the Maltese flag) to the Laconian Gulf in Greece. The tanker is owned by TMS Tanker Ltd., a company registered in Marousi, Greece.

“The Kremlin is losing an important tool used to circumvent international sanctions and fund its war of aggression against Ukraine,” Ukraine’s intelligence emphasized.

Earlier, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the largest sanctions package in the country’s history, targeting 100 Russian oil tankers linked to Russia’s shadow fleet. According to an official press release, the targeted vessels have collectively carried over $24 billion in Russian oil since January 2024. 

Ukrainian air and missile defense systems will be integrated into the high-tech infrastructure of the Norwegian-American NASAMS complex. Ukrainian Defense Industry JSC says it will become a breakthrough in the country’s air defense by combining domestic developments with powerful Western weapons. 

NASAMS can destroy drones, aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and ballistic targets at medium and low altitudes in all weather conditions. Its range reaches up to 180 km, and its altitude ceiling is 21 km.

The agreement between the companies includes integrating Ukrainian short- and medium-range air defense systems into the NASAMS infrastructure. In particular, the parties agreed that Ukrainian systems will operate in conjunction with Norwegian command and control modules.

In January, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced the beginning of the expanded cooperation with Kongsberg. Ukrainian representatives and the team of the company held a meeting on the joint project. It also addressed anti-drone systems and the possibility of localizing their production in Ukraine, along with the development of maritime capabilities.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says that counting on Russian energy supplies during the war against Ukraine would be a “grave sin.” He has welcomed Orlen’s decision to stop purchasing Russian oil for its refinery in the Czech Republic, UkrInform reports. 

The Polish company Orlen will cease buying Russian oil for its Czech refinery after 30 June. Tusk has emphasized that this decision is part of Poland’s and Europe’s strategy to minimize dependence on supplies from aggressive countries, including Russia.

“I don’t need to explain to anyone today that during a war, where Russia is the main negative actor, relying on Russian supplies for Polish energy would be a grave sin,” Tusk says.

In May, Orlen and Ukraine’s state oil and gas company, Naftogaz, signed a memorandum of strategic cooperation in several areas, which will also contribute to strengthening the region’s energy security.

According to Tusk, Poland’s energy independence from Russia has been hard-won, but the country now feels more secure on this front.

Moscow has become even more economically dependent on Beijing. Russia’s aluminum exports to China surged 56% in the first five months of 2025, nearly reaching 1 million metric tons, Bloomberg reports.

Meanwhile, Russian copper exports to China rose by 66%, and nickel shipments more than doubled, Trade Data Monitor reports, citing Chinese customs data.

Top Russian producers like Norilsk Nickel and Rusal are not directly sanctioned by the US but face restrictions: their metals are no longer accepted on the London or Chicago Metal Exchanges, pushing them to shift sales to Asian markets.

Sources say Rusal is offloading accumulated stockpiles from Russia throughout 2025, with total shipments to China expected to hit 1.5 million tons by year’s end.

Meanwhile, Norilsk Nickel is partnering with China’s Shandong Gold to expand cathode copper exports. Other Russian firms, including Russian Copper Co. and UMCC, both already under sanctions, continue to trade with Chinese buyers.

Previously, David O’Sullivan, the EU’s special envoy for sanctions enforcement related to Russia’s war against Ukraine, said that 80% of Russian weapons components come from China, UkrInform reports. 

He explained that Russia is circumventing sanctions through third countries and noted that Beijing’s major role in supplying dual-use goods and critical components remains a major obstacle to undermining Russia’s war machine.

Over 9,300 Russians were knocked out of combat in a single month. Ukraine’s General Staff reports that this number of soldiers Russia lost on the Slobozhanskyi and Kursk axes in June 2025 alone.

Of these, over 4,470 are irreversible losses. Another 4,800 were wounded, and 42 Russian troops were captured.

Ukrainian forces also destroyed 423 units of Russian equipment, including six tanks, 20 armored vehicles, 89 artillery systems and MLRS, as well as three air defense systems.

The General Staff notes that Ukrainian units conducted deep strikes up to 100 kilometers behind enemy lines, including on Russian territory. These strikes hit 16 command posts, six manpower concentration areas, three ammunition depots, and even a logistics hub and an oil depot.

Since the start of the Kursk operation in August 2024, Russia has lost over 75,860 troops in this sector, with 1,037 captured. Additionally, Ukrainian forces have destroyed 2,848 pieces of equipment, including 99 tanks, 709 armored vehicles, and 322 artillery systems and MLRS.

Russia deploys new deadly drones in its war against Ukraine. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reveals that Moscow forces have used a new type of drone, “Chernika” or “Blueberry,” in the city for the first time.

Russia already has over 11,000 of these drones in two models: Chernika-1 and the more powerful Chernika-2. This new weapon is comparable in destructive power to the Molniya drone but has a different design. In the latest strike, several cars were damaged in a garage cooperative, Defense Express reports. 

Russia shatters 50,000 windows in Kharkiv as aid for recovery dries up

Ukrainian anti-air FPV drones have effectively countered the dangerous Chernika-2, shooting down three of these drones so far. However, due to their reliance on communication links, these drones remain vulnerable to electronic warfare systems, which Russia also actively employs.

Still, most of the Russian attacks on Kharkiv are carried out by Shahed drones.

Over the past week, four people have been injured in these strikes, including a child. Explosions were recorded in the Nemishlyansky, Kyivsky, and Industrial districts, causing damage to residential buildings and civilian enterprises.

The duration of air raid alerts in Kharkiv was 33 hours less than the regional average, emphasizes Terekhov. This is the result of coordinated efforts by the military, air defense forces, and analysts at the Situational Center.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expanded the scope of information covered by the state secrets law, tightening control over society during the war in Ukraine. Now, data related to foreign policy, international trade, economic policy, scientific developments, and mobilization preparations may be classified as secret, Bloomberg reports. 

Anyone who obtains such materials without authorization risks up to eight years in prison.

“This is the destruction of expertise on the Russian economy based on facts and statistics and will lead to more repression,” said Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russia’s security services.

He explained that classifying information about mobilization is a “reaction to attacks by Ukrainian drones” targeting bunkers and underground government facilities, rather than a genuine preparation for a new draft.

On 27 June, Putin announced that Russia plans to cut military spending starting next year and over the following three-year period. He also emphasized that Russia must avoid slipping into a recession “under any circumstances”, acknowledging warnings from economists about a potential economic slowdown.

Despite the pressure from the West, Russia may still benefit from Iranian, Chinese, and North Korean aid, as well as getting large profits from the rise in oil prices amid the Israeli-Iranian war.

In Donetsk Oblast, in the Pokrovsk direction, Russian forces are using banned chemical irritants dropped from their drones, says the deputy commander of the 68th Separate Rifle Brigade named after Oleksa Dovbush, known by the call sign Italian, ArmyInform reports. 

“It’s no secret, they use various gases prohibited by international conventions,” the officer says.

The Russians are also actively employing remote mining of Ukrainian logistical routes to complicate troop rotations and the delivery of ammunition to defensive positions.

This is a serious problem that Ukrainian troops combat daily by clearing the consequences of such actions.

Although there is no large-scale Russian equipment advance in this sector, occasional rotations and dense mining of approaches to Ukrainian positions are observed.

The Russians also use powerful electronic warfare means.

“They try by all available means to prevent us from delivering ammunition and conducting troop rotations. Because of this, it is difficult for drone pilots and heavy UAV units to operate,” the soldier explains.

Russian tactics include creating dispersed assembly points for personnel to transfer forces to various frontline sections to bypass Ukrainian defenses.

The main strike is difficult to predict, but there are noticeable attempts to advance north and south, avoiding frontal assaults due to heavy losses.

Particular Russian activity is observed near the settlements of Myrnohrad and Bohatyr.

“The enemy is trying to find weak spots in our defense, attempting to flank fortified areas to complicate logistics and create threats for our units,” he summarizes.

The total combat losses of Russian forces since the start of the all-out war in 2022 have surpassed 1 million personnel. Nevertheless, Russia continues its summer offensive and is planning to bring in North Korean troops to support it. Currently, about 695,000 Russian soldiers are engaged in the war.

Norway will send F-35 fighters to Poland to protect NATO’s strategic logistics hub in Rzeszów from potential sabotage and missile strikes. The Norwegian Ministry of Defense has announced that the jets will be deployed over this important center for international military aid to Ukraine as early as this fall. 

Earlier, the US announced plans to redeploy some of its military equipment and personnel from the Polish military airport Jasionka, near Rzeszów, to other locations within Poland. US aircraft and troops began arriving in Jasionka shortly before Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine in February 2022.

Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Sandvik has emphasized the importance of this assistance to the defense of Ukraine.

“This is an extremely important contribution. We are helping ensure that aid reaches Ukraine and that the country can continue the fight for freedom,” he states. 

In June 2025, it became known that Rzeszów is also a center of Russian spy activity. Vasyl Malyuk, head of Ukraine’s Security Service, confirmed that several assassination attempts on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were foiled in this city, UNIAN reports. 

They were organized by a retired Polish military man who had been recruited decades ago and firmly believed in the Soviet idea. The goal was the physical elimination of Zelenskyy at Rzeszów airport. Several options were considered: an FPV drone or a sniper system.

Vasyl Malyuk said that these plans were prevented due to cooperation with Poland’s special service, the Internal Security Agency (ABW), the counterpart of Ukraine’s SBU.

The wife of a imprisoned Crimean journalist traveled 2,000 kilometers only to learn that her husband is slowly fading away behind bars in Russia. Amet Suleymanov, sentenced by Russia to 12 years in jail, suffers from persistently high blood pressure, chronic pain, and a rash of unknown origin. 

His wife, Lilia Lumanova, says Suleymanov is in critical condition.

“We are, of course, very concerned about his condition, especially his health… The only thought was — I had to go,” Lumanova wrote on social media, after traveling 2,000 kilometers to the penal colony in Russia’s city of Vladimir.

She was allowed to see her husband only through glass, for 2.5 hours, and their conversation focused mostly on his health. Suleymanov continues to have serious heart problems. Even before his sentencing, doctors recommended urgent surgery to replace a heart valve, but there has been no progress.

“Amet needs a valve replacement. In these conditions, it’s a difficult and lengthy process. But I had to try,” Lumanova said after meeting with the colony’s warden.

In 2021, a Russian court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Suleymanov to 12 years in prison on terrorism charges over alleged ties to the organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is legal in Ukraine but banned in Russia.

“A surprised look, joy in his eyes… As always, Amet stayed himself, he even joked,” Lumanova recalled about the brief visit, possibly the last.

His lawyer Lilia Hemedzhi called the sentence a death sentence due to Suleymanov’s serious medical conditions, UkrInform reports. 

Earlier, the UN Committee Against Torture urged Russia not to enforce the sentence, saying it was incompatible with Suleymanov’s health. The organization demanded immediate medical examination and urgent treatment. 

Despite repeated warnings from the UN Committee Against Torture, which urged Russia not to enforce the verdict and called for immediate medical care, Suleymanov remains imprisoned in harsh conditions.

Kyiv’s battle-proven weapons may play a key role in strengthening Europe’s defense capabilities. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry reports that Kyiv will cooperate with the European Union under the SAFE defense initiative, with a focus on producing drones, ammunition, and missiles. 

The announcement was made by Ukraine’s First Deputy Defense Minister Serhii Boiev at a meeting of the EU’s Operational Defense Readiness Task Force in Brussels.

“Ukraine has high-quality, battle-tested weapons. But we still need modern European arms… We are ready for mutually beneficial cooperation,” Boiev stated.

The Ukrainian delegation presented several projects eligible for SAFE funding, focusing on strengthening Ukraine’s defense and integrating its defense industry into the European ecosystem. These include long-term contracts extending through 2030.

EU member states also shared proposals related to UAVs, aviation, and ground-based systems, showing particular interest in Ukraine’s drone and missile production capabilities.

SAFE was launched to support joint procurement, expand defense production, and address critical military shortfalls exposed by Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine. The program aims to boost the EU’s defense readiness and reduce dependence on external arms suppliers.

Moscow is once again fueling tensions between Ukrainians and Poles, warns Mykyta Poturaiev, head of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy. He emphasizes that both Ukraine and Poland have lost their statehood in the past due to conflicts that Russia used to benefit itself, UkrInform reports. 

Poturaiev stresses that today, a “calm, professional effort” is underway between Kyiv and Warsaw, particularly regarding historical dialogue and the search and exhumation of victims of the Volyn tragedy.

“This is work done with deep respect for the victims… Every lost life of a peaceful person matters — children, women, the elderly,” he says.

However, Poturaiev cautions that attempts to weaponize historical tragedies for political gain are fueling troubling levels of anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Poland.

“When the memory of the Volyn tragedy becomes a tool of political struggle, I find that deeply disturbing,” he claims. 

He reminds that Russia is actively interfering in Polish-Ukrainian relations, inciting conflict and manipulating sensitive historical issues.

“You can clearly feel Moscow’s hand in this. Historical disputes are just part of Russia’s broader game across Europe,” he explains.

Ukraine has already granted Poland permission to exhume Polish soldiers buried in Zboiska in Lviv Oblast, and has carried out excavations in Puzhnyky, Ternopil Oblast. A joint expedition uncovered the remains of 42 people, which are expected to be reburied this summer. DNA analysis is ongoing.

“We must also remember all those whom Russia has killed in both countries… Ukrainians and Poles suffered the greatest losses at the hands of Moscow,” Poturaiev concludes.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Institute of National Memory announced plans to include the search and exhumation in Rivne Oblast in 2025 in response to requests from Polish citizens.

Moscow is turning African women into hostages of the secret production of lethal drones. In the Republic of Tatarstan, within the Alabuga special economic zone, Shahed drones have been hand-assembled for over a year, mostly by young women from Uganda, Mali, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Sudan, Le Monde reports. 

“The deceptive nature of recruitment and the repressive working conditions may constitute a form of fraudulent exploitation,” the investigation states.

The women were not warned that they would be working in weapons manufacturing. Many believed it was a training program. However, the reality was horrific: long working days, constant supervision, harmful chemical exposure, punitive management, racism, and excessive surveillance.

Recruitment took place through social networks, intermediaries, and Russian embassies in Africa. Some recruits work directly on drone assembly, others as cleaners and kitchen staff.

The Alabuga special economic zone, financed by the Russian Ministry of Defense, has become an example of how “business, crime, and state” intertwine to strengthen Russia’s military machine.

In response to complaints, Botswana police have already appealed to Interpol to investigate human trafficking in this case.

Ukraine plans to appeal to the European Union to impose sanctions on Bangladeshi companies importing wheat that, according to Ukrainian intelligence, partially originates from Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

Russian exporters mix legitimate grain with stolen Ukrainian grain and declare it in documents as originating from Russian regions.

“It is a crime,” said Ukraine’s ambassador to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk.

According to intelligence, over 150,000 tons of such grain have already been shipped from the Kavkaz port to Bangladesh. The Ukrainian embassy sent several notes to Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry requesting rejection of shipments containing stolen grain, but the official in Dhaka has ignored these appeals.

In response to the silence, Kyiv is preparing an investigation to share with its partners in the EU, aiming to impose sanctions on companies cooperating with the aggressor.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh states that it “does not import stolen grain” and does not buy wheat from occupied territories, but has provided no actions or evidence to confirm the information. 

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, states that Russia does not intend to stop the war, even under the threat of new restrictions from the European Union, UNIAN reports. 

He expresses confidence that even the EU’s 18th sanctions package will not compel the Kremlin to change its course.

“It’s impossible to force Russia to submit to any kind of pressure or coercion,” claims Peskov. 

According to him, Moscow will only agree to negotiations when there are “logic and arguments,” not Western pressure. At the same time, he admitted that sanctions are “a double-edged sword.”

The Kremlin continues to describe Western sanctions as “illegal” and claims that Russia has already adapted to life under international pressure. 

“Obviously, we’ve developed a certain resilience after almost four years. We’ve learned to minimize the effects of such sanctions packages,” Peskov adds.

Despite facing near-total international isolation, Moscow once again shows that it chooses confrontation over peace.

Earlier, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that current “warm conversations” between the US and Russia are a deception to avoid new sanctions.

Moscow also uses the prisoner exchange for the demonstration of willingness for peace but simultaneously denies a ceasefire, claims its territory on every piece of Earth where its soldiers step, and launches the most devastating attacks against Ukrainian civilians. 

Kyiv has multiple times said it should become a part of NATO to maintain the security in the country. However, its partners don’t accept its membership, fearing escalation. Despite trying not to increase tension, Russia may still be preparing an attack on Europe in the next 2-6 years, experts say. 

In the 90s, Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal for protection under the Budapest memorandum from allies, including the US. 

His comrades died in their very first battle, and he was taken prisoner. Chinese national Wang Wu, known as Sabre, says he, like many other foreigners, was recruited under false pretenses, promised rear-line duties.

But after a brief training period, they were immediately thrown into frontline combat, including in a suicidal assault near Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast. 

A new report by I Want to Live, the Ukrainian state project, has exposed what happens to foreign recruits in the Russian army after signing contracts with Russia’s Ministry of Defense.

“I truly understand that we were deceived… I believe signing that contract was a shameful decision. I’m certain other Chinese citizens should know they are being lied to,” says the captured soldier.

According to the project’s representatives, most of the new recruits shown in videos from Russia’s 102nd Regiment are now either dead or severely wounded. Among the dead is Wang Wu’s friend, Yan Jingsheng, whose death he witnessed firsthand.

The project has stressed that foreigners in the Russian army are treated as nothing more than cannon fodder.

“If they don’t spare their own, why would they make exceptions for Asians or Africans?” the statement reads.

On 8 April, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine captured two Chinese citizens who were fighting alongside Russian troops in the Donetsk Oblast. The operatives obtained their documents, bank cards, and personal data. An investigation and additional measures are ongoing. 

One of them paid $3,482 to join the Russian military through a Chinese intermediary. He explained that his main motivation was to obtain Russian citizenship through military service. He underwent basic training in occupied Luhansk alongside other Chinese citizens, with instruction conducted without formal translation.

Yale University’s research has found that Russia planned a quick victory and the russification of Ukrainian children. But after failing, it began using them as hostages. Experts estimate that about 35,000 Ukrainian children are still considered missing. They are likely being held in Russia or in territories occupied by Russia, and attempts to bring them back often remain unsuccessful, according to The Guardian. 

In 2022, when Russian forces began their invasion of Ukraine, they abducted children from orphanages or forcibly took them directly from families.

In an interview with The Guardian, a Ukrainian woman named Natalia told how she managed to rescue her two sons, who were held for almost six months in a camp in the Russian city of Anapa.

To retrieve her children after the de-occupation of Kherson, she had to arrange documents for them in Ukraine and then travel to Russia. She spent six days on the road under shelling, where she finally got her children back.

However, this story is rather an exception. According to the Ukrainian organization Bring Kids Back, only 1,366 children have so far returned or escaped to Ukraine from Russia. There are concerns that many of the children kidnapped by Russians were sent to military camps or foster families. Returned children have reported undergoing military training in camps, being punished for speaking Ukrainian, and being forced to learn the Russian national anthem.

Daria Kasyanova, head of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, which campaigns for the repatriation of abducted children, said that children are also made to believe their parents will suffer consequences if they do not comply.

Activists and researchers emphasize that the forcible deportation and stealing of Ukrainian children is not a new phenomenon. According to Kasyanova, she witnessed similar kidnappings and deportations during Russia’s invasion of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

The return of the children remains a key demand of Ukraine in any peace negotiations. However, Raymond says the Russians use children as bargaining chips.

“When Russians started out, they thought they were going to be victorious quickly… But because things started to go south quickly, they had to move their propaganda from the liability concealment phase to using these children as hostages to be leveraged in the negotiations,” he explains. 

Apart from stealing children from occupied territories, Russia continues daily strikes on hospitals, maternity houses, kindergartens, schools, and playgrounds.

Crimea could become a testing ground for Chinese-Russian cooperation. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service reports says that head of the occupation administration of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov has decided to involve Chinese businesses in building transport infrastructure on the occupied peninsula.

During a recent meeting, Aksyonov reportedly confirmed preliminary agreements regarding two key sites:

• Kerch Sea Port, which Russia actively uses for “gray” exports,
• Infrastructure around Lake Donuzlav, where a Russian naval base is located.

To finalize the agreement, the occupying authorities in Crimea plan to invite potential Chinese builders to visit the peninsula. Among them is China State Construction Engineering Corporation, one of the world’s largest companies in rail and transportation construction.

The total capital involved is estimated at $10 billion, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian partisans report that security measures across Crimea have intensified. In Simferopol, Aksyonov’s convoy was spotted with a vehicle equipped with electronic warfare systems. 

Following recent operations by Ukraine’s Defense Forces, Aksyonov reportedly fears an FPV drone strike targeting his assassination. As a result, his public appearances have become rare, and his movements are increasingly secretive and rapid.

Another large blast from Ukrainian intelligence was heard on Russian territory. On 28 June, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence units, in coordination with other components of the Defense Forces, carried out an operation on Russian ammunition depots in Bryansk Oblast.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the target was the 1060th Logistics Center, formerly known as the 120th Arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Russian Defense Ministry.

The assault caused explosions and a large fire at the facility, which has already been confirmed by intelligence. The final assessment of the damage is still being clarified.

“The Defense Forces continue to take all measures to undermine the military and economic potential of the Russian occupiers and to force the Russian Federation to end its armed aggression against Ukraine,” the General Staff emphasized.

Earlier, Kyiv carried out a drone strike on the Kirovske military airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea.

According to an official statement, the strike destroyed several Russian helicopters, including Mi-8, Mi-26, and Mi-28, as well as a Pantsir-S1 self-propelled air defense system.

Ukraine strikes Crimea again, destroys Russia’s Pantsir air defense system and helicopters

Ammunition depots, air defense infrastructure, and drone facilities were also damaged.

Ukraine hit the heart of Russia’s tactical aviation, destroying four Su-34 aircraft at an airfield in Volgograd Oblast. According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the operation involved units from the Special Operations Forces and the Security Service of Ukraine.

In 2025, Russia planned to produce 75,000 aerial bombs equipped with glide and correction modules, which turn a standard unguided bomb into a precision-guided munition with an extended range.

Russian guided bombs, though not highly accurate, cause massive destruction and pose a significant threat to Ukrainian cities, with a few capable of leveling a five-story building.

Ukrainian forces have been seeking ways to intercept them, including using ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, but the most effective solution is targeting the aircraft. 

Russia’s production target for guided bombs last year was 50,000 units. The new number represents Moscow’s plans for a 50% increase in guided bombs production output.

As a result of the recent operation, four Su-34 aircraft and the airfield’s technical maintenance area, which is nearly 400 km from the Ukrainian border and where combat aircraft are serviced and repaired, were hit.

Russian Su-34s are the primary tactical aviation aircraft conducting missile and bomb strikes against Ukrainian positions and settlements. The General Staff has noted that the extent of the equipment damage and the exact results of the strike are still being clarified.

Earlier, Ukraine conducted the Operation Spiderweb that struck 41 aircraft, part of Russia’s nuclear triad. The mission has become a symbol of a new era of asymmetric warfare, where innovative drone systems and high-tech solutions allow a non-nuclear nation to effectively challenge a nuclear power state.