Exclusives

Russia thought motorbikes would save its war. Ukraine sent tire spikes. Some of the best defenses against Russia’s new motorcycle regiments are also some of the simplest. Metal spikes, concertina wire, small mines—and even trenches.

No sleep til Kyiv—and no rest until Putin’s empire falls, says Florida man delivering trucks, drones and Belgian chocolates to Ukraine. Peter Duke has spent the past two years helping Ukraine in ways few civilians ever would. In this interview, he explains why he joined a volunteer convoy, how the war changed him, and what led to the grassroots documentary No Sleep Til Kyiv, now streaming online.

“Obvious revenge”: Ukraine prosecutes the activist who created its anti-corruption system. Vitaliy Shabunin has many critics. But today, even they agree that it’s about political persecution.

The brain behind Ukraine’s shadow war successes—Motorola and Kursk—gunned down in Kyiv parking lot. Five silenced shots in a Kyiv parking lot ended the career of the colonel who eliminated Motorola and masterminded Ukraine’s Kursk offensive

Military

Belarus airspace exploited again as Russia unleashes deadly Shahed barrage—Ukraine hit with 3,000+ aerial weapons in a week. A couple in Sumy, a woman in Zaporizhzhia, and others in Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts are among the dead. Russia killed at least seven more Ukrainians, injured 20 others.

Frontline report: Russia built a drone empire—Ukraine is unbuilding It. Ukrainian drones have struck warhead labs, antenna plants, and control system factories deep inside Russia—crippling key pieces of its drone infrastructure.

Intelligence and technology

Trump to announce “aggressive” Ukraine weapons plan, reportedly including Patriots

. President Donald Trump to announce a new weapons package for Ukraine that could include long-range missiles capable of reaching Moscow, sources tell Axios, marking a dramatic escalation after Vladimir Putin told Trump he planned a 60-day offensive to capture more Ukrainian territory.

Rheinmetall’s Skynex guns now used to wipe out Russian Shaheds from Ukrainian skies—video shows flawless kills. The non-mobile cannons are now guarding critical infrastructure from daily drone strikes.

Ukraine’s new bullets are blasting drones at 50 meters — without new weapons. The Defense Ministry has approved the new 5.56 mm bullet for NATO rifles, and a government-linked group hints at upcoming mass production.

Forbes: Ukraine’s drone swarms beat Russia—now the US needs satellite swarms before China does. While the US builds billion-dollar satellites, Ukraine is winning with swarms of drones that cost less than a used car.

Ukraine’s sabotage-ready river drone Ursula now deploys UAVs mid-mission (video). The news Ukrainian Ursula river drone can strike surface targets as kamikaze boat or deploy a UAV for recon in contested river zones.

Ukrainian intelligence: Russia’s advanced ballistic missile arsenal shrinks by nearly 50% since May

. The drastic depletion includes hundreds of Iskander-M and North Korean-supplied KN-23 missiles.

International

Putin tells Trump Russia will escalate Ukraine offensive within 60 days as US president calls Kremlin leader disappointing. Vladimir Putin informed Donald Trump during their 3 July phone call that Russia intends to continue offensive operations until securing full administrative borders of occupied Ukrainian oblasts.

ISW: Russia’s true drone target is Ukrainian and Western morale—Ukraine needs more Patriots. By exhausting air defenses and terrorizing cities, Moscow aims to break Ukraine and her allies.

CBS: Trump mulls arming Ukraine after record Russian strikes, $ 3.85 bn sits ready for immediate use. Sources say the unused Biden-era fund is under consideration as attacks on Kyiv escalate.

Political and legal developments

Russia’s foreign hit squad eliminated in Kyiv shootout after assassination of SBU colonel. Colonel Ivan Voronych’s killers — a foreign couple under FSB orders — didn’t get far. The assassins resisted arrest and died in a firefight with security operatives.

New developments

Giant Ukrainian plane flies over Kyiv for first time since 2022 — Russian war bloggers rage. Kyiv residents looked up in disbelief as an An-124 cargo plane crossed the sky — the first sight of any aircraft over the city since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusive

“Obvious revenge”: Ukraine prosecutes the activist who created its anti-corruption system. Vitaliy Shabunin has many critics. But today, even they agree that the state is sliding dangerously close to authoritarianism.

The brain behind Ukraine’s shadow war successes—Motorola and Kursk—gunned down in Kyiv parking lot. Five silenced shots in a Kyiv parking lot ended the career of the colonel who eliminated Motorola and masterminded Ukraine’s Kursk offensive

Vacancies: News reporter, Defense tech reporter, Head of SMM. Euromaidan Press is expanding and searching for professional soulmates who believe in independent journalism.

Military

Frontline report: Russia’s shadow fleet was supposed to be untouchable — then Ukraine showed up. Ukraine is hitting shadow tankers, refineries, and oil wells—disrupting every link in Russia’s export chain.

Russia turns occupied Mariupol’s Azovstal plant into its launchpad of terror, building bases where Ukrainian defenders once held line. What was once a symbol of resistance now serves Moscow’s war machine, hidden, hardened, and ready to strike again.

Frontline report: Russia put tires on its jets to stop drones. Ukraine burned the jets anyway

. To defend against Ukrainian drones, Russian aircrews placed tires on parked jets. It didn’t work. At least four Su-34s were destroyed on the ground.

Ukraine’s Intelligence: Massive gas pipeline explosion hits Russian military supply network, thousands kilometers from Kyiv. A strategic pipeline feeding military plants was destroyed in Langepas, causing tens of millions in losses.

Russia targets Ukraine’s western “safe havens” with record 597-drone attack. Two people are confirmed killed, two more in intensive care.

Intelligence and technology

Germany refuses to send Taurus missiles but funds hundreds of Ukrainian-made long-range strike systems

. By the end of July, Ukraine will receive the first of hundreds of precision weapons backed by Berlin to cripple Russia’s war machine.

Ukraine is developing new air defense arsenal to down “unstoppable” Russian hypersonic missiles. Half of Kyiv’s defense needs are now produced domestically.

EU pours billions into drone firms that steal from Ukraine’s Skyeton, company with 350,000 combat flight hours. Roman Kniazhenko’s team works 24/7 to survive, while foreign companies copy their tech and collect contracts worth billions.

As Pyongyang ships millions of shells to Moscow, Seoul delivers hundreds of tanks to NATO’s ally. In a $6.7 billion deal, Warsaw arms itself with South Korean equipment, replacing tanks it sent to Ukraine

International

Rome recovery conference delivers unprecedented €11 billion boost to Ukraine. Amid Russian attacks, Ukraine secures the largest-ever reconstruction commitment backed by 70 countries and global banks.

Ukrainian refugees boost Czech economy, but it won’t save pro-Ukraine government. The Security Information Service just delivered the kind of news governments dream about: 390,000 Ukrainian refugees are generating more revenue than they cost. Too bad the ruling coalition is about to get crushed in elections anyway.

Humanitarian and social impact

UN: Russian attacks kill 232 Ukrainian civilians in June, highest monthly toll in three years. Terror becomes Russia’s primary weapon as conventional military objectives prove unachievable.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusive

Vacancies: News reporter, Defense tech reporter, Head of SMM. Euromaidan Press is expanding and searching for professional soulmates who believe in independent journalism.

Britain promises Ukraine 5,000 drone-killing missiles. Russia would burn through them fast.. 5,000 missiles might sound like a lot—until you do the math. At current launch rates, they wouldn’t last long.

Russian troops can’t hide from Ukraine’s killer night drones. Russian troops are wearing heat-trapping thermal blankets to hide them from Ukraine’s lethal infrared-sensing night drones—but they’re wearing them all wrong. And it’s getting them killed.

Ukraine cuts back on tanks—and creates a deadlier kind of brigade. Ukraine’s tank brigades are disappearing. The army is getting new heavy mechanized brigades that are better for the infantry-first fighting.

Military

Russia pays staggering price for inches of Ukraine, ISW says. At the current pace, The Economist estimated it would take 89 years for Russia to seize all of Ukraine.

BBC identifies 523 foreign mercenaries killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine — from 28 countries. Russia’s military dead include Egyptians, Americans, Gurkhas, Central Asian convicts, and recruits from several African countries.

Ukraine hits four weapons factories in Tula — drone offensive spreads across Russia (video, update). Kamikaze drones hit sites linked to missile, rocket, and arms production, according to local reports.

“Brave and humane”: Colombian volunteers earn respect on Ukraine’s frontlines. Trained under Ukraine’s state integration programs, these foreign volunteers rescue wounded comrades while battling Russia’s most hardened troops.

Intelligence and technology

Kyiv to set up gunpowder production in US after Rome recovery conference

. As the Ukraine Recovery Conference unfolds, a key pact between Ukraine and the US paves the way for a new industrial partnership.

Pentagon’s outdated missiles, such as AGM-114 Hellfire, could be Ukraine’s lifeline, says former army chief Zaluzhnyi. With no budget impact, aging US weapons could become Ukraine’s shield.

Spain’s shadow export keeps Russian artillery alive. A Spanish-supplied forging machine helped Russia avert a collapse in artillery production, just as Ukraine shattered 19,000 of its systems.

Ukraine’s drone secrets lifted by EU firms promising fake battlefield tests. Skyeton’s CEO says some European visitors copied proprietary tech and even reused his exact words in their own pitches.

Russia plans to drown Ukraine in 1,000 drones a day—Kyiv prepares to shoot down all. President Zelenskyy: “We will shoot down everything” if partners support the scale-up.

NATO allies test German AI drone as Ukraine already destroys Russian equipment with it. German company Helsing designed the HX-2 AI drone as Europe’s answer to Russia’s Lancet loitering munition.

Reuters says Trump activates drawdown powers for the first time to arm Ukraine

. Sources told Reuters the $300 million aid, not yet finalized, may include medium-range guided rockets and air defense interceptors.

Ukraine says it will not conceal espionage despite ongoing dialogue after catching Chinese spies targeting missile secrets. Kyiv openly confirms arrests of Chinese nationals spying on Neptune missile technology.

International

US Senate panel approves $ 500M Ukraine aid — full vote, House battle still ahead. If approved by Congress, the bill would add $200M in Ukraine aid for 2026 and extend assistance through 2028.

Ukraine Rome Conference delivers concrete military support to Kyiv: Thousands of British air defense missiles, defense production in US, and interceptor drones. While Russia floods the skies with terror drones, Kyiv secures cutting-edge air defense and production deals in Italy.

Axios: Trump plans to sell weapons to NATO allies for transfer to Ukraine. Three sources told Axios this arms route has already been discussed with European partners.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russia hits maternity ward, hospitals, homes in weaker but destructive drone attack. Odesa, Kharkiv, Chuhuiv, and other cities reported damage and at least 30 injured.

Ukraine’s sleepless nation: 80% trapped in chronic stress from nightly Russian attacks. Millions of Ukrainians maintain economic activity despite “fatigue, tension and despair” from Russian constant bombardment of civilians, Ukraine’s First Lady told international partners in Rome.

Political and legal developments

ISW: Moscow tries to trade business deals with Washingtopn for Ukraine’s capitulation, while drones rain down on maternity wards and hospitals. As Russian diplomats discuss commerce, Ukraine endures brutal drone attacks demanding its collapse.

UN didn’t publicly declare Russia guilty of Olenivka POWs massacre— mysterious organization did. Ukraine’s human rights official promoted what he believed was a UN investigation proving Russian guilt in the prison massacre, but the report came from an anonymous organization created just weeks earlier that explicitly denies any UN affiliation.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Russian troops beware: use thermal camo correctly, or get droned. Russian troops are wearing heat-trapping thermal blankets to hide them from Ukraine’s lethal infrared-sensing night drones—but they’re wearing them all wrong. And it’s getting them killed.

Ukraine quietly unleashed its top tank brigade—now drones lead, infantry fights, and tanks wait. Ukraine’s tank brigades are disappearing. The army is getting new heavy mechanized brigades that are better for the infantry-first fighting.

European court makes history: Russia guilty of Ukraine human rights violations since 2014 and plane downing MH17. The European Court of Human Rights recognized Russia’s actions as a “targeted campaign to destroy the Ukrainian state as a subject of international law.”

Ukraine’s perfect German missiles never miss—but Russia’s drone factories never sleep. Ukraine is getting 2,000 new German IRIS-T air-defense missiles. Against endless Russian drones, it still might not be enough.

Military

ISW: Moscow’s drone strategy now targets morale more than military value. Even failed strikes help feed Russia’s psychological war, the think tank assesses.

NYT: Putin believes Ukraine’s collapse is near — and he’s acting like it. Despite Trump’s frustration, Kremlin insiders say Putin sees no reason to stop his full-scale invasion.

Lithuania tracks fake Russian Shahed from Belarus—NATO jets scrambled. Russia’s Gerbera styrofoam drone entered Lithuania from Belarus then crashed. Vilnius failed to identify it.

Reuters says Trump activates drawdown powers for the first time to arm Ukraine. Sources told Reuters the $300 million aid, not yet finalized, may include medium-range guided rocket launchers and air defense interceptors.

As of 10 JUL 2025, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:

• • • Personnel: 1030580 (+920)
    • Tanks: 11011 (+11)
    • APV: 22972 (+3)
    • Artillery systems: 30140 (+38)
    • MLRS: 1437 (+3)
    • Anti-aircraft systems: 1193
    • Aircraft: 421
    • Helicopters: 340
    • UAV: 44781 (+324)
    • Cruise missiles : 3445 (+6)
    • Warships/boats: 28
    • Submarines: 1
    • Vehicles and fuel tanks: 54656 (+81)

Intelligence and technology

NATO allies test German AI drone as Ukraine already destroys Russian equipment with it. German company Helsing designed the HX-2 AI drone as Europe’s answer to Russia’s Lancet loitering munition.

Storm Shadow returns: MBDA restarts SCALP missile Ukraine used to hit Russian command. France signals fresh production in 2025; Militarnyi hints Ukraine could receive new deliveries.

Reuters: Trump resumes GMLRS rocket and 155mm artillery deliveries to Ukraine after Russia’s largest airstrike. The US resumed weapons shipments to Ukraine after a brief pause. On Tuesday, Russia launched more than 740 drones and missiles in a single night.

Zelenskyy asks Trump’s Ukraine envoy Kellogg for US missiles – Trump calls Patriot systems “very expensive”. As Russian strikes intensify, Ukraine is pressing its case directly to Trump’s circle, while questions linger over the price of protection.

International

UK is ready for Ukraine peacekeeping mission—if there’s ever peace to keep. British troops would help enforce an agreement that remains out of reach.

US restarts shipments of rockets and shells to Ukraine — munitions already on the way. Washington sources confirm that guided rockets and artillery shells are once again flowing to Kyiv.

Germany is ready to buy US Patriots—Trump undecided. Chancellor Merz says Berlin can fund extra systems for Ukraine, but Washington hasn’t finalized anything.

Netherlands pledges € 300 million for Ukraine recovery projects amid Russia’s aggression. Russia has spent three years targeting Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, making economic assistance essential for the country’s survival.

The Atlantic: Trump’s erratic weapons policy leaves Ukraine flying blind. Ukrainian officials say unpredictability from Washington may prove more damaging than lost weapons.

Humanitarian and social impact

Ukraine’s sleepless nation: 80% trapped in chronic stress from nightly Russian attacks. Millions of Ukrainians maintain economic activity despite “fatigue, tension and despair” from Russian constant bombardment of civilians, Ukraine’s First Lady told international partners in Rome.

Russia’s war against Ukraine prompts Czechia to train teenagers in combat skills to strengthen national defense. Czech Army General announced the initiative aims to expand national reserves while introducing young people to military service amid Russia’s security threat.

Russia strikes Kyiv for 10 hours—two women killed including 22-year-old metro police officer (updated). Explosions were heard citywide as homes, schools, and hospitals sustained blast damage.

Political and legal developments

Russian intelligence paid Ukrainian teenager and her mom for arson attacks in Odesa. Russian operatives target financially vulnerable civilians who burn military vehicles to cause damage and demoralize the population in Ukraine.

Frontline report: Russia’s running out of oil money—so a Moldovan fraud king built a fake crypto boom. With oil profits down 30%, Russia’s betting on a crypto scheme run by Ilan Shor — a fugitive oligarch, convicted fraudster, and Kremlin-backed power broker in Moldova.

Other developments

Russian propagandists shift stance on Trump, call him “Bidenized” after Putin criticism. Earlier, the US president said “We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin.”

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

European court makes history: Russia guilty of Ukraine human rights violations since 2014 and plane downing MH17. The European Court of Human Rights recognized Russia’s actions as a “targeted campaign to destroy the Ukrainian state as a subject of international law.”

Ukraine’s perfect German missiles never miss—but Russia’s drone factories never sleep. Ukraine is getting 2,000 new German IRIS-T air-defense missiles. Against endless Russian drones, it still might not be enough.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church says it left Moscow. Documents say otherwise.. Church officials can claim what they want, but the paper trail doesn’t lie—and it leads straight back to Moscow.

Russian oil flows through Hungary unchecked—investigation traces deals to PM Orbán’s closest allies. Russian crude keeps pouring into the EU pipeline, enriching figures tied to both Putin and Orbán.

Military

First battlefield capitulation to robots: Ukrainian drones force Russian surrender and seize fortified position (video). The 3rd Assault Brigade seized fortified Russian positions using kamikaze land drones and quadcopters.

741 projectiles: Russia’s biggest attack since war began follows suspicious lull in massive overnight bombing. Russian forces combined 728 drones with 13 missiles in the 9 July assault on Ukraine, while the night before they launched just dozens of projectiles, creating a stark contrast.

Reuters: Trump resumes GMLRS rocket and 155mm artillery deliveries to Ukraine after Russia’s largest airstrike. The US resumed weapons shipments to Ukraine after a brief pause. On Tuesday, Russia launched more than 740 drones and missiles in a single night.

Zelenskyy asks Trump’s Ukraine envoy Kellogg for US missiles – Trump calls Patriot systems “very expensive”

. As Russian strikes intensify, Ukraine is pressing its case directly to Trump’s circle, while questions linger over the price of protection.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine catches Chinese spies trying to steal secrets of missile that sank Russia’s flagship. The Security Service of Ukraine claims to have detained father and son spy team who attempted to acquire production documentation for the Neptune cruise missile system that has struck multiple Russian naval vessels.

“Limpet mines are the new sanctions”: Ukraine is targeting Russia’s shadow oil fleet, says former Royal Navy officer. Six tankers linked to Russian oil exports have been damaged by underwater explosions this year. Former Royal Navy officer Tom Sharpe says Ukraine is likely using limpet mines placed by divers or drones to target Putin’s shadow fleet.

Lithuania and Finland to start domestic landmine production for themselves and Ukraine amid Russian threat. Other NATO’s eastern flank countries like Poland, Latvia, and Estonia also withdraw from the 1997 Ottawa Convention that banned landmines.

WSJ: Trump weighs sending Ukraine another Patriot air defense system as Putin rejects peace

. This decision follows Trump’s disappointment with Putin after their phone call and after a Pentagon weapons delivery pause created confusion within his own administration.

CNN: Hegseth ordered halt to Ukraine arms—White House learned from the press. Senior US and Ukrainian officials were blindsided by the sudden stop in missile deliveries.

International

Russia’s war against Ukraine prompts Czechia to train teenagers in combat skills to strengthen national defense. Czech Army General announced the initiative aims to expand national reserves while introducing young people to military service amid Russia’s security threat.

The Pope asked Zelenskyy to hold peace talks at the Vatican—even though Putin already said no. As Russia launches its largest drone barrage of the war, the Pope offered Zelenskyy the Vatican as a venue for talks—an idea the Kremlin had previously rejected.

German Chancellor: Russia’s “criminal regime” made diplomacy impossible, threatens entire Europe freedom

. Friedrich Merz told lawmakers he would continue military assistance to Ukraine “despite opposition from the political left and the Russia-friendly right here in the house,” framing the conflict as a threat to European political freedom.

EU considers € 100 billion Ukraine fund amid US support uncertainty and no war end in sight. EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters the bloc remains “ready to provide all necessary support for Ukraine for as long as it’s needed.”

Baptist-led church council in Kyiv warns: Russia must be condemned or real peace won’t come. Clergy say “peace” without justice only rewards atrocity and emboldens future aggression.

Political and legal developments

Ukrainian commission confirms Moscow-linked church remains under Russian control. Documentation contradicts three years of independence assertions.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusive

Russian oil flows through Hungary unchecked—investigation traces deals to PM Orbán’s closest allies. Russian crude keeps pouring into the EU pipeline, enriching figures tied to both Putin and Orbán.

Vacancies: News reporter, Defense tech reporter, Head of SMM. Euromaidan Press is expanding and searching for professional soulmates who believe in independent journalism.

Trump flips on Ukraine weapons cutoff: “We have to help them”. The Pentagon confirmed the move within hours, saying it is to “ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves.”

Ukraine is firing Patriot missiles as fast as it gets them—that’s how more Russian missiles get through. The Ukrainian air force is running desperately low on its best air-defenses, the kind that shoot down ballistic missiles.

Green cloud mining in 2025: promises, challenges, and what investors need to know. Examining green cloud mining in 2025. Learn the potential of renewable energy in crypto mining, key challenges in verifying claims, and essential due diligence for investors as well as to avoid scams

Military

Syrskyi: Ukrainian “Deep Strike” drone missions in June reached 115 missions. Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign continues to put pressure on Russia’s war infrastructure.

Russian attacks surged by 1.6 times in June—Ukraine answers with 115 fire missions and 2,864 targets destroyed. With new technologies and alternative arms routes, Ukraine continues its a summer battle.

North Korea triples its military deployment for Russia’s war—Forbes says it exposes Moscow’s weakness. Pyongyang sends up to 30,000 more troops as part of a deepening alliance, despite prior battlefield losses.

ISW: Russia halts Kostiantynivka push—now Pokrovsk braces for encirclement threat. After weeks of stalled operations in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast, Russian forces are closing in on Pokrovsk from several axes.

Massive radar gap in Crimea creates Ukrainian drone corridor, expert says

. The western part of Russian-occupied peninsula has been uncovered after Ukraine has recently destroyed Russia’s radar stations at Cape Tarhankut.

Shahed drone strike wounds civilian in Mykolaiv as Russia might be saving drones for something bigger. The lull in Russian drone numbers in last night’s assault could signal a larger wave of attacks coming.

Intelligence and technology

China helped build the drones now hitting Ukraine—Bloomberg traces the parts. Despite denials, Chinese engineers and hardware are inside Russian weapons used across the frontline.

Trump sends just ten Patriot missiles to Kyiv, while Ukraine needs hundreds, and other weapons remain in limbo. Ten Patriots are expected to arrive but Ukraine’s cities need hundreds.

UK sanctions Russian generals and military lab for chemical warfare in Ukraine. Britain targets top defense figures and a research institute accused of supplying banned toxic weapons.

International

EU plans to continue aid for Kyiv in 2027. Denmark’s Minister of Economy Stefanie Lose confirmed that support for Ukraine will extend past 2026, with the EU actively discussing long-term financial aid amid ongoing challenges posed by Russian aggression.

Top Kremlin mouthpiece says Putin treats Trump’s Kyiv arms shift with indifference, calls to seize more Ukrainian territories. He also called the territory of Ukraine as Russian.

Europe’s red line to China: Stop fueling Putin’s war machine or face policy reversal, Von der Leyen warns. Ursula von der Leyen says Beijing’s backing of Russia is increasing instability in Europe.

Europe urgently searches $19 billion for Kyiv as America sends only drops of aid to Ukraine despite Russia’s terror escalation. Trump’s aid freeze pushes Kyiv toward financial ruin, with Brussels scrambling to stabilize the front.

WSJ: Trump blames Pentagon, not himself, for Ukraine weapons pause. Zelenskyy was told directly by Trump that he didn’t order the hold on arms shipments, which has now been lifted.

Kremlin tells Hungary: Act with us in Ukraine — for the “compatriots”

. Russian FM Lavrov proposes “uniting efforts” over minorities — the same pretext used for full-scale invasion.

Humanitarian and social impact

HUR: West still has not sanctioned 70 Russian companies behind production of missiles that struck Kyiv’s largest children’s cancer hospital year ago. Ukraine calls the world not to look away and punish Russian for its crimes.

Ukraine’s Intelligence identifies Russian officer responsible cruise missle terror against Kyiv’s top oncology center with 600 children inside. A year ago, Moscow performed civility in front of the Indian prime minister, but behind the scenes, launched a wave of terror, mirroring negotiations with US President Donald Trump.

Political and legal developments

ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders for crimes against women after Russia becomes only country in world to recognize their regime. In 2023, the ICC also charged Russian President Vladimir Putin with war crimes related to the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.

Russia declares Yale University “undesirable” after it tracked 30,000 stolen Ukrainian children. The Kremlin accused Yale of undermining Russia’s integrity after its lab supported Kyiv’s efforts to repatriate abducted children.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusive

Ukraine is firing Patriot missiles as fast as it gets them. The Ukrainian air force is running desperately low on its best air-defense missiles. That means more of Russia’s own missiles get through.

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The Polish model for abandoning Ukraine. From 94% refugee support to benefit cuts in three years. Other European allies are watching—and learning.

Sanctions hit harder than bombs: Russian courts reveal systemic failure in weapons supply. No radar, no drones, no sonar—the military’s most critical projects stalled in legal chaos, journalistic investigation fi.

One Ukrainian drone keeps smashing Russia’s top war factories—so Germanys paying for 500 more. Hundreds more long-range Furious drones are coming, funded by Berlin.

Military

Russia floods Ukraine with 1,270 drones and nearly 1,000 bombs in a week—”We need air defense now,” Zelenskyy says. Many civilians have been hurt in Ukraine, while Russia also started to target military draft offices.

Armenia denies Russian troop surge. Ukraine reveals orders proving buildup. Ukraine’s military intelligence made public a Russian general’s directive contradicting Armenia’s denial of new deployments.

Ukraine hits backbone of Russian ammo supply chain—defense-linked plant rocked by explosions near Moscow

. Residents of Krasnozavodsk reported multiple loud blasts after Ukrainian drones reportedly reached the site.

Drone flames in Kharkiv, missile blasts in Chuhuiv, shell in Kherson—Russia kills 13, injures 67. Explosive strikes hit cities and villages alike, with 3 children wounded in Kharkiv alone.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine’s drone production soars, creating sky army ten times bigger in just one year. Rapid growth demands stronger intellectual property laws and long-term contracts, say experts.

Canadian Roshel armored vehicle withstands direct FPV drone hit, saves entire Ukrainian special forces team. The National Guard calls it a reminder of what Ukrainian troops survive every day.

International

UK arms Ukraine against chemical weapons as Russia revives World War I tactics on eastern front. London contributes £400,000 to help Ukraine resist banned chemical attacks on the battlefield.

Humanitarian and social impact

Ukrainian soldier dies weeks after release from Russian captivity with his organs failing due to torture. He met his grandchildren. He hoped to live.

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence: Russia loots ancient treasures from Crimea’s UNESCO heritage site. Over 110 priceless artifacts have been stolen from Ukraine’s archaeological grounds since 2014 by Russia.

Political and legal developments

Thousands of flights disrupted in Russia after Ukrainian strike—hours later, Putin’s fired transport chief is found dead. By 7 June, nearly 2,000 flights have been delayed, over 500 have been canceled.

Russian FM calls for Moscow–Budapest alliance, potentially setting stage for destabilization of Ukraine’s Zakarpattia Oblast. Lavrov signals possible joint action as Kremlin rhetoric returns to its 2014 invasion script.

Russia’s war effort now runs on crypto-mobilization and censored death stats. Rosstat disappears mortality data just as Putin calls for more volunteers to defend “values.”

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

How Ukraine can win, p.5: Russia’s $8 billion recruitment machine could be its weakest link. The vibes at the massacre are good—but it’s costing Russia a fortune.

My bomb shelter is a bathroom floor. 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.

Military

Ukraine hits backbone of Russian ammo supply chain—defense-linked plant rocked by explosions near Moscow. Residents of Krasnozavodsk reported multiple loud blasts after Ukrainian drones reportedly reached the site.

Russian airports crippled by mysterious airspace threat—171 flights canceled in Moscow alone. Authorities cite safety concerns as Moscow, Ivanovo, Kaluga, Pskov, Tambov, and St. Petersburg airports stop servicing flights.

SBU arrests 22-year-old suspected Russian agent who planted car bomb in Odesa, injuring local man. The man was detained while trying to escape after triggering the blast under a parked vehicle on 5 July.

“Trying to exploit any opening”: Ukrainian officer warns of Russian tactics near Lyman in northern Donetsk. Moscow seeks to retake the city it briefly held in 2022, but Ukrainian forces are holding strong.

ISW: Russia may trade deep breakthrough attempts for slow envelopment around fortress belt in Donetsk Oblast. Recent gains northeast of Pokrovsk signal a tactical priority shift, aiming at a tactical restraint designed to force Ukrainian withdrawals, says ISW.

No hits, no harm: Russia’s 5 July “hypersonic” Kinzhal strike on Ukraine bomber base fails. Starokostiantyniv base remains a key target for Russia’s missile and drone assaults.

Intelligence and technology

Europe just ran its first war game with drones and robots—Ukraine helped design it. At a test site near Rome, EU armies tested drone-to-robot resupply missions, using frontline scenarios developed with Ukrainian experts.

International

Russia may invade Estonia in “five or seven years,” NATO chief Rutte says. “If we don’t [invest in defense], we’ll have to learn Russian,” he said.

Frontline report: Russia says NATO jets in Estonia are nuclear. They’re not—but the danger’s real. The F-35s carry no nuclear weapons, but Moscow’s false claims may be building justification for retaliation.

Humanitarian and social impact

Drone flames in Kharkiv, missile blasts in Chuhuiv, shell in Kherson—Russia kills 13, injures 67. Explosive strikes hit cities and villages alike, with 3 children wounded in Kharkiv alone.

What we know about Moscow’s overnight air assault: Russian drone strikes injure elderly and toddler, hit on homes, preschool, and enlistment center (updated). The Russian drones injured at least nine civilians, including a woman, 87, pulled from rubble, a 90-year-old in Zaporizhzhia, and a 2-year-old in Kharkiv, targeting civilian areas and the third draft office in a week.

Political and legal developments

Politico: Ukraine spent € 1 billion on trenches. Russia is still advancing. Officials say the defenses are built. Soldiers say they’re digging by hand under fire — and it’s not enough.

“It’s WWI all over again,” warns former UK chemical commander as Russia escalates gas attacks in Ukraine. Ukraine’s frontlines are beginning to resemble Ypres, says Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, former head of the UK’s chemical weapons unit, as Russia intensifies gas attacks.

Forbes: Trump can’t stop the war with words — but he can with Russian money. Seizing sovereign Russian assets would turn the tables without firing a shot.

Read our earlier review here.

Exclusive

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

Can Europe replace US Patriots for Ukraine as its “daddy” in Washington steps back?. As the US withdraws Patriot missiles this week, UK defense expert Frank Ledwidge warns: Europe lacks the systems Ukraine needs to survive.

Military

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.

Azov electronics plant hit in Russia’s Rostov Oblast with new Ukrainian Shahed-like drones. One of Russia’s largest southern plants for aerospace and thermal optics was targeted.

Ukrainian drones strike Russian plant making Shahed warheads near Moscow. The GenStaff says it hit a crucial facility tied to thermobaric Shahed munitions in Sergiev Posad.

Intelligence and technology

US Defense Secretary Hegseth unilaterally blocks weapons for Ukraine, even though experts say aid does not affect stockpiles. With no warning and no clear justification, Defense Secretary Hegseth has paused Ukraine’s weapons deliveries, igniting fury in Congress

Ukraine’s arsenal expands West: Denmark to host Kyiv’s first overseas defense plants

. As part of the EU’s rotating presidency, Denmark is stepping up to build Ukrainian-designed weapons.

Beijing is enabling Moscow’s crimes: Ukraine finds Chinese parts in Russian drones used in 4 July most massive strike of war. A day earlier, Russia damaged China’s consulate in Odesa.

Russia’s chemical weapons use in Ukraine now “large-scale,” intelligence shows. The Dutch MIVD and Germany’s BND say they’ve confirmed a full program behind the attacks.

International

Republican Party lawmaker says Ukraine should not count on Biden-era weapons after Kyiv banned church led by Putin’s war priest. As Russian missiles rained down on Kyiv, Anna Paulina Luna said Ukraine should not count on American defense systems, legally approved during Joe Biden’s presidency.

Czechia to probe firms accused of arming Russia

. Czech agencies will investigate companies flagged by Zelenskyy for allegedly supplying weapons-related machinery to Russia.

China to EU: Ukraine war must not end in Russian defeat. In closed-door talks, Beijing signaled it prefers a prolonged war if it keeps the US distracted, per media reports.

Trump admits “no progress” after sixth call with Putin on Ukraine. Trump’s verdict on his sixth call with Putin? “Not happy … no progress at all.” Russia, he says, still “won’t back down” on Ukraine.

Humanitarian and social impact

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.

Seriously wounded Ukrainian POWs return home from Russian captivity filled with torture

. The exchange on 4 July included soldiers captured during Mariupol siege in 2022 who spent over three years in Russian custody.

Hours after Trump-Putin call, Russia attacks Kyiv with record 550 missiles and drones (updated). Fires broke out across Kyiv, with more than 20 injuries reported. Railway infrastructure and five ambulances were also damaged.

Political and legal developments

Russia becomes first country to officially recognize Taliban breaking Western isolation. The move reverses Russia’s 2003 designation of the Taliban as a terrorist organization and now promises cooperation in security, counter-terrorism and trade.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusive

One tank, three soldiers, and the end of Russia’s Sumy offensive. Three Ukrainian soldiers fired 125mm shells at point-blank range near the village of Yablunivka, halting a month-long Russian offensive aimed at Sumy Oblast.

The weapons Ukraine just lost to US aid freeze, explained. It’s not only about Patriots and air defense—Ukraine’s entire military toolkit just got gutted

Ukraine just stripped the leader of Putin’s favorite church—his 8,000 parishes are next. Metropolitan Onufriy’s citizenship revocation is just the opening move—Ukraine’s legal machinery is already grinding toward dissolving his Moscow-aligned Ukrainian Orthodox Church entirely.

Military

Frontline report: Ukrainian warplanes sweep over Russian lines to smash the Zaporizhzhia offensive before it begins. Ukraine struck the trains, fuel depots, and drone bunkers—before Russia could even move.

First-of-its-kind strike: Ukraine destroys prized Nebo-M radar system in Crimea using sea-launched bomb drones (video). Video confirms quadcopters launched mid-sea destroyed the $100M Nebo-M’s command center and two radars.

Explosion rocks central Luhansk as top collaborator Manolis Pilavov killed (updated). A powerful blast targeted a high-profile quisling official as he walked past a city street.

Ukraine kills Russian Navy general in Kursk—Putin’s 11th general lost in war. Major General Mikhail Gudkov, Russia’s Deputy Navy Chief, was inspecting positions in Kursk when a Ukrainian strike hit, killing him and other senior officers.

“Dronocide” hits hard: 42 Russian drone positions destroyed in Zaporizhzhia (video)

. Ukrainian forces intensify their targeted campaign against drone operators with a coalition of elite units.

Drones target Russia’s maker of military-grade batteries and airbase (video). Energiya factory in Yelets was last hit in May. In Lipetsk, drones seem to have been intercepted before reaching the airfield.

Videos show Russian ammo stockpile spectacularly destroyed in occupied Donetsk Oblast’s Khartsyzk. This marks at least the third major incident involving ammunition sites in the city since 2022. Khartsyzk has been occupied since 2014.

Intelligence and technology

Defense One: Ukraine war drives US military to combine HIMARS rockets with suicide drones. Informed by Ukraine battlefield tactics, the US Army is integrating HIMARS and suicide drones to close mid-range firepower gaps.

Russian battlefield gains expected after US aid pause, ISW warns

. Think tank highlights how previous delays enabled Russian advances in Donetsk Oblast.

International

Trump admits “no progress” after sixth call with Putin on Ukraine. Trump’s verdict on his sixth call with Putin? “Not happy … no progress at all.” Russia, he says, still “won’t back down” on Ukraine.

Pentagon and State Dept defend Ukraine arms pause as “America-first agenda”. The Trump administration claims it’s not abandoning Ukraine, but allegedly prioritizing US military readiness.

Russian intel ordered arson on Ukrainian restaurant in Tallinn, Estonian court rules. A GRU-directed Moldovan suspects carried out the attack in Estonia’s capital after a trial run in Osula.

Humanitarian and social impact

Children injured in Odesa drone strike as US arms shipment stays suspended (updated). Russia’s Shahed drone injured two children and three adults after a high-rise took a direct hit during the attack.

Ukrainian soldier reveals what it’s like to face Russian convicts from Butyrka prison in battle. Fighter Anton Shket endured 17 days of assaults by Russian “zeks” and foreign troops.

Ukraine captures Russian soldiers who forced teachers, rescuers, volunteers to dig their graves in Kharkiv Oblast’s torture chamber. They will be held accountable for their crimes, says Kyiv.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusive

Ukraine’s new M-1 Abrams tanks are ready—but their brigade might not be. Ukraine is getting 49 M-1 tanks from Australia. It risks wasting them.

NATO’s shortest summit reveals its deepest crisis. The Alliance still names Russia the threat—but behind closed doors, it no longer agrees on how, or even whether, to respond.

Inside Russia’s secret digital war on NATO’s logistics lifeline to Ukraine. A report reveals the scope of a three-year-long cyber campaign: infiltrators gained long-term access using spearphishing and known software flaws.

Military

“We’re standing, and we will keep standing,” Ukrainian pilot dismisses talk of peace with Russia as illusion

. While Kremlin boasts advances and claims Ukraine as its own, frontline pilot Apostol calls for reinforcements.

Ukrainian soldiers dragged 40-kilo grenade launcher into Russia — and kept firing under guided bombs. Then, they refused to leave it behind.

Ukraine wipes out 230,000 Russian soldiers in first half of 2025 alone. Ukraine grinds down Moscow’s manpower and equipment with ruthless efficiency.

Ukraine hits Russian military train just days after first sabotage in partially occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Russia’s key supply line derailed once again.

Ukraine’s air defenses destroy 4,758 Russian aerial targets in June. Last night, Moscow struck Ukrainian farms and homes. Ukrainian jets flew about 895 sorties in May, Air Force reports

Liutyi drones strike deep into Russia, hitting Izhevsk military plant about 1,400 km away (video). Also, local authorities declared a missile threat in Russia’s Akhtubinsk, hosting an air base 600 km from the front.

Frontline report: Bayraktar drones are back — and this time, they’re after Russian warships

. With domestic production now exceeding 120 units a year, Ukraine is deploying Turkish-designed Bayraktar drones in a new role: hunting Russian warships near Crimea.

Ukrainian drones just lit up Russian-occupied Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk — here’s how (video). Last night, Ukrainian drones and missiles ignited the Luhansk fuel facility, destroyed the 8th Army’s command center in Donetsk, and targeted radars and aircraft in Crimea.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine’s tech revolution clashes with Russia’s massive military machine — result will define future of warfare. Ukraine’s defense relies on rapid innovation, cutting-edge drones, and creative battlefield technology, while Russia counters with sheer numbers and relentless production.

Kyiv unveils joint manufacturing plan with Ramstein coalition, aiming to build weapons at home and abroad. All of weapons will supply the Ukrainian military.

FPV-style upgrade gives Ukrainian long-range UJ-26 Beaver drone real-time visuals. Thermal imaging and new communication systems boost precision in the long-range strikes.

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

. The Vilamoura, carrying crude oil, was previously spotted at Russian ports and is now under tow.

International

Russia’s digital invasion of Romania signals new warfare against democracy, ex-US ambassadors argue. Three retired diplomats write that Moscow’s failed manipulation of Romanian elections reveals an evolving strategy targeting Western nations.

ISW: While signaling peace to West, Putin’s recent speech reveals drive to annex Ukrainian lands and erase its nationhood. From calling Kherson and Zaporizhzhia “Novorossiya” to branding Odesa as Russian, Putin and his aides double down on propaganda denying Ukraine’s right to exist as a separate nation.

Editor and director of Sputnik Azerbaijan detained in police raid as suspected Russian spies. Local reports say masked police took away the Russian propaganda outlet’s leadership.

FT opinion: Russia may last a year. Ukraine risks collapse within half a year without urgent aid. Russia has the manpower edge to outlast Ukraine, FT warns.

Germany asked to “lead Europe” and persuade Hungary on Russia sanctions

. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says European unity is at stake as Hungary and Slovakia resist.

Humanitarian and social impact

Ukraine identifies Russian soldiers who tortured civilians with axe during Bucha massacre. The occupiers forcibly locked people in a cellar and interrogated them.

UN confirms Russia’s guilt for Olenivka massacre in 2022— Ukraine vows to hold Azovstal killers accountable. Kyiv says the pain for the 50 killed Ukrainian soldiers has never faded.

United24: Ukrainian soldier tells how Russian surgeon burnt Glory to Russia on his body while in captivity. The inscription was made by the same Russian surgeon who had operated on his serious combat injuries while the soldier lay unconscious.

BBC: “Life is constant tension, fear, distrust” — reality of Russian occupation in Mariupol. Ukrainian students living in occupation are forced to attend mandatory lessons where they learn that Russia “liberated” Russian-speaking populations from so-called Nazis in 2022, while teachers who refuse to participate face intimidation or termination.

Ukraine captures Russian soldier who tortured and executed Ukrainian POWs. Now he faces life in prison. Sergey Tuzhilov shot a bound Ukrainian soldier in the back of the head and helped kill two others during fighting in Kharkiv Oblast last June, according to Ukrainian investigators.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusive

Inside Russia’s secret digital war on NATO’s logistics lifeline to Ukraine. A report reveals the scope of a three-year-long cyber campaign. Infiltrators gained long-term access using spearphishing and known software flaws, the report finds.

This is the hell the landmine treaty was meant to prevent—and Ukrainian sappers live it every day.. International law banned landmines. Russia didn’t get the memo.

Ukraine deploys Leopard 1A5 “sniper tanks” with 7 brigades. Fitted with layered armor, these aging tanks are surviving drone strikes, even on Ukraine’s most dangerous front lines.

Ukraine just declared open season on Russia’s drone nests in urgent strategy shift. Ukraine isn’t just shooting down drones anymore—it’s going after the operators. Under new leadership, drone crews are now the priority targets.

Military

Ukraine hits targets 100 kilometers behind Russian lines, destroys 20 armored vehicles and 89 artillery systems. Oil depots burnt, command posts fell, and 423 Russian pieces of equipment were reduced to ashes.

Ukrainian forces capture two Cameroonians who say Russia tricked them into fighting. They signed for 1 million rubles. Typically, Russia recruits civilians from Africa and Asia through deceptive job offers and false promises.

Russian forces drop banned chemical irritants from drones on Ukraine. 111,000 Russian soldiers swarm the front, using forbidden gases and high-tech warfare to choke Ukrainian supply lines.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine to integrate domestic air defenses into NASAMS infrastructure. Kyiv teams up with Norway’s Kongsberg to link local systems with Western command modules.

Russia unleashes new deadly “Blueberry” drones with 100-kilometer reach on Kharkiv. Children wounded, buildings shattered as Ukraine battles the swarm with anti-air drones and EW.

The Telegraph: Can Ukraine’s new Kevlar suit protect soldiers from drones? Boots may be next. A Ukrainian major has developed the first full-body Kevlar suit designed to stop drone shrapnel. Blast-resistant boots could follow.

Ukraine spy unit manufactures ground drones that switch from logistics to lethal in minutes. Legit combat robots can transport 500 kg of supplies, fire grenades at Russian positions or be configured with explosive charges for suicide missions against fortified positions.

Forbes: Russia’s Shahed drones now have bulletproof engines—and a bag of dirty tricks. Ukraine used to shoot them down. Now, they fly in pairs, drop bombs on the way, and keep coming.

Forged in war, built for Europe: Ukraine’s combat-proven arms to join EU defense drive. Under SAFE, Ukraine steps into the joint production with €150 billion in reach.

International

Polish PM Tusk: Counting on Russian energy supplies during war is “grave sin”. Meanwhile, Polish company Orlen cuts ties with Moscow, joining the fight for Europe’s energy freedom.

Moscow deepens reliance on its key war supplier by ramping up massive aluminum exports. As EU shuts the door, Russia floods Beijing with vital metals to keep its war machine alive.

Norwegian F-35s to join Patriot and NASAMS to fortify Poland’s crucial hub for Ukraine’s aid. As Russian spies and saboteurs lurk in the shadows of Rzeszów, Norway is stepping in with cutting-edge jets to secure the city.

“You can feel Moscow’s hand”: Russia exploits Volyn tragedy to turn Poles against Ukrainians amid war. Kyiv urges Warsaw to resist manipulation as exhumations continue and propaganda spreads.

Slovak foreign minister suggests forgiving Russia and seeking dialogue to achieve peace in Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister responded that “those who have lost no one in this war have no right to make such statements.”

Humanitarian and social impact

High blood pressure, rash of unknown origin ravages Crimean journalist in Russian jail — medical care still denied. His wife’s visit reveals the growing physical torment concealed behind prison walls.

Russian overnight drone swarms never end. Ukraine deals with fires, destruction and injured civilians. A drone attack on a vehicle service station in Kharkiv Oblast triggered a fire and left eight people wounded.

Political and legal developments

Putin shuts curtain on Russia’s reality — new law bans disclosure of war and economic data. From economic figures to mobilization plans, Russia seals off knowledge as external pressures mount.

Ukraine exits global mine ban for self-defense reasons as Russia ignores international law. Ukraine became the latest nation to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, joining Baltic states and Nordic neighbors who concluded the humanitarian treaty limits their defense options against growing Moscow threats.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Ukraine’s new drone commander has one mission: hunt Russia’s drone crews. The head of Ukraine’s drone force has declared all-out war on Russia’s own drone teams.

Why can’t Ukraine stop Russia’s Shahed drones anymore?. The same mobile teams that hunted Shaheds last year can barely touch them now.

Military

Frontline report: Colombian fighters join Ukraine to dig Russians out of trenches in a brutal forest fight. Colombian fighters stormed a Russian trench network near Ukraine’s border, clearing bunkers with drone support, grenades, and close-quarters combat.

Russia’s bomber base goes dark after Ukraine hits power infrastructure. Infrastructure strikes multiply effectiveness beyond immediate damage.

Russia’s 1060th Logistics Center erupts in fire after Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence operation. The former 120th Arsenal goes up in smoke, as Ukrainian forces dismantle Russia’s ability to wage war.

Poland scrambles jets as Russia launches record 537-projectile attack on Ukraine. Poland’s air defenses remained on high alert until after 6 AM with no airspace violations reported.

F-16 pilot killed while repelling Russia’s most massive-yet night terror attack on Ukraine (updated). “Eternal flight, brother, you did everything you could!” the Air Force said.

Intelligence and Technology

Moscow recruits African women to produce drones in horrific conditions — investigation exposes large-scale fraud. Russia is expanding the production of drones in Tatarstan, using African and Asian women who are deceived into taking dangerous jobs in the Alabuga special economic zone.

YLE: Dubai quietly powers Putin’s planes—with help from US and European parts. Dubai-based firms smuggle Boeing and Airbus components worth €1 billion to keep Russia’s stolen aircraft fleet operational.

YLE: Russia expands factory producing bombers Ukraine just destroyed in Operation Spiderweb. New hangars won’t fix sanctions blocking Western components or workforce shortages hampering assembly lines.

International

Kremlin says it will not end war in Ukraine, even if EU imposes new round of sanctions. Peskov claims Russia won’t respond to pressure.

China may soon build large-scale facilities in Russia‑occupied Crimea. Nearly, $10 billion in Chinese capital could cement Beijing’s role in Moscow’s war machine.

Georgia denies military honors to Ukraine war volunteer in unprecedented snub. Defense Ministry silent on unprecedented departure from military tradition.

Bild: Germany’s Ukraine aid promise math doesn’t add up as € 900 million missing from actual budget. Ministry officials justify the massive shortfall by insisting European funding mechanisms, such as European Peace Facility, will save face, though they provide zero guarantees these external sources will actually deliver.

NATO allies conduct major river crossing joint exercise in Germany as Russian security threat persists. German, British, Dutch and Italian forces are constructing ferry systems to transport 1,200 soldiers and 500 units of heavy equipment across the Rhine river.

Humanitarian and Social Impact

Kyiv accuses Russia of supplying Bangladesh with wheat mixed with grain, stolen from occupied territories. The Ukrainian government plans to call on the European Union to intervene.

“Chinese citizens should know they are being lied to,” Russian POW reveals Kremlin’s foreign fighter scam. Foreign recruits promised rear positions find death in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast trenches.

Russia planned Russification of Ukrainian children after swift victory—now, it uses them to pressure Kyiv into concessions. Yale reports Russia has stolen 35,000 Ukrainian kids and forced them to sing the Russian anthem under a threat to their parents.

Read our earlier daily review here

Exclusive

Why Ukraine must bet it all on Putin’s greatest weakness—Crimea. Ukraine must focus its strategic efforts on reclaiming Crimea to exploit Putin’s most vulnerable position.

Military

Ukraine strikes Crimea again, destroys Russia’s Pantsir air defense system and helicopters
On the night of June 27–28, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) carried out a drone strike on the Kirovske military airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Ukraine intercepts a mystery Russian bomb near Dnipro — officials debate if it’s Grom-1
At approximately 11:30 AM local time, a loud explosion shook the suburbs of Dnipro, a major city in central Ukraine.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine intelligence: Russia deploys Soviet-era tanks as modern reserves dwindle amid massive losses
Russia began deploying Soviet-era T-62 tanks from the 1960s, as the country faces mounting equipment losses in its war against Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate.

Zelenskyy: Russian missiles and drones still packed with Western tech — and still killing Ukrainians
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that Russia continues to rely on foreign-made components, including from Western countries, to build weapons used in its war against Ukraine.

International

Bild: Germany’s Ukraine aid promise math doesn’t add up as € 900 million missing from actual budget
A nearly one billion euro gap has emerged between German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius’s public promises of Ukraine military aid and the actual budget allocations approved by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s cabinet, according to Bild.

NATO allies conduct major river crossing joint exercise in Germany as Russian security threat persists
Military units from Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, and Italy successfully completed a large-scale river crossing operation on 28 June as part of ongoing joint military exercises in Germany.

German chancellor rules out direct contact with Putin as previous calls led to more strikes on civilians
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ruled out telephoning Russian President Vladimir Putin in the foreseeable future, citing a pattern of escalated attacks following diplomatic outreach attempts, according to an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Frontline report: UK patrols cut off Russian shadow tankers at Baltic chokepoints – Putin’s oil billions at risk

Humanitarian and social impact

Russian drone strike on Odesa kills teacher and husband, injures children — “We heard it coming, helpless” (updated) Two people were killed in a Russian drone attack on a residential high-rise in Odesa, local authorities confirmed.

Pope expresses sorrow for Ukrainian prisoners and victims of war. Zelenskyy asks for help to return prisoners Pope Leo XIV expressed solidarity with Ukrainian families suffering from the Russian aggression during a Vatican service, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to request papal help in bringing home Ukrainian prisoners of war and deported children.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusive

Why Ukraine must bet it all on Putin’s greatest weakness—Crimea. Ukraine’s strikes are turning Crimea from Russia’s “unsinkable aircraft carrier” into a sinking ship that could drag Putin’s regime down with it.

Russia killed her mom and little sister. Now her iPhone keeps showing them smiling.. The photo shows Mariia’s proud face after cutting her own hair.

These spiky Russian vans look like a joke—until the drones hit. What looks like a construction site mishap is actually Russia’s “porcupine van”—a spiked vehicle built to deflect Ukrainian drones on the battlefield.

Ukraine quietly won the NATO summit where everyone was waiting for drama. Ukraine got everything it realistically could from NATO — and somehow, that was enough.

Military

Watch: Ukraine’s FPV drones strike Russia’s prized S-400 air defense occupied Crimea. For the attack, Ukraine’s military intelligence unit used FPV copters, likely launched from a naval drone.

Four Su-34 warplanes reduced to ashes as Ukrainian special forces hit deep behind Russian lines again. Explosions ripped through the airfield with Russia’s most lethal bombers.

Frontline report: Ukraine set a forest trap in Sumy — a Russian battalion vanished inside. Ukrainian forces killed battalion commander Andrey Yartsev and overran his command post, forcing dozens of Russian soldiers to surrender.

Russia couldn’t win in close combat—so it set city ablaze with weapons that fuse to body and refuse to extinguish. Protocol III prohibits attacks with this substance near civilian concentrations, but that didn’t stop Moscow troops in Luhansk Oblast.

Russia concentrates 111,000 troops for breakthrough in this hottest sector of Ukraine’s front. Syrskyi warns that behind the offensive lies a political motive.

Intelligence and technology

Drone wipes out Kim Jong Un’s rocket system in Ukraine strike (video). Initially confirmed in Russian service only in April 2025, the vehicle was located and neutralized in Donetsk Oblast.

FT: Taiwan deploys Ukraine-inspired “overkill” suicide drones against China threat. Taiwan has completed combat trials of suicide drones modeled on Ukraine’s anti-tank weapons, with plans to acquire 25,000 units equipped with the same AI systems Ukrainian forces use to destroy Russian armor, the Financial Times reports.

Czech firms secretly shipped machine tools to Russia — even during war, investigation finds. Tools from top manufacturers entered Russia even in 2024, data shows, according to The Insider.

Ukrainian interceptor drone climbs to 11 km—higher than Everest and as high as airliners (video). A video released online shows it soaring above Kherson Oblast skies.

Canada may co-build weapons with Ukraine—and it could boost its economy. New partnerships could help Ukraine scale drone manufacturing while strengthening Canada’s defense economy.

International

North Korean forces may soon fight inside Ukraine, says Seoul. South Korea warns Pyongyang is preparing for deployment of forces into Ukrainian territory as early as July.

Germany passes law blocking family visas for 388,000 refugees. Germany’s parliament has approved legislation preventing families of 388,000 migrants with subsidiary protection status from entering the country, as Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt cited overstretched integration capacity in education, housing and childcare.

Pro-Palestinian activists cause $ 1.1 mn damage to Ukraine-bound military vehicles in Belgium. One hundred fifty pro-Palestinian activists stormed a Belgian military equipment facility after mistakenly believing the company was supplying weapons to Israel, according to Belgian media reports.

Ukraine has done its part for accession talks start, now it’s EU’s turn, Leyen says. Hungary alone holds up talks despite Kyiv’s compliance and Brussels’ green light.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russia targets Ukrainian air base. Ukraine downs almost all of 363 drones and 8 missiles. Four civilians were injured in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, while the death toll from the previous attack rose to 21.

Political and legal developments

America First policies threaten Russian war crimes in Ukraine documentation efforts. International organizations, collecting evidence of sexual violence and torture by the Russians in Ukraine, face losing American funding under new Trump’s White House recommendations.

“West keeps trying to bury Russia, but they will die themselves soon,” says Putin in new speech. While offering peace talks, the Kremlin leader lashes out at the West.

Putin: Russia ready for third round of peace talks despite “absolutely opposite” terms on ending war. The Russian leader also emphasized that recent massive prisoner exchanges and body returns had established a foundation for continued talks.

“Only Russia is friend of Russia,” says Russian general amid Trump’s peace efforts. Behind public praise, Russian leadership treats Trump’s peace overtures as unreliable, and continues the war with full force.

Half of Ukrainians believe country moving towards democracy, 41% – towards authoritarianism – poll shows. Trust in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy determines how Ukrainians view their country’s political direction, with 82% of his critics seeing authoritarianism compared to 76% of supporters who perceive democratic development.

Read our earlier daily review here

Exclusive

Ukraine quietly won the NATO summit where everyone was waiting for drama. Ukraine got everything it realistically could from NATO, and somehow, that was enough.

Military

Ukraine’s Bobr, Baklan, and Obrii drones struck support center in Russia’s Bryansk Oblast, destroying fuel depots. Multiple explosions tore through the supply center, causing a large fire.

ISW: Ukrainians advance near Borova and Velyka Novosilka, Russians in Vovchansk and near Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka. A Ukrainian brigade reports it destroyed a Russian platoon in the Lyman direction.

Explosions rock Russia’s Taganrog and Moscow suburbs during suspected drone attack. Local sources report flashes and loud blasts overnight as Russian air defense systems opened fire on incoming UAVs.

Putin overstretched: Russia withdraws forces from Kaliningrad, Poland says. As Russia tries to form new units near Finland, its forces are being stretched thin, prompting a major withdrawal from Kaliningrad, Poland’s foreign minister says.

Intelligence and technology

Netherlands funds 20 hybrid-powered battlefield vehicles for Ukraine’s wounded soldier rescues. Rheinmetall’s Ermine modular ground vehicles equipped with diesel-electric engines will provide Ukrainian forces with both tactical mobility and energy generation capabilities.

In Russia’s Alabuga and Kupol factories workers glue together death for daily attacks. These aren’t just loitering munitions anymore. They’re evolving into a weapon of strategic paralysis.

By 2026, skies over Ukraine could be swarming with thousands of Russian drones—tracking and killing civilians in real time, warns expert. Maria Berlinska warns that Russia is building a future where AI-powered killer drones stalk Ukrainian cities day and night,

Meet the Magura W6: Ukraine’s latest threat to Russian warships. The new sea drone follows the successful deployment of earlier models that caused massive Russian naval losses.

Better late than never: Ukraine finally tests its own gliding bomb kit (video). Russia has used its UMPK guidance kits since 2023 — now Ukraine is racing to close the gap.

“Lilac” CS gas, outlawed since 1925, is now Russia’s silent weapon in Dnipropetrovsk trenches. Russia has used it over 1,000 times since 2022, and now the world has forensic proof.

Europe must be ready to build millions of drones as Russian threat grows, EU warns. EU Defense Commissioner Kubilius urges Europe to act on lessons from Ukraine before it’s too late.

Ukraine’s war is just beginning, next battlefield will be invisible. Nuclear weapons won’t decide the wars of tomorrow.

FT: Europe believes US did not destroy Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. Iran’s most dangerous nuclear material—408kg of uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels—was not destroyed in US bunker-buster attacks because it had been reportedly moved from the targeted Fordow facility beforehand.

International

At NATO summit allies flattered Trump and quietly built defense shield across Europe and Ukraine. Careful diplomacy pays off, Trump signs off on key European proposals without a fight.

Hungarian PM Orbán claims 95% reject Ukraine in EU — his survey has many controversies. Opposition groups and civil society organizations criticized the Voks 2025 consultation as a propaganda tool with compromised methodology, noting that only 29% of eligible voters participated in the legally non-binding survey.

Almost half of Poles want to reduce military aid to Ukraine – they fear for their own safety. Polish concerns about national security are overtaking solidarity with Ukraine, with three-quarters of Poles demanding NATO strengthen its eastern flank while nearly half want military aid to Kyiv reduced, according to a new IBRiS poll.

Norway to provide $ 6 million to support women’s organisations in Ukraine. Norway will channel $5.9 million to 90 Ukrainian women’s organizations over three years, prioritizing groups in smaller towns and remote areas that have maintained community services throughout the war.

Turkish president says Trump willing to join Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Türkiye only if Putin attends. Türkiye positions itself as the primary mediator in the war, with Erdogan declaring that recent Istanbul negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations “opened the door to peace.”

Australia sanctions 37 Russians, 7 firms and deepens NATO cooperation amid Russo-Ukrainian war. Sanctions list includes government insiders and disinformation agents.

Putin has received ammo from North Korea. Now he wants soldiers — and Pyongyang is ready to send them in July. Month by month, authoritarian allies deepen their military cooperation.

Art is never neutral—Russia has made sure it serves its imperial ambitions, says top manager of New York’s Metropolitan Opera. For Russia, culture has never been a mirror, it’s a weapon.

Meloni urges Trump to show Iran-level determination for Ukraine ceasefire. Despite Trump’s push for a ceasefire, Moscow has shown zero interest in his agenda and continues escalating its attacks on Ukraine.

Bloomberg: How NATO leaders are trying to save Ukraine — by flattering Trump. NATO leaders must endure humiliation if it buys more time for Zelenskyy’s defense, the Bloomberg columnist says.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russia maintains daily terror strikes on civilians amid stalled peace talks. Number of injured, killed only grows. One of the drone strikes hit a residential building in Donetsk Oblast, leaving five civilians injured on 26 June.

Some of these defenders were just 21 when captured in Mariupol—three years later they step back onto Ukrainian soil. One was guarding Chornobyl. Another fought in Sumy.

Political and legal developments

German court confirms conviction of couple who killed two Ukrainian women and stole a child. A German couple will spend life in prison after the country’s highest court rejected their final appeal for murdering two Ukrainian refugees and stealing their baby in March 2024.

Moscow threatens retaliation against nations backing Ukraine’s quest for justice in tribunal for Russia’s aggression. With the tribunal set to expose war crimes, Russia intimidates with “restrictive measures” against countries that support it.

Bloomberg: Russian banks fear systemic crisis within 12 months as Ukraine war debt mounts. Russian banks are sitting on trillions of rubles in bad debt as corporate and retail borrowers struggle with 20% interest rates, creating what banking officials privately describe as a dangerous situation that could trigger a systemic crisis within a year.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Frozen conflict Ukraine’s “best case scenario” because Russia has nukes, Kurt Volker says. Ukraine’s regular destruction of red lines is no argument, former envoy claims

The elephant in the room: How Ukraine’s victory vanished from Western goals. The culprit wasn’t Russian strength—it was Western fear of threats that never came.

Jammers are no longer enough: Ukraine’s drone war demands reinvention, EW commander says. What worked last year is obsolete today, as drone tech forces EW back to the drawing board.

Trump says NATO meeting was “nice.” Zelenskyy wore a suit. The war goes on. They spoke for 50 minutes — three times longer than last time. Still, they left with different stories.

Ukraine just brought back its Bayraktar TB-2 drones—and they’re breaking through Russia’s air defenses. Missile-armed TB-2s are flying again over southern Ukraine.

GLOBSEC mapped seven Ukraine war scenarios through 2026. Even the “best case” spells future disaster.. The supposed “good” scenario, with 2% propability—a ceasefire with European peacekeepers—would merely give Russia time to regroup for the next assault.

Russia is churning out hundreds of new T-90M tanks — but why aren’t they all in Ukraine?. Moscow is stockpiling its best armor. The question is: for what fight?

Military

“We’re all going to die” little boy cried in terror as Russian missiles struck civilian areas in Dnipro. The June 24 strike on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast hit schools, kindergartens, cultural venues and a passenger train, killing 21 civilians and injuring hundreds as NATO leaders convene in The Hague.

Russian systematic terror strikes wound 14 civilians, damage dozens of homes across Ukraine. Drones and guided bombs targeted residential buildings in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia during the night assault.

Frontline report: Russia’s troops could melt into the Suwalki fog—and march out inside NATO. At the Suwalki Gap, Russia doesn’t need a blitz—just fog, forest, and time.

Ukraine hits Russian plant producing military drones used to terrorize Ukrainian civilians. The Atlant Aero facility in Taganrog, which according to Ukrainian sources, manufactures combat drones used against Ukraine, experienced an explosion and fire following the strike.

Intelligence and technology

The Telegraph: Iran may reduce missile shipments to Russia due to Israeli strikes. Iran’s missile transfers to Russia face disruption as Tehran prioritizes its own stockpile amid escalating conflict with Israel, with Western officials reporting the Islamic republic now holds 1,445 missiles from an estimated 3,000 original inventory.

Defense News: Ukraine used a Pringles can to blow up a Russian tank. When shells ran out, a Pringles can did the job. Ukraine is proving cheap beats heavy.

Britain weaponizes seized Russian money to arm Ukraine with air defense missiles. Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that “Russia, not Ukraine, should pay the price for Putin’s barbaric and illegal war.”

Zelenskyy: Ukraine could produce 8 million drones per year if it had enough funds from allies. Meanwhile, Russia draws on substantial resources from North Korea, Iran, and Chinese companies to sustain its weapons manufacturing.

International

Brazil won’t shield Putin from ICC arrest — so he’ll zoom into the BRICS summit. The BRICS summit in Brazil just got awkward: Putin’s staying home to avoid arrest over Ukraine war crimes, and Xi isn’t showing either.

Switzerland approves draft bilateral agreement with Ukraine on reconstruction. Switzerland has approved a mechanism allowing its private companies to access $620 mn in government funding for Ukraine reconstruction projects, with the legal framework set for signing in Rome next month.

NATO Summit with US participation recognises Russia as long-term threat to entire Alliance. NATO member states committed to spending 5% of GDP on defense by 2035 after unanimously identifying Russia as a “long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security” at the first alliance summit under Donald Trump’s presidency.

Russia’s nuclear warnings ring out after US strikes on Iran, but Moscow’s unwillingness to trigger American aid for Ukraine signals real limit. Amid escalating US strikes on Iran, Medvedev’s apocalyptic rhetoric sparks a criticism from Trump.

Humanitarian and social impact

Ukraine opens first rehab center for torture survivors after Russian captivity. The facility features both traditional therapy spaces and art workshops to help individuals recover from beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence and psychological torture as 90% of Ukrainian POWs experience some sort of abuse.

Ukraine clears 20% of mined territory since 2022, 137,000 sq km remain contaminated. Ukraine reduced potentially mined territory by more than 20% since late 2022, leaving approximately 137,000 square kilometers still contaminated, primarily agricultural land, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced Tuesday.

Political and legal developments

Ukraine and Europe launch war tribunal — just not for Putin. President Zelenskyy signed a deal with Europe to launch a tribunal for Russian agression — but it can’t prosecute Putin while he’s in office.

SBU detains US citizen in Kyiv wanted for 30 years for sexual crimes against children. A 66-year-old American who disappeared before his sentencing for child sexual abuse in Arizona has been arrested in Kyiv Oblast, ending a 32-year international manhunt that began when he fled the United States in 1992.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Russia is churning out hundreds of new T-90M tanks — but why aren’t they all in Ukraine?. Moscow is stockpiling its best armor. The question is: for what fight?

Ukraine shows advanced weapons work perfectly – and that’s exactly the problem. While Western nations pour billions into cutting-edge weapons, Ukrainian soldiers are winning battles with fishing nets, garden wire, and drones built in garages – exposing a fatal flaw in how we think about modern warfare.

Soviets drained Ukraine’s ancient swamps — now they’re coming back to swallow Russian tanks. Buried beneath northern Ukraine lies a forgotten weapon: swamps the Soviets tried to drain. Now Kyiv wants them fully revived — to stop Russian tanks in their tracks.

Military

Frontline report: Year-long Russian assault on strategic Kupiansk fails as Ukrainians methodically drain enemy forces. Ukrainian defenders exploit Russian reliance on vulnerable rubber boat river crossings by allowing limited penetrations, then systematically sealing breaches to isolate and eliminate trapped infantry groups.

Ukraine is launching new battlefield rescue format—unique battalion with company of drones. It’s designed to evacuate the wounded directly from the front lines.

These Ukrainian troops launch balloons, not bombs — but every HIMARS missile depends on them. They once filled forms in Kyiv or laid bricks. Now they fill the skies with data.

Intelligence and technology

With Dutch funding and battlefield innovation, Kyiv prepares to flood skies with 600,000 drones. Ukraine intends to outmaneuver Russia not with numbers, but with code and wings.

US–Israeli operation against Iran proves Ukraine doesn’t need negotiations—it needs firepower. When American bombs fell on Iran’s nuclear sites, Russian-made defenses failed spectacularly. The same will happen in Crimea, if the West lets it, experts say.

Ukraine says its new Sapsan ballistic missile can surprise enemies, while experts suggest it is impossible to intercept. The Sapsan has already struck deep behind enemy lines, and it’s now in full production.

Russia is betting on its untraceable weapons during summer campaign, striking 40 kilometers behind front lines. Ukraine’s defense? Operating in the dark.

Ukraine and Britain launch first joint drone production program to strengthen both nations’ defense. The agreement establishes a wartime-peacetime resource division where all manufactured drones will support Ukraine’s Defense Forces during the ongoing war, with both countries sharing production afterward.

International

London’s Royal Opera House chooses Putin’s ally to open new season, while Russia’s war kills 208 artists in Ukraine. Russian diva Anna Netrebko, sanctioned by Ukraine for backing Kremlin aggression, will star in Tosca, as Ukraine condemns the choice a “global disgrace.”

Sky News: Russia could attack NATO within five years, Zelenskyy believes. The Ukrainian president argued that Russia’s current military losses in Ukraine prevent immediate expansion, stating that Putin requires “a pause” to rebuild its military capabilities.

US envoy discusses Ukraine war with Russia’s key ally aiming to restart stalled peace talks. Keith Kellogg revealed he discussed the Russo-Ukrainian war directly with Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko during their 21 June meeting in Minsk.

While US speak of truce, Tehran answers with terror, echoing Russia’s warplaybook in Ukraine. Hours after Trump’s ceasefire claims, Iranian missiles slammed into Beersheba, killing civilians. Meanwhile, since the US administration began its peace efforts over Ukraine, Russia, Tehran’s ally, has doubled its strikes on women and children.

Humanitarian and social impact

Rescued moose dies of fear during Russian strike in Kyiv Oblast. Ukraine’s animals, like its people, pay the price for Kremlin cruelty.

Russia’s war in Europe will spark wave of refugees, collapse infrastructure, and will cost $1.5 trillion, as it is now in Ukraine. Russia’s next move could begin with a railway through Vilnius.

Russian missile terror reaches Ukrainian civilians on train. The attack on Dnipro leaves people dead, injured [updated]. The train incident was part of a devastating Russian assault on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast that killed at least nine people and wounded over 70 others.

Russia continues daily terror of civilians in Ukraine, kills a child and destroys homes while peace talks stalled. Emergency workers pulled three bodies from rubble, including one of a 5-year-old boy, after Russian overnight strikes demolished residential buildings on a single street in Sumy Oblast.

Political and legal developments

After killing tens of thousands and erasing Mariupol, Russia now seeks to resurrect statue of its butcher in city’s center. Where 120,000 may have died, Moscow prepares to honor the man whose troops once bathed Ukraine in blood.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusives

Russia’s latest porcupine tanks are actually working. Outfitted with spiked rebar to block Ukrainian drones, these tanks just might survive a strike.

On Trump’s request, Belarus releases 14 political prisoners charged for opposing government and its support for Russia’s war. The most prominent figure released was Sergei Tikhanovsky, a blogger and opposition activist who had been imprisoned for five years after attempting to run for president against Lukashenko in 2020.

Military

Putin ordered to blow up Ukraine’s Security Service building—girl delivered suitcase full of explosives to its doorstep. She almost made it.

Russian missile hits Ukrainian military training ground, kills 3 and injures 14. The Russian strike hit a temporary camp in Kherson Oblast where exercises were underway. The Ground Forces say safety protocols helped prevent higher death tolls.

Fire engulfs Russian fuel depot again after new drone strike, satellite data shows. Satellite thermal data from NASA’s FIRMS platform revealed a major heat anomaly at the Atlas facility in Russia’s Rostov Oblast.

Intelligence and Technology

Norwegian sea drone tech to be built in Ukraine to fight Russian navy. Kongsberg and a Ukrainian partner will jointly develop maritime drones with weapon systems, funded by $665 million.

Frontline report: German aid helps Ukraine develop hypersonic missile able to destroy bunkers deep inside Russia. Germany’s €5 billion aid package directly funded the Ukrainian Hrim-2’s domestic development, which has a payload double that of the US-supplied ATACMS, enabling Ukraine to destroy fortified Russian bunkers up to 300 km behind the front.

International

With Trump remaining silent and Putin advancing, NATO is pouring €35 billion into Ukraine’s defenses. Also, Mark Rutte, the NATO’s chief, declares Ukraine’s path to the Alliance “irreversible.”

EU plans to hit Russia’s economy hardest yet over “imperialist colonial campaign”. French minister calls Russia’s war against an “imperialist colonial campaign” draining its own economy.

Hungary and Slovakia block new EU sanctions against Russia, Szijjártó says. Budapest’s justification for vetoing the sanctions is its desire to keep buying Russian oil. The FM also pledged to block all EU aid for Ukraine.

Russia bargaining hard to kill sanctions, Zelenskyy says. Moscow is using global connections to negotiate softer restrictions, Ukraine’s President warns.

New Zealand pledges $9.5 million in Ukraine aid ahead of NATO Summit. Wellington announces a fresh support package just as PM Luxon prepares to meet global leaders in The Hague.

Russia is buying African loyalty with trains and schools, Ukrainian intelligence says. Moscow’s agenda in Burkina Faso, Ghana, South Africa, and Egypt blends technical aid with long-term loyalty schemes.

Humanitarian and Social Impact

Putin mourned Nazi victims—then ordered missile strike on Kyiv, which kill 11-year-old girl and her mother. Kyiv says 175 drones and 16 missiles tore through Ukraine’s capital and buried a child in the rubble. Meanwhile, Russia says its objectives in the attack have been reached.

Russia kills at least 10 civilians in Kyiv and nearby towns in pre-dawn air assault (updated). Most drones and missiles were intercepted overnight by Ukrainian defenses.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusive

Ukraine’s 60-year-old Leopard tank switched from sniper mode—and Russian troops never saw it coming. They’re old. But Ukraine’s Leopard 1A5 tanks are back in the fight—because when you’re defending a place like Kostyantynivka, you use whatever still shoots straight.

Military

Kremlin concentrates 23% of its assaults in Ukraine on Sumy front to sell its victory and dodge US sanctions. Out of 695,000 Russian soldiers currently deployed in Ukraine, 52,000 are concentrated on the Sumy axis.

Frontline report: Drones become Ukraine’s top killer in modern warfare outpacing artillery in lethality. The shift toward drone-dominated warfare hasn’t eliminated artillery’s battlefield importance as Ukraine’s most effective units integrate both systems into coordinated kill chains.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine’s defense gets $4 billion boost to accelerate mass production of drone interceptors. Ukrainian forces shot down dozens of Russian drones on 20 June using new domestically developed interceptors. With G7 support, Kyiv is ramping up production to counter Russia’s rapidly escalating drone warfare.

Ukraine’s engine may power Turkish Baykar drone in international sixth-gen fighter jet project. Kyiv’s partnership in the GCAP program and local production of drone engines shows its growing integration into global military aviation innovation.

Intelligence: Russia does not rely on Iran anymore, prepares to unleash “swarms of death” on Ukraine. Ukraine urgently needs more air defense and AI-powered Interceptor drones to counter the growing aerial threat.

Ukraine may receive state-of-art NATO technologies, capable of destroying Russian glide bombs and drone swarms. The glide or guided bombs have been one of the main weapons of war.

Expert: Ukraine only in first episode of war of drones. Ukraine must innovate its drones against drones tactics to stay ahead in the rapidly changing war.

Kim Jong Un announces “leap forward” in defense industry with its new largest 5-hectare plant to boost arms exports to Russia. Russia refuses ceasefire with Ukraine while Pyongyang ramps up defense manufacturing and military involvement.

International

Zelenskyy: Russia using prisoner exchanges to delay sanctions, weaken US-Ukraine ties. President Zelenskyy warns that Moscow is exploiting humanitarian gestures like POW swaps to create an illusion of diplomacy, aiming to distract the West.

Zelenskyy: Sanction loopholes allow Russia to continue producing its “Oreshnik” intercontinental ballistic missiles with Western tech. He calls for urgent action to block the supply chain behind the Kremlin’s nuclear ambitions.

Not just monastery: Kremlin uses Orthodox nuns in Estonia to spread imperial ideology. Abbess appointed by Patriarch Kirill accused of echoing Russian state propaganda on European religious persecution.

“Come see eyes of those whose children were killed”: Ukraine’s UN envoy urges Security Council to witness Russia’s terror firsthand. Ukraine’s envoy to the UN warned the Security Council that millions of lives, including his own family’s, are now hanging by a thread.

US special envoy for Ukraine meets Belarus leader, Russia’s key ally. Keith Kellogg became the highest-ranking American official to visit Belarus in years after the country became nearly totally isolated internationally since the violent suppression of mass protests following the 2020 disputed presidential election.

Trump says US shouldn’t match NATO 5% defense spending he demands from allies. The US president cited decades of US financial support that he claims “covered almost 100% of the costs” for the military alliance and singled out Spain and Canada for low NATO defense contributions.

Polish theater moves Ukrainian flag indoors following threats and attacks. The move follows an incident where a supporter of far-right politician physically tore down the flag and allegedly threatened the director.

US slashes independent news Voice of America staff to under 200 — gift to authoritarian regimes. Eliminating VOA allows “Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and extremist groups” to dominate global information without American counter-narratives.

Politico: Middle East tensions derail EU plan to slash Russian oil price cap aimed at squeezing war funding. The proposed reduction from $60 to $45 per barrel was originally included in the EU’s 18th sanctions package expected for adoption in June but abandoned after G7 countries agreed the timing was inappropriate as “the situation is too volatile.”

Humanitarian and social impact

Russia hits Ukraine’s energy grid, injures civilians and leaves deadly cluster bombs. Russian forces launched both drones and missiles on central Poltava Oblast, damaging energy infrastructure and residential buildings.

Russia tricks Central Asian workers into Ukraine war with fake job promises. Two Uzbek and Tajik migrants born in 1984 are among the latest foreign nationals killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine, Russian recruited with promises of quick money

Political and legal developments

Putin demands Ukraine recognizes annexed territories as Russian if Kyiv wants to prevent future conflict. In 2022, Russia annexed four Ukrainian regions, some parts of which are not even occupied fully, via sham referendums under military control, making them illegal under international law.

Ukraine calls Putin “mass murderer of his people” after he claims Russia owns all land where its soldiers step. Kyiv says Russia won’t stop unless the world makes it pay.

The idol, the butcher: Expanding gap in attitudes toward Stalin reflects Ukraine and Russia’s diverging identities. Attitudes toward Stalin have become a powerful symbol of the deep divide between the two countries.

Man detained in Finland for illegally crossing the border with Russia. Border guards in Southeast Finland arrested a Finnish man Friday following his suspected illegal crossing into Russia and back, marking another incident in the region’s series of recent border violations.

Read our earlier daily review here.

Exclusive

Ukraine’s 60-year-old Leopard tank switched from sniper mode, and Russian troops never saw it coming. They’re old. But Ukraine’s Leopard 1A5 tanks are back in the fight—because when you’re defending a place like Kostyantynivka, you use whatever still shoots straight.

Russia legally steals 20,000 homes in razed Mariupol — then charges homeless victims for rent. Survivors of Putin’s most brutal siege now face a deadlier trap: a rigged paperwork leaving them “homeless bums” whose stolen homes are sold to Moscow buyers.

Ukraine says it’s fighting corruption. But Deputy PM Chernyshov left the country—and hasn’t come back. Last week, Oleksiy Chernyshov left Ukraine on “official business.” Since then, two of his former aides have been arrested. He hasn’t come back.

Military

As Kyiv buries dead after biggest Russian attack of war, Kremlin says: “We’re advancing and will keep going”. Putin demands Ukraine stop receiving weapons while importing drones and missiles from Tehran and Pyongyang.

Russian soldier ate his comrade — Moscow’s troops spiral into madness in Ukraine’s trenches. A soldier called “Brelok” killed and ate his fellow Russian, then died himself — just “something to think about,” his commander says.

ISW: Putin’s victory plan hinges on Western fatigue and Ukrainian collapse. The think tank outlines Moscow’s unchanged core goals: a pro-Kremlin Ukraine and weakened NATO.

Frontline report: Iran’s war machine smashed — generals dead, Shaheds burned, missile launchers reduced to rubble.

Russia reportedly hides its own war dead in Ukraine’s body swaps. Kyiv says Moscow is slipping its own soldiers into exchanges meant for fallen Ukrainians, complete with uniforms, dog tags, and ID papers, possibly to dodge compensation to Russian families.

Intelligence and technology

Raytheon’s production lines overheat as Europe lines up for 1,000 Patriot missiles and Ukraine pleads for speed. Joint production and faster transfer talks gain urgency as Russia refines its missile arsenal.

Ukrainian air-defense drones evolve rapidly to counter Russia’s growing Shahed swarm threat.

Three Ukrainian companies make top 100 list of unmanned systems innovators. Ukraine’s TAF Drones, Ukrspecsystems, and Airlogix secure prestigious spots on the world stage, showcasing rapid growth and cutting-edge technology.

International

Argentina uncovers suspected Russian spy network linked to disinformation efforts. The identified group allegedly developed content to sway political narratives favorable to Russia.

Le Monde: Obama held back on Ukraine, Biden hesitated, now Trump embraces Putin. As Trump aligns with Moscow, European capitals brace for a new era of geopolitical uncertainty and strategic detachment.

Russia shields Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Zelenskyy warns. Ukraine’s president calls Moscow’s alignment with Tehran and Pyongyang a dangerous signal of rising global threats.

Zelenskyy’s top man Yermak is “bipartisan irritator,” US insiders warn Politico. The Ukrainian President Office chief’s abrasive style and vague agendas are testing US support for Ukraine at a fragile moment, sources told Politico.

US strike on Iran could force Moscow to imagine what real strength feels like, says expert. The Kremlin respects only power — and it’s watching the Middle East war especially closely.

Humanitarian and social impact

Inside occupied Crimea: torture, disappearances, and total suppression of dissent. A Freedom House report sheds light on systematic abuses in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.

He endured what most wouldn’t survive: Ukraine returns its 60-year old warrior from Russian captivity. He spent years in a Russian cell and still made it back.

Iran’s missiles kill 7-year-old Ukrainian girl seeking leukemia treatment in Israel. Nastia Buryk from Odesa died alongside four family members as an Iranian missile struck their apartment.

Rescuers among the injured as Russia again targets civilians in Odesa and Kharkiv. A collapsing structure wounded three firefighters in Odesa during intense operations to save residents.

Russia kills Ukrainian civilians on unprecedented scale since Trump’s peace efforts, while West debates sanctions in slow motion. With no pressure, Russia turns every negotiation into a smokescreen.

Political and legal developments

Putin declares all of Ukraine Russian as Trump claims Kremlin wants peace. Russia shows its aim is subjugation, not negotiation.

Netherlands becomes seventh nation to recognize soviet-era Crimean Tatar deportation as genocide. The Dutch House of Representatives declared the Soviet Union’s 1944 deportation of Crimean Tatars constituted genocide, joining six other nations in formally recognizing Stalin’s forced removal of over 190,000 people from the peninsula.

Latvia bans Russians from buying property, calling it hybrid warfare threat. Latvia banned property sales to Russian and Belarusian citizens after parliament declared such transactions constitute “hybrid warfare” instruments, passing the measure in its conclusive reading 19 June.

Ukraine’s anti-corruption star Denys Bihus confirms intelligence work after MP leak. Ukraine’s top investigative journalist says he helped intelligence services — but denies it compromised his reporting or gave him special treatment.

Read our earlier daily review here.