President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko to head Ukraine’s government and substantially overhaul its operations, the president announced on 14 July.

“We are beginning the transformation of the executive power system in Ukraine. I have proposed Yulia Svyrydenko to head Ukraine’s government and substantially renew its work. I expect the presentation of the new government’s action program in the near future,” Zelenskyy said.

The presidential announcement followed Svyrydenko’s report on implementing agreements with European and American partners regarding Ukraine support, reached during the reconstruction conference in Rome.

“We must implement everything that can support the sustainability of our state and society as quickly as possible. We discussed specific measures that can strengthen Ukraine’s economic potential, expand support programs for Ukrainians and scale up domestic weapons production,” the president noted.

The government changes began with rumors about replacing Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Makarova. On 10 July, Zelenskyy first commented on changing Ukraine’s US ambassador, confirming Oksana Markarova’s replacement while expressing his desire for her to continue working in Ukraine.

The president previously indicated that Defense Minister Rustem Umerov could become the new US ambassador. Current Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s candidacy may be nominated for defense minister to replace Umerov.

Besides Shmyhal, officials considered Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and Deputy Prime Minister for Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov for the defense ministry position. According to sources, the new government appointment may occur at the parliamentary session on 17 July.

The president also announced plans to transfer the Ministry of Strategic Industries to the Defense Ministry structure. On 13 July, a meeting took place between the president and prime minister. Following the meeting, Zelenskyy announced executive power transformation to free up resources.

A Belarusian Air Force Mi-24 helicopter attacked and destroyed a Russian “Gerbera” strike drone heading toward Ukraine on 12 July, a source in Ukraine’s Defense Ministry Main Intelligence Directorate told Hromadske.

The source indicated that at least three Russian drones were operating in Belarusian airspace at the time of the incident.

“The Belarusian air defense helicopter, while performing airspace control duties, reported the detection and destruction of the strike drone,” the intelligence source said, according to Hromadske.

Debris from the downed drone fell in the Gomel region of Belarus, the source confirmed.

The incident occurred during a massive Russian attack on Ukraine involving 339 Shahed strike drones, 258 other types of unmanned aircraft, and 26 Kh-101 cruise missiles. Russian forces targeted multiple Ukrainian oblasts, with Kharkiv, Lviv, Lutsk, and Chernivtsi coming under Russian fire.

In Lutsk, a private residence was destroyed. Lviv’s Zaliznychny district saw a fire on the roof of a non-residential building, with several buildings damaged, including residential structures and a kindergarten. Windows were blown out and dozens of vehicles were damaged. Nine people were injured, with no fatalities reported.

Chernivtsi suffered casualties from the Russian attack, with two people killed and ten injured.

About six people were killed and 30 others injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional officials reported on 14 July.

The Russian military regularly attacks Ukrainian oblasts with various types of weapons. Russia’s leadership denies that the Russian army has been conducting targeted attacks on the civilian infrastructure of Ukrainian cities and villages, killing civilians and destroying hospitals, schools, kindergartens, energy and water supply facilities.

Russian forces launched 136 Shahed-type strike drones and various decoy drones from multiple directions, along with four S-300/400 surface-to-air missiles from Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s air defense reported. Air defense units shot down 61 Russian drones across northern, eastern, and central oblasts, while 47 decoy drones were lost or suppressed by electronic warfare systems.

The heaviest casualties occurred in Sumy Oblast, where three people died and 10 were wounded in what authorities described as intensive bombardment involving more than 90 attacks across 32 settlements. Two men, aged 50 and 55, were killed in drone and guided bomb strikes on the Shostka community while on the street during the attack, according to regional governor Volodymyr Artyukh.

“They were on the street during the attack and died on the spot from injuries received,” Artyukh said.

The strikes in Shostka destroyed civilian infrastructure and damaged approximately 30 multi-story buildings, private houses, and non-residential structures.

In Donetsk Oblast, two civilians were killed in the village of Bokove, and seven others were injured in Russian strikes across the oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. 

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast saw three people injured, including two children, in overnight drone attacks on 14 July, according to regional governor Serhiy Lysak.

“Three people were injured in Dniprovskyi district. All were hospitalized. Two 13-year-old girls are in moderate condition. A 51-year-old man is in serious condition,” Lysak said in Telegram.

The attacks ignited three houses, two garages, four outbuildings, and forest areas, while destroying seven vehicles and damaging four others.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a 77-year-old woman was injured in a Russian attack, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

Kherson Oblast recorded one death and six injured as Russian shelling targeted residential areas and social infrastructure, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

Russian forces also struck nine settlements in Kharkiv Oblast, injuring three people, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Russia has begun constructing protective structures at select military airbases following Ukraine’s Operation Spider Web drone strikes that targeted four Russian airfields on 1 June, according to satellite imagery analysis by the Institute for the Study of War.

Ukraine-based open-source intelligence organization Frontelligence Insight reported that satellite imagery collected on 7 July shows Russian forces have constructed roughly 10 reinforced bunkers with soil coverings, 12 concrete bunker-type structures without soil coverings, and eight hangar-style buildings on the aprons at Khalino Air Base in Kursk Oblast. Planet Labs satellite imagery from 27 June of the same base shows reinforced hangars, supporting the assessment.

Additional construction activity was observed at Saky Air Base in occupied Crimea, where satellite imagery from 9 July shows two concrete bunker-style structures, with Planet Labs imagery from 7 July also revealing concrete aircraft shelters. However, no construction efforts were detected at Dzhankoi Air Base in occupied Crimea.

The fortification efforts come after Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) launched Operation Spiderweb on 1 June, simultaneously targeting four Russian military airfields and destroying or damaging 41 strategic aircraft worth over $7 billion. The strikes hit Belaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya, and Ivanovo airfields, located between 2,000 and 4,000 kilometers from the frontline.

“The enemy bombed our state almost nightly with these aircraft, and today they truly felt that ‘retribution is inevitable […] We will respond to Russian terror and destroy the enemy everywhere – at sea, in the air, and on land. And if necessary – we’ll get them from underground too,” SBU Chief Vasyl Maliuk said.

The operation targeted A-50 early warning planes, Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, and Tu-22 M3 medium-range bombers, destroying 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers used for attacks on Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally monitored the operation’s progress and had tasked the SBU with destroying Russian bombers, according to Maliuk.

The SBU operation required over 18 months of preparation and presented logistical challenges due to coordination across three time zones. The security service first transported FPV drones into Russian territory, followed by mobile wooden houses. The drones were concealed within these structures on cargo vehicles, with roofs designed to open remotely when activated.

Germany cannot provide Ukraine with additional Patriot air defense systems as the country has only six left from its original stock of 12, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told the Financial Times in an interview published on 14 July.

“We only have six left in Germany,” Pistorius said, explaining that Berlin had already given three Patriot systems to Kyiv while two others were lent to Poland and at least one remains unavailable due to maintenance or training.

“That’s really too few, especially considering the NATO capability goals we have to meet. We definitely can’t give any more,” he added.

The defense minister is scheduled to meet with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Washington on 14 July, where he plans to discuss a proposal he made last month allowing Germany to purchase two Patriot systems from the US specifically for Ukraine.

“I would discuss a proposal I made to Hegseth last month to let Germany buy two Patriot systems from the US for Kyiv,” Pistorius said, according to the Financial Times.

The meeting comes after Washington paused deliveries of US Patriot systems to Ukraine, creating additional pressure on European allies to fill capability gaps. US President Donald Trump indicated on 13 July that NATO allies could purchase Patriot systems for Ukraine, telling reporters: “I haven’t agreed on the number yet, but they are going to have some, because they do need protection.”

President Donald Trump will announce a new plan to arm Ukraine on 14 July that is expected to include offensive weapons.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had previously said on 10 July that Germany was prepared to buy additional Patriot air defense systems from the United States and transfer them to Ukraine.

Despite renewed requests from Kyiv following recent Russian air attacks, Pistorius confirmed that Germany would not deliver its long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine. The minister also rejected proposals for joint EU borrowing or eurobonds to help debt-laden countries like France and Italy increase defense spending, simply stating: “No.”

On the agenda for Monday’s Washington meeting is also a “road map” for US security support for Europe, with Pistorius warning that any reduction in American commitment should not create capability gaps that would risk “making an invitation to Putin.”

The defense minister criticized weapons manufacturers for delays in delivery despite Germany’s commitment to dramatically increase military spending. Berlin aims to raise annual defense spending to €162 billion by 2029, representing a 70 percent increase from current levels.

“There is no reason to complain any more,” Pistorius told the Financial Times. “The industry knows perfectly well that it is now responsible for delivering.”

President Donald Trump will announce a new plan to arm Ukraine on 14 July that is expected to include offensive weapons, marking a significant policy shift from his previous stance of providing only defensive equipment, Axios reported on 14 July, citing two sources with knowledge of the plans.

Two sources told Axios they had reason to believe the plan was likely to include long-range missiles that could reach targets deep inside Russian territory, including Moscow. However, neither was aware of any final decision.

The new initiative, which will be rolled out in a meeting between Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, will involve European countries paying for US-made weapons that will be sent to Ukraine.

The announcment came after Putin expressed his disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Putin’s unwillingness to move towards a ceasefire and Russia’s escalating attacks on Kyiv and other cities. Putin reportedly said Trump during their phone call on 3 July that Moscow plans to escalate military operations in eastern Ukraine within the next 60 days, “securing the full administrative borders of occupied Ukrainian oblasts.”

“He wants to take all of it,” Trump reportedly told French President Emmanuel Macron after the call, according to Axios sources familiar with the discussion.

“Trump is really pissed at Putin. His announcement tomorrow is going to be very aggressive,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Axios.

Trump’s criticism of Putin marked a shift in tone, with the US president expressing doubt about whether the Russian leader “seeks peace” and saying Putin speaks “a lot of nonsense.”

Origins of the plan

The scheme was proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the NATO summit two weeks ago. US and Ukrainian officials said the meeting between Trump and Zelensky at the summit was their best so far.

“Zelenskyy came like a normal human being, not crazy, and was dressed like a somebody that should be at NATO. He had a group of people with him that also seemed not crazy. So they had a good conversation,” a US official told Axios.

Zelenskyy wore a suit at the summit for the first time since 2022. The statement came after US officials criticized Zelenskyy for wearing military fatigues instead of a suit during his February 2025 Oval Office meeting.

Patriot systems and European funding

Trump told on 13 July, according to Reuters, that the weapons he would send Ukraine through European countries would include “various pieces of very sophisticated military (equipment),” including Patriot air defense batteries.

“European countries are going to pay us 100% for them. It is going to be business for us,” Trump said.

Sending offensive weapons would be a major shift for Trump, who had until recently said he would provide only defensive weapons to avoid escalating the conflict. T

he move comes after a halt on shipments that included missiles for Patriots, the US-made air defense systems that are currently protecting millions of Ukrainian civilians from Russia’s increasingly massive daily aerial attacks.

US President Donald Trump expressed his disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin following revelations that Moscow plans to escalate military operations in eastern Ukraine within the next 60 days.

“I am very disappointed with President Putin. I thought he was a man of his word, but he is bombing everyone,” Trump told journalists at Andrews Air Force Base.

The statement comes after Putin reportedly informed Trump during their 3 July conversation that Russia intended to continue offensive operations until it secured the full administrative borders of occupied Ukrainian oblasts.

“He wants to take all of it,” Trump reportedly told French President Emmanuel Macron after the call, according to Axios sources familiar with the discussion.

Russia currently occupies about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including most of Luhansk Oblast, two-thirds of Donetsk Oblast, and parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts. Moscow illegally declared the annexation of the four oblasts following sham referenda in late 2022.

The revelation coincides with intensified Russian assaults in Donetsk Oblast and attempts to breach neighboring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a region that has avoided significant incursions during the full-scale war.

Trump’s criticism of Putin marked a shift in tone, with the US president expressing doubt about whether the Russian leader “seeks peace” and saying Putin speaks “a lot of nonsense.”

Despite Moscow and Kyiv holding two rounds of face-to-face talks in Istanbul this year on 16 May and 2 June – the first direct negotiations in more than three years – the meetings led only to prisoner exchanges without progress toward a ceasefire. Russia continues pushing maximalist demands in negotiations.

When asked about potential sanctions against Russia, Trump responded: “We’ll see what happens tomorrow,” speaking on Sunday.

In response to the escalating situation, Trump announced plans to send Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, stating they are necessary because Putin “speaks well, but then bombs everyone in the evening.”

The president is expected to announce a new weapons package for Ukraine on 14 July, which sources suggest will include offensive weapons, likely long-range missiles capable of reaching targets deep inside Russian territory.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said “Trump is very angry at Putin” and expects record weapons deliveries to defend Ukraine against Russian aggression in the coming days.

Taiwan has developed suicide drones similar to those Ukraine uses in its war against Russia to strengthen defense against potential Chinese aggression, the Financial Times reported on 27 June.

The new strike drone called Overkill has completed combat trials and certification. The drone features artificial intelligence systems and Auterion cameras – the same technologies that help Ukrainian drones destroy Russian tanks and military targets.

Development proceeds jointly with Thunder Tiger company and the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST). Auterion CEO Lorenz Meier stated these drones provide Taiwan with capabilities Ukraine has already demonstrated in real combat operations.

Overkill suicide drones are maneuverable munitions with first-person view (FPV) controlled by operators.

“The lessons learned from the war in Ukraine are definitely applicable to a potential conflict with China,” Meier said. “The drone will easily destroy a Chinese warship if it lacks air defense.”

Thunder Tiger has agreed to Auterion software licenses for 25,000 drones, with some intended for export. The government is developing a special drone procurement budget planned for submission this fall.

Taiwan seeks to reduce dependence on Chinese components by establishing closer ties with American defense industry. Drone exports represent a major opportunity, particularly in Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, India, and Indonesia, where demand runs high for technology without Chinese parts.

Taiwan launched an intensive military drone development program three years ago, though production remains below planned targets. New developments like Overkill demonstrate progress and the country’s readiness to strengthen defensive capabilities amid rising regional tensions.

The island previously adopted Ukraine’s experience and tested its own naval drones. On 3 June, Ukraine’s Security Service conducted a special operation destroying the illegally constructed Kerch Bridge built by Russian occupiers. Russia acknowledged the explosion but claimed no damage occurred.

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Half of surveyed Ukrainians consider that the country is moving towards democratic development, while 41% believe it is heading towards authoritarianism, according to polling data from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).

The institute noted it lacks comparative data from previous periods, making it impossible to determine whether more or fewer people currently perceive Ukraine’s movement towards democracy or authoritarianism compared to earlier times.

Trust in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emerged as a key factor dividing public opinion. Among those who do not trust the president, an overwhelming majority view the country as moving towards authoritarianism – 82% among those who completely distrust him and 84% among those who rather distrust him.

The pattern reverses among Zelenskyy supporters. Those who fully trust the head of state see democratic progress, with 76% saying the country moves towards greater democracy. Among those who rather trust the president, opinions split more evenly: 50% perceive movement towards democracy while 41% see authoritarianism.

KIIS posed an additional open-ended question to respondents who believe Ukraine is moving towards authoritarianism, asking them to explain their reasoning. Their most frequent concerns centered on restrictions of freedom of speech and pressure on media, concentration of power, general dissatisfaction with events and decisions in the country, corruption, and activities of territorial recruitment centers (TCC).

The institute highlighted that only 4% of such respondents mentioned the absence of elections as a concern, while another 4% cited persecution of the opposition. An additional 1% specifically referenced sanctions and persecution of former president Petro Poroshenko.

KIIS conducted the polling from 28 May to 3 June 2025, using telephone interviews. The survey included 1,092 respondents across all regions controlled by Ukraine’s government.

Under normal circumstances, the statistical margin of error for such a sample would not exceed 3.9% for indicators close to 50%, 3.4% for indicators close to 25%, 2.4% for indicators close to 10%, and 1.7% for indicators close to 5%. However, wartime conditions introduce additional systematic deviation, according to KIIS.

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Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, has passed legislation suspending family reunification for migrants who hold subsidiary protection status rather than full refugee status, Reuters reported on 27 June.

The upper house, the Bundesrat, is expected to approve the bill in July, after which it will take effect.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the new law is necessary because Germany’s integration capacity, particularly in education, childcare and housing construction, has reached its limits.

“Immigration must have limits, and we are reflecting that politically,” he told the Bundestag during a heated debate ahead of Friday’s vote.

Dobrindt noted that suspending family reunification will help curb illegal migration, where one family member travels to Germany in advance to later bring others. The current legal framework caps the number of visas issued to the close family of refugees under subsidiary protection to 1,000 a month. Suspending the right of family reunification would therefore lead to 12,000 fewer people immigrating to Germany each year, according to Dobrindt.

Germany currently hosts about 388,000 refugees with “subsidiary protection status”, a form of international protection granted to people who do not qualify as refugees but who still face a real risk of serious harm if returned to their home country. The majority of those holding this status are Syrians.

In April, Friedrich Merz announced his intention to reduce the number of new asylum seekers in the country to fewer than 100,000 people per year. According to the Central Register of Foreigners, Germany recorded a new record in September 2024: 3.48 million people have refugee status, asylum seeker status, or are candidates who remain in the country due to inability to deport them. This is 60,000 more than at the end of 2023 and represents the highest figure since the 1950s.

As of early 2025, Germany hosts approximately 1.18 to 1.25 million Ukrainian refugees, making it the European country with the highest number of Ukrainians who have fled the war. This figure represents nearly 28% of all Ukrainian refugees in the European Union.

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Around 150 pro-Palestinian activists broke into the premises of OIP Land Systems in Tournai, Belgium, on 23 June, causing approximately one million euros in damage to military equipment destined for Ukraine, Belgian media 7sur7 and Israeli outlet Israel Hayom report.

The activists, dressed in white coveralls with their faces masked, entered the company’s warehouses as part of the “Stop Arming Israel” campaign, demanding Belgium respect the military embargo against Israel and impose sanctions on the country.

“People entered the warehouse with grinders and hammers,” OIP Land Systems CEO Freddy Versluys told Belgian media. “They vandalized our offices, destroyed computers, then headed to the workshops, where they severely damaged several vehicles. They completely went wild with paint bombs and hammers.”

The protesters targeted OIP because the company belongs to Elbit Systems, a major Israeli defense corporation. According to the activists, Elbit supplies 85% of drones and most ground military equipment used by the Israeli Defense Forces.

However, Versluys emphasized that OIP operates completely autonomously and “has not produced defense systems for Israel for twenty years.”

“We no longer sell anything to Israel, they have vandalized vehicles destined for Ukraine,” he added.

The attack will delay the next delivery to Ukraine by at least one month, according to the CEO. Since Russia’s invasion, the company has already delivered approximately 260 armored vehicles to the Ukrainian army, including Leopard 1 tanks previously used by the Belgian military.

“A next delivery is now delayed by at least a month. That’s all these Hamas sympathizers will have managed to accomplish with their action,” Versluys stated, announcing his intention to file a complaint.

Police from the Tournai area supervised the militants, supported by colleagues from the Borinage zone equipped with anti-riot armored vehicles. A federal police helicopter also provided reinforcement and flew over the activists. Some protesters who fled to neighboring villages were pursued by law enforcement. According to Stop Arming Israel, at least thirty people were arrested.

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A new survey reveals shifting attitudes among Polish citizens toward supporting Ukraine, with 46% of respondents believing military aid should be reduced or suspended, according to a poll commissioned by Defence24 and Stand With Ukraine.

The nationwide survey, conducted by the Institute for Market and Social Research (IBRiS) in June 2025, shows that while 52% of Poles support continued diplomatic backing for Ukraine on the international stage, enthusiasm for deeper engagement has cooled significantly since the war began.

“Today, 46% of respondents believe that military aid should be reduced or suspended,” the poll found, with Poles citing concerns about “the risk of further disarming their own army” and doubts about transparency in aid distribution.

The reluctance extends to potential peacekeeping missions, with only 15% supporting the idea of sending Polish soldiers to Ukraine in the future, while 64% oppose such deployment.

Growing war fatigue and calls for negotiations

The survey reveals widespread skepticism about a quick end to the conflict. Only 14% of respondents believe fighting will end in 2025 through peace or a lasting ceasefire, while 41% consider such a scenario unlikely.

Despite this pessimism, 62% of Poles believe Ukraine should begin peace negotiations with Russia. However, only 28% think Ukraine should agree to halt military operations without receiving security guarantees from NATO.

“Poles do not reject the idea of an agreement, but expect it to be based on lasting safeguards – not an illusory truce,” the report states.

A decisive 74% of respondents insist that any potential peace talks between the United States and Russia must include Ukraine at the negotiating table, with only 14% considering Ukrainian participation unnecessary.

Security concerns drive domestic priorities

Polish anxiety about Russian threats appears to be driving the shift in attitudes. The poll shows 75% support NATO strengthening its eastern flank in preparation for possible Russian aggression, with only 11% opposing such measures.

When asked about specific attack scenarios, 24% of respondents consider a Russian attack on Poland probable – the highest percentage for any NATO country in the survey. An attack on the Baltic states was deemed likely by 18% of respondents.

The poll suggests Poles believe any Russian attack would come after the Ukraine war ends, when Moscow could “test” NATO’s defensive capabilities in other regions.

Defense spending and military readiness

Polish concerns about their country’s preparedness are stark. Only 8% rate Poland’s war preparation as “good,” while just 9% consider the equipment of Polish armed forces sufficient in case of Russian aggression.

Half of the respondents support increasing defense spending, while 30% want it maintained at current levels. Only 5% favor reducing military expenditure.

Support for stronger domestic defense measures is substantial: 42% back restoring mandatory military service for men, 72% support mandatory crisis management training for civilians, and 69% favor mandatory military or defense training for school students.

However, when asked whether they would volunteer for military service if Poland were attacked, only 23% answered yes, while 51% said no and 26% had no opinion.

Information warfare concerns

The survey reveals heightened awareness of Russian information operations. A decisive majority of respondents believe Russian influence through disinformation, propaganda, and intelligence activities is present in Polish media.

Poles identify various forms of hybrid warfare including “troll farm” activity on social media, distribution of fake news, impersonation of public institutions through false SMS and email messages, and disruption of digital infrastructure including GPS systems.

EU and NATO membership for Ukraine loses support

Ukrainian integration into Western structures no longer enjoys clear backing from Polish society. Only 35% support Ukrainian EU membership while 42% oppose it. NATO membership for Ukraine has 37% support against 42% opposition.

Arguments against include concerns about unfair economic competition, corruption problems, and risks of conflict escalation through military integration.

Economic support for Ukraine also faces resistance, with only 35% of respondents accepting continued economic aid while 44% oppose it.

Despite reduced enthusiasm for aid, 44% of Poles still believe their country’s support for Ukraine improves Poland’s own security, while 37% disagree.

The poll was conducted by IBRiS on behalf of the Stand With Ukraine Foundation and Defence24 portal, surveying Polish public opinion on key issues related to the war in Ukraine, assessment of support provided to Kyiv, evaluation of Poland’s defense readiness, and concerns about Russian threats.

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Germany’s Federal Court of Justice has upheld life sentences for a married couple convicted of murdering two Ukrainian women to steal their baby, according to Mannheimer Morgen.

The country’s highest criminal court rejected the husband’s appeal against the February ruling by Mannheim Regional Court, according to the report. His wife did not file an appeal, making the conviction legally final.

The Mannheim court found that the couple killed a 27-year-old Ukrainian woman and her 51-year-old mother to pass off the younger woman’s five-week-old baby as their own child. “Before the birth they had already made contact with the pregnant Ukrainian via social media,” the court determined. The victims lived in a refugee shelter in Wiesloch in the Rhine-Neckar district.

According to the court’s findings, the couple gave both women a drink laced with sedatives after a joint dinner. The husband then “killed them with a rubber hammer, disposed of one body in a lake and set the other on fire with gasoline.”

The couple subsequently presented the infant as their biological child. The wife had previously obtained a fraudulent birth certificate from the registry office for her supposedly home-born daughter.

A passerby discovered the 27-year-old woman’s body on the Rhine riverbank in early March 2024. Police arrested the couple several days later and found the baby unharmed in their custody.

The child was eventually returned to Ukraine, where she remains under her aunt’s care, according to the report.

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Norway will allocate NOK 60 million ($5.9 million) to Ukrainian women’s organizations through a three-year partnership with FOKUS (Forum for Women and Development), the Norwegian government announced on 26 June.

The funding targets initiatives to strengthen women’s rights, prevent gender-based violence, and promote women’s participation in Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts. Up to 90 Ukrainian women’s organizations will receive support under the agreement, with many located in smaller towns and remote areas beyond Kyiv.

“Women have an important role to play both in Ukraine’s fight for freedom and in the country’s reconstruction efforts,” Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said. “It is essential to invest in strengthening women’s rights and participation in these processes to build a free, fair and sustainable Ukraine.”

FOKUS will collaborate with two central Ukrainian women’s organizations to distribute the funds. The Ukrainian Women’s Fund (UWF) will handle disbursement to local organizations, while La Strada Ukraine operates the country’s largest helpline for victims of human trafficking and gender-based violence.

The need for such assistance has increased dramatically since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, according to Norwegian officials. La Strada Ukraine’s services have seen heightened demand as the conflict continues.

“In the midst of a brutal, ongoing war, Ukrainian women have taken responsibility for keeping their communities functioning,” Eide explained.

Local women’s organizations possess unique insight into their communities’ needs and will play a pivotal role in reconstruction efforts, Norwegian authorities noted. The funding will also support establishing networks of women’s organizations and strengthening women’s economic and political participation in society.

The three-year duration provides partner organizations with predictability and flexibility for long-term planning. Funding comes from Norway’s Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine.

The announcement follows Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s earlier declaration that Norway will provide 1 billion euros in humanitarian and civilian aid to Ukraine in 2025. Recent polling shows most Norwegians support increasing assistance to Ukraine.

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Russian banks face a credible risk of systemic crisis within 12 months as bad debt levels surge across corporate and retail lending portfolios, according to Bloomberg News reporting based on banking officials and internal documents.

Current and former banking officials described the situation as dangerous, with growing concerns about clients failing to make loan payments due to record-high interest rates. The officials spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to discuss internal sector anxieties publicly.

“We are on the verge of slipping into a recession,” Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said during a panel discussion at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum last week. Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina countered that the economy was experiencing “a necessary cooling,” while Finance Minister Anton Siluanov acknowledged “we’re going through a cold spell now.”

Russian President Putin responded the following day: “Some specialists, experts, point to the risks of stagnation and even recession. This, of course, should not be allowed under any circumstances.”

Banks estimate their bad debts run to trillions of rubles, according to people familiar with internal assessments. One estimate showed corporate loan portfolios decreased by 1.5 trillion rubles ($19 billion) in the first two months of 2025 before stabilizing.

Official statistics may mask the debt problem’s true scale. While public data on late payments don’t suggest serious issues, an internal note from one major bank indicates many more loans are not being repaid as planned, with borrowers deferring payments.

The banking strain could undermine Putin’s ability to sustain the Ukraine war, now in its fourth year, particularly if Western allies impose harsher financial sector sanctions. The European Union is currently discussing fresh restrictions on Russian banks.

Russia’s two-track economy shows mounting problems. The military-industrial complex benefits from massive state war spending while private-sector businesses face slowing demand, rising costs and lower export prices. Less documented is the banking sector strain after granting favorable loans to fund the Kremlin’s war effort.

The Bank of Russia hiked its key interest rate to a record 21% in October before cutting it to 20% this month following complaints that punitive debt costs were choking growth and threatening company bankruptcies.

Economic growth slowed sharply from 4.5% last year to 1.4% in the first quarter of 2025, according to Federal Statistics Service data.

A May central bank report warned of “vulnerabilities of the financial sector” including “credit risk and concentration risk in corporate lending” and “deteriorating loan performance” in consumer lending. Thirteen of Russia’s largest 78 companies were unable to service their debt, double the previous year’s number.

Russia’s ACRA rating agency warned in May of “deterioration in the quality of loan debt,” noting that 20% of the banking industry’s capital comes from borrowers whose creditworthiness faces significant decline due to high interest rates.

The Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting, a think tank with Kremlin ties, found a “moderate probability” of systemic banking crisis by April 2026, warning the risk could increase with continued lending decline and rising poorly performing loans.

Despite these concerns, Russian banks posted record profits of 3.8 trillion rubles in 2024, beating the previous year by 20%, according to central bank data.

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• Putin has received ammo from North Korea. Now he wants soldiers — and Pyongyang is ready to send them in July

Preliminary intelligence assessments provided to European governments indicate Iran’s 408kg stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains largely intact following US strikes on the country’s main nuclear facilities, the Financial Times reported on 26 June, citing two officials.

The intelligence suggests Iran’s uranium enriched close to weapons-grade levels was not concentrated at Fordow, one of its two main enrichment sites, when US forces attacked last weekend. Instead, the stockpile had been distributed to various other locations, according to the assessments.

The findings challenge President Donald Trump’s assertion that the bombing had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme. “Nothing was taken out of [the] facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Thursday, in an apparent reference to Fordow.

European Union governments are still awaiting a full intelligence report on damage to Fordow, which was built deep beneath a mountain near the holy city of Qom. One initial report suggested “extensive damages, but not full structural destruction,” according to the officials.

Iranian officials indicated the enriched uranium stockpile was moved before the US bombing, which came after days of Israeli strikes on the country. The US used bunker-buster bombs to attack Fordow and Natanz, Iran’s other main uranium enrichment facility, on Sunday. Cruise missiles targeted a third site, Isfahan, used in the fuel conversion cycle and for storage.

Trump has dismissed a provisional American intelligence assessment, leaked to US media, that concluded Iran’s nuclear programme had been set back by only months. The Israel Atomic Energy Commission assessed this week that US and Israeli strikes had “set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.”

However, experts warn that if Tehran retained its stockpile of enriched uranium and established advanced centrifuges at hidden sites, it could still produce the fissile material required for weapons.

Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told French Radio Thursday that Iran’s nuclear programme had “suffered enormous damage,” though he said claims of complete destruction were overblown. Iran maintains its programme serves peaceful civilian purposes.

Before the conflict began on 13 June, the 408kg stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity had been stored at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, experts said. Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile exceeded 8,400kg, though most was enriched to low levels.

Satellite images of Fordow after Sunday’s bombing show tunnel entrances apparently sealed with earth and holes that may mark entry points of the US’s 30,000lb precision-guided bunker busters. Access roads also appear damaged.

Grossi said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to the IAEA on 13 June warning that Iran would “adopt special measures to protect our nuclear equipment and materials.” The UN nuclear watchdog’s inspectors have been unable to visit the plants since Israel launched its assault on Iran.

The US has not provided definitive intelligence to EU allies on Iran’s remaining nuclear capabilities following the strikes and is withholding clear guidance on future relations with Tehran, three officials briefed on the discussions said. EU policy toward Tehran remains “on hold” pending a new Washington initiative on seeking a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis.

Conversations between Trump and EU leaders this week failed to provide clarity, the officials said. The Trump administration had been holding indirect negotiations with Tehran before the war in hopes of curbing its nuclear activities.

Trump said earlier this week that Washington would talk to Tehran next week, but also suggested a deal might not be needed following the strikes on Iran’s nuclear plants. “It is completely erratic,” said one official. “For now, we are doing nothing.”

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Iran’s escalating conflict with Israel threatens to disrupt the Islamic republic’s ballistic missile supplies to Russia, Western officials tell The Telegraph.

Tehran appears poised to prioritize its own stockpile over promised deliveries to Moscow as hostilities intensify.

“The recent hostilities that we’ve seen between Israel and Iran certainly will negatively impact Iran’s future donations, specifically missiles,” a senior NATO official said.

The assessment suggests Russia will need to either increase domestic missile production or rely more heavily on North Korea for supplies.

According to estimates provided in the report, Iran’s missile stockpile stands at 1,445 out of an estimated 3,000 missiles. The country has launched 555 missiles, while Israel destroyed 1,000, leaving approximately 10 missiles remaining as of the reported “Day of war” starting 13 June.

The NATO source indicated Iran’s support for Russia’s production of Iranian-designed attack drones could also diminish. However, this development may pose less concern for Moscow, which now manufactures Shahed-type one-way attack drones domestically.

Iran and Russia reached an agreement earlier in 2025 for Tehran to supply ballistic missiles for Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. The two countries have also signed a defense pact committing to joint military development.

The NATO official suggested Moscow would likely exploit Israel’s destruction of Iran’s air defense systems “opportunistically” to market versions of its S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries. Russian intelligence officers could be dispatched to Tehran to analyze data from Israel’s recent F-35 missions over Iranian territory.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s defense minister indicated direct presidential talks may be necessary to achieve a ceasefire. Rustem Umerov, who has led Kyiv’s delegation in two rounds of unsuccessful talks with Russian diplomats, said future negotiations would need to focus on arranging a meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin.

“During this time, we could achieve some agreements on a ceasefire,” Umerov said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague. The statement represents a shift from Ukraine’s previous push for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire before leader-level talks.

Putin has suggested a third round of direct talks between the two countries could occur before the end of June. Neither president has ruled out meeting as part of Donald Trump’s efforts to end the three-year war.

Estonia’s intelligence service reported on 20 June that Russian drone attacks on Ukraine might decrease due to Middle East tensions. President Zelenskyy told Sky News on 25 June that Russia ordered Shahed attack drones from Iran before the full-scale invasion began, with Tehran subsequently transferring thousands of these drones to Moscow.

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The Swiss Federal Council approved a draft bilateral cooperation agreement with Ukraine on reconstruction at its meeting on 25 June, establishing a legal framework for Swiss private sector involvement in Ukraine’s rebuilding process.

The agreement will enable Switzerland to provide Ukraine with non-repayable financial assistance for purchasing goods and services from Swiss companies for reconstruction projects, according to the Swiss government. Support will target priority sectors including energy, transport, machinery, construction, water supply, and disaster prevention.

“The agreement stipulates that Ukraine will play a key role in selecting projects: It will identify its reconstruction needs and submit a list of goods and services that it requires from Switzerland,” the government reported. “These goods and services will be procured in accordance with Swiss public procurement law.”

The bilateral agreement will be signed at the Ukraine Recovery Conference scheduled for 10-11 July in Rome. Swiss Federal Council delegate for Ukraine Jacques Gerber and Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliya Svyrydenko will sign the document on the conference sidelines.

Currently, Swiss private sector involvement in Ukraine is limited to companies already established in the country. The new agreement addresses this constraint by creating a legal basis for Swiss companies not yet present in Ukraine to participate in reconstruction efforts.

The Swiss government devised measures in summer 2024 to encourage greater private sector involvement as a complement to humanitarian aid and conventional international cooperation projects.

Once signed, the Federal Council will initiate a consultation procedure and submit the agreement to Swiss parliament for ratification, according to government officials.

The agreement forms part of Switzerland’s broader commitment to Ukraine reconstruction. On 12 February, the Federal Council adopted a 2025-2028 country programme for Ukraine, marking the start of a 12-year support process for reconstruction, reforms and sustainable development.

The programme allocates CHF 1.5 billion ($1.9 bn) from the international cooperation budget through 2028, with CHF 500 million ($620 mn) designated specifically for Swiss private sector involvement in reconstruction efforts. The programme focuses on protecting civilian population, achieving peace and economic recovery, and strengthening institutions.

The Ukraine Recovery Conference series launched in Lugano following the outbreak of war in 2022 and focuses on rapid recovery and long-term reconstruction of Ukraine. The Rome conference will mark the fourth such gathering.

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The NATO summit in The Hague concluded with a consensus declaration that designates Russia as a “long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security,” marking the first major alliance decision under Donald Trump’s presidency, according to Europeiska Pravda, which published the Ukrainian translation of the summit document.

The five-point declaration explicitly identifies Russia as the primary security challenge driving NATO’s commitment to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.

“United in the face of deep security threats and challenges, including the long-term threat that Russia poses to Euro-Atlantic security, as well as the ongoing threat of terrorism, allies commit by 2035 to achieve annual investments of 5% of GDP on core defense needs,” according to the document.

Russia emerges as the only non-member state specifically named as a threat in the declaration, while China receives no mention despite Washington’s strategic focus on the Asia-Pacific region. The document was adopted by consensus, indicating unanimous support from all member states including the United States.

The summit took place amid uncertainty about Trump’s position on NATO’s collective defense provisions, with the US president stating en route to The Hague that he would announce his stance on Article 5 only during the summit. The final declaration removes any ambiguity: “We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to collective defense, enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty – an attack on one of us is an attack on all.”

Ukraine receives prominent mention as the second non-member state referenced in the document. “Allies confirm the permanence of their sovereign commitments to provide support to Ukraine, whose security is a contribution to our security,” according to the declaration.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte characterized this provision as part of Ukraine’s “bridge to membership” in the alliance, while confirming that the “irreversibility of Ukraine’s NATO membership” formula established under the Biden administration remains in effect.

The defense spending target breaks down into two components: 3.5% of GDP for core military capabilities and up to 1.5% for security-related infrastructure projects, critical infrastructure protection, and defense industry strengthening. Member states will submit annual plans demonstrating “credible progressive paths” toward meeting these targets.

The declaration includes a provision allowing members to count direct military aid to Ukraine and contributions to its defense industry toward their own defense spending calculations.

Hungary’s position on Ukraine support has been notably contentious. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán did not veto the Ukraine-related provisions, confirming his willingness not to block decisions on Ukraine when they have US administration support, according to the analysis.

The summit also addresses transatlantic defense industrial cooperation, with members committing to “eliminate barriers in defense trade between Alliance members.” However, the provision remains broadly worded without firm obligations, as countries like Türkiye face restrictions on purchasing high-tech American military equipment due to cooperation with the Kremlin.

The declaration concludes by setting the next two summits in Türkiye (2026) and Albania, marking consecutive meetings in Muslim-majority NATO members.

The Hague declaration reinforces themes from last year’s Washington summit, where under Biden’s presidency, the alliance similarly identified Russia and terrorism as direct threats, stating that “Russia remains the most significant and immediate threat to the security of Alliance member states.”

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The area of potentially mined territories in Ukraine shrunk by over 20% since the end of 2022 to approximately 137,000 square kilometers, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced following a meeting on humanitarian demining measures at the State Emergency Service’s Mine Action Office.

The remaining contaminated area consists predominantly of agricultural land, according to Shmyhal.

“The resource of 112 certified operators, eight of which are foreign currently working in Ukraine, includes over 9,000 specialists, 278 demining and earthmoving equipment units, and over 13,000 metal detectors,” the Prime Minister said.

Following the meeting, the Prime Minister assigned ministries and responsible officials several tasks, including accelerating the launch of the Register of Territories Contaminated with Explosive Ordnance and developing an action plan to attract international financing directly for demining activities.

Ukraine has formed an international anti-mine coalition of over fifty states and secured $1.2 billion in aid for territory clearance, according to Shmyhal.

“Humanitarian demining is a key element of rapid recovery. Our goal is to constantly increase the pace of work to clear Ukrainian fields, villages, cities, and infrastructure from mines as quickly as possible,” the Prime Minister concluded.

Earlier, the government announced allocation of over 22 billion UAH ($528 mn) in partner-provided financial resources for recovery needs, with nearly 18.5 billion UAH ($445 mn) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency designated for medicine, education, agriculture, humanitarian demining, and restoration of municipal services in Ukrainian cities.

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Ukrainian authorities arrested a 66-year-old US citizen who evaded justice for over three decades after fleeing the United States following charges of sexual crimes against children, the Office of the Prosecutor General announced.

The man was detained in Kyiv Oblast during a joint operation involving Ukrainian prosecutors, the Cyber Police Department, the FBI, and Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice. He had been living under a false identity, using forged documents claiming to be a Mexican citizen.

“On the territory of Kyiv Oblast, a 66-year-old US citizen was detained who had been on the international wanted list since 1992,” the Office of the Prosecutor General reported.

According to US law enforcement data, the suspect worked as director of a preschool in Pima County, Arizona, where he committed sexual offenses against four children aged 4 to 9 between 1984 and 1991. Before the Arizona Superior Court could issue sentencing, the man fled US territory.

Ukrainian investigators discovered the fugitive had been living in Kyiv Oblast for an extended period. Using forged documentation, he posed as a Mexican national and purchased a private house in one of the region’s villages.

Law enforcement located him through digital investigation methods, including open-source intelligence analysis. Following identification, authorities conducted searches at his residence and arrested him.

The suspect faces 15 counts under US criminal law related to child sexual abuse. Ukrainian prosecutors are preparing a motion for extradition arrest pending resolution of his transfer to the United States.

The case demonstrates Ukraine’s commitment to international cooperation in criminal justice, particularly regarding extradition of individuals accused of grave crimes involving child exploitation, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The arrest comes after more than 30 years of the suspect living freely under an assumed identity, highlighting both the persistence of international law enforcement cooperation and the challenges of tracking fugitives across borders.

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A Finnish man was detained on suspicion of illegally crossing the state border in Parikkala, the Finnish Border Guard announced on 20 June.

The Southeast Finland Border Guard received an alert from technical surveillance equipment near the state border in Parikkala’s Pitkäpohja area on 20 June. A border patrol detained the Finnish man on suspicion of a state border crime, according to the Border Guard statement.

“The man is suspected of illegally crossing the state border in terrain from Finland to Russia and back to Finland,” the Border Guard reported.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.

The Southeast Finland regional border delegate contacted the Russian Vyborg regional border delegate regarding the case. The Southeast Finland Border Guard continues investigating the incident and will not provide further information.

This marks the latest in a series of recent border incidents. On 17 June, the Eastern Finland Border Guard in North Karelia detained a foreigner suspected of illegally crossing the state border from Russia to Finland.

Finland closed border crossing points with Russia at the end of last year due to artificial migration pressure and authorized border guards to block asylum seekers from that country. In January 2025, the Southeast Finland Border Guard detected a border crossing in the Karhusuo area of Imatra, where a minor border violator remained in Russia as of early February.

The recent incident occurred as Finland maintains heightened border security measures along its eastern frontier with Russia.

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Russia is increasingly recruiting citizens from Central Asian countries, particularly Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, to participate in combat operations against Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (DIU).

The recruitment targets primarily labor migrants who arrive in Russia seeking employment opportunities. Russian army representatives deceive these individuals by promising “quick earnings” through short-term contracts, the DIU reported on 21 June.

Intelligence data indicates that most such “volunteers” die in the war. Among recently eliminated mercenaries from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were Umarov Sirozhiddin Sabirdzhanovich, born in 1984, and Kholbuvozoda Muhammad Fayzullo, also born in 1984.

The mobilized migrants are formed into separate units that are predominantly deployed to the most dangerous sections of the front, according to the intelligence directorate.

“Even if they survive service on the front, such combatants cannot return to normal life: in their countries of origin, criminal prosecution awaits them for participation in foreign state armed formations with the prospect of long-term imprisonment,” Ukrainian intelligence emphasized.

The practice represents Russia’s expanding recruitment efforts beyond its borders as it seeks to maintain military operations while avoiding broader domestic mobilization that could prove politically costly.

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The Dutch House of Representatives voted on 19 June to recognize the 1944 Soviet deportation of Crimean Tatars as genocide, according to the parliament’s press service.

The motion stated that “various countries have recognized the mass expulsion of Crimean Tatars in 1944 by the Soviet Union as genocide.” The House declared the 1944 mass deportation of Crimean Tatars meets modern standards for genocide classification.

The parliamentary document also addressed contemporary persecution. Since Russia’s 2014 occupation of Crimea, “many Crimean Tatars have been unjustifiably imprisoned, subjected to torture by the Russian Federation, or have disappeared,” the motion noted. It concluded that “Russia has most likely continued the policy of genocide against Crimean Tatars.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha thanked the Dutch parliament for the decision. “This is a powerful gesture of solidarity with the Crimean Tatar people, who continue to face persecution during Russia’s temporary occupation of Ukrainian Crimea,” Sybiha wrote.

The minister identified the Netherlands as the seventh country to recognize the Crimean Tatar deportation as genocide and called on other nations to follow suit. “Recognition of this historical injustice is crucial not only for establishing truth and justice, but also for preventing future atrocities,” Sybiha said.

The 1944 deportation occurred after Soviet forces liberated Crimea from German occupation. Bolshevik authorities returning to the peninsula branded all Crimean Tatars living there as “traitors.” Stalin personally ordered the ethnic cleansing, which took place from 18-21 May 1944. Soviet forces removed over 190,000 Tatars from Crimean territory during this period, though some data indicates 430,000 were deported.

Ukraine’s parliament recognized the Crimean Tatar deportation as genocide on 12 November 2015, and established 18 May as the Day of Remembrance for Victims of the Genocide of the Crimean Tatar People.

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Latvia’s parliament has prohibited Russian and Belarusian citizens from purchasing real estate in the country, passing the legislation in its final third reading on 19 June.

The ban extends to companies with more than 25 % ownership by citizens of these countries, according to Latvian Public Media. The law includes specific exemptions for inheritance from relatives and allows permanent residents of Latvia to buy a single dwelling for personal use. Previously completed transactions remain unaffected by the new restrictions.

Parliament classified real estate deals with Russian and Belarusian citizens as threats to national security. The legislation states that property purchases in other countries constitute “one of the instruments of non-military influence and elements of hybrid warfare.” The law also asserts that the presence of Russian citizens has been used by Moscow as a pretext for initiating wars.

The measure represents Latvia’s latest step in restricting economic ties with Russia and Belarus amid ongoing regional tensions. The legislation specifically targets individual ownership while preserving certain humanitarian considerations through its inheritance and permanent residency provisions.

Latvia has implemented several new restrictions targeting Russian and Belarusian citizens in 2025, citing national security concerns. The most significant recent bans include: ban on working in critical infrastructure, restrictions on border crossings, ban on state officials, traveling to Russia and Belarus, entry bans near strategic sites.

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