Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin has described the replacement of approximately 20 Ukrainian ambassadors as a predictable and normal rotation process, which could have a positive impact on Ukraine’s image abroad, particularly if accompanied by active advocacy amid global transformations.
Overnight, the city of Chuhuiv in Kharkiv Region was struck by seven Russian drones, causing damage to a medical facility, residential buildings, and sparking a fire at an industrial site. Injuries have been reported.
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:
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Armed forces across Europe are conducting trials of a German-developed HX-2 strike drone that could reshape the continent’s military capabilities, while Ukrainian pilots already fly it against Russian targets.
Drone warfare has become a critical factor in Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression, transforming the conflict into what many call the first full-scale drone war. By early 2025, these unmanned aircraft were destroying 60-70% of Russian equipment—tanks, artillery, air defenses—often striking deep behind enemy lines. The use of relatively inexpensive drones, including FPV kamikaze types, has allowed Ukraine to compensate for artillery shortages and maintain battlefield intelligence superiority.
France, Germany, Britain and other European nations are evaluating the HX-2 strike drone manufactured by German company Helsing, according to the company’s Vice President of Sales Simon Brünjes, as reported by Hartpunkt.
The testing schedule reflects urgent military priorities. The German Bundeswehr aims to complete its evaluation by year-end, positioning itself for potential procurement decisions. Simon Brünjes, Helsing’s sales chief, indicated that Germany has assigned the project high priority compared to other defense initiatives to meet this timeline.
Why the rush? Brünjes won’t say directly. But the company designed the HX-2 as Europe’s answer to Russia’s Lancet drone—a weapon Helsing calls “very effective” against Ukrainian forces.
The ZALA Lancet, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and loitering munition developed by the Russian company ZALA Aero Group for the Russian Armed Forces. Photo: Defence Express
Ukraine has received initial HX-2 units for qualification testing, with results expected within weeks. The timing aligns with broader European efforts to support Ukraine’s defense capabilities while evaluating systems for their own militaries.
Single operator controls multiple AI drones that navigate without GPS signals
The HX-2 incorporates design elements from both missile systems and traditional drones. Its X-wing configuration enables agile maneuvering while four electric propellers provide 100-kilometer (62 miles) range and loitering capability compared to rocket-powered alternatives.
Terminal speed: 220 kilometers per hour (136 miles/hour).
German-produced HX-2 AI drone that is already used in Ukraine. Credit: Helsing
But the real innovation sits in the software. Helsing’s Altra system gives the drone three capabilities that matter in electronic warfare:
First, it navigates without GPS. A downward camera constantly matches terrain features against stored maps, letting the drone operate even when Russia jams satellite signals.
Second, it tracks targets automatically during final approach. Lose radio contact? The drone still hits what it was aimed at.
Third, it recognizes targets using artificial intelligence (AI). The system identifies and classifies objects using both visual data and context clues.
Helsing’s Altra software makes it possible for a single operator to coordinate swarm attacks while the AI handles navigation, target tracking, and electronic warfare resistance. Each drone carries several kilograms of payload which is enough to destroy tanks, artillery pieces, or infrastructure.
Here’s the catch: Brünjes says the AI could make the kill decision itself, but Helsing programs human oversight into every mission. “For ethical reasons,” he explains, matching Western military requirements for human control.
Europe grows HX-2 drone production
The German manufacturer designed its system specifically for large-scale production to achieve lower unit costs than conventional systems.
Current production stands at 450 units monthly at Helsing’s Resilience Factory in southern Germany, with capacity to expand to 1,000 units through additional personnel training. A planned second factory could bring total monthly output to approximately 2,500 HX-2 drones. The company also plans to build more factories across Europe to scale production rapidly in response to conflicts worldwide.
Compare that to combat consumption. Ukrainian forces have already used “several hundred” of Helsing’s earlier HF-1 drones out of 1,950 delivered, according to Brünjes. Combat video shows these drones destroying both stationary and moving Russian vehicles.
German-produced HX-2 drones that use AI to coordinate swarm attacks under a single operator, navigate without GPS, and automatically track targets across 100-km ranges. Credit: Helsing
The math matters for European defense planners. Can a single German factory supply multiple armies plus Ukraine’s wartime needs?
Co-founder Gundbert Scherf says they built the HX-2 “from scratch for mass production” to beat the Russia’s Lancet on both performance and price. Ukraine calls the cost “very economical”—helped by Helsing taking zero profit on Ukrainian deliveries.
Europe learns from Ukraine battlefield drone lessons
In February, Helsing announced 6,000 additional AI-powered HX-2 drones for Ukraine, following a prior order of 4,000 HF-1 drones currently being delivered in cooperation with Ukrainian industry. That’s 10,000 AI-powered strike drones heading to one battlefield.
The HX-2 builds on lessons from Ukraine’s use of the earlier HF-1 model. Same software, different hardware. Where the HF-1 uses conventional wings, the HX-2’s X-shaped design enables sharper maneuvers that are useful when dodging air defenses.
Helsing’s Ukrainian partner handles HF-1 production while the German company provides software. That division of labor gets updated constantly based on combat feedback from the front lines.
The company delivered 1,950 HF-1 units to Ukraine, with several hundred deployed in combat operations against Russian forces.
British forces also demonstrated the HX-2 at Salisbury Plain training facility while preparing for NATO enhanced Forward Presence deployment in Estonia, though Brünjes noted that Britain has not yet made formal procurement commitments.
Will European armies buy what Ukraine is already using? The testing programs underway suggest defense ministries want their own evaluation even when the weapon comes with battlefield validation.
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On July 10, 2025, the Ukrainian Finance Ministry attracted EUR 1 billion to the state budget from the European Union. These funds are part of the EU’s contribution under the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration for Ukraine (ERA) initiative.
Trump activates drawdown powers for the first time in his current term to approve Ukraine military aid, according to Reuters. The $300 million package may reportedly include Patriot missile systems and medium-range guided rockets.
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has pushed for Moscow-Kyiv peace talks, allegedly to end the Russo-Ukrainian war. Meanwhile, Russia showed no interest in peace talks, and continued to escalate its attacks on Ukraine. Earlier this month, the Trump administration halted shipments of certain weapons, approved under former President Joe Biden. Some of those deliveries have since resumed.
Trump may be activating drawdown powers to send $300 million in arms from existing US stockpiles
Two sources familiar with the decision told Reuters the aid would come from US weapons already in storage. The package is expected to be pulled from Pentagon stockpiles using Presidential Drawdown Authority. One of the sources said a final decision on the equipment could be made at a meeting on “Thursday.”
The reported $300 million in aid may include defensive Patriot missile interceptors and offensive medium-range rockets. However, “a decision on the exact equipment has not been made,” according to a source. According to Reuters, the equipment is likely to be delivered quickly because the systems are already staged in Europe.
Reuters said the Pentagon and the White House declined to comment when asked about the plans.
First planned direct aid under Trump since return to office
By now, the Trump administration has only “approved”—or, more accurately, did not block—deliveries authorized under Biden.
If finalized, it would be the first time Trump activates drawdown powers to directly send weapons to Ukraine, Reuters notes. The use of authority may show a shift in Trump’s Ukraine policy.
Presidential Drawdown Authority allows the president to transfer weapons quickly from US stocks, bypassing the need for new legislation.
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A total of 174 combat engagements occurred along the frontline on 10 July, with Russian forces attempting 44 assaults in the Pokrovsk sector and losing more than 200 personnel in the process.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained a children's entertainer in Kharkiv who, acting on orders from Russia's FSB, was preparing to blow up key electrical substations in the city.
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak met with Gabriel Lüchinger, Switzerland’s National Security Adviser, on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025) in Rome.
As part of President Zelenskyy's Bring Kids Back UA initiative, the Ukrainian state will provide support to applicants from temporarily occupied territories (TOT) seeking to enroll in Ukrainian universities.
Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska revealed that more than 80% of Ukrainians are experiencing chronic stress and persistent emotional strain due to war.
Speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on 10 July, Zelenska painted a picture of a population ground down by sleepless nights and constant bombardment.
“Our economy continues to function thanks to millions of people who go to work after nights spent in basements,” she said. “The main emotions they experience are fatigue, tension and despair.”
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Why focus on mental health at a reconstruction conference? Zelenska’s answer was direct: “Without people, a country becomes a monument.”
The cases reveal the war’s brutality. Patients arrive with burns, blast wounds, crushed limbs from Russian strikes. “Saving their lives is not enough,” Zelenska said. “We must help them live fully.”
“Destruction is not only a physical concept, but also a social one, which manifests as difficulties, security threats, and psychological suffering,” she explained. “It can spread far beyond the battlefield and affect everyone.”
Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on 10 July speaking about deteriorating mental health of Ukrainians due to continued war with Russia. Photo: President’s Office
How is Ukraine building mental health infrastructure during wartime? The country established a Mental Health Coordination Center under the Cabinet of Ministers, according to Zelenska. The goal: getting mental health services into every community across Ukraine.
The challenge requires international help. “Much effort is being made to expand operations so that mental health services are available in every community, and this requires partner support,” Zelenska told conference delegates.
Ukraine now has 11,000 rehabilitation specialists—seven times more than in 2022. These professionals have treated 600,000 Ukrainians injured by combat and enemy strikes over the past 18 months.
But Ukraine isn’t just receiving expertise—it’s sharing it. “We learn from the world’s best clinics, but our own experience has also grown to such a level that we can already share it,” Zelenska said.
Can a country rebuild while its population remains traumatized? Zelenska invited conference participants to join Ukraine’s medical partnership, suggesting the answer lies in international collaboration on both physical and mental reconstruction.
In June, Ukraine opened its first specialized mental health center in Lviv, targeting survivors of Russian captivity and torture. The Saint Leo the Great Mental Health Center offers residential care with art therapy studios and aims to treat 1,000 patients annually, including former prisoners of war. Belgium’s Flanders region funded the €1.5 million facility to address systematic torture experienced by up to 90% of returned Ukrainian POWs.
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On Thursday, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, in Rome. The two sides signed a declaration on implementing initiatives to strengthen Ukraine’s cyber capacity, aimed at supporting the national digital infrastructure.
The Russian military knows it has a nighttime camouflage problem. It’s begun circulating a field manual instructing befuddled troops on the proper fit for their thermal blankets.
The main point, according to the manual, is to make sure the blanket isn’t warmer than the nighttime landscape. “Before putting on the anti-heat-vision cape, it should be taken outside in advance and cooled by hanging it in the shade for at least one hour,” the manual advises, according to a translation posted online by Canadian drone expert “Roy.” “It is necessary in order for the cape to reach ambient temperature.”
By the same token, soldiers should make sure their thermal camo isn’t cooler than the landscape. That advice is a matter of life and death.
Consider what happened to a trio of Russian troops that tried to sneak across open terrain toward the front line presumably somewhere around Novomykolaivka in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast in late June.
The Russians did the smart thing and moved at night, under thermal camouflage that should—in theory—hide them from surveillance drones with infrared sensors. But the Russians hid under thermal blankets that were cooler than the surrounding summertime terrain was.
Instead of disappearing from Ukrainian drones’ heat sensors, they stood out. A bomber drone from the Ukrainian army’s 59th Assault Brigade spotted them—and approached with a clutch of grenades.
The Russians knew they were in trouble. They apparently heard the drone coming, crouched in place and pulled their blankets tightly over them. But it didn’t help.
It wasn’t some exposed limb sticking out from under a blanket that gave them away—it was the blankets themselves. The temperature differential between the ground and the outside of the blankets was so great that that blankets appeared as black shapes amid the gray and white landscape on the bomber drones’ infrared sensor.
The drone operator took their time aiming their grenades. The first round hit within meters of the crouching Russians. Arterial blood spray from one badly wounded Russian glowed hot on the drone’s camera. The ammunition the Russians were carrying, which cooked off following the second grenade impact, glowed even hotter.
The blasts left the landscape painted with blood, body parts and hot fragments.
Russian soldiers in heat-insulating anti-drone ponchos tried to approach and attack frontline positions. By the 59th Brigade of the @usf_army. pic.twitter.com/DgTfG8ImnS
— Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) June 24, 2025
How not to hide
Drones are everywhere all the time as Russia’s wider war on Ukraine grinds into its 41st month. Even on a quieter stretch of the 1,100-km front line such as that held by the 59th Assault Brigade. Even at night.
Both sides urge their troops to conceal themselves from the ever-present drones. “Use thermal blankets, similar to those that are often placed in … first-aid kits,” the Ukrainian government advised its forces in its own counterdrone field manual. “If possible, take care and use mylar capes, blankets, cloth. They effectively reflect infrared radiation.”
But the thermal camo can work poorly—or too well. Cheaper mylar blankets tend to trap too much heat or too little. When the ground is warmer than the outside of the blanket is, the wearer will appear as a solid dark square on any infrared sensor. When the ground is cooler, the wearer will appear as a solid white square.
A thermal blanket must be the same temperature as its surroundings. Placing the blanket outdoors in the shade in order to cool it is one necessary step, according to the Russian manual. A proper fit—loose but totally covering the wearer—is another necessity. “Do not allow the cape to be pressed against your body,” the manual warns. “It will warm up the cape quickly in places of pressing and begin to ‘glow’ in the thermal imager.”
Given the many instances of Russian troops getting spotted and droned while wearing badly fitting, too-hot or too-cold thermal camo, the Kremlin surely hopes its surviving forces heed the manual. Ukrainian drone teams, hunting by night with infrared sensors, surely hope the Russians don’t heed it.
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The famed 1st Tank Brigade is the third of Ukraine’s five tank brigades to undergo the transformation. After its reorganization, the brigade now has just two ostensibly 31-tank battalions instead of three—but has added a second mechanized battalion with, on paper, 31 infantry fighting vehicles.
Big, cumbersome, easy-to-spot tanks are just too vulnerable to the tiny first-person-view drones that are everywhere all the time all along the front line. “The reduced time between detection and engagement, driven by real-time drone surveillance and the high velocity of FPV attack drones, has created a hostile environment for traditional armored platforms on the battlefield,” Ukrainian analysis group Frontelligence Insight explained.
Prior to the reorganization, the brigade operated T-64 and T-72 tanks and BMP fighting vehicles. Its equipment may change as its structure changes.
It’s the latest chapter in the long history of a legendary brigade, which fought in some of the hardest battles of the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and, as the invasion widened eight years later, won a decisive battle in the city of Chernihiv, 100 km north of Kyiv and just 60 km from the border with Russia.
Russian commanders assumed the 1st Tank Brigade would be an easy target on day one of the wider war. In the early morning hours of Feb. 24, Russian missiles and artillery struck the permanent garrisons of many of Ukraine’s ground combat brigades.
A 1st Heavy Mechanized Brigade tank. 1st Heavy Mechanized Brigade photo.
But these brigades, including the 1st Tank Brigade, had dispersed. The Russian bombardment mostly destroyed empty buildings. The 1st Tank Brigade’s several thousand troopers and roughly 100 T-64 tanks lay in wait in the fields and forests surrounding Chernihiv.
The Russian 41st Combined Arms Army barreled south from its staging areas around the Belarus-Russia border, quickly arriving at Chernihiv. On paper, the 41st CAA with its 20,000 troops and hundreds of T-72 tanks vastly outmatched the 1st Tank Brigade.
In reality, the 1st Tank Brigade held key advantages, analysts Mykhaylo Zabrodskyi, Jack Watling, Oleksandr Danylyuk and Nick Reynolds revealed in a study for the Royal United Services Institute in London.
The autoloader in the three-person T-64 and the Ukrainian army’s superior training made the most difference in the chaotic early fights around Chernihiv. “The first days of fighting saw numerous meeting engagements in forests at around 100 m to 200 m range, where restricted movement limited the Russian ability to bring their mass to bear against a specific tactical situation,” Zabrodskyi, Watling, Danylyuk and Reynolds wrote.
“Better crew training combined with short-ranged engagements where their armament was competitive, and the faster autoloader on the T-64, allowed Ukrainian tank crews to achieve significant damage against surprised Russian units.”
The 1st Tank Brigade bled the 41st CAA for several days until Russian commanders decided simply to bypass Chernihiv. As Russian battalions rolled past, the 1st Tank Brigade “found itself encircled.” A territorial brigade garrisoned in Chernihiv screened the 1st Tank Brigade’s T-64s as the brigade adopted an all-around defense of the city.
For six weeks the brigade and its supporting territorials held out. “Communication with the 1st Tank Brigade was maintained along a small supply road running northwards on the left bank of the Dnipro [River] that the Russians failed to sever, despite having an overwhelming force presence,” the RUSI analysts wrote.
The Russian army ultimately failed to capture Kyiv and bring the war to a swift end. In late March, the Kremlin ordered its battered forces around the capital city to retreat. That’s when the 1st Tank Brigade attacked. On March 31, the brigade liberated the M01 highway connecting Chernihiv to Kyiv.
A 1st Heavy Mechanized Brigade trooper. 1st Heavy Mechanized Brigade photo
Victory in Chernihiv
The 1st Tank Brigade had won its hardest fight. But wider trends doomed its status as one of Ukraine’s five tanks brigades alongside the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 17th Tank Brigades.
FPV drones haven’t rendered tanks obsolete. But they have forced tank crews to operate extremely carefully—hiding most of the time in buildings or dugouts and rolling out only occasionally to fire a few shells.
It’s a new “era of the cautious tank,” David Kirichenko, an analyst with the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington, D.C., announced in September.
Tanks are even more cautious now than they were last fall. “Overall, there is less armor being deployed to the front, especially compared to 2023,” Kirichenko said. “So we are still in the era of the cautious tank, or we could say that it has even gotten more cautious now.”
Chernihiv during heavy Russian shelling, March 2022. Photo: Suspilne Chernihiv
The Ukrainian army responded to the changing environment. The 17th Tank Brigade reorganized in October or November, reducing its tank inventory to become the first of the Ukrainian army’s new heavy mechanized brigades. The 5th Tank Brigade underwent its reorg in December.
The Ukrainian ground forces are also adopting a new corps structure that places similar brigades fighting in the same sectors under a single command. It’s possible these corps—there should be 13 of them—will each have just one separate tank battalion.
The forces for these battalions—the tanks and crews—could come from the tank brigades, some of which “may be disbanded,” Militaryland reported. Meanwhile, the tank battalions in the mechanized, motorized and mountain brigades “will be reduced in size.”
Today, the Ukrainian military should have 30 or so tank battalions with around a thousand tanks. The possible reorganization could cut that structure in half. Fewer battalions—and many more tanks in reserve to replace losses from drones.
The tanks are assuming a secondary role as infantry—and the armored trucks and tracked vehicles that speed them to and from their trenches—take on the lead role in this new era of ever-present drones and cautious tanks.
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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky underscored the urgent need for additional sanctions against Russia to exacerbate the Kremlin regime’s budgetary shortfall for waging war.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced a constructive dialogue with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the provision of Patriot air-defense systems to Ukraine.
Britain is ready to send troops to Ukraine, UK Defense Secretary John Healey confirmed, as part of a “Coalition of the Willing” proposed international effort to keep the peace in Ukraine. While no peace agreement exists and does not seem reachable in the near future, the UK government says it stands prepared to help reenforce a ceasefire.
Since January, US President Donald Trump is pushing for peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow, allegedly to achieve a ceasefire and then peace. Russia sticks to its original demands—terms that equate to Ukraine’s capitulation—and keeps intensifying its air and ground assaults, convinced Ukraine is reaching its limit.
Healey confirms UK would send troops
Speaking to Times Radio, John Healey was asked whether sending troops to Ukraine was still on the table.
“Yes,” he replied. “The prime minister has always been clear that he’s ready to put troops into Ukraine to help reinforce a ceasefire.”
As Express reports, this would place British soldiers in Ukraine as part of a coalition peacekeeping mission. France and the UK are expected to provide the core of the force, but support from the United States would also be required.
“There had been reports that the UK had abandoned plans to send a peace-keeping force… but the Defence Secretary’s comments show the idea has not been abandoned,” Express wrote.
The development comes amid broader defense coordination between London and Paris, focused on strengthening European responses to future threats.
Many European political and military leaders warn that Russia couldregain full-scale conventional military capabilities within two to five years, potentially enabling a new confrontation with NATO. In the meantime, Moscow continues to escalate its air and missile strikes on Ukraine while expanding hybridoperations—such as sabotage, disinformation, and cyberattacks—across Europe. In response, European states are accelerating defense spending, hardening borders, and expanding joint military readiness to deter renewed Russian aggression.
UK and France deepen defense ties with new military commitments
French President Emmanuel Macron is in the UK on a state visit, meeting Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as part of the 37th Franco-British summit held at Downing Street. According to Defense Secretary John Healey, the summit is the first with a European ally since Brexit and reflects efforts to rebuild strategic defense ties.
The UK and France will create a joint rapid deployment force of 50,000 troops to defend Europe and respond to “extreme threats.” Plans include closer coordination on nuclear deterrence, military exercises, and operational readiness.
The two countries will also order more Storm Shadow missiles and begin developing a successor to the long-range weapon, which has been supplied to Ukraine, Express says.
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Throughout the day, Russian forces terrorized the Nikopol and Synelnykove districts of Dnipropetrovsk Region, resulting in one fatality and one injury.
It is impossible to immediately resolve the issue of Russian Shahed drone attacks, but there are already initial results. Domestically produced interceptor drones are now being deployed to resist aerial assaults.
Countries prepared to provide troops for a future stabilization force in Ukraine have agreed to set up a headquarters in Paris to facilitate a rapid deployment after the war ends
Russia’s Gerbera drone crash in Lithuania occurred after the object entered from Belarus and fell near the Šumskas checkpoint. According to Delfi, it resembled the type of UAV Russia uses in its war against Ukraine.
Russia targets Ukraine daily with hundreds of Gerbera drones, used as decoys alongside explosive Shaheds to overwhelm air defenses. Recently, some of these cheap styrofoam Gerberas have begun carrying small warheads, increasing civilian casualties. The drone that crashed in Lithuania may have veered off course during last night’s Russian attack on Ukraine — or it may have been a deliberate probe to test Lithuania’s and NATO’s response ahead of potential future aggression against the Baltic States.
Lithuanian military tracked object from Belarus before crash
On 10 July, around 11:30, Lithuanian Armed Forces detected an object approaching from the direction of Belarus. In a Facebook post, the Armed Forces said the Air Force activated NATO fighter jets already in the air by switching them from training to mission mode.
Shortly after detection, the object fell to the ground. The mission was canceled. Military units notified the State Border Guard Service (VSAT), and troops were sent to the crash site.
The Lithuanian military said the object appeared homemade and posed no danger.
Drone crashed near closed Šumskas checkpoint
Delfi, citing border guards, reported the drone crashed approximately one kilometer from the Belarusian border, close to the closed Šumskas checkpoint in Vilnius District Municipality.
BNS initially reported the object as a Shahed 136 drone — an Iranian-designed craft carrying 50 kg of TNT, which Russia widely uses to target Ukrainian cities. However, that was later corrected. A VSAT representative confirmed it resembled a homemade UAV.
Giedrius Mišutis, spokesperson for VSAT, stated the drone was first detected by the Kenna outpost.
“It appears to be a homemade UAV,” Mišutis said. “There is no indication the object carried any cargo.”
The object was reportedly made of plywood and foam. Officials said it posed no threat.
Mišutis also noted that VSAT had not recently observed smuggling activity involving drones, balloons, or improvised aircraft.
Defense Express: Lithuania failed to identify or down the drone
The Ukrainian outlet Defense Express criticized Lithuania not only for failing to intercept the drone, but for failing to identify it altogether. The publication emphasized that the deeper issue lies in the lack of basic knowledge about Russian drone types.
“The real problem,” the outlet noted, “is that they don’t know what even Ukrainian children consider common knowledge.”
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In Kherson Region, a Russian drone attacked a vehicle delivering bread to Chervonyi Maiak village, injuring a 39-year-old employee of the Novoraisk Village Military Administration.
Germany is ready to buy US Patriots for Ukraine if Washington gives the green light, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on 10 July. The statement comes as Ukraine’s air defense capacity weakens under escalating Russian air strikes and limited US support.
This comes as Russia escalates air attacks on Ukrainian cities, deliberately targeting civilians, while Ukraine’s air defense stockpiles dwindle, and the Trump administration has never announced any new military aid. Even Biden-era approved shipments continue only partially, with disruptions including a recent Pentagon-initiated pause.
Merz says Berlin will fund more Patriots for Ukraine
Germany is ready to buy US Patriots and deliver them to Ukraine, Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed during a press briefing in Rome, Reuters reported.
“We are also prepared to purchase additional Patriot systems from the US to make them available to Ukraine,” Merz stated.
He said he raised the matter directly with US President Donald Trump last week. According to Merz, the United States holds sufficient reserves of the systems.
“The Americans need some of them themselves, but they also have a lot of them,” he said, noting that a delivery decision had not yet been finalized.
The Patriot system—short for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target—is among the most advanced US air defense platforms. Built by Raytheon Technologies, the theater-wide surface-to-air missile system is designed to counter aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones.
Ukraine uses its Patriot systems to intercept Russia’s ballistic missiles, the fastest munitions in the Russian arsenal.
Trump earlier offered 10 Patriot missiles. Those are enough for one battle at most
On 8 July, Axios reported that Trump promised to immediately send 10 Patriot missiles to Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal added that Trump is considering delivering an entire Patriot system.
Ukraine’s military, however, voiced skepticism. Speaking to The Times on 9 July, an unnamed senior Ukrainian Air Force officer—Ukraine’s air defenses report to AF—noted:
“If they actually send us ten [missiles], it will be nothing more than a bad joke,” he said, according to NV. “That’s not enough for even one battle.”
Axios also reported that Trump is pressuring Germany to transfer one of its Patriot batteries to Ukraine, adding further political complexity to Merz’s initiative.
Earlier statements from German officials noted “intensive talks” with the United States regarding Patriot system transfers.
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Ukraine and Italy have signed the Rome Manifesto, which outlines the challenges of protecting cultural heritage during wartime and calls on international partners to strengthen their support for Ukraine in this area.
Russian state media and other propaganda outlets have altered their rhetoric toward US President Donald Trump following his increasingly critical statements about Vladimir Putin and the emergence of leaked audio recordings, according to Russian news agency Agentstvo Novosti.
The shift in tone represents a departure from previously more favorable coverage of Trump in Russian media.
First, Trump told his cabinet that “We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin”—his sharpest Putin criticism since 2016, according to The New York Times. Then CNN obtained audio from a campaign donor meeting where Trump described threatening both Putin and Xi Jinping with devastating military responses. The leaked conversation reveals Trump claiming he told Putin: “If you go into Ukraine, I’ll bomb Moscow to hell. I’m telling you I have no choice.” He made similar threats to China’s Xi regarding Taiwan, saying he would “bomb Beijing.” Trump noted Xi “thought I was crazy” while Putin remained skeptical but “10% believed me.”
Russian Vladimir Solovyov, a key Kremlin TV host and propagandist, accused Trump of “Bidenization”—essentially becoming indistinguishable from his predecessor.
“Trump is transforming from the position ‘I’m the only one who can talk to Putin’ into another version of Biden,” Solovyov said, according to Agentstvo Novosti, which analyzed his talk shows.
Why the harsh reaction? Solovyov questioned whether Trump now thinks “he can tell us what to do, and we’ll obey.”
Another television host Olga Skabeeva went further, comparing current US rhetoric to Colin Powell’s 2003 WMD presentation about Iraq. She suggested Washington was recycling old playbooks, using chemical weapons allegations as “a pretext to crush some regime.”
State broadcaster Rossiya 1 portrayed Trump as increasingly desperate, claiming his statements reflected understanding that Ukraine events weren’t “going according to his scenario.” The network described Trump as approaching his “personal Afghanistan.”
Russians call Trump “lover of loud statements”
Kremlin-affiliated social media accounts joined the pile-on. The Botnadzor monitoring project found roughly 25% of bot comments targeted Trump’s statements, calling him a “lover of loud statements” and suggesting he was merely “bluffing.”
The shift registered with Russian public opinion too. Princeton University’s Russia Watcher polling showed Trump’s approval among Russians hitting its lowest point since last fall—60% now disapprove, with 30% strongly opposing him.
Kremlin officials to continue dialogue with US
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov maintained diplomatic language, saying Moscow expects “to continue our dialogue with Washington and our line of repairing the considerably damaged bilateral relations.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s administration resumed delivering critical military aid to Ukraine after a brief pause caused by Pentagon concerns over depleted US munitions stockpiles. The resumed shipments include 155mm artillery shells and precision-guided GMLRS rockets, essential for Ukraine’s front-line operations, particularly for its HIMARS rocket systems.
This resumption follows Russia’s largest-ever combined missile and drone attack on 9 July, when over 740 projectiles targeted Ukrainian infrastructure.
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On July 10, Ukraine’s Defense Forces have engaged in 114 combat clashes with Russian troops, with the most intense attacks occurring on the Pokrovsk front and increased activity reported on the Lyman axis.
June 2025 recorded the highest number of civilian casualties in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, with 232 people killed and 1,343 wounded.
The Netherlands committed €300 ($350) million for Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery efforts spanning 2025 and 2026, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Caspar Veldkamp’s announcement at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on 10 July.
The World Bank, together with the Ukrainian government, the European Commission, and the United Nations, estimated that Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery needs will total $524 billion over the next decade, roughly 2.8 times the country’s projected nominal GDP for 2024. This figure reflects a 7% increase from the previous year, driven by ongoing Russian attacks that have caused significant damage, especially in housing, transport, energy, trade, and education sectors. The total direct damage now stands at $176 billion. For 2025, Ukraine has allocated $7.37 billion for priority recovery areas but still faces a financing gap of nearly $10 billion.
€52 million – Repairing Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and drinking water supplies in 2025
€30 million – Supporting Dutch businesses and organizations to set up reconstruction projects through the Ukraine Partnership Facility grant programme
€4 million – Construction of a new wing at the children’s hospital in the western city of Lviv (partnership with Princess Máxima Center in Utrecht)
€20 million – Boosting Ukraine’s cyber resilience (€10 million per year for 2025 and 2026)
€194 million – Remaining funds for other reconstruction and recovery purposes.
Minister Veldkamp outlined the rationale behind the comprehensive support approach, stating that Russia has spent more than three years attempting to destroy Ukraine’s society and economy through continuous attacks on energy infrastructure, water supplies, grain storage facilities, houses and apartments. He emphasized that international community support must extend beyond arms to include financial, economic and social assistance.
Russia isn't just trying to bring Ukraine to its knees on the battle field. For 3,5 years, it has been attempting to destroy Ukraine's society and economy. Today, I announced €300 million on behalf of the Netherlands for reconstruction and economic recovery in 2025 and 2026. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/tJMfrp3ySJ
“Ukraine’s economy and society must be kept running because that will help the country in its struggle. It is, as it were, another front line,” Veldkamp said, according to the government statement.
The Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome will also feature the signing of a cooperation agreement between Veldkamp and Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko, extending the Ukraine Partnership Facility grant programme established in 2023.
The programme supports Dutch businesses and organizations working on projects in agrofood, sustainable energy, healthcare, water and circular construction sectors that benefit Ukraine’s recovery efforts.
Since the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, the Netherlands has provided approximately €10 billion in military aid by mid-2025, including the delivery of 24 F-16 fighter jets, Patriot air defense systems, Leopard 2 tanks, CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, artillery, armored vehicles, ammunition, and small arms.
The Netherlands has also supplied 100 drone-detection radars and 20 medical evacuation vehicles as part of a recent €175 million aid package, with €80 million specifically allocated to support drone efforts through an international drone coalition. Additionally, the country committed €500 million to Ukraine’s Drone Line project, supporting domestic production of over 600,000 drones.
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We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society.
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Police and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) operatives have detained a mother and her 13-year-old daughter in southern city of Odesa for conducting arson attacks on Ukrainian military infrastructure under direction from Russian intelligence services.
Russian intelligence services have systematically recruited Ukrainian civilians, including minors, to conduct domestic sabotage operations since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Russian operatives target financially struggling Ukrainians through social media and encrypted messaging apps with promises of easy money. Teenagers, displaced families, and people facing economic hardship become prime targets. What do they get paid? Several hundred to several thousand dollars, typically transferred through cryptocurrency to avoid detection.
The assignments rarely vary. Burn military vehicles. Film the destruction. Send proof for payment. Ukrainian authorities report that vehicle arson represents the most common task given to recruited civilians.
Why use locals instead of professional saboteurs? Russian intelligence gets better operational security and propaganda value when Ukrainians attack their own military infrastructure. The footage serves dual purposes—actual damage and demoralization campaigns.
The case began when the minor was recruited through a messaging application, according to investigators.
Her assigned role involved coordinating target selection with her Russian handler and providing video documentation of completed attacks as proof of execution.
Law enforcement officials established that in early July, the teenager doused a railway relay cabinet with flammable liquid and set it ablaze. The relay cabinet belonged to Ukrainian Railways infrastructure.
Ukrainian police arrested a 13-year-old girl and her mother after they torched a railway facility and a military evacuation vehicle in Odesa getting paid by Russia spies. Photo: National Police of Ukraine
Several days later, the girl received instructions to target a Volkswagen vehicle owned by a female Ukrainian service member. The car had been used at the front lines for evacuating wounded soldiers, investigators determined. Facing this more complex assignment, the teenager approached her 58-year-old mother for assistance.
Rather than declining to participate, the woman agreed to join the operation. The pair carried out the vehicle arson during nighttime hours in the regional center, using similar methods to their previous attack.
Ukrainian police arrested a 13-year-old girl and her mother after they torched a railway facility and a military evacuation vehicle in Odesa getting paid by Russia spies.Photos: National Police of Ukraine
Ukrainian prosecutors have classified the actions as attempted sabotage committed during martial law and obstruction of Armed Forces operations during the special period. The adult defendant faces charges under the latter statute, which carries a maximum penalty of eight years imprisonment, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The minor has been transferred to custody and guardianship authorities rather than facing criminal prosecution due to her age. Compulsory educational measures may be applied in her case, officials stated.
Earlier, Ukrainian law enforcement reported that Russian intelligence is conducting a covert sabotage campaign across Ukraine and Europe by recruiting vulnerable individuals, especially elderly Ukrainians, through deceptive phone calls and messaging apps like Viber.
They impersonate Ukrainian security officials, such as the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) or police, to blackmail pensioners with fabricated charges—like alleged collaboration for buying Russian-made medicines—and coerce them into carrying out sabotage tasks or paying money.
Similar recruitment tactics are used in European countries, including the Baltic states, where operatives lure locals with money or blackmail, treating them as expendable pawns.
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Russia recruits elderly in covert sabotage campaign across Ukraine and Europe
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The first agreement has been announced in the presence of Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha and Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Prévot at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025).
Poland developed the first model of support for Ukraine, invested in roads, logistics, and railways, and 90% of aid to Ukraine passes through Polish transport corridors.
Today, the biggest news comes from the Russian Federation. Russian oil revenue is collapsing faster than expected, with over a third evaporating as global energy prices drop and sanctions tighten. In response, the Kremlin has turned to offshore crypto schemes in a last-ditch effort to stay financially afloat—an unusual and revealing sign of just how unstable its financial position has become.
Russia’s oil revenues just dropped nearly 30% in June compared to the same month last year, bringing in just under $5.4 billion, with total oil and gas revenue falling by a third. This sharp decline stems from falling oil prices, Russia’s shrinking market share, and decreasing exports as shadow fleet routes face growing interference.
Russia’s oil revenues dropped 30% in June compared to the same month in 2024. Photo: Screenshot from the video
Budget deficit soars to $45 billion
These figures are not just technical; they expose the collapse of a revenue stream that once funded nearly half the Russian national budget. As a resource-exporting economy, or petrostate, Russia has long relied on oil and gas exports to support everything from social payments to military procurement. In wartime conditions, with sanctions increasing and operating costs surging, the Russian federal budget cannot absorb these losses for long. The annual deficit is now estimated to be over 2.5% of Russian GDP, roughly translating to $45 billion.
To close the gap, Moscow is burning through reserves and raising domestic borrowing, but cannot sustain these efforts for long. Unless replacement income is found, Russia’s ability to sustain high-intensity operations in Ukraine while also running the country will start to break down.
Russia’s ability to fund the war and run the state is nearing a breaking point. Photo: Screenshot from the video
Kremlin pushes crypto to raise funds
To compensate, Russian authorities have launched a cryptocurrency project aimed at generating income and skirting sanctions. The A7A5 cryptocurrency, created in Kyrgyzstan, is reportedly backed by Promsvyazbank, Russia’s main defense-linked bank, and Ilan Shor, a fugitive oligarch known for Moldova’s billion-dollar fraud. The system generates income by selling tokens, charging transaction fees, and incentivizing activity to attract users. It mimics a functioning payment network, allowing the Kremlin to extract value from users or controlled intermediaries.
By mimicking a real payment network, the scheme earns from token sales, fees, and user activity. Photo: Screenshot from the video
Russia uses crypto to dodge sanctions
Separately, it helps circumvent sanctions by hiding who is sending and receiving money. Crypto wallets don’t require verified identities, and payments can be routed through anonymous channels outside the SWIFT international banking system. This provides Russian entities with a way to acquire restricted goods or pay foreign actors while avoiding Western surveillance.
Although over $9 billion in transactions has been reported already, most of this volume is likely artificially inflated by moving funds between accounts run by the same person to simulate real usage, creating the illusion of popularity and large-scale adoption. Even if the platform works, it falls far short of what Russia needs. A single cryptocurrency cannot replace tens of billions of dollars in lost oil and gas revenue this year, nor can it match the reliability of formal trade routes.
Crypto enables anonymous payments outside SWIFT, helping Russia bypass sanctions and surveillance. Photo: Screenshot from the video
Digital currency can’t plug oil gap
To make a real dent in its deficit, Russia would need significantly higher usage and trade partners willing to accept this currency at scale, all while avoiding legal consequences from Western regulators now scrutinizing suspicious crypto transactions. With no clear entrance into stable markets and nothing backing the currency, the project remains marginal in economic returns and politically radioactive due to the threat of secondary Western sanctions.
Without scale, partners, or legal cover, Russia’s crypto project remains economically marginal and politically risky. Photo: Screenshot from the video
Moscow risks pariah status with crypto move
Unless Russia either expands this cryptocurrency drastically or builds multiple parallel networks to launder and move money—catering to underworld organizations—it will remain a fringe tool, not a lifeline. This would essentially make Russia act as a banker for arms traffickers, criminal syndicates, and terrorist networks already accustomed to moving money through untraceable systems.
That may keep the flow alive in the short term, but it also places Russia deeper into pariah status with its allies on the geopolitical stage.
Overall, Russia’s turn to cryptocurrency reflects improvisation and desperation, not strategy. The budget hole left by collapsing oil revenue is too large for a crypto scheme to fill, and while creative, it is built more for evasion than resilience. Unless Moscow finds a real alternative to its former energy income, the strain will spread—not just on the battlefield in Ukraine, but across the entire Russian war economy. What we are witnessing is not a new financial model, but a state trying to keep the lights on with tools made for evasion and black market trade, not endurance.
In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
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We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on participants of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, currently taking place in Rome, to support the creation of a Recovery Coalition and help define the specific financial mechanisms needed for its operation.
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