The Russian army launched a missile strike on the city of Kamianske in the Dnipropetrovsk Region overnight, causing damage to civilian facilities, including medical facilities. Two people were killed and five others were injured.
The total combat losses of Russian troops in manpower from February 24, 2022, to July 29, 2025, reached about 1,051,300 people, of which 1,050 invaders were eliminated in the last 24 hours.
In total, the occupiers carried out 672 strikes on 14 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia Region over the past 24 hours. An 81-year-old woman was wounded as a result of enemy shelling in the Polohy District.
Soldiers of the 35th Separate Marine Brigade, named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Ostrohradskyi, destroyed a Russian multi-purpose light armored personnel carrier in the Donetsk region with a drone.
Russia starts regular passenger flights to North Korea. The inaugural flight coincided with North Korea’s Victory Day celebrations, where leader Kim Jong-un referenced Russia’s participation in “anti-imperialist struggle.”
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The United States has likely deployed additional nuclear weapons to Britain for the first time since 2008, sending a signal to Russian leader Vladimir Putin about its commitment to European security.
Scientists in Mexico are testing innovative methods they hope can be employed to locate the overwhelming number of people missing due to cartel violence
The start of the supply of Azerbaijani gas to Ukraine via the Trans-Balkan corridor indicates that energy relations between the two countries have reached a new level.
In the Buryn territorial community of the Sumy Region, a store was destroyed and one of the saleswomen was injured as a result of a Russian attack with four drones.
Naftogaz Group has signed its first agreement for the supply of Azerbaijani gas with SOCAR Energy Ukraine, which is part of SOCAR Group. For the first time, a test shipment of gas is being delivered through the Trans-Balkan corridor on the Bulgaria-Romania-Ukraine route.
In Poltava region, a minute of silence was observed to honor the memory of defenders, members of volunteer formations, and civilians who were executed, tortured, or died in captivity.
“Let’s put out this raging fire,” declared the fireman – then he grabbed a can of gasoline.
That, in essence, is Elbridge Colby’s strategy for contesting China’s rise: letting Russia – Beijing’s most dangerous partner and increasingly a vassal – dismember Ukraine with impunity.
In his widely cited book The Strategy of Denial, Colby argues that America’s overriding priority must be to prevent the People’s Republic of China – which he identifies as a hostile hegemon – from dominating the Indo-Pacific. That requires a narrow, disciplined focus on deterrence, building trust with allies, and showing adversaries that American commitments are ironclad.
And yet, Colby, who wrote this magnum opus, cannot possibly be the same person who threw Ukraine under the bus – to China’s very public delight. No wonder Sen. Mitch McConnell called his ideas “geostrategic self-harm” when voting against his confirmation.
Pentagon policy chief halts Ukraine weapons despite military analysis
A bombshell Politicoinvestigation revealed that the architect of the recent weapons halt to Ukraine was none other than Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Colby. The official justification was concern over stockpile levels – a legitimate consideration that might warrant careful management of aid flows.
But this rationale collapsed under scrutiny. Military analysts inside the Department of Defense concluded that continuing aid to Ukraine would not compromise American readiness.
The decision also undercut the White House’s stated goal: a ceasefire agreed to by both parties. Ukraine accepted the proposal months ago. Russia didn’t just refuse, it mocked the peace talks and made Washington look weak and indecisive.
On 4 July, following the Trump-Putin phone call, Russia hit Ukraine with the largest drone attack of the war. 11 missiles and 539 Russian-Iranian Shahed drones were fired at Kyiv over a seven-hour onslaught. This record was shattered just five days later, on 9 July, when Russia launched 728 drones and 13 missiles in another massive assault.
These attacks, it turns out, are made possible by China.
According to Bloomberg, 92% of the foreign components found in the killer drones terrorizing Ukrainian cities are of Chinese origin. And on 23 July, The Telegraph reported that Russia now deploys fully Chinese-made drones to prosecute its criminal war in Ukraine.
On the very day Colby’s meddling with congressionally mandated weapons deliveries made headlines, Wang Yi – the top foreign policy official in the Chinese Communist Party – laid Beijing’s position bare: “China cannot allow Russia to lose the war in Ukraine,” he told European diplomats in a closed-door briefing.
China enjoys a favorable view among 81% of Russians, while 71% express hostility toward the EU. Ukraine and the United States are the only countries regarded with greater contempt.
A Levada poll showing Russians’ favorable attitude to China
Why Russia won’t abandon China for Western partnership
The idea that Washington can somehow coax Russia into abandoning China and joining the West runs counter to everything we know about the Kremlin’s imperial legacy. Moscow’s legitimacy rests on denying agency to the peoples it subjugates – from serfs during tsarist times to the inhabitants of the Russian Federation today.
America’s Constitution begins with a phrase the Kremlin sees as a mortal threat: We the People. The freedom and dignity that Americans and Europeans wish for the many Peoples of Russia are exactly what threatens Moscow’s system of oppression and subjugation.
Since 2022, Colby has argued for sacrificing Ukraine on the altar of “American interests.” But what lies ahead is the loss of American security to wishful thinking and incompetence.
How weakening Ukraine undermines American deterrence globally
By crippling Ukraine, Colby is doing precisely what his doctrine warned against: enabling the consolidation of a China–Russia-Iran-North Korea axis that threatens US interests far beyond Eastern Europe. American deterrence hinges on reliable commitments. So what message does a cut-off to Ukraine send to Taiwan, Japan, or the Philippines?
America forfeits credibility by broadcasting indifference and betraying people who just want to defend their home and not be murdered by Russia. The erosion of resolve is how great powers stumble into wars they try to avoid.
Ukraine has already shown that denial works. With the right tools, it has sunk much of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, retaken territory, and exposed the limits of Russian air power – most recently in Operation Spiderweb, which destroyed a row of Moscow’s bombers deep behind enemy lines.
Putting the moral case aside, aiding Ukraine is a strategic imperative under Colby’s own framework. Moscow reintroduced overt territorial conquest into modern geopolitics. In such a world, US force projection in East Asia grows harder and exponentially more expensive to sustain.
Explore further
Why Ukraine’s fight is key to defeating Russia-China-North Korea alliance
While Washington burns through nearly a trillion dollars each year on defense, the $40 billion the United States sent annually to Kyiv since 2022 is a minor fraction of that sum – and a bargain, when you consider the cost of letting deterrence collapse.
The truth is, abandoning Ukraine won’t deny China’s rise; it will enable it. It won’t isolate Moscow or draw it closer to the West; it will bind the Kremlin even more tightly to Beijing. It won’t preserve US leadership, it will shred the very credibility on which that leadership depends.
In Colby’s hands, the strategy of denial has morphed into a doctrine of permission. Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping couldn’t have asked for a better gift.
Andrew Chakhoyan is an Academic Director at the University of Amsterdam and a former U.S. government official at the Millennium Challenge Corporation. A Ukrainian-American, he studied at Harvard Kennedy School and Donetsk State Technical University.
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Why would Ukraine’s foreign ministry call an international conference attendance “disgraceful”?
The answer sits in a Geneva conference hall where Valentina Matvienko, head of Russia’s Federation Council, addressed fellow parliamentarians this week at the Inter-Parliamentary Union conference. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi didn’t mince words: her place is “in the dock, not at international conferences.”
From the podium in Switzerland, Matvienko invited foreign colleagues to visit Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.
“Please come to Donbas, look at the ‘Alley of Angels,’ which is dedicated to the memory of these murdered children,” she told the assembly an old Russian propaganda narrative. “Russia was forced to intervene to stop this bloodshed.”
This narrative presents Russia as a rescuer and frames its aggression as a “humanitarian mission” while providing highly questionable or fabricated stories.
How did a sanctioned Russian official even reach Switzerland? The country joined EU sanctions targeting Matvienko and other Russian officials. But Swiss policy includes a loophole—sanctioned individuals can enter when participating in international organizations headquartered there.
Matvienko didn’t travel alone. Her delegation included State Duma Deputy Chairman Pyotr Tolstoy and “LDNR” leader Leonid Slutsky—multiple members appear on Western sanctions lists connected to Ukraine’s invasion, Radio Free Europe reported.
A Russian official who spreads propaganda about Ukraine was allowed to present at an international conference in Switzerland this week.
Despite being on EU sanctions lists, Valentina Matvienko reached Geneva through a loophole allowing sanctioned individuals to participate in… https://t.co/lXkMHu8RsL
Ukraine’s foreign minister went further than diplomatic protests. He urged conference participants with “self-respect” to avoid shaking hands with Matvienko, calling her hands “stained with Ukrainian blood.” Ukraine plans to pursue her prosecution at a Special Tribunal for Russian aggression.
“The Genocidal Matvienko bears personal responsibility for the crime of aggression and all subsequent atrocities after publicly endorsing the use of Russian armed forces on Ukrainian territory,” he wrote.
Ukraine and the Council of Europe established a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine on 25 June 2025, to prosecute Russian leaders for the invasion. The tribunal fills a gap left by the International Criminal Court, which lacks jurisdiction over aggression crimes in this case because Russia doesn’t recognize the relevant ICC provisions.
According to investigation findings reported by Ukrainian security services, Matvienko signed parliamentary decisions authorizing Russian military deployment in Ukraine before the full-scale invasion began.
She also reportedly approved ratification agreements for annexing occupied portions of Ukrainian regions to Russia. The Security Service of Ukraine has filed charges against her in absentia under multiple articles, including incitement to wage aggressive war.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted the effectiveness of the Ukrainian military in combating Russian drones and spoke about plans to expand funding for drones in cooperation with international partners.
The chances of a meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia to end the war are increasing, as U.S. President Donald Trump openly shows his dissatisfaction with Russia's delaying of the negotiation process.
Russia threatens not only Ukraine. The Kremlin’s imperial ambitions also target Moldova, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence reports.
During the Soviet era, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Azerbaijan, and Georgia were under Moscow’s control and subjected to centralized governance. The Kremlin wants to unify all of these countries into one fellow state.
Ukraine defends the freedom and choice of nations
Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, states that Russia’s war against Ukraine is not only a struggle for Ukrainian independence but also a fight for the right of all peoples to live freely and choose their own path.
“Ukraine defends the idea of integration into the European Union and pays a high, heavy price for it,” Yusov says, highlighting the European and democratic dimension of the conflict.
The Kremlin’s imperial ambitions — a regional threat
Yusov warns that Russia’s imperial ambitions pose a danger not only to Ukraine but also to neighboring states: Moldova, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. Historical parallels and the Kremlin’s current policies indicate a desire to expand influence and control over its neighbors.
“Every missile, every drone destroyed by Ukrainians during the Russian aggression means that this arsenal will not be used against any peaceful country,” he adds.
Azerbaijan is at the forefront of the fight against Russian imperialism
The intelligence representative highly praised Azerbaijan’s position, which actively opposes Russian imperialism and demonstrates the capability to give a worthy response to aggressors.
Ukrainian-Azerbaijani relations significantly improved in 2024–2025 following a series of aggressive actions by Russia. In December 2024, Russian forces shot down an Azerbaijani aircraft near Grozny, killing 38 passengers. Shortly afterward, Russia launched raids on its territory, resulting in the deaths of two Azerbaijani citizens. In response, Baku began openly strengthening ties with Kyiv.
This is an important signal for the entire region that free countries are ready to unite in resisting the common threat.
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For the seventh day in a row, protesters have gathered in the centre of the capital, on the square near the Ivan Franko Theater, to demonstrate against the law restricting the powers of anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAPO, which was signed by the President.
The place of Valentina Matvienko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council, is in the dock, not at the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament and other events of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Switzerland.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that Kremlin leader Putin made a serious miscalculation when he spoke with President Trump about possible peace in Ukraine and then launched strikes on peaceful cities.
On 27 May 2024, a historic handshake in Madrid sealed a new chapter in Ukraine’s struggle for survival. That day, Ukraine and Spain signed a 10‑year bilateral security agreement, a pact that committed Spain to stand by Ukraine during its fight against Russia’s full‑scale invasion.
A year later, that signature has proved to be more than words. Spain has become one of Ukraine’s most consistent allies, delivering weapons, training thousands of soldiers, investing in rebuilding projects, and helping create legal mechanisms to hold Russia accountable.
In collaboration with the Dnistrianskyi Center, Euromaidan Press presents this English-language adaptation of Dariia Cherniavska’s analysis on Spain’s role in Ukraine’s defense, recovery, and pursuit of justice.
A tenth agreement that mattered
This agreement was not a one‑off act. It became the tenth in a series of security agreements Ukraine began after the G7 Joint Declaration of Support in 2023. By July 2025, Ukraine had signed 29 such agreements in total — 27 with G7‑aligned or European partners, one with the EU, and one with Croatia — all aimed at long‑term security cooperation.
Yet the Spanish pact stands out because of its broad scope.
Under this agreement, Spain committed to:
Deliver weapons and military equipment
Train Ukrainian military personnel
Cooperate with Ukraine’s defense industry
Provide humanitarian support and reconstruction aid
Join sanctions and legal actions against Russia
And in 2024 alone, Spain pledged €1 billion for military aid, aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s artillery, air defenses, armored forces, and maritime security.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Spain’s PM Pedro Sánchez. Photo: Ukrinform
Weapons that protect lives
The first visible results came from the skies. In the spring of 2024, Spain sent batches of MIM‑104 Patriot missiles, strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses. Then in November, a full HAWK air defense battery – six launchers – arrived in Ukraine, designed to shoot down Russian missiles and drones.
On land, Spain has been no less active. Nineteen Leopard 2A4 tanks, once left unused in Zaragoza, were overhauled at the Santa Bárbara Sistemas plant. Ten of them were delivered to Ukraine in July 2024, with the rest planned for September.
Since the beginning of the full‑scale war, Spain has repaired and modernized 29 Leopard tanks for Ukraine and provided M113 armored personnel carriers. Between May 2024 and May 2025, Spain also delivered 155‑mm artillery shells, counter‑drone systems, surveillance optics, and modern combat turrets, giving Ukraine more tools to defend itself.
A Patriot air defense missile launcher. South Korean defense ministry photo.
Building a defense industry together
Spain’s assistance has not stopped with shipments. It is also helping Ukraine develop the capacity to produce and modernize its own weapons.
The Leopard tanks overhauled in 2024 are one example. At the same time, Ukrainian armored vehicles – including the Kozak‑5 – were equipped with Guardian combat modules from Spanish company Escribano Mechanical & Engineering.
In May 2025, Ukroboronprom signed a memorandum with Escribano to jointly develop weapons and localize Spanish module production inside Ukraine. Another partnership followed: Ukrainian company Praktyka signed an agreement with Spain’s Tecnove to begin licensed production of Dzura and Kozak armored vehicles in Spain, opening access to the European market.
Guardian 30 weapon system. Photo: Escribano Mechanical and Engineering (EM&E)
Financial backing through frozen Russian assets
Support has also come through the European Union, where Spain, together with other EU members, takes part in the collective effort to redirect profits from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.
July 2024: the EU transferred the first tranche of €1.5 billion
By May 2025: four tranches in total, amounting to €6 billion
May 9, 2025: the EU announced another €1 billion, aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defense industry
Weapons and funding are critical, but training saves lives. Spain is part of the EU’s EUMAM mission, which has already trained more than 75,000 Ukrainian soldiers. About 7,000 of them have trained in Spain.
There, soldiers learn to operate Patriot and HAWK air defense systems, maintain artillery, and master combined‑arms tactics. Most of these programs are run at the Toledo Training Coordination Centre (TTCC).
Beyond air defense, Spain has also been training Ukrainian troops on the very equipment it has supplied since the start of the full‑scale war — from OTO Melara Mod 56 towed howitzers and Aspide air defense systems to M113 armored personnel carriers and Leopard 2A tanks.
In March 2025, Ukraine and Spain signed a new agreement to expand training, ensuring more soldiers will benefit from Spanish expertise.
Spanish Army instructors at the Toledo Training Coordination Center train Ukrainian soldiers to maintain NASAMS air defense systems. Photo: defensa.gob.es
Support beyond the battlefield
While the frontlines define much of this partnership, Spain has been active on other fronts too:
Sanctions and cyber defense: Spain supports EU sanction packages that have targeted Russia’s military industries, energy companies, and individuals involved in war crimes. It also joined the IT Coalition in September 2024, which raised €482 million to strengthen Ukraine’s secure communications and cyber defenses.
Humanitarian demining: In 2024, the demining coalition – with Spain among its members – allocated over €50 million for clearing mines. Ukraine received hundreds of specialized vehicles and equipment, and over 4,000 engineers completed NATO‑standard training. Spain added €3 million to these efforts, bringing its total to €4.5 million, and co‑funded a UNDP project using trained dogs for mine detection.
Restoring energy: Spain delivered 17 large generators, invested €4.5 million in the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, and financed a new solar power plant in Chornobyl in April 2025.
Humanitarian and reconstruction aid: Spain provided $3 million for the HEAL Ukraine healthcare project, welcomed over 150 wounded Ukrainians for medical care, and supported the creation of a rehabilitation center in Barcelona. Since 2022, Spain has delivered more than €100 million in humanitarian aid and €400 million for reconstruction.
Spain financed a new solar power plant in Chornobyl in April 2025. Photo: chnpp.gov.ua
Seeking justice
Spain has also joined two major international coalitions. The first led to the June 2025 signing of an agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression. Once it begins work in 2026, the tribunal will be able to prosecute 20–30 senior Russian and Belarusian leaders, including Vladimir Putin, even in absentia.
The second coalition focuses on the return of deported Ukrainian children; in 2024, nearly 600 children were brought home through these joint efforts.
One year in review
From Patriot missiles to solar power, from tanks to hospitals, Spain’s support has been comprehensive and steady.
One year after that handshake in Madrid, Spain has gone far beyond promises. Its help now shows in the skies above Ukraine, on the ground in training centers, in rebuilt power plants, and in the return of Ukrainian children.
It is a partnership built on solidarity – a partnership that continues to shape Ukraine’s resilience and its hope for victory and peace.
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The Russians are continuing to vacation while war rages on. As Russian missiles rain down on Ukrainian cities, Russian citizens are sunbathing undisturbed on the beaches of France, Italy, and Spain, The Telegraph reports.
As of late July 2025, approximately 74% of Russian citizens support the war, while 24% say they want to launch a nuclear missile strike on Ukraine.
Visas for Russians despite the war
Despite Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine and ongoing sanctions, Europe continues to welcome Russian tourists. Overnight stays by Russians in French and Italian hotels rose by 19% over the past year.
These countries, both NATO and EU members, are still opening their doors to citizens of the aggressor state.
“In the fourth year of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, it is extremely surprising to see statistics showing an increase in the number of visas issued to Russian citizens,” emphasized Ukraine’s Ambassador to the EU, Vsevolod Chentsov.
France and Italy keep their doors open
France, a member of the “Coalition of the Willing” and an active supporter of Ukraine, is in no hurry to restrict tourist flows from Russia. Along with Italy, it advocates keeping borders open, at least for “wealthy Russians.”
Russia does not intend to end its war against Ukraine. On the contrary, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has told US President Donald Trump that military actions will escalate during the summer offensive. In the first half of 2025, Russia killed or injured 6,754 civilians in Ukraine, the highest number for a six-month period since 2022, the UN reports. In June 2025 alone, the UN documented232 civilian deaths and 1,343 injuries, marking the highest monthly casualty toll in three years.
“There are many Russians who support the war, and particularly the Russians who have money. What we absolutely don’t want to do is allow these Russians to enjoy the privileges and resources of Europe, while at the same time they’re supporting Putin’s war efforts,” said financier and anti-Putin activist Bill Browder.
Hybrid warfare and EU security
Experts believe that access for Russians is not only morally questionable but also a security risk. Browder calls for a ban on entry for Russian citizens unless they can prove they oppose Putin’s regime.
He stressed that denying visas can pressure the Putin regime and reduce the security threat posed by Russia’s hybrid war against the West.
Despite a ban on direct flights, dozens of travel routes between Russia and Europe still operate via Türkiye, Georgia, and Serbia. Meanwhile, Ukraine pays in blood for every day of freedom, as Europe hosts those who support the aggressor.
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Russian ruler Vladimir Putin is blackmailing all of Europe by keeping the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under his control, Forbes reports. This warning comes from British expert Simon Bennett of the University of Leicester, author of the Atomic Blackmail? The Weaponization of Nuclear Facilities During the Russia-Ukraine Warbook.
When Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, one of the first things it did was the occupation of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was liberated in 2022. However, Moscow troops targeted it with drone, damaging the protection over the plant. The Kremlin also captured the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe. The station has enough capacity to cover the annual electricity needs of countries like Ireland, Slovakia, or Finland.
The threat of a “dirty bomb” for all of Europe
According to Bennett, Russian occupiers could rig the Zaporizhzhia plant with explosives and, if Putin is defeated, remotely detonate its six reactors. This would create radioactive fallout clouds that would quickly spread across Europe.
“As demonstrated by the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown and radionuclide release … plumes of radioactive debris can travel many hundreds of miles,” he told the journalists.
He recalls that radiation then reached as far as England, contaminating agricultural lands.
Putin endangers not only Ukraine but also Russia
Moreover, Kremlin control over the plant poses a threat to Russia itself.
“Should any of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants be hit, even the plants in the far west of the country, there is a real possibility that, if there were a persistent westerly wind, the plume would reach Russia’s heartlands,” Bennett warns.
Nuclear blackmail and new tactics of war with NATO
The expert also cautions that Russia’s military operations around nuclear plants may foreshadow tactics in a future war with NATO. He notes that the Kremlin might deploy “sleeper agents” to undermine Western infrastucture. These are spies with fake documents already embedded in the critical infrastructure of Western countries.
“I think it likely that Russia has in place sleepers across any state it considers hostile…which, of course, would include NATO member states,” Bennett concludes.
Earlier, Euromaidan Press wrote that Russian ruler Vladimir Putin shows no intention of abandoning his objectives in Ukraine or ending the war. Even under the threat of new sanctions, he appears ready to go to extremes to achieve victory.
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Ukrainian dollar-denominated bonds rose the most in a month after US President Donald Trump began publicly pressuring Russian leader Vladimir Putin to quickly end the war in Ukraine.
The Russian army struck the Nikopol and Synelnykivsky districts of the Dnipropetrovsk region, leaving three people injured and damaging civilian infrastructure.
Belarus’s economy is stalling amid Russian stagnation. In the first half of 2025, Belarus’s economic growth sharply slowed, and its GDP increased by only 2.1%. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service reports that inflation rose to 7.3%.
Belarus is effectively fully absorbed by Russia under the current leader, Alexander Lukashenko. The Kremlin has deployed permanent military bases in Belarus, including aviation forces. Minsk assisted in launching the war against Ukraine by allowing the use of its territory and also forcibly relocated civilians, including children, for re-education.
Agricultural shock and export failure to Russia
The slowdown is described as a “shock situation in agriculture”, with an annual decline of 8.1%, and reduced demand for Belarusian goods in Russia, which remains its key trading partner. Russia accounts for 60% of Belarus’s total trade turnover.
“Deliveries of consumer goods, equipment, and lumber to Russia have fallen by more than 70%,” the intelligence agency notes.
At the same time, exports decreased by 0.3%, imports rose by 4.7%, and the foreign trade deficit for the first four months of the year reached $856 million.
Minsk is sinking into Russian stagflation
Industrial output grew by only 0.3%, mainly due to domestic demand. Russia’s economy is sliding into crisis (–4 % year-on-year in Q1), limiting its ability to support Belarus. This is happening amid Western sanctions and spending all of the available funding on its war against Ukraine.
“The worsening balance of payments increases the risk of a rapid devaluation of the Belarusian ruble,” the Ukrainian intelligence warns.
It could, in turn, threaten social stability and household purchasing power
Western sanctions have removed Belarus from alternative markets, pushing it deeper into Russia’s financial and logistical orbit.
According to Ukrainian intelligence forecasts, Belarus’s economy will remain at a minimal growth level through the end of 2025, and in 2026–2027 may enter a new phase of crisis, marked by “declining household incomes and increased Russian economic control.”
Earlier, a poll showed 14% of Slovaks openly want to join Russia, and another 18% consider this possibility. The least support for the ideas of “neutrality” and “Russian integration” is observed among people with higher education, urban residents, and citizens with above-average incomes.
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U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he is no longer interested in meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but stressed that Russia must reach a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump shortens Russian President Vladimir Putin’s deadline. Trump has given Russia a shortened timeframe of 10–12 days to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face tougher sanctions, as his frustration with the Russian leader grows, according to the Financial Times.
Russia does not intend to end its war against Ukraine. On the contrary, Putin has told US President Donald Trump that military actions will escalate during the summer offensive.
Speaking Monday at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland, Trump said he would move up the 50-day deadline he had previously set for Putin to avoid so-called “secondary sanctions.”
“He kills people”
“I’m going to reduce that 50 days that I gave him to a lesser number. There’s no reason in waiting,” he added in a joint appearance with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
He said he want to be generous, but just does not see any progress being made. He made clear he doesn’t believe Putin will meet the demands within the original 50-day window.
“I’m not so interested in talking [to Putin] any more. Every time I think it’s going to end, he kills people,” Trump added.
In the first half of 2025, Russia killed or injured 6,754 civilians in Ukraine, the highest number for a six-month period since 2022.
Although Trump spent the first months of his presidency blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the war, his tone has recently shifted, especially after the US-Ukraine presidential meeting at the NATO summit just over a month ago.
Kyiv welcomes the US pressure
On Monday, Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Andrii Yermak welcomed Trump’s decision to shorten the ceasefire deadline, thanking him for “standing firm and delivering a clear message of peace through strength”.
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TSN channel has identified those responsible for the Olenivka terrorist attack in Donetsk Oblast, where over 53 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in an explosion staged by Russia.
On 28 July, Ukraine marks the Day of Mourning and Remembrance of Defenders who were tortured, executed, or died in captivity, including the Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs), killed in the Russian attack in Olenivka. Activists and volunteers hold memorials dedicated to the heroism of the defenders across the country.
Truth behind the Russian stike
In 2022, Russia killed 50 Ukrainian prisonerswith a thermobaric weapon and, for a long time, spread the false claim that it was done by Ukrainians. Even the UN eventually acknowledged the lie, but only after years.
Experts at the TV channel have managed to identify four individuals involved in the terrorist act, three of whom were officially awarded military honors after the tragedy.
Likely initiators of the attack was Kostyantyn Popov, the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) group operating in Russian-installed illegal entitity in Donetsk Oblast. By identifying his subordinates, they were able to pinpoint three Russian soldiers.
Identified persons include:
Captain of the internal service Andriy Vitaliyovych Havryliuk, the instructor-demolition expert of assault unit No. 1 of the OSN FSIN Russia in the Stavropol Territory;
Lieutenant of the internal service Danylo Serhiyovych Batischyev, the instructor-demolition expert of assault unit No. 2 of the OSN FSIN Russia in the Stavropol Territory;
Major of the internal service Volodymyr Mykhailovych Kondratenko, the instructor-demolition expert of assault unit No. 3 OSN (B) FSIN Russia in the Krasnodar Territory.
All three were mentioned in an award document dated 1 August 2022, two days after the tragedy.
Russia holds an estimated 8,000 Ukrainian soldiers in captivity. Additionally, around 60,000 Ukrainians are considered missing, many of whom may also be detained in Russian prisons. Over 90% Ukrainian prisoners who return from captivity say Russian guards beat, torture them with different tools, such as electric shock devices. They are deprived of food, water, and sleeping conditions, and forced to sing the Russian national anthem.
TSN experts were especially drawn to their specialty as instructor-demolition experts of assault units, who for unknown reasons were present at the barracks where the Ukrainian defenders later died.
Center for Human Rights investigation: Russian forces behind the attack on “barrack 200”
Additionally, analysts from the Center for Human Rights in Armed Conflicts has recently reconstructed the events related to the Ukrainian POWs killings in Olenivka and established possible involvement of representatives of Russian security forces.
The first to report the mass death were Russian propaganda outlets, accusing Ukraine of striking with HIMARS rocket systems.
However, the experts, having studied open sources, photo and video materials, and eyewitness testimonies, concluded that the explosion in the so-called “barrack 200” was a premeditated act.
According to their findings, the strike on the building was carried out using tube artillery, and it came from the Russian forces.
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A video news agency Viory that launched in Abu Dhabi claiming to represent the “Global South” is actually a rebranded version of Ruptly, the Berlin-based footage supplier that was part of Russia’s state media network RT, according to a new investigation by the Organization for Ukrainian Freedom (OFU).
According to the researchers, the transformation from Ruptly to Viory represents “as Russia’s adaptation to sanctions and isolation, using rebranding techniques to continue propaganda operations under the guise of independent Global South media representation.”
Russian propaganda in the Global South has existed in various forms since the Soviet era. It exploits local vulnerabilities such as anti-Western sentiment, post-colonial resentment, and economic hardships to discredit the West and Ukraine, while promoting Russia as a strategic partner. These campaigns have increased local support for Russia, fostered skepticism of Western policies, and led to political neutrality or alignment with Russia in international forums. For example, some African countries have refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the UN and have called for stronger partnerships with Russia over the West.
Viory made its debut at the Abu Dhabi Global Media Conference in 2023, presenting itself as an independent company. However, the investigation, conducted by multiple outlets including RND and Tagesspiegel, using facial recognition software and LinkedIn analysis, has identified dozens of former Ruptly employees now working for the new agency.
Ruptly operated as a news agency dealing primarily in footage from its Berlin headquarters, running a global network of freelance video journalists who filmed events worldwide. The footage was sold to major outlets including the BBC, Daily Mail, and Al Jazeera, according to the investigation.
The transformation began after Germany’s Bild investigative team exposed Katerina Mavrenkova, Ruptly’s chief content officer, for requesting a Berlin-based journalist to “penetrate into Charité” hospital where Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was being treated following his poisoning.
“Mavrenkova, an employee of the Russian state, was asking the journalist to do espionage on the prominent critic of the Russian state,” said in the report.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ruptly faced a flood of staff resignations and intensified scrutiny from German authorities, necessitating relocation. The agency initially operated under Lensum, which Tagesspiegel identified as “a shell company for Ruptly’s continued operations,” citing an insider source.
According to OFU research, Lensum was initially known as Tocha and was founded by ELA Verwaltungs GMBH, a firm offering “ready-to-go” shelf companies for clients wanting to bypass bureaucratic procedures. The company was owned by Marina Sevciuc, who “has virtually zero online presence” and appears to be a placeholder owner, according to the investigation.
Despite denying connections to Ruptly or the Russian state, Lensum hired a head of human resources whose LinkedIn profile showed work experience at RT Germany.
The investigation identifies several key figures linking Ruptly to Viory. Mavrenkova, despite maintaining “a very low online presence,” signed an agreement on behalf of Viory in Riyadh with the Union of News Agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. She was later listed as “Director of Content of the international media agency Viory” at the 2024 Kazan Forum, a significant conference between the Russian government and the OIC.
Dinara Toktosunova, identified by German publications as the former CEO of Ruptly, also appeared as a panelist at the Kazan Forum in 2023, where she was described as “director of Ruptly.” A Google search anomaly shows her described as “director of international media agency Viory” in relation to the 2024 Kazan Forum, though she did not appear to participate in that year’s panels.
Content analysis reveals Russian fingerprints all over “independent” agency
The investigation found that Viory’s content reveals its Russian state affiliation through several indicators. Videos about Ukraine refuse to use the term “war,” instead labeling content as “Donbas conflict” or “Russia-Ukraine conflict.” Ukrainian cities are spelled using “old, Russified spellings” rather than official transliterations, and Russian-occupied regions are referred to as “DNR” and “LNR” without the “self-proclaimed” qualifier used in pre-invasion content.
Viory’s exclusive content suggests extraordinary access to Russian officials and military operations. The agency published drone footage titled “Might of Moscow” showing Russian military equipment preparing for the 9 May 2024 Victory Day parade. The investigation said that “given the prevalence of small armed drones in the war in Ukraine, one can imagine it takes a high level of security clearance and trust to film such footage.”
The agency has published at least 352 videos under the “80th Victory Day Anniversary” tag and produced six exclusive videos from Putin’s June 2024 visit to North Korea. The investigation questions how “an apparently six-month-old Viory managed to pull this off” when “few international news agencies even have the capability to film in North Korea.”
Analysis of Viory’s coverage reveals “a significant bias in favour of Russia,” including exclusive footage of residents celebrating Russian control of Avdiivka and multiple exclusives from Wagner mercenary group activities. The agency also hosts “an enormous amount of Ruptly’s old content,” with footage matching exact headlines and scripts from Ruptly’s previous output.
The rebranding reflects Russia’s pivot toward the Global South following diplomatic isolation after the Ukraine invasion. EU-wide bans on Russian state media forced the search for new markets, with Viory’s tagline explicitly targeting “the video news agency of the Global South.”
The investigation said that Russia has been “expanding its presence over the last decade” in Africa, with Wagner mercenaries deployed to Russia-aligned states. Russian-linked disinformation campaigns have already been reported across the continent, including content featuring leaders like Ibrahim Traore, who “appears in dozens of videos on the Viory site.”
The investigation concluded that while Viory “evidently did a pitiful job of covering its tracks,” the operation demonstrates “an increasingly decentralized and diffuse Russian state approach to international messaging.” Unlike traditional Russian state media’s “overly incredulous or inflammatory rhetoric,” Viory presents content with “a veneer of objectivity” while maintaining the same pro-Kremlin narratives.
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Kremlin propaganda is promoting a fabricated video allegedly depicting a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who “shot his commander” and then “surrendered” to Russian forces.
Trump has threatened to impose secondary sanctions on countries that purchase Russian oil if Vladimir Putin doesn’t end his three-year-old war on Ukraine
Russian companies are funneling billions of rubles into temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories under the guise of a “special infrastructure project,” according to InformPalm.
Russia is transforming occupied Ukrainian regions into military bases. Moscow troops use Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to build up combat units and organize logistics hubs. Meanwhile, from occupied Crimea, Russian forces continue to launch missiles and drones at other Ukrainian cities.
The Kremlin allocates budget funds and transfers them to selected companies through classified contracts. Those companies create fictitious subcontractors and spend the money mostly on paper.
Actual construction is limited to minimal work done just for propaganda visuals. According to InformPalm, which accessed correspondence between Russian authorities and companies intercepted by the 256 Cyber Assault Group, this is a centralized program for distributing billions of dollars that end up in the pockets of Kremlin-connected business groups.
“The main goal is not regional development but financial support for the military presence and enrichment of pro-Kremlin businesses,” the investigation says.
Since 2022, Russia has forcibly applied the Crimea development model to newly occupied territories, boiling down to “money pumping, fictitious rebuilding, propaganda, and anonymity guarantees,” creating the illusion of progress.
“All resources are concentrated in Russian contractors formally not linked to their parent companies,” experts note.
Six Russian ministries are involved in this scheme, and the Ministry of Construction even created a special department to implement the project.
Who is involved?
The 256 Cyber Assault Group published two lists (2022 and 2024) of 194 companies allowed to work in the temporarily occupied territories. These include both little-known shell companies and major players such as:
Rostelecom
VAD
Avtodor-Engineering
R-Stroy (linked to projects in destroyed Mariupol)
The mechanism is standard: a company receives a contract, keeps part of the funds, and passes the work to subcontractors. For example, SK Sirius, registered in Crimea, is liquidating after one year of operation.
Most workers are brought in from Russia, creating minimal load on the local economy. Propaganda uses this as proof of successful restoration.
Special case is Miranda-Media
Since 2014, this company has provided telecommunications infrastructure in the occupied territories, Crimea, and Donbas. The EU sanctioned it only at the end of 2023. However, its subsidiary Myrtelecom operated without restrictions for a long time.
Sanctions issues and prospects
Although sanctions have affected some companies, most operate openly, holding assets in Russia and partners abroad.
Striking these companies with sanctions could not only halt funding of military projects but also break corruption links within the system.
However, the Kremlin successfully conceals ultimate beneficiaries through chains of subcontractors and legally clean entities, complicating the enforcement of international restrictions.
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Ukrainian relay sabotage halts Russian supply line in occupied Ukrainian territories. Partisans from the Atesh resistance movement carried out a sabotage operation in Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast, blowing up rail infrastructure crucial for enemy logistics on the Zaporizhzhia front.
Atesh, formed in September 2022 following the start of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine, claimed to have developed a network of agents within the Russian military. They have also established training courses to instruct Russian soldiers on how to damage their equipment.
Sabotage deep in enemy territory
“A member of the Atesh movement operating deep behind enemy lines conducted a successful sabotage along the railway between Safonove and Novooleksiivka,” the partisans report.
A relay cabinet was damaged, paralyzing the movement of ammunition and fuel trains toward Melitopol, a key logistics hub for Russian forces in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Moscow troops control nearly 70% of the region, except for the main city – Zaporizhzia.
Russian-occupied Melitopol is gripped by a humanitarian crisis, with water and power outages, drone strikes on high-voltage equipment, mass raids, and repression against locals, according to Glavcom.
Despite this, the residents refuse to back down, memorial events continue in the city, such as those marking the anniversary of the Olenivka tragedy.
Fighting remains intense, with over 500 Russian attacks reported in a single day, including airstrikes on Stepnohirsk and Novoandriivka, hundreds of drone strikes, and artillery barrages. Ukrainian forces hold the line, especially around Orikhiv, where they continue to repel assaults, says Ivan Fedorov, the region’s head.
The greatest risk in the region remains the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Due to ongoing shelling of power lines, the facility is frequently forced to switch to diesel generators, posing a real danger of disaster.
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Pro-Ukrainian hackers launched a devastating cyberattack against Aeroflot, Russia’s government-owned flagship airline, canceling 50 flights and leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at Moscow airports on 28 July.
Two hacker groups claimed responsibility for a cyberattack that allegedly destroyed the carrier’s internal IT infrastructure.
The flight disruptions affected routes from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport to destinations including Minsk, Yerevan, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, and St. Petersburg.
Hundreds of passengers stuck at Moscow airport
Chaos erupted at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport as hundreds of frustrated Aeroflot passengers found themselves trapped in a digital nightmare. After waiting hours for flights that would never depart, travelers discovered they couldn’t even leave the airport easily—bottlenecks formed at exit passages, forcing people to stand in line just to get out of the building.
Traffic jams clogged roads outside as passengers abandoned their travel plans en masse, with many unable to secure refunds since the airline’s systems were down and only call centers could process requests.
According to Russian Telegram channel Baza, the scene resembled a mass evacuation as Aeroflot representatives urged people with canceled flights to simply go home rather than wait at the airport, leaving travelers stranded with no clear timeline for when normal operations might resume or whether their money could be recovered.
Pro-Ukrainian hackers claim responsibility
Anti-Russian groups Silent Crow and Belarusian Cyber Partisans BY claimed they spent a year infiltrating the airline’s network before destroying approximately 7,000 servers, explicitly linking their attack to Russia’s war against Ukraine and signing off with “Glory to Ukraine! Long live Belarus!”
The hackers say they accessed 122 hypervisors and 43 virtualization systems. They allegedly copied 12 terabytes of flight databases, 8 terabytes of corporate files, and 2 terabytes of email. Personal data of every Russian who ever flew Aeroflot? Gone, according to their statement.
“All these resources are now inaccessible or destroyed, restoration will require possibly tens of millions of dollars. The damage is strategic,” the hackers stated in their message.
Cyberattack causes chaos in Aeroflot’s work
The attack’s immediate impact was evident in Aeroflot’s operations. According to Baza’s source within the airline, employees could not access flight plans, contact crew members, or determine aircraft locations.
One Aeroflot employee described the scene: “I came to work, but we can’t print flight plans, nobody knows anything. I can’t even find the crew number, can’t call the captain.”
The employee continued: “All planes are grounded, management knows nothing: where the plane is, who’s flying, where they’re flying, crew numbers. There’s absolutely nothing.”
Only flights with pre-calculated plans could depart. Everyone else waited. Some crews spent hours sitting in aircraft with no instructions. Many employees were simply sent home.
Russia’s General Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the disruption was a cyberattack, not technical failure, as the hackers promised to publish stolen personal data from every Russian who ever flew the country’s largest airline.
Pro-Ukrainian hackers brought down Russia's largest government-owned airline system on 28 July.
The hackers signed off their cyberattack with "Glory to Ukraine! Long live Belarus!"
The attack forced the cancellation of around 50 Aeroflot flights and left hundreds of… pic.twitter.com/Rxzy3Lgjgw
Hackers expose vulnerabilities of Russian security services
Here’s what makes this attack different: The hackers claim they maintained access for an entire year before striking. That’s not opportunistic hacking—that’s patient intelligence work. They allegedly penetrated what they call “Tier0” systems, the core infrastructure that keeps airlines running.
Why target an airline? The hackers were explicit. Their statement addressed Russian security services directly: “You are incapable of protecting even your key infrastructures.” They called it a message to “all employees of the repressive apparatus.”
The groups signed off with “Glory to Ukraine! Long live Belarus!”—making their allegiances clear.
The attack occurred as Russia’s aviation sector already struggles under international sanctions and limited access to Western aircraft and parts. Adding cyberattacks from Ukraine-aligned groups to that list creates a new vulnerability Moscow hadn’t fully considered.
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The war in Ukraine is changing the rules of the battlefield. Now, every arms producer is trying to adapt their systems to the experience that Ukrainians are going through, and receiving feedback on the use of such products on the front is priceless.
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