War in Ukraine

Brussels is considering using frozen Russian funds to back some $200 billion in loans for Ukraine, unnamed sources told the Financial Times; one version of the plan would reportedly use Russian central bank assets to buy zero-interest EU bonds, which would then be transferred to Kyiv (FT).

Washington cleared up to $1 billion in U.S. weapons shipments under a new NATO-backed mechanism that uses allied funds to supply Kyiv with urgently needed systems such as air defenses (Reuters).

Delegations from Hungary, Turkey, and the United States were among the twenty-three countries that observed the drills; the multiday exercises are taking place in both Belarus and Russia (CNN). Belarus’ government invited the United States to observe the games as ties between the two countries improve (Al Jazeera).

Romania summoned Russia’s ambassador to protest a Russian drone entering its airspace; Moscow did not immediately comment on the incursion, which European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called a “reckless escalation” (Axios). It comes after NATO forces shot down Russian drones that violated Polish airspace last week (Guardian).

President Donald Trump called on all NATO members to stop buying Russian oil and impose tariffs of 50 to 100 percent on Chinese imports tied to Moscow’s energy sales, suggesting such measures would force Russia to end its war in Ukraine (AP).

Poland is seeking reinforcements for its air defenses from NATO allies, who are debating their joint response to the incident; Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that while the country did not appear on the brink of war, it was nevertheless at its closest to open conflict since World War II (FT). Poland, along with Lithuania and Ukraine, issued a joint statement condemning the drones as a “deliberate and coordinated attack” (Poland MoFA). NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich said at a press conference that the alliance did not yet know whether the act was intentional; he recommended reserving “low confidence” in the number of drones that were reported (Guardian). Grynkewich called NATO allies’ response to the incident—which mobilized Polish, Dutch, Italian, and German forces—well executed, but said there were lessons to be learned; not all of the drones were shot down (Reuters).

Poland triggered a mechanism for consultations with NATO allies after it said it shot down Russian drones in its airspace early this morning (EuroNews). Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the drones an “unprecedented violation of airspace” and said that many came from Belarus; NATO chief Mark Rutte said the alliance was assessing the incident and denounced “Russia’s reckless behavior” (CNN). U.S. President Donald Trump held a call with Poland’s president and wrote on social media, “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones?” (CNN). Russia issued ambiguous statements: the Kremlin said it would not comment but the defense ministry said the drones had not planned to hit targets in Poland (Reuters; TASS).

The retirees were collecting pension payments near the front line in eastern Ukraine when a Russian bomb struck, killing at least twenty-three and injuring eighteen; the head of Ukraine’s postal service believes Russia intentionally targeted the postal vehicle distributing pensions (NYT).

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Energy Secretary Christopher Wright, and Zelenskyy all called for European countries to purchase U.S. liquefied natural gas, gasoline, and other fossil fuel products instead (FT). The EU sourced 14 percent of its gas imports from Russia in 2024, according to an energy think tank (Ember). Responding to Trump's renewed threat of sanctions yesterday, a Kremlin spokesperson said that “no sanctions” will force Russia to change its position on the war (Reuters).

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack “a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war” (NYT). The attack included more than eight hundred drones and thirteen missiles, setting fire to a main government building in Kyiv (DW). The strikes killed at least four people across the country, according to Ukrainian officials (BBC). U.S. President Donald Trump said that he was ready to impose tougher sanctions on Russia for refusing to reach a peace deal (Guardian). U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed Trump’s comments that Washington was ready to increase economic pressure on Moscow; Bessent said that European countries should increase their financial pressure, too (NBC). Certain European leaders are expected to visit Washington this week for talks, Trump said without specifying whom (BBC).

These would include support on land, sea, and air, French President Emmanuel Macron said in Paris (Reuters). France and the United Kingdom (UK) have suggested that they could deploy troops to Ukraine following a peace deal, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Italy would not do so (AFP). European leaders also met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and held a call with President Donald Trump regarding efforts to end the war; the announcement came amid reports that the United States plans to reduce some financial backing for European armies along Russia’s border (AP). The Financial Times reported that Pentagon officials told European diplomats the United States would phase out security assistance for armies on Russia’s border; previously approved funds are due to expire in 2026 (FT). Europe will increase sanctions on Russia “if the Russian side continues to play for time,” a German government spokesperson said (DW).

Ukraine reported shooting down or suppressing 430 drones and 21 missiles, while its neighbor Poland increased the readiness of its air force in response to the barrage; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the ongoing attacks showed Russia’s “open disregard” for global efforts to end the war (ABC).

Each country returned 146 prisoners in the latest prisoner swap—mediated by the United Arab Emirates—as both sides consider peace talks (France24). While the United States and Ukraine have pushed for a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s foreign minister said in an interview that none is planned and the agenda for such a meeting “is not ready at all” (CNBC).

Zelenskyy said he is open to meeting in Austria, Switzerland, or Turkey (AFP). But in recent days, U.S. President Donald Trump told his team that Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin should meet before a trilateral summit, unnamed administration officials told The Guardian (Guardian). Overnight, Russia launched its largest combined missile and drone attack on Ukraine in more than a month (FT). Ukraine said it blocked 577 of 614 drones and missiles that were launched; one person was reported killed (BBC). Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries have led to a spike in gasoline prices, prompting Moscow to temporarily suspend gasoline exports; wholesale prices for Russia’s most common grade of gasoline have risen by 55 percent since the start of the year (FT).

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow must be involved in decisions on Ukraine’s postwar security architecture, a demand that could thwart progress on a war settlement (FT). In addition to demanding Moscow’s involvement in these talks, Lavrov said that China should be one of the guarantors of Ukraine’s security; Zelenskyy dismissed both prospects (France24). Nevertheless, the United States, Ukraine, and European allies are moving forward with talks on security support (WSJ). An Italian proposal under discussion would commit Ukraine’s allies to confer on a response within twenty-four hours if Ukraine is attacked, potentially triggering new military support and sanctions; the plan has been described as similar to NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause (Bloomberg). In another proposal, France and the United Kingdom would station troops in postwar Ukraine (Bloomberg).

The White House press secretary said that U.S. troops on the ground were ruled out (WaPo). U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading a commission to develop draft proposals for security guarantees with European countries, multiple news outlets reported (Axios).

U.S. President Donald Trump pledged that Washington would play a role in assuring Ukraine’s security following a peace settlement (Reuters). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the unusual meeting—in which heads of several European countries, NATO, and the European Union (EU) flew to visit the White House at the last minute—a “big step forward” (Bloomberg). Leaders said they would work out the details of security guarantees for Ukraine in the coming days (Reuters). Trump said Washington will provide “coordination” for security guarantees given directly by European countries (NPR). Zelenskyy said he presented a proposal for Ukraine to buy about $90 billion in U.S. weapons and for the United States to buy Ukrainian drones (Guardian). Trump also paused talks to call Russian President Vladimir Putin to push for a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy; following that call, a Kremlin aide stated that Moscow and Washington would elevate the seniority of the negotiators appointed for peace talks (Reuters). European leaders pushed back on Putin’s ambitions of controlling Ukraine’s Donbas region at the meeting (WSJ). Publicly, Zelenskyy said that any decisions over territory would need to be made directly between him and Putin (Bloomberg). While the meeting did not immediately produce a timeline for the next stage of peace talks, Trump and Zelenskyy both reported a far more positive dialogue than during a bilateral Oval Office talk that broke down in February; Zelenskyy said it was Ukraine’s “best meeting with President Trump” (BBC). Major questions still hang over the nature of Western security guarantees for Ukraine; Russia’s foreign ministry issued a statement reiterating its opposition to NATO boots on the ground in Ukraine (NYT). Meanwhile, Russian attacks across Ukraine killed fourteen people in the hours after Zelenskyy arrived in Washington, underscoring Russia’s capacity to harm Ukraine as long as there is no ceasefire in place (NYT).

Trump told European leaders that Putin sought all of Ukraine’s territory in the Donbas region, including Ukraine-controlled areas; in exchange, Putin would reportedly freeze the frontline in other places, requiring Ukraine to cede territory that Russia currently occupies (FT). Putin agreed that the United States and Europe could “effectively offer Article 5-like language to cover a security guarantee,” U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN on Sunday, referring to NATO’s mutual defense clause (CNN). Trump had resisted extending such guarantees to Ukraine in recent months (BBC). Speaking alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Zelenskyy called for a full ceasefire ahead of further discussions; he stated that the current line of fighting must serve as the starting point for negotiations (Politico). Von der Leyen welcomed the possibility of Article 5-like security guarantees and said that Ukraine must be able to receive arms (AP). She reiterated Europe’s position that international borders cannot be changed by force and that only Ukraine can make decisions about its territory (Kyiv Independent). Leaders of the so-called Coalition of the Willing—a group of countries that have pledged to support Ukraine—said after a virtual summit chaired by France and the United Kingdom that they stood ready to deploy a “reassurance force” after the war ends (UKG).

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin gave statements to the press after a two-and-a-half-hour meeting in Anchorage, Alaska (CNN). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to attend (LA Times). Trump claimed the pair “made great progress,” but he did not announce a ceasefire (CBC). En route to Alaska, Trump had told journalists Russia would face “very severe consequences“ if Putin did not agree to a ceasefire (WSJ). Putin endorsed Trump's claim that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if he were in office in 2022; Putin said the "root causes" of the war needed to be addressed (WaPo). Trump said he would call NATO allies and Zelenskyy to brief them on the meeting (Politico).

At a virtual summit, the leaders of countries including France, Germany, and Ukraine outlined common positions ahead of Trump’s meeting tomorrow with Russian President Vladimir Putin (CNN). Trump said afterward the call was “very good” and that Russia would face “very severe consequences” if it did not agree to end the war after Friday’s meeting (Al Jazeera; Reuters). Trump told European leaders that he would not negotiate territorial matters, which needed to be decided between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (WSJ). Trump’s goal for tomorrow’s meeting in Alaska is “to obtain a ceasefire,” French President Emmanuel Macron said; Kyiv has called for a truce before any further negotiations (Bloomberg). Zelenskyy, additionally, reiterated that Ukraine will not surrender the Donbas region to Russia (CNN). He also said that “Putin is bluffing” about wanting a ceasefire, and is instead “trying to push all over the front line” (BBC). A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that Moscow’s stance remains unchanged, referring to a speech in which Putin said Russia seeks the entirety of certain Ukrainian territories that it currently partially occupies, as well as for Ukraine to forgo its ambitions to join NATO (Reuters). France, Germany, and the United Kingdom said in a joint statement that partner countries would “deploy a reassurance force” after fighting stopped and that there should be “no limitation” on Ukraine’s military or its partnerships with other countries (Reuters). Separately, a report by the Institute for the Study of War wrote that Russia may have coerced twenty thousand Central Asian migrants to fight in Ukraine by threatening to annul their citizenship and deport their families, and by fabricating criminal cases against the migrants (ISW). Additionally, a report from two U.S. researchers and a Western security source claimed that Russia is preparing to test its new nuclear-armed, nuclear-powered Burevestnik missile, known by NATO as the SSC-X-9 Skyfall; Putin has previously stated that the weapon is “invincible” to missile defenses (Reuters).

President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Starmer met at 10 Downing Street, demonstrating British support for Ukraine ahead of the meeting between Trump and Putin (AP). Putin’s foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov, confirmed the meeting will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska at 11:30 a.m. local time (8:30 p.m. GMT, 3:30 p.m. EDT); Trump and Putin will first hold a one-on-one meeting with only translators present, followed by a broader discussion with their delegations (Politico). Russia’s delegation will include Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, head of the Russian sovereign wealth fund Kirill Dmitriev, and Yuri Ushakov (Politico). Putin praised Trump for his “sincere efforts” to end the war in Ukraine today and is allegedly considering proposing a nuclear arms agreement with the United States (Reuters). On a Fox News radio show, Trump said that he believes that Putin is “convinced that he’s going to make a deal” to end the war and added that he will call Zelenskyy after the meeting to “get him over to wherever [Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy] are going to meet” (Reuters). Trump added that there is “a 25 percent chance that this meeting will not be a successful meeting” (CNN). If the meeting is “negative,” Trump will hold a press conference to say that “the war is going to go on” (CNN). Trump added that he does not know if the outcome of the meeting will be an immediate ceasefire (X). U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Trump’s goal “is to achieve some stoppage of fighting” so that further conversations about security guarantees can take place (Reuters). Separately, President Macron and European Council President Antonio Costa praised Trump after he reportedly agreed that the United States would offer military backup in post-war security guarantees for Ukraine; Trump did not publicly confirm his support for the security operation known as Multinational Force Ukraine (AP). On the battlefield, Ukraine said small groups of Russian infantry approached Ukraine’s main defensive line near Dobropillia, but the Ukrainian Defense Forces stabilized the front line, and Russian forces made “minimal gains;” Ukraine also sent more forces to the area, including Azov Corps units (Reuters). Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes struck a Lukoil oil refinery in Volgograd overnight, causing large fires that were extinguished on Thursday evening (Reuters). 

Russian troops have broken through part of the front line of fighting in eastern Ukraine near the logistics hub of Pokrovsk, according to a Ukrainian open-source intelligence group (Moscow Times). Ukraine’s military said that “effective measures” were taken to stop Russian advances in Dobropillia and Pokrovsk, while Ukrainian drones allegedly hit the Orenburg Helium Plant, a Russian facility producing helium for rockets and a Shahed-type drone storage site in Tatarstan (Kyiv Independent). A Russian missile attack on a military training facility killed one soldier and wounded eleven (AP). UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, furthermore, put Russia “on notice” that it could be listed among parties who are “responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence” (Reuters). In a press briefing, Zelenskyy said that Putin wants the remaining 3,500 square miles, or 30 percent, of Donetsk under Ukrainian control as part of a ceasefire plan; Zelenskyy rejected that proposal and said that Ukraine will not leave the Donbas, as ceding the area would be a “springboard for a new offensive” (AP). Zelenskyy also added that the United States proposed a bilateral meeting with Russia, followed by a trilateral meeting that would include Ukraine in the future (AP). The White House called President Trump's forthcoming meeting with Putin in Alaska a “listening exercise” (Reuters). European Union leaders, with the exception of Hungary, said in a joint statement that “international borders must not be changed by force” (EU).

At a press conference four days before he meets with Putin, Trump stated that both Kyiv and Moscow will need to give up territory if the war is to end; Trump also said that the talk with Putin is “really a feel-out meeting” and he would know “in the first two minutes” if progress with Putin is possible (Reuters). After meeting with leaders from India and Saudi Arabia, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian intelligence suggests that Putin “is certainly not getting ready for a ceasefire and war end” but rather is preparing a new offensive (Reuters). Separately, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz organized meetings on Wednesday with Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Zelenskyy, Mark Rutte, and other European leaders to discuss potential peace negotiations and possible measures that they can take to pressure Russia (AP). British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that peace “must be built within Ukraine–not imposed upon it” (Reuters). EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas also announced that the EU is working on a nineteenth package of sanctions against Russia and added that without a complete and unconditional ceasefire, there should be no talk of concessions (Reuters). On the battlefield, a Ukrainian drone attack targeting Moscow killed two people and injured two others in the Tula region; a separate attack targeting a Russian plant producing missile components in Nizhny Novgorod killed one person and injured two others (Reuters).

In emailed comments, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said that “any deal between the U.S. and Russia must have Ukraine and the EU included” as the war is “a matter of Ukraine’s and the whole of Europe’s security” (Reuters). German Chancellor Friedrich Merz echoed Kallas’s comments (Reuters). Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that a Russian guided aerial bomb attack in Zaporizhzhia hit residential areas, a bus station, and a clinic, and injured twelve people (Reuters). A Ukrainian drone attack in Saratov damaged several apartments and an industrial facility and killed one person (Reuters). Russian air defense units reportedly destroyed 121 Ukrainian drones (Reuters).

One day after President Trump announced that he would meet with Putin in Alaska on August 15, Ukrainian and European leaders reportedly proposed a counteroffer to Putin’s demands, which required the full implementation of a ceasefire before territorial negotiations and called for reciprocal territorial exchanges (ISW; WSJ). Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that Ukrainians are ready to work with Trump for “lasting peace” but “will not give their land to the occupier” (AP). The leaders of Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the European Union (EU) said in a joint statement that “meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities” (UKG).

Trump said that a peace settlement could include “some swapping of territories” (BBC). It will be Putin’s first visit to the United States in ten years and his first meeting with a U.S. president in more than four (CNN). Trump said that he will meet with Putin even if Putin does not meet with Zelenskyy (Euronews). To reach a peace deal, Putin is reportedly demanding that Ukraine cede the entire eastern Donbas area, which would also require Ukrainian troops to withdraw from parts of Luhansk and Donetsk still held by Kyiv (Bloomberg). Experts warn that surrendering the Donetsk Oblast would position Russian forces to renew their attacks when they have favorable terms and would force Ukraine to abandon its “fortress belt” (ISW). According to sources familiar with the discussions, the White House is reportedly attempting to persuade European leaders to accept the potential agreement; however, it remains unclear whether European leaders will accept the proposed concessions (BBC).

The Kremlin said that U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin plan to meet “in the coming days,” but that Putin said he was “far away” from meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (NBC; NYT). The comments came after Putin met in Moscow with Trump’s envoy earlier this week (BBC). 

Witkoff did not immediately comment after his talks with Putin; it was his fifth meeting with Putin this year (FT). Ahead of the visit, a Kremlin spokesperson stated that the Kremlin generally considers interactions with Witkoff to be important and substantive (AP). Following Witkoff’s meeting, Trump and Zelenskyy reportedly spoke by phone, but the content of the discussion was not disclosed (Reuters). Trump also said there is a “very good prospect” that he, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet together next week; however, European leaders will not be present at the meetings (NYT). A U.S. and Russian president have not met in person for at least four years (TIME). Separately, Trump issued an executive order imposing additional 25 percent tariffs on India as a penalty for directly or indirectly importing Russian oil, bringing the overall tariffs on India to 50 percent (NYT; Reuters). On the battlefield, Russian forces launched 567 attacks across Ukraine; two people were killed, ten were wounded, and nine buildings were damaged in Zaporizhzhia (Reuters).

In a post on X, President Zelenskyy stated that he and President Trump had a “productive conversation” regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, including discussions on the prospects of sanctions against Russia, cooperation with NATO countries to supply Ukraine with weapons, and a bilateral agreement on drone cooperation (X). President Trump, meanwhile, claimed that if energy prices go down “another $10 a barrel,” then Putin will have to stop the war “because his economy stinks” (Reuters). But sources close to the Kremlin claim that Putin is unlikely to succumb to Trump’s threat to impose 100 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil if a ceasefire is not reached by August 8 (Reuters). Following the Netherlands’ announcement yesterday, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway announced that they would contribute a combined $775 million worth of air defenses, anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and spare parts to Ukraine; this package is expected to arrive in September (AP). Other aid packages will be sent based on Ukraine’s needs, and two deliveries of equipment bought in the U.S. are expected this month (AP). Additionally, one day after lifting a moratorium on deploying intermediate-range missiles, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that “Russia no longer considers itself limited by anything,” including its deployment of the Oreshnik, a new intermediate-range hypersonic missile which could be fired with conventional or nuclear warheads (Reuters).

Six Ukrainians, including a lawmaker, regional officials, a military official, and a drone maker, were charged with embezzling funds in the purchase of drones and “[misappropriating] funds allocated by local authorities for defense needs” (Reuters). Separately, President Trump announced that U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff “may be going to Russia” on Wednesday or Thursday to work on a peace deal as Trump’s ten-day deadline for Russia ends on August 8; Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin is “always glad to see Mr. Witkoff in Moscow” and added that talks with Witkoff are “important, substantive, and very useful” (AP). Peskov also downplayed Trump’s decision to move two nuclear submarines to “the appropriate regions,” saying that Russia “would not want to get involved in such a controversy” and that “everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric” (Reuters). On the battlefield, an overnight Ukrainian drone attack in Volgograd struck railway tracks near the Archeda train station; Volgograd’s administration did not report any damage, and Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed to have destroyed sixty-one Ukrainian drones overnight, but the number launched was not reported (Reuters). A separate overnight drone attack operated by Ukraine’s Security Service struck five Russian fighter jets in Saky in Crimea; the damage by Ukraine was considered “significant” according to the SBU, but the information was not independently verified (Kyiv Independent). Since a Ukrainian drone attack on August 2, three industry sources claimed that the Ryazan oil refinery, operated by the Rosneft oil company, has allegedly halted half of its refining capacity (Reuters). Ukraine’s General Staff also reported that Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile system in Zaporizhzhia (Kyiv Independent). Furthermore, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that, due to what it described as “the actual deployment of U.S.-made land-based medium- and short-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region,” it no longer considers itself bound by a moratorium on deploying its own short- and medium-range missiles (Reuters). 

In Sochi, Ukrainian drone strikes caused a fire at an airport oil depot where Russian military planes were allegedly stationed; two oil tanks allegedly caught fire (Kyiv Independent; Reuters). Meanwhile, an overnight Russian missile strike on Mykolaiv injured at least seven Ukrainians and caused damage to twenty-three private homes, twelve apartment buildings, and one post office (Reuters). A separate Russian attack in Stepnohirsk, southeastern Zaporizhzhia, killed three people (Reuters). Ukraine’s air defenses destroyed sixty of the seventy-six attack drones and one of the seven missiles launched by Russia (Reuters). Additionally, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller claimed that Trump said “very clearly” that “it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia”; the Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Miller’s allegation (Reuters). Trump also expressed some doubt when discussing potential sanctions on Russia, as he said that they are “wily characters” who are “pretty good at avoiding sanctions” (AP). Furthermore, President Zelenskyy announced that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to exchange 1,200 prisoners as part of their negotiations on July 23 in Istanbul (Kyiv Independent). 

In Ryazan City, a Ukrainian drone struck the Rosneft Ryazan Oil Refinery, one of the four largest refineries in Russia (ISW; Kyiv Independent; Telegram). Other targets in Penza, Samara, and Voronezh Oblasts were also hit, including the Elektropribor plant, the Novokuibyshevsky oil refinery, and the Annanefteprodukt fuel and lubricants storage base, respectively (Kyiv Independent). The attacks in Rostov, Penza, and Samara reportedly killed three people in total, and one woman was wounded in Voronezh (AP; Reuters). Additionally, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported its team heard explosions and saw smoke near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as one of the plant’s auxiliary facilities was attacked (Reuters). 

One day after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Trump should remember “how dangerous the fabled ‘Dead Hand’ can be,” Trump ordered that two nuclear submarines be positioned in “the appropriate regions,” saying that Medvedev made “a threat” (Reuters). While meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin said that the Russian military has selected deployment sites in Belarus for its newest hypersonic missiles (AP). Moreover, through July, Russia launched 6,443 drones and missiles into Ukraine—the highest total number since the war started—and 13 percent higher than in June (ABC News). 

Overnight, Russia launched 309 Shahed and decoy drones and 8 Iskander-K cruise missiles across Ukraine, primarily in Kyiv, but also reaching the Dnipro, Poltava, Sumy, and Mykolaiv regions; in Kyiv, 9 people were killed and 124 wounded, and 100 buildings were damaged across 27 locations (AP). Russia also claimed to have gained full control of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk after sixteen months of fighting; although a Ukrainian military spokesperson said the claim was “a fabrication,” a Russian military unit posted a video of a paratroop banner and national flag raised in the town’s ruins (AP; Reuters). Separately, U.S. diplomat John Kelley told the UN Security Council that “President Trump has made clear” that he wants a deal to end the war in Ukraine by August 8, and that the United States will “implement additional measures to secure peace” (Reuters). In Ukraine, President Zelenskyy restored the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) after country-wide protests and EU condemnation (Kyiv Independent). Also, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Trump continued to trade barbs, as Medvedev told Trump that he should remember “how dangerous the fabled ‘Dead Hand’ can be,” referring to Russia’s semi-automated command system that launches nuclear missiles (Reuters).

Overnight, two Russian Iskander missiles, one armed with submunitions and another with high explosives, struck Ukraine’s 169^th training center near Honcharivske in northern Ukraine’s Chernihiv region (AP; Reuters). Casualty figures out of Russia and Ukraine differed: Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that the strike resulted in two hundred Ukrainian casualties, while Ukrainian authorities claimed three soldiers were killed and eighteen were wounded (AP). Russia also launched seventy-eight attack drones into Ukraine overnight, wounding five civilians; eight jet-powered drones were part of this barrage (AP). Separately, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) claimed that since the full-scale invasion, Russia has carried out ten thousand chemical weapons attacks using prohibited agents such as K-51, RGR, and RG-VO aerosol grenades loaded with CS (chlorobenzylidene malonitrile) and CN (chloroacetophenone), which are both banned under the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention ratified by Russia (Kyiv Independent). Ukraine’s SBU also stated that it had detained an air force officer after he allegedly spied for Russian forces to help them carry out airstrikes by providing coordinates of F-16, Mirage 2000, and Su-24 jets and suggested strike tactics (Reuters). Additionally, Trump announced that he planned to impose a “penalty” on India for buying Russian weapons and oil, on top of the 25 percent tariff that he intends to impose on August 1; the substance of the penalty was not specified (Politico; Reuters).

An overnight Russian attack using glide bombs and ballistic missiles targeted a Ukrainian prison in Zaporizhzhia, killing at least sixteen inmates and wounding over ninety; separate attacks at a maternal hospital and a city hospital ward in Dnipro and other areas nationwide brought the overall death toll to at least twenty-nine (AP). The attacks came the day after Trump gave Russia ten to twelve days to make progress toward ending the war; a Kremlin spokesperson said Moscow “noted” Trump’s statement but added that “the special military operation continues” (Reuters). Ukrainian drone strikes reached Russia’s Rostov region, sparking a fire and suspending train traffic at a train station in Salsk, and resulting in at least one death (Reuters). Separately, Zelenskyy signed a law allowing people over the age of sixty to voluntarily enlist in Ukraine’s military in non-combat and specialized roles in hopes of addressing Ukraine’s manpower shortages (DW). Moreover, citing concerns from the EU’s sanctions on Russian-owned oil refiner Nayara Energy, the owners of three vessels chartered by the Indian company have requested to end their contracts with the company (Reuters).

Trump told reporters that he is “disappointed” in Russian President Vladimir Putin over the status of the war in Ukraine and that he would reduce a fifty-day deadline he gave Putin to reach a truce (Bloomberg). Trump stated on July 14 that he would impose “severe” tariffs on Russia’s trade partners if no peace deal was reached within fifty days (CNN). While Russia and Ukraine held bilateral talks last week, they did not yield immediate breakthroughs (CNN). Separately, Russian forces allegedly launched 324 drones and 7 missiles, mainly targeting a Ukrainian air base at Starokostyantyniv; 15 drones and 2 missiles hit their targets in unspecified locations (Reuters). Overnight attacks also targeted Kyiv, as eight people were injured following a Russian attack on an apartment building (Reuters). Funded by a $50 million Pentagon contract, the U.S. defense company Auterion will provide 33,000 artificial intelligence guidance kits for Ukrainian drones to autonomously track and hit targets up to one kilometer away (Reuters). 

Citing “the overall situation” and “security reasons,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia planned to cancel its parade of warships (AP). Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have downed 291 fixed-wing Ukrainian drones, 2 guided aircraft bombs, and 3 projectiles of Czech-made Vampire rocket launch systems (Reuters). However, drone fragments around St. Petersburg killed one person and injured three others (AP).

A Russian aerial barrage of 208 drones and 27 missiles targeted Dnipro, Sumy, and Kharkiv; at least two people were killed and fourteen were injured in the attack, and Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that it had struck Ukrainian military facilities used to manufacture missiles and produce ammunition and explosives (AP). Russia’s tactic suggests that it may be integrating more missiles into overnight attack packages than it has previously (ISW). Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces launched drone strikes across Russia, including in the Rostov region, where two people were killed, and in the Stavropol region, where an industrial facility was hit; other strikes targeted Moscow, the Bryansk, Orlov, Tula, and Belgorod regions, the Crimean Peninsula, the Azov Sea, and the Black Sea (AP).

President Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukrainian forces are making it “very hard for Russians” and have repelled Russian efforts to stage minor incursions near Pokrovsk; Zelenskyy also said that Ukrainian forces have made progress in the Sumy region and that the situation is “much better” than in previous months (AP). Additionally, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine secured funding from Germany and Norway to purchase three Patriot missile defense systems and is currently in talks for seven more (RFE/RL). Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defense also announced that it was prepared to allocate €30 million for Patriot missile systems to be sent to Ukraine (Lithuania Ministry of National Defense). Russia continued its drone and missile barrages on civilian targets: a Russian glide bomb struck a medical facility in Kharkiv, killing one person and injuring seventeen (Kyiv Independent). Furthermore, the United States and China confronted each other at the UN Security Council, as Washington blamed Beijing for bolstering Russia’s military industrial base through components used in Russian drones, weapons, and vehicles; China rejected this claim and said that it had never provided lethal weapons to Russia (Reuters). 

After criticism from the European Union and the Ukrainian public, President Zelenskyy said that he drafted a new corruption bill that “guarantees the real strengthening of the law and order system in Ukraine” (AP). Zelenskyy discussed the new bill with German Chancellor Friederich Merz, who asserted his “readiness to assist,” and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (Reuters). Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukraine continued, as two glide bombs struck a residential neighborhood in Kharkiv, killing two people and wounding thirty-three; Zelenskyy called the strikes “senseless” with “no military purpose whatsoever” (Reuters). Fighting also continued along the Black Sea coasts, as Russian forces launched drone strikes on Odesa, injuring four people and causing damage to Odesa’s UNESCO world heritage site; Ukrainian drone strikes in Russia’s Krasnodar region killed one person, wounded another, and hit an oil base in the Sirius federal district (Reuters). Separately, a report from Reuters claimed that an Indian company shipped $1.4 million worth of an explosive compound known as HMX or octogen to a Russian manufacturing company called Promsintez, which Ukraine claims is tied to Russia’s military; the Pentagon’s Defense Technical Information Center reported that HMX is “critical for Russia’s war effort” as it is used in missile and torpedo warheads, rocket motors, exploding projectiles, and plastic-bonded explosives (Reuters). The United States previously warned India against conducting military-related business with Russia and that sanctions would be imposed if it did business with Russia’s military industrial base (Reuters). 

Overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed into law an anti-corruption bill that grants the prosecutor general authority over investigations and cases handled by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) (NYT). Zelenskyy’s decision to sign the bill led to protests domestically and foreign backlash from German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, and the Ukrainian branch of Transparency International (AP). Protests continued on Wednesday for the second night in a row (AP). Following public backlash, Zelenskyy said that he would release a new plan to fight corruption within two weeks (Reuters). Separately, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov met with Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Putin, in Istanbul to discuss peace negotiations for the first time in seven weeks (NPR; CNN). The talks reportedly lasted for under one hour and did not result in any key breakthrough other than another prisoner swap (AP). Europol announced that Ukrainian and French security services arrested the suspected administrator of xss.is, a Russian-language cybercrime platform considered “one of the main hubs for global cybercrime” (AP). On the battlefield, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky claimed that Moscow has suffered eighty thousand casualties in Russia’s Kursk Oblast since Ukraine’s incursion into the region (Kyiv Independent). Moreover, the U.S. approved $322 million in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine, composed of $150 million for the supply, maintenance, repair, and overhaul of U.S. armored vehicles, and $172 million for surface-to-air missile systems (AP). Russia, meanwhile, has reportedly received engines from China to be used in drones; the engines are being shipped via front companies with cargo labeled as “industrial refrigeration units” to Russian weapons-maker IEMZ Kupol, which produces the Garpiya-A1 attack drone (Reuters).

Thousands of people demonstrated in Kyiv after legislators approved a bill to weaken the country’s anti-corruption institutions, marking the first major protests against the government since Russia invaded in 2022 (NYT). Earlier, the European Union’s enlargement commissioner called the law “a serious step back” (France24). Additionally, Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, stated that Russia plans to spend approximately $1.1 trillion on rearmament by 2036 as part of a broader strategy to ‘destroy the current security and economic order’ (Army Inform Ukraine; ISW).

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that new talks with Russia will begin on Wednesday in Turkey—even as both countries continue cross-border drone attacks (France24). Previous talks in May and June produced prisoner swaps but no truce; since then, the United States has stepped up its threats against Russia and pledges to Ukraine (Reuters). An overnight Russian barrage targeted civilian infrastructure in Kyiv, killing two people and wounding fifteen (Reuters). Russia’s attack involved 426 drones and 24 missiles, with 23 of the drones hitting their targets (Reuters). On average, about 15 percent of Russia’s drones penetrated Ukraine’s defense system between April and June, according to the Financial Times; that’s triple the rate between January and March and the highest since the war began in February 2022 (FT). Over the weekend, Russia reported shooting down the highest daily number of drones from Ukraine since June 6, and four Russian airports introduced flight restrictions (ABC). The defense secretaries of Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States spoke virtually with NATO leader Mark Rutte and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich about the urgency of weapons deliveries to Ukraine; British Defense Secretary John Healey proposed a fifty-day plan to get Ukraine the weapons it needs (AP). Kyiv’s domestic political shake-up has continued in recent days; after the prime minister was swapped last week, Ukraine’s state security service carried out raids on the country’s anti-corruption bureau (Politico). It has accused some members of spying for Russia (Bloomberg). President Zelenskyy named over twelve new ambassadors globally in efforts to isolate Russia (Reuters).  

In an interview on state television, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is ready for peace talks with Ukraine, yet Russia’s position has not changed and its “goals are clear”: Ukraine must withdraw from the four regions Russia annexed in 2022, end its desire to join NATO, and accept strict limits on its armed forces (AP). Moreover, according to the German Defense Ministry’s Commander of Planning, Russia is working to increase its production of Shahed drones to the point where they will be able to fire two thousand drones at Ukraine simultaneously (Kyiv Independent). Russia will obtain this capacity by November 2025 if its current growth rate continues (ISW). 

In a post on X, President Zelenskyy said that Russia launched over three hundred drones and thirty cruise missiles at Ukraine, killing one person in Odesa, wounding six others, and damaging critical infrastructure in Sumy (AP). Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that Russian forces shot down seventy-one drones from Ukraine, including thirteen approaching Moscow (AP). 

EU ambassadors approved an eighteenth package of sanctions against Russia after Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico agreed to stop blocking its approval (DW). The sanctions include a price cap on Russian oil at 15 percent below the average market value, a ban on all future transactions via the Nord Stream pipelines, and a restriction on refined petroleum products made from Russian crude oil and processed in a third country (DW). Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed the sanctions are illegal, while also stating that Russia has “already acquired a certain immunity from sanctions” and that they would not significantly affect Russian oil trade (Reuters). In Kyiv, President Zelenskyy appointed former Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov as Ukraine’s new Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (Kyiv Independent). Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reiterated Zelenskyy's comments in his interview with the New York Post, stating that Ukraine was planning on signing a drone deal with the United States, which includes the U.S. purchase of Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing American weapons (Reuters). In Moscow, Deputy Chair of the State Duma’s Information Policy Committee, Anton Gorelkin, warned that WhatsApp should prepare to exit the Russian market, citing its ownership by Meta—an organization he labeled extremist; despite being used daily by 68 percent of Russians, WhatsApp would likely be replaced by the state-backed platform MAX (Reuters).  

As part of President Zelenskyy’s cabinet restructuring, former Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko was appointed prime minister, making her the first new head of government since the start of the war in 2022; former Prime Minister Denys Shymhal was nominated to become defense minister, and former Minister for European Integration Olga Stefanishyna was selected to be Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. (AP). Zelenskyy also announced that the new government approved a new order to increase domestic arms production to reach 50 percent of all of Ukraine’s necessary weapons within six months (AP). Ukraine’s increased weapons production is being supplemented by a new U.S. directive to divert a shipment of Patriot missile systems originally ordered by Switzerland, prioritizing their delivery to Ukraine instead (AP). As it seeks more foreign military aid, Ukraine has worked to refine its domestically made air defense systems and has invited international weapons companies to test their arms on its front line (Reuters). Zelenskyy stated in an interview with the New York Post that he and President Trump are working on a deal in which Ukraine would provide its war-tested drones to the United States in exchange for purchasing American weapons; Zelenskyy called the deal a “mega deal, a win-win" (Reuters; NY Post). Furthermore, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned Trump’s fifty-day deadline for Russia and weapons agreement with Ukraine, stating that the move signals Kyiv’s desire to “continue the slaughter and abandon the peace process” (Reuters). 

Russian forces launched four hundred Shahed and decoy drones overnight at Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, and Vinnytsia, largely targeting energy infrastructure, and injuring fifteen people (AP). Meanwhile, an international cyber operation coordinated by Europol and involving twelve countries—including France, Germany, and the United States—targeted a pro-Russian cybercrime network, disrupting more than one hundred computer systems worldwide and taking the group’s central server infrastructure offline (AP). Additionally, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a new €2 trillion budget for the EU, including €100 billion for a fund exclusive to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction (Euronews).

A Kremlin spokesperson called Trump’s comments “very serious” and said Moscow would “need time to analyze” (Reuters). Other sources from Russia claimed that Putin is unfazed and believes that Russia’s military and economy are strong enough to continue the war in Ukraine, regardless of increased Western actions (Reuters). Russia continued its strikes overnight on the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions (AP/Euronews). Moscow's defense ministry reported taking down fifty-five Ukrainian drones over southwestern Russia (Reuters). Furthermore, a Financial Times report claimed that Trump urged Ukraine to intensify deep strikes into Russia and inquired whether U.S. long-range weapons were capable of reaching Moscow during a July 4 call with Zelenskyy (FT). However, on Tuesday, Trump said that Zelenskyy and Ukraine should not target Moscow (Reuters). In Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal officially resigned from his post as part of a government reshuffle (AP). 

Trump announced that if the Ukraine war is not over in fifty days, he would impose 100 percent secondary tariffs on Russia; he also said the United States will send "billions of dollars worth of military equipment" purchased by NATO to be distributed to Ukraine (AP). NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with Trump in Washington to discuss the weapons sales; Rutte said at a joint press conference that the allies paying for the U.S. weapons would include Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (AP). Trump said the weapons would include Patriot air defense batteries and interceptor missiles (Guardian). The Pentagon later said the specifics were still being discussed (NYT). A Ukrainian official said he was hopeful some of the systems could reach Ukraine within days (NPR). On Capitol Hill, bipartisan senators are promoting a “sledgehammer” Russian sanctions bill that would impose 500 percent secondary tariffs (CNN). Trump declined to endorse the bill, saying, “I’m not sure we need it” (AP). In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a shakeup in government; he aims to replace his current prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, who has served since 2020, with current Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who helped negotiate a minerals deal with the Trump administration (NYT). Earlier in the day, U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg held meetings in Kyiv; Zelenskyy called the conversation “productive” as they spoke on Ukrainian defense and the possibility for European countries to purchase U.S. weapons systems, joint arms production, and potentially harsher sanctions on Russia (AP). 

Trump told reporters that European nations would pay for them (Guardian). Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Russia and China met in Beijing to discuss relations with the United States, as well as possible ways to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to statements from both sides (Reuters). Additionally, Trump hinted at a new plan for sending Ukraine offensive weapons, with some sources expecting the United States to provide Kyiv with long-range missiles (Axios). Separately, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reportedly tracked down and killed suspected Russian agents in Kyiv who were believed to have killed Ukraine’s SBU colonel the week prior (AP).

In Pyongyang, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who reaffirmed North Korea’s support to Russia and “all the measures taken by the Russian leadership” in the Ukraine War (BBC). Lavrov also met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui in Wonsan, where both parties pledged to safeguard each other's national sovereignty and territorial integrity (Al Jazeera). Meanwhile, a Russian overnight attack across Ukraine, including in Bukovina, Chernivtsi, Lviv, and Kharkiv, killed at least six Ukrainians and wounded over forty more; this barrage included 597 drones and 26 cruise missiles, though a majority were shot down or electronically jammed (AP). 

Zelenskyy noted he will continue to discuss aid shipments with President Trump's Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, on Monday (Kyiv Independent). The EU also reinforced its position on strengthening Ukrainian security, as the EU announced the BraveTech EU initiative to enhance technological innovation in the EU and Ukraine (European Commission). Bravetech EU, a €100 million fund, will focus on small and medium-sized startups in Ukraine and the EU to share and develop innovative defense technologies (Euronews). The UK also approved a $2.3 billion loan to Ukraine to strengthen its air defense capabilities (Ukraine MoF). Separately, Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate claimed that Russia’s goal to seize the entirety of the Donetsk Oblast by the end of 2025 is unlikely due to the Russian forces’ high casualty rate relative to small political and territorial gains (ISW).

Last night’s attack was concentrated in Kyiv, where two people were killed and nearly every district of the Ukrainian capital was damaged, according to Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy (Reuters). The attack included 397 Shahed and decoy drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles; Zelenskyy considered it a “clear escalation of Russian terror” (AP). The attack marked the use of a new tactic employed by Russia, as drones came in from all directions at different altitudes, encircled the city before the attack, and simultaneously launched at the city (CNN). The Ukrainian Air Force reported that it shot down or disabled 382 of the 415 weapons launched by Russia (CNN). Separately, President Trump will reportedly use his Presidential Drawdown Authority for the first time this term to send weapons to Ukraine worth roughly $300 million; the power was last used by the Biden administration for a $500 million drawdown (Reuters). If used for Patriot missile interceptors and GMLRS mobile rocket artillery, the weapons may be available to Ukraine within days (Reuters). On the diplomatic front, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, as the two discussed plans to end the Ukraine War; Rubio stated that he and Lavrov discussed “a new or different approach” to peace talks but did not offer specifics (Reuters). In Rome, leaders at the Ukraine Recovery Conference pledged €2.3 billion in loan guarantees and grants for Ukraine’s reconstruction and established a ‘European Flagship Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine’, which President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said is the “largest equity fund globally to support reconstruction” (France24). At the Conference, German Chancellor Friederich Merz said that Germany was willing to buy Patriot air defense missiles and provide them to Ukraine if necessary (Reuters). Lastly, a colonel in the Security Service of Ukraine was shot and killed in a residential parking lot in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district; the perpetrator fled the scene and was not identified (Reuters). 

The country launched a record 700-plus drones and 13 missiles onto Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said; the attack was most severe in the northwestern city of Lutsk, though ten other regions were also hit (AP). Because of Lutsk’s proximity to Poland, Polish air defenses were also activated by the attack (Reuters). President Zelenskyy traveled to Rome to meet with Pope Leo XIV, as well as U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg and Italian President Sergio Mattarella (Kyiv Independent). Pope Leo XIV offered to host peace talks with Ukraine at the Vatican (Reuters). Separately, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed Kyiv will replace its ambassador to the United States; the move is an attempt to strengthen ties with the Trump administration as Zelenskyy continues to lobby the United States for more aid (Guardian). Oksana Markarova had served in the post for four years and has been criticized by some Republicans (Hill). Furthermore, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia had violated international law on numerous occasions, including shooting down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 in 2014, killing and wounding thousands of Ukrainians since 2022, and the use of sexual violence as a strategy to break Ukrainian morale (AP). Russian newspaper Kommersant also reported that throughout the war against Ukraine, the Russian state has confiscated approximately $50 billion in assets, as over one thousand companies have left Russia (Reuters).

A day after President Trump said the United States would send more weapons to Ukraine, he officially approved the decision in a cabinet meeting (Reuters). Trump said that he is “not happy with Putin” and that he is “very strongly” considering supporting a bill in the Senate that would place harsh sanctions on Russia and 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, gas, and uranium (Reuters). Furthermore, one day after former Russian Transport Minister and former Governor of Kursk Roman Starovoit was found dead in an apparent suicide, reports emerged claiming he had embezzled approximately $248 million in state funds intended to reinforce the Kursk border (Reuters).

Trump said that the United States would send additional weapons to Ukraine, just days after Washington stopped shipments of some supplies; the pause caught Kyiv by surprise and comes as Russia has intensified air strikes in recent weeks (CBS). Russian drone strikes killed eleven civilians and injured over eighty in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Odesa, northern Sumy, and southern Zaporizhzhia (AP). In an apparent suicide, Russia’s former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was found dead just hours after President Putin dismissed him, following a weekend in which hundreds of flights were grounded due to Ukrainian drone strikes (AP). Ukrainian drone strikes into Russia targeted thirteen Russian regions, the Black Sea, and the Crimean Peninsula; ninety-one drones were shot down, and casualties were not reported (AP). 

During his nightly video address, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine had made two separate deals with a U.S. firm and some European allies that will enable Kyiv to strike key Russian defense assets, airbases, and oil refineries (RFE/RL). Moreover, Ukrainian drone strikes into Russia caused flight disruptions at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport, and other airports in central and western Russia; Russian air defenses reportedly repelled 159 Ukrainian drones, and 2 civilians were allegedly injured by drones in Belgorod (AP). Russian attacks reportedly injured three civilians in Kyiv, injured two civilians in Kharkiv, struck port infrastructure in Mykolaiv, and killed four civilians and injured one in Kostyantynivka (AP).

A Ukrainian drone barrage on Russia’s Borisoglebsk air base reportedly hit a glide bomb storage site and a trainer aircraft; the airfield houses Russian Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM aircraft (Reuters). Ukraine launched an additional 139 drones into Russia, all of which were reportedly repelled, including four that were approaching Moscow (AP). Meanwhile, Ukraine’s top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, posted on Telegram that Russian forces may be preparing to launch an offensive in the Kharkiv region (Reuters). Additionally, Russia launched 322 drones into Ukraine; 157 were shot down and 135 were lost; there were no reported casualties or damage from the attack, which primarily targeted Khmelnytskyi (AP). 

Russian forces fired roughly 550 drones and 11 missiles overnight into Kyiv in the largest aerial attack of the war thus far (AP). The bombardment lasted seven hours, killing one civilian and wounding twenty-six; five ambulances were also damaged (AP). Before Russia’s attack, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone call to discuss air defense and potential future cooperation on joint defense production and investment; Zelenskyy described the call as “very important and very fruitful” (Politico). Trump also stated that he was “not happy” about his call the day before with Russian President Vladimir Putin as he recounted that Putin is not “looking to stop the war” (Politico). Trump added that he does “not know” if he will find a way to end the fighting (AP). He also hinted at the possibility of further sanctions on Russia (AFP). Furthermore, two Dutch intelligence agencies and the German intelligence service reported that Russia’s use of banned chemical weapons, including chloropicrin and riot control agent CS, has become “standardized and commonplace” in Ukraine (AP).

Major General Mikhail Gudkov, the deputy head of Russia’s navy, was killed in Russia’s Kursk border region, Russia’s military said (CNN). Unofficial Russian and Ukrainian military Telegram channels said Gudkov and others were hit by a Ukrainian missile attack (Meduza). He is one of Russia’s highest-ranking officers to have died in the war; Kyiv had accused him of war crimes, which Moscow denies (Reuters). Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Denmark to meet with EU leaders as Denmark begins its EU presidency; Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she would support Ukraine’s efforts to join the EU, though the decision has persistently been blocked by Hungary (AP). Moreover, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call together, which President Trump said did not result in any progress toward resolving the war (NYT).

After the White House announced that it would be pausing shipments of some critical weaponry to Ukraine due to low stockpiles, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry released a statement emphasizing the need for timely support, as delays encourage Russian aggression; Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has not been officially notified of any halts in U.S. shipments (Reuters). Meanwhile, Ukraine announced further plans to increase weapons production with other allies, especially those in Europe, to strengthen its position amid a potential Russian summer offensive (AP). On Russia’s side, reports suggest that North Korea plans to send 25,000 to 30,000 troops to support the Russian offensive—nearly tripling its initial deployment of 11,000 troops (Kyiv Post). Russia seized 556 square kilometers in eastern Ukraine in its June offensive, primarily near Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka in Donetsk and Zaporizhia (Reuters).

Citing dwindling U.S. stock, the Trump administration said it was pausing the delivery of some air defense systems, precision-guided bombs, and missiles to Ukraine; it was unclear which weapons, or how many, are not being sent or when they were originally scheduled for delivery, although some U.S. officials said they were not expected to be shipped for several months. (NYT). In Izhevsk, a city in central Russia over six hundred miles from the Russia-Ukraine border, a Ukrainian long-range drone strike targeted the Kupol Electromechanical Plant, a military factory that produces surface-to-air missile systems and radar systems; the attack killed three people, injured thirty-five, and the drones allegedly struck the plant (BBC). Meanwhile, to counter Russia’s heightened barrages, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s domestic production of interceptors and long-range drones is set to increase (AP). In diplomatic efforts, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a call for the first time since September 2022; President Macron reportedly demanded a ceasefire and negotiations that respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, while President Putin stated that the war was “a direct consequence of the West’s policy” towards Russia, and that a peace agreement would be based on “new territorial realities” (Reuters).

Retired U.S. Lieutenant General and Special Envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, demanded an immediate ceasefire and trilateral talks to end the war in a post on his X account; Kellogg also said that “Russia cannot stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine” (Kyiv Independent; X). Meanwhile, Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-installed leader of Luhansk, claimed that the Luhansk region, one of the four regions illegally annexed by Russia in 2022, is fully under the control of Russian forces; the claim has not been confirmed by Kyiv or Moscow (AP; Reuters). 

Moscow has stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent weeks as part of a summer offensive (NYT). As Kyiv worked to repel the 537 aerial weapons, a Ukrainian F-16 pilot was killed, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; he wrote on social media that despite global efforts to facilitate peace, Russian President Vladimir Putin had “decided he would keep waging war” (Politico). Ukraine reported that most of the weapons were shot down or lost, potentially due to electronic jamming (WaPo). At least four people were killed in the strikes, officials said (FT). Ukraine is using fighter jets for air defense in part because of lagging supplies; Washington supplied air defense missiles during the Joe Biden administration but has been slow to do so since Donald Trump returned to office (NYT). Zelenskyy said that he signed a decree to pull Ukraine out of the international Ottawa Treaty banning landmines, citing Russia’s use of the weapons; Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have also recently exited the treaty or announced plans to do so (Guardian). Russia’s intelligence chief held a call with the CIA director, and the two agreed to discuss interests “at any time,” he said (Reuters). Moreover, Kremlin spokesman Dmitriy Peskov claimed in a television interview that the delays in peace talks were due to the Ukrainian government’s position on the war and the United States’ ability to effectively mediate (Kyiv Independent).

Russian forces in recent days have captured an area in eastern Ukraine that is home to a deposit of lithium, independent groups tracking the war said; Russian control of the area complicates a U.S. and Ukrainian plan to co-develop Ukraine’s mineral resources following a potential end to the war (NYT). Ukraine’s defense minister said that Russia’s goal was “to exhaust our air defense” (FT). The Pentagon in recent weeks told Congress and Zelenskyy that it would divert U.S. anti-drone technology previously earmarked for Ukraine to the Middle East (CNN). But after meeting with Zelenskyy this week at the NATO Summit, Trump said he would consider Ukraine’s request for more Patriot missiles (Guardian). Putin said that each side’s position on a peace deal shared at talks on June 2 were “absolutely contradictory” (Reuters).

Commander in chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, claimed that Ukrainian forces had stopped Russian advances into Ukraine through the northeastern, Russian-bordering Sumy region (AP). Syrskyi added that the summer offensive in Sumy was “choked off”, which implies that the fifty thousand Russian troops deployed to the region to create a buffer zone were blocked from advancing (BBC). Syrskyi also acknowledged that Ukraine had to build more fortifications, establish kill zones, and construct more anti-drone corridors more efficiently than current levels to continue to defend Ukraine (BBC). Meanwhile, in Donetsk, Russian forces reportedly took control of Shevchenko, which is near a lithium deposit (Reuters). Furthermore, according to an intelligence report from South Korea, additional North Korean troops will be sent to Russia to fight against Ukraine in July or August, which may be part of a new large-scale Russian assault on Ukraine (Reuters).

Trump concluded this week's NATO summit with praise for the alliance after member countries pledged to increase defense spending—and for Zelenskyy, whom Trump accused earlier this year of holding up peace; the meeting with Zelenskyy capped Trump’s final engagements at the NATO summit (Guardian). “I left here differently,” Trump told reporters (NPR). He continued, “these people really love their countries. It’s not a rip-off, and we’re here to help them" (WaPo). Trump and Zelenskyy spoke for almost an hour—up from their fifteen minute discussion when they last met in person on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral, their relationship having soured at an Oval Office meeting in February (Bloomberg). Zelenskyy said this conversation was “long and substantive,” while Trump said it “couldn’t have been nicer” (ABC). Trump did not rule out issuing a new tranche of military aid to Ukraine when reporters questioned him after the meeting (RFE). Trump said he would look into possibly providing Ukraine with new Patriot missiles, an important part of the country’s air defense; Zelenskyy wrote on social media that the two had discussed “the potential for co-production of drones” (Reuters). Trump acknowledged that talks to end the war were proving “more difficult than anyone had thought” (EuroNews). He called Russian President Vladimir Putin “more difficult” and said Putin “really has to end that war” (Reuters). On the battlefield, Zelenskyy’s appeal for more military support comes as Russia attempts to carry out a summer offensive (NYT). Ukraine has reported progress rebuffing those efforts; today Ukraine’s top general said Ukrainian forces halted Russian troops in the northern region of Sumy (Reuters). Kyiv has also contested Moscow’s claim that it had fully retaken Russia’s Kursk region following a Ukrainian incursion (BBC). NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said at the summit that the entire alliance is “totally committed” to backing Kyiv in its fight and ensuring any potential peace deal is durable (Guardian).

In Dnipro, a two-part Russian missile attack reportedly killed at least fifteen people, wounded over two hundred, including eighteen children, and damaged dozens of residential buildings and educational facilities; two people were also killed in Samar, a town six miles from Dnipro (Reuters). Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russian shells allegedly killed four civilians in southern Kherson, and a drone strike in Sumy killed three civilians (AP). Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy posted on his Telegram account demanding that allies implement stronger sanctions against Russia and work to prevent Russia from building its ballistic missiles that require foreign components (AP).

In an overnight attack, Russia fired 352 drones and sixteen missiles at residential areas, hospitals, and sports infrastructure in Kyiv; nine people were purportedly killed, and an unspecified number were injured (BBC). 

Ukraine’s top military commander said that the country’s troops still control an approximate thirty-five-square-mile area of the Russian region of Kursk, refuting Moscow’s claim in April that it had pushed Ukraine out (BBC; BBC). Ukraine began its incursion into Kursk last August but was fought back by both Russian and North Korean troops (ISW).

An overnight Russian drone attack in Odesa and Kharkiv struck apartment blocks, allegedly killing one and injuring roughly twenty-four civilians (AP). President Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is working to rapidly develop interceptor drones to counter Russia’s recent attacks using Shahed drones (Reuters). At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russians and Ukrainians were “one people”, and so “the whole of Ukraine is ours”; Zelenskyy rejected this notion (Reuters).