Ukraine Calls Russian Drone Attack on Civilian a War Crime
Ukraine accused Russia of a war crime after a video emerged of a drone pursuing and wounding a vegetable seller in Kherson; in a social media post, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of carrying out a “drone safari” against civilians (Reuters).
Ukraine, Russia Trade Strikes, Killing Ten
Russian planes dropped eight glide bombs on residential districts in Zaporizhzhia, killing one person and injuring dozens of others, regional chief Ivan Fedorov said; Ukrainian drone strikes in Arkhipo-Osipovka and Crimea killed nine (AP).
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Olha Stefanishyna as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, the latest move in a recent reshuffling of senior Ukrainian government officials (Reuters).
Ukrainian Strikes Kill Eight in Russia
Ukrainian drone strikes killed at least eight people in Russia, hitting targets including a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, regional officials said (Reuters).
A bomb attack on a restaurant in Moscow killed three people and injured twenty-one others; Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin described it as a terrorist act but did not identify those responsible (AP).
Russian Strikes on Kyiv Kill Ten
Russia launched its second major missile attack on Kyiv in a week, killing ten people, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine had run out of interceptor missiles for its U.S. Patriot air defense systems (Reuters).
Poland summoned the Russian ambassador after a Russian missile landed in Polish territory the day prior (Reuters).
Russian Strikes Kill Nine in Ukraine
Russian overnight missile and drone attacks in Ukraine killed nine people, including children; following the attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that delays in supplies of air defense missiles from allies were costing lives (Reuters).
NATO said a Russian missile entered Polish airspace during the attacks and landed in a rural area; Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it “a very serious incident” (AP).
Ukraine Hits Two Major Russian Oil Refineries
Ukrainian forces struck two of Russia’s largest oil refineries overnight, starting fires at both, officials said (AP).
U.S. Shows Increased Support for Ukraine During Zelenskyy Visit
President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met ahead of Lindsey Graham’s funeral and discussed ways for Ukraine to produce its own weapons and other forms of U.S. assistance; Zelenskyy described the meeting positively in a social media post (AP).
Hours later, the Senate passed a procedural vote to advance legislation imposing sanctions on countries that purchase Russian oil, gas, and other exports (AP).
Separately, Romania shot down Russian drones after they entered its airspace, the first such intercept by a NATO member on its own territory (AP).
Zelenskyy Meets New UK Prime Minister
Zelenskyy and new United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham met at a British naval base to discuss drone cooperation and Ukraine’s requirements for ballistic missile interceptors; it was the first visit by a foreign leader since Burnham took office, and Burnham pledged continued UK support for Ukraine (AP).
Separately, Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine killed seven people and injured more than twenty, officials said (Reuters).
Ukrainian Strikes in Zaporizhzhia Kill Twelve
Twelve people, including four children, were killed in an overnight drone attack in a Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, Russian-installed local authorities said (AP).
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia is preparing to receive an additional thirty thousand North Korean troops to help in its war effort (Reuters).
Russian Strikes Near Kyiv Kill Ten
A Russian strike in Ukraine’s Kyiv region killed ten people and injured nearly one hundred others at the site of a defense industry event, Ukrainian government and industry officials said (AP).
The attacks came one day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Raytheon, the U.S. company that makes the Patriot air defense system, and President Trump said his administration would grant Ukraine a license to build it (President of Ukraine).
Zelenskyy Removes Top Ukrainian General
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy removed his top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, amid ongoing public protests over Zelenskyy’s earlier dismissal of Ukraine’s defense minister (NYT)
Russian Attack in Black Sea Kills Ten
A Russian missile strike on a ship carrying corn near Ukraine’s southern port of Odesa killed ten, Ukrainian officials said, in the deadliest attack in a weeks-long flare-up of violence in the Black Sea (Reuters)
Separately, Ukraine responded to the attacks by firing more than four hundred drones toward Moscow; meanwhile, protests in Ukraine have continued over the recent ousting of the defense minister (AP)
North Korea’s Top Diplomat Meets Putin in Kremlin
North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, where Putin thanked her for help in Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine; Choe confirmed North Korea’s “unwavering understanding and support” for Putin’s war effort (AP).
Russian Strikes Kill At Least Six in Ukraine
Russia bombarded Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles, killing at least six and wounding dozens (AP)
Protests Erupt in Ukraine Over Defense Minister Dismissal
Hundreds of people took to the streets in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities to demand an explanation for President Zelenskyy’s dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov (Reuters)
Separately, Ukraine and Russia launched missile and drone attacks on vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, triggering a rise in global wheat prices (Reuters)
Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Forced Out
Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov was ousted amid President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s latest government restructuring; he was a prominent proponent of fighting with drones and robots, helping to shape Ukraine’s recent innovative military strategy (NYT)
Meanwhile, Ukraine and the European Union have launched a new EU-Ukraine Defense Industrial Partnership aiming to combine Kyiv’s expertise with EU industrial capacity to scale up weapons production in Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said (AP)
Separately, Russia and Ukraine have both stepped up their battle over the Black Sea and key trade routes, with Moscow killing three people in an attack on Odesa and Kyiv’s drone forces striking Russian shipping (Reuters)
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Terrorism Over Sea of Azov Attacks
Russia accused Ukraine of terrorism over its escalating attacks on shipping in the Sea of Azov after Ukrainian drones hit eleven Russian vessels overnight, according to Ukraine’s drone forces commander (Reuters)
Shipping Restricted in Russia’s Key Azov Sea Grains Trade Route
Shipping in the Sea of Azov, the route for a quarter of Russia’s grains exports, remained restricted following Ukrainian attacks on tankers and other commercial vessels in the area (Reuters)
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who had visited Ukraine ten times since Russia’s full-scale invasion; Oleksandr Merezhko, a lawmaker with Zelenskyy’s party, called Graham the “closest link” between Ukraine and the United States and said that Ukraine’s relationship with Trump may become weaker as a result of Graham’s death (AP)
During a summit on security guarantees for Ukraine held in Paris, Ukraine and nine other countries announced they are forming a coalition to protect Europe from ballistic missiles (AP)
Ukrainian Prime Minister Steps Down, Zelenskyy Announces Government Reshuffle
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stepped down, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine was “changing its political strategy,” the fourth major government reorganization since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion (AP)
Meanwhile, Germany is funding fifty thousand attack drones for Ukraine, marking one of the biggest known purchases of drones for Kyiv by a Western government (Reuters)
Russian Strikes Kill Eight in Ukraine
Russia launched missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, killing eight people and wounding dozens, officials said, as Kyiv awaited supplies of air defense munitions amid a shortage (Reuters)
Trump Agrees to Ukrainian Patriot Missile Interceptor Request
During the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration would grant Ukraine a production license to build its own Patriot missile interceptors for defense (NYT)
Meanwhile, Russian drones and missile strikes killed four people across Ukraine; meanwhile, Ukraine struck oil refineries in Russia’s Saratov and Tatarstan regions, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (AP)
Russian Strikes on Kyiv Kill At Least Twenty
Russia mounted its second major attack on Kyiv in days, killing at least twenty civilians and injuring fifty-six others, according to authorities (AP)
Trump Calls Putin and Zelenskyy Separately
U.S. President Donald Trump held separate calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss ending the war in Ukraine (CBS/AP)
Separately, a Ukrainian attack on Russian-occupied Crimea killed one and injured two others, according to Moscow-installed regional governor Sergei Aksyonov (AP)
Russian Strikes on Kyiv Kill Thirty-One
Russia carried out an eleven-hour drone and missile attack overnight in Kyiv, killing thirty-one civilians and injuring over one hundred, according to the country’s Emergency Service; Russia’s Defense Ministry said the assault was in response to Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities (AP)
EU Releases Additional Four Billion-Euro Loan Package to Ukraine
The European Union has transferred an additional $4.44 billion of its $101 billion loan—the first $3.4 billion was released on June 25—for advanced drone technology to strengthen Ukraine’s defense, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Reuters)
Separately, Ukraine launched a major drone attack on Moscow, which the country said hit Dubna Satellite Communications Center, one of Russia’s largest satellite communication centers; a drone also killed a six-month-old baby in Yegoryevsk (CNN)