Ukraine

Starting midweek, on July 30, a wave of heat will begin moving into Ukraine. Residents of the western regions will feel the rise in temperature first. Daytime highs there will range from +23° to +28°, while in Zakarpattia the air may warm up to +30°. Almost the entire country will enjoy dry and sunny weather. Only the northeastern areas are expected to see variable cloud cover with a chance of lingering showers. • In Kyiv, the weather will be clear today. Nighttime temperatures will drop to

Since 2013, the pedestal at the foot of Taras Shevchenko Boulevard in Kyiv has stood conspicuously bare. The worn structure is streaked with white paint and graffiti. A Ukrainian trident has been fixed in the spot where Lenin once towered, looking out over the city during the decades of Soviet rule. During the Maidan revolution, protesters brought the statue down and shattered it with sledgehammers, marking a decisive break with the pro-Russian leadership of the time. In June, President

A Romanian fighter jet has downed a drone believed to be of Russian origin after it entered the country’s airspace. The episode on Friday was the first time Romania has intercepted an unauthorized aircraft since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, President Nicusor Dan said. The development has heightened concerns that the war in neighboring Ukraine could further spill into NATO territory. Romania is among several alliance members that have faced repeated drone intrusions in

Ukrainian strikes on vast Russian warehouse complexes have generated dramatic scenes, with towering columns of black smoke rising above blazing storage centers belonging to Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer and a company often compared to Amazon. Kyiv’s drones initially targeted the facilities over the weekend in Elektrostal, east of Moscow, and in the Tambov region, leaving eight people dead and dozens injured. Early Wednesday, two additional Wildberries warehouses in the southern

July 9 - President Vladimir Putin is dismissing appeals to open peace talks with Kyiv, according to three individuals close to the Kremlin, as Ukraine’s recent drone attacks on Russian oil facilities and ports appear to have reinforced his determination to continue the war. Two of the sources, who requested anonymity, said Putin is more inclined to intensify military operations as the conflict enters its fifth year. One person who regularly meets with the president described a “strong

• Russia announced a ban on diesel exports on Wednesday as part of a broader package of steps aimed at stabilising its domestic fuel market. The move follows repeated Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, which have disrupted production, caused gasoline shortages and driven up prices. In many regions, motorists have been forced to wait in long queues to fill their tanks as supplies of diesel and petrol tighten. Deputy prime minister Alexander Novak told a televised government

• US President Donald Trump held a 90-minute telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which he offered American assistance in seeking a way to end the war in Ukraine, according to a senior Kremlin official. Yuri Ushakov said the proposal was made during Saturday’s call, ahead of Trump’s planned attendance at a Nato summit in Turkey next week. “The American president once again confirmed his willingness to work toward a swift cessation of hostilities and to identify

Despite widespread fuel shortages across Russia, President Vladimir Putin has shown little public concern over Ukraine’s escalating strikes on Russian oil refineries. He has characterized the disruption to one of the world’s largest oil producers as “not critical,” brushed aside calls for a ceasefire and reaffirmed that military operations will continue until his objectives are achieved. Putin has framed the attacks on Russian energy infrastructure as an attempt by Kyiv to divert attention from

At least 17 people were killed and dozens more wounded overnight in Kyiv, according to local officials, as Russia carried out another large-scale drone and missile assault on the Ukrainian capital. As dawn broke on Thursday, fires were still burning across the city. Residential buildings in several districts were struck either directly or by falling debris, and a hotel on a central boulevard was also damaged. Authorities warned that the number of victims could rise, with emergency services

Officials in Monaco have stated that, at this point, they do not believe “terrorism” was the motive behind an explosion that injured three people. The powerful detonation occurred Monday evening at the entrance of a residential building, shortly after a man reportedly left a package at the scene. Prosecutor Stephane Thibault told journalists on Tuesday that the suspect, who escaped on foot, appears to have acted alone and has not yet been apprehended. Footage from security cameras shows the

• Ukraine could reconsider its current ceasefire proposal to Russia if the UN Security Council does not adopt a resolution calling for a complete and unconditional halt to the fighting, Kyiv’s ambassador to the UN has cautioned. Andrii Melnyk stated that recent Ukrainian strikes have shifted the momentum of the war, noting that roughly 40% of Russia’s oil refining capacity has been damaged. Ukraine could reconsider its current ceasefire proposal to Russia if the UN Security Council does not

Donald Trump has endorsed a joint statement by G7 leaders welcoming the agreement he has reached with Iran, while emphasizing that a broader follow-up deal will be required to curb Tehran’s ballistic missile programme. That issue is not directly covered in the memorandum of understanding expected to be signed by the United States and Iran on Friday. The statement notes that any future negotiations with Iran would benefit from the participation of a broader range of regional and international

A Ukrainian drone strike on a maritime terminal in southern Russia has left one person dead, Russian officials have said, marking another incident in a series of attacks targeting key infrastructure. According to Veniamin Kondratyev, governor of Russia’s Krasnodar region, falling drone fragments ignited a fire at part of the facility in the Temryuk district on Saturday. While the governor did not provide extensive details, Russian media outlets reported that damage occurred at a Black Sea

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union countries agreed on Friday to begin accession talks with Ukraine next week, formally starting the path for the war-affected nation to eventually become part of the world’s largest trading bloc. During a meeting in Brussels, ambassadors from the 27 member states decided that negotiations with Ukraine, as well as with Moldova — another country facing pressure from Moscow — will officially commence on Monday in Luxembourg. For Kyiv, joining the EU represents a vital

SEVASTOPOL, Crimea, June 10 – Residents in Russian-controlled Crimea were dealing with fuel rationing on Wednesday after Ukrainian drone strikes disrupted deliveries from mainland Russia, according to a Reuters witness. More than four years after launching its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia is contending with near-daily Ukrainian attacks targeting its energy facilities. At the same time, Western sanctions have increased the cost and complexity of exporting Russian crude, as Moscow continues

• Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Russian billionaire and former Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich visited him in Kyiv, offering to carry a message to the Kremlin regarding possible peace talks. Speaking to Sky News, Zelenskyy publicly confirmed for the first time that Abramovich had travelled to the Ukrainian capital and had some involvement in diplomatic contacts. “He came to Kyiv and told me, ‘I am speaking directly to you. I want to take a message from you and deliver it to

The occupation of the Azov Sea coastline by Russian forces and the ongoing hostilities have severely affected the region’s environment. In particular, there is a real risk that species unique to this area could disappear. According to Maksym Vysochyn, PhD in Biological Sciences and Associate Professor at the Department of Ecology of Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas, the conflict may also have disrupted established bird migration routes. How have the war and