Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 07-20-2024

They were arrested for "computer-related offences with terrorist intent" over cyberattacks on Spain and other nation's public and private entities by flooding them with malicious traffic.

Spanish police said Saturday that they had arrested three people accused of taking part in cyberattacks by a pro-Russian group targeting public institutions and strategic sectors in Spain and other NATO countries.

The attacks targeted countries that have supported Ukraine in its struggle against the Russian invasion.

Gen. Ben Hodges lays out what could be done to assure a Ukrainian victory and a Russian defeat, while explaining why these steps should be taken without any further delay.

In a drive to shore up Ukrainian air defenses, the Estonian Defense Ministry says that it has delivered a shipment of modern French-made Mistral short-range anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine.

The Estonian Ministry of Defense confirmed on July 6 a shipment of French-made Mistral short-range anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine

“Mistral short-range air defense systems and missiles provided by Estonia have been delivered to Ukraine. Let’s keep supporting freedom fighters,” the X/Twitter post reads.

Donald J. Trump and his carnival of sycophants might have us believe that even God Himself is a Republican, as the apparent Messiah – a convicted felon – preaches again to the converted.

“There was blood pouring everywhere. Yet, in a certain way, I felt very safe, because I had God on my side.”

Words spoken by a deeply religious man? Thus spoke a psychotic liar invoking yet again the name of God whom he does not worship. If only he could continue fooling the Evangelicals and even the Catholics.

Aleksander Kwaśniewski, Poland’s president from 1995-2005, talks about how the West should be dealing with Russia and how the EU and NATO need to adapt to global changes.

This exclusive interview with Aleksander Kwaśniewski, the former two-term Polish president (1995-2005), covers recent events in Ukraine, Russia and Poland. The ex-president was heavily involved in Ukrainian affairs during his presidency and remains so to this day. The interview covered what went on behind the scenes during the Orange Revolution and the Euromaidan Revolution of Dignity and whether the subsequent Russian-Ukrainian war could have been avoided.

See Part 1 of the interview here. 

A sample of what the European press is saying about the re-election of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission.

Ursula von der Leyen will lead the EU Commission for another five years after an absolute majority of 401 MEPs in the European Parliament voted in her favor on Thursday. In her campaign speech, the German CDU politician said that the ban on combustion cars should be softened through the introduction of exceptions for e-fuels and that the bloc's external borders are to be better protected. Europe's press takes stock.

The EU still has the power to act

Belarus remains one of the few European countries to have death penalties, and a human rights group said this was the first time someone has been tried for mercenary activity in Belarus.

A German combat medic accused by Belarus of committing crimes including "terrorism" and "mercenary activity" has been sentenced to death by firing squad, a Belarusian rights group said Friday.

Rico Krieger, 30, was convicted under six articles of Belarus's criminal code in a secretive trial held at the end of June, the Viasna Human Rights Centre reported.

Farion, who was known for her controversial remarks on the Ukrainian language issue, was shot in the head on Friday evening, but the motive of the murder remains unclear.

Iryna Farion, an ultranationalist figure in Ukraine who was known for her controversial statements on the issue of the Ukrainian language, was murdered on a street in Lviv, western Ukraine, on Friday evening.

Initial reports of the shooting surfaced Friday evening around 8 p.m. local time. She was reportedly walking down the street when an unknown assailant shot her in the head.

Initial reports said four railway workers received minor injuries, and the attack affected trains between Kharkiv, Kyiv and Kramatorsk.

Russia struck railway facilities in the Kharkiv region in the early hours of Saturday, July 20, and and led to train service disruptions, said Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s state-owned railway enterprise.

Ukrzaliznytsia, in an announcement, said four of its employees received minor injuries, and the attack damaged buildings and train wagons, affecting traffic between Kharkiv, Kyiv and Kramatorsk.

Trump's frequent praise for Putin and reluctance to outright criticize the Russian invasion have stirred concerns among Ukraine's allies that he would force the country into accepting partial defeat.

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Friday he had spoken by telephone with Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky, and pledged to end the European country's war with Russia.

"I appreciate President Zelensky for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated the importance of developing an international consensus for pursuing peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban appears to be augmenting several Russian information operations amid continued efforts to present himself as a possible future mediator between Russia and Ukraine.
• New United Kingdom (UK) Defense Secretary John Healey stated on July 19 that Ukraine can use UK-provided weapons to strike military targets in Russia, despite previous reports that the UK had not permitted Ukraine to use UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to strike military targets within Russia.
• The Kremlin is reportedly concerned about the long-term social and political implications of Russian veterans returning from the war in Ukraine.
• The Russian government is reportedly considering stricter measures to directly censor critical voices on Russian social media.
• Russian authorities continue to propose stricter migration legislation as Russia's ultranationalists continue to espouse xenophobic rhetoric and complain about the Russian government's perceived lenient migration policy.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Siversk, Toretsk, and Avdiivka.
• Disorganization continues to plague Russian efforts to integrate personnel who served in Russian proxy forces in occupied Ukraine into the Russian military bureaucracy.

The judge said Gershkovich would be sent to a "strict regime colony," a Russian prison camp notorious for harsh conditions and strict rules after three court sessions in a secretive closed-door trial.

US reporter Evan Gershkovich was sentenced by a Russian court on Friday to 16 years in prison for "espionage," a verdict slammed as "despicable," "disgraceful" and a "sham" by Western governments and his employer.

Gershkovich was sentenced after just three court sessions in a secretive closed-door trial in the Urals City of Yekaterinburg, the city where he was arrested while on a reporting trip in March 2023.

Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners shot down the fighter bomber that was targeting Ukrainian military positions.

Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners have shot down a Russian Su-25 ground attack aircraft in the Donetsk region, as reported by the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops via Telegram.

“In the Pokrovsky sector, our Ukrainian servicemen shot down a Russian Su-25 aircraft that was firing at the positions of units of the Defense Forces,” the report said.