Ukraine War News Today - Top Stories and Breaking Updates from Kyiv Post

To mark American Independence Day, Kyiv Post spoke with several Ukrainian Americans. Some were fighting on the front lines, while others were trying to adjust to new lives and identities in the US.

July 4th commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, when the United States began its fight for sovereignty from Great Britain. As the US observes the 249th anniversary of its founding, Ukrainian Americans and Ukrainians living in the US and in Ukraine reflect on how Ukraine is fighting for its independence today. Kyiv Post caught up with several of them asked them how they feel about their dual identity in the current political climate.

Some had grown up in the Soviet Union, while others were born in independent Ukraine or even in the US. They all shared a sense of pride in both identities, but expressed concern about the state of affairs in both Ukraine and the US. This was a common theme for many of the people living in the US, especially following the Trump administration’s decision this week to cut off the supply of certain weapons to Ukraine despite it facing increasing Russian drone and missile attacks.

The State Statistics Service’s estimate of Ukraine’s real GDP growth falls between those of the IER and NBU, all of which indicate a slowdown.

Ukraine’s real GDP rose by 0.9% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period the previous year, the State Statistics Service reported.

Compared to the last quarter of 2024, Ukraine’s GDP rose by 0.7%, according to Ukraine’s official statistics. 

Emergency crews worked through rubble in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi District on July 4 after a massive Russian aerial attack on the capital.

On the day America celebrated its “birthday,” European parliamentarians implored US leadership of the free world facing aggression from Russia – “Putin must be forced to stop.”

On July 4, a group of 33 leading European parliamentarians signed a letter highlighting the need for continued US leadership of the free world facing aggression from Russia.

The move came amid concerns over the Pentagon announcing a halt to some munition shipments bound for Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president’s Friday phone call with his US counterpart followed one of the worst aerial assaults on Kyiv and a halt on US arms deliveries.

President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed a “fruitful conversation” with US President Donald Trump on Friday, where the two reportedly discussed air defense and joint arms production shortly after a massive Russian aerial assault on Kyiv left part of the city in flames. 

Kyiv said it aimed to clarify on the call why, on Tuesday, the US had halted arms supplies bound for Ukraine.

What do ambassadors say off camera? In Kyiv, Canada’s and Greece’s envoys share laughs and insights on diplomacy, AI, Ukraine’s future, and life far from home.

Finland, one of NATO’s newest members, became the latest of Russia’s neighbors to pull out from the anti-personnel landmine ban in light of security threats posed by Moscow.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb approved the country’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty that bans the use of anti-personnel landmines, citing a “deteriorated security situation.”

Finland’s decision will take effect six months after it officially notifies the UN.

NATO welcomed its new Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) US Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, who told the recent Senate confirmation hearing that Kyiv could win the war against Moscow.

Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, nominated by US President Donald Trump to become the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), assumed the position on Friday.

Grynkewich, who as a Lieutenant General, served as the head of the Joint Chiefs’ Operations Directorate, became the most senior US commander in Europe, whose nomination was announced by the US Defense Secretary Pete Hesgeth on June 5.

The meeting on July 10 will come as US-led peace talks on ending the more than three-year-old war against Ukraine have stalled, with the deployment of a “reassurance force” returning to the agenda.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will during the French leader’s visit next week to the UK co-chair talks with other European leaders on boosting Ukraine’s defenses, the Elysee Palace said on Friday.

“There will certainly be a discussion on how to seriously maintain Ukraine’s combat capability,” the Elysee Palace said, adding that Starmer and Macron will co-chair the meeting of Kyiv’s allies by video link. 

The attack followed a major attack on Kyiv on the same day and another drone strike on a military recruitment center in the same city a few days prior.

Russian drones struck Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelensky in central Ukraine, on Friday morning, injuring at least three.

Friday’s attack followed a major aerial assault on Kyiv that left the city engulfed in flames.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said most of the Ukrainian troops who returned during this exchange have been in Russian captivity since Moscow launched the invasion in 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced another completed round of prisoner exchange on Friday.

The last round of exchange took place on June 26, with the release of prisoners of war (POWs) being the major – if not only – agreement between Kyiv and Moscow after multiple negotiations in Istanbul.

The plan followed news that the US has halted air defense delivery crucial for Kyiv’s defense against intensifying Russian aerial assaults, including one of the largest in the war on Friday morning.

Germany was exploring the possibility of purchasing more Patriot air defense systems from the United States for Ukraine, a government spokesman said Friday, as Russia intensifies its aerial attacks. 

Asked to comment on reports that the government in Berlin had reached out to Washington over a deal for new anti-missile systems, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said he could “confirm that more intensive discussions are indeed taking place on this.”

Daily updates from the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) regarding frontline developments and casualty figures amidst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As of July 4, Russia has lost 1,024,210 troops after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 – including 1,120 troops over the past day, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU). 

Russian casualties in Ukraine surpassed one million on June 16.

Trump said he was “very disappointed” with his phone call with Putin, accusing the Russian president of showing no interest in ending the war. Trump announced he’d speak with Zelensky Friday.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday evening expressed frustration over his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the same day, saying the conversation yielded no progress on ending the war in Ukraine.

“I’m speaking to President [Volodymyr] Zelensky tomorrow early in the morning,” Trump told reporters. “And I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had today [Thursday] with President Putin, because I don’t think he’s there.”

Ukraine used heavy Lazar bomber drones piggy-backed on sea drones to destroy high-value Russian air defense radars positioned on the occupied Crimean Peninsula.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (MOD) posted a report on X on Thursday that it had used unmanned surface vehicles (USV – sea drones) to launch “Baba Yaga” bomber drones against Russian air defense radars in Crimea – although it was unclear just how many USV and aerial drones were used.

The report said that the operation had destroyed three Nebo-M radars that are effectively the “eyes and ears” of Moscow’s air defense network on the occupied peninsula.

After the American colonies declared independence from the British Crown, they fought a war that no one expected them to win. But they did win – with a lot of help.

At a Senate hearing on June 11, 2025, a testy exchange occurred between Senator Mitch McConnell, who strongly supports Ukraine aid, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who holds the so-called America First view. The exchange revealed a deepening split among GOP officials on the war. McConnell asked: “America’s reputation is on the line... Will we defend democratic allies against authoritarian aggressors?”

McConnell’s question to Hegseth raises a further question: what is America’s reputation and how did we get it? The Ukrainians have chosen freedom over the bounds of an oppressive Russian autocracy. Why is it that Ukraine and Europe turn to America for aid and help against Russia? Using the words of Vice President JD Vance, why are Americans to “bail out Europe again?”

An open appeal from Kyiv Post to Americans and their leadership on their Independence Day.

On this fourth 4th of July since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we at Kyiv Post would like to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence with all Americans.

The signatories’ act of courageous will – to set out on an unprecedented political course despite the overwhelming odds against them – sparked not only the American Revolution nearly two and a half centuries ago, it transformed how humanity governs itself and has led to a world order in which democracy has become an aspired to standard.

Russia launched one of its largest air attacks of the full-scale war, with Kyiv and multiple regions hit. Zelensky slams Moscow’s “stupid, destructive behavior.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sent a congratulatory telegram to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Independence Day, expressing hope that relations between the two countries “will gain stability and predictability.”

The message, shared by Russia’s Foreign Ministry, conveyed Lavrov’s “sincere congratulations to the American people” and support for their “aspirations for unity and the realization of the traditional American dream.”

Russia launched a massive drone and missile strike on Kyiv, injuring dozens. Fires broke out across the city as helicopters fought blazes and debris damaged key civilian infrastructure.

Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight into Thursday, July 3, injuring at least 23 people and igniting fires across the city.

Helicopters were seen by Kyiv Post correspondent drawing water from local lakes to battle the blazes, while thick smoke hung over residential areas well into the morning.

Powerful explosions rocked Russian ammunition depots near Khartsyzsk as Ukrainian drones struck a key logistics hub in occupied Donetsk.

Drones operated by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) struck Russian ammunition depots in the village of Velike Orikhove, near occupied Khartsyzsk in the Donetsk region, late on in the evening of July 2.

According to a statement on the SBU’s official Telegram channel, initial explosions that began around 10 p.m. were followed by a massive secondary detonation and fire.

Again cutting Ukrainian weapons supplies, Washington’s latest move reeks of cold pragmatism, a gut-punch to Ukraine’s desperate fight against Russia’s relentless onslaught.

Again cutting Ukrainian weapons supplies, Washington’s latest move reeks of cold pragmatism, a gut-punch to Ukraine’s desperate fight against Russia’s relentless onslaught.

The Pentagon, under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has slammed the brakes on critical weapons shipments, citing “concerns” over depleted US stockpiles. The freeze includes Patriot interceptors, NASAMS munitions, Stinger missiles, and precision-guided GMLRS rockets – systems Ukraine relies on to shield its cities from Moscow’s barrages. This isn’t just a pause; it’s another betrayal made worse as it’s been dressed in bureaucratic doublespeak. Ukraine’s air defenses are stretched to breaking.

The White House’s decision to suspend congressionally approved aide to Ukraine is unlawful and must be challenged. Every time Trump appeases Moscow, Putin responds by killing more innocents.

This week’s announcement by the Trump White House that it had unilaterally decided to withhold congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine is more than a political maneuver, it’s a direct violation of US law, a betrayal of an ally under fire, and a dangerous erosion of America’s global credibility. Importantly, it places Russian interests first – and America last.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly justified the move bluntly:

The 22-year-old Russian woman was filmed placing the explosive device under a car belonging to a defense industry employee before being detained.

The RIA Novosti news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the public relations department of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), that a 22-year-old woman had been detained while in the process of placing an improvised explosive device (IED) under the vehicle belonging to an employee of an unspecified defense enterprise in St. Petersburg.

The report included a video allegedly taken by the FSB that showed the women collecting the booby trap on a separate occasion, approaching the car, then placing the bomb under a Mercedes SUV before being arrested as she walked away.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected US President Donald Trump’s call for a quick peace in Ukraine during a phone call with Trump on July 3.
• Putin’s stated commitment to his goals in Ukraine, including eliminating the so-called “root causes” of the war directly contradicts his claim that Russia supports meaningful negotiations to end the war.
• Details about the recent US suspension of aid to Ukraine remain unclear.
• A Ukrainian strike killed the deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy in Kursk Oblast, and an unknown actor may have assassinated a high-ranking Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) official in Moscow City.
• Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reportedly assassinated the former occupation mayor of Luhansk City.
• Ukraine’s Western allies continue to provide military aid to Ukraine, but the United States remains the only Ukrainian partner that can provide certain critical weapons systems – especially air defenses -- at scale and quickly.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Borova and Siversk and in western Zaporizhia Oblast. Russian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk, Toretsk, and Velyka Novosilka and in western Zaporizhia Oblast.

Senator Richard Blumenthal: “This decision places Ukraine’s future in jeopardy, encourages Vladimir Putin, and sows doubt among our closest allies.”

WASHINGTON DC – A group of Democratic lawmakers from both chambers of the US Congress on Thursday urged the Trump administration to reverse its decision to pause shipments of munitions and arms to Ukraine.

“This decision places Ukraine’s future in jeopardy, encourages Vladimir Putin, and sows doubt among our closest allies. We urge you to reverse this decision and redouble your efforts to support Ukraine as it fights for its future,” fourteen lawmakers, led by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), said in a joint letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

While continuing to deny that Beijing is materially participating in Moscow’s full-scale invasion, Wang Yi reportedly admits to EU top diplomat that a Russian defeat is strategically bad for China.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly explained Beijing’s logic in supporting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine in a conversation this week with the European Union’s top diplomat.

According to several people familiar with the conversation, Wang told the EU’s High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, that China cannot abide a Russian loss because it fears the United States then would be empowered to put that much more leverage on Beijing.

With the US halting weapons shipments to Ukraine, Europeans “have to take more of the burden” of supporting Ukraine, President Alexander Stubb tells DC event.

WASHINGTON DC – Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated on Thursday that Ukraine “is doing well on the military front” and that Europe needs to find the right balance to help Kyiv, “...where perhaps the Americans are leaving a few gaps.”

His comments came amid the latest reports that the US was halting some weapons shipments to the war-torn country, trying to fend off escalating attacks from Russia, which has deployed 50,000 troops near the border with Ukraine’s Sumy region.

The White House and the US president have remained ominously silent following Thursday’s call with Trump – a stark contrast to the usually upbeat social media updates that follow such conversations.

US President Donald Trump said he is “not happy” with his Thursday phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. 

The phone call took place amid a recent suspension of US weapon deliveries to Kyiv – a move welcomed by Moscow.