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

The US has reprioritized Swiss-ordered Patriot systems, redirecting them to Ukraine to bolster Kyiv’s air defenses amid escalating Russian attacks – signaling growing Western support.

Swiss officials say the United States diverted already-purchased Patriot air defense systems from Bern to Kyiv as part of the White House’s renewed effort to boost Ukraine’s defensive capabilities, according to Swiss authorities. 

Switzerland was expecting to receive the first of five Patriot systems in 2026 after completing the purchase in 2022.

The German Chancellor announced that the issue is being discussed today in London, as Europe struggles to shoulder the financial and military burden of providing Patriots to Ukraine.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced today in London that Ukraine will be receiving Patriot missile defense systems in the coming weeks, as the US and NATO partners work to hammer out a deal to get Kyiv much-needed air defense.

“At this hour, the defense ministries are discussing the details of how we can ensure the appropriate delivery of Patriot[s] to Ukraine in a short time. This could take weeks. The negotiations are very specific, the American side is ready to do this, but we do not have a result yet,” Merz told Ukrinform.

Under the proposed deal, the US would purchase Ukrainian drones while Ukraine would purchase US weaponry following Washington’s latest U-turn on Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said a “mega deal” is in the works with US President Donald Trump for the US to purchase Ukrainian drones in return for Kyiv to purchase US weaponry. 

The proposed deal would see Ukraine selling battle-tested drones and technology – some capable of reaching deep inside Russia 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles) from the Ukrainian border – in exchange for unspecified US weapons.

Yulia Svyrydenko’s government retains 90% of the previous cabinet, yet a number of important nuances change the picture.

On Thursday, the Verkhovna Rada approved the candidacy of the new prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, and, overall, a new government. 

However, calling it a “new” government might be misleading, despite there being key changes worth noting. 

Filmed on the front lines outside Pokrovsk, this Kyiv Post exclusive takes you inside the command center of Ukraine’s 1st Assault Regiment – where every meter of ground comes at a cost.

Ukraine’s central bank calls it a record, as another Recovery Conference helps Ukrainian banks boost funding for private capital.

At the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Rome on July 10–11, Ukrainian banks signed a record €1.5 billion ($1.74 billion) in agreements with foreign partners.

Ukraine’s state-owned banks – PrivatBank, Ukrgasbank, Ukreximbank, Oschadbank, – were among the active signers, but private banks with foreign capital also signed funding: Credit Agricole Ukraine, Bank Lviv, Piraeus Bank, and Kredobank.

The American-made low-cost kamikaze drone features a modular system where it can carry different payloads depending on mission requirements.

The drone, unveiled on Wednesday at the Pentagon’s courtyard during an inspection by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is developed by Arizona-based arms maker SpektreWorks.

The drone was displayed alongside a printed quote of US President Donald Trump, where he cited the need for a US alternative to the Shahed drones based on lessons learned in Ukraine.

Among the most eye-catching provisions is the pledge that both Berlin and London would “pursue deep exchanges” and “a close dialogue” on defence, including on “nuclear issues” and “nuclear threats.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a landmark friendship treaty on Thursday, which will see the two countries collaborate more closely on security matters, including on nuclear deterrence.

The signing in London crowns a diplomatic effort that began last summer when Starmer and Merz’s predecessor, Olaf Scholz, announced that they would seek to sign the countries’ first-ever bilateral friendship treaty.

Ukraine has recovered the bodies of 1,000 fallen soldiers from Russian custody, with identification efforts now underway.

Ukraine has recovered the bodies of another 1,000 fallen Ukrainian soldiers formerly held by Russia.

“According to the Russian side, the bodies belong to Ukrainian citizens, including servicemen. All necessary forensic examinations and identification procedures will be carried out by law enforcement investigators in cooperation with Interior Ministry experts,” the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement on Thursday, July 17.

With this help, Ukraine would still need to fill a funding gap for 2026-2027, while some members are already backing away from the EU Commission’s ambitious seven-year overall budget.

The European Commission unveiled its plan for a dynamic seven-year budget, totaling nearly €2 trillion ($2.3 trillion, or 1.26% of the EU estimated gross income from 2028 to 2034), with €100 ($116 billion) planned for Kyiv over the period; but some members are already backing away from the ambitious proposal.

The European Commission proposed a dynamic Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) totaling nearly €2 trillion ($2.3 trillion) to cover all budget expenditures from 2028 to 2034.

Ukraine’s President appoints his deputy prime minister for Euro-Atlantic integration as his special representative for US cooperation while her candidacy as ambassador to Washington is under review.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he has appointed Olha Stefanishyna as the Special Representative for the Development of Cooperation with the United States. She will hold this position while the process of approving her candidacy as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States is underway.

“All the necessary procedures for approving her candidacy with Washington as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States are underway,” the announcement said.

Ukraine’s Digital Ministry invited foreign arms makers to test its weapons in the country with troop participation in its latest drive to draw funding and technology to fend off Moscow’s invasion.

Kyiv has launched a new initiative to attract foreign weapons and innovation – by welcoming arms testing on Ukraine’s testing grounds.

The Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said the initiative, known as “Test in Ukraine,” will be done via the country’s Brave1 defense cluster, a project aimed at boosting and scaling new defense projects.

An alumnus from MITS Accelerator, an Estonian-Ukrainian technology startup specializing in electronic warfare, attracted capital from two US-Ukraine based investment funds.

Ukrainian DefenseTech company Teletactica secured investment from MITS Capital and Green Flag Ventures to help it scale next-gen tactical communications for frontline deployment and European expansion.

Teletactica, an Estonian-Ukrainian technology company, focuses on developing advanced communication systems for defense and dual-use applications

The crisis has been caused by a combination of war damage, water blockades, unusually hot summers and institutional negligence by Russia and the pro-Moscow regimes the Kremlin has installed.

The deteriorating water supply in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine – both in terms of availability and quality when it’s there – has been a hot issue for both mainstream and social media in Crimea, the Donbas, and other Russian-occupied areas from even before the 2022 full-scale invasion.

Eastern and southern Ukraine used to benefit from one of the rare triumphs of Soviet times – expansive reservoirs, a network of man-made and natural distribution channels, such as the “Seversky Donets – Donbass” and the “North Crimean” canals, serviced by a constellation of pumping stations, built in the 1950s.

The SBU has detained a 45-year-old Kharkiv woman who provided information on Ukrainian military positions to enable Russia to prepare a missile strike on the seat of the city’s government.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has announced it detained a 45-year-old female resident of Kharkiv who is accused of helping the Russian army to prepare missile strikes on Kharkiv City Hall.

According to the SBU press service, the woman was allegedly gathering intelligence for a potential new strike by Russian forces on a location linked to one of the city council departments.

Starting September 1, 2025, Russians may face fines for intentionally searching so-called “extremist content” online – even with VPNs.

Russia is preparing to fine people for searching banned content online, even if they use a VPN to do so.

The proposed changes to the country’s Administrative Code would introduce fines of 3,000 to 5,000 rubles (about $35 to $60) for “intentional searches” for materials the government deemed extremist on the internet.

HUR’s “Bratstvo” fighter single-handedly repelled an assault by five Russians near Kupiansk, after which they used poison gas, mortars, and FPV drones.

On the Kupiansk axis in Kharkiv region, a soldier from the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence special unit, “Bratstvo,” single-handedly held off an assault by five Russian soldiers.

According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR), Russian forces used banned chemical agents against the Ukrainian soldier and followed up with mortar fire and first-person-view (FPV) drone strikes.

The vote comes amid a sweeping government reshuffle initiated by President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this week. Svyrydenko, 39, previously served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy.

Ukraine’s parliament has officially appointed Yulia Svyrydenko as the country’s new Prime Minister, securing 262 votes in favor during Thursday’s session of the Verkhovna Rada.

The vote comes amid a sweeping government reshuffle initiated by President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this week. Svyrydenko, 39, previously served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy.

The attack follows Ukraine’s numerous public calls for a ceasefire, a proposal backed by US President Donald Trump. The Kremlin has so far rejected the offer, insisting on “new territorial realities.”

Ukrainian drones struck 11 regions across Russia overnight, damaging homes, disrupting airports, and injuring civilians, Russian officials said Thursday.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 122 drones across the country and in occupied Crimea. The largest numbers were shot down over the Bryansk (43) and Kursk (38) regions. 

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are rapidly reinforcing their armed forces in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as tensions rise in the region.

Lithuania’s armed forces are pounding prototype bunkers with artillery shells to test which would best withstand a potential Russian attack.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are rapidly reinforcing their armed forces in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as tensions rise in the region. All three countries have pledged to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defense.  

Apart from news on new financing, the startup also introduced a new “last mile” module for FPV drones capable of homing in on their targets from 500 meters away.

The Fourth Law (TFL), a Ukrainian company developing autonomy systems for first-person view (FPV) drones, announced its first round of investment from a group of venture funds and angel investors based in the EU, US and Canada.

“And even a bit from Ukraine,” TFL’s founder Yaroslav Azhnyuk wrote in his LinkedIn post announcing the investments.

The attacks came after US President Donald Trump on Monday gave Moscow 50 days to reach a peace deal with Ukraine.

Russia launched a wave of drone attacks on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro and surrounding areas overnight, killing one person and injuring at least 10 others, local officials said Thursday.

The attacks came after US President Donald Trump on Monday gave Moscow 50 days to reach a peace deal with Ukraine.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• The Kremlin is recycling several longstanding informational narratives, including nuclear threats, in a renewed effort to break the United States away from Ukraine and the NATO alliance.
• Western officials provided additional details about the new US-led effort to arm Ukraine.
• Russian forces conducted a large series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine overnight on July 15 to 16, heavily targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
• The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) accepted the resignation of Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on July 16, dissolving the current Ukrainian government.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast. Russian forces recently advanced in northern Kharkiv Oblast and near Borova, Lyman, and Novopavlivka.

Ex-Ambassador exposes Kremlin hypocrisy as report details ‘ingenious’ Russian propaganda.

WASHINGTON, DC – Russia is undertaking “ingenious and nasty efforts” to eradicate Ukraine’s identity, culture, and language in occupied territories, according to a new Atlantic Council (AC) report.

Kremlin-friendly Slovakia and Hungary were also against the proposal: “Ukraine would get a massive funding boost, while European farmers lose out,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

The European Union executive on Wednesday proposed a two-trillion-euro long-term budget focused on tackling overseas competition and Russian aggression, but it was quickly shot down by Germany, the bloc’s largest member.  

Germany said it was “unable to accept” the $2.3-trillion budget for 2028-2034, which EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called “the most ambitious ever proposed”. Farm unions also quickly came out against proposed reforms to the bloc’s huge agriculture subsidies.

State Department Layoffs Spark Outcry in Senate, Lawmakers Warn of Crippled Ukraine Efforts

WASHINGTON, DC – US Senators are sharply criticizing the State Department for recent widespread layoffs, arguing that the cuts are undermining efforts to counter Russian aggression and support Ukraine.

During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Wednesday, Democratic lawmakers expressed deep concerns that the “reduction in force” at the department, particularly the dismissal of senior intelligence analysts specializing in Russia and Ukraine, will severely hamper US foreign policy objectives.