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

Budapest blames Ukraine for a church arson – Kyiv sees Kremlin-style disinfo at play. With a suspect already detained, the focus is on facts, not propaganda.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó have seized on the recent arson of a church in Transcarpathia to accuse Ukraine of targeting its ethnic Hungarian minority – a narrative Kyiv says dovetails with Kremlin-backed disinformation.

On July 16, a fire damaged a Hungarian church in Palad‑Komarivtsi. Anti-Hungarian slogans such as “Down with the Hungarians” and “Death to the Hungarians” were reportedly sprayed on its facade. Ukrainian authorities said a suspect has been detained, with no injuries reported. 

Kyiv Post spoke to Matteo Pugliese, PhD, an Italian expert on Russian disinformation campaigns working to combat Russian information operations in Latin America and around the globe.

Kyiv Post recently sat down with Matteo Pugliese, PhD, an analyst at Debunk working on Russian disinformation campaigns around the world. He recently returned from a training trip to Latin America, where he helped train civil society groups to recognize and resist Russian disinformation campaigns in their country.

KP: Please tell us about your work fighting Russian disinformation.

Brussels also proposed a more than €200-billion fund for investments and aid abroad – welcomed by humanitarian groups after the deep cuts to US foreign aid under President Donald Trump.

EU members got their first chance on Friday to debate the bloc’s €2 trillion budget bazooka, laying bare divisions among the 27 capitals over the spending plans for 2028-2034.

Seeking to balance the European Union’s key priorities, Brussels wants the next long-term budget to bolster the bloc’s economy, support farmers and plough billions more into defense – all while paying off its debts.

Ukraine’s new first deputy prime minister wants to launch a cost-cutting consultancy – much like Elon Musk’s controversial “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).”

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s minister of digital transformation, hinted at a potential new agency to slash spending and red tape much like billionaire Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).”

Fedorov assumed the position of first deputy prime minister on Thursday following the latest government shakeup. 

India has benefited from a glut of cheap Russian oil since 2022. New Delhi may now have to find alternative sources as new EU sanctions and looming American sanctions threaten its supply from Moscow.

India may soon feel the pressure of economic sanctions and tariffs if it breaks its recent dependence on cheap Russian oil imports.

This comes as US President Donald Trump threatened secondary sanctions and tariffs on any countries doing business with Russia if Moscow fails to agree to a ceasefire by September 2 (50 days from Trump’s announcement on Monday).

EU and UK have acted to pressure Russia: will Trump support the US’s allies? AFP

The European Union and Britain on Friday sought to ramp up economic pressure on Russia to halt the war in Ukraine by slashing a price cap meant to choke off revenues from key oil exports.

The move from the EU was part of a sweeping new package of sanctions – the bloc’s 18th since the start of Russia’s 2022 invasion – that also took aim at Moscow’s banking sector and military capabilities.

The Ukrainian president said he also addressed the UK and French-led “coalition of the willing” post-war peacekeeping mission to Ukraine during his recent call with his French counterpart.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said France has agreed to train additional Ukrainian pilots for the Mirage jets Kyiv has received during his Friday call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

The two also discussed bolstering Ukraine’s air defense systems and plans for the so-called “Coalition of the Willing,” a post-war peacekeeping initiative championed by the UK and France. Zelensky said the call lasted approximately an hour.

Trump announced weapons for Ukraine and gave Putin 50 days to agree to a ceasefire or face sanctions. Critics call it a dangerous delay and a “license to kill.”

President Donald Trump finally admitted on July 14 that Vladimir Putin had strung him along and announced massive weapons shipments for Ukraine.

He issued an ultimatum, giving Putin 50 days to agree to a cease-fire or face economy-busting sanctions. But the President’s delay is a mistake, and why 50 days? After all, Trump, a real estate landlord, would never allow interlopers who were trashing his property to have 50 days to vacate.

The UK hits over 20 Russian GRU officers and cyber units with sanctions for attacks on Mariupol, the Skripal poisoning plot, and a campaign of cyber sabotage across Europe.

Britain on Friday imposed a sweeping set of sanctions on more than 20 Russian military intelligence officers, hackers, and GRU units, accusing them of running a long-term campaign of cyberattacks threatening UK national security.

The sanctions target three units of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency and 18 individual officers.

The two-year course offered by the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow aims to produce experts in international corporate compliance and sanctions risk management.

One of Russia’s top universities has launched a new master’s program focused on reducing the impact of international sanctions, an indication that Moscow could be bracing for a generation of life under economic siege.

The two-year course offered by the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow aims to produce experts in international corporate compliance and sanctions risk management.

Trump’s change of position vis-à-vis Russia means little so far. At best, it is a sign that the US president is beginning to see the degree to which Putin is manipulating him.

Hannah Wagner of the Berlin newspaper “Der Tagesspiegel” interviews Dr. Andreas Umland of the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS) at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI)

Mr. Umland, US President Donald Trump has threatened Moscow’s trading partners with punitive tariffs if the Kremlin does not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine soon. Is this a major U-turn in his policy toward Russia?

Moscow region locals shared videos of what appears to be a Ukrainian drone flying overhead as officials confirmed a Ukrainian drone strike.

Dozens of Ukrainian drones have targeted multiple regions in Russia – including Moscow – overnight on Friday, shutting down airports and disrupting flights from major Russian cities.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses downed 73 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions, including three heading toward Moscow in a Telegram update.

Kaliningrad, a heavily militarized strip of Russian land between Poland and Lithuania, has long been considered a potential flashpoint in the event of a broader NATO-Russia conflict.

NATO could capture Russia’s Kaliningrad region “in a timeframe that is unheard of,” the commander of US ground forces in Europe and Africa said this week amid fears of future Russian aggression.

Speaking Wednesday at the Association of the US Army’s inaugural LandEuro conference in Wiesbaden, Germany, Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue said NATO’s land forces have developed the ability to strike and seize strategic Russian positions faster than ever before.

Ukraine’s HUR cyber unit struck Gazprom’s network, disabling systems, wiping key data from 390 subsidiaries, and causing severe technical and financial damage.

On Thursday, July 17, the cyber unit of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) carried out a strike on the network infrastructure of the Russian gas giant Gazprom, which is involved in supporting the war against Ukraine.

According to Kyiv Post sources in the HUR, as a result of the attack, a significant amount of databases was destroyed and special software was installed, which caused serious damage to the Russian company.

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 18, Russia has lost 1,039,830 troops after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 – including 1,180 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.

What the European press is saying about the choice of Yuilia Svyrydenko to head Ukraine’s wartime government.

A clear majority in the Ukrainian parliament elected Yulia Svyrydenko on July 17  as the country’s new prime minister. The 39-year-old economist succeeds Denys Shmyhal, who had held the post since 2020 and will now take over as defence minister. What can she do better?

Reliable and competent

Brussels agreed its 18th package of sanctions on Russia over Moscow’s military offensive on Ukraine, targeting Russian banks and lowering a price cap on oil exports.

Moscow downplayed on Friday the impact of fresh European Union sanctions on Russia’s economy, saying they were “illegal” and would backfire.

Brussels agreed its 18th package of sanctions on Russia over Moscow’s military offensive on Ukraine, targeting Russian banks and lowering a price cap on oil exports.

HUR said Igor Nesterov who was the trainer of Russian boxer Oleksandr Povetkin was killed in Mali while fighting as a mercenary with the Wagner PMC.

Igor Nesterov, a Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) mercenary who acted as the trainer of Russian boxer Oleksandr Povetkin, was killed during combat in the Republic of Mali, sources in Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate (HUR) told Kyiv Post on Friday, July 18.

The Wagner Group is a Russian armed formation declared in the West to be an international criminal and terrorist organization. The mercenary group, whose members include individuals convicted of serious crimes, was established in Russia in 2013 to Represent Moscow in armed conflicts without deploying regular military forces.

President Zelensky appointed the former Defense Minister to the post of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, replacing Oleksandr Lytvynenko.

On July 18, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree that appointed Rustem Umerov, previously his Minister of Defense, as Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC).

“To appoint Rustem Enverovych Umerov as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine,” the presidential decree No. 496/2025 reads.

Ukrainian and other Western commentators say Moscow has scrapped this year’s exhibition, while Russian media say it will now be “exclusively for a professional audience.”

Russia’s largest annual defense exhibition the “Army” International Military-Technical Exhibition and Forum Defense has been held at Moscow’s military-themed Patriot Park every year since 2015.

The flagship technology platform for Russia’s defense forces and industry included a mix of weapons and equipment exhibits, program of scientific and business presentations and discussions – which last year focused on “fighting the information war” – along with cultural events, and practical demonstrations of the latest vehicles and aircraft on offer.

The latest measures were delayed for weeks due to objections from Slovakia and Hungary, both of which are heavily reliant on Russian energy.

European Union countries on Friday approved a new package of sanctions against Russia over its ongoing war in Ukraine, including a sharper limit on Moscow’s oil revenue and new restrictions targeting its financial and energy sectors, EU officials said.

“The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

The attack came after US President Donald Trump on Monday gave Moscow 50 days to reach a peace deal with Ukraine – but none of the nights since then have passed without attacks on civilians.

Russian forces launched deadly overnight attacks across multiple regions of Ukraine, killing at least three civilians and injuring several others, local officials said Thursday. The strikes came amid intensified aerial assaults following US President Donald Trump’s ultimatum giving Moscow 50 days to end the war or face steep tariffs.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, a drone strike on the Pavlohrad district killed a 52-year-old man and injured two others, according to regional military chief Serhii Lysak. The victims received medical care at the scene.

The program, which makes use of the Czechs’ traditional arms trading contacts, has been a flagship of the centre-right government’s international efforts to help Ukraine fight Russia’s aggression.

Czech-arranged shipments of artillery ammunition to Ukraine are rising this year, the Defense Ministry in Prague said on Thursday.

As Ukraine suffered from a shortage of ammunition last year, the Czechs set up a team which has together with private companies searched for available ammunition stocks and new production around the world. 

In a reaction to the Syrian government’s offensive against the Druze community in southern city of As-Suwayda, Israeli jets struck the capital as a warning to the new government.

The Syrian regime’s brutal offensive on the Druze-majority region of As-Suwayda has triggered a spiraling regional crisis, drawing in Israel, collapsing a fragile ceasefire, and pushing the region to the brink of broader sectarian conflict.

More than 200 people have been killed since Sunday, including Druze civilians, regime troops, and Bedouin combatants, amid house burnings, torture, and summary executions allegedly carried out by forces aligned with Damascus and tribal militias. In response, Israel has launched a targeted military campaign in Syria aimed at protecting the embattled Druze minority and halting further escalation.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Russia’s Central Bank continues to posture Russian economic stability and growth to maintain the facade of economic stability by pursuing economic policies that will likely exacerbate Russia’s economic instability.
• Russia’s unsustainably high payments to soldiers and impacts of the resulting domestic labor shortage will likely further destabilize the Russian economy, regardless of the Kremlin’s efforts to posture stability.
• Russian bankers are reportedly privately expressing concerns over a growing number of non-performing loans despite the Russian Central Bank’s claims of economic stability.
• Reports that Ukrainian forces targeted Moscow City and St. Petersburg overnight on July 16 and 17 are likely overreacting to standard Russian statements about Ukraine’s longstanding deep strike campaign aimed at degrading Russia’s defense industrial base (DIB).
• Ukraine and Russia conducted another exchange of the bodies of soldiers killed in action (KIA) on July 17, in accordance with agreements reached during negotiations in Istanbul on June 2.
• The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada approved the appointment of former Ukrainian Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko as Ukraine’s new prime minister, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed former Justice Minister Olha Stefanishyna as a special representative to the United States.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk. Russian forces recently advanced near Borova.

White House details “steep tariffs,” secondary sanctions for Russia if no Ukraine peace deal.

WASHINGTON DC – The United States on Thursday dismissed Russia’s escalating “nuclear commentary” as “reckless and unhelpful” for regional security.

The move came just days after President Donald Trump’s 50-day deadline, a period during which Moscow has intensified its aggressive rhetoric rather than softened its stance.

He was convicted of passing the Kremlin photos of strategically important military facilities: defense-industrial complex buildings and other institutions responsible for weapons supply, etc.

A Ukrainian court on Thursday sentenced a Kyiv lawyer to 15 years in prison for spying on Ukrainian military movements and weapons facilities and passing that information on to Russian intelligence services.

The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine stated that the unnamed lawyer was charged with high treason. He was convicted of photographing and sending information on strategically important military facilities: defense-industrial complex buildings and other institutions responsible for the supply of weapons, energy infrastructure facilities, etc.

Democratic lawmaker Gregory Meeks forces congressional vote on the Ukraine Support Act, citing urgent need amid Russian aggression

WASHINGTON, DC – In a bold move to accelerate US support for Ukraine, Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Thursday filed a discharge petition for the Ukraine Support Act, a congressional bill that seeks aid for Kyiv and sanctions against Russia.

This rarely used legislative tactic aims to bypass Congressional leadership and directly force a vote on a comprehensive bill that is designed as a strong, comprehensive response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Anyone who searches for and opens content deemed ‘extremist’ – including songs that glorify Ukraine – can be punished by a $64 fine.

Russian lawmakers on Thursday advanced a bill that would outlaw opening or searching for content online judged “extremist”, such as songs glorifying Ukraine and material by feminist rock band Pussy Riot.

Critics say the law, which has drawn a rare backlash from across Russia’s political spectrum, would stifle internet freedom.