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

Ukraine’s allies pledged new air defense, drones, and joint weapons deals at the latest Ramstein meeting – with the US, Germany, Norway, and others ramping up long-term support.

The 29th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group – better known as the Ramstein format – concluded Monday with a new round of military pledges aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defense capability and building long-term resilience.

In his first appearance at the forum as Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Denys Shmyhal welcomed a series of commitments from key partner nations and advocated for continued coordination on weapons production and delivery.

UK slaps 137 new sanctions on Russia’s shadow fleet, targeting $24B in oil exports as part of efforts to drain Putin’s war chest and enforce the oil price cap.

The United Kingdom has imposed sweeping new sanctions on Russia’s oil export infrastructure, targeting 137 entities including tankers, shipping companies, and energy firms involved in what officials have taken to calling the Kremlin’s “shadow fleet,” used to evade Western price caps.

The measures were announced Monday by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who said the goal was to prevent Russia from continuing to fund its war in Ukraine via its oil reserves. 

The detention of NABU employees suspected of ties with Russia by the SBU and other law enforcement agencies has prompted many to suspect a government vendetta against anti-corruption institutions.

Ukraine has witnessed another clash between law enforcement agencies.

On Monday, the Security Service (SBU) arrested several National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) employees after conducting mass searches. At the same time, inspections by the SBU of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) may have unlawfully gained access to secret information relating to NABU’s investigative activities – an accusation the SBU denies.

Kyiv appears to have given up its initial push for a ceasefire with Moscow – the very basis on which this year’s talks had resumed in the first place.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv has three main priorities for the upcoming talks with Moscow: the return of prisoners of war, the repatriation of children abducted to Russia, and an in-person meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky announced on Saturday a new round of direct negotiations with Moscow. Turkish media said the talks might happen on Wednesday and Thursday in Istanbul.

China has been one of the major buyers of Russian and Iranian oil, providing Moscow and Tehran with the much-needed funds amid years of sanctions – but now the US is trying to put a stop to it.

The next round of US-China talks could include Chinese purchases of Russian and Iranian oil, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday, a move that would shift the focus of trade negotiations into national security issues.

US President Donald Trump has imposed fresh tariffs on allies and competitors alike this year, and Washington and Beijing in April rapidly hiked duties on each other’s goods in a tit-for-tat escalation.

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 21, Russia has lost 1,043,160 troops after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 – including 1,170 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.

A former Ukrainian police officer was found dead in the same Spanish complex where Russian defector pilot Maksim Kuzminov was killed, raising suspicions of Russian involvement.

A former Ukrainian police officer has died in opaque circumstances in the same Spanish residential complex where Russian defector-pilot Maksim Kuzminov was assassinated in February 2024.

Ihor Hrushevsky, 61, a former officer of Ukraine’s Department for Combating Organized Crime, was found dead on June 29 in the pool of the Cala Alta complex in Villajoyosa, Alicante. He had recently purchased an apartment there. That evening, he had gone for a swim, but was later discovered floating face down in the water. Neighbors and medics tried to resuscitate him, but were unsuccessful, El Español wrote.

Germany’s defense minister said the systems would be delivered “as soon as possible” although he did not specify an exact timeframe or how many missiles would accompany them.

Germany said it would soon send five Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine in coordination with the US.

It was unclear if the systems would be provided from Germany’s own stockpile.

To support Russia’s escalating aerial barrages, the factory – which employs teenage apprentices – is churning out nine times as many drones as was initially planned, its director said.

Russia has showcased what it calls the biggest drone factory in the world, broadcasting rare footage from inside a plant assembling the deadly attack drones it fires at Ukraine on a daily basis.

Moscow has launched record numbers of drones at Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, escalating aerial attacks as it ignores calls from US President Donald Trump to halt its offensives.

A big Russian drone raid right now is 500+ UAVs. Sources say that figure might quadruple, while performance of the modified Russian Geran eclipses that of the original Iranian Shahed.

Russian weapons engineers are on track to quadruple the number of kamikaze drones launched against Ukraine and, thanks to nearly three years of use in this war, the Kremlin’s robot aircraft are harder to intercept and more lethal than ever before.

Russian state media in a Sunday broadcast profiling assembly workshops of the Alabuga industrial zone in Tatarstan, where the Kremlin manufactures the Iranian Shahed drones under license, reported production figures for the most common explosives-toting drone launched by Russia at Ukraine – the Shahed-136 – are jetting higher.

The call from London echoed US President Donald Trump’s recent 50-day ultimatum for Moscow to move toward a ceasefire or face crushing sanctions and tariffs.

The UK said it would unveil a new “50-day drive” to help bolster Ukraine’s air defense alongside Germany during Monday’s Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting.

The timeframe echoes US President Donald Trump’s 50-day ultimatum last week for Moscow to move toward a ceasefire or face crushing sanctions and tariffs.

Moscow said a date for talks was being worked on, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed holding fresh negotiations over the weekend.

Russia on Monday downplayed the chances of a breakthrough in peace talks with Ukraine, saying the two sides held “diametrically” opposed positions, hours after it launched a massive drone and missile barrage on Kyiv.

Moscow said a date for talks was being worked on, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed holding fresh negotiations over the weekend.

A Kyiv-based startup that makes thermal cameras and FPV drones teams up with Denmark’s top defense firm to build a cheap AI-powered drone interceptor to stop Shaheds, Mavics, and more.

Ukrainian defense tech startup Odd Systems will collaborate with a Danish defense prime Terma Group to work on a low-cost, AI-powered drone interceptor.

The Ukrainian defense tech company announced the news in a press release on Monday. The startup, founded in 2023 and headquartered in Kyiv, develops and manufactures thermal cameras and FPV drones, with offices in the US, the EU, and elsewhere in Ukraine.

The SBU on Monday launched coordinated raids across several regions, targeting NABU anti-corruption employees and individuals allegedly linked to a Russian intelligence network.

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) is under investigation following allegations by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) that Russian intelligence may have infiltrated the agency.

On Monday, July 21, the SBU, in cooperation with the Prosecutor General’s Office, launched coordinated raids across several regions, targeting NABU employees and individuals allegedly linked to a Russian intelligence network.

Ukraine and America can win together if they combine their assets and strength. The alternative can only be to watch the hard-earned US deterrence capability evaporate.

Many Ukrainians are celebrating President Trump’s decision to sell air defense systems and other arms for their use. They are right to do this, despite all its limitations and the continued delay of Senator Lindsay Graham’s secondary sanctions bill. Ukrainians are celebrating because Trump’s action not only will help blunt the Kremlin’s ongoing bombing campaign against Ukraine’s cities, but represents the rejection of the effectively pro-Moscow isolationist policy faction within his administration.

That said, Trump’s move remains insufficient to meet the needs of the crisis at hand, either for Ukraine or the United States. It will not defeat Russia and therefore it will not deter China. As Gen. Douglas MacArthur famously said, in war there is no substitute for victory. If the credibility of the policy of deterrence through collective security that has prevented a general war for the past 80 years is to be reasserted, the Russian invasion must be repelled.

Kyiv Post speaks to Polish Minister of Culture Hanna Wróblewska, about the challenges in Polish-Ukrainian relations, the role of history, and the importance of culture for both nations’ identity.

Historical perspective is unavoidable in Poland and Ukraine, which experienced some of the most tumultuous events of the 20th century. The difficult task now for those who wish to strengthen the Polish-Ukrainian alliance is how to avoid politicizing contentious issues.

Michał Kujawski: Which area of the Ministry of Culture’s activities would you consider particularly important in the context of Polish-Ukrainian relations?

While unmaned Turkish officials suggested the talks can happen as soon as Wednesday or Thursday this week, Moscow said the dates have not been finalized yet.

A new round of direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow might take place on Wednesday or Thursday this week – but Moscow said the date has not been finalized yet.

The reports came after President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday evening that the talks would resume this week.

The senior official from Ukraine’s NABU is under investigation for aiding Russia by selling “pot” in Dagestan while allegedly leaking secret data to Russian intelligence services.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), working with the Office of the Prosecutor General, has accused Ruslan Mahamedrasulov, a senior official of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), for conducting business activities in the Russian Federation.

NABU is Kyiv’s main law enforcement agency responsible for investigating high-level corruption in Ukraine.

With tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia heightened and the South Caucasus looking more like a powder keg, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev encouraged Kyiv a media forum.

At the Shusha Media Forum taking place from June 20-22 in the Azeri city of Susha, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev delivered a firm and symbolic message yesterday to Ukraine: “Never accept occupation.”

In an indication of increased tensions with Russia, Aliyev spoke as the leader of a nation that has restored its territorial integrity after nearly three decades of conflict with Armenia, traditionally backed by Moscow. He offered strategic insight along with a personal account of Azerbaijan’s long struggle.

Last week, the new government approved plans to expand domestic arms production to meet half the country’s weapons needs within six months.

Ukraine will launch a grant scheme for ammunition and explosives production as the country looks to rapidly boost the domestic defense industry in the coming months.

Last week, the new government approved plans to expand domestic arms production to meet half the country’s weapons needs within six months. 

Overnight drone attacks by Ukraine caused major delays on Russian railways in the Rostov region and forced temporary closures at Moscow airports. No Russian civilians were killed or injured.

Ukrainian drones launched a wave of attacks on southern Russia overnight Sunday into Monday, halting train traffic in the Rostov region and disrupting air travel in Moscow – as Russia simultaneously pounded Kyiv with one of its largest aerial assaults in months.

In Rostov, debris from a downed drone hit the Kamennolomni railway station, said acting regional governor Yuri Slyusar. Three workers were evacuated, but no one was hurt, he said on Telegram.

The visit comes shortly after air raid sirens were lifted in the capital, following a night of Russian strikes that killed at least one person.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in Kyiv on Monday for a two-day visit to show support for Ukraine as it continues to fight Russia’s invasion.

Barrot announced the trip in a post on X, writing: “I am traveling to Kyiv. I will participate in the ambassadors’ conference and reaffirm, on behalf of France, our unwavering support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and freedom of the Ukrainian people.”

The attacks come amid a sharp escalation in Russian aerial strikes. Over the past two months, Russia has been launching hundreds of drones at Ukraine almost daily, often in near-nightly waves.

Russia launched a massive air assault across Ukraine overnight, striking the capital with drones and missiles in one of the most intense attacks in recent months.

Explosions thundered across Kyiv for hours, killing at least one person, damaging metro infrastructure, and setting fires in several districts. Poland scrambled fighter jets in response to the wave of Russian missiles.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Russian officials continue to publicly reiterate that Russia is uninterested in a near-term solution to ending the war in Ukraine that does not acquiesce to Moscow’s demands.
• German and Ukrainian officials assessed that Russia continues to expand its production of Shahed-type drones in order to launch even larger long-range drone strike packages that include up to 2,000 drones in a single night. Russian forces may be able to strike Ukraine with up to 2,000 drones in a single night by November 2025 should the current pattern of growth in nightly Russian drone usage continue.
• Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev reiterated demands for Russia to take responsibility for the December 2024 downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane, an incident that continues to create tension in the Russian-Azerbaijani relationship.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Sumy and Zaporizhia oblasts and near Toretsk. Russian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast and near Lyman and Novopavlivka.

Russia launched 53 airstrikes dropping 71 guided bombs, and deploying 1,427 kamikaze drones. They also conducted 4,327 shelling attacks on Ukrainian positions and populated areas, the AFU said.

Ukrainian forces (AFU) engaged in 122 combat clashes with Russian forces, the General Staff reported via Facebook on Sunday, including combat in the Pokrovsk sector that “neutralized” more than 200 Russian troops.

“Russian occupiers launched two missile strikes using five missiles, 53 airstrikes dropping 71 guided bombs, and deployed 1,427 kamikaze drones. They also conducted 4,327 shelling attacks on Ukrainian positions and populated areas,” the post said about Sunday’s attacks.

European Defense and Aerospace Commissioner Andrius Kubilius warns of escalating Russian attacks on Ukraine, calls for more Patriot missile systems.

WASHINGTON DC – European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius arrived in the US capital over the weekend for a visit that will last through July 22, aiming to address potential military shortfalls in Europe as the White House shifts its strategic focus to the Indo-Pacific region.

The landmark visit, his first trip to Washington as the EU’s top defense official, comes as the Trump administration is expected to announce a possible reduction in its military presence in Europe later this summer.

After an invite from Kyiv for a meeting, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says Moscow still intends to achieve its goals of “dezazification’ and ‘demilitarization’ of Ukraine.

Shortly after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his team had reached out to Moscow to try to arrange a bilateral meeting next week, the Kremlin said it was eager to talk, but not to expect any alterations to their demands.

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that Russia is ready to “move quickly” with peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine but that Russia must achieve its goals, which Peskov claimed are “obvious” and “do not change.”