News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe

President Volodymyr Zelensky held "a good and important conversation" with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on July 22.

The Kyiv Independent asked people on the streets of Kyiv how they assess the military leadership shakeup, what changes they expect under Drapatyi's command, and whether they believe Fedorov should continue shaping Ukraine's defense policy.

Blackouts were reported throughout occupied Crimea, and massive fires broke out in several southern Russian cities amid Ukrainian strikes on retail logistics facilities overnight on July 22, according to monitoring channels.

Mykhailo Drapatyi's appointment was met with celebration among Ukrainian military personnel and protesters, while Russian social media users contrasted Ukraine's political system with Russia's and warned about the new commander-in-chief, describing him as someone who "hates (Russian soldiers) and hates them consistently."

"Every illicit voyage helps sustain Russia's war machine. We are matching our sanctions with actions at sea," the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas tweeted.

"We had a good talk — first and foremost on how to protect Ukrainian skies with more Patriot interceptor supplies through PURL," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukraine and Moldova have demonstrated strong progress and dedication, and we believe the EU should continue advancing their negotiations without unnecessary delays," Lithuania's EU representation told the Kyiv Independent.

The comment comes a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Drapatyi's appointment as he faced pressure from mass protests in Kyiv and across the country to dismiss former Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

According to the poll, 72% of the respondents did not support Fedorov’s dismissal, 5% backed it, and 17% said they were indifferent.

Russian troops launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile, three guided Kh-59/69 missiles, and 216 drones against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. It reported downing three guided Kh-59/69 missiles and 204 of the drones in the north, center, south, and east of the country.

Russia's chief diplomat said he believes Washington has not yet rejected proposals made at last year's summit in Anchorage between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump.