News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe

"I emphasised the necessity to refrain from any escalatory steps, as well as to end any support for Russia's war against Ukraine. This war is illegal, and it must end," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.

"The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"However, thousands of children remain trapped under occupation, where they are forced to forget their roots and are openly being prepared for war. But we will not stop," a Save Ukraine statement read.

The investigation followed a report by the Ukrainian outlet Babel, which alleged widespread abuse within the regiment and documented at least 26 noncombat deaths among recruits between late 2025 and spring 2026.

The claim by Iraq, where Iran wields significant political and military influence, comes amid heightened tensions between Kyiv and Tehran.

"Support the entrepreneurs with an order," the billboard read, according to footage published by Crimean Wind Telegram channel.

The stretch of road, part of the pan-European E40 highway, is also one of the two main logistics routes from Kyiv to front-line areas in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian drones targeted a Moscow Oblast steel fabrication plant, and a blackout was reported in occupied Crimea amid overnight strikes on July 28, according to monitoring channels.

In an overnight assault, Russian forces launched 131 drones across Ukraine, the Air Force said. It added that Ukrainian air defenses downed 107 drones over the north, south, center, and east of the country.

The General Staff said the strike hit the target, triggering a fire at the site. It added that the facility lies more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from Ukraine's border.

The number includes 1,560 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

HUR called the attack a "war crime" in their report, which identifies the Russian unit that launched the video-equipped, rocket-powered drone at a busy civilian target in broad daylight.