Official: 22 Ukrainian POWs return home in latest prisoner exchange

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Aug. 4 that it no longer considered itself bound by the moratorium due to recent actions by the United States.

A decrease in assault operations is "related to the regrouping of the relevant Russian units in order to eventually resume more active assaults on the island zone of the right bank of Kherson Oblast," military spokesperson Serhii Bratchuk told the Kyiv Independent.

"The soldiers on this front are recording the participation of mercenaries from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and African countries in the war. We will respond," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement.

"I am sincerely grateful to the Netherlands for their substantial contribution to strengthening Ukraine's air shield," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote, saying this is "the first such step" among NATO countries.

According to investigators, officials involved in the scheme allegedly received up to 30% of contract funds as kickbacks. Among those detained are lawmaker Oleksii Kuznetsov and former Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhii Haidai.

Beijing insists it will continue to secure its energy supplies based on national interests despite pressure from Washington and the threat of punitive tariffs.

Russian forces use the system to attack Ukrainian-controlled territory and target frontline military positions of the Ukrainian army.

Satellite imagery captured in July 2025 shows visible changes at the airport.

Baltic states have been raising alarms about a growing Russian threat to the region and NATO.