Oil refinery on fire in Russia's Kursk Oblast
A drone attack in the Kursk region of Russia overnight on July 28 caused explosions and resulted in several fires, including one at an oil depot.
Team
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
A drone attack in the Kursk region of Russia overnight on July 28 caused explosions and resulted in several fires, including one at an oil depot.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on July 27 that Beijing denies allegations of helping Russia's war effort in Ukraine. "China’s position on the Ukrainian issue is candid, and we will continue to promote peace talks between Russia and Ukraine," said Wang.
Russian air defense units intercepted 21 Ukrainian drones late on July 26 over the southern border region of Bryansk, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to travel to Kyiv in August, marking his first visit to Ukraine since Russia launched its all-out war in February 2022.
The European Union must stay committed to its policy that any discussions about ending the war in Ukraine should be led by the government in Kyiv, according to Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel.
While initially reporting one person killed, the mayor later said that the fatality was not confirmed.
Russia's foreign minister said on July 17 that there is "irrefutable evidence" that imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is guilty of espionage, one day before the journalist is scheduled to appear in court.
Ukraine will find a way to combat Russia's forces even if former President Donald Trump wins a second term and jeopardizes vital U.S. support for its defense, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on July 17.
Russia’s foreign minister on July 16 accused the United States of holding the entire West "at gunpoint" and obstructing international cooperation, a claim the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations denounced as "hypocrisy" from a country that invaded Ukraine.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev сlaimed that Ukraine joining NATO would be viewed as a declaration of war against Moscow. "The actions that Russia's opponents have been taking against us for years, expanding the alliance ... take NATO to the point of no return," Medvedev was quoted as saying.
Russia’s State Statistics Service has excluded the total number of deaths from external causes in its annual report, independent Russian media outlet Meduza reported on July 16, citing demographic expert Aleksei Raksha.
European Council President Charles Michel criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on July 16 for launching a self-styled Ukraine "peace mission" without EU backing.
Finland's parliament passed a law on July 12 granting border guards the authority to block asylum seekers crossing from Russia. Helsinki believes Moscow is promoting the crossings in retaliation for Finland joining NATO.
Czech President Petr Pavel announced on July 12 that the Czech Republic will send Ukraine 50,000 rounds of ammunition in July and August.
A Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital on July 8 underscored the increasing number of deadly attacks on medical facilities, vehicles, and workers in the country this year. This incident adds to data from the World Health Organization, suggesting that more Ukrainians could be killed in such attacks this year compared to 2023.
The U.S. will not permit Ukraine to strike deeper inside Russian territory following the deadly July 8 attack, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said during a press briefing.
Through open-source research, Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet, together with BBC Russia, confirmed the names of 58,207 Russian soldiers who had been killed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
An explosion at a gas distribution hub near Alushta in Russian-occupied Crimea on the evening of July 6 caused a large fire, the Telegram channel Crimean Wind reported.
Diplomats and world leaders, preparing for next week’s NATO summit, are privately voicing significant concerns about U.S. President Joe Biden’s age, health, and his ability to secure victory in the 2024 presidential election.
Japan’s foreign minister announced a collaborative initiative with Cambodia on July 6 to share land mine removal knowledge and technology with countries worldwide, including Ukraine.
Russian courts issued arrest warrants last month for three exiled journalists, a move analysts interpret as an attempt to harass critics beyond the country's borders.
The U.N. General Assembly will continue to support Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty regardless of the outcomes of national elections worldwide this year, the body's president said on July 3, adding that "no country has the right to invade another country."
U.N. human rights advocates believe that Russia violated international law by imprisoning Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and should release him "immediately."
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kazakhstan on July 3 for regional security and defense discussions, according to the Kremlin. He is also set to hold a series of bilateral meetings with leaders from China and Turkey.
Ursula von der Leyen has secured the nomination for a second term as President of the European Commission following an agreement between EU leaders at a Brussels summit on June 27.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the former deputy head of the President's Office, was searched on 27 June in connection with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau's leak.
Satellite imagery obtained by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) shows at least two pockets of fire, consistent with local accounts of two drones attacking the field ammunition depot in the region's Olkhovatsky district overnight on June 25.
The Kyiv Pechersk District court on June 25 approved the prosecutor's request to impose round-the-clock house arrest on controversial Ukrainian lawmaker Mykola Tyshchenko.
Finland's Gasum, a major gas supplier to the Nordic region, announced on June 25 that it will cease purchasing and importing Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in July in accordance with new European Union sanctions.
Ukraine's Naval Forces on June 23 published satellite images which confirm the destruction of storage and preparation sites for Shahed-136/Geranium-2 drones in Russia's Krasnodar Krai.
Romania's Mihai Kogalniceanu (MK) airbase, named after a nearby village honoring a 19th-century liberal politician, is set to become NATO's largest base in Europe, surpassing Ramstein in Germany.
Russian forces attacked 10 communities in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast in 30 separate attacks on June 22, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported.