Tania Myronyshena

Key developments on July 16: * Ukraine's Omega special forces say drone strike hit Russian Su-24 bomber in occupied Crimea * Rallies in Kyiv, other cities against Defense Minister Fedorov's dismissal * Zelensky says he appoints acting SBU chief Yevhen Khmara acting defense minister * Ukrainian parliament appoints new Cabinet, delays decision on defense minister * Ukrainian parliament appoints Koretskyi as prime minister * UK's Starmer announces $340 million for Gripen jets for Ukraine dur

Khmara previously led the agency's Alpha Special Operations Center, which has played a key role in Ukraine's long-range strike campaign against Russia. He has largely stayed out of the public eye.

Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said he suggested "drastic personnel decisions," which involved replacing both Syrskyi and General Staff Chief Andrii Hnatov, both of whom are criticized by younger soldiers and commanders for their top-down, Soviet-era command culture.

A Kyiv Oblast court ordered the former commander held without bail over allegations he organized the kidnapping and murder of two brothers. He denied the allegations.

The strike killed and wounded members of the vessel's crew, the military said, without disclosing further details.

Explosions rocked the capital shortly after air raid sirens sounded at 12:15 a.m. local time. Sixteen sites were damaged, including a school and a civilian enterprise, but no casualties were reported in Kyiv, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat complex and the Afipsky oil refinery came under Ukrainian attack overnight on July 14, the General Staff said.

The targets included 10 tankers, one dry cargo ship, one ferry, and one sea tug. He said all of the tankers had been identified as belonging to Russia's "shadow fleet" and were under international sanctions, Brovdi said.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information from Ukrainian law enforcement. About 200 people clashed with military recruitment personnel and police in Lviv on July 8 after a document check related to Ukraine's mobilization campaign escalated into a public confrontation. The incident, one of the most visible eruptions yet in Ukraine's long-simmering mobilization crisis, has raised alarm that those tensions could escalate into a security threat if left unaddressed. Th

The attacks came as Ukraine left the summit with an allied pledge of $80 billion in defense aid for 2026 and an apparent green light from U.S. President Donald Trump to produce critically needed Patriot missiles.

The number includes 1,310 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

The Omsk refinery was the last of Russia's 11 largest gasoline producers to be hit by Ukrainian forces.

Russia launched a barrage of missiles and drones toward Kyiv overnight on July 6, hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of yet another large-scale attack targeting the capital.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said on July 3 it had struck two Russian military air bases in occupied Crimea overnight, damaging or destroying at least seven military aircraft in its second reported attack on the Saky air base within a week.

The smell of smoke and haze lingered over the capital. Authorities urge residents to keep windows closed, limit time outdoors, drink plenty of water, and use air purifiers if available.