BBC: Putin will not hold traditional year-end press conference for the first time in 10 years

Russian forces carried out a series of overnight attacks on Ukraine on July 18, injuring at least five people in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, local officials reported.

"We reject Hungary's manipulations, and we will not tolerate such disrespect for our military. Ukraine reserves the right to take appropriate action in response," Foreign Minister Adrii Sybiha.

All negotiating options have been exhausted for now, and continuing our blocking position would now endanger our interests," Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said.

European commercial satellites that Russia believes are aiding Ukraine are a legitimate target for signal jamming, Russia has told international regulators.

Germany will provide Ukraine with new long-range missiles "very shortly, very soon," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, without mentioning the name of the weapons being supplied.

The "Test in Ukraine" initiative will allow foreign companies and governments to create solutions for real war challenges while receiving immediate feedback from military personnel and improving products based on combat experience.

Held under NATO auspices, the exercises aim to boost combat readiness and interoperability among allied and partner nations.

"On one hand, it is very positive that President Trump is taking on a strong stance on Russia... On the other hand, 50 days is a very long time if we see that they are killing innocent civilians," EU Special Envoy Kaja Kallas said.

Allied capabilities now allow NATO to "take that (Kaliningrad) down from the ground" faster than ever before, U.S. Army Europe and Africa commander General Chris Donahue said.

As part of the plan, the U.S. was weighing the sale of Patriot air defense systems from its own military stockpiles, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reviewed the drone, known as the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), during a July 16 demonstration at the Pentagon.