Lawmakers fail to summon ministers for explanation of Ukraine-US minerals deal

Moscow has launched its most ambitious weapons program since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said.

"I think they need to be called out for their subsidizing this killing that is happening on the battlefields in Ukraine," U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said.

The legislation grants the prosecutor general new powers over investigations led by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and cases led by the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.

The announcement comes as pro-Western President Maia Sandu, who narrowly secured reelection last year, seeks to preserve her parliamentary majority and advance Moldova's bid for EU accession.

The breach reportedly prompted an urgent response from Ukrainian units to prevent the situation "from spiraling into disaster."

Russian schoolchildren are recruited into drone development and other military programs through seemingly harmless video games, state-run competitions, and promises of academic and career advancement.

An SBU officer is suspected of demanding a $300,000 bribe from a person under investigation for allegedly organizing illegal border crossings for military-age men during wartime, NABU said.

Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council has imposed a moratorium on business inspections by state authorities, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 21, calling the move essential for the country's economic security.

The delegation will be led by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and include representatives from Ukraine's military intelligence, the Foreign Ministry, and the Presidential Office.

The target in Samara was the Novokuybyshevsk Petrochemical Company, a major gas-processing and petrochemical facility that supplies raw materials used in the production of explosives, said Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.

Russian forces launched 42 Shahed-type attack drones and other drones overnight, primarily from Russia and occupied Crimea, Ukraine's Air Force said. At least 26 drones were shot down, and seven more were lost or suppressed by electronic warfare systems, according to the statement.

Irina Podnosova had headed Russia's chief judiciary body since April 17, 2024, when she was appointed to the post as the only candidate, being nominated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The meeting will be the pope’s first audience with the senior Russian cleric, who represented Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, at Pope Francis's funeral.