Media: Explosions reported in two cities in Russian-occupied Crimea.

9:13 PM

Over 210,000 Russians sign contracts for war in Ukraine in first half of 2025, Moscow says.

"The pace is quite decent, good," Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and former president, said.

9:00 PM

Azerbaijan

Arrests, raids, beaten and bloodied suspects — how Russia-Azerbaijan relations have unravelled

8:17 PM

European partners reportedly caught off guard as US halts arms shipments to Ukraine.

According to Bloomberg, some European allies hope the Trump administration will soften or reverse the decision.

8:09 PM

War analysis

Russia increasingly targets Ukraine's cities with cluster munitions, raising civilian toll

8:06 PM

Trump & Ukraine

'Major casualties among civilians' — US freeze on air defense missiles is terrible news for Ukraine

7:56 PM

Russia's Kupol military plant reportedly halts operations after Ukrainian drone strike.

The plant produces Tor and Osa air defense systems, as well as Harpy-type attack drones.

7:51 PM

Porn decriminalization petition in Ukraine reaches 25,000 signatures, forcing Zelensky response.

Pornography production and distribution are illegal in Ukraine, with broad interpretations meaning even sharing nude photos can result in jail time.

7:04 PM

Iran reportedly preparing to mine Strait of Hormuz, a possible boon for Russia's Ukraine war coffers.

If the Strait were mined, Iran could block one-fifth of global oil demand and spike world energy prices — a boon for Russia's oil-dependent economy.

6:58 PM

NATO chief urges continued US support for Ukraine as Pentagon halts arms shipments.

"When it comes to Ukraine, in the short term, Ukraine cannot do without all the support it can get," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.

1:56 PM  (Updated:  July 2, 2025 6:14 pm)

Ukraine's deputy prime minister won't be dismissed despite corruption probe, court rules.

Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksii Chernyshov will keep his position after a decision from the High Anti-Corruption Court on July 2.

5:55 PM

US envoy Kellogg denies agreeing to help halt Ukraine's drone strikes on Russia.

U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg denied that he agreed to "work on" halting Ukraine's drone attacks on Russia, contradicting Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko's claim.

5:49 PM

Video

Failed US peace effort left Ukraine worse off, expert argues.

The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sat down with Michael McFaul, an academic and former U.S. ambassador to Russia (2012–2014), to discuss the state of the Ukraine-Russia peace process following U.S. President Donald Trump’s failed effort, the threat of U.S. disengagement, and a congressional bill introducing new sanctions against Russia and its trading partners supporting its war machine.

5:49 PM

Russia's Rosatom seeks to sell 49% stake in Turkey's first nuclear plant.

The project remains a cornerstone of Russian-Turkish energy cooperation.

4:11 PM

Ukraine suspends citizenship of Moscow-linked church head.

The SBU said it had established that Metropolitan Onufrii, also known by his secular name, Orest Berezovskyi, voluntarily received Russian citizenship in 2002 and failed to inform Ukrainian authorities of the fact.

4:09 PM

Interview

'Ukraine is biggest landmine challenge since World War II,' says head of world’s largest demining organization

3:50 PM

Ukraine denies another Russian claim of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast breakthrough, says small incursion repelled.

According to the statement, a small Russian reconnaissance group managed to briefly enter the village of Dachne, located on the edge of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The group reportedly took photos with a Russian flag, but Ukrainian forces "eliminated them."

7:20 PM  (Updated:  July 2, 2025 3:46 pm)

Business

As US aid to Ukraine dries up, new platform connects American investors with Ukrainian startups

3:27 PM

North Korea to send up to 30,000 more troops to aid Russia's war against Ukraine, CNN reports.

The fresh units may arrive in the coming months and are likely to be engaged in combat in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, including during "large-scale offensive operations," according to a Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) assessment reviewed by CNN.

2:45 PM

Ukrainian-founded Grammarly to acquire AI email app Superhuman.

Grammarly, a company with Ukrainian roots, announced its intent to acquire AI email writing app Superhuman as part of its expansion into an AI productivity platform, the company said in a press release on July 1.

1:54 PM

Ukraine says it wasn't notified of US weapons shipment halt; official insists 'deliveries continue.'

In a statement, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said it is working to verify the current status of all elements in the agreed aid packages and has requested a phone call with U.S. defense officials for further clarification.

1:40 PM

Kremlin welcomes reported pause in US arms shipments to Ukraine, says it brings war's end closer.

"The fewer weapons that are supplied to Ukraine, the closer the end of the... (Russia-Ukraine war)," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

1:27 PM

Armenian parliament speaker urges ban on Russian TV broadcasting.

"We must very seriously discuss the suspension of Russian television channel broadcast in the territory of Armenia," Armenian Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan told reporters, according to Armenpress.

1:17 PM

Military aid delays will 'encourage Russia to continue war,' Ukraine tells US envoy.

Ukraine warned that "any delay or hesitation in supporting Ukraine's defense capabilities will only encourage Russia to continue war and terror, rather than pursue peace."

12:32 PM

USAID officially ends operation, remaining programs moved under State Department.

"Foreign assistance programs that align with administration policies — and which advance American interests — will be administered by the State Department," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

12:05 PM

Russia cannot launch 500 drones every day, Ukraine's intel chief says.

Russia has the capacity to launch as many as 500 Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones at Ukraine in a single attack, but doing so on a daily basis is not possible, Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said on July 2.