Media: Kremlin preparing to hold referendums in occupied Donbas by August

"We send greetings to the kadyrovtsy," the group wrote, referring to the notoriously ruthless troops named for Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov.

Kim told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that his country stands "ready to unconditionally support and encourage all the measures taken by the Russian leadership as regards the tackling of the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis."

The funds could come from the $3.85 billion remaining in Presidential Drawdown Authority from the Biden administration or from frozen Russian assets, current and former U.S. officials said.

A day earlier, the U.N. announced that the three-year agreement would end on July 22. The deal "will not be renewed" because of disagreements, a source close to the discussions told the AFP.

Filmed in an undisclosed location at an unspecified time, the video published on July 12 shows Ukrainian soldiers shooting down multiple Russian targets with a German-made Skynex air defense system.

The head of the French army, General Thierry Burkhard, attributed Russia's view of Paris as a primary adversary largely to France's unwavering support for Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the U.S., South Korea, and Japan of military buildups around North Korea. "We warn against exploiting these ties to build alliances directed against anyone, including North Korea and, of course, Russia."

Zelensky said Ukraine "requires more positive momentum in relations with the United States, alongside new steps in managing the nation's defense sector."

"Dmytro should never have been a target. I thank our soldiers for their just retribution. No occupier who brought death and destruction to our land will escape punishment," Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

Russia's position, conveyed to both U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian officials, marks a notable shift given Russia's historical public advocacy for Iran's right to enrich.

While Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said the sanctions package itself is not objectionable, his government has blocked the proposal over concerns about a separate EU plan to fully phase out Russian gas imports by 2028.

Russia continued its attacks on western Ukrainian cities overnight on July 12, striking communities far from the front line with drone swarms and missile attacks for the third straight night.

The man, identified only as Yevgeny, reportedly served in a Wagner assault unit and fought in eastern Ukraine, including in Bakhmut and around Selydove.