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

Speaking to members of his Cabinet and the press on July 31, Trump was hesitant about the license, calling it a "big step" and emphasizing the need to be careful about divulging the secrets of American defense tech.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Zelensky added that many Ukrainian troops remained missing in action.

The incident began at around 11:55 a.m., with the ammunition detonation continuing until 7 p.m. The cause and circumstances remain unclear.

Zelensky underscored that strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses remains Kyiv’s top priority amid ongoing Russian attacks, with particular emphasis on obtaining additional Patriot missile interceptors to protect against ballistic missile attacks.

"We will definitely respond to this attempted strike against Ukraine and the Ukrainian commander," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"After more than four years of war, the nature of the threats has changed, and so have our approaches to preserving monuments," Serhii Anzhyiak, director of the city's Department of Culture, said.

One source said their regiment was currently unable to recruit personnel from reserve battalions or newly mobilized soldiers assigned through enlistment offices. Another source confirmed that their unit had received notice of a "suspension of personnel allocations" following a decision by the commander-in-chief.

In this report, the Kyiv Independent's Dominic Culverwell and Nick Allard travel to Ukraine's agricultural heartland, documenting how two brothers survived Russian occupation, rebuilt their farm from scratch, and continue to harvest under the increasing threat of Russian FPV drones.

In the city of Volgograd, the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka refinery, one of Russia's largest oil refineries, with an annual crude oil processing capacity of 15 million metric tons, was targeted.

"It was a provocation, an intention, an alliance test. In this case, the next weeks will probably give us more answers," Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said.