Moscow and Washington discuss the potential resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe, among other issues related to the peaceful settlement of Russia's war in Ukraine, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed to the Russian state-run Interfax news agency.
"This is a historic decision, as weapons for Ukraine will be purchased at the expense of the proceeds from frozen Russian assets through the European Peace Fund," Denys Shmyhal said.
Peter Szijjarto's announcement came after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast.
The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), this marks the first time Ukrainian authorities have exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network conducting activities harmful to Ukraine.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced on May 8 to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, according to Vatican News.
George Simion, leader of Romania's far-right AUR party, who won the first round of the presidential election with nearly 40% of the vote, reiterated that if elected, he would oppose any further assistance to Ukraine and shift Romania’s focus inward.
Plumbs of smoke are seen rising to the sky during heavy fighting between Ukrainian forces with Russian troops in Lysychansk, Luhansk Oblast on July 1, 2022. (Photo by Narciso Contreras/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russian forces have captured Lysychansk, the final Ukrainian holdout in Luhansk Oblast, after heavy fighting, both sides confirmed on July 3.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian military reported in the evening that its troops were forced to withdraw from Lysychansk after fierce fighting, a significant victory for Moscow whose gains have been slow and costly since it launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24.
Ukraine’s military said that continuing to defend Lysychansk would lead to “fatal consequences” amid Russia’s advantage over artillery power, ammunition and troop number.
“A will of steel and patriotism are not enough for success – material and technical resources are needed,” Ukraine’s General Staff said in a Facebook post.
Seizing Lysychansk brings Russia extremely close to capturing Luhansk Oblast, one of the two administrative regions that make up the Donbas region, where Moscow has focused its offensive since pulling back from northern Ukraine and Kyiv in spring.
Ukraine’s officials and its military had been denying Moscow’s claims of seizing Lysychansk and encircling the remaining Ukrainian troops left in the strategic city despite the situation looking increasingly dire.
Shortly before the General Staff’s report emerged, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Lysychansk had not fallen yet, but had admitted that there are risks that the entire Luhansk Oblast will be occupied and that situation is "difficult."
Earlier in the day, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that Russia captured Lysychansk and the whole Luhansk Oblast.
Many reports of Russian forces taking control of Lysychansk had been emerging on the internet since July 2, including BBC’s report that Russian-backed millitants had successfully entered the city and reached its center. Russian media also showed videos of Russian forces apparently parading through the streets.
Other reports also suggested that Ukrainian troops have already left the city. The Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on July 2 that Ukrainian forces have likely deliberately withdrawn from Lysychansk, allowing Russian forces to seize it.
The report cites geolocated footage showing Russian soldiers casually walking around northern and southeastern neighborhoods in Lysychansk as if there are either few or no Ukrainian troops in the city.
Earlier, Communications Director of Luhansk Oblast Administration Albina Kusheleva told the Kyiv Independent that about 15,000 civilians remain in Lysychansk, hiding in basements and bomb shelters as civilian evacuation is currently “impossible.”
A week ago, on June 25, Lysychansk's twin city of Sievierodonetsk on the opposite bank of the Siversky Donets River had fallen to Russian forces after weeks of bloody street fighting and months of withering bombardment.
The ISW report said that Russian forces will likely establish control over the remaining territory of Luhansk Oblast “in the coming days,” after which they will likely shift their focus on capturing more land in Donetsk Oblast.
Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues, front-line developments, and politics. She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment, and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine.
