Key developments on July 3: * Ukraine strikes Russia's Saky air base in occupied Crimea for second time in a week, SBU says * Poland should be cautious in promising further Ukraine aid at NATO summit, PM Tusk says * Next months may be 'critical,' Tusk says amid reports of planned Russian provocation against Poland * 'Terror is their only argument:' Russia's attacks on Ukraine continue, 2 children killed, 10 others injured Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said on July 3 it had struck two Ru

The EU is hoping to pass its 21st sanctions package at a July 13 meeting of foreign ministers, just in time for summer, but a spate of objections by largely southern countries threatens to deprive the European Commission's original proposal of most of its punch. In its original proposal, outlined by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on June 9, the 21st sanctions package was set to break new ground with measures targeting cryptocurrency, Russian fisheries, and entry bans on anyone who se

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said on July 3 it had struck two Russian military air bases in occupied Crimea overnight, damaging or destroying at least seven military aircraft in its second reported attack on the Saky air base within a week. According to the SBU, Ukrainian drones struck seven hangars at the Saky air base where Russia stores Su-30SM, Su-30, and Su-24 fighter and bomber aircraft. The agency said the strike destroyed or damaged at least seven aircraft. The SBU also reported hi

An agreement was reached to invite Kyiv and Chisinau to submit their negotiating positions on another one of the six enlargement clusters, two EU diplomats told the Kyiv Independent.

For four years, Ukraine’s central bank has faced full scale-invasion, bouts of inflation, and the relentless task of keeping Ukraine’s financial system afloat through it all. But under Governor Andrii Pyshnyi’s tenure, which started in late 2022, the bank has also overseen the monumental rise of Ukraine’s mil-tech sector, progress towards privatization Ukraine’s massive state-owned banks, and — slowly but surely — alignment with EU regulation, which the bank aims to complete by the end of 2027.

The Polish media outlet Onet reported on June 30 that, according to five undisclosed sources, Moscow may be preparing a limited military provocation aimed at Poland.

Customs records obtained by the Kyiv Independent reveal that specialized metalworking equipment manufactured in Germany, Italy, Spain, and other EU countries continued reaching Russian metallurgical plants during the war through a Turkish intermediary.

"Not because I believe Ukraine does not need financial assistance, but because I believe Poland has very significant responsibilities related to the entire eastern EU border," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on July 3.

The smell of smoke and haze lingered over the capital. Authorities urge residents to keep windows closed, limit time outdoors, drink plenty of water, and use air purifiers if available.

Monaco issued a "red notice" via Interpol — an international arrest warrant — for a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman named Anastasiia Berezovska, which appeared publicly on July 3.

A week ago, the European Commission proposed changes to the temporary protection measures it has in place for Ukrainians, no longer granting the same level of protection to men eligible for conscription who are forbidden by Ukrainian law from leaving the country.

The attacks killed at least 17 people and injured 125 others over the past day, local authorities reported. A 2-year-old girl and a 7-year-old girl were among those killed, while at least 10 other children were injured in attacks across four Oblasts.

"I expected more involvement in complicated decisions, more presence to listen to people, to explain what kind of reforms we should make and why we should make them," Moldovan President Maia Sandu said of Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda highlighted the urgency, saying “it would be truly unfortunate if we became the weak link or a grey zone within NATO."

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 long-range drones during the attack, most of which targeted Kyiv.

Photos and videos posted to social media purport to show flames emanating from the Energomash Belgorod plant — a key manufacturer in Russia's energy supply chain. The plant reportedly produces equipment for Russia's power plants, as well as its oil and gas sector, among other materials.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is set to meet his Polish counterpart Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on July 3 in Warsaw to discuss Polish-Ukrainian relations, a Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced.

Russia will allow oil refineries across the country to produce fuel products adhering to the lower-quality Euro-3 standards, according to a government decree published July 2.

Eleven people have been hospitalized, including three children, Governor Oleksandr Koval reported. One passenger is in critical condition.

Black Sea Petroleum (BSP), which operates the Kulevi oil refinery on the Georgian coast, said the facility would no longer process Russian crude oil in order to have greater access to other markets.

The operation shut down energy facilities in occupied Crimea as well as in the occupied parts of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert "Madyar" Brovdi reported.

Ukraine says Patriot missiles are already available in partner countries' stockpiles and urged nearly 40 countries to transfer them in July after one of Russia's largest attacks on Kyiv.

With the Strait of Hormuz shut and storage only a third full, Europe has barely four months until Nov. 1  to refill its tanks before winter. And this year, for the first time since the 2022 crisis, the market alone will not do it. Across Europe, gas is pumped during spring and summer into vast underground reservoirs, mostly depleted gas fields, then drawn back out in winter as households turn up the heating. These stores are the continent's buffer against a cold snap or a sudden loss of supply.

Key developments on July 2: * 'Serious destruction' — massive Russian missile, drone attack on Kyiv kills at least 30, injures over 90; * Ukraine urgently appeals to nearly 40 allies for Patriot interceptors * Russia's overnight attack destroys around 800,000 Ukrainian books * Ukraine strikes major Russian oil refinery, railway bridge in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast, General Staff says * Ukraine's Brave1 signs first major Western defense industry partnership with Airbus Waves of Russia

According to BookChef, the central warehouse of their logistics partner — where their books were stored — was completely destroyed.

Soon, Ukraine will have a new weapon: Swedish Gripen fighter jets carrying Meteor missiles, which can hit targets farther away than any missile Ukrainian pilots have now. That extra range could help blunt one of Russia's most destructive weapons by pushing Russian pilots to drop guided bombs from farther behind the front line — shrinking how far those bombs can reach, Ukrainian military aviation expert Andrii Kharuk told the Kyiv Independent. "Here there are two factors: material, or physical,

Denmark's Fayard shipyard is helping Russia sustain its liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports by servicing its specialized tanker fleet, said Vladyslav Vlasiuk, a presidential advisor for sanctions policy.

Airbus and Brave1 will collaborate on research, testing of military technologies on Ukraine's front lines, and modernizing equipment.

According to the General Staff, Ukrainian forces hit the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery in the city of Kstovo in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Oblast on July 2 as part of efforts to "reduce Russia's military and economic potential."

The number includes 1,140 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

"For the first time, a clear procedure has been established that sets uniform rules for the state, manufacturers, and partners," Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in a post on Telegram.

German Prosecutor General Jens Rommel has filed charges against Ukrainian veteran Serhii Kuznietsov, marking the first time a suspect in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline bombing has been formally charged.