Russian forces carried out a series of overnight attacks on Ukraine on July 18, injuring at least five people in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, local officials reported.

"We reject Hungary's manipulations, and we will not tolerate such disrespect for our military. Ukraine reserves the right to take appropriate action in response," Foreign Minister Adrii Sybiha.

All negotiating options have been exhausted for now, and continuing our blocking position would now endanger our interests," Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said.

European commercial satellites that Russia believes are aiding Ukraine are a legitimate target for signal jamming, Russia has told international regulators.

Germany will provide Ukraine with new long-range missiles "very shortly, very soon," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, without mentioning the name of the weapons being supplied.

Key developments on July 17: * Zelensky, Trump discuss 'win-win' drones-for-weapons 'mega deal' * Washington 'moving with haste' to arm Ukraine under Trump plan, US envoy says * Ukrainian drones reportedly target Moscow, St. Petersburg amid wider strikes * Leaked documents claim Russia's 41st Army suffered 'catastrophic' losses fighting in Ukraine * US delays Patriot deliveries to Switzerland, prioritizes Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump are exploring a

The Ukrainian government was formally dissolved on July 16, marking the first full reshuffle during Russia's full-scale invasion. A day later, the new Cabinet of Ministers was voted in. Yuliia Svyrydenko, until very recently Ukraine's first deputy prime minister, was nominated by President Volodymyr Zelensky to replace Denys Shmyhal, the longest-serving prime minister in the country's history. The change comes at a critical moment for Kyiv, as it continues to wrestle with Russian aggression wh

The "Test in Ukraine" initiative will allow foreign companies and governments to create solutions for real war challenges while receiving immediate feedback from military personnel and improving products based on combat experience.

Held under NATO auspices, the exercises aim to boost combat readiness and interoperability among allied and partner nations.

"On one hand, it is very positive that President Trump is taking on a strong stance on Russia... On the other hand, 50 days is a very long time if we see that they are killing innocent civilians," EU Special Envoy Kaja Kallas said.

Allied capabilities now allow NATO to "take that (Kaliningrad) down from the ground" faster than ever before, U.S. Army Europe and Africa commander General Chris Donahue said.

As part of the plan, the U.S. was weighing the sale of Patriot air defense systems from its own military stockpiles, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said.

Russia has repeatedly shattered its own records for aerial assaults on Ukraine this summer, culminating in a peak attack on July 9 with the launch of 728 Shahed-type drones. Throughout the war, Russia steadily expanded the reach and intensity of its strikes on Ukrainian cities, drawing on drone technology primarily supplied by its ally Iran. Russia first deployed Iranian-made Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drones against Ukraine in 2022. By the next year, Russia had moved to produce its own, modifi

Ukrainian lawmakers from the ruling party and opposition are unexpectedly united in their assessment of the latest government reshuffle — neither group expects much change. "In reality, there is no personnel change in the government," Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, a lawmaker from the Holos party, told the Kyiv Independent on July 17, a day of the parliamentary vote on the new cabinet. A similar take was shared by those who were tasked with approving such a change. The major government reshuffle saw on

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reviewed the drone, known as the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), during a July 16 demonstration at the Pentagon.

Editor’s Note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. POKROVSK, Donetsk Oblast – Light rain and the dying light of a cool summer evening accompany the Ukrainian drone team’s preparation to begin their shift. The men are silent as the military pick-up truck, full of drones and other supplies, turns off the village track onto the main road south into Pokrovsk. Every trip in and out of

"The people of America need this technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Editor’s note: This is an edited version of our guide for members of the Kyiv Independent community, originally published on Feb. 24, 2025. If you would like to join a community of people united by wanting to help Ukraine, consider becoming a member today. U.S. President Donald Trump's public spat with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House on Feb. 28 threw the future of Washington's support for Ukraine in the air, but led to a renewed outpouring of support for Ukraine across the world

"The U.S. wants to strengthen its support to Ukraine... The U.S. has therefore decided to reprioritize the delivery of Patriot ground-based air defense systems," the Swiss Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Svyrydenko, a 39-year-old economist who previously served as the first deputy prime minister and economy minister, was tapped by President Volodymyr Zelensky to replace Denys Shmyhal after his five years in office.

As of June 1, 2025, at least 8,625 troops had been killed in combat, 10,491 were listed as missing in action, and another 7,846 had deserted, the documents claim.

A modernized Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan cargo aircraft was relocated from Ukraine to Germany last week in a rare wartime flight, the Antonov company confirmed.

Last week, the Belarusian democratic opposition was torn apart by a particular question — should the West isolate and pressure Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko with tougher sanctions, or offer diplomatic engagement and, possibly, sanctions relief in exchange for the release of over 1,100 political prisoners? The arguments reignited after U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg met with Lukashenko in Minsk and secured the release of 14 prisoners, including Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a key opposition

The agreement, described by Bloomberg as part of a broader reset in ties, reflects growing concerns across Europe over Russian military aggression and doubts about U.S. commitment to NATO under President Donald Trump.

Despite signals that Rustem Umerov may be nominated as the new ambassador in Washington, his candidacy for that role is no longer on the table, as former Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna was appointed Ukraine's special envoy to the U.S.

Behind closed doors, some of Russia's biggest banks worry that far more of their loans could go sour than official figures indicate, Bloomberg reported.

Ukraine's Air Force reported on July 17 that Russia launched 64 drones overnight, mostly Shahed-type drones. Air defenses shot down 36 of them.

Keith Kellogg has "been in the ascendancy lately" and is helping drive a shift in Trump's approach, alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Telegraph reported, citing sources.

Olha Stefanishyna, a seasoned diplomat and expert in European and Euro-Atlantic integration, has held top government roles since 2020.

The news was also announced by Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation in Istanbul, who further claimed that Ukraine handed over 19 bodies of Russian soldiers as part of the exchange.

U.S. President Donald Trump gave a 50-day ultimatum to Russia to end the war in Ukraine, promising to impose harsh sanctions otherwise. Experts who spoke with the Kyiv Independent, however, say that Russia can take advantage of the once again extended deadline and scale up its summer offensive, ongoing since May. Russia could realistically advance closer to Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka in the eastern Donetsk Oblast by trying to encircle them as much as possible in the next few months, but the c

The shooting occurred at a training ground operated by the Ukrainian Ground Forces. The motive for the attack remains unknown, and the cadet was detained under Ukraine's Criminal Procedure Code, police said in a statement.