Official: Russian occupying forces strengthen defenses around Mariupol

President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Oleksandr Poklad, former senior deputy of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), as acting head in a decree issued July 17, as the Cabinet of Ministers tapped Maksym Tsutskiridze as temporary head of Ukraine's National Police.

The Kyiv Independent’s Kateryna Denisova and Kateryna Hodunova speak with military analyst Mykola Bielieskov and opposition lawmaker Inna Sovsun about the conflict between Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, why Zelensky sided with Syrskyi, and what the shake-up could mean for Ukraine’s military, domestic politics, and war against Russia.

Ukraine struck two tankers, including a gas carrier, as well as a tugboat in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov overnight on July 17.

According to the report, Oleksiy Sukhachov’s brother Oleksandr has bought 143 apartments at a price far below their market value, with an apartment being valued at the price of a smartphone. The construction of the apartment buildings involved has been investigated by Oleksiy Sukhachov’s State Investigation Bureau, raising questions about a potential conflict of interest.

Ukrainian forces are using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to strike around 90% of Russian targets, according to the Defense Ministry.

"The more Moscow attacks civilians, the more sanctions must be imposed," said the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas when she first suggested the new measures.

"We are increasing the price Russia pays for its aggression against our country and our people," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

Ihor Klymenko is expected to replace Rustem Umerov, who has served as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council for the past year.

The Kyiv Independent's biggest membership drive yet hit its goal, we launched a program to help other Ukrainian newsrooms diversify revenue, and our journalists appeared in The Bulwark, FAZ, RTVE, and more.