Official: Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia damages homes, educational facilities

Explosions rocked Kyiv shortly before 1 a.m. local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyv City Military Administration, reported that Russia was attacking the city with ballistic missiles.

"(T)he IHF looks forward to welcoming them back into the international handball community and hopes that, with the support and cooperation of all stakeholders, the necessary steps will be taken to ensure a timely and effective return," the body said in a news release.

Russia's Engels-2 air base in Saratov Oblast was reportedly hit by Ukrainian drones overnight on July 16, Russian Telegram media channels reported.

"Our naval strategic nuclear forces maintain a state of full combat readiness," Russian Presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview with the state outlet RIA Novosti.

The new measures, adopted based on proposals from Ukraine's National Bank, aim to stop Russia from using modern financial instruments, such as cryptocurrency, to circumvent sanctions and make international payments.

Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said the president had formally submitted his nomination for Serhii Koretskyi to be the next prime minister of Ukraine.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has been offered the role of Ukraine's next defense minister, a lawmaker from the governing Servant of the People party told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity.

The decision appears to have been made at the last minute, according to one official, who said reports of Vitalii Kim's expected appointment caught even his own team off guard.

"The election results will have no impact on this escalation, because the results will be known before the election," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The U.S. has begun the process of granting Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot missiles, moving the matter beyond political statements, a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.

The 21st sanctions package was supposed to be agreed on on July 15, but two EU officials confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Greece was refusing to compromise on its hardline position against proposals to stop EU countries trading LNG to third countries.

The EU also announced a 10-billion-euro ($11 billion) funding plan for additional drones, missiles, and fighter aircraft for Ukraine.