China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly told the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas on July 3 that the country cannot afford for Russia to lose the war in Ukraine amid fears the U.S. would shift focus towards Beijing, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, citing sources familiar with the conversation.
When asked if he had made any progress with Putin on the call, Trump responded: "No, I didn't make any progress with him today at all."
Key developments on July 3: * Putin tells Trump Russia won't back down from its war aims in Ukraine * Deputy commander of Russian Navy killed in Ukrainian strike in Kursk, Russian official confirms * Ukraine signs major drone co-production deal with US Swift Beat, Zelensky announces * Russia targets Ukrainian conscription offices to
When Russia illegally declared ownership in 2022 over all of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast – despite never fully capturing or controlling much of it — it only strengthened the case for holding a literary festival there, says Svyatoslav Pomerantsev, president of the international literary corporation Meridian Czernowitz. Hosting a cultural event in the
Fires broke out across the city as Russia attacked the capital overnight on July 4. At least 19 people have been injured, with 14 of the victims hospitalized.
The ruling orders Russia to pay more than $1.5 billion in damages and an additional 300,000 euros ($330,000) in legal costs to Ukraine's largest state-owned bank, according to a press release.
The hour-long conversation between the two presidents focused on Russia's war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov.
When the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) halted the transfer of critical air defense missiles and other weapons to Ukraine, Kyiv and its partners were caught off-guard and are now left scrambling for clarity on the scope and length of the Trump administration's decision. The White House confirmed the
Ukraine signed a major deal with U.S. company Swift Beat to co-produce various types of drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 3 during his visit to Denmark.
Manolis Pilavov had been wanted in Ukraine since 2015 on charges including attempting to violently overthrow the constitutional order and violating Ukraine's territorial integrity.
The alleged spy, arrested during a special operation in Lviv Oblast, was reportedly recruited through his ex-wife, a former military officer now cooperating with Russian forces in occupied Melitopol.
Unconfirmed videos posted to social media show a fire already burning followed by a large explosion and shockwave.
Major General Mikhail Gudkov also led a brigade involved in combat operations against Ukraine. His death reportedly occurred during a Ukrainian attack on a Russian command post.
Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia used 52 drones launched from several directions, including Oryol, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. Air defenses destroyed 40 of them, including 22 shot down and 18 jammed electronically.
"We will continue to strengthen our army, train our troops, and involve more people in defense to deliver a strong response to the enemy," said Ground Forces spokesperson Vitalii Sarantsev.
The shipment includes over two dozen PAC-3 Patriot missiles, more than two dozen Stinger air-defense systems, Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, and over 90 AIM air-to-air missiles intended for use with Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets, according to U.S. administration and congressional officials cited by the Wall Street Journal.
The number includes 1,000 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
In a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump about the reported halt of air defense deliveries, Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, the co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, requested an emergency briefing from the White House and Pentagon on the shipments.
Videos posted on social media purportedly show massive explosions near the reported ammunition depot, located just east of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk.
Key developments on July 2: * As Russia ramps up missile attacks, US halts promised air defense shipments to Ukraine * North Korea to send up to 30,000 more troops to aid Russia's war against Ukraine, CNN reports * Ukraine denies another Russian claim of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast breakthrough, says small incursion repelled
"The pace is quite decent, good," Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and former president, said.
According to Bloomberg, some European allies hope the Trump administration will soften or reverse the decision.
Amid stalled peace talks, Russia is increasingly attacking Ukrainian cities with cluster munitions, banned by international organizations for the indiscriminate damage they cause to civilians. The civilian casualty toll in Ukraine in 2025 rose by 37% compared with the same period last year, mostly due to Russia’s use of
The halting of deliveries of air defense missiles from the U.S. will lead to“major casualties among civilians,” a deputy commander in Ukraine’s air defense told the Kyiv Independent. Politico reported on July 1 that the U.S. Defense Department (DOD) had halted shipments of some weapons previously
The plant produces Tor and Osa air defense systems, as well as Harpy-type attack drones.
"When it comes to Ukraine, in the short term, Ukraine cannot do without all the support it can get," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg denied that he agreed to "work on" halting Ukraine's drone attacks on Russia, contradicting Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko's claim.
The SBU said it had established that Metropolitan Onufrii, also known by his secular name, Orest Berezovskyi, voluntarily received Russian citizenship in 2002 and failed to inform Ukrainian authorities of the fact.
Russia's full-scale invasion may have turned Ukraine into the world's largest minefield. As of March 2025, Ukraine’s mine-affected land spans an estimated 139,000 square kilometers — or 23% of its territory — covering more ground than all of Greece and posing an immense threat to civilian life and recovery efforts.
According to the statement, a small Russian reconnaissance group managed to briefly enter the village of Dachne, located on the edge of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The group reportedly took photos with a Russian flag, but Ukrainian forces "eliminated them."
The fresh units may arrive in the coming months and are likely to be engaged in combat in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, including during "large-scale offensive operations," according to a Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) assessment reviewed by CNN.
In a statement, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said it is working to verify the current status of all elements in the agreed aid packages and has requested a phone call with U.S. defense officials for further clarification.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, eight years after it annexed the Crimean Peninsula and led an armed aggression in Ukraine’s east.
In February 2014, almost immediately following the end of the EuroMaidan Revolution in Ukraine, Russia swiftly moved to annex and occupy Crimea. Within months, Russian proxy forces took control of parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
By the start of 2022, Russia had amassed nearly 200,000 troops on Ukraine’s border. At 4:50 a.m. on Feb. 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in a speech that Russia was to carry out “a special military operation.” Within minutes, missile strikes were launched on Ukrainian cities and the full-scale invasion had begun.
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