Nizhnekamskneftekhim (NKNK) is one of the largest petrochemical enterprises in Eastern Europe. It has previously been targeted in reported Ukrainian strikes.

Speaking to members of his Cabinet and the press on July 31, Trump was hesitant about the license, calling it a "big step" and emphasizing the need to be careful about divulging the secrets of American defense tech.

Key developments on July 31: * Russian military deaths 14 times higher than Ukraine’s, Zelensky says * 5 special forces soldiers missing, 3 injured after ammunition detonation at training ground in Western Ukraine * Khartiia brigade commander Obolienskyi targeted in assassination attempt, Zelensky says * Ukraine's assault regiments ordered to halt recruitment amid allegations of misconduct, media reports * Ukrainian forces strike oil refinery in Russia's Volgograd Oblast, aircraft factory

For days, Poland's Law and Justice (PiS) party has been consumed by a crisis of its own making. The party, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023, has now split into two ahead of next year's parliamentary elections. After months of internal tensions, the more moderate faction led by former Prime Minister  was forced out by Przemysław Czarnek, the party's newly nominated prime ministerial candidate and leader of its more radical wing. The split weakens an opposition that had hoped to challenge

Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Zelensky added that many Ukrainian troops remained missing in action.

The hotel where we like to stay in Lviv, one of Europe's most picturesque cities, sits on a small square, a block from City Hall. Cafes and cobblestones, church towers and small shops enchant visitors, though the city bustles with locals going about their daily lives. Kitty-corner to our hotel is the Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church, a 17th-century stone building that has long served the military and their families. Each morning during our visit, we woke to the sounds of funerals for soldi

The incident began at around 11:55 a.m., with the ammunition detonation continuing until 7 p.m. The cause and circumstances remain unclear.

Three board members of one of Ukraine's largest state-owned shipping companies say that they feel pressured to take actions that are not in the best interest of the company, neglected as they try to fix severe financial, management, and governance issues — but then accused of not having the company's best interests at heart. The board members came forward after the Kyiv Independent revealed in July that Ukraine's parliament would look into the situation at the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company

Ukrainians gathered in Kyiv on July 31 for what organizers described as a "march for dialogue and reforms in defense," renewing demands that President Volodymyr Zelensky reinstate former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The rally marked the 16th day of protests over Fedorov's dismissal, with organizers vowing to continue demonstrating despite no indication that Zelensky intends to reverse his decision. While several previous protests have drawn hundreds rather than thousands of participants,

Zelensky underscored that strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses remains Kyiv’s top priority amid ongoing Russian attacks, with particular emphasis on obtaining additional Patriot missile interceptors to protect against ballistic missile attacks.

"We will definitely respond to this attempted strike against Ukraine and the Ukrainian commander," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"After more than four years of war, the nature of the threats has changed, and so have our approaches to preserving monuments," Serhii Anzhyiak, director of the city's Department of Culture, said.

One source said their regiment was currently unable to recruit personnel from reserve battalions or newly mobilized soldiers assigned through enlistment offices. Another source confirmed that their unit had received notice of a "suspension of personnel allocations" following a decision by the commander-in-chief.

In this report, the Kyiv Independent's Dominic Culverwell and Nick Allard travel to Ukraine's agricultural heartland, documenting how two brothers survived Russian occupation, rebuilt their farm from scratch, and continue to harvest under the increasing threat of Russian FPV drones.

In the city of Volgograd, the Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka refinery, one of Russia's largest oil refineries, with an annual crude oil processing capacity of 15 million metric tons, was targeted.

"It was a provocation, an intention, an alliance test. In this case, the next weeks will probably give us more answers," Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said.

Russian forces launched another large-scale aerial attack on Ukraine, deploying 255 Shahed-type attack drones overnight on July 31, the Air Force said.

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for Russia's war against Ukraine to be frozen and urged a return to peace negotiations based on a revised version of the Istanbul talks.

Russia launched dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as hundreds of drones, towards Ukraine in the early hours of July 30 in yet another large-scale attack. Damage was reported in various cities, including Kyiv and Lviv, just hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia was preparing another large-scale attack.

The figure includes 1,340 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to visit Kyiv in the second half of August, a senior correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) reported on July 30, citing sources familiar with the plans.

In the early hours of July 30, sirens blared in the Poland's Lublin region, F-16 fighter jets were scrambled, and an explosion was reported after an "unidentified object," later described by Tusk as likely a Kh-101 cruise missile, strayed into Polish territory amid a larger Russian mass attack on Ukraine.

A cryptocurrency associated with Russia's sprawling state defense corporation has quietly launched just as the European Union targets Russian crypto markets with further sanctions. Blockchain data reviewed by Kyiv Independent suggests that ruble token RubX, announced by Rostec last year, soft-launched on July 17. RubX later started offering swaps to the widely accepted dollar stablecoin Tether via Telegram on July 24. Cryptocurrencies have emerged as a key conduit for Russian importers to make

"The alliance between the Moscow scumbags and the deranged regime in North Korea exists for the sake of missiles, North Korean troops on our borders here in Europe, and killing our Ukrainian children," Zelensky said in his evening address.

Key developments on July 30: * 'Almost nothing remained': Russian missile kills at least 6 family members in Ukrainian village * Ukraine hits one of Russia's largest Lukoil-owned oil refineries, General Staff confirms * 'The package won't arrive:' Blazes at Wildberries warehouses in Russia's Penza, Udmurtia amid more Ukrainian drone strikes * Assault regiment commander ordered troops to fire on retreating comrades, media investigation alleges A Russian ballistic missile killed at least six

If Russian President Vladimir Putin were to make a clear-headed assessment of the state of his war with Ukraine, he would seek a ceasefire. But his head apparently is not clear, because all signs point to him pursuing some kind of escalation. If he does indeed embark on such a course, he will make the situation worse for everyone, but primarily for himself. Since his August 2025 meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Putin has been seeking to persuade the United States to force

The 225th Assault Regiment — which had fought as a battalion in Chasiv Yar before helping lead the lightning incursion into Kursk Oblast in 2024 — is one of the largest units of the Ukrainian military, having been expanded to at least 15 battalions.

Six members of the family have been confirmed killed, with rescuers still searching for any remains of the other five as of 6 p.m. local time.

French authorities said that her "conduct undermines the fundamental interests of the state," and her continued presence on French territory "therefore constitutes a particularly serious and immediate threat to public order."

The allocated funds will help finance the procurement of drones, including long-range jet-powered models, as well as missiles and Gripen fighter jets, according to the European Commission.

A fire was reported on the refinery's grounds following the attack, according to the General Staff.

The figure includes 1,360 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.