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President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin, Germany, on April 14, 2026.
Politics

Concerns mount as Zelensky turns sanctions into tool for punishing critics, former allies

by Oleg Sukhov

When President Volodymyr Zelensky slapped sanctions on ex-lawmaker Boryslav Bereza on July 7, many were left wondering what, if anything, linked him to Russia or posed a threat to Ukraine's national security. Bereza has never publicly expressed any sympathies for Russia and has been a pro-Western politician and blogger throughout his entire career. Sanctions, which were introduced by Ukraine when Russia started its war in 2014, were initially intended as a tool for fighting Moscow and its prox

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Wednesday, July 8

As Ukrainian drone strikes cripple Russia’s fuel supply, Moscow faces 'one crisis after another'

Russia's Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery had just restarted operations when Ukrainian drones hit it again. The facility — the fourth-largest oil refinery and the second-largest producer of gasoline in the country — had been struck by Ukraine on June 24, forcing operations to shut down. On July 2, Ukrainian drones paid another visit, forcing the facility to shut down once again. Gazprom's Omsk Oil Refinery, in Omsk, approximately 2,445 kilometers (1,519 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled

People queue to refuel their cars at a Lukoil petrol station in Moscow, Russia, on June 30, 2026.

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,413,510 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022

Russia has lost around 1,413,510 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on July 8. The number includes 1,260 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day. According to the report, Russia has also lost 12,100 tanks, 24,903 armored combat vehicles, 117,574 vehicles and fuel tanks, 45,569 artillery systems, 1,918 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,478 air defense systems, 436 aircraft

Exclusive: Ukraine shipping giant is sinking amid allegations of mismanagement and corruption risks

Leaked internal documents obtained by the Kyiv Independent suggest one of Ukraine's largest state-owned shipping companies is being run into the ground and may be under the influence of external interests — offering a rare look at the governance failures that continue to plague the country's state-owned enterprises. In early May, the chairman of the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company's (UDP) supervisory board sent a lengthy letter to Ukraine's parliament. In it, he sounds the alarm over a severe

cargo ship Algrace anchors on the Danube River near the port of Izmail, Odesa Oblast, Ukraine, on July 27, 2023

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