The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs) has not specified how many civilians and military personnel were among the 501 repatriated bodies.

Editor's note: Denys Maslov was appointed justice minister on July 16. There are three things to know about lawmaker Denys Maslov. He chairs parliament's legal policy committee, responsible for overhauling Ukraine's courts. He is widely expected to become the country's next justice minister. And he insists Ukraine's judicial reform is on track. Maslov, who sources say could move from parliament to the cabinet as part of this week's government reshuffle, faces mounting pressure from the Europ

Denys Shmyhal, who has been senior deputy prime minister (the Cabinet’s second-in-command) and energy minister since January, kept his position.

President Volodymyr Zelensky's dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov has sparked a wave of criticism from lawmakers, soldiers, veterans, and civil society figures, who argue Ukraine is losing one of its most effective wartime officials without a clear explanation.

In June, Kyiv signed a deal with Sweden to purchase 16 Gripen E fighter jets, with deliveries to begin as early as 2029.

The Russian government has been increasingly restricting access to social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram and instead pushing Russian users to the app Max, the development of which was supervised by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).

Recently dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote that he had "submitted an application through an EU loan to purchase PAC-3 missiles," which an EU official has confirmed to the Kyiv Independent.

Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said he suggested "drastic personnel decisions," which involved replacing both Syrskyi and General Staff Chief Andrii Hnatov, both of whom are criticized by younger soldiers and commanders for their top-down, Soviet-era command culture.

Koretskyi's Cabinet is expected to be appointed later on July 16.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the two vessels hit were the tankers Louise 1 and Banda.

Colonel Pavlo Yelizarov warned in his resignation letter that the dismissal would cause more casualties and destruction in Ukraine from Russian missile and drone attacks.

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

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.

This is a developing story and is being updated. President Volodymyr Zelensky's dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister has drawn a wave of criticism from soldiers, veterans, and civil society figures, who argue Ukraine is losing one of its most effective wartime officials without an adequate explanation. Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran who was a leading organizer of last summer's mass protests against a law curbing the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies, called fo

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.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect recent developments. Key developments on July 15: * Zelensky dismisses Defense Minister Fedorov * Lockheed Martin supports granting Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot missiles, official says * Total blackout in Kerch, Crimea after Ukrainian drone attack * Russian Mi-28 helicopter downed by Ukrainian drone, Madyar claims * Russian election results unlikely to affect escalation of war but could fuel mobilization, Zelensky says * Russia

International observers may be surprised by the latest developments in Ukraine. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko was forced to resign after serving less than a year in office. She becomes the third prime minister ousted by President Volodymyr Zelensky, as Ukraine prepares for yet another government reshuffle. So what do we know about Svyrydenko's successor, and what do these changes mean for Ukraine's future? Winter is coming Many Ukrainians recall the 2025-2026 winter with pain. Millions of

"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.

"There must be no Russian shadow on a banknote honoring the poet whom Russia killed," said Andriy Pyshnyy, governor of the National Bank of Ukraine.

The strikes are part of Ukraine's ongoing effort to isolate occupied Crimea by disrupting the military and commercial infrastructure that sustains the peninsula.

The meeting comes in a week when rumors and speculation that Fedorov could be replaced as defense minister have reached fever pitch.

Cases of drones taking out helicopters were unheard of just two years ago with the first ever recorded case happening on Aug. 6, 2024.

After a sold-out debut in New York, the Kyiv Independent is bringing its live event series to the UK — and we couldn't be more excited to meet our London community in person.