The aircraft went down during takeoff in a remote area, but caused no damage as the pilot reportedly ejected, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that ending Russia's war would require new proposals, arguing that previous ideas had been unacceptable to Ukraine and would likely be even less acceptable now.

In an overnight attack across Ukraine, Russian troops launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile, five guided Kh-59/69 missiles, and 168 drones, the Air Force said.

The figure includes 1,460 personnel losses recorded over the past day.

"The negotiations on this package have been challenging, but we found agreement on the remaining issues while maintaining EU unity as we have in the previous 20 packages," an EU diplomat told journalists.

Ukraine's military launched drone attacks on various Russian regions overnight on July 23, striking an oil refinery and logistics infrastructure, Russian Telegram media channels reported, citing local residents.

According to Suspilne, Zelensky received an invite to attend Graham's funeral, which is set to take place at the Washington National Cathedral on July 28.

"No country has the right to starve the world," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on July 22. "Global pressure can stop Russian terror."

The P1-SUN JetKiller is designed to hunt and destroy Russia's jet-powered Shahed-type drones. Skyfall says the interceptor will enter serial production in August 2026.

President Volodymyr Zelensky held "a good and important conversation" with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on July 22.

The Kyiv Independent asked people on the streets of Kyiv how they assess the military leadership shakeup, what changes they expect under Drapatyi's command, and whether they believe Fedorov should continue shaping Ukraine's defense policy.

This week's letters come from readers reflecting on the dismissal of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. An American military veteran argues the decision may harm the country's reform movement, and a British scholar urges Ukrainians to preserve military reforms while avoiding divisions that could benefit Russia. Got an opinion on anything you've read in the Kyiv Independent? Send it to letters@kyivindependent.com — your letter may appear in our Letters section. As Ukraine’s Crimea campai

Key developments on July 22: * Ukraine protests to continue despite Syrskyi's firing as organizers demand Fedorov's return * Warehouses of Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries burn as Ukraine strikes Krasnodar, Stavropol regions * 13 more Russian shadow fleet vessels struck in Azov Sea and Black Sea over last 2 days, Ukraine says * Trump's NATO envoy arrives in Kyiv for talks on Patriot missiles, drone deal Ukrainians will gather for another protest in Kyiv on July 24 to demand the

Blackouts were reported throughout occupied Crimea, and massive fires broke out in several southern Russian cities amid Ukrainian strikes on retail logistics facilities overnight on July 22, according to monitoring channels.

Mykhailo Drapatyi's appointment was met with celebration among Ukrainian military personnel and protesters, while Russian social media users contrasted Ukraine's political system with Russia's and warned about the new commander-in-chief, describing him as someone who "hates (Russian soldiers) and hates them consistently."

"Every illicit voyage helps sustain Russia's war machine. We are matching our sanctions with actions at sea," the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas tweeted.

"We had a good talk — first and foremost on how to protect Ukrainian skies with more Patriot interceptor supplies through PURL," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukraine and Moldova have demonstrated strong progress and dedication, and we believe the EU should continue advancing their negotiations without unnecessary delays," Lithuania's EU representation told the Kyiv Independent.

The Ukrainian government's resignation last week has become something of an annual ritual. Each iteration is presented as a fresh start, yet together they point to a far more significant problem — a persistent crisis of governance. Before founding a civil society organization focused on defense sector reform, I served as a government official in Ukraine. During my time in government, I learned firsthand how difficult it can be to pursue a real change from within the system. When I initiated re

The comment comes a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Drapatyi's appointment as he faced pressure from mass protests in Kyiv and across the country to dismiss former Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Editor's note: The full names of some service members quoted in this story have not been disclosed for security reasons. Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi took over as Ukraine's commander-in-chief on July 21 after President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi, elevating one of the military's most battle-tested commanders to its top post. "Drapatyi commands tremendous respect within the Ukrainian military — something that is extremely difficult to earn," Artem Kariakin, a soldier of th

According to the poll, 72% of the respondents did not support Fedorov’s dismissal, 5% backed it, and 17% said they were indifferent.

Russian troops launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile, three guided Kh-59/69 missiles, and 216 drones against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. It reported downing three guided Kh-59/69 missiles and 204 of the drones in the north, center, south, and east of the country.

Russia's chief diplomat said he believes Washington has not yet rejected proposals made at last year's summit in Anchorage between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump.

The EU is set to tie billions of euros in financial support to Kyiv's ability to complete the so-called Kachka-Kos plan for rule-of-law reforms, after months of inertia in Ukraine's parliament and a recent government reshuffle interpreted by some as another attempt to avoid making those changes. President Volodymyr Zelensky decided on July 12 to reshuffle the country's government, a controversial move that has led to consecutive days of protests over the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo F

"We still gotta bring back Fedorov," protest organizer and veteran Dmytro Koziatynskyi wrote.

The 13 vessels that were struck over July 21-22 included 10 dry cargo ships, two tugboats, and a tanker, according to Brovdi.

The Washington-based lender called Ukraine's performance "broadly satisfactory" in a press release announcing its approval, but emphasized that several conditions of the program were either completed with a delay or missed entirely.

President Volodymyr Zelensky and former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov remain locked in a political standoff, with neither side willing to compromise as protests over the minister's dismissal pause for three days, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent. Days after thousands of people rallied against Fedorov's dismissal, both camps remain committed to their maximalist positions. Zelensky fired Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi in an attempt to defuse public anger, but h

Latest: Zelensky dismisses Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi amid widespread protests. Thousands of protesters gathered nightly in central Kyiv in recent days, many of them calling out the name of one of Ukraine's most respected generals: "Drapatyi!" The mass protest in the capital, which began on July 15 after President Volodymyr Zelensky ousted Ukraine's popular, reform-minded Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, had turned into a call to replace Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief. As details

President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 21 dismissed the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, appointing Joint Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi as his replacement. The move comes amid ongoing mass protests in Kyiv and across Ukraine, in which demonstrators have demanded that Syrskyi be removed from his post. Zelensky thanked Syrskyi for his service, praising his role in some of Ukraine's most significant military operations during the full-scale war. "Oleksandr Syrs

Key developments on July 21: * Ukraine strikes Russian fighter jet, air defense system in Kursk Oblast, General Staff says * Fires break out in Russia's Lipetsk amid reported overnight attack * Zelensky's office welcomes pro-Trump influencer Laura Loomer's visit to Ukraine * Russian attacks kill at least 10, injure 87 over past day, heavily damaging residential areas across Ukraine A Russian MiG-29 fighter jet and a Pantsir-S1 air defense system were struck at the Khalino airfield in Russi