Ukraine, Czech Republic to strengthen defense industry cooperation

Even if the decision is adopted at the EU level, it will not prevent Budapest from accepting ethnic Hungarians fleeing Ukraine because of the war or mobilization, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said.

The plan, backed by 300 billion pounds ($400 billion) in funding over four years, is part of a drive toward a more "European NATO" and will help the British forces deter the Russian threat, outgoing U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

The suspect helped Russia take control of Crimea's energy infrastructure in 2014, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said.

Ukraine's Air Force shot down 138 targets, while drone strikes were recorded at 10 locations and falling debris at two others.

According to the French news outlet BFM TV, the blast injured Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev, his partner, and 13-year-old daughter. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible terrorist attack.

The EU's new steel allocation, set to enter into force on July 1, was introduced in response to global steel overcapacity, which has been hurting EU producers. The measure aims to restrict tariff-free steel imports to 18.3 million metric tons per year, a 47% reduction.

The Norwegian defense company Kongsberg and Ukraine's DevDroid announced on June 30 a collaboration to produce ground drones equipped with state-of-the-art weapons systems, aiming to supply Ukraine and other European countries.

The payment is part of the initial 6-billion-euro ($7-billion) tranche dedicated to drone procurement under the 90-billion-euro ($103 billion) Ukraine Support Loan.

The child was killed after a private house caught fire following what local authorities said was a drone crash in Yegoryevsk.

"I proposed what I believe was a very fair, partnership-based approach: MiGs in exchange for drones," Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said. "The Ukrainians initially accepted it but did not follow through, so there are no MiGs for Ukraine because there are no drones, or drone capabilities, for Poland."

The number includes 1,350 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Ukraine has made "progress" in negotiations, but there are still bureaucratic hurdles to clear, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on June 29.

Swedish defense company Saab announced on June 29 that it had signed a $4.83 billion contract with Poland to supply three A26 submarines, as Poland and Sweden deepen defense cooperation under the Baltic Sea Pact.

President Volodymyr Zelensky and Danish Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus discussed a potential drone cooperation agreement and expanded efforts to strengthen anti-ballistic capabilities during a June 29 meeting.