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Russian warlord Igor Girkin, also known as Strelkov, was sent to the frontline as a deputy battalion commander or the chief of staff of a unit, Russian propagandist and war journalist Maksim Fomin and other propagandists said. Girkin, who is usually active on social media daily, has been silent since Oct. 10. Girkin’s wife Miroslava Reginskaya posted a photo of him in a military uniform on Oct. 15 and added that he was alright and would soon be in touch again. Girkin effectively launched the war in the Donbas by seizing Slovyansk in April 2014. Since then, he has become critical of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, lashing out at him for mishandling the war effort. Girkin reportedly tried to go to the front in Ukraine in August but was blocked by the Russian authorities.
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Thursday, July 23
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."
Wednesday, July 22
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.
(Updated: )
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 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.
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