US allows deploying its military contractors to Ukraine, Reuters reports

U.S. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal co-authored a bipartisan bill that would impose 500% tariffs on countries buying Russian oil, gas, or uranium.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is facilitating transit primarily to Poland, with some migrants arriving from Libya directly or through Russia — pointing to coordinated efforts between Minsk and Moscow.

Explosions rocked Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts as Russia launched waves of missiles, drones, and guided aerial bombs overnight on July 26. Kharkiv's Kyviskyi district has been hit twice by ballistic missiles.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 208 drones and 27 missiles overnight, targeting cities and infrastructure in multiple regions.

The U.S. on July 25 urged China to stop enabling Russia's war in Ukraine during a UN Security Council meeting, prompting a sharp rebuke from Beijing, which accused Washington of creating confrontation.

The plant manufactures countermeasure stations for front-line aircraft and is a major part of Russia's military-industrial complex.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban described Hungary's proposed partnership as "pragmatic, flexible, and rooted in mutual interest — not irreversible integration."

The number includes 1,080 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

While Turkish media earlier reported that Erdogan was arranging a meeting between Putin and Trump, the president's office later clarified that he was referring to an in-person meeting with Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukrainians on July 25 participated in mass protests against a controversial new law impacting anti-corruption agencies for the fourth day in a row. President Zelensky earlier addressed criticism of the law, saying there should have been a dialogue between parliament and society before its adoption.

EU member states will not likely agree to push the ban up a year, but officials could use the demand as leverage in the upcoming negotiations, European diplomats told Reuters.

While Belgrade has not joined EU sanctions against Moscow, the decision reflects economic pragmatism rather than political alignment, Serbian European Integration Minister Nemanja Starovic said.