United 24 Media:
🔹 North Korea is preparing to send new troops to Russia, Reuters reports.
According to South Korean lawmakers citing intelligence, Pyongyang could deploy its military to support Russia’s war against Ukraine as early as July or August. In early June, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev visited Pyongyang on Putin’s orders and met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The exact number of North Korean soldiers expected to arrive in Russia remains unknown.
Meanwhile, North Korea continues to supply Russia with weapons. In exchange for artillery shells and missiles, Pyongyang is likely receiving technical assistance for satellite launches and missile guidance systems.
🔸 Orbán said the European Union had offered Hungary “very good conditions” for supporting the 18th package of anti-Russian sanctions.
“Yes, we received a very good offer, no doubt. That’s true. We need to work on it a little more, but yes, we received a very good offer,” he told reporters ahead of an EU summit in Brussels.
Earlier, Budapest and Bratislava had threatened to block the new sanctions package, objecting to proposed restrictions on purchasing Russian oil and gas.
Ahead of the summit, several European leaders expressed hope that a deal could be reached with Hungary and Slovakia. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo both stressed the need for agreement. The sanctions package requires unanimous approval from all EU member states.
The draft of the 18th sanctions package includes measures targeting the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Russia’s oil and banking sectors, shadow fleet vessels, and efforts to combat sanctions evasion. It also proposes lowering the price cap on Russian oil—but due to the lack of consensus among G7 countries and rising global oil prices, that measure is likely to be dropped for now.
🔹 “I don’t see light at the end of the tunnel,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said, commenting on the prospects for ending the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels ahead of a European Council meeting, he stated there is no reason for optimism in the near term, accusing Russia of merely imitating the peace process.
“Russia shows no willingness to move forward—it is only pretending, imitating negotiations. And in my view, a ceasefire is an absolutely necessary precondition for any peace agreement. But that’s not happening now. Therefore, our response must be clear and strong: we must adopt the 18th package of sanctions,” Nausėda said.
🔸 An investigation by Finnish state broadcaster Yle has revealed that Russia imported €1 billion worth of aircraft parts for Western Boeing and Airbus planes during the three years of its war with Ukraine — despite EU and U.S. sanctions prohibiting such supplies.
Journalists analyzed Russian customs data obtained from a commercial provider. The findings show that over 360 companies worldwide were involved in circumventing sanctions. The largest exporters of the parts were the United Arab Emirates, Gabon, China, and Türkiye.
The imports included both critical components such as engines and radar systems, as well as routine cabin accessories. Some of the imported equipment is dual-use, with potential military applications. From February 2022 to September 2024, Russia received €600 million in Airbus parts and €400 million in Boeing parts. The report notes that the actual volumes could be even higher.
🔹 According to The Telegraph, Iran may be overestimating the depth of its alliance with Vladimir Putin. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi traveled to Moscow seeking support following the recent U.S. strike on Iran, but the response from the Kremlin was largely rhetorical.
While Putin publicly condemned the American action as “totally unjustified aggression,” his remarks included only vague assurances of support and no commitment to concrete action.
As British journalist Owen Matthews notes, the strategic partnership signed by Putin and the Iranian president earlier this year lacks any mutual defense clause. Despite the fanfare around the agreement, Moscow appears unwilling to back Tehran with real measures.
So far, there is no evidence of practical Russian help beyond statements and possibly sending back Russian-produced Shahed drones to Iran — a token gesture that underscores the limits of the alliance. Iran, the piece suggests, is beginning to realize that Putin may not be the ally it hoped for.
🔸 According to RMF24, the Polish Sejm has voted to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines.
The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
Before the vote, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz explained that the move was prompted by the deteriorating security situation in the region. He noted that this was a coordinated step taken jointly with Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, all of which had already withdrawn from the Convention.
🔹 Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that Slovakia will request a postponement of the European Council vote on a new package of sanctions against Russia.
“If they do not postpone, we will veto… We will not vote on this package tomorrow,” Fico stated.
While confirming that Slovakia will support the general outcome of the summit, Fico expressed strong opposition to parts of the sanctions package—specifically, measures related to repowering and the reduction of Russian gas imports.
He argued that such policies amount to de facto sanctions and would harm Slovak industry, particularly by raising energy costs:
“I refuse to pay more for gas through Ukraine. Our duty as the government of the Slovak Republic is to argue that repowering is harmful,” he told the European Affairs Committee.
🫂🇺🇦 “Finally — native Ukraine”: two more boys from temporarily occupied territories have returned home, — reported Andriy Yermak.
An 18-year-old boy was forced to leave for Russia after the occupiers nearly destroyed his village. Despite pressure, he refused to accept Russian documents while in Russia. He dreamed only of returning to Ukraine, and on his second attempt, he succeeded — today he is finally home.
A 22-year-old young man who had lived under occupation since 2014 was also brought back from the temporarily occupied territories. His journey lasted more than a month and a half, and upon crossing the border, he said:
“Finally — native Ukraine,” Yermak noted.
🔸 More than 90% of Ukrainians in Russian captivity are subjected to torture, said Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR).
Speaking at a panel discussion on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Yusov noted that Russia is violating the Geneva Convention not only in its treatment of Ukrainian soldiers, but also civilians.
“When we talk about the facts of torture, according to the Istanbul Protocol, all the listed methods—and even those not included—are used by the Russian aggressor. Both against civilians and the military,” Yusov said.
He also emphasized that Russia blocks the work of international organizations and denies access to detention sites, making it impossible to monitor compliance with international law.
❗️The European Council failed to approve the 18th package of sanctions against Russia — Slovakia blocked the decision.
Out of 27 EU member states, 26 supported the document, which envisages increased pressure on Russia, including measures against sanctions circumvention and the “shadow fleet.” EU leaders called on the Council to adopt the package as soon as possible.
It was also confirmed that Russian assets will remain frozen until the aggression ends.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said he would request a postponement of the vote, citing the need for transparency.
“I informed the President of the European Commission that in the interests of transparency, we will request a postponement of the vote at tomorrow’s meeting of ambassadors,” he stated.
💪 Ukraine has returned Bayraktar drones to the front — German media
On June 26, Germany’s N-tv highlighted a video shared by Ukrainian Navy Commander Oleksiy Neizhpapa showing a Bayraktar drone destroying a Russian boat in the Kherson region. This marks the first public use of Bayraktars in several months.
These drones were crucial in the early stages of the full-scale invasion but later vanished from the battlefield due to improved Russian air defenses. Their renewed use may suggest vulnerabilities in Russian defenses in southern Ukraine.
🔹 The European Commission intends to continue providing economic and financial support to Ukraine and is ready to finance €11 billion this year under the G7 Refinancing Initiative (ERA), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
“We discussed Ukraine. President Zelenskyy joined us via video conference. We agreed to continue our financial support to Ukraine on all fronts – military, political and economic.
On the military side, we recently provided €1 billion to the Ukrainian defense industry, using windfall profits from frozen Russian assets. We are on track to deliver two million artillery shells to Ukraine by 2025. And we are ready to finance €11 billion under the G7 loans, because we know how important this is for Ukraine,” von der Leyen said at a press conference in Brussels, where the EU summit is taking place.
🔸 Under continuous fire, Ukraine continues to adopt one reform after another. That is why the European Commission supports the opening of the first cluster of negotiations,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
🔹 The Netherlands and Belgium have handed over two minesweepers to Ukraine, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said.
These are the Belgian ship BNS Narcis and the Dutch ship Zr.Ms. Vlaardingen.
According to Brekelmans, Ukrainian crews and technicians were trained to operate the vessels in record time.