UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
❗️Putin is preparing a summer of uninterrupted attacks on Ukraine amid cuts in US military aid — The Wall Street Journal
▪️ Moscow is stepping up ground operations and intensified bombing of Ukrainian cities.
▪️ During his phone call with Trump on Thursday, Putin reportedly showed no intention to heed U.S. calls to end the war.
▪️ His strategy is aimed at breaking Ukraine’s capacity and will to resist by increasing pressure on the military and civilians.
▪️ Recent developments have reinforced the Kremlin’s belief that a prolonged war will exhaust Ukraine and its Western allies.
▪️ As Ukraine is forced to conserve resources, the Russian army may gain ground more rapidly.
▪️ Ukraine has held back the Russian advance in the Sumy region, but at the cost of stretching its already limited forces.
▪️ Seizing territory is not currently Putin’s main objective. His priority is to wear down Ukraine militarily, destroy its arsenal, and erode morale both domestically and internationally.
Slovakia has once again blocked the adoption of the EU’s 18th package of sanctions against Russia at the level of permanent representatives, according to a statement from the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited by TASR.
Bratislava continues to insist on firm guarantees from the European Commission regarding the RePowerEU initiative, which envisions ending all Russian gas imports to the EU by January 1, 2028. Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government argues that this would seriously harm Slovakia’s economy.
As a result of Russian shelling, the last power transmission line connecting the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to the Ukrainian power system was disabled, Energoatom reported.
The plant has switched to emergency diesel generators due to the complete blackout.
Ukrenergo specialists have restored the operation of the high-voltage line that supplies electricity to the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Ukraine has developed a multifunctional UAV called “POP Fly,” which is an analogue of the American Switchblade, Militarnyi reports.
The drone can be used for both reconnaissance and strike missions, with interchangeable cameras and warheads.
• The reconnaissance version has a range of 100–120 km.
• The kamikaze version has a range of 50–100 km, depending on the warhead (2.5–5 kg).
“POP Fly” is already ready for mass production.
German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit confirmed that Berlin is holding “intensive negotiations” with the United States regarding the supply of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine.
Three NATO countries — Germany, Sweden, and Denmark — have begun inspecting Russian tankers in the Baltic Sea, Foreign Policy reports.
The move aims to crack down on Russia’s shadow fleet by requiring ships to present valid insurance documents while passing through their territorial waters.
Vessels without proper insurance risk being blacklisted by the US, UK, and EU, tightening enforcement of energy sanctions and limiting Russia’s ability to fund its war in Ukraine.
Russia’s shadow fleet largely consists of older tankers with dubious insurance, often owned via foreign shell companies and sailing under flags of convenience. These ships typically refuse to use local pilots while navigating narrow coastal straits — a growing concern for Denmark and Sweden.
Officials also warn that the shadow fleet poses environmental and security threats, with fears of a major oil spill and suspicions of sabotage, including attacks on undersea cables in the Baltic region.
[reported yesterday, more info]
Another prisoner exchange has taken place.
Many of those who returned had been held in Russian captivity since 2022.
“Our defenders who fought for Ukraine in various regions are coming home today: Donetsk, Mariupol, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson. These include soldiers of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, the State Special Transport Service — and civilians as well,” President Zelenskyy said.
❗️ A key feature of this exchange is the return of Ukrainian defenders whom Russia had sentenced to long prison terms, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets noted.
Some of the released military personnel had previously been listed as missing.
According to the Coordinating Headquarters, the youngest released defender is 20 years old, and the oldest is 59. The group includes wounded and seriously ill soldiers, as well as those under 25.
The head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, Andriy Gunder, has called on the U.S. administration, the White House, and President Donald Trump to protect American business by providing Ukraine with the necessary weapons to defend against Russian air attacks.
“While Americans celebrate Independence Day, here in Ukraine we have experienced a night of terror — 500 Russian air targets across the country, in the center of Kyiv.
The losses are staggering. More than half of the 600 members of the ATPU suffered direct losses during the war. American business is being destroyed by Russia,” Gunder emphasized in a statement published on Facebook.
#Kharkiv region: Russian forces launched a massive drone strike on the city of Chuhuiv.
At least 11 people were injured, including 2 children.