Live:Ukraine
🔹 SBU drones struck a military plant in Penza, Russia, according to newly confirmed reports.
This morning, long-range drones operated by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) targeted the “Radiozavod” JSC, part of the Russian state corporation Rostec.
The facility manufactures automated combat control systems for various branches of the Russian military, including air defense, artillery, mobile command posts on armored vehicles, and advanced communications equipment.
Due to its role in Russia’s military-industrial complex, the plant is under international sanctions.
At least 11 explosions were recorded during the drone strike, followed by a massive fire. Preliminary reports suggest that a newly built production complex and warehouse facilities storing components were hit.
🔸 Senate Republicans propose creating a fund to finance weapons for Ukraine, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing aides to GOP senators
The “Peace Through Strength Act” was introduced yesterday by Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Roger Wicker and Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jim Risch.
The bill envisions a new fund within the U.S. Treasury, into which allied nations could contribute. The U.S. Secretary of Defense would then use the fund to reimburse contractors for replenishing American weapons stockpiles.
The senators aim to establish a stable source of funding worth approximately $5–8 billion annually. Likely contributors include Germany and the United Kingdom.
According to aides, Wicker has already discussed the proposal with the White House, which responded positively. Lawmakers plan to pass the measure later this year as part of the annual defense policy bill being developed by Wicker’s committee.
⚡️⚡️Parliament has passed draft law No. 13533 in its entirety — restoring the independence of NABU and SAPO.
The decision was supported by 331 MPs. Additionally, 326 lawmakers voted for the bill to be signed immediately.
President Zelensky has already signed draft law No. 13533, which restores the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
“Just signed the document, and the text will be published immediately. This guarantees the proper, independent functioning of Ukraine’s anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies. It’s the right decision,” the president stated.
Volodymyr Zelensky also signed draft law No. 13573, which increases the state budget’s defense spending by 412.3 billion UAH (“approximately €9.3 billion”).
🇪🇺🇺🇦 The EU welcomed the adoption of the law restoring the independence of NABU and SAPO.
European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier stated at a briefing that the adopted law addresses the main challenges to the independence of Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), though he added that the Commission still needs to review the text.
“I want to stress that this is not the end of the process. For EU accession, Ukraine must continue its efforts to ensure an effective fight against corruption and uphold the rule of law,” he emphasized.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos wrote on X that the Rada had corrected a harmful decision that had undermined NABU and SAPO’s independence.
“Today’s law restores key safeguards, but challenges remain. Upholding fundamental values and fighting corruption must remain a priority,” she added.
🇳🇮 Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has announced that his government recognizes the territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson as part of the Russian Federation.
He made the statement in a letter to Vladimir Putin yesterday, expressing support for what he called Russia’s “heroic battle against Ukrainian neo-Nazism backed by NATO.”
If formalized, Nicaragua could become the first country to officially recognize Russia’s annexation of the four Ukrainian regions in 2022.
▪️Back in 2020, Nicaragua opened an honorary consulate in occupied Simferopol.
🇺🇸 The U.S. held talks with the Russians on ending the war in Ukraine — but saw no progress.
This was stated by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during an appearance on Fox Radio.
“We continue to engage with the Russian side — just this week, on Monday or Tuesday, we had a full conversation with them. Not with Putin, but with some of his key people — hoping to reach some understanding on a path toward peace. But we didn’t see any progress,” he emphasized.
According to Rubio, Trump is frustrated that at first, there are “great phone calls” where everyone seems to agree on the need to end the war — but then he sees news of attacks on cities, including those far from the front lines.
“So at some point, he’ll have to decide — how much longer to try negotiating a ceasefire if one side simply isn’t interested,” he added.
Rubio outlined several potential actions Trump might take, including secondary sanctions on oil sales and sectoral sanctions against the Russian banking system.
“The best way forward is to stop the shooting and start negotiating. But for now — at least from our perspective — we don’t see a genuine willingness from the Russian side to achieve that goal. We’ll remain open to such efforts if the opportunity arises, but clearly, the President won’t wait forever,” he concluded.
❗️Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has responded to Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s statement recognizing Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories as part of Russia.
Earlier, Ortega sent a letter to Vladimir Putin expressing support for what he called Russia’s “heroic struggle against Ukrainian neo-Nazism supported by NATO.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry urged the Nicaraguan authorities to deny the information reported in the media if it is false. Otherwise, Ukraine will regard Nicaragua’s actions as a gross violation of international law.
Back in 2020, Ukraine had already imposed sectoral sanctions against Nicaragua after the country opened an honorary consulate in occupied Simferopol.
🇰🇿🇨🇳 Kazakhstan chooses China over Russia for two out of three nuclear power plants
According to Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar, while the first nuclear power plant in the country is expected to be built by Russia’s state-owned Rosatom, the second and third facilities will be constructed by a Chinese company, whose name he did not disclose.
This decision signals a shift in Kazakhstan’s energy partnerships, reducing its reliance on Russia and strengthening ties with China in the strategic sector of nuclear energy.
🇺🇳 Ukraine has called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in response to Russia’s strike on Kyiv.
“Putin rejects peace efforts and seeks to prolong his war. But the world has enough strength to stop him — through united pressure and a principled stance in favor of a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire,” emphasized Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
🇺🇸 The U.S. Senate Committee has approved a bill allocating $1 billion in aid for Ukraine.
This includes $800 million directly for Ukraine and an additional $200 million for the Baltic states, which are expected to use the funds to support Ukraine as well.
🔹 Trump called Russia’s actions “disgusting” and promised new sanctions in response to the attack on Kyiv.
“Russia, I believe what they’re doing is disgusting […]. I think what Russia is doing is very sad. A lot of Russians are dying […], Russians are dying, Ukrainians are dying,” Trump told reporters at the White House yesterday.
He said the United States plans to impose new sanctions on Russia, although he admitted he doesn’t know whether sanctions have any impact on Putin.
The U.S. President also announced that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will travel to Moscow after his visit to Israel, where he is currently discussing the situation in Gaza with local officials.
▪️On Monday, Trump said he was disappointed with Putin and announced he was shortening the 50-day deadline for ending the war to 10–12 days. The U.S. president wants to see a ceasefire in Ukraine by August 8th.
🇮🇳 Indian refineries have halted purchases of Russian oil, according to Reuters citing industry sources.
India, the world’s third-largest oil importer and the biggest buyer of Russian seaborne crude, has stopped buying it over the past week. Instead, its state-owned refineries have turned to alternative sources, including Abu Dhabi and West African crude. These facilities account for more than 60% of the country’s refining capacity.
There are two main reasons for the shift: Russia has reduced its discounts, and President Trump has ordered the introduction of a 25% tariff starting in August.
“India has always purchased the majority of its military equipment from Russia and, along with China, remains the largest buyer of Russian energy — while everyone else wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine. This is not good!” the U.S. president emphasized.
🇩🇪🇺🇦 Germany will deliver additional Patriot launchers to Ukraine “in the coming days,” according to the country’s Ministry of Defense.
In a second phase, over the next “two to three months,” additional system components will be transferred. Germany will become the first country to receive new next-generation Patriot systems from the United States in return — on an accelerated schedule.
🔸 Newly uncovered documents in Germany’s Foreign Ministry archives reveal that Vladimir Putin laid claim to eastern Ukraine, Crimea, and northern Kazakhstan as early as 1994.
At the time, Putin was the first deputy mayor of Saint Petersburg. According to the then-German consul general in the city, Putin emphatically repeated what he had already said in a previous conversation:
“Crimea, eastern Ukraine, and northern Kazakhstan — at the very least — have never been foreign lands to Russia, but have always been part of its territory.”
The diplomat also recalled Putin saying:
“No Russian can be told that these are now foreign countries.”
Putin justified this by appealing to a sense of national identity, which, he noted, “Germans probably find difficult to understand.”
🔹 All search and rescue operations in Kyiv have been completed. Tragically, the death toll has reached 31, including five children. The youngest was only two years old, President Zelensky reported.
A total of 159 people were injured, among them 16 children.