The Kyiv Independent

Russian airstrikes and drone attacks on the front-line city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast killed three people and injured one other on July 9, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported.

A Russian airstrike in Kostiantynivka "destroyed" an administrative building, the Emergency Service said. The bodies of two victims were retrieved from the rubble by rescuers. Workers cleared over 20 tons of debris from the attack site.

The attack also damaged infrastructure facilities and 21 homes.

Attacks in Kostiantynivka left three dead and another injured, authorities said. Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadim Filashkin reported that one man was killed by a Russian first-person-view (FPV) drone.

The governor urged remaining residents to evacuate to safer regions of Ukraine.

Kostiantynivka in easternDonetsk Oblastlies just 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) from several areas currently occupied by Russian forces, according to the monitoring site DeepState. In late June, Filashkin warned that the city is facing an imminent "humanitarian catastrophe" due to Russian strikes on critical infrastructure.

Russia is intensifyingattacks in Donetsk Oblast as it attempts to push into neighboring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a region not previously occupied by Russian forces.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia launches record 741 drones, missiles at Ukraine

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Ukraine will require more than $40 billion in external financial support in 2026 to sustain its economy and war effort, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on July 9.

"The key task should be to develop mechanisms and tools that will allow us to attract these funds," Shmyhal wrote on Telegram.

The remarks come as Kyiv scrambles to secure long-term financing while preparing to co-host the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on July 10–11.

Shmyhal noted that the government submitted budget amendments in late June to increase defense spending by nearly $10 billion, bringing the total for security and defense in 2025 to around $50 billion, or 26% of Ukraine's GDP.

"This will help to effectively counter the enemy," he said, adding that Ukraine's record defense budget includes $16.4 billion earmarked for weapons procurement.

While the budget's own revenues are projected at $48.5 billion, the government has already secured $22 billion in foreign financing for 2025.

His comments follow a July 8 Financial Times article citing a projected budget deficit of $8 billion to $19 billion for 2026, largely due to declining U.S. contributions and the ongoing war.

A senior EU official told the outlet that many donors had previously expected a peace deal in 2025, but are now forced to revise their funding plans as Russia continues its offensive and rejects calls for an unconditional ceasefire.

Read also: ‘We need to learn how to live without America’ — Ukraine’s survival amid faltering U.S. aid

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Key developments on July 9:

'Nearly everything was aimed at Lutsk' — Russia launches record 741 drones, missiles, targeting western UkraineTrump says US will 'take a look' at sending new Patriot system to Ukraine amid Russian attacksIn historic feat, Ukraine's 3rd Brigade captures Russian troops using only drones and robots, military saysUkraine detains Chinese spies tasked with stealing Neptune missile technology, SBU saysSlovakia continues to block EU's 18th Russia sanctions package, media reports

Russia launched what appears to be its largest missile and drone attack against multiple Ukrainian cities overnight on July 9, with the far-western city of Lutsk coming under the heaviest attack of the war.

Russian forces deployed 728 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys, as well as seven Kh-101 or Iskander-K cruise missiles and six Kinzhal missiles, the Air Force said.

Late spring and early summer in Ukraine have been marked by disturbingly frequent massattacks on civilian targets, with Russia regularly terrorizing cities with ballistic and cruise missiles alongside record-breaking numbers of kamikaze drones.

Explosions rocked Kyiv at around midnight on July 9, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that Russian drones were attacking the city center and that air defenses were shooting down targets.

Ukraine's Air Force reported that dozens of Russian attack drones and ballistic missiles were also targeting Ukraine's far-west regions, with alerts of overhead drones approaching the western cities of Lutsk, Lviv, Khmelnytskyi, and Ternopil.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 296 drones and all seven cruise missiles, while 415 drones disappeared from radars, according to the statement.

"Most of the targets were shot down. Our interceptor drones were used — dozens of (Russian) targets were downed, and we are scaling up this technology," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.

Ukraine's Volyn Oblast (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)

Explosions were heard in the city of Lutsk in western Volyn Oblast just before 4 a.m. local time, Suspilne reported, amid warning of drones and missiles overhead. The city was one of the hardest hit during the attack.

Volyn Oblast Governor Ivan Rudnytskyi said the region had approximately 50 drones and five missiles present in the airspace overnight, adding that "nearly everything was aimed at Lutsk."

Lutsk Mayor Ihor Polishchuk said that a fire damaged an "industrial site" as well as a garage, in what he called the "most massive Russian attack" on the city since the start of full-scale war.

The aftermath of a Russian attack against Lutsk, Volyn Oblast, Ukraine, overnight on July 9, 2025. (State Emergency Service)

Elsewhere in the region, the roof of a home in Khmelnytskyi Oblast caught fire, the regional military administration said.

At least one person was injured amid the attack, with a woman sustaining a chest fracture in the city of Brovary in Kyiv Oblast, the regional military administration reported.

Ukraine's Air Force warned late on July 8 that Russia had launched MiG-31 aircraft from the Savasleyka airfield in Nizhny Novgorod, putting the entire country under an hours-long active missile threat. Swarms of drones were also heading towards multiple cities in Ukraine, the military said.

The Polish Air Force said it scrambled fighter jets amid the attack to protect Poland's airspace. The air raid alerts were lifted in western Ukraine around 6:15 a.m. local time, after nearly seven hours of warnings from the Air Force.

Explosions were also reported in communities closer to the front line, including Dnipro, Sumy, as well as over Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Russian ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones have targeted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with renewed ferocity in recent weeks, killing dozens of civilians and injuring hundreds more.

Read also: Zelensky meets Pope Leo XIV in Rome ahead of Ukraine Recovery Conference

Trump says US will 'take a look' at sending new Patriot system to Ukraine amid Russian attacks

U.S. President Donald Trump said on July 9 that his administration is "going to have to take a look" at supplying Ukraine with another Patriot air defense system.

"They would like it. They've asked for it," Trump told reporters in the White House. "I know they made the request. We're going to have to take a look at it."

"When you talk about a system like that... they're doing it because they want to prevent death," he added. "They're getting hit hard, very hard. So we're looking at it."

The comments follow a July 8 reporting by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the White House is considering sending Ukraine a Patriot battery in what would be the administration's first major new weapons transfer since taking office in January.

A U.S. defense official told WSJ that Trump has asked the Pentagon to explore options for supplying Ukraine with more arms, including whether additional Patriots could be sourced from allied countries.

According to Axios, the White House is working on a deal under which Germany would sell a Patriot battery to Ukraine, with the U.S. and European allies sharing the cost.

The proposal comes amid a series of conflicting signals from Washington. On July 2, the Pentagon announced a pause in deliveries of key military aid to Kyiv, including Patriot interceptors and precision-guided munitions.

Trump later denied involvement in the decision and expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin for failing to pursue a ceasefire.

Kyiv has repeatedly urged Western partners to expand air defense coverage as Russian forces continue to target Ukrainian cities with drones, missiles, and aerial bombs.

Patriot batteries, with their high-precision tracking and interception capabilities, are a cornerstone of Ukraine's layered air defense system.

Washington has so far delivered three Patriot batteries to Ukraine, while Germany has sent three more. A European coalition has contributed an additional battery, though not all systems are currently operational due to maintenance rotations.

If approved, a new transfer would mark Trump's first major military package to Ukraine not initiated by the previous Biden administration.

Read also: ‘We need to learn how to live without America’ — Ukraine’s survival amid faltering U.S. aid

In historic feat, Ukraine's 3rd Brigade captures Russian troops using only drones and robots, military says

Ukrainian forces have for the first time captured Russian troops without the use of infantry, relying solely on drones and ground-based robotic systems, Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade said on July 9.

"For the first time in history: Russian soldiers surrendered to the 3rd Assault Brigade's ground drones," the statement read.

Ukraine has increasingly employed drone and robotic technologies on the battlefield as part of its broader strategy to minimize troop losses and adapt to evolving threats along the front line during Russia's full-scale invasion.

The operation took place in Kharkiv Oblast in northeastern Ukraine, where the brigade deployed first-person view (FPV) drones and kamikaze ground robotic platforms to attack Russian fortifications, the brigade said in a statement.

The exact date of the operation was not provided.

0:00/1×Footage depicting a Ukrainian operation to capture Russian soldiers with the use of drone systems. Video published on July 9, 2025. (3rd Assault Brigade / Telegram)

According to the brigade, Ukrainian forces targeted and destroyed Russian bunkers with kamikaze drones and robotic ground vehicles. As another robot approached a damaged Russian holdout, the remaining Russian soldiers reportedly chose to surrender.

The captured troops were then guided out of the combat zone by drones and taken into custody byUkrainian forces, the brigade said.

The brigade added that the Russian positions had previously resisted capture by neighboring Ukrainian units, but the successful assault by unmanned systems allowed Ukrainian forces to take control of both Russian fortifications and a nearby forest line.

Read also: Russia responsible for MH17 downing, international law violations in Ukraine, Europe’s human rights court rules

Ukraine detains Chinese spies tasked with stealing Neptune missile technology, SBU says

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained two Chinese nationals in Kyiv suspected of attempting to steal classified military technology related to Ukraine's Neptune cruise missile system, the agency announced on July 9.

According to the SBU, the two individuals, a 24-year-old former student of a Kyiv technical university and his father, were gathering secret documentation with the intent to illegally transfer it to Chinese intelligence.

The younger man, who remained in Ukraine after being expelled from university in 2023 for poor academic performance, allegedly attempted to recruit a Ukrainian national with access to classified defense technologies in order to obtain technical data on the RK-360MC Neptune missile system.

China has emerged as one of Moscow's key wartime partners, helping Russia circumvent sanctions and becoming the largest supplier of dual-use goods aiding its defense sector.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly accused China of backing Russia and signed an order on July 8 imposing sanctions on five Chinese-registered companies for allegedly supplying components found in Russian Shahed-type drones used to attack Ukraine.

The Neptune, a Ukrainian-developed coastal defense missile, gained international attention after it was used to sink the Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva in 2022.

The SBU said the former student was caught "red-handed" during the transfer of sensitive documents, and his father was detained shortly afterward. Investigators allege the elder suspect, who resides in China but made periodic visits to Ukraine, personally supervised his son's espionage activities.

Searches of the suspects' belongings uncovered mobile phones containing evidence of coordinated efforts to spy on Ukrainian military technology, including encrypted communications between the two men.

Both suspects have been charged with espionage. If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison and confiscation of property.

Ukraine struck a Russian warehouse storing ammunition and reconnaissance drones with a Neptune missile near the village of Chaltyr in Russia's Rostov Oblast in a January operation carried out by the SBU and Ukraine's Navy.

Read also: Kremlin exacts loyalty amid tightening crackdown on Russian elite

Slovakia continues to block EU's 18th Russia sanctions package, media reports

EU ambassadors failed to approve the bloc's 18th package of sanctions against Russia during a July 9 Committee of Permanent Representatives meeting, as Slovakia continued to block the measures, European Pravdareported, citing three unnamed EU diplomats.

Since EU sanctions require unanimous backing, a single country's veto prevents the package from being implemented. In late June, both Slovakia and Hungary opposed the draft sanctions, stalling their adoption.

According to European Pravda, Slovakia's position has not changed, despite what one EU diplomat described as "good and productive" talks between Bratislava and the European Commission on July 3.

Unlike Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has consistently opposed sanctions and military aid for Ukraine, Slovakia has not previously tried to block new EU measures.

Bratislava asked for a delay in adopting the latest package until the EU clarifies the financial implications of RePowerEU — an initiative to end reliance on Russian fossil fuels by 2030.

The sanctions package will be discussed again at a meeting scheduled for July 11. Sources told the outlet that a final agreement is expected this week, with formal adoption likely to take place at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on July 15.

The 18th package includes new restrictions on Russia's energy and banking sectors, as well as bans on transactions connected to the Nord Stream pipeline project.

These measures are part of the EU's broader effort to increase economic pressure on Moscow as the Kremlin rejects calls for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine.

While the EU advances its sanctions framework, the United States has not introduced any new sanctions on Russia since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Note from the author:

Ukraine War Latest is put together by the Kyiv Independent news desk team, who keep you informed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you value our work and want to ensure we have the resources to continue, join the Kyiv Independent community.

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The Czech government has approved a plan to train up to eight Ukrainian pilots on the operation of F-16 fighter jets this year, the Czech Defense Ministry announced on July 9.

The approval comes two months after Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the country was prepared to provide fighter jet training to Ukrainian pilots in a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 5.

The Czech Defense Ministry will provide 150 hours of training, worth approximately 32 million koruna (around $1.5 million), through the state-owned enterprise LOM Praha, the ministry reported. The program expects to train up to eight Ukrainian pilots this year at no charge to Kyiv.

While the Czech Republic does not have F-16 fighter jets in its own arsenal, the pilots will train for using simulators and L-39 training aircraft.

"If Ukraine is to continue to effectively defend itself against Russian aggression, it needs not only military equipment, but also well-trained armed forces, including air forces," Defense Minister Jana Cernochova said.

"As an active member of the so-called coalition of the willing, the Czech Republic is aware of its responsibility, and continued support for wartime Ukraine is also in its strategic interest."

In 2023, Ukraine and its allies created an aviation coalition to provide Ukraine with F-16 combat aircraft. European nations have agreed to supply aircraft to help modernize the Ukrainian Air Force as they themselves transition to more advanced F-35 fighter jets.

The first shipments of F-16s were delivered to Ukraine in 2024 by the Netherlands and Denmark. Ukraine has also been promised F-16s by Belgium and Norway.

Other members of the coalition, including the U.S. and the U.K., have provided training for  Ukrainian pilots and maintenance personnel.

Read also: ‘We need to learn how to live without America’ — Ukraine’s survival amid faltering U.S. aid

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on July 9 that his administration is "going to have to take a look" at supplying Ukraine with another Patriot air defense system.

"They would like it. They've asked for it," Trump told reporters in the White House. "I know they made the request. We're going to have to take a look at it."

"When you talk about a system like that... they're doing it because they want to prevent death," he added. "They're getting hit hard, very hard. So we're looking at it."

The comments follow a July 8 reporting by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the White House is considering sending Ukraine a Patriot battery in what would be the administration's first major new weapons transfer since taking office in January.

A U.S. defense official told WSJ that Trump has asked the Pentagon to explore options for supplying Ukraine with more arms, including whether additional Patriots could be sourced from allied countries.

According to Axios, the White House is working on a deal under which Germany would sell a Patriot battery to Ukraine, with the U.S. and European allies sharing the cost.

The proposal comes amid a series of conflicting signals from Washington. On July 2, the Pentagon announced a pause in deliveries of key military aid to Kyiv, including Patriot interceptors and precision-guided munitions.

Trump later denied involvement in the decision and expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin for failing to pursue a ceasefire.

Kyiv has repeatedly urged Western partners to expand air defense coverage as Russian forces continue to target Ukrainian cities with drones, missiles, and aerial bombs.

Patriot batteries, with their high-precision tracking and interception capabilities, are a cornerstone of Ukraine's layered air defense system.

Washington has so far delivered three Patriot batteries to Ukraine, while Germany has sent three more. A European coalition has contributed an additional battery, though not all systems are currently operational due to maintenance rotations.

If approved, a new transfer would mark Trump's first major military package to Ukraine not initiated by the previous Biden administration.

Read also: Kremlin exacts loyalty amid tightening crackdown on Russian elite

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Ukrainian forces have for the first time captured Russian troops without the use of infantry, relying solely on drones and ground-based robotic systems, Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade said on July 9.

"For the first time in history: Russian soldiers surrendered to the 3rd Assault Brigade's ground drones," the statement read.

Ukraine has increasingly employed drone and robotic technologies on the battlefield as part of its broader strategy to minimize troop losses and adapt to evolving threats along the front line during Russia's full-scale invasion.

The operation took place in Kharkiv Oblast in northeastern Ukraine, where the brigade deployed first-person view (FPV) drones and kamikaze ground robotic platforms to attack Russian fortifications, the brigade said in a statement.

The exact date of the operation was not provided.

0:00/1×Footage depicting a Ukrainian operation to capture Russian soldiers with the use of drone systems. Video published on July 9, 2025. (3rd Assault Brigade/Telegram)

According to the brigade, Ukrainian forces targeted and destroyed Russian bunkers with kamikaze drones and robotic ground vehicles. As another robot approached a damaged Russian holdout, the remaining Russian soldiers reportedly chose to surrender.

The captured troops were then guided out of the combat zone by drones and taken into custody by Ukrainian forces, the brigade said.

The brigade added that the Russian positions had previously resisted capture by neighboring Ukrainian units, but the successful assault by unmanned systems allowed Ukrainian forces to take control of both Russian fortifications and a nearby forest line.

Read also: As the Trump rollercoaster continues, Ukraine struggles to work out where it stands

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Donald Trump claimed during a private fundraiser last year he had threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin with bombing "the sh*t out of Moscow" if he attacked Ukraine, CNN reported on July 8, citing an obtained audio.

"With Putin I said, 'If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the sh*t out of Moscow. I’m telling you I have no choice,'" Trump told a group of donors in 2024, according to CNN. It was not immediately clear at what time the alleged conversation between the two leaders took place.

"And then (Putin) goes, like, 'I don't believe you.' But he believed me 10%." Trump claimed he issued a similar warning to Chinese President Xi Jinping if he attempted to invade Taiwan.

U.S. President Trump has repeatedly claimed during his campaign trail that Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022 would have never happened if he were president at the time, laying the blame on ex-President Joe Biden.

Trump previously served as president from 2017 to 2021, during which time Russia was already occupying Crimea and waging war against Ukraine in Donbas.

While initially pledging to broker a swift peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow and boasting of warm ties with Putin, Trump has more recently adopted a more critical tone toward the Russian leader as peace talks stall and Russian aerial strikes escalate.

"We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin," Trump said during a cabinet meeting on July 8. The U.S. president also signaled support for a major Senate sanctions bill against Russia and, reportedly, air defense supplies for Ukraine.

These developments contrast with a recent pause by the Pentagon on military aid shipments, including Patriot interceptors, heading for Ukraine, and with Trump's earlier reluctance to exert additional pressure on Moscow.

Russian forces continue to escalate aerial strikes on Ukrainian cities, most recently hitting the western city of Lutsk and other areas overnight on July 9. Kyiv has urged its Western partners to step up support, namely in terms of sanctions and the provision of new air defenses.

Read also: Western city suffers ‘most massive’ strike of the war as Russia launches missiles, drones at Ukraine

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Russia is preparing to launch a U.S.-style international development agency to strengthen its global influence, the head of Russia's foreign aid and cultural outreach arm, Yevgeny Primakov, said in an interview with the state-controlled RBC news outlet published on July 8.

The planned initiative would mirror aspects of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the chief U.S. foreign aid agency that was also seen as a tool of Washington's soft power.

USAID officially stopped implementing foreign assistance as of July 1, following the Trump administration's decision to dismantle the body.

Russia's Foreign Ministry is currently drafting legislation that would establish a formal framework for international development efforts, Rossotrudnichestvo head Primakov said.

"We are counting on the next iteration of our agency," said Primakov. "The Foreign Ministry is working on a draft law on international development assistance to create a format similar to USAID, which may or may not still exist. I'm not saying we'll compete with USAID — we'd be happy to compete with Finland, for example, which has its own development agency."

According to Primakov, the lack of a dedicated legal mechanism for development work has slowed down Russian projects abroad.

Primakov also discussed his agency's financial and operational challenges, including limited funding, rising logistics costs, and difficulties operating under international sanctions.

Rossotrudnichestvo's budget has grown from 4.2 billion rubles in 2020 to 5.5 billion rubles today, he said, but a large portion is spent on rent, staff salaries, and building maintenance across more than 80 overseas offices.

Only about 25% of the agency's budget is available for actual programming, Primakov said.

Among its ongoing efforts, Rossotrudnichestvo continues to distribute about 140,000 educational and literary books annually to libraries and universities abroad. Recent funding increases have also gone toward maintaining Russian military gravesites in countries such as Cyprus and Serbia.

Moscow forced USAID to leave Russia in 2012, accusing it of interfering in domestic affairs, particularly through its support for election monitoring and civil society groups. Now, with the U.S. retreating, Russia appears eager to fill the vacuum.

USAID sponsored many civil society projects and independent media in Eastern Europe. The initiative also helped organizations exiled from Russia and Belarus.

In Ukraine, USAID has provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid after Russia launched its large-scale invasion in 2022, as well as $5 billion in development assistance and more than $30 billion in direct budget support to Kyiv.

Read also: Hiding in plain sight — how Russia’s cultural centers continue to operate in US, Europe despite espionage claims

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The U.S. Army intends to spend more than $1.3 billion on Patriot missile interceptors in fiscal year 2026, Bloomberg reported on July 9.

Internal Pentagon documents reportedly revealed that the Army has boosted its planned purchases of the most advanced Patriot interceptors from 3,376 to 13,773.

The move follows a Defense Department assessment that the U.S. currently holds only 25% of the interceptors needed to meet military requirements.

The Pentagon's munitions tracker, used to measure the minimum supplies needed for U.S. war plans, reportedly showed Patriot interceptor levels had fallen below acceptable levels.

Budget documents show the U.S. purchased 2,047 PAC-3 MSE missiles by the end of fiscal year 2024, with 230 more bought in 2024 and 214 expected this year.

For 2026, the Army has requested $945.9 million to acquire another 224 interceptors — $549.6 million from its base budget and $396.3 million under Operation Atlantic Resolve, the Pentagon's effort to reinforce NATO's eastern flank.

Under the recently signed tax and spending bill, U.S. President Donald Trump also approved $366 million for an additional 96 interceptors.

The shortfall was reportedly a factor behind the Trump administration's controversial decision to pause major transfers of air defense weapons to Ukraine.

Ukraine has repeatedly urged its Western partners to supply more air defense systems as its cities come under sustained Russian aerial assault.

Patriot batteries, with their high-precision targeting capabilities, have become one of the most sought-after weapons platforms in Kyiv's arsenal.

On July 8, Axios reported that Trump had privately committed to sending 10 Patriot interceptors to Ukraine, though no official announcement has followed.

Kyiv continues to press for accelerated deliveries as Russia intensifies its aerial campaign.

Read also: As the Trump rollercoaster continues, Ukraine struggles to work out where it stands

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Editor's note: This item is being updated.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg in Rome on July 9, marking their second official meeting.

The meeting comes on the eve of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, co-hosted by Ukraine and Italy on July 10–11. It marks the fourth major international event focused on mobilizing political and private-sector support for Ukraine's reconstruction.

Kellogg, a prominent figure in U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, has led recent diplomatic outreach with Ukrainian leadership.

Before his meeting with Kellogg, Zelensky met with Pope Leo at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence south of Rome. He also met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

The recovery conference opens as Ukraine continues to absorb daily aerial bombardments and repel Russian ground offensives across the front line. The destruction has placed immense pressure on Ukraine's economy and infrastructure.

The Financial Times reported on July 8 that Kyiv faces a projected $19-billion budget deficit in 2025, driven largely by declining U.S. assistance and the absence of a breakthrough toward a ceasefire.

A senior EU official told the outlet that Western donors had previously anticipated a peace agreement by next year but are now preparing for continued hostilities.

Read also: As the Trump rollercoaster continues, Ukraine struggles to work out where it stands

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The Kremlin's grip on the Russian elite appears to be closing ever tighter as two major figures of Russian business and security structures were detained in the past few days.

Konstantin Strukov, a billionaire running a gold mining empire, and Viktor Strigunov, a former top officer in Russia's National Guard, are now facing corruption accusations.

While separate cases, they point to a push by Russian higher-ups to purge corrupt or potentially disloyal figures as Moscow grinds forward its full-scale war on Ukraine.

"I would certainly say that there has been an increased crackdown (on the Russian elite)," says Stephen Hall, assistant professor in Russian and post-Soviet politics at the University of Bath.

The Russian state is "trying to send the signal that loyalty is important... You can be corrupt, but don't be too excessively corrupt without showing loyalty."

Read also: Death of top Russian oil executive fuels fresh scrutiny of elite’s ‘window falls’

Gold mining magnate detained

Strukov was caught attempting to leave Chelyabinsk for Turkey on a private jet despite an earlier court ban on traveling abroad, Kommersant reported on July 5. As the pro-Kremlin news outlet wrote, Russian authorities boarded the aircraft and seized the businessman's passport.

The detention followed a court ruling on July 2 that Strukov and his family cannot leave the country as Russian prosecutors seek to seize his assets.

The same day, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Investigative Committee raided the offices of Strukov's Yuzhuralzoloto group as part of an investigation into alleged environmental and safety violations.

Though Strukov's relatives and company denied his attempt to flee, Kommersant shared a picture of the billionaire sitting despondent on board the plane, surrounded by black-clad officers.

Konstantin Strukov. (WikiJournal)

A Chelyabinsk court told Reuters that Russian prosecutors suspect Strukov of acquiring property "through corruption," while Kommersant wrote the billionaire allegedly used his official position to transfer assets to his company.

The Russian Prosecutor General's Office now reportedly calls for the transfer of Strukov's shares and stakes in 11 companies, including the Yuzhuralzoloto group, Russia's third-largest gold producer, into state ownership.

The company is currently registered under Strukov's daughter, Alexandra, who holds Swiss citizenship.

The case mirrors earlier state takeovers during the full-scale war against Ukraine, presented as an anti-corruption campaign. It comes at a time when Russia is grappling with a widening budget deficit and an overheating economy.

The case could signal that the "Russian economy is not doing as well as Putin keeps on publicly saying that it is," Hall told the Kyiv Independent.

"We're starting to see that the ever-shrinking pie, as it were, needs to be redistributed... it may be that his (Strukov's) assets are being taken over in order to be redistributed to someone closer to Putin."

The nationalization drive peaked in 2024, when the state seized at least 67 companies with a total asset valuation of 544.7 billion rubles (about $7 billion), the Moscow Times calculated. Companies whose owners were suspected of Western connections were particularly targeted.

The Kremlin walks a tightrope hereIt's sold more foreign currency reserves this week to stave off collapse. So now it shakes down oligarchs.Gold-mining billionaire Konstantin Strukov is arrested on his private jet as he tried to leave for Turkiye. Russia wants all his assets pic.twitter.com/HIj1vteohL

— Tim White (@TWMCLtd) July 5, 2025

Strukov's family owns businesses in Serbia and Montenegro, and Russian authorities reportedly accused him of funneling money from Russia to "unfriendly countries."

Russia likely doesn't want key national assets like gold "in the hands of someone that it doesn't necessarily trust, a man who has been sending money abroad to 'unfriendly countries,'" Hall said.

A former coal miner, Strukov took over Yuzhuralzoloto — at the time on the verge of bankruptcy — in 1997, restructuring it and building up sizeable holdings in the gold and coal mining sectors.

According to Forbes, the gold mining magnate is the 78th richest man in Russia with a net worth of $1.9 billion. Strukov is also a member of the Chelyabinsk legislative assembly for Putin's United Russia party. He is sanctioned by the U.S., the EU, and the U.K.

The Kremlin has declined to comment on the case when approached by the Russian media.

Defense officials in the crosshairs

As the Russian state tightens its grip on business, it also continues to "clean up" the security structures.

Colonel General Viktor Strigunov, first deputy director of the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardiya) until 2023, has been detained on suspicion of bribery and abuse of power, the Russian state media reported on July 7.

Strigunov, while in charge of a multi-million dollar contract for the construction of a training facility in Siberian Kemerovo Oblast in 2014, ordered the project to proceed despite existing restrictions, according to RIA Novosti.

The project was never completed, causing the state to lose over 2 billion rubles (over $25 million).

The former official is also accused of taking bribes of over 66 million rubles (over $840,000) from private companies between 2012 and 2014 in exchange for patronage during major state construction projects.

Strigunov is not the first National Guard official embroiled in a corruption case this year.

Major General Konstantin Ryabykh was fired and detained in February over suspected bribery, while Major General Mikhail Varentsov was arrested on fraud charges in April.

Hall links the cases to a broader Kremlin crackdown on Russia's defense groups. On July 1, former Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was sentenced to 13 years for bribery in a case dating back to a broader anti-graft campaign against defense officials in 2024.

However, Strigunov's case is especially notable because after his dismissal as the National Guard's deputy head in 2023, he served as an advisor to the force's chief and Putin's close ally, Viktor Zolotov.

"It could be that Zolotov is also trying to save his skin, having perhaps been a bit too corrupt," Hall says, suggesting that the National Guard chief has selected Strigunov to be his "fall guy."

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with the chief of the National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on May 6, 2020. ( Alexey Druzhninin/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Mounting crackdown on Russian elite

This week's cases are only the latest in a string of firings and arrests in the more than three years of the full-scale war.

The atmosphere of anxiety among the Russian elite is growing even heavier amid mysterious suicide cases.

Just on July 7, the Russian media reported that Transport Minister Roman Starovoit shot himself dead in Odintsovo shortly before or after being fired by Putin.

Starovoit was reportedly implicated in a major embezzling scandal while he was governor of Kursk Oblast. His former deputy, Alexei Smirnov, has already been arrested in the case, which centers around the construction of fortifications in the border region.

Other government and business officials have met untimely deaths in the past years, often falling out of windows under unclear circumstances. Although these cases are usually labelled by Russian authorities as suicides or accidents, some observers suggest a deliberate motive.

While Hall observes mounting pressure against the Russian elite, Russian journalist and opposition activist Sergey Parkhomenko says the events could be seen instead as elite infighting.

"The law enforcement agencies are part of the Russian elite, and it appears that this elite is pressuring itself and from within," he told the Kyiv Independent.

"Russian power structures are closed off inside Russia like a hermetic jar... Therefore, pressure within this environment is growing, and its participants are constantly devouring each other. All this is quite chaotic in nature."

Read also: Trump claims he told Putin he would ‘bomb the sh*t out of Moscow’ if Russia attacked Ukraine, CNN reports

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized a temporary halt to American weapons shipments to Ukraine early in July without notifying the White House, CNN reported on July 8, citing five undisclosed sources.

The pause, approved on July 2, affected a package that included Patriot interceptor missiles, 155 mm artillery rounds, Hellfire missiles, Stinger and AIM air-to-air missiles, and other key munitions.

Some of the weapons had already reached Poland and were en route to Kyiv when the shipment was stopped, according to NBC News.

When asked by a reporter on July 4 about the pause in U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine as he prepared to board Air Force One, U.S. President Donald Trump denied any suspension, saying, "We haven't (paused the shipments). We're giving weapons."

The move reportedly stunned national security officials, the State Department, Congress, and U.S. allies in Europe. According to CNN, Hegseth did not consult with Secretary of State Marco Rubio or U.S. special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg prior to the decision. Both officials reportedly learned of the pause from media reports.

Hegseth's decision was reportedly influenced by a recommendation from Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, a long-time critic of large-scale aid to Ukraine.

Colby's proposal was approved by Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg before Hegseth gave final signoff. Sources told CNN that Hegseth, who currently lacks a chief of staff or senior advisers, believed the move aligned with Trump's "America First" priorities.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN the decision was part of a Pentagon review "to ensure all support going to all foreign nations aligns with America's interests." She emphasized that Trump had since ordered the resumption of the shipments and "has full confidence in the secretary of defense."

The delay came days before one of the biggest Russian missile barrages against Ukraine this year. On July 4, Russian strikes killed at least two people and injured 23 in Kyiv, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to renew calls for additional air defense systems. He has described the U.S.-supplied Patriot systems as "real defenders of life."

A senior U.S. military review had concluded the weapons shipment would not jeopardize American military readiness. NBC News reported that while some precision munitions stockpiles were low, they remained above critical thresholds.

"This justification is disingenuous," Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said. His staff reviewed the Pentagon's figures and found no emergency-level depletion of stockpiles.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce addressed the confusion on July 8, saying the pause should not be interpreted as a shift in policy.

"We remain Ukraine's biggest supporters. We care about those people. We care about making sure they have what they need," Bruce said. She confirmed the resumption of arms deliveries and noted Trump's "very strategic" call with Zelensky.

According to CNN, Trump quickly reversed course upon learning of the pause. He instructed Hegseth to resume at least part of the shipment, including Patriot missiles. In a call with Zelensky on July 4, the president reportedly downplayed his role in the delay.

Zelensky described the call as "the best conversation in all this time."

Read also: How to enter Ukraine’s defense market: A short guide for foreign companies

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained two Chinese nationals in Kyiv suspected of attempting to steal classified military technology related to Ukraine's Neptune cruise missile system, the agency announced on July 9.

According to the SBU, the two individuals, a 24-year-old former student of a Kyiv technical university and his father, were gathering secret documentation with the intent to illegally transfer it to Chinese intelligence.

The younger man, who remained in Ukraine after being expelled from university in 2023 for poor academic performance, allegedly attempted to recruit a Ukrainian national with access to classified defense technologies in order to obtain technical data on the RK-360MC Neptune missile system.

China has emerged as one of Moscow's key wartime partners, helping Russia circumvent sanctions and becoming the largest supplier of dual-use goods aiding its defense sector.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly accused China of backing Russia and signed an order on July 8 imposing sanctions on five Chinese-registered companies for allegedly supplying components found in Russian Shahed-type drones used to attack Ukraine.

The Neptune, a Ukrainian-developed coastal defense missile, gained international attention after it was used to sink the Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva in 2022.

The SBU said the former student was caught "red-handed" during the transfer of sensitive documents, and his father was detained shortly afterward. Investigators allege the elder suspect, who resides in China but made periodic visits to Ukraine, personally supervised his son's espionage activities.

Searches of the suspects' belongings uncovered mobile phones containing evidence of coordinated efforts to spy on Ukrainian military technology, including encrypted communications between the two men.

Both suspects have been charged with espionage. If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison and confiscation of property.

Ukraine struck a Russian warehouse storing ammunition and reconnaissance drones with a Neptune missile near the village of Chaltyr in Russia's Rostov Oblast in a January operation carried out by the SBU and Ukraine's Navy.

Read also: Ukraine sanctions 5 Chinese firms for supplying components used in Russian drones

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York speaks with former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton about U.S. President Donald Trump’s failure to bring peace to Ukraine — and his next steps on Russia's war. They also discuss the growing threat of a China-Russia alliance, the implications for U.S. foreign policy and global security, and the future of American military support for Ukraine.

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Russia will reopen Gelendzhik Airport in the country's Krasnodar Krai for domestic flights on July 18, in a rare easing of airspace restrictons imposed at the start of the full-scale war, the Transport Ministry announced on July 9.

The decision comes just days after nearly 500 flights were grounded across major Russian airports on July 5–7, due to security threats from Ukrainian drone attacks.

Located just 130 kilometers (80.78 miles) from occupied Crimea, the airport had been shuttered since February 2022, along with 10 other southern airports. After Elista Airport reopened in May, it will become only the second in the region to resume operations.

Kyiv has not officially taken responsibility for the disruptions in Russian air traffic, but Ukrainian officials have said that drone operations aim to disrupt logistics and bring the consequences of the war closer to the Russian population.

Russia's Transport Ministry said aviation safety at Gelendzhik had been confirmed by the federal aviation agency Rosaviatsiya and the State Corporation for Air Traffic Management.

Krasnodar Krai is located along the Black Sea and borders Georgia and the occupied territories of Ukraine. In recent months, Krasnodar Krai has been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks, with strikes reported against infrastructure such as oil depots and airfields.

The reopening follows mounting pressure on Moscow's transport sector. On July 7, President Vladimir Putin dismissed Transport Minister Roman Starovoit in the wake of the airport shutdowns and a separate ammonia leak at the Ust-Luga port. Hours later, Russian state media reported that Starovoit had died by suicide.

Read also: Russia responsible for MH17 downing, international law violations in Ukraine, Europe’s human rights court rules

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found Russia responsible for the downing of Flight MH17, a Malaysian airliner shot down by Russian proxy forces in Ukraine in July 2014, according to a July 9 statement.

The Strasbourg-based court also found Russia accountable for "widespread and flagrant abuses of human rights" during its war against Ukraine that began with aggression in Donbas in 2014 and escalated after the full-scale invasion in 2022.

This marks the first case of an international court finding Russia accountable for the downing of the plane and for human rights abuses during its war against Ukraine.

"In none of the conflicts previously before (it had) there been such near universal condemnation of the 'flagrant' disregard by the respondent State for the foundations of the international legal order established after the Second World War," the court said in its ruling.

Violations listed by the ECHR included torture and inhuman treatment, restriction of civil rights, forced labor, and more. Kyiv has long accused Russia of a score of war crimes and human rights violations on the battlefield and in the occupied territories.

The court is ruling on four cases lodged by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia over multiple violations — including the MH17 downing — between 2014 and 2022, before Russia was expelled from the body following the outbreak of the full-scale war.

"The decision is groundbreaking, most of Ukraine's complaints were satisfied," Ukrainian Justice Ministry official Marharyta Sokorenko commented on social media.

"These conclusions alone prove that truth and justice overcome any propaganda."

Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast on July 17, 2014, by a Buk missile fired by Russian proxy forces. All 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board, among them 196 Dutch citizens, were killed.

The District Court of The Hague in November 2022 sentenced in absentia two Russian nationals and one Ukrainian national to life imprisonment for their involvement in the downing of flight MH17.

Citing The Hague's court's ruling and the joint investigation team (JIT), the ECHR said Russia "failed to take any measures to ensure accurate verification of the target of the missile or to safeguard the lives of those on board, showing a cavalier attitude to civilians at risk from its hostile activities."

Russia never claimed responsibility for the disaster, instead fanning conspiracy theories to shift the blame elsewhere.

The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization concluded in May that Russia was responsible for the airliner's downing.

The ECHR is examining other pending cases lodged against Russia by Ukraine, as well as about 10,000 cases brought by individuals.

Read also: ‘Nearly everything was aimed at Lutsk’ — Russia launches record 741 drones, missiles, targeting western Ukraine

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Russia has lost 1,029,660 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on July 9.

The number includes 1,050 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

According to the report, Russia has also lost 11,000 tanks, 22,969 armored fighting vehicles, 54,575 vehicles and fuel tanks, 30,102 artillery systems, 1,434 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,193 air defense systems, 421 airplanes, 340 helicopters, 44,457 drones, 3,439 cruise missiles, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine.

Read also: Dnipropetrovsk village likely contested despite Russia’s claim of its capture

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the continuation of shipments of military aid to Ukraine after a brief pause earlier this month, the White House and the State Department confirmed on July 8.

"We have, of course, the resumption of shipments to Ukraine. The president has been vocal about this," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said during a press briefing on July 8.

The statement follows days of confusion and backlash after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly authorized a temporary halt to American weapons deliveries on July 2 without notifying the White House, State Department, or U.S. allies.

Bruce emphasized that the temporary halt should not be viewed as a policy shift.

"We remain Ukraine's biggest supporters," she said. "We care about those people. We care about making sure they have what they need."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN that the decision to pause the shipments followed a Pentagon review "to ensure all support going to all foreign nations aligns with America's interests." She added that Trump "has full confidence in the secretary of defense" and had since decided to continue the shipments.

The U.S. president ordered Hegseth to renew at least some of the Ukraine-bound supplies, namely Patriot interceptors, shortly after learning about the pause last week, according to CNN.

Trump initially publicly denied the pause on July 4 and said the U.S. continues providing arms to Ukraine. The Pentagon subsequently issued a statement on July 7 confirming the renewed support.

"At President Trump's direction, the Defense Department is sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops," the statement read.

The suspension affected a major aid package that included Patriot interceptor missiles, 155 mm artillery shells, Hellfire missiles, and other key munitions. Some of the equipment had already reached Poland and was en route to Kyiv when the pause took effect, according to NBC News.

The delay came as Moscow's forces intensified aerial attacks against Ukraine, putting ever greater strain on Ukrainian air defense stockpiles. Russia launched its heaviest attack against Ukraine on July 9, launching over 740 drones and missiles.

Read also: Putin throws ‘a lot of bullsh*t’, Trump says as he ‘looks strongly’ at Russia sanctions bill

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Lithuania and Finland plan to begin domestic anti-personnel mine manufacturing in 2026, with some of the supplies potentially earmarked for Ukraine to counter the Russian threat, Reuters reported on July 9.

The two NATO members will begin manufacturing once they complete withdrawal from the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning such mines, a six-month process that underscores Europe's shifting defense priorities.

Ukrainian forces have increasingly relied on landmines for defensive operations, with Kyiv also withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention to "defend itself better against Russia." Lithuania plans to order tens of thousands of anti-personnel mines, spending "hundreds of millions of euros" on the weapons systems, Deputy Defense Minister Karolis Aleksa told Reuters.

The Baltic country, which shares a 274-kilometer (170-mile) border with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and 679 kilometers (422 miles) with Russia's close ally Belarus, will position its domestic industry as a primary supplier.

"Once production is established, Lithuania will be in a position to supply others including Ukraine," said Vincas Jurgutis, head of Lithuania's defense industry association, Reuters reports.

Lithuania's parliament approved withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines on May 8, with the withdrawal taking six months to complete the full exit from the treaty.

Read also: ‘Ukraine is biggest landmine challenge since World War II,’ says head of world’s largest demining organization

Finland, which shares NATO's longest border with Russia at 1,340 kilometers (833 miles), views domestic production as essential for supply security, aiming to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2029.

In an interview with Reuters, Finnish parliamentary defense committee chair Heikki Autto called landmines "highly effective and very cost-efficient weapons systems" and confirmed Finland would consider supplying Ukraine.

"It is not only right and our duty to support Ukraine, it is also important for Finland's own security," Autto said.

Helsinki previously held over 1 million anti-personnel mines before joining the Ottawa treaty in 2011.

According to Reuters, the countries are relaunching production amid growing European fears that Russia's military goals extend beyond Ukraine, prompting increased NATO defense spending as demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump.

In March, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland also announced their intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, as the security situation in the region has "fundamentally deteriorated" and military threats to NATO member states bordering Russia and Belarus have "significantly increased."

These countries are not yet launching mine production, though they maintain manufacturing capabilities that could be activated if required.

Polish private munitions manufacturer ZSP Niewiadow told Reuters it intends to resume large-scale anti-personnel mine production by 2027, with new facility investments already underway.

Anti-personnel mines explode when triggered by contact or movement, threatening both soldiers and civilians long after conflicts end. Anti-mine groups have criticized the countries' decisions to abandon the treaty due to these lasting dangers.

Read also: Ukraine to exit mine ban treaty, citing war demands, realities on the ground

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

An 18-year-old Ukrainian girl who had gone missing in southern Italy was found dead on July 8 in what Italian authorities say may have been a suicide, Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne reported.

Mariia Buhaiova, born in 2007, disappeared on July 4 after leaving a tourist village in Carovigno, a coastal municipality in the Apulia region, where she had been completing an internship.

The student's body was discovered on July 8 by a search team with sniffer dogs in a secluded area near the state road, just outside the village,  Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Italian investigators say the young woman died by hanging. Her body was found in the Mediterranean scrub, concealed in a location difficult to access. Footage from a nearby beach security camera had reportedly captured Buhaiova walking along a dirt path toward the area where her body was eventually found.

The condition of the body suggests she killed herself on the same day she disappeared, according to ANSA.

The Ukrainian Consulate confirmed to Suspilne that the process of identification is ongoing. Officials have contacted Buhaiova's family.

According to ANSA, Buhaiova had reportedly left her belongings behind in her room, including identity documents, money, and a handwritten note with phone numbers. Italian authorities have seized her mobile phone, which she was carrying at the time.

Consulate officials told Suspilne that she was one of several Ukrainian students participating in a short-term internship program organized through a Slovak university, aimed at providing practical work experience in the tourism and hospitality sector. Such internships are common across Europe, especially in high-demand tourist regions like Apulia in Italy.

People who worked alongside Buhaiova described her as calm, introverted, and often kept to herself, unlike her peers who socialized in groups after work.

Read also: Dnipropetrovsk village likely contested despite Russia’s claim of its capture

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Editor's note: The story is being updated.

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Rome on July 9 to meet with Pope Leo XIV and other officials ahead of a key conference devoted to Ukraine's reconstruction efforts.

Zelensky met Pope Leo at Castel Gandolfo, the papal residence southeast of Rome. This marks the president's second meeting with the pontiff after Zelensky's May Vatican audience. No details of the meeting have been provided so far.

Zelensky is also expected to meet with U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

The trip comes only a day before the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, which Ukraine and Italy will co-host on July 10 and 11. Zelensky is expected to meet Kellogg on July 9, a day before the event Reuters reported.

Rome is hosting the fourth Recovery Conference, bringing together political and business leaders to work toward Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction amid Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The event comes as Russia intensifies aerial strikes across Ukraine and mounts ground offensives along the front line, causing destruction and putting ever greater strain on the Ukrainain economy.

The challenge is compounded by the Trump administration's growing reluctance to sustain large-scale support for the war-torn country.

The Financial Times reported on July 8 that Ukraine faces up to a $19-billion deficit next year, linked mainly to reduced U.S. support and slim prospects of a ceasefire. A senior EU official told the outlet that many of Ukraine's partners had previously counted on a peace deal in 2025, but are now forced to revise their funding plans.

Read also: ‘Nearly everything was aimed at Lutsk’ — Russia launches record 741 drones, missiles, targeting western Ukraine

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

EU ambassadors failed to approve the bloc's 18th package of sanctions against Russia during a July 9 Committee of Permanent Representatives meeting, as Slovakia continued to block the measures, European Pravdareported, citing three unnamed EU diplomats.

Since EU sanctions require unanimous backing, a single country's veto prevents the package from being implemented. In late June, both Slovakia and Hungary opposed the draft sanctions, stalling their adoption.

According to European Pravda, Slovakia's position has not changed, despite what one EU diplomat described as "good and productive" talks between Bratislava and the European Commission on July 3.

Unlike Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has consistently opposed sanctions and military aid for Ukraine, Slovakia has not previously tried to block new EU measures.

Bratislava asked for a delay in adopting the latest package until the EU clarifies the financial implications of RePowerEU — an initiative to end reliance on Russian fossil fuels by 2030.

The sanctions package will be discussed again at a meeting scheduled for July 11. Sources told the outlet that a final agreement is expected this week, with formal adoption likely to take place at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on July 15.

The 18th package includes new restrictions on Russia's energy and banking sectors, as well as bans on transactions connected to the Nord Stream pipeline project.

These measures are part of the EU's broader effort to increase economic pressure on Moscow as the Kremlin rejects calls for an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine.

While the EU advances its sanctions framework, the United States has not introduced any new sanctions on Russia since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Read also: Zelensky arrives in Italy to meet Pope Leo, Kellogg ahead of Ukraine Recovery Conference

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's former top general, remains the country's most trusted public figure, ahead of President Volodymyr Zelensky and military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, according to a new poll released by the Rating Sociological Group on July 9.

The poll, conducted on July 4 and 5, found that 73% of Ukrainians trust Zaluzhnyi, who was dismissed as commander-in-chief in February 2024 but continues to command strong public support. Zaluzhnyi currently serves as Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Zelensky was trusted by 67% of respondents, while Budanov received a 56% trust rating. Current Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi received just 41% support. Trust in Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal slipped significantly, with only 25% of those surveyed saying they trust him.

Shmyhal has served as Ukraine's prime minister since March 2020, steering the government through reforms and wartime governance. Despite persistent rumors of an impending government reshuffle, he retained his post during a cabinet shake-up in September 2024.

The survey was conducted using computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults across Ukraine, excluding occupied territories.

A separate June poll released by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) found that trust in the president had dropped 11 points since May to 65%, with a trust balance of +35% — the lowest since March.

Zelensky's trust rating remains well above its February low of 57%, but regional disparities persist. The KIIS poll showed support was highest in western Ukraine at 73%, and lowest in the south and east at 61% — regions more frequently targeted by Russian attacks.

Read also: As the Trump rollercoaster continues, Ukraine struggles to work out where it stands

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Editor's note: The story was updated after a new fatality was reported in Khmelnytskyi Oblast.

Ukraine endured the largest aerial attack since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, with at least six civilians killed and 39 injured across multiple regions over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian officials said on July 9.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched a record 728 Shahed-type drones, as well as 13 cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Of this number, 718 targets were neutralized, including 296 drones shot down and seven cruise missiles intercepted. The remaining 415 drones were lost or suppressed by electronic warfare systems.

In Kharkiv Oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said one person was killed and four injured in attacks that struck the city of Kharkiv and eight surrounding settlements. Russian forces used a combination of Shahed drones, guided bombs, rockets, and FPV (first-person-view) drones. Several civilian houses, power lines, and farm infrastructure facilities were damaged.

In Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said one person was killed and 17 others injured during drone attacks, artillery shelling, and air strikes that hit dozens of towns and villages, including Kherson city. Damage to apartment buildings, houses, a farm, and civilian vehicles was reported.

In Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported that Russian strikes killed three civilians, including two in Bilytske and one in Novyi Donbas. Eleven more people were wounded in the region.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Governor Ivan Fedorov said three civilians were wounded in the Polohy district. Russian forces carried out 482 attacks on 14 settlements using drones, artillery, and rockets. A couple was hospitalized with shrapnel injuries after a strike on the Stepnohirsk community.

In Sumy Oblast, regional authorities reported that one person was wounded in the Shostka district by a drone strike. Over a 24-hour period, 75 Russian attacks were recorded across 39 settlements, damaging residential buildings, schools, and administrative buildings.

In Kyiv Oblast, Governor Mykola Kalashnyk confirmed that one person in the Brovary district was hospitalized with chest injuries following a Russian drone strike.

In Khmelnytskyi Oblast, one civilian was killed during an overnight drone attack, according to Governor Serhii Tiurin.

Read also: ‘Some are forged into poets during hostilities’ — Medic, former POW, and poet on how war is shaping Ukraine’s writers

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From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed

Ukrainians breathed a sigh of relief of sorts this week after it was confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered the continuation of shipments of critical military aid after a brief pause.

The days-long hiccup alarmed a Ukraine beset with ever-escalating Russian air strikes and a dwindling supply of the means to stop them, and is just the latest instalment of a saga riven with uncertainty over Washington's willingness to give Ukraine what it needs to defend itself against Russia.

A lack of Patriot interceptor missiles and general economizing on anti-air defense have been the most noticeable results of unreliable U.S. aid in recent months, with many more civilians dying in Russian air attacks.

And even news of a partial resumption of supplies has been met by some on the front lines of Russia's aerial attacks with skepticism.

“Trump decided to send Ukraine only 10 Patriot interceptor missiles out of 30 that were stuck in Poland,” Oleksiy, a deputy commander who coordinates air defense units in Kyiv Oblast, told the Kyiv Independent, requesting to be identified by first name only for security reasons.

"So it works out that they started out by freezing the transfer of 30, and now are sending only 10 of them — and that’s called ‘aid’?"

Trump's ever-shifting stance on Ukraine

Trump's position on Ukraine and his support for the country's fight against Russia's full-scale invasion has been a rollercoaster ride, yet there are signs that Kyiv is currently at an all-time high point of his presidency.

Although the U.S. has yet to take concrete steps, such as further sanctions to force Moscow to end its war, Trump's public statements in recent weeks have softened towards Ukraine and hardened against Russia and its President, Vladimir Putin.

"We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin," he said at a cabinet meeting on July 8.

"He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless."

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky described his most recent phone call with Trump on July 4 as "the best conversation in all this time."

"Patriot (missiles) are key to protection from ballistic (missiles). We discussed several other important issues that our teams will work out in detail at meetings in the near future," Zelensky said on July 5 a day after the phone call.

Since the conversation, Trump has reversed at least some of the frozen military aid, with Axios reporting 10 more PAC-3 Patriot interceptor missiles coming to Ukraine. His administration is also teasing another Patriot anti-air missile system, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

Axios reporting suggested ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Germany over the latter providing more Patriot systems as well. An unnamed source advised that Ukrainians “should feel better than they have at any point during the Trump presidency (…) Putin was a jerk," Axios reported.

Trump is also reportedly now on board with a tough new sanctions package on Russia. Even the New York Post, Trump’s favorite newspaper, recently put out an op-ed calling for re-arming Ukraine.

But this apparent change of tone from Trump is being treated with caution in a Ukraine already accustomed to an unpredictable, change-on-a-dime White House, with those who spoke to the Kyiv Independent unwilling to sit back and assume it's an indication of a long-term trend they can rely on.

"Trump, as always, says one thing and does another," Bohdan Danyliv, who heads military aid for Ukrainian charity the Prytula Foundation, told the Kyiv Independent.

"It’s another reason we need to shake up the European Union, so they become more nimble and make decisions quicker, because with these announcements — and all of Trump’s new moods — we all need to learn how to live without America. Not just Ukraine, but all of Europe."

At a June 8 event in Washington, D.C., Tom Karako, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted the contradictory messaging coming out of the White House in relation to the global distribution priorities of Patriot interceptors.

The U.S. last month rerouted two Patriot systems from Japan and South Korea to defend against 14 Iranian ballistic missiles on a base at al-Udeid during a strike pre-choreographed to effectively allow Iran to make a public retaliation for Israeli and U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities.

"I'm scratching my head thinking, wait a minute, we can't spare 30 PAC-3s for Ukraine, but we're gonna spare probably a similar number to make the Iranians feel better about themselves?" Karako said.

But Ihor Fedirko, who recently left Ukraine’s Strategic Industries Ministry to lead the Ukrainian Council of Defense Industry, spoke with more optimism about the recent softening of Trump’s attitude.

"I consider the return of an ally like the United States to be a huge victory for NATO and Ukraine," Fedirko told the Kyiv Independent.

"It’s just the beginning — I think that after these 10 missiles, more systems will come, and our air defense will be renewed, but these past three months have been a stress test for us — that is, we didn’t just throw up our hands and say, 'without the U.S., we’ll die, we surrender,’” Fedirko said.

“No, we invested more into our military-industrial complex and international aid."

Read also: ‘Nearly everything was aimed at Lutsk’ — Russia launches record 741 drones, missiles, targeting western Ukraine

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