Wednesday, July 3

Russia’s war against Ukraine

An infantrymen training with a T-80 tank is seen as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on July 02, 2024. (Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images)

US to announce $2.3 billion military aid package to Ukraine ‘soon,’ Pentagon says. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the package will include air defense missiles, anti-tank weapons “and other critical munitions from U.S. stockpiles,” Voice of America reported.

Ukraine hit ammunition depot in Russian-occupied Crimea, Air Force confirms. Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk’s statement comes after news about explosions on July 1 in Balaklava, a municipal district of the city of Sevastopol.

Orban urges Zelensky to consider ceasefire during visit to Kyiv. The previous day, unnamed sources in Budapest told the Guardian that the visit was confirmed after negotiations on the rights of the ethnic Hungarian minority living in Ukraine.

Zelensky dismissed Orban’s ceasefire proposal, Kyiv says. Kyiv previously rejected a temporary break to hostilities, saying it would only provide a window of opportunity for Russia to regroup its forces.

‘More news’ on air defense for Ukraine may come ahead of NATO summit, Blinken says. Ukraine is expected to get “more news” on air defense capabilities before the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on July 1.

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Active Russia-Ukraine front line has expanded, Syrskyi says. The active Russia-Ukraine front line has recently expanded as intense fighting continues in the areas of Pokrovsk and Toretsk, Ukraine’s Chief Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said on July 2.

Warsaw, Berlin agree to boost defense cooperation, coordination on Ukraine aid. Germany and Poland have reaffirmed their security cooperation in a joint action plan, Reuters reported on July 2.

Mass fire breaks out in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, authorities say. Alexei Smirnov, the acting governor of Kursk Oblast, claimed that the fire has been contained, and that there are at least 60 first responders at the scene fighting the blaze.

NATO plans to establish new post in Kyiv, ‘Trump-proof’ Ukraine aid, WSJ reports. This is part of the alliance’s effort to safeguard long-term aid for Ukraine should Donald Trump return to the White House after the U.S. presidential election later this year.

Ukraine’s defense of Kharkiv ‘unconditional success,’ says ex-Polish defense minister. In an interview with Ukrinform, Janusz Onyszkiewicz said it raised hopes that Moscow’s forces would not launch another offensive in northern Ukraine, including an attack from the territory of Belarus.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Zelensky dismissed Orban’s ceasefire proposal during his visit to Kyiv, official says

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Kyiv on July 2 and urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a ceasefire in order to “speed up peace talks.”

Photo: Presidential Office

Russia struggles to control finances as Ukraine invasion spending soars

The economists at the helm of Russia’s financial system have tried to keep spending, money supply, and inflation under control. Two-and-a-half years in, this balancing act is becoming increasingly difficult.

Photo: Alexander Nemenov / AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Death toll of Russia’s June 28 attack on Dnipro rises to 2. Russian troops carried out a missile attack on the city of Dnipro on June 28, damaging a nine-story building. At least 12 were wounded, the authorities reported.

Russian attack on Kherson injures 5 civilians. Russia launched an attack against the central part of the southern city of Kherson on July 2, injuring at least five residents, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.

Ukrainian writer-turned-soldier Aseyev suffers shrapnel injuries. “A miracle happened to me again. This piece of shrapnel entered my neck, missed the artery, and got stuck in soft tissue,” Stanislav Aseyev wrote on X.

4 people injured in Russian FAB-500 bomb attack on Kharkiv. Russian forces attacked the city of Kharkiv with two FAB-500 gliding bombs on July 2, injuring four people, Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported, citing preliminary information.

Russian attack on Nikopol kills 4, injures 10. Russian troops attacked the city of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on July 2, killing four people and injuring 10, including children, regional Governor Serhii Lysak reported citing preliminary information.

Opinions and insights

Ukrainian optimism about war clashes with European skepticism in new poll

A new public opinion survey has revealed a widening gulf between Ukrainian hopes of a battlefield victory against Russia and European resignation that the war will only end with a negotiated settlement.

Photo: Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images

Hungary takes helm of Council of EU. Should Ukraine be worried?

Orban’s visit came two days into Hungary’s rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, also known as the Council of Ministers. The position in the hands of arguably the most Russia-friendly member state caused some concern in Ukraine.

Photo: Zoltan Kovacs/X

International response

Russia deployed attack submarines close to Irish Sea on 2 occasions, sources tell Bloomberg. Sources said that the U.S. was “aware” of the submarines’ presence in the Irish Sea, but the U.K. Defense Ministry said it “doesn’t comment on operations.” The Irish Defense Department also declined to comment.

Russia starts to chair UN Security Council in July, Ukraine not on agenda. Each of the 15 members of the UN Security Council, including Russia, holds the presidency for a month. Russia last chaired the organization in April 2023.

Russia not elected to one of UN principal organs, Kuleba says. “This vote once again demonstrates that Russia can hit the wall as many times as it wants, but the outcome will remain the same: international criminals are not welcome in international bodies,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote.

Xi, Putin to participate in Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Astana. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who skipped Ukraine’s peace summit in June, is expected to participate in the event in Astana as well, the U.N. in Kazakhstan reported on X.

Lithuania issues protest, summons representatives after Russian aircraft enters airspace. Lithuania has submitted a diplomatic protest and has summoned diplomatic representatives from Russia’s embassy in Vilnius after a Russian civilian aircraft entered the country’s airspace without permission, Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry said on July 2.

In other news

Kazakh opposition activist dies in Kyiv after assassination attempt. Kazakh opposition activist and journalist Aidos Sadykov died in Kyiv on July 2, two weeks after being wounded in an assassination attempt, said his wife, Natalya Sadykova.

Ukraine-born Congresswoman Spartz charged with weapons violation. “Last Friday, Representative (Victoria) Spartz accidentally carried an empty handgun in her suitcase with no magazine or bullets, which she did not realize was in the pocket of her suitcase, while going through security at Dulles airport,” a spokesperson for the congresswoman told NBC News.

Moscow court orders arrest of Ukraine’s former PM, ex-ministers in absentia. A Moscow court on July 2 ordered the arrest in absentia of Ukraine’s former Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, former Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, former Finance Minister Oleksandr Shlapak, and Ihor Dovhan, the head of Western Operational Command of Ukraine’s Ground Forces.

EU introduces ‘emergency brake’ on eggs, sugar imports from Ukraine. According to the newly implemented rules, an emergency brake can be applied to imports of eggs, poultry, sugar, oats, maize, groats, and honey. The measure will be automatically triggered if import volumes reach the average yearly imports recorded between July 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2023.

Russia jails teenager for allegedly sending money to Ukrainian army. A Russian court on July 2 sentenced a 19-year-old to 12 years in prison for “treason” after he was accused of donating money to the Ukrainian army.

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