Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv troops retreat from key eastern town as Moscow conducts nuclear drills
Kyiv’s troops ‘cannot hold what is ruined’, says battalion commander
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Ukraine has pulled back its soldiers from the outskirts of eastern Chasiv Yar town where they are losing territory to Russian forces.
Oleh Shyriaiev, commander of the 255th assault battalion, which has been fighting in the area for six months, claimed the Russians burned every building not destroyed by shelling after capturing the neighbourhood.
“I regret that we are gradually losing territory,” he said, speaking by phone from Chasiv Yar, but added, “we cannot hold what is ruined”.
He said Russia is using scorched-earth tactics in an attempt to destroy anything that could be used as a military position in an attempt to force the Ukranian troops to retreat from the strategic town.
Chasiv Yar is a short distance west of Bakhmut, which was captured by Russia last year after a bitter 10-month battle. The intensity of the Russian strikes on Ukraine’s defensive line in the area has increased over the past month, Kyiv said.
As the war in Ukraine grinds on, Russia’s defence ministry said its forces were carrying out drills involving mobile nuclear missile launchers, the Interfax news agency reported this morning.
Hungary views EU presidency as peace mission, says PM Orban
Hungary views its six-month presidency of the European Union as a peace mission, its Prime Minister Viktor Orban told a press conference on Friday in Moscow alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Many steps are needed to end the war, but we took the first step to restore dialogue,” Orban said, adding that “points of view remained far from each other in Kyiv and Moscow.”
German government averts crisis with budget agreement for Europe’s largest economy
The German government said Friday it has reached agreement on the budget for 2025 and a stimulus package for Europe’s largest economy, easing a monthslong squabble that threatened to upend Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left coalition.
Scholz, a Social Democrat, and leaders of the Free Democrats and Greens reached agreement on plans including higher spending on defense and affordable housing after marathon talks that dragged into the early hours of Friday. Scholz said ministers would formally approve the plan at a Cabinet meeting later this month.
By balancing security, social cohesion and economic growth, Scholz said the budget was designed to reassure citizens unsettled by the war in Ukraine, the impacts of climate change and irregular migration, and offer an alternative to the “divisive” policies of far-right parties making gains across Europe.
German government averts crisis with budget agreement for Europe’s largest economy
The German government has announced an agreement on its budget for 2025 and a stimulus package for Europe’s largest economy, easing a monthslong squabble that threatened to upend Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left coalition
Ukraine receives third Patriot air defence system from Germany
Ukraine said on Friday it had taken receipt of its third German-supplied Patriot air defence system following months of pleas for equipment to protect its civilians and infrastructure from Russian air strikes.
Moscow renewed its aerial assaults on Ukraine‘s national power grid in the spring, causing sweeping blackouts. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said earlier this year his country needed at least seven additional Patriot systems to protect itself.
The Ukrainian defence ministry said on X the system had already been delivered and thanked Germany for “unwavering support”.
“It will help improve the protection of civilians and infrastructure. The Ukrainian crew has successfully completed appropriate training in Germany,” German Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Jaeger said on X.
Kyiv has indicated it hopes for progress on the matter of air defence supplies at a NATO summit in Washington next week. A senior U.S. State Department official has said Kyiv is expected to get “good news” at the summit.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and regularly uses its arsenal of missiles and drones to conduct long-range strikes.
US citizen Robert Woodland convicted of drug-related charges by a Moscow court
Robert Woodland, a Russia-born U.S. citizen, was convicted of drug-related charges by a Moscow court and sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison on Thursday, court officials and his lawyers said.
He was found guilty of attempted trafficking of large amounts of illegal drugs as part of an organized group, according to an online statement released by court officials. His lawyers told reporters after the verdict was delivered Thursday that they will appeal the ruling because Woodland’s guilt hasn’t been proven.
Lawyer Stanislav Kshevitsky also said that Woodland has been suffering from unspecified mental health issues. He didn’t provide any details, but said that the court didn’t take those issues into account.
US citizen Robert Woodland convicted of drug-related charges by a Moscow court
Robert Woodland, a Russia-born U.S. citizen, has been convicted of drug-related charges by a Moscow court and sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison
Jailed Putin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza transferred to Siberian prison hospital, wife says
Jailed British-Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza has been transferred to a Siberian prison hospital, his wife has said.
The 42-year-old – a leading Kremlin critic who has survived two poisoning attempts – is serving a 25-year jail sentence after repeatedly condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine and calling for Western sanctions against Moscow.
Mr Kara-Murza was transferred on Thursday evening to the hospital in Omsk prison, where he is jailed, according to his wife Evgenia, who said his lawyers had waited five hours to see him but were denied visitation rights.
Jailed Putin critic Kara-Murza transferred to Siberian prison hospital, wife says
The opposition leader is serving longest sentence handed to a Kremlin critic since fall of Soviet Union
Russia's peace initiatives are key to settling Ukraine conflict, Putin tells Orban
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had discussed the situation in Ukraine with visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday, but reiterated his belief that Russia‘s proposals should be the key to resolving the conflict.
Putin said he was grateful to Orban for an attempt to restore dialogue between Russia and Europe, but Kyiv was still not willing to stop the conflict.
Kremlin says UK remains a hostile state to Moscow after Labour election win
The Kremlin sees no desire from Britain’s Labour Party to repair relations with Russia and continues to view the UK as a hostile state, Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, said on Friday.
Peskov was commenting after the Labour Party won a landslide general election victory after 14 years of Conservative rule.
The party has indicated it will continue to support Ukraine with weapons and money against Russia
Russian ships dock in Venezuelan port after Cuba visit feared by the US
In case you missed it...
Two Russian naval ships docked Tuesday in the Venezuelan port of La Guaira after exercises in the Atlantic Ocean that Moscow said were to “show the flag” in remote, important regions, and an initial stopover in Cuba.
The frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the oil tanker Akademik Pashin are part of Russia’s Northern Fleet, which since May 17 has been carrying out tasks that include “guaranteeing the Russian naval presence” in “remote areas of the oceans,” Russian news agency Tass cited Russia’s Ministry of Defense as saying.
The stopover was to last several days and highlight the close ties between Moscow and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Russian ships dock in Venezuelan port after Cuba visit feared by the US
Two Russian naval ships have docked in the Venezuelan port of La Guaira
A precious moment in time of war: Flowers for a wife and daughter coming home to Ukraine
On his way to the Kyiv train station to greet his wife and daughter returning from Poland to Ukraine, Oleksander Tryfonov made a stop.
He bought two red roses from one of a half-dozen flower shops lining a dimly lit underpass — something beautiful for the two most precious people in his life.
“I haven’t seen them for two years,” Tryfonov, a burly 45-year-old driver said of his family. “Flowers are important for women.”
A precious moment in time of war: Flowers for a wife and daughter coming home to Ukraine
Flowers have always been linked with Ukraine’s culture but since Russia’s 2022 invasion, their significance has only grown
Survey finds popular support for NATO at a challenging time for the Western alliance
In case you missed it...
A survey of people in 13 of the nations belonging to NATO found a median of about 6 in 10 held a favorable view of the Western military alliance, the Pew Research Center said Tuesday.
The poll was released ahead of a July 9-11 NATO summit in Washington, which is being held at a challenging time for the 75-year-old Western military alliance.
The 32 NATO member countries are adjusting their long-term plans and strategies to counteract a more aggressive Russian President Vladimir Putin and respond to Ukraine’s need for sustained support against invading Russian forces.
Survey finds popular support for NATO at a challenging time for the Western alliance
A new survey by Pew Research Center finds public support for NATO in some of the countries belonging to the Western military alliance
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