Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv launches attack on Putin’s Black Sea naval base as 1 killed in Kharkiv strike
Kyiv fired two drones at Novorossiysk, which were shot down by Russian defences, officials said
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Ukraine launched an overnight drone attack on Vladimir Putin’s Black Sea naval base where Moscow’s once revered fleet is hiding.
Kyiv fired two sea drones at Novorossiysk, which were shot down by Russian defences, according to the Russian ministry of defence.
Satellites detected large fires in the area of the Novorossiysk port, which is one of Russia’s largest and serves as a major outlet for crude oil and oil products exports and transit in Russia’s south.
It comes as one person was killed and another four were wounded in Russian attacks in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, officials said.
Kharkiv regional prosecutors said one person was killed and two wounded in an attack in the village of Borova that also damaged ten homes, stores and an administrative building.
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky’s senior aide Andri Yermak said Kyiv was not ready to compromise with Russia and it would never give up any territory seized by Putin’s forces since February 2022.
“We are not ready to go to the compromise for the very important things and values... independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty,” he said.
Polish, German governments meet to mend ties after 6 years of reserve
Government leaders of Poland and Germany on Tuesday held wide bilateral consultations aimed at giving a new impulse to neighborly relations that sagged under Poland’s previous government, and to jointly declare responsibility for Europe’s security in turbulent times.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveled with 12 ministers and government members, including Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, for the meeting in Warsaw.
“We bring a very clear message: Germany and Poland are good neighbors, close partners and reliable friends. And we want to create a new dynamic for our cooperation,” Scholz told a joint news conference with Tusk.
Polish, German governments meet to mend ties after 6 years of reserve
Government leaders of Poland and Germany have held bilateral consultations in a bid to give a new impulse to neighborly relations that sagged under Poland's previous government and to jointly declare responsibility for Europe's security in turbulent times
Blinken, Zelensky’s aide discuss bringing Ukraine closer to Nato
US secretary of state Antony Blinken and the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, discussed Nato members’s intention to bring Ukraine closer to the alliance, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said.
Their meeting in Washington came before a Nato summit in the US capital next week, at which Ukraine hopes to secure more assurances from the alliance on its membership bid.
Mr Blinken has said Ukraine will become a member of Nato and that the summit will “help build a bridge” to that outcome.
“They spoke about a number of issues, including the upcoming Washington Nato Summit and allies intention to bring Ukraine closer to Nato membership and helping to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend against Russian aggression,” Mr Patel told reporters at a regular press briefing.
The two leaders also discussed efforts led by the G7 group of nations to “enhance the resiliency” of Ukraine’s energy grid, which has come under Russian attack in recent months, Mr Patel said.
Beach access restricted in Russia’s Novorossiysk after sea drones attacks
Beach access in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk will be restricted early today, the mayor of the city said, after reporting earlier that defence forces were engaged in repelling a sea drone attack.
“Until 9am (0600 GMT) on 3 July, the bay’s water will be surveyed,” mayor Andrei Kravchenko said on Telegram.
“We kindly request you to refrain from visiting beach areas, embankments and recreational areas along the water’s edge during operational activities,” he said. Earlier, Kravchenko said, without providing detail, the port was under a sea drone attack.
Russia has often accused Ukraine of attacking its port cities on the Black Sea coast and on the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula, but Russian officials often do not disclose the full extent of damage inflicted by Ukrainian attacks.
Kyiv has said attacks on Russia’s military, transport and energy infrastructure are in response to Moscow’s continuous attacks on Ukraine‘s territory since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russian forces launch recruitment drive in Africa to fight war in Ukraine
Russia is conducting a new recruitment drive for fighters in Africa for its war in Ukraine after suffering heavy casualties on the ground in lethal combat, according to Western intelligence officials.
The enrolment campaign has intensified following the rapid spread of Moscow’s influence on the continent, boosted by the overthrow of pro-Western governments in several countries by military regimes and the subsequent withdrawal of US and European forces.
Mercenaries formerly with the Wagner Group – which was disbanded after the failed coup attempt by its Russian leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was subsequently killed along with his senior hierarchy in an air crash – are training young men, some from tribal militias, for battle in Europe.
Putin’s forces launch recruitment drive in Africa to fight war in Ukraine
Moscow is turning to a new mercenary group, Africa Corps, to train paid fighters from across the continent to fight its war in Ukraine
Lithuania protests to Moscow after Russian civil aircraft entered its airspace
Lithuania’s foreign ministry on Tuesday said it had made a diplomatic protest to Russia after a Russian civilian aircraft entered its airspace without permission.
The Pobeda airline aircraft entered Lithuanian airspace over the Baltic sea for a minute on Sunday evening, on its way from Moscow Vnukovo airport to Kaliningrad airport, the ministry said.
Survey finds popular support for NATO at a challenging time for the Western alliance
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.
Meanwhile, the presidential reelection bid of Donald Trump, who long has spoken scathingly of NATO allies and admiringly of Putin, has some NATO members worrying about the future commitment of the alliance’s most powerful military and economy.
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
Blinken and top Zelensky aide discuss bringing Ukraine closer to NATO
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, on Tuesday discussed NATO members’ intention to bring Ukraine closer to the alliance, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said.
Their meeting in Washington came before a NATO summit in the U.S. capital next week, at which Ukraine hopes to secure more assurances from the alliance on its membership bid.
Blinken has said Ukraine will become a member of NATO and that the summit will “help build a bridge” to that outcome.
“They spoke about a number of issues, including the upcoming Washington NATO Summit and allies’ intention to bring Ukraine closer to NATO membership and helping to strengthen Ukraine‘s ability to defend against Russian aggression,” Patel told reporters at a regular press briefing.
On Tuesday, Blinken and Yermak also discussed efforts led by the G7 group of nations to “enhance the resiliency” of Ukraine‘s energy grid, which has come under Russian attack in recent months, Patel said.
US set to announce over $2.3 bln arms package for Ukraine, Pentagon says
The United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart at the Pentagon.
Austin also gave a nod to Ukraine‘s aspirations to eventually join NATO, more than two years after Russia‘s full-scale invasion. At next week’s NATO summit in Washington D.C., Austin said: “We will take steps to build a bridge to NATO membership for Ukraine.”
Ukrainian officials have been urging their allies for months to supply more air defense systems to counter frequent missile and drone attacks from Russian forces.
Austin said the latest weapons package for Ukraine would include arms such as anti-tank weapons and air defense interceptors, and would allow accelerated procurement of NASAMS and Patriot air defense interceptors.
“I am proud that the United States will soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine,” Austin said, speaking just before entering a meeting with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.
“This package, under presidential drawdown authority, will provide more air defense interceptors, anti-tank weapons and other critical munitions from the U.S. inventories.”
Ukraine offers prisoners release at a high price
“You can put an end to this and start a new life,” said the recruiter, a member of a volunteer assault battalion. “The main thing is your will, because you are going to defend the motherland. You won’t succeed at 50%, you have to give 100% of yourself, even 150%.”
At a rural penal colony in southeast Ukraine, several convicts stand assembled under barbed wire to hear the army recruiter offer them a shot at parole. In return, they must join the grueling fight against Russia.
Ukraine is expanding the draft to cope with acute battlefield shortages more than two years into fighting against Russia’s full-scale invasion. And its recruiting efforts have turned, for the first time, to the country’s prison population.
Ukraine offers prisoners release at a high price
About 27,000 inmates could potentially be eligible for the new program
Troops look for weak spots as Russia sets the stage for another push in Ukraine
Russian troops are forging through Ukraine‘s outgunned and undermanned defenses in a relentless onslaught, prompting the West to push for new weapons and strategies to shore up Kyiv.
That, in turn, has brought new threats by President Vladimir Putin to retaliate against the West — either directly or indirectly.
The moves by the West to blunt the offensive and the potential Kremlin response could lead to a dangerous escalation as the war drags through its third year — one that further raises the peril of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.
Troops look for weak spots as Russia sets the stage for another push in Ukraine
Russia has made incremental but steady advances in the Donetsk region
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