All articles tagged with #russia ukraine conflict
Russia temporarily halted shipping on the Don-Azov Channel and closed the Kerch Strait after Ukrainian tanker strikes, with no lift date announced; the move affects the Sea of Azov corridor that handles a significant portion of Russia’s wheat exports and highlights ongoing disruption to Black Sea grain trade amid continuing attacks on shipping and fuel facilities.
ISW reports that Russia launched its fourth large-scale missile-and-drone attack on Ukraine since June 1, overnight July 5–6, with Kyiv heavily targeted and dozens killed or wounded. Russia fired about 419 missiles and drones, including 29 ballistic missiles and 18 strike drones; Ukraine shot down 326 drones and 37 missiles, but ballistic missiles still caused major destruction in Kyiv and other locations. Ukraine lacks sufficient Patriot interceptors and urged Western air-defense support for the NATO summit, with deliveries contracted but not arriving until 2027. Separately, Ukraine conducted its deepest long-range drone strike to date against Russia’s Omsk oil refinery. ISW characterizes the strikes as part of Russia’s Phase Zero strategy to deter Western backing and test NATO resolve, as Moscow also expands operations near NATO assets and intensifies its oil-energy targeting across Ukraine and occupied territories.
ISW’s July 3 assessment says Putin’s claim of seizing Kostyantynivka is contradicted by public evidence of only limited gains; Moscow’s briefings appear part of a cognitive warfare effort to show rapid frontline progress. The report notes warnings from the United States about potential Kremlin provocations against NATO states, including Poland, and broader Baltic concerns. Putin’s approval and trust have fallen sharply amid battlefield setbacks and a domestic fuel crisis, as Russia seeks to alleviate shortages through imports and relaxed gasoline standards. On the battlefield, Ukrainian strikes and Russian drone/ missile campaigns continued, but there were no confirmed major Russian advances on July 2–3, aside from contested claims and possible AI-assisted propaganda footage. The update also cites sporadic incidents (e.g., an explosion in Kursk) and ongoing Ukrainian operations against energy and logistics targets in occupied Ukraine.
ISW analysis shows Russian territorial gains in Ukraine have collapsed this year, with front-line advances stalling and Ukraine's drone-enabled long-range strike campaign disrupting Russian logistics and fuel supplies; Kyiv reports heavy Russian casualties in June while pushing for limited gains, and Moscow signals openness to mediation but remains locked in combat as oil revenues fall and fuel shortages appear.
EUobserver reports that Ukrainian attacks are triggering a fuel shortage, power outages, and water loss in Crimea, with many shops forced to close by 8–9 pm, scarce ATMs, and restrictions on public transport. Sugar is limited to three kilos per customer, panic buying has spread, and residents rely on generators, bicycles, or walking. Life on the peninsula is increasingly confined, resembling a lockdown, as Moscow promises more fuel while officials say outages are not yet critical.
Putin says Moscow expects US negotiators to visit after Middle East tensions ease and reiterates willingness to discuss all details, while Russia concedes a fuel shortage caused by Ukrainian strikes and imposes a 50-litre-per-day limit at state-run stations in Irkutsk as energy attacks and drone activity continue across the region.
Putin said Russia is ready to negotiate with Ukraine on the basis of the 2022 Istanbul agreements, reviving a framework Kyiv initially endorsed, even as Moscow has pressed for talks on an Anchorage basis and the fate of the Istanbul deal remains uncertain after subsequent annexations.
EU Council President António Costa faces private backlash from several leaders after his team contacted Russian officials, highlighting tensions between mediation and Ukraine support as he negotiates the next seven-year €2 trillion budget and eyes reappointment in 2027; while publicly supported, the episode has stirred concerns about balance, with leaders like Macron and Merz among critics.
Russian forces have infiltrated Kostyantynivka and are attempting to encircle Ukrainian troops, turning the city into a contested ‘grey zone’ and a potential springboard toward Donbas towns like Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Kyiv says the situation is under control with about 130 Russians inside the city, while Moscow claims encirclement; analysts warn that its fall would complicate supply routes and threaten remaining Ukrainian strongholds.
ISW reports that Russian authorities and major oil firms are tightening gasoline and diesel sales across many regions after Ukraine’s strikes hit oil infrastructure, with limits of 30–90 liters per customer and cash-only in some cases; the Moscow Oil Refinery was damaged, reducing refining capacity by about 30% and contributing to a 16-year low in Russian gasoline production. Russia is expected to continue shortages through the summer as Ukraine’s campaign disrupts refining and logistics, while President Zelensky seeks high-level talks with Putin (though the Kremlin remains reluctant). There are also reports that Russia plans to manufacture more Oreshnik IRBMs, with only one remaining operational from prior contracts, signaling ongoing strategic pressures alongside contested battlefield progress.
Russia denied striking Kyiv’s UNESCO-listed Lavra and claimed a US Patriot missile malfunction caused the damage, a claim contradicted by on-site Shahed drone debris. The overnight attack involved about 70 missiles and 611 drones. Zelensky urged the G7 to respond decisively and boost Ukraine’s air defenses, while UNESCO condemned the strike as an attack on cultural heritage and the EU announced sanctions tied to Russia’s war economy.
Russia launched a broad missile and drone attack across Ukraine, hitting Kyiv and setting the Dormition Cathedral at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra ablaze, with casualties reported nationwide as authorities urge shelter and defense readiness; Zelensky spoke with Donald Trump about ending the war amid ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Ukraine’s middle-strike drones are targeting Russian supply convoys, forcing reroutes and prompting Russia to arm truck columns with mobile gun teams. The campaign has hammered logistics along routes like the M-14 toward Crimea, with hundreds of trucks struck daily and Moscow scrambling to replace them with aging stock. Whether gun-truck escorts and electronic warfare can curb the drone threat remains uncertain as drones fly higher and adapt, signaling an escalating counterlogistics war.
Lavrov says there is no realistic path to negotiations with Kyiv now, arguing Western support and battlefield momentum will decide the war rather than diplomacy; Zelensky’s public open letter is cited as proof Kyiv doesn't want talks, while Putin mocks the idea of a direct meeting.
The European Union plans to reimpose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill by including him in its next sanctions package, reviving a move Hungary blocked in 2022. Kirill is accused of promoting propaganda backing Russia's war in Ukraine, with the EU aiming for unanimous approval among 27 member states by July 15 to avoid triggering changes to the oil price cap.