Ukraine updates in English

[US7IGN]

Despite international sanctions, russia's strategic missile plant was able to import complex machinery to dramatically increase missile production. The Kyiv Independent has identified the equipment supplied to the plant, as well as the supply chains, mostly from China. https://kyivindependent.com/investigation-russia-expands-strategic-plant-producing-icbms-with-chinas-help/

russia and Ukraine have conducted another prisoner exchange. Neither side has specified how many people were exchanged.
https://www.bbc.com/russian/live/c3081p27qept?post=asset%3A6cb00755-1a43-4368-aaec-c3bf35e8d8a6#asset:6cb00755-1a43-4368-aaec-c3bf35e8d8a6

During May 2025, the amount of Ukraine's state and state-guaranteed debt increased in hryvnia equivalent by UAH 34.88 billion, and in dollar equivalent by almost $1 billion, the Ministry of Finance reports. As of May 31, Ukraine's state and state-guaranteed debt amounted to UAH 7.51 trillion ($180.97 billion). https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2025/06/26/novyna/ekonomika/derzhborh-ukrayiny-zris-milyard-dolariv-minfin

June 24, 2025 On Tuesday morning, the russian army launched a ballistic missile strike on the Dnipro and its surroundings. At least 17 people were killed, 15 in the Dnipro and two more in the city of Samar. 279 people were injured to varying degrees of severity, including 27 children. 46 high-rise buildings, 41 private houses, several dormitories, more than a hundred cars, a gas station, a service station, utility buildings, shopping pavilions, and shops were damaged. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c8d69y0ldv1o

[N0TZU]

Despite the fact that every day is planned almost to the minute, I don’t have time to do much of what I would like. Lately I have been forced to work late at night and on weekends. I am not the only one like that in the company, although this does not make it easier for us. In order not to undermine my health, I try to sleep at least 7 hours a day under any circumstances.

Now I have less time to read the news, but I have found a way to practice English and learn the latest news at the same time. During my commute to work, I listen to the news on the BBC podcast. In addition to the news itself, you learn a lot of interesting things from the comments of the presenters. This allows you to better understand how people live in England and what to expect in Ukraine.
…

Wlad, you are an amazingly disciplined person. You could charge substantial sums for self-improvement seminars on living a disciplined life.

So the Trump administration is seeking to defund international war crimes and accountability efforts. Why pay for that esoteric trifle when already they suddenly withheld billions in lawfully authorized US funding for even basic food and medicine to the most wretched starving people in the world?

Besides, no need to worry about lawlessness abroad when in the US they are daily refusing their constitutional responsibility to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed”, attempting to rule by decree, and sometimes imprisoning people without due process. Not to mention that Donald admires strong authoritarian rulers anyway.

In this regard I’m a bit puzzled as to why there isn’t more camaraderie between Trump and Zelensky. They seem have in common methods to rule their people, and arguably Zelensky has surpassed Trump’s pal Putin in some ways.

By all means, diplomats and leaders should play to Trump’s ego in the simplest way because it works. Gifts work too: another White Elephant aircraft perhaps, or if on a budget, a new gold plated toilet might be well received. These are not emoluments, you see, since after his term they will supposedly go to his Presidential Library, and only slightly used. Unless they could fit in a closet or bathroom at Mar A Largo - which makes a toilet gift even more attractive as well as less expensive.

I’m glad to see Zelensky update his wardrobe. By now the military pants and t-shirts are passé, and threadbare besides. Of course, those more equal than the rest of us deserve better things, as you point out.

[N0TZU]

Sad news of the missile strikes around Dnipro.

The sanctions are now like a coarse sieve. How disgusting that Taiwan is involved, though the US spends a lot of effort and money to defend it from China.

[US7IGN]

Wlad, you are an amazingly disciplined person. You could charge substantial sums for self-improvement seminars on living a disciplined life.

Thank you, Bob!
I just have to be efficient. Although I am still far from this accountant)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2140479/

Sad news of the missile strikes around Dnipro.

Today there was another one. I was just talking on the phone with a colleague from Dnipro when she started to cry and swear. And then again. I jokingly asked what exactly I had said to her that caused such a reaction, to which she replied that something exploded loudly next to her. It was a ballistic missile. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c3w4xx2zxjno

There were also explosions in Kyiv at night, although I didn’t see anything about the consequences in the news. Colleagues in the office said that they spent midnight, some in the bathroom, some in the corridor. One girl was just in the common hall on the first floor of her building. I am one of those who tries to sleep in bed because my heart will kill me before the missiles if I don’t sleep.

On the night of June 27, Ukrainian units struck the russian military airfield "Marinovka", located in the Volgograd region. According to preliminary data, at least four enemy Su-34 aircraft were damaged as a result of the attack. The technical area, where combat aircraft maintenance and repair are carried out, was also hit. https://zn.ua/ukr/war/ukrajinski-sili-atakuvali-aviabazu-v-rf-urazheno-chotiri-litaki-su-34-.html

Unfortunately, the consequences are incomparable.

russian dictator Vladimir putin has said Moscow is ready to hold a third round of talks with Ukraine. According to him, “both sides are in active contact.” The Kremlin leader says the heads of delegations are currently discussing a possible date for a new meeting.

In turn, US President Donald Trump told his Turkish counterpart that he would attend potential peace talks between Ukraine and russia in Turkey if putin also agreed to participate.
https://nv.ua/ukr/world/geopolitics/moskva-gotova-do-novogo-raundu-peremovin-z-kiyevom-zayaviv-putin-50525619.html
The russian government plans to reduce defense spending, the share of which in the budget has already reached record levels since the times of the USSR. Kremlin leader Vladimir putin announced the reduction in spending at the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Minsk, the Express newspaper writes. https://expres.online/podrobitsi/putin-vpershe-publichno-viznav-problemi-v-ekonomitsi-rosiya-skorotit-vidatki-na-oboronu

Earlier, during the international economic forum in St. Petersburg, a number of high-ranking officials and heads of large companies announced serious problems in the russian economy. For example, the country's Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov complained that the country was already "on the verge" of an economic recession. And the head of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina warned about the depletion of resources that allowed the economy to grow in conditions of hostilities and sanctions. According to her, the free labor force, and the unused capacities of enterprises, and the reserves of the National Welfare Fund, two-thirds of the liquid assets of which have already been spent, have run out and are needed to increase production.

This sounds encouraging, if you don't take into account the fact that the Ukrainian currency, the hryvnia, has started to weaken again, and the russians are advancing on the front every day.

[US7IGN]

russia massively attacked Ukraine at night with "Calibers" from the sea, Kh-101 missiles from Tu-95MS bombers, aeroballistic "Daggers", ballistic missiles from ground-based complexes and drones. Destruction is known in Lviv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhia regions.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the russians attacked with 537 air attack vehicles. In particular, during the night attack on June 29, they used:

477 drones launched from Kursk, Orel, Bryansk and Crimea,

4 Kh-47M2 "Dagger" aeroballistic missiles from Tambov region,

7 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles from Voronezh region and Crimea,

41 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles from Saratov, Kursk, Bryansk regions,

5 Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea,

3 S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles from Kursk region.

According to preliminary data, of this number of air targets, 249 were shot down by Ukrainian air defense, and 226 were lost to location.

In particular, more than 200 drones, 1 ballistic, 4 Calibers, and 33 Iskanders were shot down.
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c4g8e09lxd9o

The massive attack on the night of June 29 was repelled, among other things, by F-16 aircraft, whose pilots destroyed dozens of "shaheeds". One of them was lost and the pilot died. It seems that this is the third confirmed loss of an F-16.
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c75r3qk63z0o

Actually, I woke up at night from the sound of drones and shooting at them, but there were no explosions as usual and I could hear the drones flying further. Last night I also heard Ukrainian military aircraft for the first time in three years. At first I thought they were russian missiles, but there was no air defense fire and I couldn't see anything because of the clouds. The airwaves were quiet. Apparently the F-16s are finally using more advanced and secure communications.

It seems that the new russian tactic of mass air strikes is working. The concentration of strikes in one place allows you to overcome air defenses that are not as good in other places, such as in Kyiv. The loss of F-16s, which are essentially used to shoot down drones, showed their vulnerability.

One of the targets was again the gas transportation infrastructure in the west of the country and it is possible that the russians will again start attacking Ukraine's energy sector.

Open-source data suggests that russia is increasingly investing in its defense industry and expanding its drone, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and aircraft production and shipbuilding capabilities. The russian military has installed thermal imaging cameras on some Shahed drones to improve the accuracy of their strikes, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported in its latest report, citing Ukrainian military analysts. Thermal imaging cameras allow the Shahed-136 drones to operate better at night and in low-visibility conditions, identifying targets such as engines, generators and thermal power plants.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-27-2025

Perhaps Ukrainian developments are superior to russian ones in some ways, but they are not scalable. The state policy that Ukrainians should assemble drones in their kitchens and supply the army with them has once again demonstrated its incompetence. While the Ukrainian authorities expect the West to provide everything they need, the russians are building factories and producing everything they need. The result can be seen on the screen.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is actively used by foreign arms manufacturers as a huge testing ground where weapons can be tested in real conditions. https://defensescoop.com/2025/06/25/us-army-europe-gen-donahue-wants-industry-test-equipment-ukraine/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

[US7IGN]

Yesterday was Constitution Day. This holiday caused a mixed reaction in society.

Someone drew attention to the fact that Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga stood calmly at the Constitution Day celebrations next to the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine — Minister for National Unity of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov, who is accused of corruption. The Supreme Anti-Corruption Court has chosen a preventive measure in the corruption case of Oleksiy Chernyshov, suspected of abuse of office and obtaining illegal benefits in a particularly large amount. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c1e0g07qg31o

Perhaps in any normal country, such accusations would immediately lead to resignation, but the Ukrainian authorities either consider such things normal or are extremely consolidated and will protect their people under any circumstances.

Someone quotes the Constitution, pointing to its gross violation by the authorities, namely Article 5, which states that no one can usurp state power, Article 33, which guarantees freedom of movement and the right to freely leave the territory of Ukraine, Article 34, which guarantees everyone the right to freedom of thought and speech, to freely express their views and beliefs, Article 103, according to which the President of Ukraine is elected for a term of five years, and so on.

Someone recalls the statement made by Volodymyr Zelensky back in 2022 that the Constitution is "on pause" and suggests congratulating on the holiday "Pause Day".

In fact, the phrase was "All the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine, for you and me personally as representatives of our state, are on pause," but in reality it turned out that this did not apply to the government, but to the people.

And someone simply says that the Ukraine that he loved, that he was comfortable in, that he defended ... has been almost destroyed in recent years ... and it wasn't the russians who did it ...

[KD8ZM-Brady]

I would like to think that if the Russians had not attacked, then the Constitution would not have been "paused." But, who knows? Are the authorities acting in good faith on it being only a pause, or are they doing what they've always wanted to do. only now they can blame it on the Russians?

In either case, the authorities seem to be hollowing out the country's future, in an attempt to preserve its present. I read the following in my morning geopolitical update:

"Ukraine is facing a growing social crisis due to the mass emigration of young people, particularly school-age children and university students, according to the investigative outlet NGL.media. At the start of the 2024-25 school year, only 3.74 million students remained in Ukraine’s education system, the lowest figure in 30 years. The report estimates that about 720,000 Ukrainian schoolchildren are now studying abroad. The trend is expected to accelerate, as young men seek to avoid conscription and women pursue better opportunities overseas. This outflow threatens not only higher education but also the future labor market."

You have obviously seen a microcosm of this in your own family. The lack of constitutional protections is only making the demographics of Ukraine grayer and older. Not a good demographic situation, on top of the war situation.

[US7IGN]

We will never know how it will be, but I am saddened by the fact that Ukraine is turning into Lebanon or Syria or Afghanistan, or something in between. Although I understand that it is not worth demanding much from those people who seized power in the country.

In the meantime, life goes on. Only in my unit another employee is fired, and Sergiy says that they cannot even find a security guard whose job is to sleep near the front door. And I am not sure that I will be able to continue in such conditions for a long time. It is simply physically impossible, and my self-respect does not allow me to do badly.

With the outbreak of full-scale war, Poland opened its doors to millions of Ukrainians, providing them with access to healthcare, education, and legal employment. However, more and more Ukrainians are now considering moving to other EU countries, including Germany, which could have serious consequences for the Polish economy and demographic situation.

Today, Ukrainians contribute up to 2.7% of Poland’s gross domestic product, and their presence could bring up to PLN 33 billion to the state budget annually. Most work in low-paid jobs, which allows Poles to move up the career ladder. However, a mass exodus of Ukrainian workers could lead to a shortage of personnel in key industries.

The loss of demographic potential will be a particularly painful blow. Approximately 40% of Ukrainian refugees are children, while in Poland the share of children in the population is almost half that. The departure of Ukrainian families will mean the loss of chances for the rejuvenation of the nation and strengthening the demographic balance.
https://patrioty.org.ua/ecomomic/iakshcho-ukraintsi-pochnut-vyizhdzhaty-z-polshchi-kraina-ryzykuie-vtratyty-maibutnie-robochi-ruky-ta-postupovo-starityme--inpoland-559706.html

It was quiet in Kyiv today, but Ukrainian drones carried out strikes on the territory of the russian Federation, attacking cities in the Saratov and Rostov regions. https://sprotyv.info/video/droni-atakuvali-saratov-ta-engels-aeroport-zupiniv-robotu-video/

Military facilities in the occupied territories were also hit, but that is still not enough. https://novosti.dn.ua/news/400596-udar-po-donetsku-shho-okupanty-perehovuvaly-u-budivli-kolyshnogo-instytutu

I also read a good article on the BBC about how many families were left separated by the front line, not seeing their loved ones for many years and not even being able to bury them when they died. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c7vrzp5me59o

Politico published an article about what the Pentagon has halted shipments of some air defense missiles and other precision munitions to Ukraine due to worries that U.S. weapons stockpiles have fallen too low.

The decision was driven by the Pentagon’s policy chief, Elbridge Colby, and was made after a review of Pentagon munitions stockpiles, leading to concerns that the total number of artillery rounds, air defense missiles and precision munitions was sinking, according to three people familiar with the issue.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/01/pentagon-munitions-ukraine-halt-00436048

According to the New York Times the suspension includes air defense interceptors, and it will directly affect Ukraine’s ability to fend off escalating russian air assaults. Among the munitions now being withheld are missiles for U.S.-designed Patriot air defense systems, precision artillery rounds and other missiles that Ukraine fires from its American-made F-16 fighter jets. Although it is unclear how many weapons were included, the signal seems clear: Washington is disengaging from the war. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-trump-weapons.html

It's almost midnight and the air raid siren sounds again...

[N0TZU]

I’m sorry to hear that your work conditions seem to be deteriorating on top of the rest of the situation in the country. Sometimes I really don’t know what to say. I have no doubt that you are carefully considering all possible courses of action and trust that whatever you choose will be successful.

I’m not surprised that there is an assessment of US weapons stockpiles being too low. It was recognized at least a year or two ago that US weapons production would need to be increased dramatically just to stay in equilibrium, but such things take a very long time to implement. And that assumes money to pay for it which is hardly assured. Independently of this, Trump continues down the path of completely washing his hands of the war.

[N0TZU]

Now we have news that the Pentagon did not think shipments to to Ukraine were causing US weapons stockpiles to fall below minimums:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/hegseth-halted-weapons-ukraine-military-analysis-aid-wouldnt-jeopardiz-rcna216790

If true, one possibility is that Hegseth stopped deliveries again, for the third time apparently on his own authority, and may be reversed soon. Another is that anti China hawks in the administration convinced Hegseth or Trump or both to ignore the clear and present danger of Russia and prepare instead for attacks on Taiwan. Yet Another is that Trump has given up on Ukraine because it’s just too difficult for him to be tough on his implacable yet hypnotically manipulative pal Putin, and doesn’t like Ukraine, Europe, or Zelensky anyway.

Lastly it may be that Trump thinks more personal accolades and wealth will accrue to him personally if he placates Putin for a Trump hotel in Moscow and continues to help Israel to fight Iran and proxies while eliminating troublesome Gazans so it can be turned into a Trumpian Riviera by Jared. (In this regard note the enthusiastic administration support for the trickle of food aid being used by Israel to force civilian relocations and backed by mercenaries said to include Americans, resulting in many deaths and the withdrawal of more substantial UN and other aid). Or it could be some mix of these.

To me the only consistent threads in the chaos are that Trump always underestimates or ignores the threat that Putin presents to the world and not confronting him in any effective way, and that Trump’s pathology causes him to be always focused on his own opinions and desires and devoid of genuine concerns for other people.

[US7IGN]

I don't know what the real reason for Trump's behavior is. Perhaps the truth is somewhere in the middle. It seems to me that there is an agreement on the division of influence - the US does what it wants in the Middle East, and russia does what it can in Europe. Perhaps Germany and France have their own secret agreements with russia.

It is obvious that for Ukrainians in this situation the choice is between bad and even worse. And it will get worse every day. And as of today, the Belarusian option would look like a good option, when the unoccupied part of Ukraine will remain formally independent, but will be under the full influence of russia and dependent on it.

Perhaps the sudden active discussion by the Ukrainian authorities of the possibility of holding elections is associated with certain guarantees of keeping the stolen money and leaving Ukraine in exchange for ending the resistance.

So far, the pressure on the front and the shelling of Ukraine with missiles and drones are gradually increasing.

One person has been killed and 26 others were injured after a night of intensive russian strikes on almost every district in Kyiv, officials say. Ukraine said russia fired a 550 drones and 11 missiles. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2g3qvz0pvo

This seems to be a new record and I am surprised at such a low number of casualties given the scale of the attack and the destruction. Electrical transformers are reported to have been hit, but the size of the fires indicates that other important targets were also hit. https://ua.news/ua/capital/masovana-ataka-na-kiyiv-rosiiani-zruinuvali-transformatorni-pidstantsiyi

Explosions also occurred in other cities in Ukraine, and the Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Brovdy, warned of the likelihood of russia launching 1,000 or more Shahed drones for a simultaneous attack on the territory of Ukraine within one day. https://24tv.ua/vibuhi-prolunali-pavlogradi_n2862716
https://sud.ua/uk/news/ukraine/335232-rossiya-budet-zapuskat-i-1000-shakhedov-v-sutki-komanduyuschiy-sil-bespilotnykh-sistem-madyar

The strikes came hours after a call between US President Donald Trump and russia's Vladimir putin, after which Trump said he was "disappointed" that putin was not ready to end the war against Ukraine. Moscow says the war will continue for as long as it is necessary to reach its objectives. According to the Kremlin, the call lasted almost an hour. The russian President congratulated his colleague on the US Independence Day (July 4), and noted that "russia played a significant role in the formation of American statehood." https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/cx2392y5j4xo?xtor=AL-73-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bukr%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bukrainian%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D

Apparently, today's fireworks were in honor of the holiday.

Talk is talk, and actions are actions. I prefer to watch actions, not listen to words. Whatever Trump says, his actions undoubtedly favor russia.

US President Donald Trump is backing down in his support for Ukraine. Instead, кrussia is using the opportunity to step up ground offensives and bomb Ukrainian territory. putin’s strategy is aimed at breaking Ukraine’s ability and will to wage war by increasing pressure on its military and civilian population, The Wall Street Journal notes. It adds that Ukraine is now facing a summer of relentless attacks from russia, and Trump’s efforts to achieve peace have reached a dead end.

Analysts say the latest developments are strengthening Moscow’s confidence that it can outlast Ukraine and its allies in a war of attrition. They explain this by saying that Kyiv will have to save material resources, and this move is likely to accelerate russian successes on the battlefield.

But capturing territory may not be russia’s most important goal at this stage of the war, the media emphasizes. Instead, some analysts say, putin wants to "grind" the troops and equipment of his smaller neighbor and undermine support from the civilian population and the West. https://www.wsj.com/world/russia-ukraine-putin-pressure-f19ca5b0?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1

Surprisingly, not so long ago, the same was said about russia, whose resources Ukraine grinds.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat on Wednesday that Beijing did not want to see russia`s loss in Ukraine because it feared the United States would then shift its whole focus to Beijing, according to several people familiar with the exchange.

At the same time, Wang Yi rejected accusations that China is supporting the Kremlin financially and with weapons in the war against Ukraine. Beijing insists that "the conflict would have ended long ago if that were the case."
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3316875/china-tells-eu-it-cannot-afford-russian-loss-ukraine-war-sources-say?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article

The attack lasted all night until 9 a.m. I couldn't sleep because of the high intensity of the drones, which were buzzing and circling around like mad sky bikers. Between the waves of drones, ballistic missiles flew in, the explosions of which, together with air defence fire, turned on the alarms of cars parked nearby on the street.

The city was in chaos, the railway tracks were damaged and several streets were blocked. Public transport was not working well, there were many traffic jams and accidents. The acrid smoke, heat and lack of wind made it difficult to breathe and I decided to stay home. By lunchtime I had a headache, but surprisingly I worked very efficiently today and by evening I had freed my head from most of the hassle. At seven in the evening I looked out the window and saw that the wind had picked up, which dispersed the smoke. I remembered that I had not ridden a bicycle for a long time and decided to fix that. The ride was refreshing and filled me with strength. It was a wonderful contrast and I thanked God again for giving me the strength to live to this day and for saving me from all dangers.

[N0TZU]

Wlad, I’m very relieved that you were safe throughout the barrage of drones and missiles, and were able to get out and ride your bike. It’s quite remarkable that even with such a massive attack, the defenses [apparently] held the damage and casualties to a relatively low level, though even one is too many.

I believe that everyone understands the message that Putin repeatedly sends to Trump, except Trump himself, which is: “You are my bitch”.

I’m referring of course to the massive attacks on Ukraine shortly after a personal phone call between them in which Trump asks Putin for a ceasefire. My count is at two, though I may have missed some. I said it before, Trump is either a Russian asset or the most “useful idiot” ever since Lenin’s time.

Yes his actions are bad for Ukraine and the trend has been downward for a long time.  I think the WSJ is being polite. Trump’s peace efforts, such as they were, have failed miserably, not merely stuck at a dead end.

I agree it’s fruitless to take anything Trump says at full face value. However, my observation is that when he repeats something several times over a period of time it does indicate a direction that he will very likely take.

[US7IGN]

An article about Trump's style just came out. How Trump is using the 'Madman Theory' to try to change the world (and it's working) https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxww2kez0go

Nevertheless, Trump has already helped putin more than anyone else - he has brought putin out of international isolation, which was one of his biggest problems.

This weekend I had to devote a lot of time to work again, but I also managed to relax a little and even read something that, to me, indicates very important things. And this is not the weather forecast, which promises hellish heat next week - more than 30C. Last week, when I was going to work on the bus, a young girl next to me lost consciousness. I also need to be careful. I have to say that it's depressing to spend so much time and effort working to help others become richer, when my main desire is to write. But I have to provide for my family.

So, while my son is writing his thesis and dreaming of participating in the restoration of Ukraine, Bloomberg published very important news. BlackRock Inc. halted its search for investors to back a multibillion-dollar Ukraine recovery fund earlier this year after Donald Trump’s election victory saw the US sour on the eastern European country, people familiar with the discussions said.

The fund, meant to be unveiled at next week’s Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, was close to securing initial support from entities backed by the governments of Germany, Italy and Poland, the people said, declining to be identified discussing private information.

However, in January, BlackRock decided to pause talks with institutional investors due to a lack of interest amid increased uncertainty over Ukraine’s future.

The Ukraine Development Fund was on track to secure at least $500 million from countries, development banks and other grant providers, along with $2 billion from private investors, Philipp Hildebrand, vice chairman of BlackRock who was among the financiers leading the discussions, said last year.

At the time, Hildebrand said that could bring together a consortium of equity and debt investors who could finance at least $15 billion of reconstruction work in Ukraine. The total bill to rebuild Ukraine following russia’s invasion was estimated at more than $500 billion by the World Bank and others in February.

France has been working on a fund proposal to replace the canceled BlackRock initiative but it’s not clear how effective the new plan will be without US backing, the people said.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-05/blackrock-halted-ukraine-fund-talks-after-trump-s-election-win?srnd=homepage-europe

China is ready to cooperate with France in industries such as nuclear power, aviation, artificial intelligence, green energy and biotechnology, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. China also is willing to strengthen strategic communication and coordination with France on Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East, Wang said at a news conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

Wang expressed the hope that France would urge the EU to address China’s trade and economic disputes with the bloc and respond to its concerns, state-owned Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-04/china-can-work-with-france-across-range-of-industries-wang-says

The EU has said it will build up emergency stocks of critical minerals and cable repair kits as concerns grow about vulnerability to attacks. Member states should coordinate backup supplies of food, medicine and even nuclear fuel, the EU executive said. Several incidents of potential sabotage of undersea communications cables and gas pipelines in recent years have raised concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure. The strategy is part of a broader EU effort to improve the security and resilience of the 27-nation bloc. Last month, General Carsten Breuer, Germany's defense chief, warned that russia could attack an EU member state within the next four years.
This is reported in the Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/48216c51-a784-48f0-8420-d4165f7c80a6

There are also suspicious cases of energy infrastructure collapse, first in Spain and now in the Czech Republic. On Friday, a large-scale power outage occurred in the Czech Republic. There was no electricity in most areas of Prague, as well as in other regions of the country. The blackout stopped public transport and trains, people were stuck in elevators. This is reported by Czech media, as well as the Czech authorities. https://www.denik.cz/z_domova/blackout-vypadek-elektriny-cesko.html

Against this background, I personally have increasingly negative expectations for the development of events in Ukraine. It is obvious that the US has almost completely distanced itself, while Europe's focus is directed inward.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he was unsure if he’d be able to end russia’s war against Ukraine, a far cry from his promise to swiftly put a stop to the conflict that he made on the campaign trail. “I don’t know. I can’t tell you whether or not that’s going to happen,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, when asked whether or not he’s confident that he’ll be able to find an end to the fighting. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/05/trump-russia-ukraine-war-00440027

The Economist also gave a very disturbing description of the situation. Ukraine's political infighting gets nasty. As Trump starves it of arms, there is turmoil inside the government. Journalists report that Yermak plays a key role in attempts to remove a number of high-ranking officials and promote people loyal to him. This particularly concerns a corruption case against Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov, the possible replacement of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal with Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko and repeated attempts to remove the head of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov.

According to The Economist, alongside efforts to replace Prime Minister Shmyhal, personnel changes are planned in the ministries of education, health, culture, social policy and possibly finance. One high-ranking official remarked, "Andrii is completing what he sees as unfinished business. The [vast majority] of the people are his."

The Economist also asserts that Yermak is attempting to remove Ukraine’s spy chief, Kyrylo Budanov, for the ninth time, but he remains in office.

Sources close to Yermak call Budanov an "erratic revolutionary" who is supposedly building his own political team. "Ninety percent of the [president’s] office think he’s mad and ten percent think he’s a genius," one of the insiders reports.

Budanov’s supporters, on the contrary, call him a devoted statesman and one of the few who is able to tell the president an unpleasant truth.

The Economist reports that repeated warnings from the White House not to fire Budanov may have played a role in this, at least for now.

The Economist writes that Yermak can control a significant part of information flows to President Zelenskyy, up to 85%, according to some estimates, which fosters an atmosphere of rumours and conspiracies in power circles.
https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/07/06/ukraines-political-infighting-gets-nasty

Of course, drone attacks continue daily. On the afternoon of July 5, russia struck Starokostyantyniv in the Khmelnytsky region. Before that, on the night of July 4-5, the russians launched 322 strike drones into Ukraine. The main direction of the night strike also fell on the city of Starokostyantyniv, where a military airfield is located. The russian army also shelled the city of Chuguev in the Kharkiv region, where children were injured.
https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/articles/c8rpvrkn8r7o

This morning, July 6, the russian occupiers struck the city of Kremenchuk, Poltava region, with drones, hitting the building of the Kremenchuk district mobilization center. This is the third russian attack on the buildings of mobilization centers this week.

The Ground Forces stated that the russian occupiers began to strike the buildings of mobilization centers in order to disrupt the mobilization. However, they emphasized that the enemy will achieve nothing, since mobilization measures will continue in any case. https://www.slovoidilo.ua/2025/07/06/novyna/suspilstvo/rosiyany-vranczi-atakuvaly-budivlyu-tczk-kremenchuczi-suxoputni-vijska

Almost 100 drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked the russian cities of Cheboksary, Engels and Saratov. Drones also struck an ammunition depot at the Borisoglebsk airfield in the Voronezh region of the russian Federation.

Among other things, the targets of the Ukrainian drone attacks were russian facilities for the production of antennas and other parts used in Shahed UAVs, Iskander-K missiles, unified guidance and correction modules (UMPK) for guided aerial bombs (CABs), and other high-precision weapons with which the enemy regularly attacks Ukraine.
https://www.unian.ua/war/udari-po-rf-zsu-atakuvali-zavod-v-rf-shcho-viroblyaye-anteni-do-shahediv-ta-iskanderiv-13058688.html?utm_source=ukrnet_news

The airports of St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Tambov were closed. Hundreds of flights were canceled and delayed, and thousands of passengers were stranded at airports. https://24tv.ua/rosiyu-atakuyut-droni-5-lipnya-aeroporti-paralizovani-lyudi-ne_n2863502

[N0TZU]

It’s clear to me that Trumps’s supposed “madman strategy” is simply the impulsive, erratic, inefficient, often ineffective and self-destructive way that he always works because of his mental pathologies. Calling it a strategy may be accurate in the narrow sense of a coping strategy or an orchestrated excuse, but it credits him with much more deliberated thought and action than he is capable of.

The trendy slang term for this is “sane-washing”. This word captures the essence of the continual reporting on Trump which strains to explain or excuse his behavior as actually within some well planned sane framework. This is not to say that he isn’t very clever in some very important ways, but that’s for another discussion.

As for Yermak, Zelensky, and the others, I must admit that it’s difficult for me to keep track of the players and the machinations going on behind the scenes. Given the dire situation I wonder if it would be better to have someone at the helm who is even more corrupt but could rapidly institute the necessary government policy reforms to save the country from itself. I don’t know who that could be.

[US7IGN]

The heat and rains are offsetting the relatively calm nights, so I still feel broken. Maybe I just need a vacation. But that sounds like a bad joke in this country. Although of course it's not for everyone. If you are a woman or a man who has enough money, then you can go on vacation wherever you want.

Border guards detained a 19-year-old Ukrainian near the "Tysa" checkpoint in Transcarpathia. He was trying to illegally cross the border with Hungary. As it turned out, this is the young man's thirteenth attempt to leave the territory of Ukraine. https://gazeta.ua/articles/np/_kordon-ne-pidkorivsya-yunak-zi-lvova-13-raziv-namagavsya-prorvatisya-cherez-tisu/1223588

The russians would never have penetrated the territory of Ukraine if the eastern borders had been protected from them at least as well as the western borders from Ukrainians.

Lviv is introducing additional security measures at mobilization centers due to massive Russian attacks on similar facilities across Ukraine. According to the new rules, all visitors to Lviv mobilization centers will be checked with metal detectors. Security companies will also increase vigilance and control access to the premises. https://donpatriot.news/cherez-rosijski-obstrily-v-ukrayini-robota-tczk-bude-organizovana-po-novomu

I don’t know if this will protect against drones and missiles, but it will definitely allow someone to make money on kickbacks.

The financial condition of Ukraine and the balance of the budget can be judged by the following figures.

As stated in the conclusion of the Accounting Chamber, state budget expenditures increased by 38.5% compared to January-March 2024, to UAH 1 trillion 164.7 billion, primarily for measures related to the security and defense of the state, by 55% to UAH 855.9 billion and accounted for 73.5% of all state budget expenditures. At the same time, there is a significant risk of insufficient funds planned for 2025 for the payment of employees, primarily for the financial support of military personnel. https://sud.ua/uk/news/publication/335489-pochemu-voznikla-neobkhodimost-poiska-sredstv-dlya-vyplaty-zarplat-voennosluzhaschim-byudzhetnyy-komitet-rassmotrel-zaklyuchenie-schetnoy-palaty

The Government of Ukraine has published data according to which the Ministry of Social Policy has become the second most funded ministry in the 2025 state budget, second only to the Ministry of Defense. https://fbc.biz.ua/news/ekonomika-uk/sotsialna-sfera-u-fokusi-minsotspolitiki-obijshlo-vsi-ministerstva-krim-oboroni-za-rozmirom-byudzhetu/

For comparison russia’s military budget is some 40% of its total public spending – more than 6% of its GDP. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/29/europe/russia-summer-offensive-kyiv-ukraine-intl

But if Ukraine can possibly continue to fight without money, I can't imagine how it can do it without weapons.

President Trump said Monday the U.S. would resume providing Ukraine with arms to help it withstand russian attacks after months of trying without success to draw Moscow into negotiations on ending the war. “We have to, they have to be able to defend themselves,” Trump said of aiding Kyiv during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “They are getting hit very hard. Now they are getting hit very hard. We’re gonna have to send more weapons.” https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/trump-told-zelensky-he-wasnt-responsible-for-weapons-holdup-f684444b

In this regard, we can recall Trump's promises to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours and his very witty response when he was asked if he still thinks Ukraine's Zelensky is a 'dictator' during a meeting with UK PM Keir Starmer: "Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question ..." https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VYfAvwYqI1A