Amy B. Zegart
Key developments on July 17:
The Ukrainian government was formally dissolved on July 16, marking the first full reshuffle during Russia's full-scale invasion. A day later, the new Cabinet of Ministers was voted in.
Yuliia Svyrydenko, until very recently Ukraine's first deputy โฆ
The “Test in Ukraine” initiative will allow foreign companies and governments to create solutions for real war challenges while receiving immediate feedback from military personnel and improving products based on combat experience.
Held under NATO auspices, the exercises aim to boost combat readiness and interoperability among allied and partner nations.
Allied capabilities now allow NATO to “take that (Kaliningrad) down from the ground” faster than ever before, U.S. Army Europe and Africa commander General Chris Donahue said.
As part of the plan, the U.S. was weighing the sale of Patriot air defense systems from its own military stockpiles, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said.
Russia has repeatedly shattered its own records for aerial assaults on Ukraine this summer, culminating in a peak attack on July 9 with the launch of 728 Shahed-type drones.
Throughout the war, Russia steadily expanded the reach and intensity of its โฆ
Ukrainian lawmakers from the ruling party and opposition are unexpectedly united in their assessment of the latest government reshuffle โ neither group expects much change.
"In reality, there is no personnel change in the government," Yaroslav โฆ
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reviewed the drone, known as the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), during a July 16 demonstration at the Pentagon.
Editorโs Note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only.
POKROVSK, Donetsk Oblast โ Light rain and the dying light of a cool summer evening โฆ
U.S. President Donald Trump gave a 50-day ultimatum to Russia to end the war in Ukraine, promising to impose harsh sanctions otherwise.
Experts who spoke with the Kyiv Independent, however, say that Russia can take advantage of the once again extended โฆ
“The people of America need this technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
“The U.S. wants to strengthen its support to Ukraine… The U.S. has therefore decided to reprioritize the delivery of Patriot ground-based air defense systems,” the Swiss Defense Ministry said in a statement.
A modernized Ukrainian An-124 Ruslan cargo aircraft was relocated from Ukraine to Germany last week in a rare wartime flight, the Antonov company confirmed.
Editorโs note:
Russians are not only trying to demoralize Ukrainians through constant shelling, but also to influence foreigners by spreading their narratives.
Upgrade your subscription now to fight back.
Last week, the Belarusian democratic opposition was torn apart by a particular question โ should the West isolate and pressure Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko with tougher sanctions, or offer diplomatic engagement and, possibly, sanctions โฆ
Despite signals that Rustem Umerov may be nominated as the new ambassador in Washington, his candidacy for that role is no longer on the table, as former Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna was appointed Ukraine’s special envoy to the U.S.
Behind closed doors, some of Russia’s biggest banks worry that far more of their loans could go sour than official figures indicate, Bloomberg reported.
As of June 1, 2025, at least 8,625 troops had been killed in combat, 10,491 were listed as missing in action, and another 7,846 had deserted, the documents claim.
