July 25, 2025 3:54am

Ben Borges

The Russian government has resorted to temporary gasoline export bans multiple times over the past two years, typically to address domestic fuel shortages and alleviate high prices.

July 25, 2025 1:45am

Ben Borges

The Netherlands and 40 other OSCE member states have formally called for an independent investigation into the torture and mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian forces, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp announced July 24.

July 25, 2025 12:46am

Ben Borges

Yaroslav Rushchyshyn, a Ukrainian member of parliament, entrepreneur, and cultural figure, died following a motorcycle accident, his family confirmed to local media outlet Tvoye Misto on July 25.

July 24, 2025 11:09pm

Ben Borges

The U.S. State Department has approved two proposed military sales to Ukraine, valued at a combined $330 million, to bolster the country’s artillery and air defense systems, the agency announced on July 24.

July 24, 2025 10:10pm

Ben Borges

Starlink experienced a global outage on July 24, with the cause still unknown. Ukraine’s military confirmed the disruption affected connectivity along the front lines.

July 24, 2025 9:54pm

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Ben Borges

Was American Derek Huffman killed in a drone strike while fighting for the Russian military in Ukraine in July 2025? A YouTube account used by his wife claimed in a comment that Huffman is alive and well. Another American acquaintance of Huffman also told Lead Stories that Huffman is alive, but definitive proof was not immediately available. Here's what we know so far.

The claim appeared in an article (archived here) published by "The Maltese Herald" on July 23, 2025, with the headline:

Derek Huffman confirmed killed by a drone strike.

The article began:

Derek Huffman, the US citizen from Texas, has been confirmed killed on the Ukrainian front lines by a drone strike. Footage of his death is available and is being circulated online. Derek Huffman fled to Russia with his wife to escape what they described 'Joe Biden's LGBT indoctrination'. They also took with them their three young daughters aged between 10 and 13 years old.

This is what the article looked like at the time of writing:

(Image source: Screenshot of a July 23, 2025, post on themalteseherald.com)

On July 23 and July 24, 2025, @HuffmanTime -- the account on YouTube used by Huffman's wife, DeAnna -- wrote (archived here) in the comment section below a June 15, 2025, video, that Huffman was at that time in the Russian army, but alive and well:

(Image source: Screenshot of a July 23 comment by youtube.com/@HuffmanTime)

(Image source: Screenshot of a July 23 comment by youtube.com/@HuffmanTime)

On July 24, 2025, the Maltese Herald (archived here) published an update that mentioned those YouTube comments.

Tim Kirby, who initially helped the Huffman family find housing in Russia (archived here), told Lead Stories via Telegram on July 24, 2025:

Derek is alive.

Answering follow-up questions about the sources of his information, he said:

I talk to DeAnna often. And his lawyer.

Kirby told Lead Stories that he last spoke to Huffman's wife "two days ago" (that is, on July 22), and that "Derek was alive and transferred to military service in line with his expectations and terms of his contract".

Lead Stories additionally contacted the U.S. Department of State and the Russian Embassy in the United States, but did not receive an immediate response. If we get more information, this article will be updated as appropriate.

Derek Huffman's family attracted public attention (archived here) after they moved from the United States to Russia and expressed a desire to serve in the Russian army (archived here). Earlier July 2025 reports (archived here) suggested that he was disappointed by the amount of training he received before purportedly being sent to the frontlines.

July 24, 2025 9:39pm

Ben Borges

Key developments on July 24:

• China covertly supplying drone engines to Russia despite sanctions, Reuters reports
• Von der Leyen urges China to press Putin to engage seriously in Ukraine-Russia peace talks
• Trump announces US-EU arms agreement including aid for Ukraine
• Russian glide bombs strike Kharkiv residential high-rise building, injuring at

July 24, 2025 8:44pm

Ben Borges

“If we try to establish a ceasefire without building up our future defenses, the war will drag on for many more years,” former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said.

July 24, 2025 7:58pm

Ben Borges

The systems, deployed near the Russian town of Kingisepp — roughly 20 kilometers (around 12 miles) from Estonia’s eastern border — are designed to jam communications, disrupt radar systems, and assert control over the electromagnetic spectrum.

July 24, 2025 7:21pm

Ben Borges

“China has an influence on Russia, like the European Union has an influence on Ukraine,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

July 24, 2025 6:57pm

Ben Borges

When I came to Kyiv in 2013 to study journalism, nearly every conversation about the future among my fellow young Ukrainians eventually came down to one question: How to leave the country for a chance of a better life.

Back then, there was no war, no daily attacks or funerals

July 24, 2025 5:43pm

Ben Borges

Ukraine’s National Bank held its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 15.5% while revising down economic projections, citing war-related damage and weaker harvests, the bank said on July 24.