Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 07-25-2024

Initial reports said the suspect is an 18-year-old man from Dnipro who traveled to Lviv for the murder. Authorities said he likely acted with accomplices.

Ukrainian authorities announced Thursday the arrest of a suspect involved in the July 19 assassination of Ukrainian linguist and ultranationalist Iryna Farion.

In a Telegram announcement, Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said the suspect was an 18-year-old resident from Dnipro in central Ukraine, who traveled to Lviv and rented at least three apartments there to carry out the assassination.

The project, launched by Ukrainian special services, provides a platform for swapping traitors and collaborators for Ukrainians in Russian captivity.

Ukrainian special services have launched a new project, “I Want to Go to My Own,” (Хочу к своим) to facilitate the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity.

The project, announced at a press conference on Thursday, July 25, will allow for the transfer of information regarding traitors and their exchange for Ukrainian citizens.

A Russian Su-27 fighter scrambled to intercept an RAF Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft and its twin Typhoon EuroFighter escort over international waters of the Black Sea.

A Royal Air Force Boeing RC-135W aircraft operating over the Black Sea on Wednesday played cat and mouse with Russian forces for almost four hours as it probed Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula air defenses. At one point it switched off its transponders, effectively disappearing from civilian radars for more than an hour offshore from the major Russian base of Sevastopol.

The mission only ended after a Russian Sukhoi-27 (NATO: Flanker) fighter caught up with the British four-engine aircraft, based on Boeing’s C-135 Stratolifter airframe, along with its two fighter escorts in international air space.

Ukraine’s central bank kept the key rate at 13 percent while inflation rose to 4.8 percent in June, with yields of hryvnia deposit and domestic debt securities falling.

Ukraine’s central bank, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), kept the key policy rate at 13 percent as inflation started increasing from May and reached 4.8 percent year-over-year in June 2024.

Pressure on prices was due to an increase in household electricity tariffs – a decision imposed by Ukraine’s government in June 2024 that provoked a 64 percent hike in tariffs. However, increases in food prices remain lower than the central bank expected. 

Kuleba called on Hong Kong officials to take measures to prevent Russia from using Hong Kong to circumvent sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned in Hong Kong on Thursday of Russia using the city to bypass sanctions levied by the West over its invasion of Ukraine.

Western countries imposed unprecedented economic penalties on Moscow after the Kremlin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

G7 and EU leaders agreed in June to use interest from frozen Russian assets to support a $50 billion loan for Ukraine to defend against Moscow's invasion.

European Union member states discussed options for extending the renewal period of sanctions on Russian central bank assets to secure a major Group of Seven loan to Ukraine, an EU draft document showed and diplomats said on Wednesday (24 July).

Leaders of the Group of Seven major democracies and the EU agreed in June to use the interest on frozen Russian assets to underpin a $50 billion loan for Ukraine to help it defend itself against Moscow’s invasion.

The commander said Russia will soon deplete its capabilities for a multi-prong offensive, and Ukraine should be ready to take the initiative when it happens.

Brig. Gen. Oleksandr Pivnenko, commander Ukraine’s National Guard, said Russia would be unable to sustain its multi-prong offensives in “another month and a half” and at that time, Ukraine should be ready to seize the initiative.

Speaking to Ukrinform, Pivnenko said Moscow does not have unlimited resources.

Just like his decree that Russia should build 1,000 aircraft by 2030, his May 7 ruling that life expectancy should increase by five years in the same period is already failing.

Shortly after his May 7 inauguration as President of Russia for the fifth time, Vladimir Putin issued a decree that outlined his set of national goals for 2030 and 2036.  The declarations covered areas including expanding the economy, improving living conditions, digital transformation, increasing the birth rate, instilling “traditional values,” improving the environment and increasing life expectancy.

In the decree, Putin said one of his goals was: “Increasing life expectancy to 78 years by 2030 and to 81 years by 2036, including rapid growth in healthy life expectancy.”

China and Russia have drawn closer amid Moscow’s offensive on Ukraine and the two countries hold joint military exercises regularly.

Russian and Chinese jets staged a joint patrol over far eastern Russia and the Bering Sea near Alaska but Moscow and Beijing stressed it was not aimed at any “third party.”

Wednesday’s flights, with nuclear-capable bombers, came days after Moscow said the United States sent its own strategic bombers close to Russian airspace.

Investors await news on rates and NBU’s forecast

Yield curve of UAH-denominated domestic government bonds placed during past two auctions

The MoF received the lowest demand for a primary auction over the last year and a half. Therefore, budget proceeds were the weakest since January 2023. The total demand was just UAH1.4bn, one-tenth of the offered amount, and mostly received for 14-month bills (93%).

Dozens of teachers and professors have been fighting on the front lines and one-fifth of the sector’s facilities have been damaged or destroyed by Russian bombardments.

Anton Yushyn spent four years studying Italian at university in Kyiv but the outbreak of war taught him the most valuable lesson of his student life: prioritizing what matters most.

When he enrolled at Kyiv National Linguistic University, Russia had not yet invaded, and his main concerns were socializing and passing exams to placate his parents.

Coupled with this one-time bonus, a Muscovite can earn almost $60,000 in their first year of service, as well as receiving perks such as not having their household energy meters read.

Moscow’s authorities have introduced a 1.9 million rubles ($21,907) signing on bonus to incentivize residents of the capital to join the Russian military in a bid to bolster its ranks.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin signed the decree on Tuesday, July 23. An official press release from his office stated that “servicemen selected by the city selection point for military service under a contract” could receive a one-time bonus alongside other payments.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down 25 of 38 Russian Shaheds, while three drones again strayed into NATO member Romania.

Russian troops launched a drone attack on Ukraine early Thursday, July 25, with three of the 38 drones straying into NATO airspace in Romania, according to Air Force Commander Mykola Oleschuk via Telegram.

The Air Force reported that Russian troops deployed 38 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs, targeting Ukrainian infrastructure in several regions, including the southern Odesa region and central Ukraine.

A falling out between the soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Wednesday turned bloody when they used their issue weapons to fire on each other.

On Wednesday, July 24, following some sort of disagreement there was a shooting in one of the units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces based in the Kharkiv Region. As a result, three soldiers were killed and four were seriously wounded, according to the Telegram channel of the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops.

The wounded servicemen were sent to the Military Medical Clinical Center for emergency medical care, where it is currently reported they remain in critical condition.

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

Monday was recorded as the hottest day ever globally, beating a record set the day before, as countries around the world from Japan to Bolivia to the United States continue to feel the heat, according to the European climate change service. Provisional satellite data published by Copernicus on Wednesday showed that Monday broke the previous day’s record by 0.06 degrees Celsius (0.1 degree Fahrenheit). Climate scientists say the world is now as warm as it was 125,000 years ago because of human-caused climate change. While scientists cannot be certain that Monday was the very hottest day throughout that period, average temperatures have not been this high since long before humans developed agriculture. The temperature rise in recent decades is in line with what climate scientists projected would happen if humans kept burning fossil fuels at an increasing rate. - AP

Ukraine is “willing and ready to conduct dialogue and negotiation with Russia,” China’s Foreign Ministry said after talks between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Chinese counterpart in Guangzhou. According to the Chinese account, Kuleba reportedly said negotiations “should be rational and substantive and aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace.” Kuleba said the Ukrainian side supports China's position on the Taiwan question and will continue to adhere to the one-China policy, China Daily reported. In contrast, Kyiv said Kuleba “restated Ukraine's established position that it is ready to engage the Russian side in the negotiation process at a certain stage, when Russia is ready to negotiate in good faith, but emphasized that no such readiness is currently observed on the Russian side.”

The Russian Ministry of Defense reports that the preliminary cause of the accident is a technical malfunction.

An Mi-28 attack helicopter crashed in the Kaluga region of Russia during a planned flight on Thursday, July 25, as reported by the region's governor, Vladyslav Shapsha, and the Russian news agency TASS.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the helicopter crashed in a forested area near the village of Klenki. The preliminary cause of the accident is believed to be a technical malfunction.

Industry leaders demonstrate sustainable growth and significantly contribute to the budget - currency exchange transactions are shifting to a legal segment of licensed financial companies

For the first time, the National Bank of Ukraine published performance indicators of the largest licensed operators of the cash currency exchange market.

Companies operating in this segment of the financial market demonstrate substantial growth and successful business activity. It was informed by Ukrainian News Agency referencing the National Bank data.

NATO leaders agreed plans last year for the biggest overhaul in three decades of its defence capabilities, amid growing fears of Russian aggression.

The war in Ukraine and the looming US presidential election dominated a NATO summit in Washington this month but, away from the public stage, the alliance’s military planners have been focused on assessing the enormous cost of fixing Europe’s creaking defences.

NATO leaders agreed plans last year for the biggest overhaul in three decades of its defence capabilities, amid growing fears of Russian aggression. Behind the scenes, officials have since been poring over the minimum defence requirements to achieve those plans, which were sent to national governments in recent weeks, according to one military planner, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister expressed his belief that a just peace in Ukraine aligns with China's strategic interests and stressed the importance of its role as a global force for peace.

Kyiv is prepared to negotiate with Russian representatives but only when Moscow shows itself willing to hold talks "in good faith", Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in China Wednesday, according to his ministry.

China has sought to paint itself as a mediator in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sending envoy Li Hui to Europe on multiple rounds of "shuttle diplomacy."

If US Vice President Kamala Harris beats Trump in the November elections, what will her foreign policy be with respect to Russia’s war in Ukraine, NATO, Israel and Gaza, and the Far East?

Kamala Harris, the most likely candidate to be the Democratic nominee now that Joe Biden has bowed out of the US presidential election, will probably stay strong in support of Ukraine battling Russian aggression and maintain NATO’s vigilance, while perhaps reining in support for the Netanyahu government’s policies toward Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

While support for Ukraine would likely be at least as solid as Biden’s, specifics about how weapons and platforms can be used against military, industrial and energy infrastructure targets in Russia itself is yet to be revealed.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that the Russian military has significantly increased its manpower and materiel commitments to the war in Ukraine over the last two and a half years, but Syrskyi's statement is not indicative of a sudden increase in the Russian military's presence in Ukraine and is instead representative of the manpower and material disadvantage that Ukrainian forces have faced for over two years.
• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with People's Republic of China (PRC) Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Guangzhou on July 24 and discussed the war in Ukraine and the PRC's potential role in a future negotiated settlement of the war.
• The Russian State Duma adopted an amendment on July 24 that will allow Russian commanders to punish subordinates for using personal communication and navigation devices at the frontline, drawing continued backlash from Russian ultranationalists as well as other Duma deputies.
• The Georgian State Security Service (SUS or SSSG) reiterated standard Kremlin information operations targeting former Georgian opposition figures and former Ukrainian law enforcement officials.
• An assassination attempt injured a reported senior Russian military intelligence officer in Moscow City on July 24.
• Russian forces recently marginally advanced north of Kharkiv City and near Avdiivka and Donetsk City.
• Russian officials continue efforts to entice Russians into military service with monetary incentives.