Ukraine's domestically produced unmanned ground vehicle Liut (Fury). (Ukraine's Defense Ministry)

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

Standing with workers before they install a new flag pole on the South Lawn, U.S. President Donald Trump talks with journalists outside the White House on June 18, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO chief Mark Rutte shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on July 14, 2025. Trump said the U.S. will send more weapons to Ukraine, signaling his growing impatience as Russia ignores his demands for a ceasefire and steps up its military campaign. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump threatens Russia with ‘severe’ tariffs if no Ukraine deal reached in 50 days. “We’re gonna be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days. Tariffs that are about 100%, we call them secondary tariffs,” Donald Trump said in a joint press conference in the White House alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Patriot systems, missiles may arrive in Ukraine ‘within days,’ Trump says. When asked when certain weapons, including missiles to Patriot air defense systems, were expected to arrive in Ukraine, Trump responded by saying “a full complement with the batteries… We’re going to have some come very soon, within days.”

Germany says EU discussing ‘more than 3’ Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine. “From the EU perspective, the talks are about more than three Patriot systems for Ukraine,” a German government spokesperson said.

‘He wants to take all of it’ — Putin reportedly told Trump he’ll intensify eastern Ukraine offensive over next 2 months. Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump that Moscow intended to continue offensive operations until it secured the full administrative borders of occupied Ukrainian regions.

Russia vows to ‘firmly defend’ interests in Baltic after Estonia HIMARS test. “The Baltic region is tense due to the aggressive policies of European coastal states,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

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Ukraine contracts ‘tens of thousands’ interceptor drones. The technology is critical for Ukraine’s air defense as Russia’s aerial attacks have escalated significantly over the past few months

Zelensky announces next prime minister, launches government reshuffle. “I have proposed that Yuliia Svyrydenko lead the Government of Ukraine and significantly renew its work,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Zelensky hints prime minister Shmyhal may be appointed defense minister amid government reshuffle. “Denys Shmyhal’s extensive experience will definitely be valuable in the position of Ukraine’s defense minister,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Denmark to provide European-produced satellite communication services to Ukraine’s military. “Denmark has now contributed to strengthening Ukraine’s satellite-based communications in their defense against Russia. There is a very large potential in space-based solutions that can contribute to both Ukrainian, Danish, and European defense,” Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said.

Slovakia hints it won’t block 18th sanctions package following EU assurances. Slovakia is likely to approve the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia following assurances provided by the bloc to Bratislava, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on July 14.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Trump threatens Russia with ‘severe’ tariffs if no Ukraine deal reached in 50 days

The U.S. will impose “severe tariffs” on Russia unless it agrees to a deal on ending the war in Ukraine within 50 days, U.S. President Donald Trump said in his long-anticipated announcement on July 14.

Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

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Editorial: Right now, Ukraine’s democracy risks a Russian-style backslide

While fighting a war of survival against Russia, Ukraine must not turn into its authoritarian neighbor. As Ukraine’s main independent English-language media outlet, we have a duty to acknowledge and expose this threat.

Photo: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

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Patriot missiles — what they are and why everyone wants them

The U.S.-made Patriot air defense system is one of the few in the world that defend against ballistic missiles, which Russia regularly launches against Ukraine, and which Israel and Iran traded salvos of last month.

Photo: Sam Yeh / AFP via Getty Images

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Growing pains: The lives of Ukrainian teenagers at war

Russia’s war has struck Ukrainian teens in a uniquely cruel way — already navigating the turbulence of adolescence, they also face the emotional and psychological scars the war continues to leave on them.

Photo: George Ivanchenko / The Kyiv Independent

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Human cost of Russia’s war

Russian drones strike Sumy, Kharkiv oblasts killing 1 person, injuring at least 21. Russian troops launched drone attacks on Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts on July 14, killing one person and injuring at least 21, local authorities reported.

Russian Mi-8 helicopter goes missing in Far East with 5 aboard. The aircraft had three crew members and two technicians on board, Russian pro-government media outlet Kommersant reported.

International response

Putin’s negotiator calls for ‘constructive dialogue’ as Trump shifts stance on Ukraine. “Constructive dialogue between Russia and the U.S. will always achieve more than the tired, destructive language of pressure,” Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, wrote.

Zelensky meets Trump’s envoy Kellogg in Kyiv. “We discussed the path to peace and what we can practically do together to bring it closer,” President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote.

Belarus shoots down Russian drone, Ukraine’s HUR claims. Russian Shahed-type drones regularly breach Belarusian airspace as they fly towards Ukrainian cities during mass attacks which have escalated significantly over recent weeks.

5 EU members reportedly unhappy with new Ukraine trade deal. “They believe that a new agreement within the framework of the (Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area) DCFTA could destabilize European markets,” a source present during an EU Agriculture Council meeting told European Pravda.

Opinions and insights

Beneath the problematic surface, the New York Times’ Kursk reporting reveals a deeper moral rot

In these fraught times, the New York Times has made a seemingly deliberate and very self-aware choice to paint a picture of this war without the understanding of who is in the right and who is in the wrong.

Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva / AFP via Getty Images

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5 ways the New York Times fails its readers in its most recent piece about Russia’s war

The New York Times’ recent feature detailing Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast presents a vivid, harrowing account of civilian suffering — it also twists the narrative.

Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP via Getty Images

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In other news

Ukraine’s new Liut ground drone ‘destroys‘ Russian position with machine gun, HUR claims in new video. The deployment took place in Sumy Oblast, a northeastern region bordering Russia that has recently faced renewed Moscow’s attempts to advance.

Ukraine’s economic crimes bureau remains leaderless amid government interference. Ukraine’s economic crimes agency is still without a head following a controversial selection process, raising fresh concerns about the government’s commitment to anti-corruption and international obligations.

The Kyiv Independent delivers urgent, independent journalism from the ground, from breaking news to investigations into war crimes. Your support helps us keep telling the truth. Become a member today.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Toma Istomina, Kateryna Denisova, Chris York, Tymur Zadorozhnyy, Dmytro Basmat, Olena Goncharova, and Volodymyr Ivanyshyn.

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