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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A man rides a bicycle past a Shahed 136 (Geranium-2) Iranian-made UAV drone displayed outside the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv on July 21, 2025. (Sergei Supinsky / AFP via Getty Images)
Third round of Ukraine-Russia peace talks set for July 23, Zelensky says. The previous round of talks took place on June 2 in Istanbul, following a May 16 meeting after a years-long freeze.
‘Agenda from our side is clear‘ — Zelensky outlines 3 key priorities for potential next round of peace talks with Russia. “It is clear to all that truly effective talks can only take place at the level of national leaders,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine seeks $6 billion to close weapons production gap, prioritising drone interceptors. Ukraine needs $6 billion to bridge its weapons production shortfall in 2025, Defense Minister Denis Shmyhal told allies during a virtual Ramstein meeting on July 21, according to Radio Svoboda (Ukrainian service of RFE/RL).
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‘An extraordinary responsibility‘ — Ukraine’s new ground forces commander outlines key priorities. “It is a great honor and at the same time an extraordinary responsibility for me to lead the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a difficult time for our country,” Hennadii Shapovalov said in a statement.
Russia’s ‘largest and most secret‘ drone factory showcased in Kremlin-media propaganda video. “This is the largest such plant in the world and the most secret,” Timur Shagivaliev, CEO of the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, said.
Zelensky appoints 16 new ambassadors. “In the morning, after briefings from military and interior officials, I met with the foreign minister and our (Presidential) Office team. We finalized the long process of selecting ambassadorial candidates,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Third round of Ukraine-Russia peace talks set for July 23, Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the third round of direct talks between Ukraine and Russia will occur on July 23, focusing on three key issues: the return of prisoners of war, the return of abducted children, and preparations for a leaders’ summit.
Photo: Zelensky / Telegram
Ukrainian authorities crack down on anti-corruption agencies as their independence hangs in the balance
The Prosecutor General’s Office, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and the State Investigation Bureau conducted at least 70 searches in premises connected to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), which investigates top-level corruption.
Photo: Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Under constant attack, Ukraine’s arms makers take shelter in European factories
Various Ukrainian drone makers already have factory access outside of Ukraine, but those arrangements predate the unofficial export controls that Ukraine imposed after martial law was enacted following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Photo: Dmytro Smolienko / Ukrinform / Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
‘The Russians have no conscience‘ — Ukraine hit by yet another mass drone, missile attack, 1 killed, 9 injured in Kyiv. At least one person was killed and eight were injured as repeated explosions rocked Kyiv, and several fires broke out across Ukraine’s capital during a mass Russian drone and missile attack overnight on July 21.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,044,250 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. The number includes 1,090 casualties that Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Russia attacks Sumy Oblast with drones, injures 13, including 5-year-old child.
Russian forces launched a drone strike on Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast on July 21, injuring 13 people, including a 5-year-old boy, local officials said.
Moscow’s 2022 ‘Teacher of the Year’ killed while fighting in Ukraine, Meduza reports. Gennady Starunov, a physical education teacher who was named Moscow’s “Teacher of the Year” in 2022, was killed while serving in the Russian military during its invasion of Ukraine, school officials confirmed on July 21.
Trump’s Russia ultimatum and controversial investigation
International response
US, Germany agree to deliver 5 Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine. Speaking during the 29th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he reached the agreement with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a recent trip to Washington.
UK sanctions 135 Russian oil tankers, 2 firms linked to shadow fleet. According to the U.K. government, the tankers have secretly transported $24 billion worth of oil since the start of 2024.
US urges Europe to join potential secondary tariffs on Russian oil. “I urge our European allies, who have talked a big game, to follow us if we implement these secondary tariffs,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
UK to pay for EU defense fund access amidst growing Russia threat, FT reports. The fund forms part of a broader EU effort to mobilize 800 billion euros ($864 billion) in new defense spending by 2030, driven by the growing threat from Russia and calls from U.S. President Donald Trump for Europe to shoulder more of its own security costs.
Paris confirms strong interest in Ukraine arms co-production. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on July 21 that French defense companies are eager to establish joint production with Ukrainian counterparts, with a particular focus on drone manufacturing.
In other news
‘I’m ready to fight‘ — Ukraine’s rejected nominee for economic crimes bureau calls government decision ‘unlawful.’ Oleksandr Tsyvinsky, currently a detective at Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau, gave his first public interview to Ukrainian publication Economichna Pravda, accusing the government of using “manipulative” security concerns to block his appointment to head the Bureau of Economic Security.
Ukraine’s National Security Council announces moratorium on business inspections. Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council has imposed a moratorium on business inspections by state authorities, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 21, calling the move essential for the country’s economic security.
Ukrainian ex-police official reportedly found dead in same Spanish complex where Russian defector was killed. The body of 61-year-old Ihor Hrushevskyi, a former senior officer in Ukraine’s Department for Combating Organized Crime, was discovered floating face down in the swimming pool of the Cala Alta residential complex in Villajoyosa.
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