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Russia’s war against Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky arrives for a news conference at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Rome, Italy, on July 10, 2025. Zelensky said a meeting with U.S. and European allies in Rome stoked optimism that Donald Trump’s administration will resume military aid to the war-battered country. (Alessia Pierdomenico / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Zelensky urges ‘Marshall Plan-style‘ support for Ukraine at Recovery Conference in Rome. This conference marks the fourth major international event focused on mobilizing political and private-sector support for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Russia’s summer offensive becomes its costliest campaign during Ukraine invasion, Economist reports. The Economist estimates roughly 31,000 Russian soldiers were killed in the offensive so far, in comparison to some 190,000-350,000 deaths and up to 1.3 million overall Russian casualties of the entire full-scale war.
With partner finances, Ukraine ‘will shoot down everything‘ amid escalating Russian drone attacks, Zelensky says. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Russia’s intention to drastically escalate its drone attacks, potentially launching up to 1,000 drones per day, but noted that Ukraine already has effective countermeasures.
Ukraine detains Chinese spies tasked with stealing Neptune missile technology, SBU says. According to the SBU, the two individuals, a 24-year-old former student of a Kyiv technical university and his father, were gathering classified documentation with the intent to illegally transfer it to Chinese intelligence.
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US reportedly resumes some arms deliveries to Ukraine after pause. The full content of the resumed shipments is not immediately clear, though officials told the U.S. media they include 155 mm artillery rounds and GMLRS guided rocket munitions.
Zelensky urges US senators to ‘increase sanctions pressure on Russia.’ President Volodymyr Zelensky met with United States Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal on July 10, urging stronger sanctions against Russia and emphasizing the need to maintain international pressure to bring an end to Moscow’s continued aggression.
Ukrainian ombudsman admits mistakenly attributing Olenivka prison explosion report to UN. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets mistakenly presented a June 30 report by a little-known group as an internal U.N. analysis on the 2022 Olenivka prison explosion, which killed over 50 Ukrainian POWs, Slidstvo.Info reported on July 10, citing a response from Lubinets’s office.

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Ukraine war latest: Rubio discusses ‘new approach’ to ending war in talks with Lavrov
“I wouldn’t characterize it as something that guarantees peace, but it’s a concept that, you know, that I’ll take back to the president (Donald Trump),” Marco Rubio said, without giving further details.
Photo: Andrew Kravchenko / Bloomberg via Getty Images

After years of relative calm, a western Ukrainian city comes to terms with being in Russia’s crosshairs
Located in far-western Ukraine, just 90 kilometers from the Polish border, the city of Lutsk in Volyn Oblast has largely avoided the Russian missile and drone attacks that terrorize cities further east.
Photo: State Emergency Service

As leaders attend Ukraine Recovery Conference, rebuilding is distant dream for Ukrainians who need it most
Both small towns of about 40,000 before the full-scale invasion, Izium and Bucha, endured destruction, Russian occupation, civilian massacres, and subsequent liberation. Today, only one of them feels like its former self.
Photo: Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images

‘You think the end has come’ — as Russian attacks on Ukraine escalate, Kyiv grapples with new normal
During the attack, drones and missiles pummeled the city for hours. Fires broke out in apartment buildings, gas stations, and garages, and a primary healthcare center was almost completely destroyed, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Photo: Danylo Antoniuk / Anadolu via Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
2 killed, 25 injured as Kyiv slammed with drones, ballistic missiles in Russian mass attack against Ukraine for 2nd night in row. At least two were killed and 25 injured in a Russian attack on Kyiv overnight on July 10. The assault comes a day after Russia launched its largest-ever drone and missile strike against Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war.
What Russian bombardment feels like in Kyiv

International response
Germany ready to buy US Patriot systems for Ukraine, Merz says. “The Americans need some of them (Patriot air defense systems) themselves, but they also have a lot of them,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
Trump promises ‘major statement‘ on Russia, reveals new NATO weapons deal for Ukraine. In a July 10 interview with NBC News, U.S. President Trump said he plans to make a “major statement” on Russia next week and revealed a new U.S.-NATO weapons deal for Ukraine.
EU unveils $700 million Ukraine support package for energy and infrastructure.
The package focuses on restoring energy systems damaged by Russian attacks, repairing transport networks and border crossings, and supporting small enterprises.
Rubio discusses ‘new approach‘ to ending Russian war in talks with Lavrov despite US ‘frustration.’ “I wouldn’t characterize it as something that guarantees peace, but it’s a concept that, you know, that I’ll take back to the president (Donald Trump),” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said without giving further details.
Ukraine, UK pen deal for Thales air defense missile supply. The U.K has committed to producing missiles for Thales air defense systems in support of Ukraine over the next 19 years.
‘Coalition of the willing’ moves to finalize command structure for future reassurance force in Ukraine. The post-war plan will aim to regenerate Ukraine’s land forces, provide air policing in coordination with Ukraine’s Air Force, and expand Black Sea mine-clearing efforts to restore maritime access.
Trump to send weapons to Ukraine for first time via presidential power, sources tell Reuters. Until now, the Trump administration’s military aid to Ukraine had only consisted of weapons authorized by former President Joe Biden. The Presidential Drawdown Authority allows the president to directly transfer weapons from U.S. military stocks in response to an emergency.
Opinions and insights

The day I first heard a Shahed drone buzzing overhead
“Other than soldiers’ funerals, my home region, Chernivtsi — Ukraine’s smallest, tucked away in the southwest near the Romanian border — usually feels as distant from the front lines as one can get,” writes Kate Tsurkan in her recent op-ed.
Photo: Roman Petushkov / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
In other news
Zelensky considers Defense Minister Rustem Umerov for ambassador post in US. “We need a person (as an ambassador to the U.S.) to be strong and to be in the context of the most important thing, in the context of strengthening Ukraine — through weapons, first of all. Therefore, one of my ideas is that it can be Ukraine’s defense minister,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine’s largest battery energy storage project enters final testing phase, set to power 600,000 homes. DTEK, Ukraine’s biggest private energy company, has begun final commissioning of the country’s largest battery energy storage project, , developed in partnership with Fluence Energy Inc., DTEK announced on July 10 at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.
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