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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A building is seen on fire after a Russian missile strike hit the city of Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on July 12, 2025. (Vincenzo Circosta / Anadolu via Getty Images)
Trump says US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine. “We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because (Russian President Vladimir) Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then bombs everybody in the evening,” U.S. President Donald Trump said on July 13.
Russia’s summer offensive has fallen ‘far short of expectations,’ Zelensky says. Moscow’s ongoing summer offensive has not reached the Kremlin’s expectations as Ukrainian troops continue to thwart Russian attacks on various regions, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on July 13.
Russia launched over 1,800 drones on Ukraine in one week, Zelensky says. Over 1,200 glide bombs and 83 missiles of various types were also launched on Ukraine in the past week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 13.
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Pro-Ukrainian partisans destroy car used by Chechen unit in occupied Mariupol, Atesh claims. “We send greetings to the kadyrovtsy,” the group wrote, referring to the notoriously ruthless troops named for Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov.
SBU claims liquidation of Russian agents responsible for killing officer in Kyiv. The alleged Russian agents were killed during a shootout in an SBU special operation on July 13 in Kyiv Oblast, according to the agency.
North Korea supplied Russia with 12 million rounds of 152mm shells, South Korean intelligence estimates. The report estimated that North Korea could have provided Russia with around 28,000 containers containing weapons and artillery shells to date.
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Ukraine war latest: German-funded long-range weapons to arrive in Ukraine by late July; NATO chief to visit Washington on July 14
Ukraine will begin receiving hundreds of domestically produced long-range weapon systems by the end of July under a German-financed agreement, German Major General Christian Freuding told the German ZDF news channel.
Photo: Krisztian Bocsi / Bloomberg via Getty Images
The origins and meaning of the tryzub, the Ukrainian coat of arms
The trident, known in Ukrainian as tryzub, is instantly recognizable as the central element of Ukraine’s modern coat of arms. But beyond its official role, the tryzub has taken on profound symbolic meaning in recent years amid Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Photo: John Moore / Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
Russian drones kill 1, injure 9 in Sumy Oblast amid attack on civilian, critical infrastructure. A Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast on July 13 killed one person and injured nine others, Governor Oleh Gryhorov reported, amid a larger attack on the region’s critical infrastructure.
Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 8, injure 21 over past day. Deadly attacks on civilians were reported in Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, and Kherson oblasts, according to regional authorities.
International response
‘The game is about to change‘ — Republican Senator Graham expects influx of US weapons shipments to Ukraine, ahead of Trump’s ‘major’ announcement. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said in an interview with CBS News on July 13 that he expects an influx of U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine to begin “in the coming days,” as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to make a “major statement” on the war in Ukraine on July 14.
NATO chief to visit Washington on July 14 as Trump prepares ‘major statement‘ on Russia. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will visit Washington on July 14-15, the military alliance’s press service announced on July 13. The visit comes as U.S. President Donald Trump previously said he intends to make a “major” announcement on Russia on July 14, potentially signifying a major policy shift on the war in Ukraine.
Balkan countries release joint statement supporting Ukrainian NATO accession after summit. The joint summit declaration was released by Ukraine and the Croatian government on July 12.
Over $4 billion in new funds pledged for Ukraine’s reconstruction after Recovery Conference, ministry says. Ukrainian officials signed agreements, memorandums, and joint statements on raising funds totalling 3.55 billion euros ($4.15 million) following the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 on July 10-11 in Rome, Ukraine’s Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories announced July 13.
US aid swings and mysterious deaths in Russia | Ukraine This Week
In other news
Russia denies Putin pushed Iran for ‘zero enrichment‘ nuclear deal. Western countries and Israel suspect Tehran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, a claim Iran denies, defending what it calls its “non-negotiable” right to develop a civilian nuclear program.
Russia scales up propaganda operations across Africa, Ukrainian intelligence says. By the end of the year, Russia Today plans to launch broadcasting in Amharic for an audience in Ethiopia, HUR said.
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