![[vlog/video] Sanctions - How to Bankrupt Russia](https://activitypub.writeworks.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/KI-temp-7.jpg)
The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
This newsletter is brought to you by Medical Bridges.
Medical Supplies for Ukraine’s Hospitals. Partnering for global health equity.
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Relatives and community members react as they kneel before the funeral procession of 12 Ukrainian servicemembers and prisoners of war (POWs) who died in Russian captivity, during a ceremony in Lviv, Ukraine on July 25, 2025. (Yuriy Dyachyshyn/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia attacks Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles overnight. Explosions rocked Kharkiv, Kamianske, and Dnipro as Russia launched waves of missiles, drones, and guided aerial bombs overnight on July 26. Kharkiv’s Kyviskyi district has been hit twice by ballistic missiles.
Zelensky sets 1,000-daily interceptor drones goal amid surging Russian attacks. Interceptors are designed to detect, track, and neutralize other drones or aerial threats — a capability Ukraine sees as increasingly vital to defend cities from Russian barrages.
Kyiv seeks $65 billion western aid to support military spending, pushing Europe to finance Ukrainian army. Ukraine needs to cover a $40 billion annual deficit, while domestic military production – namely missiles, drones, and electronic warfare systems – requires $25 billion yearly to operate properly, the president told journalists in Kyiv.
Ukraine plans drone deals with US valued at up to $30 billion, Zelensky says. The news comes as Zelensky earlier announced a “win-win” deal, under which Washington would purchase Ukrainian-made drones in exchange for Kyiv acquiring U.S. weapons.
Ukrainian drones attack Russian chemical plant in Stavropol Krai, local officials, media report. The plant is located in Stavropol Krai, a region in southern Russia that lies roughly 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.
Trump suggests Russia sanctions could come sooner than 50-day deadline. “We’re looking at that whole situation. It could be that we’ll have to impose secondary sanctions on you,” he said, adding “maybe” when asked whether they could come sooner than 50 days.
Kremlin expresses doubts over Zelensky–Putin meeting in next 30 days. Dmitry Peskov’s statement comes as the 50-day deadline approaches for U.S. President Donald Trump to potentially impose sanctions on Moscow if Russia fails to agree to a peace deal.
Erdogan says he will speak with Trump to arrange talks between Putin, Zelensky in Istanbul. “In the coming period, perhaps within this week, we will strive to bring these leaders together in Istanbul,” the Turkish president said.
Musk ordered Starlink shutdown during Ukraine’s 2022 Kherson counteroffensive, Reuters reports. The move reportedly caused front-line units to lose connectivity, disabling drones and disrupting artillery coordination.
Anti-corruption
After Ukraine protests, Zelensky submits new bill restoring anti-corruption agencies’ independence. The bill follows Zelensky’s decision on July 22 to sign a bill that effectively destroyed the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
Ukrainians take to streets for 4th day as Zelensky backtracks on anti-corruption law. Ukrainians on July 25 participated in mass protests against a controversial new law impacting anti-corruption agencies for the fourth day in a row. President Zelensky earlier addressed criticism of the law, saying there should have been a dialogue between parliament and society before its adoption.
Read our exclusives
President Zelensky’s big blunder, explained
“Since (Zelensky and his team) now associate themselves so closely with the country, they no longer differentiate between their interests and the national interest,” a top official who works closely with the administration told the Kyiv Independent.
Photo: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
What to expect next on anti-corruption crackdown
President Zelensky has proposed a new bill to restore the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities. The new bill would reverse the decisions that sparked the nation’s biggest political crisis since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Photo: Viktoriia Yakymenko/Suspilne/Getty Images
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine wants 10 new Patriots but only has 3 secured, Zelensky says
“I have officially received confirmation from Germany for two systems, and from Norway for one,” the president said, adding Ukraine was currently working with the Netherlands on securing another.
Photo: NurPhoto / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Germany sending Ukraine 8th IRIS-T air defense system — here’s what they can do
The short-range system can hit a target at a distance of 12 km and at an altitude of up to 8 km, while the medium-range system can reach targets at 40 km and at an altitude of 20 km.
Photo: Gregor Fischer/Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
Russian glide bomb hits medical facility in Kharkiv, killing at least 1, injuring at least 17, including child. The strike occurred at around 11:40 a.m. local time, targeting the Industrialnyi district of the city.
Russian attacks kill 3, injure 69 over past day. Russian forces launched two Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and 61 Shahed-type drones against Ukraine overnight.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,047,250 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. The number includes 980 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
International response
EU cuts next Ukraine Facility aid tranche over delayed reforms. Ukraine had aimed to receive 4.5 billion euros ($5.2 billion) in the fourth installment, the largest so far, but will instead receive 3.05 billion euros ($3.5 billion).
EU considering proposals to speed Russian gas phaseout by 1 year, Reuters reports. EU member states will not likely agree to push the ban up a year, but officials could use the demand as leverage in the upcoming negotiations, European diplomats told Reuters.
Serbia signals possible sanctions on Russia if EU membership ‘in sight.’ While Belgrade has not joined EU sanctions against Moscow, the decision reflects economic pragmatism rather than political alignment, Serbian European Integration Minister Nemanja Starovic said.
Russia sanctions work — just not how you think
In other news
In latest sign of Russian economy woes, Kamaz truck company cuts working week due to market collapse. More than 30,000 imported trucks now sit unsold in warehouses, the company said.
Russian Central Bank lowers interest rate from 20% to 18%. The Central Bank has kept raising the interest rate since September 2022, when it stood at 7.5%. By October 2024, the rate had climbed to 21%, the highest in modern Russian history, where it remained through early 2025.
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.
This newsletter is open for sponsorship. Boost your brand’s visibility by reaching thousands of engaged subscribers. Click here for more details.
Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Liliane Bivings, Kateryna Hodunova, Kateryna Denisova, Toma Istomina, Yana Prots, Oleksiy Sorokin, Tymur Zadorozhnyy, Oleg Sukhov, Lucy Pakhnyuk, and Abbey Fenbert.
If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.
