Germany and Ukraine are planning to bolster their cooperation in the defense sector, according to Johann Wadephul, Germany's Foreign Minister, during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha in Kyiv on Monday, June 30. This marks a "logical continuation" of Germany’s military assistance to Kyiv. According to Wadephul, both countries can benefit from defense cooperation. Germany stands to gain from a wide array of ideas and expertise from the Ukrainians in defense matters.

As part …

In a recent news broadcast, Viktor Trehubov, a representative of the Ukrainian Khortytsia operational-strategic military grouping, highlighted that intense battles continue across all front lines, with Russian forces attempting to advance in multiple directions.

According to Trehubov, the Russian summer offensive hit a stalemate in the Sumy region, yet fierce battles persist on numerous fronts.

Trehubov remarked that this could pertain to the Sumy area, where Russians, despite extensive …

In a stark address at Sberbank's annual shareholders meeting on June 30, German Gref, the head of Russia's largest bank, painted a bleak picture of the Russian economy's future. The country is grappling with a rapid surge in military spending, inflation spikes, and a significant hike in the central bank's key rate, hindering quick economic fixes. The forecast for 2026 doesn't offer much solace either, with expectations of continued challenges.

"The situation heavily hinges on geopolitics, GDP …

Two Baltic nations are taking steps to ready themselves against a potential Russian military invasion. These countries have submitted documents to the United Nations announcing their withdrawal from a treaty prohibiting the use of landmines. LRT reported that Lithuania has officially informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres of its decision to exit the Ottawa Convention, which bans the production, transfer, stockpiling, and use of anti-personnel mines. Lithuania's Foreign Minister, Kę …

Russia is re-deploying outdated tanks to the Ukraine front after suffering significant losses of more modern armored vehicles, according to Ukrainian intelligence. The Russian army is reportedly bringing obsolete T-62 tanks—first developed in the 1960s—back into action as a temporary fix after newer equipment was depleted on the battlefield. The capacity of T-72B3M and T-90M tanks, prominent in the early stages of the invasion, is rapidly declining.

While production of new tanks continues, it' …

Germany’s Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has stated he’s not planning to reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin anytime soon, marking a shift from previous leadership approaches. Merz believes direct talks with Putin hold little promise and aims not to repeat his predecessor's missteps. According to DW, past interactions with Putin have failed to ease tensions surrounding the Ukraine conflict.

In an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung, Merz pointed to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's …

In the early hours of Saturday, June 28, the Russian city of Bryansk was rocked by a series of explosions, reportedly from an attack by Ukrainian drones.

According to a source within Ukrainian intelligence, cited by the Ukrainian news agency Suspilne, the strike was conducted by attack drones of the Main Directorate of Intelligence on Ukraine's Constitution Day, aiming at the 120th arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The extent of the …

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) carried out a drone strike on Krymsk military airfield in Crimea, reportedly destroying three Russian helicopters — the Mi-28, Mi-8, and Mi-26 — along with the self-propelled anti-aircraft system "Pantsir-S1". This operation, which occurred under the cover of darkness on Saturday, June 28, also included the obliteration of a Pantsir-S1 air defense system, valued at approximately $15 million, reports the agency's press service.

The Ukrainian drones targeted …