Russian leader Vladimir Putin is losing a “staggering number” of troops – upwards of 5,000 to 6,000 in a week – in his war against Ukraine, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said.
Rubio said the conflict is one of the only wars in history where the number of troops killed in combat is exceeding the number of troops injured.
He added: “Russia is now suffering strikes deep in its territory, that’s something we didn’t see [before].”
Reiterating president Donald Trump’s central objective, Rubio said the US wants “that people stop dying, that people stop being slaughtered.”
"At the end of the year, winter is still going to hit Ukraine, they're obviously going to have to defend their airspace and there are people suffering every day,” Rubio said in Manila yesterday, calling the conflict a “senseless war”.
Meanwhile, Romania shot down drones violating its airspace on Friday morning, its president said. Ukraine attacked Russian online retail giant Wildberries warehouses, which Kyiv said was part of infrastructure supporting the Russian military.
Key Points
- Romania shoots down drone breaching its airspace, president says
- Ukraine attacks Russian Wildberries warehouse
- Laura Loomer meets Zelensky in Ukraine after U-turn on war
- Rubio says Putin losing over 5,000 troops each week in Ukraine
- US is ready to help end the 'senseless war' in Ukraine but no quick deal ahead, Rubio says
- Boris Johnson claims Ed Miliband is to blame for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine
In pictures: Aftermath of Ukrainian strikes on St Petersburg
11:00 , Maira Butt
Why is Ukraine attacking Russia’s Wildberries warehouses?
10:30 , Maira Butt
A significant warehouse operated by Russian online retail giant Wildberries in the Leningrad region, near St. Petersburg, caught fire on Friday following what Governor Alexander Drozdenko attributed to a Ukrainian drone attack. Three people sustained injuries in the incident.
Wildberries confirmed it had ceased operations at two regional logistics sites and evacuated staff from its Crimea warehouse. A Reuters video from the scene depicted two vast plumes of black smoke rising over the area. This marks the fifth attack on Wildberries warehouses since 18 July, affecting around 10 per cent of its logistics capacity.
While Wildberries reported no staff injuries in this latest strike, eight people were killed in the 18 July attacks on logistics hubs in Kotovsk and Elektrostal. On 22 July, 10 people were injured in attacks on Wildberries warehouses in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk.
Kyiv maintains that the company is part of infrastructure supporting the Russian military, a claim Moscow denies, stating Wildberries is central to the consumer economy and handles no military supplies.
Together with competitors, Wildberries and Ozon sell goods and services equivalent to 8.5 per cent of Russia's gross domestic product, employing four million people, or over 5 per cent of the country's workforce.
Romania shoots down drone breaching its airspace, president says
10:29 , Maira Butt
A Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone breaching the country's airspace early on Friday, Romanian President Nicusor Dan said, the latest in a series of incursions into the NATO member's airspace.
"This morning, around 11:00, a Romanian pilot on an F-16 aircraft shot down a drone that entered our country's airspace," Dan wrote on social media platform X.
"The area was uninhabited, so the pilot was able to shoot without any risk. Currently, teams of the relevant institutions are investigating the area to come up with all the details about the incident."
Dan did not specify the origin of the drone.
The Romanian Defence Ministry said the drone was shot down near the town of Padina in Buzau County in the east of the country.
Russia says it hit three Ukrainian ports overnight striking infrastructure and fuel
10:00 , Maira Butt
Russia said on Friday that its forces struck three Ukrainian ports in overnight attacks targeting infrastructure including loading and unloading facilities and fuel reserves, which support Kyiv's armed forces.
Russia's defence ministry said air-launched missiles and strike drones had struck the ports of Odesa, Izmail and Mykolaiv as part of a campaign of heavy strikes against Ukraine.
It said in a statement that storage tanks containing fuel and lubricants earmarked for the Ukrainian army had been hit in Odesa, and that unloading and storage facilities used for military cargo - including sea drones - had been struck in Izmail. A floating dry dock in Izmail had also been hit.
In Mykolaiv, the Defence Ministry said its forces had struck a cargo ship which had been unloading military shipment.
The Independent could not independently verify the ministry's assertions.
Trump ally Laura Loomer meets Zelensky in striking reversal on Ukraine war
09:30 , Maira Butt
Laura Loomer, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump known for her incendiary social media commentary, held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, following a significant shift in her stance on the conflict that could have political implications in Washington.
For years, Loomer had downplayed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and disseminated Russian propaganda to her nearly two million followers. However, this week marked a notable change of heart for the activist.
"Just experienced my first air raid in Ukraine. Sirens blaring. This is everyday for every Ukrainian," Loomer posted on X. "I often said I don’t care. Looking back, that wasn’t very nice of me to say."
Trump ally Laura Loomer meets Zelensky in striking reversal on Ukraine war
Russia says it hit bulker loading military cargo at Ukrainian port
09:00 , Maira Butt
Russian defence ministry said on Friday that Russian forces have struck a bulker at the Ukrainian Mykolaiv port during loading.
The vessel was carrying military cargo, the ministry said.
Zelensky and Trump 'likely' to meet next week, says Laura Loomer
08:18 , Maira Butt
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told right-wing activist Laura Loomer that he would likely be in the United States next week for a meeting with President Donald Trump, Loomer said in a post on X on Friday.
President Zelenskyy @ZelenskyyUa told me he will likely be attending Senator Lindsey Graham’s funeral in DC next week and he will also be having another meeting with President Trump.
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) July 24, 2026
This comes as the renewed secondary Russian sanctions bill is making its way through Congress.… https://t.co/3mQ5ew4BXN
Rubio says no change in US military support for Ukraine
07:59 , Arpan Rai
Secretary of state Marco Rubio has said the US continues its work to provide Ukraine with military support via Nato allies.
On the sidelines of his meetings in Manila, Rubio said there had been no change in Washington’s military support for Ukraine, with weapons being purchased by Nato allies and transferred to the war-ravaged country.
On the lack of progress with peace talks involving Russia, he said “we’ll have to find new suggestions and new ideas” that are acceptable to both sides.
“That’s been the challenge — an end that both sides can accept," Rubio told reporters.
“We’ve tried and we’ll continue to try to see if we can, you know, find a middle ground that brings this about. And we’re prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself.”
Ousted Ukrainian defence chief refuses Zelensky's job's offer
07:40 , Arpan Rai
Ousted Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said he would accept no other government position besides his former job, escalating a political crisis that has gripped Ukraine at a pivotal point in the war with Russia.
Fedorov's surprise dismissal this month had sparked rare wartime protests prompting president Volodymyr Zelensky to replace his unpopular top general with a respected younger commander.
Zelensky said on Thursday he had offered Fedorov several other roles, including vice prime minister for defence innovation, but has not indicated he would reappoint him to the defence ministry.
Fedorov said only the positions of president, military chief and defence minister could "actually shape the course of the war".
"No other role carries the actual authority to combat procurement corruption, complete the army's transformation, plan and execute asymmetric operations against the enemy," he said.
Discussions between Zelensky and Fedorov were still ongoing, according to a source familiar with the matter.
"I think they will talk more," the source said.
Rubio says Putin losing over 5,000 troops each week in Ukraine
07:20 , Arpan Rai
Russia is losing upwards of 5,000 to 6,000 troops each week in its war on Ukraine, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said, called in a "staggering number".
Rubio said the Russian war in Ukraine is one of the only wars in history where the number of troops killed in combat is exceeding the number of troops injured.
Reiterating president Donald Trump’s central objective, Rubio said the US wants “that people stop dying, that people stop being slaughtered.”
Trump, Rubio said, wants Ukraine to be able to “go on and live in peace,” allowing Ukrainians to return home and rebuild, while ensuring that “young Russians aren’t being killed at the tune of 5,000 a week in the battlefield.”
"We are prepared to play a constructive role in bringing about an end to a senseless war, we're ready to do that, and we of course expressed that,” Rubio said, referring to a meeting he held yesterday with his Russian counterpart.
US is ready to help end the 'senseless war' in Ukraine but no quick deal ahead, Rubio says
07:02 , Arpan Rai
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that the Trump administration is poised to help end the “senseless war” in Ukraine but acknowledged there is no quick path to a deal, saying diplomacy will require sustained effort and new ideas.
Rubio, who held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in the Philippine capital, alluded to how US-mediated talks have stalled.
He called them “unsuccessful or at least unfruitful” in the past but insisted that president Donald Trump was committed to the work “if conditions and factors have changed to make that possible.”
“That’s been the challenge — an end that both sides can accept," Rubio told reporters.
“We’ve tried and we’ll continue to try to see if we can, you know, find a middle ground that brings this about. And we’re prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself.”
Three injured in attack on Wildberries warehouse
06:49 , Arpan Rai
A warehouse of the leading Russian online retailer Wildberries in the Leningrad region has caught fire after a Ukrainian drone attack, governor Alexander Drozdenko said on Friday.
Three people were injured, he added. Wildberries said that the work of two of its logistics sites in the region had been halted.
No 'definitive' evidence Irish alumina exports used in Russian weapons, Irish PM says
06:44 , Arpan Rai
An Irish probe into a major alumina plant has found no "concrete or definitive" evidence its exports to Russia are used to make aluminium for weapons, but it has also been unable to rule it out, prime minister Micheal Martin said on Thursday.
Ireland is under mounting pressure over the Aughinish Alumina plant, Europe's largest refinery of the aluminium feedstock alumina, which the facility continues to export to Russia.
Dublin commissioned the investigation, even as it defends a European Union decision to leave the plant, which is owned by Russia's Rusal , off Russian sanctions packages. The government argues the refinery in southwest Ireland is strategically important to EU supply chains.
"The investigation has not found concrete or definitive evidence linking the alumina to a weapons manufacturer in Russia," Martin told a joint press conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv.
"That said, neither has it found definitive evidence that alumina may not be going to weapons manufacturers."
Martin said the investigation is almost complete and would be shared with the European Commission once it is finalised.
EU sanctions aim to deprive Russia of financing for Ukraine war, says Kallas
06:30 , Arpan Rai
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said sanctions were having an effect on Russia's economy and have made it harder for Moscow to raise capital abroad.
“We also see that due to the sanctions, they can't raise capital outside,” she said.
“It is clear that if we put this in place, it has an effect together with other elements,” she said.
The European Union approved its 21st sanctions package against Russia over its war in Ukraine, imposing curbs on the country's banking sector and cryptocurrency networks, the Council of the EU said yesterday.
Kallas said sanctions were only one element of a broader European strategy to pressure Russia into serious negotiations with Ukraine.
"We have different elements of this approach. The sanctions are just one of them," she said. "We are looking at what more we can do to pressure Russia to actually sit around the negotiation table and negotiate with Ukraine."
Another Wildberries warehouse in Russia's Leningrad set ablaze
06:07 , Arpan Rai
A warehouse of Russia’s online retailer Wildberries in the Leningrad region has been set on fire in a Ukrainian drone strike, the regional governor said this morning.
Kyiv has broadened its campaign against a company at the heart of Russia's consumer economy.
Kyiv has now struck four warehouses owned by the company beginning on the weekend on the grounds that they are part of infrastructure that supports the Russian military.
The Kremlin has denied that Wildberries handles military supplies. Russia has targeted Ukraine's logistics hubs as well as its energy system and power grid.
EU sanctions force Russian world chess chief to quit
06:02 , Arpan Rai
Arkady Dvorkovich, the Russian president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), announced today that he was suspending his activity with the organisation after being placed on the latest European Union sanctions list.
The EU's 21st sanctions package, issued in connection with Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, imposes punitive measures against 170 entities and 48 individuals. Measures include asset freezes, travel and transaction bans.
Dvorkovich, in a statement on the FIDE website, denounced the EU move as "unlawful and unfair" and pledged to challenge it by all possible means.
“However, given that until a formal court decision is rendered and/or such decision is cancelled or amended, these sanctions could hinder the stable functioning of FIDE, I have decided to voluntarily suspend the exercise of my powers and duties as FIDE President with immediate effect..." he said.
Military activity hits water supply at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and nearby town
05:53 , Arpan Rai
Military activity has hit water supplies to parts of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and nearby areas of southeastern Ukraine, the UN nuclear power watchdog said.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in a statement there was no shortage of well water needed to ensure fuel in the reactors remained cool.
But attacks in and around the city of Enerhodar, where many of the plant's staff live, had “targeted, among other locations, local electrical infrastructure, leading to a loss of water supply in the city and at the ZNPP site.”
“Reliable access to basic services and supplies is important for staff well-being and for the continuity of their essential work," Grossi said, adding that IAEA monitors stationed at the plant had had "only limited access to tap water since 18 July.”
Grossi, who has visited the plant several times since it came under Russian operation, made no reference to either Ukraine or Russia in terms of the military activity in the area.
He said the IAEA on-site team had not been able to visit a nearby emergency operations center since December because of security concerns.
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom last week said a Ukrainian drone had killed the plant's chief engineer.
In his latest statement, Grossi repeated that nuclear power plant staff “must be protected at all times.”
Ousted Ukrainian defence chief refuses Zelensky's job's offer
05:34 , Arpan Rai
Ousted Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said he would accept no other government position besides his former job, escalating a political crisis that has gripped Ukraine at a pivotal point in the war with Russia.
Fedorov's surprise dismissal this month had sparked rare wartime protests prompting president Volodymyr Zelensky to replace his unpopular top general with a respected younger commander.
Zelensky said on Thursday he had offered Fedorov several other roles, including vice prime minister for defence innovation, but has not indicated he would reappoint him to the defence ministry.
Fedorov said only the positions of president, military chief and defence minister could "actually shape the course of the war".
"No other role carries the actual authority to combat procurement corruption, complete the army's transformation, plan and execute asymmetric operations against the enemy," he said.
Discussions between Zelensky and Fedorov were still ongoing, according to a source familiar with the matter.
"I think they will talk more," the source said.
Wary of drone attacks, shipowners halt calls at Ukraine's Black Sea ports
05:15 , Arpan Rai
Shipowners have halted vessel arrivals at Ukraine's Black Sea ports due to intensified Russian strikes, Kyiv said, as president Volodymyr Zelensky warned Moscow might escalate attacks in order to block the country's main corridor for grain exports.
In recent weeks, Russia has pummelled logistics and port infrastructure in the southern Odesa region with missiles and drones.
On Sunday, a missile strike on a ship carrying corn killed 10 people, mostly foreigners, Ukrainian officials said. “Yesterday... not a single ship entered the port,” Zelensky told reporters on Thursday.
“They've been hitting all the ships. They're going to step this up.”
Russia struck 28 civilian vessels and killed 21 people from 20 June to 20 July, according to Odesa regional prosecutors cited by local media.
Shipowners wary of the attacks have temporarily suspended vessel arrivals meant to pick up agricultural products at the ports, Ukraine's agriculture minister Taras Vysotskyi said on Wednesday.
“Ukraine, as a state, has not imposed any restrictions," Vysotskyi was cited as saying by Interfax-Ukraine.
Laura Loomer meets Zelensky in Ukraine after U-turn on war
04:48 , Arpan Rai
Laura Loomer, an ardent ally of president Donald Trump with a reputation for incendiary social media commentary, sat down with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday after a dramatic turnaround on the war that could have political reverberations back in Washington.
Loomer had spent years minimising Russia's invasion of Ukraine and amplifying Russian propaganda to her nearly 2 million followers. This week she had a change of heart.
“Just experienced my first air raid in Ukraine. Sirens blaring. This is everyday for every Ukrainian,” Loomer wrote on X during her visit to the country.
“I often said I don’t care. Looking back, that wasn’t very nice of me to say.”
“We need to have moral clarity,” she said.
Rubio says Putin losing over 5,000 troops each week in Ukraine
04:15 , Arpan Rai
Russia is losing upwards of 5,000 to 6,000 troops each week in its war on Ukraine, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said, called in a "staggering number".
Rubio said the Russian war in Ukraine is one of the only wars in history where the number of troops killed in combat is exceeding the number of troops injured.
Reiterating president Donald Trump’s central objective, Rubio said the US wants “that people stop dying, that people stop being slaughtered.”
Trump, Rubio said, wants Ukraine to be able to “go on and live in peace,” allowing Ukrainians to return home and rebuild, while ensuring that “young Russians aren’t being killed at the tune of 5,000 a week in the battlefield.”
"We are prepared to play a constructive role in bringing about an end to a senseless war, we're ready to do that, and we of course expressed that,” Rubio said, referring to a meeting he held yesterday with his Russian counterpart.
US is ready to help end the 'senseless war' in Ukraine but no quick deal ahead, Rubio says
04:08 , Arpan Rai
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that the Trump administration is poised to help end the “senseless war” in Ukraine but acknowledged there is no quick path to a deal, saying diplomacy will require sustained effort and new ideas.
Rubio, who held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in the Philippine capital, alluded to how US-mediated talks have stalled.
He called them “unsuccessful or at least unfruitful” in the past but insisted that president Donald Trump was committed to the work “if conditions and factors have changed to make that possible.”
“That’s been the challenge — an end that both sides can accept," Rubio told reporters.
“We’ve tried and we’ll continue to try to see if we can, you know, find a middle ground that brings this about. And we’re prepared to play that role if the opportunity presents itself.”
Rubio meets Russia’s Lavrov as US bid to help end war in Ukraine
03:00 , Holly Evans
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks where he was expected to renew the prospect of the US trying to broker an end to the war in Ukraine.
The US State Department offered few details about the meeting on Thursday in the Philippines.
"They discussed the US-Russia relationship and the need to end the Russia-Ukraine war," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.
Russia did not immediately offer a readout and Lavrov largely ignored shouted questions by reporters after he left the room.
Read the full article here:
Rubio meets Russia’s Lavrov as US bid to help end war in Ukraine
Zelensky thanks EU for sanctions package against Russia
02:00 , Holly Evans
Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked the European Union for implementing the 21st sanctions package against Russia.
According to Ursula von der Leyen, the EU added 32 more Russian banks, crypto firms, and oil trading platforms to its transaction ban list.
The Ukrainian president said: “It is very important that pressure on Russia over the war it started – and refuses to end – continues.
“This package includes strong measures to curb Russia's revenues, including Ukrainian proposals that have been taken into account. It is crucial to preserve our unity and keep up this pressure.”
I am grateful to the European Union and to every European leader for adopting the 21st sanctions package against Russia. It is very important that pressure on Russia over the war it started – and refuses to end – continues. This package includes strong measures to curb Russia's…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 23, 2026
Venice Biennale chief calls EU funding cut 'political'
01:00 , Holly Evans
The Venice Biennale would undermine its autonomy and freedom of expression if it bowed to European Union pressure to shut Russia out of its events, the foundation's chairman said on Thursday, criticising the EU's recent decision to cut funding.
Earlier this week, the EU said it had decided to withdraw a €2 million ($2.3 million) grant in response to the return of Russia to the Biennale's arts exhibition this year for the first time since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
"(The EU) was a fellow traveler with whom we shared part of a journey, and who is now leaving us for reasons that are entirely political, certainly not legal, and still less cultural," chairman Pietrangelo Buttafuoco said at the presentation of the 2026 Venice Film Festival.
The European Commission said the grant was withdrawn because EU taxpayers' money should support initiatives that uphold the values of democracy and freedom, which it said Russia does not currently embody.
The Biennale, an international cultural exhibition hosted by Venice every two years, rejected that argument, saying art should remain a neutral space for dialogue. It also said the EU funding co-financed projects run by its cinema division that were unrelated to Russia's participation in the art exhibition.
Boris Johnson claims Ed Miliband is to blame for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine
Friday 24 July 2026 00:00 , Holly Evans
Boris Johnson has hit out at Andy Burnham’s decision to appoint Ed Miliband as foreign secretary, boldly claiming that the former Labour leader is to blame for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The former Conservative prime minister claimed Mr Miliband’s “failure to stand up to Assad” led “directly” to Putin’s first invasion of Ukraine, and said the Kremlin will be “delighted” with Mr Burnham’s appointment.
Sharing a Telegraph article criticising Mr Miliband’s new appointment, Mr Johnson wrote on X: “This is spot on. The failure to stand up to Bashar al-Assad - for which Miliband bears much guilt - led directly to Putin’s first invasion of Ukraine. An appalling choice for foreign secretary. The Kremlin will be delighted.”
Read the full article here:
Boris Johnson claims Ed Miliband is to blame for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine
No 'definitive' evidence Irish alumina exports used in Russian weapons, Irish PM says
Thursday 23 July 2026 23:00 , Holly Evans
An Irish probe into a major alumina plant has found no "concrete or definitive" evidence its exports to Russia are used to make aluminium for weapons, but it has also been unable to rule it out, prime minister Micheal Martin said on Thursday.
Ireland is under mounting pressure over the Aughinish Alumina plant, Europe's largest refinery of the aluminium feedstock alumina, which the facility continues to export to Russia.
Dublin commissioned the investigation, even as it defends a European Union decision to leave the plant, which is owned by Russia's Rusal , off Russian sanctions packages. The government argues the refinery in southwest Ireland is strategically important to EU supply chains.
"The investigation has not found concrete or definitive evidence linking the alumina to a weapons manufacturer in Russia," Martin told a joint press conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv.
"That said, neither has it found definitive evidence that alumina may not be going to weapons manufacturers."
Martin said the investigation is almost complete and would be shared with the European Commission once it is finalised.
Dismissal of Ukraine's defence minister started a sudden transformation of the military
Thursday 23 July 2026 22:00 , Holly Evans
In the span of a single week, the dismissal of a Ukrainian defence minister set in motion a transformation of the country’s armed forces that replaced the old guard with a new generation of leadership.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to fire his popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, triggered days of public protest that quickly shifted toward the country's commander-in-chief and highlighted the growing rift over the future of Ukraine’s military.
Demonstrators denounced the commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and overwhelmingly rallied behind the departed defense minister, who has emerged as one of the country’s most influential wartime reformers with support from Ukrainians hungry for change.
Protesters demanded his reinstatement. Fedorov's dismissal followed months of increasingly bitter disagreements between the two men.
Read the full article here:
Dismissal of Ukraine's defense minister started a sudden transformation of the military
Thursday 23 July 2026 21:00 , Holly Evans
Ukraine's acting foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, called Russian strikes on grain vessels at peak harvest a "deliberate economic and humanitarian terror".
Ukraine has requested an urgent UN Security Council meeting for July 27 to address the matter, he added on X.
Vysotskyi called on producers and traders not to rush sales, saying the situation could be rapidly changing.
He also pointed to alternative routes for exports via the Danube ports and so-called dry ports of the railway, saying both options have not been fully utilized.
"A single day in our market has no impact on total export volumes for the year. Neither does a week. A month has no impact either. But several months - that does have an impact," he said.
Russia is holding global food security hostage.
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) July 22, 2026
At least three civilian cargo ships have been bombed in the past few days by Russia. Few dozen crew members have been killed and injured.
Today, zero vessels passed through Ukraine’s Black Sea maritime corridor—right at peak…
I have visited Russia every year since the Ukraine war began. The mood has changed
Thursday 23 July 2026 20:00 , Holly Evans
The mood regarding the war in Ukraine has changed in recent months. Ukrainian drones have struck Russian oil infrastructure, causing fuel shortages across Russia. And the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is exuberant about finishing the war from a “position of strength”.
The hope is that an economic crisis in Russia leads to social unrest and political instability, possibly resulting in the collapse of the ruling regime. This would not be an unprecedented event in Russian history. The Soviet Union rapidly unravelled amid economic and political crisis in 1991. But how likely is this scenario for Russia today?
I have travelled to Russia yearly since 2022 and there has been a clear change in the mood. In 2022, it was all about survival and adapting to the new reality of sanctions and war. Over the next couple of years, there was stabilisation and growing optimism about the economy’s ability to adapt. However, by 2026 there was talk of an economic recession, even before the current fuel shortages hit.
Read the full analysis here:
I have visited Russia every year since the Ukraine war began. The mood has changed
What is Wildberries, the latest target of Ukraine's attacks?
Thursday 23 July 2026 19:00 , Holly Evans
Wildberries was launched in 2004 by Tatyana Kim, a teacher and a young mother at the time, focusing at first on selling clothes.
Since then, the platform with its distinct purple logo has become an industry leader and household name in Russia, allowing big and small businesses alike to sell their goods to customers across the country by storing, shipping and delivering their inventory. In April, Forbes Russia estimated Kim's fortune at $8.1 billion.
The marketplace features all sorts of goods -– clothes, books, cosmetics, toys, appliances, household items, sports gear and much more. There’s an “E-Pharmacy” page and a travel section where users can book plane tickets or hotels.
Last year, Kim said the company had more than 200 facilities totaling over 5.2 million square meters (55 million square feet), with plans to expand in 2026, including planned warehouses in Belarus and Kazakhstan, where Wildberries already operates.
Kyiv says the stricken facilities supplied Russia’s military
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not name Wildberries directly, he has said the facilities his country attacked were involved in supplying gear and various technical components to the Russian military.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that “it is not the case” and accused Kyiv of continuing to “strike civilian targets.”
Shipowners halt calls at Ukraine's Black Sea ports over strike fears
Thursday 23 July 2026 18:00 , Holly Evans
Shipowners halted vessel arrivals at Ukraine's Black Sea ports due to intensified Russian strikes, Kyiv said, as President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Moscow might escalate attacks in order to block the country's main corridor for grain exports.
In recent weeks, Russia has pummelled logistics and port infrastructure in the southern Odesa region with missiles and drones.
On Sunday, a missile strike on a ship carrying corn killed 10 people, mostly foreigners, Ukrainian officials said.
"Yesterday... not a single ship entered the port," Zelenskiy told reporters on Thursday. "They've been hitting all the ships. They're going to step this up."
Russia struck 28 civilian vessels and killed 21 people from June 20 to July 20, according to Odesa regional prosecutors cited by local media.
Shipowners — wary of the attacks — have temporarily suspended vessel arrivals meant to pick up agricultural products at the ports, Ukraine's agriculture minister Taras Vysotskyi said on Wednesday.
Ukraine ramps up attacks on vessels around Crimean peninsula
Thursday 23 July 2026 17:00 , Holly Evans
Ukraine has also increased attacks on vessels, mostly carrying fuel, in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, in an expanding campaign aimed at isolating Russia-occupied Crimea and undermining Moscow's key revenue sources.
On Wednesday, Russia introduced a temporary nighttime ban on vessel movements in and out of Novorossiysk port, its biggest port by volume that handles up to one third of its grain exports.
Ousted defence minister Fedorov says he will not take another post in Ukraine's government
Thursday 23 July 2026 16:30 , Holly Evans
Ukraine's ousted defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, said on Thursday he would not accept any other position in the government, despite having been offered alternative roles by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"No other role carries the actual authority to combat procurement corruption, complete the army's transformation, plan and execute asymmetric operations against the enemy," Fedorov, whose dismissal last week rare wartime street protests, said in a statement sent to reporters.
Russia's oil and gas revenue seen up 60% in July
Thursday 23 July 2026 16:00 , Holly Evans
Russia's state oil and gas revenue, which accounts for around a fifth of total budget income, is seen rising by 60 per cent in July from the same month a year ago thanks to the increase in global oil prices, Reuters calculations showed on Thursday.
A steep rise from profit-based tax proceeds on oil production for the second quarter has also contributed to the overall year-on-year revenue rise. Russia, the world's third-largest oil producer and exporter after the United States and Saudi Arabia, relies heavily on oil and gas sales, which help finance its military campaign in Ukraine.
Oil and gas tax revenue for January to July is still likely to decline by 11 per cent from the same period in 2025, to 4.9 billion roubles.
The finance ministry is due to publish its estimates for July on August 5.
EU's top diplomat congratulate's Miliband's appointment as foreign sec
Thursday 23 July 2026 15:30 , James Reynolds
Kaja Kallas congratulates Ed Miliband as the new foreign secretary of the UK.
She says they discussed support for Ukraine, freedom of navigation, the Middle East and the broader political landscape in Manila today, ahead of the ASEAN Regional Forum.
EU-UK cooperation on foreign policy, security, and defence has never been more important. There is strong momentum to deepen and accelerate our Security and Defence Partnership.
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) July 23, 2026
Congratulations on your new role as UK Foreign Secretary, @Ed_Miliband. It was a pleasure to meet you… pic.twitter.com/YlDKdngOod
