Here are the key events on day 1,237 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Here is how things stand on Tuesday, July 15:
Fighting
- Russian forces launched drone attacks in Ukraine’s eastern regions of Kharkiv and Sumy, killing at least one person and wounding 21 others, the Kyiv Independent reported, citing local authorities.
- The Ukrainian Red Cross stated that the attacks damaged buildings in Sumy, including educational and medical facilities.
- The death toll from Russian attacks on Ukraine on Sunday rose to six, including three people in Sumy, two in Donetsk, and one in Kherson, the Kyiv Independent reported, citing local officials.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed control of two more villages in eastern Ukraine: Malynivka in Zaporizhia and Mayak in Donetsk.
- Ukrainian drone attacks wounded two people in Russia’s Kursk region and another in the Ukrainian town of Kamianka-Dniprovska, partially occupied by Moscow, according to Russian state TASS news agency.
- Another Ukrainian drone struck a transformer substation in Kreminna, in Russian-occupied Luhansk, setting it on fire, TASS reported.
- Earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry said its air defense units destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian territory and the Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, as well as the Black Sea.
- Russian officials also said Ukrainian forces launched a drone attack on a training center at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on Sunday evening, adding that “no critical” damage was recorded. This follows the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, saying it heard hundreds of rounds of small arms fire late on Saturday at the plant.
Weapons
- United States President Donald Trump said Washington would send “billions” of dollars in military equipment, including Patriot air defense systems and other missiles to Ukraine, in a deal funded by NATO members.
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, speaking alongside Trump at the White House, said Ukraine would receive “massive numbers” of weapons under the deal.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his country would play a “decisive role” in funding these supplies, while the country’s defense minister stated that Berlin and Washington would decide on sending two US-made Patriot air defense systems to Kyiv within days or weeks.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized the US support for Ukraine, saying that while it’s funded by Europe, the supply of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment from the US to Ukraine continues.
Politics and Diplomacy
- Trump also mentioned that if Moscow didn’t sign a peace deal with Ukraine within 50 days, he would impose “very severe tariffs” on Russia, including secondary tariffs of 100 percent.
- The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, welcomed Trump’s tougher stance on Russia but stated that a 50-day ultimatum was “a very long time” considering the ongoing killing of innocent civilians.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Telegram, thanked Trump for his readiness to support Ukraine and his willingness to work together for a lasting and just peace.
- The Ukrainian leader announced a major cabinet shuffle, asking Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko to become the next prime minister and the present prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, to be the defense minister.
- Svyrydenko said Ukraine faced a “crucial time” and her priorities would be “strengthening” its economy, expanding domestic support programs, and scaling up weapons production.
- US special envoy Keith Kellogg visited Kyiv and held meetings with Zelenskyy and Ukrainian Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov.
Regional Security
- Sweden is considering recalling former military officers up to the age of 70 to active duty, part of its ongoing reassessment of national security in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Denmark will provide Ukraine with European-produced satellite equipment to support “secure and stable satellite-based communications,” according to the Danish Ministry of Defence.
