This is the situation as it stands on Tuesday, July 1st:
Fighting
- Leonid Pasechnik, the Russian-installed governor of the occupied Luhansk region in east Ukraine, claims that Russian troops have gained full control of the entire area.
- If this is confirmed, Luhansk would be the first Ukrainian region fully captured by Russia since the conflict began over three years ago. It is now one of four regions that Russia claims as its own.
- Russian state media and war bloggers have also stated that Russian forces have seized the first village in the Dnipropetrovsk region in central Ukraine.
- In a significant development in Donetsk, Moscow-appointed authorities have accused Ukrainian forces of attacking the city, resulting in at least one death, damage to several buildings, and a blazing market.
- The Ukrainian Air Force reported detecting 107 Russian Shahed and decoy drones in the country’s airspace overnight, following the most extensive aerial attack from Russian forces since 2022.
- Two civilians, including a 6-year-old child, were killed and eight others were injured in Russian strikes in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, as reported by regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
- An explosion occurred on an oil tanker near Libya, adding to a series of unexplained blasts on vessels that had previously docked at Russian ports, according to a Bloomberg report.
Politics and diplomacy
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged the US to consider if new sanctions on Russia would assist in the Ukraine peace process, following a statement from a top Republican senator that he had received US President Donald Trump’s endorsements for a bill proposing punitive measures against Russia.
- US envoy Keith Kellogg dismissed Peskov’s comments as “Orwellian,” arguing that Russia should not be allowed to delay while continuing to target civilians in Ukraine.
- German Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of mocking peace talks during a visit to Kyiv, suggesting that Germany is working to help Ukraine strengthen its negotiating position.
- The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced “reciprocal measures” to restrict access to 15 European Union media outlets in response to the latest round of EU sanctions on Russia.
- Images on North Korea’s state TV are reported to show leader Kim Jong Un honoring soldiers killed in the conflict in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
- Norway plans to deploy F-35 fighter jets to Poland to secure Polish airspace and a critical logistical hub for aid to Ukraine, following Poland’s response to Russian air attacks near its border with Ukraine.
Economy
- The International Monetary Fund has pledged to provide $500 million to Ukraine following the completion of a review of its $15.5 billion, four-year support program.
