Ukraine
Russia Scrambles Su-57 to Hunt Ukrainian Drones Over Omsk
A Russian Su-57 fighter was photographed over Omsk during a Ukrainian drone strike on the city's oil refinery, Russia's largest, on July 6, according to the Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+, a claim not yet independently corroborated by wire services or Russian officials. The same channel reported that Russia also scrambled an A-50U airborne early warning and control aircraft. If true, that raises a real question: why commit a large-area radar platform, designed to manage an entire air battle, to intercepting a handful of drones headed for one city? One plausible answer is a gap in ground-based radar coverage over Siberia, a region that has never needed dense air-defense infrastructure because no threat had ever reached it. That remains speculative, but it's the kind of gap this sighting, if confirmed, would point to. Whatever flew that day, it didn't work. Ukrainian drones struck the ELOU-AVT-11 primary crude distillation unit at the…
Vance Says Russian Gains Are Now ‘Close to Zero’ as NATO Summit Nears
US Vice President JD Vance said Russia’s ability to make further gains through offensive operations in Ukraine has become “vanishingly small” and “close to zero,” crediting Kyiv’s use of drones and surveillance technology with helping create conditions to end the war, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing an interview with The Sunday Times. Vance said modern battlefield visibility has made holding ground and wearing down Russian forces more effective than large-scale offensives. He contrasted that with Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive, which he described as a strategic and tactical failure. The remarks come as Washington prepares for NATO summit diplomacy in Ankara and follow a more Ukraine-favourable tone from President Donald Trump in recent days. Reuters reported that Zelenskyy described his July 4 call with Trump as “very good,” called for “American resolve” to help end the war, and said the two leaders agreed to continue their discussion at the NATO summit in Turkey.…
Gazprom to Form Mobile Fire Groups From Reservists to Guard Gas Facilities From Drones
Russia’s Gazprom has reached an agreement with the Defence Ministry to form mobile fire groups tasked with defending gas infrastructure, including against drone strikes, according to internal company documents reported by Echo and cited by The Moscow Times on July 5. Neither Gazprom nor the Defence Ministry has publicly confirmed the arrangement. Under the reported plan, volunteers would join Russia’s mobilisation reserve rather than active military service, combining civilian employment with periodic training. Applicants would undergo medical screening, vetting and two months of preparation before deployment, according to the reports. Their principal task would be patrolling and guarding gas-supply facilities, with possible assignment to other critical infrastructure in the region where each contract is signed. The report fits a broader pattern of decentralised protection for Russian industrial and energy sites following repeated Ukrainian drone strikes deep inside Russian territory. Reuters reported in May that Russian business leaders had asked President…
Germany to Provide NATO’s Largest Single Share of Ukraine Support Pledge, Pistorius Says
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin will supply the largest individual national contribution to a NATO military-support pledge for Ukraine set to be endorsed at the alliance’s Ankara summit on July 7–8. “Germany’s share will certainly be the largest individual amount,” Pistorius said, according to ZDFheute, which cited Reuters. Reuters reported that NATO leaders are expected to pledge €70 billion in military assistance for Ukraine in 2026, with at least an equivalent level of support in 2027, under draft summit language approved by ambassadors but still awaiting final approval by leaders. The figure requires context. Tagesschau reported that the pledge applies to European NATO members and Canada and totals €140 billion across 2026 and 2027. The sum includes around €30 billion per year from EU loan-backed military assistance and roughly €40 billion per year in bilateral support. It is therefore a financing framework built largely on existing instruments, not…
Russia Hits Kyiv With Missiles and Drones Days After Deadliest Strike of the Year
Russia launched a major missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight on July 6, killing at least 11 people and injuring at least 46 in the capital, just four days after the deadliest strike on the city this year, Reuters reported. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 attack and decoy drones, with Kyiv as the primary target, according to The Kyiv Independent. The barrage included 23 ballistic missiles, 39 cruise missiles and six anti-ship missiles. Ukrainian air defences shot down 37 missiles and 326 drones, but Reuters reported that none of the ballistic, super- or hypersonic missiles were intercepted. The attack heavily damaged civilian areas. Residential buildings were hit in the Podilskyi, Obolonskyi, Holosiivskyi and Darnytskyi districts of Kyiv, including a building in Podilskyi district that was partially destroyed between its fifth and ninth floors. The Kyiv Independent also reported damage to homes, businesses and other…
Russian Guided Bomb Strike Kills Mother and Daughter in Sumy as Nationwide Air Campaign Intensifies
4 July 2026 A Russian guided-bomb strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy killed a 34-year-old woman and her…
