War events in Ukraine and international reactions

Eva Glaser

Latvia: German-Russians convicted of military aid to Russia

In Latvia, a German-Russian was sentenced to seven years in prison and one year on probation for allegedly collecting and passing on money and goods to Russian military personnel. These were said to have included night vision devices and telescopes, reported the Latvian news agency Leta, citing the responsible court in Riga.

The verdict against the man with German and Russian citizenship is not yet final. It was based on correspondence, photos and videos seized from the cell phone. The convicted man denied knowingly supplying sanctioned military goods. According to his own statements, he transported supplies such as wheelchairs, crutches and diapers in his vehicle for humanitarian reasons. According to a report by Latvian Radio, he said in court that he had given the night vision devices to hunters.

Julius Stockheim

One dead in Russian attack on Sloviansk

One person was killed in a Russian attack on the community of Slovyansk in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. This was announced by Vadym Lyakh, head of the city's military administration. He urged residents to leave the area and not wait for a mandatory evacuation order.

Julius Stockheim

Putin approves sale of Russian UniCredit subsidiary

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the sale of UniCredit's Russian business. A corresponding decree on the restructuring of the subsidiary of the major Italian bank and the subsequent sale of the newly created entity was published on the Russian government website on Monday.

The transaction required the approval of the president: Russia has imposed strict conditions on transactions with assets of investors from countries that the government in Moscow considers “unfriendly”. In May, UniCredit signed a non-binding agreement for the partial sale with an established private investor from the United Arab Emirates. The institute plans to split its Russian business into two parts.

It wants to retain full control of the payments sector to process international payments for unsanctioned corporate customers, while the unnamed Emirati buyer will take over the rest. According to previous information, the Milan-based financial institution expects the deal to have a negative impact on earnings of 3.0 to 3.3 billion euros.

Julius Stockheim

Merchant ship sank after Russian attack

At least two people are said to have been killed in a Russian drone attack on a cargo ship in the Black Sea. The Romanian authorities announced this. Eleven more people were rescued. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj wrote on Platform X on Monday that two drones had attacked the ship owned by Turkey in neutral waters.

The ship that was transporting corn caught fire and later sank. The captain's death is confirmed. The fate of another person is still being clarified, Zelenskyj wrote, contrary to the Romanian information. Zelensky also spoke of eleven people being rescued, including one injured person. Citizens of Azerbaijan and India were on board.

Julius Stockheim

Russia: Hit supply ship for Ukrainian military

Russia says it has fired on a cargo ship in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Pivdennyi. The Russian Defense Ministry said the ship was used to supply the Ukrainian military.

Julius Stockheim

Ukraine: Three dead in Russian airstrike on Kharkiv

Three people have been killed in a Russian airstrike with guided bombs on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, according to local authorities. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on the short message service Telegram that 25 other people were injured and residential buildings and warehouses were damaged.

Marie Boms

Ukrainian Air Force: Jet drones intercepted with robotic guns

Ukraine says it has shot down Russian jet-powered drones for the first time using automated turrets. The Ukrainian Air Force said the Geran-5 was among the drones that were fended off. Machine vision was used for the launches, Air Force spokesman Yuri Ihnat said on Ukrainian television. “Artificial intelligence makes it possible to even combat jet-powered drones.”

Julius Stockheim

Kyiv installs AI-controlled guns against Russian drones

According to a presidential adviser, Ukraine is using AI-controlled guns to defend against Russian drones in the capital Kiev. Twelve automatic gun turrets have already been installed and more are to follow, Serhiy Beskrestnov said on social media.

The systems are machine guns that are controlled using artificial intelligence and are intended to shoot down Russian jet-powered Shahed drones. Kyiv is repeatedly the target of Russian drone and missile attacks. Air raid alarms and explosions are now part of everyday life for residents of the Ukrainian capital.

Julius Stockheim

Border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova closed after bullet strike

After a Russian attack on Ukrainian infrastructure, operations at a border crossing between Moldova and Ukraine have been suspended. A bullet fell on Monday near the Palanca-Majaky-Udobne crossing, the Moldovan border police said.

The bullet hit the ground early in the morning and was then thrown against a coach parked near the barrier. The bus and a checkpoint were damaged. A border service employee suffered minor injuries. There were no other injuries.

Julius Stockheim

Mayor: Dead and injured in attack on Kharkiv

According to Mayor Ihor Terekhov, one person was killed in a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Six other people were injured. Vehicles and an administration building caught fire and residential buildings were also damaged. The Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday that an electrical substation in the Kharkiv region had been attacked. In addition, energy and port infrastructure as well as ships used by the Ukrainian military were attacked.

Julius Stockheim

Kallas: Russia is endangering lives across Europe with hybrid attacks

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accuses Russia of endangering lives across Europe with hybrid attacks. There has been a sharp increase in Russian sabotage attempts and airspace violations in recent weeks, Kallas said at a press conference with Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan in Brussels. The fact that Russian missiles and drones violated Moldova's airspace again at the weekend is completely unacceptable.

Julius Stockheim

According to Ukraine, 51 percent of Russia's refining capacity was down

Ukraine says it has shut down more than half of Russia's oil refining capacity. Recent attacks on refineries in Moscow, Yaroslavl, Ust-Luga, Perm, Saratov and Syzran, among others, have crippled 51 percent of capacity, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said. The information could not initially be independently verified.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara said intelligence analysts, the General Staff and his ministry had assessed the impact of the attacks on targets deep inside Russia. The lost refinery capacity is a significant blow to Russia's economy and Moscow's ability to wage war against Ukraine and supply the troops fighting there.

Marie Boms

BND boss: Supporting Ukraine is Germany's core interest

BND boss Martin Jäger has warned against cutting back on aid to Ukraine in its defense against Russia. “Supporting Ukraine is Germany’s core interest,” he said in the German intelligence services hearing in the Bundestag. He warns of serious consequences if Russia wins the war. “It is a great illusion that the conflict with Russia would be over with the end of the war in Ukraine.” Russia is pursuing an expansive, hegemonic project that goes beyond Ukraine and includes the Baltics.

Laura Thalmeyer

Russia attacks industrial and infrastructure in Odessa

Russia said it attacked the port of Vylkove, fuel depots in Chornomorsk and cargo ships in the southern Ukrainian region of Odessa. The Defense Ministry in Moscow said a power plant in the northeastern region of Kharkiv was also hit. The targets were selected because they would be used for military purposes.

Odessa Governor Oleh Kiper confirmed that industrial and port infrastructure in the region had been targeted by massive Russian airstrikes. All fires caused by this have now been extinguished. Authorities in the second-largest Ukrainian city of Kharkiv reported the death of a person in a Russian airstrike late on Sunday evening. Six other people were injured.

Julius Stockheim

German and Ukrainian defense companies sign billion-dollar contracts

German and Ukrainian companies signed more than a dozen cooperation documents on the sidelines of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to Kiev. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense agreed with the Diehl company to supply thousands of Iris-T air defense missiles and other launchers, the Ukrainian government announced. A contract for satellite technology has been agreed with the Hensoldt company.

The company Quantum is to further develop and produce interceptor drones for the fast Russian jet drones for the Ministry of Defense. According to the company, these will be built in Ukraine and will be available in winter 2026/27. President Volodymyr Zelensky put the total volume of all declarations of intent at 8.5 billion euros. In German government circles there was talk of 6.5 billion euros. Chancellor Merz had announced that the federal government had released another billion euros in military aid and 350 million euros for the energy system damaged by Russian attacks.

Cooperation agreements to upgrade the Ukrainian power grid were signed with the energy companies Siemensenergy and 50Hertz Transmission and Amprion. There were also agreements between companies from both countries. In the future, the company ARX Robotics wants to work with the Ukrainian company Roboneers on the development of unmanned military land vehicles. In addition, cooperation was agreed between companies in the production of ammunition for 155-millimeter artillery.

Julius Stockheim

Merz is “relatively indifferent” to drone attacks on Sunday

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) appeared unimpressed by the Russian warnings a few hours before his visit to Kiev and by the drone attack during his stay. Despite the threats, he came with a large government and business delegation, Merz said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the capital. "This shows: We will not allow ourselves to be intimidated. We will not allow ourselves to be intimidated by a drone attack at the same time as our visit."

Merz said he didn't know whether the threats from Moscow were directly related to his visit. In any case, he doesn't let it impress him. “I take the trips that I think are right.” In this respect, he is “quite frankly relatively indifferent” to Moscow’s actions.

He consciously noticed three drone alarms during his stay, but was never taken to a shelter. He assumes “that there is no personal threat to the members of my delegation and also to me personally.”

Julius Stockheim

Russia announces even harder strikes against Ukraine

The Russian Defense Ministry has announced a further intensification of its strikes against Kiev and other areas of Ukraine. Moscow is responding to threats from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to attack further military facilities and defense plants in Russia, the ministry said. Zelensky alone bore “full personal and political responsibility” for the escalation, it said. Russia started the war.

Julius Stockheim

After Russian warning: German embassy remains in Kyiv

After a repeated Russian warning, the ambassadors of Germany and the European Union have demonstratively announced that they will not leave the Ukrainian capital Kiev. “Amen - we are staying,” wrote German Ambassador Boris Ruge on the X platform. He was responding to a post by EU Ambassador Katarina Mathernova.

She had also confirmed that she wanted to stay in Kyiv despite the danger. "Threats will not stop Europe's support for Ukraine. They only remind us why this support is so important!" wrote the diplomat. On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry renewed a May warning to foreign citizens and diplomats, urging them to leave Kiev and stop traveling to Ukraine.

Anna Kipnis

Air raid in Kyiv during Merz's visit – bridge hit

During Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to Kiev, the city was the target of a Russian air raid. The carriageway of the northern bridge over the Dnipro River was hit, Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram.

Videos of the alleged attack are circulating on social networks. The Financial Times' chief Ukraine correspondent, Christopher Miller, shared a video on "X" showing the explosion on the bridge.