The frantic round of musical chairs unleashed by Zelensky's government reshuffle continues: -After weeks of speculation, Ukraine's ambassador in Washington goes; -Umerov now moves to foreign intelligence; -Fedorov still without a chair. TBC www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/202...

Zelenskyy dismisses Stefanishyna as Ukraine's ambassador to US

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Olha Stefanishyna from her post as Ukraine's ambassador to the United States.

pravda.com.ua

Russia in a nutshell: The speaker of the Duma closes the current legislative session with a chant of "Russia! Putin! Victory!" His fellow lawmakers generate the obligatory applause—but do not join in. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAB5...

Володин пытается заставить депутатов скандировать «Россия! Путин! Победа!»

YouTube video by Meduza News

youtube.com

"There is growing demand for realistic assessment of Russia's geopolitical capabilities, competent domestic decision-making and achievable war goals," Tatiana Stanovaya says. "This is dangerous for regime precisely because it is neither anti-war nor anti-Putin." carnegieendowment.org/russia-euras...

Russia Is Approaching a Political Crossroads

Two divergent trends—Putin’s hardline vision of how to prosecute the war in Ukraine, and a growing desire for change in Russia—could tear the regime apart.

carnegieendowment.org

Zelensky faces serious risks. Fedorov is associated with Ukraine's new momentum on the battlefield, and if Ukraine faces new setbacks, Zelensky will carry the blame. At the same time, he has created a potential new domestic rival out of his ex-minister. www.crisisgroup.org/anb/europe/u...

Ukraine’s Tensions on Show after Zelenskyy Reshuffles His War Leaders | International Crisis Group

Crisis Group expert Lucian Kim assesses the reasons behind the dismissal of the defence minister and armed forces chief, and what this bodes for the war with Russia.

crisisgroup.org

Zelensky appears to have wriggled out of a political crisis of his own making by firing Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander of Ukraine's armed forces and replacing him with well-regarded Mykhailo Drapatyi. www.president.gov.ua/en/news/ya-v...

Hard to say how Fedorov's dismissal will affect Ukraine's military strategy, but risks are clear. Fedorov is associated with Ukraine's new momentum in middle and deep drone strikes. If that initiative is lost, Ukraine will face setbacks—and blame will fall squarely on Zelensky.

By reshuffling his government, Zelensky made a most fateful decision. His firing of the popular defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, has brought long simmering tensions out into the open. It has led to a political crisis that will be hard to defuse.

How to understand the sudden collapse of Ukraine's government? @pravda.ua pieces together clues: -After Yermak's departure, balance of power has shifted; -Zelensky is tired of "babysitting" Svyrydenko government, wants PM to take more responsibility; www.pravda.com.ua/articles/202...

Зеленський міняє уряд: відставка Свириденко, Корецький у Кабміні, інтрига навколо Федорова

У неділю, 12 липня, сталося те, до чого на Банковій готувалися вже кілька тижнів, але чого мало хто очікував саме зараз.

pravda.com.ua

"'What's the point of going to fight for something that is already gone?" Poignant piece of reporting by @asamiterajima.bsky.social amplifying the voices of Ukraine's newest recruits—reluctant, resigned and afraid. kyivindependent.com/inside-the-u...

Inside the Ukrainian military's fight to motivate new recruits

KHARKIV OBLAST — New recruits walk into a small, overcrowded log-framed tent, taking their place in the line for lunch to fuel up for the long day of training ahead. The line ends at two large steamin...

kyivindependent.com

Sober analysis cautions Ukraine has 3-4 months to reap benefit from mid-strike campaign: -MoD to contract 100K mid-strike drones this year; -20 best units allowed to order drones directly from producers; -MoD to order another 100K drones from foreigners. www.pravda.com.ua/articles/202...

З небес на землю. Як Україна використовує та водночас марнує літо можливостей на фронті

У квітні цього року УП випадково дізналася, що один із потужних корпусів Сил оборони, "Азов", отримав партію "Хорнетів".

pravda.com.ua

If recent NATO summits were exercises in frustration for Ukraine, Zelensky managed to flip the script in Ankara, holding a warm, often jocular meeting with Trump that contrasted with their clash in the Oval Office a year and a half ago:

"What will save us? Music, love, mutual respect, humanity," a Ukrainian soldier says in the Donbas kill zone. Report after report, Francis Farrell and his @kyivindependent.com colleagues bring back the most compelling journalism from Ukraine's front lines: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXYb...

On the last road to front-line Kostiantynivka as Russian troops enter the city

YouTube video by Kyiv Independent

youtube.com

"What will save us? Music, love, mutual respect, humanity," a Ukrainian soldier says in the Donbas kill zone. Report after report, Francis Farrell and his @kyivindependent.com colleagues bring back the most compelling journalism from Ukraine's front lines: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXYb...

On the last road to front-line Kostiantynivka as Russian troops enter the city

YouTube video by Kyiv Independent

youtube.com

On my last visit to Kyiv, @luciankim.bsky.social & I were struck by a somewhat different tone among Ukrainians. New developments have made many of those we met with cautiously optimistic, even as they expect war to continue, & substantial challenges also remain. We lay out what we learned here:

A New Tone and Better Cards in Kyiv | International Crisis Group

After four-plus years of war, Ukraine aims to show it can inflict more pain than Russia is willing to absorb to achieve the Kremlin’s objectives. Ukrainians increasingly believe that this goal is atta...

crisisgroup.org

What is war? You look out of your front window one morning and everything is destroyed. Kyiv today. meduza.io/feature/2026...

Война. 1560-й день. Удар по Киеву и Днепру. Погибли 22 человека. Россия впервые применила сразу восемь гиперзвуковых ракет «Циркон» — Meduza

«Медуза» с 24 февраля 2022 года в прямом эфире рассказывает о российско-украинской войне. Мы ежедневно публикуем ваши письма, потому что уверены: о войне нужно продолжать говорить. Поделитесь с нами м...

meduza.io

"Like Dorian Gray, the Russian capital is putting on an attractive public face while the political regime ossifies behind the Kremlin walls." Moscow's transformation is real—it's just that there's much more than meets the eye. That was obvious 10 years ago: berlinpolicyjournal.com/potemkin-vil...

Potemkin Village - Berlin Policy Journal - Blog

Moscow has had an expensive makeover while the regime ossifies.

berlinpolicyjournal.com

"Like Dorian Gray, the Russian capital is putting on an attractive public face while the political regime ossifies behind the Kremlin walls." Moscow's transformation is real—it's just that there's much more than meets the eye. That was obvious 10 years ago: berlinpolicyjournal.com/potemkin-vil...

Potemkin Village - Berlin Policy Journal - Blog

Moscow has had an expensive makeover while the regime ossifies.

berlinpolicyjournal.com

I'm old enough to have reported on Russia's "gas wars" with Ukraine. I couldn't have imagined then that one day Russia would physically attack Ukraine by sending soldiers through natural gas pipelines. kyivindependent.com/battle-for-p...

How Ukraine defends Kupiansk from Russian troops crawling through pipes

KHARKIV OBLAST — The longest a Russian soldier can hope to survive for after emerging from the underground pipeline is, according to those hunting them, one single hour. "But it's usually 10 minutes,...

kyivindependent.com

I'm old enough to have reported on Russia's "gas wars" with Ukraine. I couldn't have imagined then that one day Russia would physically attack Ukraine by sending soldiers through natural gas pipelines. kyivindependent.com/battle-for-p...

How Ukraine defends Kupiansk from Russian troops crawling through pipes

KHARKIV OBLAST — The longest a Russian soldier can hope to survive for after emerging from the underground pipeline is, according to those hunting them, one single hour. "But it's usually 10 minutes,...

kyivindependent.com

How convenient that Hungary blocks Ukraine—convenient for a long list of EU countries that are at loggerheads with Ukraine over agriculture, industry, trade, even history. Reality check: Ukraine may not be ready for EU, but EU is hardly ready for Ukraine. kyivindependent.com/hungary-doub...

Hungary doubles down on Orban-era ban of Ukrainian agriculture

"We will not allow Ukrainian or any other imported product to endanger the livelihood of Hungarian farmers and the supply of healthy food to the Hungarian people," said the country's agriculture minis...

kyivindependent.com

Let's just say Xi is feeling pretty chuffed. Putin less so.

When I first visited Kaliningrad in 2000, a Baltic Sea Fleet officer boasted to me about friendly visits from NATO warships. Now the tiny Russian outpost is at the crux of European security. This excellent report by @crisisgroup.org colleagues explains why: www.crisisgroup.org/qna/europe/r...

Kaliningrad and the Suwalki Gap: Conflicting Threat Perceptions in the Baltic Sea Region | International Crisis Group

Both Russian and NATO member state militaries are shoring up defences near the Russian region of Kaliningrad. But as Crisis Group experts explain in this Q&A, the build-ups and other actions could exa...

crisisgroup.org

Thanks to @janecoaston.bsky.social for her interview with me on the mood in Kyiv, Putin's plan and the prospects for peace. Watch @crooked.com's "What A Day" podcast here: youtu.be/dfOUTJEwRTg?...

Just back from Kyiv. The mood was the least pessimistic I've felt in the last couple of years. Spring weather helps after a brutal winter of Russian strikes on energy infrastructure. Here are a few takeaways on where Ukraine stands right now:

Thanks to @ngumenyuk.bsky.social for reading my book, Putin's Revenge, through a Ukrainian lens and interrogating me on US politicians' abiding awe of Russia, European pacifism, Russian imperialism and the future of Ukraine and Russia. youtu.be/8fSTgNf33c4?...

Putin is obsessed with Ukraine. His mission is to bring it back under Russia’s control | Lucian Kim

YouTube video by Public Interest Journalism Lab

youtu.be

Every time I come to Ukraine, people asks me how the war ends, as if I were some kind of oracle. What I can say for sure is that sometimes it’s useful to take a step back for perspective:

Transatlantic relations today: EU delegation in Washington celebrates USA's 250th birthday with appeal to "shared ideas"—not interests, values, goals, vision.

Go to the edge of Ukraine's kill zone and watch a heavy bomber drone team go about their grim work—thanks to Francis Farrell and colleagues @kyivindependent.com. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKgU...

How Ukraine is pushing back Russia with bomber drones

YouTube video by Kyiv Independent

youtube.com

Jervis Forum Review 177: Nychyk on Kim, Putin’s Revenge Putin’s Revenge: Why Russia Invaded Ukraine by Lucian Kim is an exciting complement to the emerging literature on Russia's war against Ukraine, which started in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale invasion in 2022.[1] The book’s main goal is…

An unpleasant truth is mentioned in Lithuania's latest national security threat report, namely that Russia can't become a military threat to the Baltics (or the rest of Europe) as long as its bogged down in Ukraine. www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-e...

Lithuanian intelligence says Russia won’t threaten NATO while Ukraine war continues

Lithuania’s intelligence services say the country’s security is closely linked to the course of Russia’s war against Ukr...

lrt.lt