2024-07-15 04:01:09
Russian authorities report drone attacks from Ukraine. Russia reports the capture of another village in eastern Ukraine. All information in the news blog.
4.49 am: According to media reports, there were violent explosions near the Ukrainian port city of Odessa during the night. The governor of the military administration of the region, Oleh Kiper, called on the residents of the city and the Odessa district via Telegram to stay in shelters until the fire was extinguished. The Ukrainian Air Force had previously reported a threat of ballistic missile attacks from the south. There was initially no information about possible damage or casualties.
Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for almost two and a half years. The Black Sea port of Odessa is repeatedly targeted. This is important for Ukrainian exports of grain and other goods via the Black Sea. According to previous military information, Moscow also suspects that Ukrainian sea drones are being produced there.
3.50 am: According to official information, Russian air defense intercepted and destroyed six drones over the Bryansk region. The governor of the region, Alexander Bogomas, announced this on his Telegram channel overnight. There were no damages or injuries, Bogomas added. The region southwest of Moscow borders Ukraine.
A drone attack was also reported in the Russian region of Lipetsk, south of Moscow. A drone crashed on the site of an electrical substation. There were no injuries and the substation’s work was not disrupted, the region’s governor, Igor Artamanov, wrote on Telegram overnight. The information on both incidents could not initially be independently verified.
In its fight against the Russian invasion, Ukraine has repeatedly shelled Russian territory – both in the border region and in the hinterland. However, the number of casualties and damage is disproportionate to the serious consequences of the war in Ukraine.
18:50: CDU leader Friedrich Merz has criticized the federal government for surprising the public with the stationing of American long-range weapons. “To date, I have not received any information from the federal government,” said Merz in an ARD summer interview. He expects “precise reporting” from the federal government in the next few days. “This is a fundamental change in the strategic military situation in Europe and also in Germany, and you can’t just do that with a press release.” Germany and the USA announced last week on the sidelines of the NATO summit that the United States wants to station cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons in Germany from 2026, among other things.
17:38: After his return from the USA, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised further aid to the soldiers and defense companies. At the NATO summit in Washington, concrete agreements were reached to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities; it was about weapons for the soldiers and support for Ukraine’s defense companies, he said. There would also be more Patriots and dozens of other air defense systems. Zelensky did not give any details.
Last week alone, Russia fired more than 700 glide bombs, 170 combat drones of various types and almost 80 missiles at Ukraine, the Ukrainian head of state said on the X portal. Ukraine is grateful to everyone who is helping to protect the country from Russian terror by supplying defense systems. Once again, Zelensky asked for more anti-aircraft systems in a video that showed destruction of infrastructure and corpses on the streets. “Together we will overcome evil.”
In his video message, Zelensky also announced further bilateral security agreements with the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Ireland, where he had made a stopover on his return journey. Most recently, he signed such agreements with Poland, Luxembourg and Romania, which are intended to bridge the time until the country joins NATO.