News
- Russia to allow registration of cars on Interpol wanted listThe Russian government has submitted a bill to the State Duma that would allow the registration of vehicles listed in Interpol's international wanted database, primarily those sought by 'unfriendly' countries.
- FT: Zelenskyy considers dismissing top commander Syrskyi amid mass protestsUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reportedly weighing the dismissal of Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi following widespread protests triggered by the defense minister's removal.
- Number of travel firms closing in Russia surges 52% as domestic tourism collapsesIn the first half of 2025, 2,700 travel organizations in Russia ceased operations, a 52.3% increase year-on-year, as domestic tourism demand plummeted and geopolitical disruptions hit the industry.
- Russian strike on cargo ship off Odesa kills crew member, wounds threeA Russian missile and drone attack on port infrastructure in the Odesa region overnight on July 18 killed one crew member and wounded three on a foreign-flagged cargo vessel, Ukrainian officials said.
- Zelensky confirms Ukrainian strikes on Wildberries warehouses, says they supplied Russian drone productionUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian drone strikes on two Wildberries logistics centers in Elektrostal and Kotovsk were a response to Russian attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine, alleging the warehouses supplied sanctioned components for Russian drone and navigation equipment production.
- Ukrainian drones hit Wildberries warehouses in Russia, killing seven and injuring dozensUkrainian drone strikes overnight targeted logistics centers of the online marketplace Wildberries in the Tambov and Moscow regions, killing seven people and injuring over 50, according to regional officials.
- Seven dead in Ukrainian drone strike on Wildberries warehouse in Tambov regionA Ukrainian drone strike on a Wildberries logistics center in Kotovsk, Tambov region, killed seven night-shift employees and injured 24 others, the regional governor said.
- Russia to subsidize diesel imports as domestic shortage worsensRussia will begin subsidizing imports of diesel fuel, extending a mechanism already used for gasoline, as Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries have slashed domestic production.
- Over 150 gas stations put up for sale in Russia in a month amid fuel crisisMore than 150 advertisements for the sale of gas stations have appeared in Russia over the past month, as owners cite a collapse in profitability due to shortages and high fuel prices.
- Zelensky: SBU destroyed Tu-95 strategic bomber at Engels airbaseUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) destroyed a Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber at the Engels military airfield in Saratov Oblast, about 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
- Russian government proposes allowing gang members to fight in UkraineThe Russian government has submitted a bill to the State Duma that would allow individuals convicted of banditry and participation in criminal organizations to sign military contracts with the Defense Ministry.
- Russia designates nonexistent international version of election watchdog Golos as 'undesirable'Russia's Justice Ministry added a nonexistent international version of the election watchdog movement Golos to its list of 'undesirable' organizations, despite the group's former co-chair saying it never existed.
- Russian hospital offers fuel cards for reproductive health checks amid gas crisisA hospital in Naryan-Mar is giving away fuel cards worth 1,000 rubles to residents who undergo free reproductive health screenings, as Russia faces a widespread fuel shortage.
- Scheduled power cuts abandoned in Sevastopol as blackouts go unplannedSevastopol has abandoned its scheduled power outage regime of two hours on, six hours off, as the city's energy system faces a capacity deficit, the Russian-appointed governor said.
- Ex-Russian official faints in court after arrest over diaper import-substitution schemeA former senior Russian Industry and Trade Ministry official has been arrested on charges of embezzling state funds allocated for import-substitution projects, including the production of adult diapers from Russian pulp.
- Russia designates Libertarian Party, media project as 'foreign agents'Russia's Justice Ministry added the Libertarian Party of Russia, the media project 'Fourth Sector,' journalist Alexander Polivanov, and writer Dmitry Petrov to the registry of 'foreign agents.'
- Zelensky appoints ex-interior minister Ihor Klymenko as NSDC secretary, replacing Rustem UmerovUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has tapped former Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko to become secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, replacing Rustem Umerov.
- EU sanctions Russian drone parts maker over deadly Kyiv strikesThe European Council imposed sanctions on the chair of ABS Electro and five of its subsidiaries for supplying components used in Russian drones that struck Kyiv in early July 2026.
- Anti-war Russian artist Masha Moskaleva and her father granted political asylum in FranceAlexei and Masha Moskaleva, the Russian father and daughter who drew international attention after Masha's anti-war drawing led to a criminal case, have been granted political asylum in France.
- Oryol region becomes first in Russia to lift odd-even gasoline rationing as crisis spreads elsewhereThe Oryol region has become the first Russian region to lift the temporary odd-even gasoline rationing system it introduced on July 4, while other regions continue to impose similar restrictions amid a fuel crisis linked to Ukrainian strikes on oil infrastructure.
- Russia makes basic military training a standalone school subjectRussia's Education Ministry has proposed splitting the 'Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland' course into two mandatory subjects, including a separate 'Basic Military Training' course, starting September 2025.
- Montenegro may introduce visas for Russians starting October 2026Montenegro may introduce a visa regime for citizens of Russia and Belarus starting October 1, 2026, as part of aligning its visa policy with European Union rules.
- Russia orders all state employees to switch to homegrown messenger Max by 2030The Russian government has ordered all state and municipal employees to move their work communications to the domestically developed messenger Max, aiming for full adoption by 2030.
- Putin's approval rating drops 5 percentage points in a week, biggest fall since fall 2022A Kremlin-affiliated pollster recorded a 5-percentage-point drop in Vladimir Putin's approval rating to 66%, the sharpest weekly decline since October 2022.
- Ukraine strikes railway station in Kerch, 12 vessels in Black SeaUkrainian forces attacked a railway station in annexed Crimea and struck 12 vessels in the Black Sea overnight on July 17, according to the commander of Ukraine's unmanned systems forces.
- Pro-Kremlin blogger Ilya Remeslo arrested on 'fake news' charges about Russian armyIlya Remeslo, a pro-government blogger who previously denounced Alexei Navalny, was detained in St. Petersburg on charges of spreading false information about the Russian military.
- Russian missile strike on Odesa kills woman walking with children in parkA Russian missile strike on Odesa killed two people, including a woman who was walking with children in a park, and injured ten others, Ukrainian officials said.
- Moscow Exchange index plunges below 2,000 points for first time since October 2022The Moscow Exchange index IMOEX2 fell 5.7% on July 16 to 1,991.42 points, its lowest level since October 2022, as Russian stocks extended a 19-week losing streak.
- Russian missile strike on Kyiv kills two, wounds six, including teenagerA Russian missile attack on Kyiv overnight killed two people and wounded six, including a 16-year-old, Ukrainian officials said.
- Russian prisons launch messaging app with three-day censorship delayA new messaging app for communicating with inmates in three Russian penal colonies subjects all messages to review that can take up to three working days.
- Kuzbass teen gets 4 years for paid Telegram reactions on Ukrainian military channelA 17-year-old from Belovo, Kemerovo region, was sentenced to four years in a juvenile correctional colony for financing terrorism by sending paid reactions on a Telegram channel linked to a Ukrainian military unit.
- Russia's 2026 budget deficit to exceed official plan by over 1 trillion rublesRussia's federal budget deficit in 2026 is expected to exceed the official target by more than 1 trillion rubles, according to data from the government's budget portal cited by Reuters.
- In annexed Crimea, men must show military registration to receive blackout compensationResidents of northern annexed Crimea say men are being required to present proof of military registration in their passports to receive a 15,000-ruble compensation payment after days-long power and water outages.
- Zelensky appoints SBU chief as acting defense minister after protests over predecessor's firingUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) head Yevhen Khmara as acting defense minister, following protests over the dismissal of his predecessor Mykhailo Fedorov.
- Yachts of six Russian billionaires cluster off Turkish coast near Putin's superyachtAt least six Russian billionaires have sailed their yachts to the southern and southwestern coast of Turkey near Bodrum, where a 71-meter yacht used by Vladimir Putin's inner circle has been anchored since late June, according to the independent outlet Verstka.
- Russia returns 501 bodies to Ukraine, receives 31 in latest exchangeRussia and Ukraine exchanged the bodies of killed soldiers on July 16 near the Belarusian border, with Moscow handing over 501 bodies and receiving 31.
- Russia bars Boris Nadezhdin from leaving country; he fears arrestRussian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin said he has been banned from leaving the country and fears he may be arrested.
- Russian billionaires moved tens of billions abroad fearing seizures, economic decline — BloombergSeveral of Russia's wealthiest businessmen, including some close to President Vladimir Putin, have moved billions of dollars out of the country over the past year, according to Bloomberg.
- Google Play removes VK, Odnoklassniki, and state messenger Max after EU sanctionsGoogle Play has removed the apps for VK, Odnoklassniki, and the state messenger Max from its store following EU sanctions against their parent company.
- Gazprom shares hit historic low after China pipeline talks collapseShares in Russian gas giant Gazprom fell to a record low of 83.98 rubles on the Moscow Exchange on July 16, dropping 5% from the previous close, after reports that negotiations with China over the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline had stalled.
- VK sells RuStore to its CEO after EU sanctionsVK has agreed to sell its entire stake in the RuStore app store to Dmitry Pankrushev, the CEO of the platform's developer, following EU sanctions against the company.
- HSE offers free tuition to recruits who serve in BARS volunteer unit or drone forcesRussia's Higher School of Economics (HSE) will grant free bachelor's and master's degrees to applicants who sign a one-year contract with the BARS Moscow volunteer detachment or a drone warfare unit, the university announced.
- Ukrainian drone attack on Yaroslavl kills one, injures four; two killed in Bryansk shellingA Ukrainian drone attack on Yaroslavl killed one person and injured four, while shelling in the Bryansk region killed a 15-year-old girl and her grandmother, local officials reported.
- Greece blocks EU's 21st sanctions package over threat to billionaire's LNG shipping businessGreece blocked the adoption of the European Union's 21st sanctions package, which included a ban on transporting Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to third countries, according to the Financial Times.
- Russian-installed administration in Crimea limits mobile connection to eight hours a day amid energy crisisThe Russian-installed administration of Dzhankoi in occupied Crimea has published a schedule for mobile phone service, guaranteeing stable connection only from 8 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
- Ukraine sinks Russian FSB patrol ship Izumrud near NovorossiyskUkraine's navy said it destroyed the Russian FSB border patrol ship Izumrud off the coast of Novorossiysk using a Sargan-3000 naval drone, with casualties among the crew.
- Leningrad Region governor imposes fuel limits on officials, citing exampleGovernor Alexander Drozdenko announced that regional government officials will face the same fuel purchase limits as other residents, saying 'authority must set an example.'
- Russian police detain Boris Nadezhdin over 2023 stream showing Navalny photoPolice detained Russian politician Boris Nadezhdin and charged him with displaying extremist symbols after a 2023 YouTube stream briefly showed a photo of Alexei Navalny.
- EU and Ukraine sign 'drone deal' for joint production and €10 billion in defense aidThe European Union and Ukraine signed an agreement on July 15 to jointly produce drones and counter-drone systems, with the European Commission also transferring €10 billion for weapons purchases.
- FSB says it seized 24 AI-guided FPV drones destined for Russian airfieldsRussia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it detained suspects accused of plotting drone attacks on military airfields in the Amur and Chelyabinsk regions, seizing 24 FPV drones equipped with neural-network control modules.
- Russia to cancel parking fines issued to drivers waiting in gas station queuesRussia's Interior Ministry has promised to cancel fines for improper parking that drivers received while waiting in lines for gasoline, but only if they file individual appeals.
- Two men arrested in Krasnodar for video of posing on cars near cathedralA court in Krasnodar sentenced two local men to 14 days in jail for filming a video in which one of them stood on Mercedes cars and flexed his biceps on the grounds of the Alexander Nevsky military cathedral.
- Russian tourists detained in Istanbul for reading Bible in Hagia Sophia mosqueA Russian couple was detained in Istanbul after reading a Bible inside the Hagia Sophia mosque, Turkish police confirmed.
- Moscow court upholds detention of Ilya Traber, accused of ordering murder of Vyborg councilorThe Moscow City Court upheld the arrest of Ilya Traber, a businessman and former associate of Vladimir Putin accused of ordering the 2020 murder of Vyborg city councilor Alexander Petrov.
- Serial informant Borodin demands probe of ex-Pushkin Museum director over kokoshnik remarksVitaly Borodin, known for filing repeated complaints against cultural figures and opposition activists, has asked Russia's Prosecutor General's Office to investigate former Pushkin Museum director Elizaveta Likhacheva over her comments about the traditional Russian headdress.
- Russia proposes mandatory phones with tracking app for labor migrantsRussia's Interior Ministry has proposed requiring labor migrants to purchase phones with a government tracking application that would monitor their location and movement.
- Russian glide-bomb strike on Sumy kills three, wounds 17, including teenagerA Russian strike with guided aerial bombs on the Sumy region killed three people and wounded 17, including a 16-year-old, the regional governor said.
- Ukrainian drones cut power to entire city of KerchA Ukrainian drone attack overnight on July 15 completely knocked out electricity in the city of Kerch in Russian-annexed Crimea, according to the Russian-appointed head of the city administration.
- Russian strike on Odesa kills three, wounds two childrenA Russian missile and drone attack on Odesa overnight killed three people and wounded three others, including two children, Ukrainian officials said.