News
- Russia's Trans-Baikal region tests QR-code gasoline sales via obscure messenger appAuthorities in Russia's Trans-Baikal region have begun testing a system that requires drivers to obtain QR codes through the little-known messenger app 'Max' in order to purchase gasoline, as the region grapples with a severe fuel shortage.
- Ukrainian drone strikes residential high-rise in Engels, fire reported at military airfieldA Ukrainian drone hit a 25-story residential building in the Russian city of Engels overnight on July 16, while a fire broke out at the nearby Engels-2 military airfield, according to independent sources.
- Top engineer at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant killed in drone strikeAlexander Yakovlev, chief engineer of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, was killed when a drone struck his official car, according to Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev, who blamed Ukraine.
- Zelenskyy to replace Defense Minister Fedorov with Interior Minister KlymenkoUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he will nominate Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as defense minister, replacing Mykhailo Fedorov, who has held the post since January.
- Russian regions introduce QR codes and odd-even rationing as gasoline prices surge 16% this yearConsumer gasoline prices in Russia rose 2.3% in the week from July 7 to July 13, with seven regions now seeing 95-octane fuel cost over 100 rubles per liter, as regions introduce new restrictions including QR-code systems and odd-even license plate rationing.
- Russian court orders investigation into torture of political prisoner Azat Miftakhov at Polar Owl colonyA court in Labytnangi has ruled that the Investigative Committee unlawfully refused to open a criminal case into the torture of political prisoner Azat Miftakhov at Penal Colony No. 18 (Polar Owl) in Kharp.
- Ukraine drone strike halts Russia's largest Gazprom refineryUkraine's drone attack on the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat refinery in Bashkortostan shut down both primary crude processing units, knocking out a facility that accounts for 2.7% of Russia's total oil refining capacity.
- Volunteers and businesses collect drinking water for northern Crimea amid blackoutsVolunteers and businesses in Crimea have begun collecting drinking water for residents of the northern part of the peninsula after Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure caused power outages that halted water pumps.
- FSB's AI media monitoring project fails after two years of developmentThe Federal Security Service's Second Service, responsible for protecting the constitutional order and counterterrorism, commissioned an AI-powered media and social media monitoring system that ultimately failed, according to documents leaked from the developer company Mikord.
- Russian urban activist fractures spine jumping from second floor to escape policeMikhail Popov, a Chelyabinsk urbanist and city council candidate, fractured his spine after jumping from a second-floor window to evade police who he said had 'besieged' his apartment building.
- EU allows Ukraine to buy Chinese drone parts with European loanUkraine has received special permission from Brussels to purchase Chinese components for drones using funds from a 90-billion-euro EU loan, the Financial Times reported.
- Ukraine says it attacked 20 Russian 'shadow fleet' ships in Black Sea; Lavrov calls it terrorismUkrainian drones struck 20 Russian vessels, including oil tankers and gas carriers, in the Black Sea overnight Wednesday, according to the commander of Ukraine's unmanned systems forces.
- Fuel crisis drives up cost of trucking goods from China to Russia by 15–25% in a monthShipping a single truckload from Shanghai to Moscow has risen from about 730,000–750,000 rubles in April to 1.05–1.1 million rubles, market participants told Kommersant.
- US bill would let Trump impose 100% tariffs on top buyers of Russian oilA bipartisan group of US senators has introduced legislation allowing President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest buyers of Russian energy, with the decision left to the president.
- Apple, Google and GitHub briefly inaccessible across Russia; regulator denies blockingUsers across Russia lost access to Apple, Google and GitHub for about two hours on Thursday morning, with traffic anomalies reaching 99% for Apple, before services were restored around noon.
- FSB says it thwarted drone attack near Moscow, blames rapper KyivstonerRussia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it prevented an attack by 35 FPV drones on a strategic enterprise in the Moscow region, accusing Ukrainian rapper Albert Vasilyev (Kyivstoner) of organizing the plot.
- Russia's oil refining output hits 21-year low as Sber launches fuel-finder service amid shortagesRussia's oil refining output fell to its lowest level since March 2005 in July, as Ukrainian drone strikes crippled capacity and a fuel shortage prompted state bank Sber to launch a service to help drivers find gasoline.
- Ten European nations, including Ukraine, launch integrated missile defense coalitionTen European countries, including Ukraine, announced the creation of an integrated anti-ballistic missile defense coalition, with the Elysee Palace publishing a declaration stating the system is 'exclusively defensive' and open to other European states.
- Russian police detain politician Boris Nadezhdin three days after 'foreign agent' designationRussian police detained politician Boris Nadezhdin on July 13, three days after the Justice Ministry added him to the 'foreign agents' registry.
- EU sanctions VK and developer of state messenger Max over surveillance capabilitiesThe European Union has imposed sanctions on Russian tech holding VK and its subsidiary that developed the national messenger Max, citing the app's surveillance capabilities and alleged FSB control.
- FSB says it thwarted FPV drone attacks on two Russian air bases, shows state TV raidRussia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said it prevented large-scale FPV drone attacks on the Ukrainka and Shagol military airfields, detaining suspects and seizing 24 drones equipped with AI modules from Western countries.
- Europe bought record volumes of Russian LNG ahead of banEuropean countries imported a record 9.89 million tons of liquefied natural gas from Russia's Yamal LNG plant in the first half of 2026, 18% more than a year earlier, according to data from analytics firm Kpler cited by the Financial Times.
- More than 350 drones target Moscow region, three killedA massive Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow and the surrounding region killed three people and wounded five, according to Russian officials.
- Russia strikes Zaporizhzhia region nearly 1,000 times in 24 hours, wounding 13Russian forces carried out 932 strikes on 51 settlements in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region over the past day, wounding 13 people including one child, the regional military administration said.
- GRU officer posing as Aeroflot employee buys Japanese tech for Ukraine warA GRU officer operating undercover as an Aeroflot employee in Tokyo is procuring dual-use technologies for Russia's war in Ukraine, according to Western intelligence sources cited by The New York Times.
- Chechnya reports 'reuniting' over 3,000 divorced couples since 2017A Chechen commission created by regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov has 'reunited' 3,038 divorced couples out of 6,020 identified since 2017, state television reported.
- Zelensky announces resignation of Ukrainian PM Svyrydenko, cabinet reshuffleUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 12 that Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko will step down as part of a broader government overhaul tied to a shift in the country's political strategy.
- Ukrainian drone strike on Syzran refinery kills one, hits tanker in Sea of AzovA Ukrainian drone attack on the Syzran oil refinery in Russia's Samara region killed one person and injured three, while a separate strike damaged a tanker in the Sea of Azov.
- Russia halts shipping on Azov-Don Canal after Ukrainian drone attacks on 'shadow fleet'Russia has suspended navigation on the Azov-Don Sea Canal, which links the Don River to the Sea of Azov, following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on vessels in the region.
- Russia strikes Kyiv for third time in a week, wounding 10 including 11-year-old boyRussia launched a massive overnight missile and drone attack on Kyiv on July 11, wounding 10 people including an 11-year-old boy, in the third such assault on the Ukrainian capital in a week.
- Zelensky creates special long-range command to strike Russia as Moscow admits drone attacks caused gasoline shortageUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has created a special command within the Armed Forces to coordinate long-range strikes on Russian territory, while Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak publicly acknowledged for the first time that Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries have caused a domestic gasoline shortage.
- Journalists identify Russian prison doctor who mocked, threatened to rape Ukrainian inmatesInvestigative journalists from the Ukrainian project Skhemy and OCCRP have identified a prison medic, Vyacheslav Cherdantsev, who Ukrainian inmates at Penal Colony No. 7 in Pakino, Vladimir region, said subjected them to sexual humiliation and torture.
- Russia designates politician Boris Nadezhdin a 'foreign agent,' barring him from electionsRussia's Justice Ministry added politician Boris Nadezhdin to its register of 'foreign agents,' effectively barring him from running for office.
- Russia's gasoline production falls to 65% of demand as drone strikes cripple refineriesRussia's daily gasoline production now covers only 65% of seasonal demand, a deficit of 40,000–45,000 tonnes per day, after Ukrainian drone attacks halted operations at major refineries.
- Russia officially admits fuel shortage caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on refineriesDeputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak acknowledged for the first time that Ukraine's drone attacks on oil refineries have created fuel shortages in Russia.
- Novosibirsk region asks residents to stop driving as fuel shortage worsensAuthorities in Russia's Novosibirsk region have urged residents to limit car travel and companies to switch to remote work due to a fuel shortage that has spread across much of the country.
- At least 3,589 foreign fighters killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine, BBC investigation findsAt least 3,589 foreign nationals have been killed while fighting for Russia in Ukraine, according to a joint investigation by the BBC Russian Service, Mediazona, and volunteer researchers.
- Oil again leaking from tanker that sank in Kerch Strait, satellite images showSatellite images taken on July 1 show new oil pollution near the wreck of the Volgoneft-239 tanker in the Kerch Strait, according to OSINT project SkyEye, The Insider, and Agentstvo.
- Fuel crisis in Russia affects 50 million people, Financial Times analysis findsA fuel shortage in Russia directly affects about 50 million people, or 35% of the population, according to a Financial Times analysis based on the number of motorists in each region.
- Russian court fines factory for failing to recruit enough drone-defense reservistsA court in Kirov fined the LEPSE electromechanical plant 50,000 rubles for failing to meet a quota of employees to serve as reservists protecting the facility from drone attacks.
- Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko donated $335 million to Putin's Sirius center after prosecutors sought to seize his assetsBillionaire Andrey Melnichenko transferred 32 billion rubles ($335 million) to the Sirius educational center in 2023 after Russia's Prosecutor General's Office moved to confiscate his power company Sibeco.
- Polish court sentences ex-Open Russia coordinator to seven years for spying for FSBA Polish court sentenced former Open Russia coordinator Igor Rogov to seven years in prison for espionage, finding him guilty of gathering intelligence on Russian opposition figures in Poland for the FSB.
- Russian soldier who threatened Putin with mutiny freed after 11 days in custodyAlexander Lunin, a Russian serviceman who threatened President Vladimir Putin with a mutiny, was released from administrative detention after 11 days.
- Anti-drone nets fail as Ukrainian drones hit oil depots in Tver and Stavropol, two tankers damaged near TaganrogUkrainian drone strikes ignited oil depots in Tver and Stavropol Krai, while two tankers were damaged in the Taganrog Bay, with anti-drone netting proving ineffective at one facility.
- Yacht linked to Putin moved to closed military port to shield from dronesThe 82-meter yacht Graceful, linked to Vladimir Putin by Forbes and US sanctions authorities, has been relocated to the closed military port of Severomorsk in Murmansk Oblast, according to Danish broadcaster DR, which analyzed satellite imagery and maritime traffic data.
- Russian blogger Diana Shurygina sent to pretrial detention for using mobile phone under house arrestA Moscow court ordered blogger Diana Shurygina into pretrial detention after she violated house arrest by using a mobile phone, in a case involving alleged pornography distribution.
- Russia mandates migrant workers' children leave at 18 or obtain own work patentRussia's State Duma passed a law requiring children of migrant workers to leave the country at 18 unless they obtain their own work patent, and tightening income requirements for all labor migrants.
- Russia deploys jammers to disrupt Starlink used by Ukrainian dronesRussian forces are using electronic warfare systems to jam Starlink satellite internet, disrupting Ukrainian medium-range drone operations, Ukrainian commanders and drone operators told Reuters.
- Egg prices double, buckwheat vanishes from shelves as Crimea denies shortagesAuthorities in Crimea are denying any food shortages even as egg prices have doubled and buckwheat has disappeared from store shelves, with some retailers limiting purchases of oil and grains.
- Trump promises Ukraine license to produce Patriot missilesUS President Donald Trump said he will grant Ukraine a license to manufacture missiles for Patriot air defense systems, ending Kyiv's dependence on foreign supplies.
- Russia passes AI law allowing training on copyrighted works without consentRussia's State Duma passed a law on artificial intelligence regulation in two days, permitting developers to train sovereign and national AI models on copyrighted materials without the rights holder's consent.
- NATO announces $50 billion missile program and €140 billion pledge for UkraineTwelve NATO countries, led by Britain, launched a 10-year, £37 billion deep-precision strike missile program, while the alliance pledged €140 billion in military aid to Ukraine over two years.
- Kazakhstan restricts border crossings to curb fuel smuggling as Russian crisis deepensKazakhstan has limited vehicles from neighboring countries to one entry per day and is cracking down on cars with extra fuel tanks, after a surge in illegal fuel exports amid Russia's ongoing gasoline shortage.
- Russian regions ration gasoline by license plate number as fuel crisis deepensAt least three Russian regions are restricting gasoline sales by license plate number to mitigate a fuel crisis caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries.
- Ukrainian drones strike nine tankers from Russia's 'shadow fleet' in Sea of AzovUkrainian drones struck nine tankers from Russia's so-called shadow fleet in the Sea of Azov overnight on July 8, according to the commander of Ukraine's unmanned systems forces.
- Drones strike compressor station on Blue Stream gas pipeline to TurkeyA drone attack damaged the Krasnodarskaya compressor station, a key facility on the Blue Stream gas pipeline supplying Russian gas to Turkey, Gazprom said.
- Ukrainian drones strike two oil refineries, military airfield, and two tankers in RussiaUkrainian forces overnight attacked two oil refineries in Saratov and Nizhnekamsk, a military airfield in the Voronezh region, and two tankers in the Rostov region, causing fires and casualties.
- Men claiming to be ex-Wagner fighters attack journalist filming gas station queue in YekaterinburgTwo men who said they were former Wagner Group fighters attacked a freelance journalist in Yekaterinburg after he tried to photograph a long queue at a gas station, stealing his phone and punching him in the chest.