Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespndent] 22.49 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that in June the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck almost 30,000 Russian soldiers.
"This June - also almost 30 thousand confirmed defeats of the Russian occupiers at the front - killed and seriously wounded. The first in terms of the number of defeats among our defenders is the Alpha Special Operations Center of the SBU - thank you, soldiers! We will provide more means for all our units - from deep strikes to those focused on medium range and frontal defense," the president emphasized.
22.28 The Russian side is unlikely to participate in meaningful negotiations to end the full-scale war against Ukraine until at least February 2027. This was reported by the Financial Times, citing informed sources.
Moscow assumes that Russia will be able to occupy the entire Donetsk region, while the United States will supposedly persuade Ukraine to make concessions.
One of the interlocutors involved in non-public contacts to end the war stated that Russia's focus on maximalist goals effectively makes a meaningful negotiation process impossible in the near future.
21.27 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported, citing Ukrainian intelligence data, that the Russians were preparing for a new massive strike on Ukraine.
"There is intelligence again that the Russians are preparing a new massive strike. This is in the spirit of Putin - right after America's Independence Day and before the NATO summit in Ankara. Russia wants to add to the evil and kill people," the president said, urging people to protect themselves and heed air raid warning signals.
20.58 US Vice President J.D. Vance said that Russia's offensive operations are yielding minimal results, while Ukraine's defense strategy could help create the conditions for ending the war. He said this in an interview with The Sunday Times.
"Frankly, the Russians are now in a situation where what they can achieve through prolonged offensive operations is minuscule - approaching zero. This may well create the space we need to see this through," the US vice president stressed.
19.11 Polish Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz decided to declassify information about military assistance to Ukraine provided after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The decision was made after consultations with Prime Minister Donald Tusk and taking into account legal requirements and public interest.
The minister noted that information on all supplies of military assistance to Ukraine in 2022-2026 will be disclosed.
18:47 Russian troops attacked a high-rise building in Zaporizhia during the day, according to the head of the regional military administration, Ivan Fedorov.
Among those injured in the hostile attack were two police officers.
The law enforcement officers were hospitalized. Doctors assess the condition of one of them as serious.
18.23 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has publicly declared war on Ukraine for the first time, although the Russian government had previously insisted on the term "special military operation." He made the statement in an interview with propagandist Pavel Zarubin amid intensifying attacks on Russian infrastructure and domestic problems with fuel and electricity supplies.
16.49 Sumy OVA warned of possible Russian strikes on gas stations and urged residents to refrain from visiting gas stations.
The information received indicates that Russian troops intend to strike at gas stations in the Sumy region and several other regions in the near future.
16.23 Russia has used about 2,200 strike drones, over 1,730 guided bombs and 106 missiles of various types, almost half of which are ballistic, against Ukraine in the past week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported.
16.03 In the city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region, Russian troops attacked a gas station. A man died as a result of the missile strike. This was reported by the State Emergency Service.
"In the afternoon, the enemy launched a missile strike on the city of Izyum. As a result of the strike, the gas station building was destroyed, a fire broke out. The operator's office, gas station, and cars were burning," the report said.
According to preliminary data, a man died, and there are also injured.
15.14 German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that there are no significant changes on the front in Ukraine as of today, but Russia is suffering significant losses, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces are increasingly striking targets on Russian territory. He said this in an interview with Bild.
The key issue remains the issue of financing Ukraine. However, Pistorius noted that the transfer of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine is not necessary at this time.
"The situation has never looked better than it does now. There is almost no progress on the battlefield. Sometimes a few kilometers in one direction, sometimes in the other, but always with high losses for the Russian armed forces. And most importantly, Ukraine is increasingly managing to hit targets on Russian territory, thereby destroying oil refineries and military logistics," Pistorius explained.
14.56 In two days, the forces of unmanned systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have hit sixteen electrical substations in the temporarily occupied territories in southern Ukraine, ten of them in the temporarily occupied Crimea. This was reported by the commander of the Forces of Unmanned Systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, on July 5. In particular, the electrical substations affected were the 110 kV Kovilne substation, the 110 kV Stepne substation, the 35 kV Yany Kapu substation, the 110 kV Traktovo substation, the 110 kV Niva substation, the 110 kV Zimne substation, the 220 kV Bakhchysarai substation, the 110 kV Saki substation, the 330 kV Zakhidno-Krymska substation, and the 35 kV Slovianske substation. In addition, the electrical substations of the 150 kV Genichesk substation and the 150 kV Overyanivka substation were affected.
Also affected were electrical substations (transformers) in Lozovske and Pokrovske, Luhansk region, an electrical substation (transformer) in Preobrazhenka, Kherson region, and an electrical substation (transformer) in Novovasylivka, Zaporizhia region.
In total, between July 1 and 5, SBS Birds hit 37 power plants in temporarily occupied territories in southern Ukraine. Two automobile bridges and three ammunition depots of the Russian invaders were also hit in Crimea.
13.50 On the night of July 5, a unit of the Defense Forces of Ukraine struck the Gvardiyske airfield in the temporarily occupied Crimea. The extent of the damage is being clarified. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Gvardiyske airfield is one of the key military airfields of the Russian Federation on the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula. It is used to base operational-tactical and naval aircraft, provide combat sorties, logistics and maintenance of aviation equipment. The automobile bridge over the Gruzsky Yalanchyk River in the Guselnikovo district and the automobile bridge over the Kalmius River in the Staromaryivka district of the Donetsk region were also struck. The enemy uses these facilities to transfer personnel, weapons, ammunition and material and technical resources. In addition, three ammunition depots of the Russian invaders were hit - in the areas of Makiivka in the Donetsk region, Dovzhansk in the Luhansk region, and Preobrazhenka in the Kherson region.
13.12 The Government of the Netherlands has decided to host not only the preparatory stages, but also the full operational phase of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Russian Aggression against Ukraine on its territory. This was announced by Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sibiga. According to him, the next important step is the completion by the partners of the domestic procedures necessary for the entry into force of the Expanded Partial Agreement on the Steering Committee of the Special Tribunal.
12:30 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released a video of the 19th Army Corps from Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region, which is under the control of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
"Kostyanivka. Video. Servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are in different areas of the city and confirm: Kostyantynivka is under the control of the Defense Forces of Ukraine," the message says.
The General Staff added that the Russians do not stop attempts at infiltration and advancement by separate groups, but such actions are detected in a timely manner, and the enemy is systematically destroyed by Ukrainian defenders.
12.03 The Defense Forces launched an airstrike on the Pokrovska microdistrict, where the work of Russian instructors from the Rubicon center, who were training UAV crews, was recorded. This was reported by the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, releasing a corresponding video.
"A high-rise building in the Lazurny neighborhood was destroyed, which the Russian Federation had used for a long time as a base for pilots. Also, the presence of instructors from the Rubicon center, who trained UAV crews, was recorded in the enemy units located in this neighborhood," the report says.
Also, according to available information, in one of the rooms the enemy stored ammunition containing poisonous chemicals.
"As a result of the strike, the enemy lost up to two UAV crew work stations, a communications hub, ammunition supplies, and up to 10-15 people," the 7th Corps of the Air Defense Forces reported.
11.45 On July 5, Russian troops attacked the Kyiv district of Kharkiv, five people were injured. This was reported by the head of the Kharkiv OVA Oleg Synegubov. Later, he added that according to updated information, a 73-year-old, 75-year-old, 40-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man were injured in the Kyiv district. An 18-year-old girl was also injured.
11.36 On July 5, Russian troops attacked the Kyiv district of Kharkiv, five people were injured. This was reported by the head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleg Synegubov. Later, he added that according to updated information, a 73-year-old, 75-year-old, 40-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man were injured in the Kyiv district. An 18-year-old girl was also injured.
11.24 Russians attacked Bogodukhiv in the Kharkiv region with drones. Two people died as a result of the strike. This was reported by the head of the Kharkiv OVA Oleg Synegubov. It is noted that two men died as a result of the strike. A 26-year-old woman suffered an acute stress reaction. A supermarket, a furniture store and two cars were damaged.
10.55 The Defense Forces hit over 200,000 Russian targets in June 2026, and the intensity of strikes on targets in temporarily occupied Crimea has increased. This was reported by Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov.
9.56 Over the past 24 hours, 295 combat clashes were recorded on the front line, most of them in the Hulyaipil direction. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on July 5.
9.22 A Russian drone of the Molniya type hit a gas station in the Industrial District of Kharkiv. This was reported by the city's mayor, Igor Terekhov. The Kharkiv OVA added that as a result of the shelling, a 60-year-old woman suffered an acute stress reaction. In total, three people died in the region on July 4 due to Russian attacks, and 8 more were injured, including a child. In particular, in Kharkiv, women aged 45, 22, 60 and a 10-month-old girl were injured; in the village of Veleten, Zmiiv community, men aged 48 and 52 suffered an acute stress reaction. In the village of Velyky Burluk, a 54-year-old man was injured, and in Lozova, Vovchanka community, one person died, a 32-year-old man was injured. Also, in the village of Vesele, a 69-year-old man died; in Dovzhanka, a 55-year-old man died.
8.52 On the night of July 5, the Russian military attacked Ukraine with one Kh-31 anti-radar missile, three Kh-59/69 guided aircraft missiles, and 125 UAVs. It was possible to shoot down or suppress 112 drones and 3 KARs. The Kh-31 missile did not reach its target. The Air Force reported this. It was recorded that 4 strike UAVs were hit at 3 locations, as well as falling debris at 8 locations.
7.50 The Armed Forces of Ukraine killed and wounded 1,290 Russian occupiers over the past 24 hours, the total losses of the Russian army in the war amounted to 1,409,630 people. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on July 5.
7.24 On the morning of July 5, Russian troops launched another strike on the Dnieper River, hitting one of the city's enterprises. This was reported by the head of the Dnipropetrovsk OVA Oleksandr Ganzha. At 4:58, the Ukrainian Air Force warned of the movement of an enemy missile in the Dnipropetrovsk region on a north-westerly course. Almost simultaneously with this, explosions were heard in the city.
"The enemy attacked the Dnipro. It hit the enterprise. Information about the victims is being clarified," Ganzha noted.
05.27 The State Export Control Service of Ukraine has approved the supply to the United States of a batch of F10 strike unmanned aerial systems (UAS), developed by the Ukrainian company F-Drones. This is the first documented case in the history of bilateral relations when Ukraine agreed to sell abroad not individual parts, boards or technological solutions, but fully equipped ready-made units of combat robotics for the American army.
00.11 Russian troops destroyed part of a high-rise building in Zaporizhia on Saturday evening. As a result of the enemy strike, the wall of the high-rise building from the first to the fifth floor was destroyed. Three people were injured, including one child.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 21:53 During the day, in the period from 8.00 to 20.00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 116 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type flew over the territories of the Belgorod, Bryansk, Tula, Kursk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Oryol, Tver regions, the Moscow region and the Republic of Crimea. 20:43 Air cover groups of the "Vostok" group fended off attack by Ukrainian Armed Forces drones on positions of our troops in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Kostroma paratroopers destroyed an aircraft-type attack drone in the skies over the Kherson region with a precise hit from a Yolka interceptor UAV.
FPV interceptor operators from the Zapad group shot down several Ukrainian Armed Forces hexacopters in the Krasny Liman area.
19:02 Operators of attack UAVs from the Sever group destroyed strongholds and personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Khar'kolv region.
Drone operators of the Vostok group hit enemy manpower in the forest belts of the Zaporizhzhia region.
FPV drone crews from the Center group burned down a UAV control center and the equipment located in it in the Dobropillya direction.
16:43 July 4, 2026 Russian Ministry of Defense issued statement proposing a humanitarian action to hand over the bodies of fallen Ukrainian army servicemen located in the city of Konstantinovka after Russian troops have finally taken control of the town and the fighting there has ceased.
During the discussions with the intelligence services on this issue, the Ukrainian side rejected this proposal.
Thus, the Kyiv regime did absolutely nothing to ensure that the bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen were given a dignified burial by their families. The Ukrainian authorities once again demonstrated their attitude toward fallen soldiers as expendable material, primarily conscripted to the front lines through forced mobilization.
16:39 Rubicon drone operators continue destruction of automotive equipment, NRTK, elements of the communication system, firing positions, field ammunition storage points, drone control points, as well as enemy reconnaissance and attack UAVs.
15:02 Naval infantry of the Center group before leaving for a combat mission pass training at the training ground.
The fighters practice their skills in movement, continuous monitoring of the situation in the sky, and clearing enemy trenches as part of combat teams of twos and threes.
Training takes place in conditions as close to combat as possible. To this end, the training ground has been equipped with training facilities that replicate enemy positions: dugouts, approaches, access roads, trenches, and covered slits.
14:29 Mortar of the Ukrainian Armed Forces worked out copter and FPV drone operators from the 1009th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Guards "North" destroyed an enemy weapon with several precision strikes.
13:08 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation as of July 5, 2026
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to conduct a special military operation.
Units of the "North" force group have improved their tactical position. They have defeated the personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' airmobile brigade and two territorial defense brigades near the villages of Zorino, Kiyanitsa, Malaya Slobodka, Tolstodubovo, and Khmelevka in Sumy Oblast.
In the Khar'kov region, two heavy mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Velykyi Burluk, Martovoe, Nesternoye, Petrovka, Polnaya and Staryi Saltov in the Khar'kov region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 200 servicemen, an armored combat vehicle, 14 vehicles, and three artillery pieces.
Units of the "West" force group have occupied more advantageous positions and lines. The personnel and equipment of five mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade have been defeated near the settlements of Kutkovka, Nizhneye Solenoye, and Pristen in the Khar'kov region and Shchurovo in the Donetsk People's Republic.
In the village of Krasny Liman in the Donetsk People's Republic, the 25th Army's reinforcement units continue to clear mines and clear the town of small groups and isolated Ukrainian fighters. Assault units of the 67th Motorized Rifle Division are advancing toward the Blue Lakes.
In order to disrupt the rotation of personnel and the supply of weapons and ammunition to units of the 63rd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the 120th Territorial Defense Brigade, an air strike destroyed the embankment crossing over the Seversky Donets River near the village of Mayaki in the Donetsk People's Republic.
Over the past 24 hours, up to 20 Ukrainian servicemen, a US-made HMMWV combat armored vehicle, two pickup trucks, three remotely controlled robotic systems, and 11 unmanned aerial vehicle control stations have been destroyed in the village of Krasny Liman in the Donetsk People's Republic.
In total, in the area of responsibility of the "West" group of forces, the enemy lost more than 220 servicemen, six combat armored vehicles, 17 cars and a launcher of a Croatian-made RAK-SA-12 multiple launch rocket system.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces have improved their position along the forward edge. They have inflicted losses on the personnel and equipment of four mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, a mountain assault brigade, an airmobile brigade, and an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the settlements of Alekseyevo-Druzhkovka, Kramatorsk, Nikolaevka, Orekhovatka, Pershomaryovka, and Slavyansk in the Donetsk People's Republic.
In one day, the enemy lost over 220 servicemen, an armored combat vehicle, 15 vehicles, four field artillery pieces, a Grad multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle, and an electronic warfare station.
Units of the Center Group of Forces improved their tactical position. They inflicted losses on the personnel and equipment of a heavy mechanized assault brigade, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and two naval infantry brigades near the settlements of Annovka, Dobropillya, Novofedorivka, Raiske, Rubizhne, Sergeyevka, and Toretskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Ivanovka, Novopavlivka, and Novopidgorodnoye in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
The Ukrainian armed forces lost over 300 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, six cars, four field artillery pieces, two electronic warfare stations, and two electronic intelligence stations.
Units of the "East" force group advanced deep into the enemy's defenses. They defeated the personnel and equipment of four airborne assault brigades, an airmobile brigade, an assault brigade, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and two territorial defense brigades near the settlements of Gavrilovka, Kolomiytsy, and Mechetne in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and Volnyanka, Novosoloshino, Rozovka, Chervonaya Krynytsia, and Chervony Yar in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The enemy lost up to 470 servicemen, an armored combat vehicle and eight vehicles.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of the heavy mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Balabyne, Verkhnyaya Khortytsia, Kushugum and Novooleksandrivka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
More than 60 Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen, a 122mm D-30 howitzer, 12 vehicles, four electronic warfare stations and an electronic reconnaissance station were destroyed.
12:34 Crews of the Geran-2 Seeker and Geran-4 Seeker unmanned aerial vehicles inflicted strikes on gas stations, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces actively used to refuel vehicles.
11:04 Crew of the Geran-2 Siker drone attacked on the railway infrastructure behind enemy lines.
As a result of a precise hit, a train carrying cargo for the Ukrainian Armed Forces was damaged.
10:32 As a result of the strike by the Geran-2 Siker UAV destroyed gas distribution station in the village of Gazoprovodnoye, Chernihiv region.
10:06 UAV "Geranium-4 Siker" hit at the 110 kV substation in the village of Dyakovka, Sumy region.
As a result of the target being hit, a number of facilities used by Ukrainian armed forces were de-energized.
07:43 During the night, from 20:00 Moscow time on July 4 to 7:00 Moscow time on July 5, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 71 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft type over the territories of the Belgorod, Bryansk, Rostov regions, the Republic of Crimea and over the Black Sea.
05:45 Artillerymen from the Southern Group of Forces carried out a targeted strike on Ukrainian militants who had taken refuge in a building in the private sector of Alekseevo-Druzhkovka.
122mm D-30 howitzer crews of the Vostok group destroyed strongholds and a network of fortified dugouts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Mikhail Kucherov
[REGNUM.RU] The FSB has published a document on its official website, now declassified. It details how our counterintelligence discovered and eliminated one of the main perpetrators of the Volyn massacre. On February 13, 1945, high-ranking Bandera commander Dmytro Klyachkivsky, responsible for the murder of nearly 100,000 people, was assassinated. Good.
By the beginning of World War II, ethnic Poles constituted approximately 15% of the population of Volyn (which was part of Poland until September 1939). These included both migrants and those who had lived there for generations. After Western Ukraine was annexed by the Ukrainian SSR, the ethnic balance remained largely unchanged. Only in Galicia and Volyn did the number of Jews increase, having fled to the USSR from Nazi-occupied Poland.
In June 1941, the German occupiers allowed the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists* (OUN*) to participate in the extermination of Jews in Lviv, but did not allow it to proclaim a "state," even under the auspices of the Third Reich. Stepan Bandera was arrested (albeit quite comfortably), and his right-hand man and liaison between the OUN and the Abwehr, Roman Shukhevych, was placed in charge of the Nachtigall punitive battalion.
Dmitry (Dmytro) Klyachkivsky, better known by several aliases: Blondin, Okhrim, and Klim Savur, also "worked" under Shukhevych's command. Another, more infamous nickname for this militant commander was less well-known.
After the Germans' defeat at Stalingrad, the OUN (Banderites) decided to distance themselves from their masters. In 1943, Ukrainian nationalists began deserting en masse from punitive units and auxiliary police. At the same time, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army* (UPA*) was formed, with Hauptmann Shukhevych as its "commander-in-chief." He appointed Klyachkivskyi as the head of UPA-North.
On July 11, 1943, on the orders of Klim Savur (Klyachkivsky), UPA militants simultaneously attacked 150 Polish villages. Banderites typically didn't shoot, but rather hacked people with axes, slashed them with knives, beat them with sticks, and burned them alive, often en masse—by forcing them into pits in the streets. They also killed during church masses.
The only reminders of the Polish village of Ostrówki, for example, are a lilac bush planted before the war and a statue of the Virgin Mary beneath it, which once stood in the church. When the Red Army liberated Volyn in 1944, the scale of the crimes became clear, horrifying even those who had fought in Stalingrad and the Kursk Bulge. Frontline soldier Anton Lavrenyuk recalled how, in one of the completely destroyed Polish villages, he encountered an old man who had miraculously survived. He said in Russian, "You left, Bandera came and slaughtered everyone. Women and children hid in the church, they blew them up there and burned them right there."
Ukrainian nationalists, "fighters for the liberation of the homeland," did not spare even Ukrainians themselves if they did not aid the UPA and harboured Poles. In 2025, the FSB published the testimony of Ivan Vasuk (nicknamed Golub), a Bandera member arrested by SMERSH agents :
"In total, our detachment killed approximately 1,500 people of all ages in three villages. Some were killed on the spot, in their homes, while most were taken into the forest. The killings were often carried out with axes, some were stabbed with knives, and I personally killed 19 people with a rifle."
The bodies of murdered men and women, old people and children were left in their homes and then set on fire, the perpetrator of the massacre admitted.
Polish historians (including Grzegorz Motyka, a member of the board of the state-run Institute of National Remembrance ) agree: in Volyn alone, Bandera's forces killed up to 60,000 unarmed Poles. Taking into account the massacres in Galicia—in the Lviv, Ternopil, and Stanislav (Ivano-Frankivsk) regions—the death toll approaches 100,000.
Shukhevych and his assistant in Volyn and Polissia, Klyachkivsky, sought to create an ethnically homogeneous territory. But they also kept an eye on the Germans, with whom the formally independent UPA maintained contact. Bandera's followers demonstrated that they were destroying the base of pro-Soviet partisans and Polish underground fighters from the Home Army. German garrisons and commandant's offices allowed Shukhevych's thugs to carry out their "work." At the same time, the Germans sought to pit Polish peasants against Ukrainians—there were attempts to recruit surviving Poles into the gendarmerie for "self-defense" against the UPA.
TRAPPED
The counterintelligence officers who accompanied the advance units into liberated towns and villages were tasked with documenting war crimes committed by the Nazis and their collaborators—evidence that would be presented, among other things, at the Nuremberg Trials. The massacres in Western Ukraine from 1941–44, which culminated in the Volyn massacre, were also documented.
The nature of the crime indicated it was premeditated; captured militants confessed—the orders were given by someone known under the pseudonym Klim Savur. The true identity of the "executioner of Volyn" remained unknown.
But in the summer of 1944, in the liberated town of Zbarazh in the Ternopil region, counterintelligence obtained Bandera documents. Among them was a group photo of the board of the Ukrainian nationalist sports organization "Sokol." Investigators compared the testimony of Zbarazh residents, who identified local native Dmytro Klyachkivskyi, with that of Bandera supporters who recognized the face of Klym Savur, the commander of the UPA-North sector.
As early as July 10, 1944, the head of the 4th Directorate of the NKGB of the USSR, Pavel Sudoplatov, sent a special message to the People's Commissar of State Security, Vsevolod Merkulov, with sensational information:
“According to the report of the 4th Directorate of the NKGB of the Ukrainian SSR from July 10, 1944, they have established the identity of the commander of the UPA “Klim Savur”, he is also the head of the Volyn regional leadership of the OUN (nicknamed “Klim Savur”, aka “Okhrim”).”
Savur, Okhrim, and Klyachkivskyi are all the same person. His other nickname, Shchur, was also revealed. Translated from Ukrainian, it means "rat."
Sudoplatov's report also mentions 77-year-old Maria Prashko and her 70-year-old sister, Teklya Klyatkovskaya, the mother of the UPA commander, who lived in Zbarazh. According to the intelligence officer, both "behaved secretively, did not engage in conversations, and avoided meeting anyone."
A breakthrough in the operation to eliminate Shchur-Savur-Klyachkivskyi occurred in late January 1945. During interrogation, a captured UPA militant testified about the leader's whereabouts. The 223rd NKVD Internal Troops Brigade, whose fighters combed the area, played a key role in the success of the operation.
THE KLYACHKIVSKY-SAVUR CASE
The day X arrived on February 13, 1945. A report from the People's Commissar of State Security of the Ukrainian SSR, 3rd-rank State Security Commissar Sergei Savchenko, sent to the Deputy People's Commissar of State Security of the USSR, Bogdan Kobulov, detailed the operation:
"The Kleven district department of the NKGB, with the involvement of a group of 40 fighters from the 223rd brigade of the NKVD Internal Troops, carried out an operation to eliminate the identified gang in the area of the village of Suska on February 13, 1945."
As they approached the village, the task force encountered three armed bandits. Noticing the security officers, they attempted to flee, but were killed in the ensuing shootout.
An entire arsenal was confiscated from the Banderites: two PPSh submachine guns, one PPS submachine gun, two pistols, one Nagant revolver, five magazines for the submachine guns, three pocket watches (including gold ones), 160 cartridges, and 11 sheets of military topographic maps.
But the main discovery was yet to come. In the field bag of one of the slain bandits, they discovered various UPA documents, as well as an unexpected detail—Order of the Red Star No. 327,488 and a Guards badge. These trophies became the decisive evidence that Klyachkivskyi was among the killed Banderites.
HEROIZATION INSTEAD OF REPENTANCE
After the war, the Poles reminded their neighbors of the massacre by forcibly deporting 150,000 Ukrainians from their eastern borderlands to the new western regions of Poland as part of Operation Vistula. However, in 1990, the Polish Sejm condemned the decision.
Despite the fact that the leaders of Poland and Ukraine are holding joint memorial events for the victims of the Volyn massacre, Kyiv and Warsaw remain divided in their attitudes. In Ukraine, the deaths of tens of thousands of people are ready to be recognized as a tragic event. In Poland, the events of 1943 were classified as an act of genocide, a decision adopted by the Sejm and Senate in 2016.
Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Łukasz Jasina stated in 2023 that Ukraine's neighbors' understanding of the scale of the events was still "very weak," while the then-ruling Law and Justice party called for "announcement of the truth and calling a spade a spade." Warsaw made it clear to Kyiv that it expected a public apology, not a flower-laying ceremony.
Against this backdrop, it is puzzling that Volodymyr Zelenskyy apparently did not know about the massacre in Volyn – he was told about it by then-Polish President Andrzej Duda in 2025.
Instead of repentance, the Poles witnessed a consistent glorification of the leaders of the OUN* and the "insurgent army." This included Zelenskyy's decision to name a Ukrainian Armed Forces unit "Heroes of the UPA" (following which President Karol Nawrocki stripped the Kyiv regime's leader of Poland's highest award, the Order of the White Eagle), and the ceremonial reburial of Andriy Melnyk, the leader of the OUN* faction that rivaled Bandera.
Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called Zelensky's behavior a slap in the face to the current Warsaw authorities.
Meanwhile, the FSB continues to declassify archival materials on the crimes of Ukrainian nationalists (including direct Nazi collaborators) during World War II. The newly revealed information about these atrocities helps, among other things, reconstruct the details of one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the Polish people. The authorities in Warsaw were and remain unfriendly, but this does not mean that ordinary people should not be fully aware of the atrocities committed by their "neighboring" nationalists.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[REGNUM.RU] Roman Vanin, a native of the Sudzhansky district of the Kursk region, who was released from Ukrainian Armed Forces captivity on July 5, reported that he was beaten in a Ukrainian prison for being Russian.
"The worst thing was in Vinnytsia. <…> In Vinnytsia, they beat you up. For being Russian," RIA Novosti quoted Vanin as saying.
He added that prison staff entered the cells and beat everyone there with their hands and batons. Moreover, according to him, the guards made no distinction between prisoners of war and civilians. They could even beat people to death, the prisoner added.
Vanin previously reported that the car in which his brother died was shot at. After being wounded, Vanin was held in a camp and had the letter Z burned into his hand. This is one of numerous testimonies of torture, abuse, and cruelty perpetrated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces against Russian soldiers and residents of the Kursk region.
On June 27, a resident of the Korenivka district reported that Kursk residents forcibly detained in Ukraine were fed pig porridge in pretrial detention. They were also subjected to constant moral and psychological pressure. Furthermore, civilians were held on the premises of a former slaughterhouse in the Sumy region, where the distinctive smell of blood lingered.
On May 15, the Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large for Kyiv Regime Crimes, Rodion Miroshnik, reported that several Russian soldiers had returned from Ukrainian captivity in critical condition. He noted that Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers were using torture methods on Russian prisoners of war similar to those used during the campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. The diplomat also noted that while in Ukrainian captivity, Russian soldiers were subjected to sexual violence, torture, and mental abuse. Ukrainian doctors are using the wounded as dummies for medical experiments, the ambassador added.
On July 3, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk demanded that Ukraine immediately stop torturing Russian prisoners of war.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[REGNUM.RU] American intelligence is coordinating and assisting the Ukrainian Armed Forces in carrying out targeted strikes against infrastructure in Russian regions. This was reported by the British newspaper Financial Times.
"US intelligence agencies played a role by providing Ukrainian military personnel with recommendations on the most effective routes for attacks," the publication reported, citing its sources.
Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Western countries are helping Kyiv target foreign weapons using satellites and other infrastructure. Kyiv is backed by Berlin, Paris, The Hague, Oslo, and, unfortunately, Washington, Peskov added.
On June 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that, amid the deteriorating situation on the front, the Kyiv regime has adopted the tactic of targeting civilian infrastructure. Ukraine is resorting to such attacks increasingly as Russian troops occupy one populated area after another, the Russian leader noted.
[OPIS] The Kremlin is reportedly considering a full ban on diesel exports as an extended campaign of Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s refineries has sparked fuel shortages across the country.
President Vladimir Putin said Sunday in a televised meeting that this is one of various measures under discussion, according to media reports. Local news agency Interfax had reported Friday that the decision about the ban had been postponed for one more week.
With Russia standing as the world’s second largest diesel exporter, a full export ban would tighten supplies globally.
Russian diesel exports have already fallen to multi-year lows as a result of refinery outages caused by Ukrainian strikes. According to Vortexa, exports averaged 480,000 b/d over June 1-25, down 53% from a year ago.
This reduction in volumes out of Russia is likely supporting global diesel margins. The diesel crack in Northwest Europe remains well above $40/barrel despite the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — diverging from crude oil which has fallen back to pre-war price levels. The NWE diesel crack had averaged just under $25/bbl over the first two months of 2026, prior to the start of the war.
Once the main source of diesel supplies to Europe, Russian oil is currently banned in the EU and in the U.K. due to the invasion of Ukraine. Brazil, Turkey and the north of Africa have emerged in recent years as the largest buyers of Russian diesel, benefiting from discounted prices relative to non-sanctioned producers.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Gleb Zabelin
[REGNUM.RU] The call from Washington to Moscow following the news of Konstantinovka's liberation proved more significant than a typical diplomatic incident. In such conversations, the wording is important, but even more important is the order of events: who dialed the number, when exactly, and against what backdrop. This time, the United States took the initiative.
Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov reported that the proposal to hold a conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on July 4, the 250th anniversary of US independence, came from their American partners. Ushakov himself was terse: "This speaks volumes."
The conversation, devoted to resolving the Ukrainian crisis, lasted an hour and twenty-five minutes. Particular attention was paid to Donald Trump's possible participation in the NATO summit, which will be held on July 7-8 in Turkey. According to Ushakov, the US President expressed his readiness to facilitate a cessation of hostilities.
It was also noted that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner intend to continue mediation efforts and are prepared to visit Moscow. Finally, the leaders agreed to maintain contact and hold another telephone conversation.
This diplomatic gesture essentially signifies America's recognition of the changed military and political realities. The day before, on July 3, Vladimir Putin received a report on the liberation of Konstantinovka and the operational situation in other areas of the special military operation.
That same day, fundamental political principles were announced: Russia will continue to strike targets associated with the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, and the Ukrainian regime and its Western supporters are responsible for the protracted conflict.
It was with this position that Russia entered into dialogue with Washington, based on its successes at the front.
The statistics of military successes speak for themselves. Since the beginning of 2026, according to Vladimir Putin, Russian troops have liberated 133 settlements and taken control of over 3,000 square kilometers in Donbas and Novorossiya. The General Staff's data clarifies: in June alone, 29 settlements and 636 square kilometers were liberated.
The advance of the "South" and "North" groups, which have taken control of dozens of populated areas and hundreds of square kilometers in key areas, was noted separately.
The transfer of Kostiantynivka to Russian control became an important military line. Further on are Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the largest remaining strongholds of Ukrainian defense in the Donbas.
According to Ushakov, during their conversation, Putin detailed to Trump the situation along the entire line of contact. This was especially necessary after the American president's contacts with Kyiv: Washington could easily have received a version of events favorable to the Ukrainians. Moscow, however, offered its own—a frontline version, verifiable, and very unpleasant for Ukraine.
So why did Washington need this conversation now?
The answer is obvious: Russia's successes on the battlefield are once again pushing the United States toward diplomacy. The more noticeable the advance of Russian troops, the harder it is for Western capitals to maintain their previous narratives: that Moscow is failing to achieve its goals, that Donbas remains a bargaining chip, that time is automatically working against Russia.
It's no coincidence that Trump, siding with the winning side, confirmed his readiness to facilitate a swift end to hostilities. It's no coincidence that the idea of "colossal prospects for cooperation between Russia and the United States that will open up after the conflict ends" was reiterated. The pivot itself is important here: from talking about the war as an endless Western investment to a discussion of what will happen after it.
Moscow occupies a geopolitical position that the West cannot ignore. Russia can be argued with, pressure can be exerted, and information warfare can be waged against it. But convening a negotiating table as if Moscow weren't on it is no longer feasible. Especially given the broader American game of recent weeks: Ukraine, Iran, Hormuz, NATO, Moscow.
Trump is leading his own party, where Ukraine is just one of the many possible moves. Therefore, a conversation with Putin isn't a polite gesture, but a negotiation with the main player, without whom the party cannot and will not work.
Moscow has long since learned to distinguish a broad American smile from real, unvarnished politics. At the same time, Russia has never rejected dialogue, as long as it is conducted respectfully and with an understanding of the subject matter. The very fact of contact is important: despite all the contradictions between Moscow and Washington, there remains room for direct discussion.
The date was also chosen for a reason. The 250th anniversary of US independence recalls the time when the young North American States fought for their own freedom. Back then, Catherine the Great refused to send British troops against the rebellious colonies, and in 1780, Russia issued the Declaration of Armed Neutrality, which complicated the British naval blockade. While such remembrance doesn't resolve current issues, it creates a positive framework for negotiations and clearly demonstrates that Russia and the United States have much to discuss, even without Ukraine.
But such a conversation is possible under one condition: that Washington speaks to Moscow as an equal. The rhetoric of Putin and Trump's contact differs markedly from the diplomatic toughness the American president allows himself toward his European allies and Kyiv. That doesn't work with Russia. Here, theater quickly ends and politics begins.
The Ukrainian regime finds itself in a difficult position. Its old bet was to turn the conflict into an endless Western project: more weapons, money, sanctions, summits, promises. But after every major change on the front, the same thing emerges: military reality is stronger than political window dressing.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
