The issue of the repatriation of Ukrainian citizens is once again at the forefront—if this were to happen, we would have a provision to this effect unheard of even during World War II. “Ukrainian citizens subject to military service should have their right to asylum in the EU revoked,” said Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro. “These changes are necessary. The Ukrainian authorities themselves have stated that they need all their human resources,” he explained. According to Taro, if the European Commission’s proposal is approved, it will enter into force quickly. EU member states must prepare for a “coordinated end to temporary protection.”
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said that Europe should support Ukraine in maintaining the pace of its attacks deep into Russian territory. “It is very important that we support Ukraine so that the country can maintain the pace as it launches attacks deep into Russian territory,” Jetten noted in an interview with the Ukrainian publication Kyiv Independent.
Euroactiv reports that the European Commission has abandoned the most stringent provisions of the 21st sanctions package. Disputes have arisen among EU countries regarding the entry ban on Russian military personnel and restrictions on the sale of liquefied natural gas. Some EU countries are likely to ease the ban on fish exports from Russia. Germany will be able to continue purchasing haddock, Poland Alaska pollock, and Portugal cod.
According to a survey by SW Research, nearly 45% of Poles believe Poland’s military aid to Ukraine has been excessive. At the same time, 38.2% of respondents believe the level of support was justified, while 6.8% believe Warsaw has provided insufficient assistance to Kiev. Press sources also reported that Poland has delivered five PAC-3 MSE surface-to-air guided missiles to Ukraine, used by the Patriot air defense system to intercept ballistic missiles.
National Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that Poland had decided to transfer PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine at the request of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and, among others, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), following consultations with countries using the Patriot system. The minister emphasized that the number of missiles transferred represents “the limit of our capabilities” and “does not compromise Poland’s air defense capabilities.”
The Bundestag rejected a resolution calling for increased support for Ukraine through the supply of Taurus missiles to Kyiv. According to parliament, only 79 members voted in favor, while 510 voted against. The resolution also proposed expanding Kyiv’s ability to strike targets in Russia, financing the production of Ukrainian drones, and calling for tougher sanctions against Russia.
“Ukraine is ready to cooperate with Japan’s Mitsubishi on the production of Patriot missiles,” Zelenskyy said. According to the president, Kiev hopes to exchange experience in the production of anti-ballistic missiles and is ready to share its technologies. He also stated that Ukraine plans to receive SAMP/T systems. A similar agreement has already been signed with France. Ukraine has also initiated defense cooperation with Turkey and Azerbaijan and is making rapid progress in this area.
Regarding operational military matters, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Syrsky stated: “The turning point in the war is still far away.” Russia is maintaining its plans to occupy the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, attempting to expand its offensive into the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions, and also seeking to expand the buffer zone in northern Ukraine. In the first half of 2026, the pace of Russian troop advance has been reduced by more than half. The number of active forces and the number of attack directions has been reduced from 13 to six or seven.
Ivan Petrovich Gorbachev and Mikhail Vasilyevich Astakhov, military attachés at the Russian Embassy in Rome, have been expelled by decision of the Italian government on charges of being contacts of the two former Italian 007 agents arrested in recent days for selling secrets and sensitive information to Moscow. The two Russian military attachés were given 72 hours to leave the country after being “involved in activities determined to be incompatible with the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.” ANSA
“Italy will continue to fight with the utmost determination any hostile activity conducted against the country, in close coordination with its Allies,” the Foreign Ministry assured. The expulsion of the two Russian employees represents an essential step – as was the case with the Walter Biot case – following the investigation that led to the arrest of Gavino Raoul Piras and Vincenzo Di Pasquale, former AISI agents, while four Carabinieri are also under investigation. ANSA
“The Russian ambassador,” the ANSA report continues, “has chosen a personal counterattack: ‘Russia can count on figures of the stature of Vladimir Putin and Sergei Lavrov. Italy, on the other hand, despite its immense potential in terms of ideas and its political and humanistic heritage, currently lacks figures of such caliber.'” Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a warning: ‘We will respond.’ ‘By expelling as many Russian diplomats as possible from the country, Rome would like to limit Russia’s influence in Italy as much as possible, but ‘this is impossible anyway.'”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, on the other hand, responded to reporters regarding US President Donald Trump’s statements: “Trump’s statement on the possible closure of Ukrainian airspace is new; no one had ever discussed this topic before; statements about the possible imposition of an airspace closure over Ukraine by the United States have yet to be understood; the United States continues to actively supply weapons to Kiev, and Russia is aware of this.” well aware and under no illusions; Russia considers the United States’ desire to facilitate the peace process in Ukraine to be sincere and welcomes it; Russia sees a certain ambivalence in the United States’ position, which continues to supply weapons to Kiev while maintaining efforts to facilitate the peace process; Russia hopes that the United States will resume its efforts in Ukraine after resolving the situation with Iran; Russia sees a significant deterioration in the situation with Iran.
Regarding the negotiations, “Moscow will no longer believe that the West wants to negotiate on Ukraine,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. “This reserve of goodwill and hope has been completely exhausted,” he said at a joint press conference with Mozambican Foreign Minister Maria Lucas.
The Russian federal budget deficit in the first half of 2026 amounted to 5.73 trillion rubles, equivalent to 2.5% of GDP – 2.345 billion rubles more than in the same period last year, according to the Russian Ministry of Finance. “The high deficit at the beginning of the year is mainly due to the advance payment of expenses,” the website states. According to Russian media reports, UniCredit Bank will stop reissuing all expired debit cards starting August 1st.
No more than 11 parties will be on the federal ballot for the State Duma elections, according to social media and other sources.
Various solutions are emerging to address the oil crisis, from interactive maps of operating gas stations to portable refineries to QR codes for gas pump queues. A fire broke out at two oil depots in Azov, Rostov Oblast, following a drone attack by the Ukrainian armed forces. Evacuations are underway for people whose homes were in the emergency zone following a drone attack in Taganrog, Mayor Svetlana Kambulova said.
The FSB announced it foiled an attack by Ukrainian special services aimed at blowing up the Rostov-Tsentralny military airport. Agency agents identified a Russian citizen whom the Ukrainian special services intended to use in the attack. The attack was planned to deploy 13 remote-controlled FPV drones, each with a payload equivalent to over 1 kg of TNT. The investigation is ongoing.
“There is a fuel shortage on the Russian market because refineries are partially out of service due to the attacks,” Novak said. Authorities are doing everything possible to strengthen refinery security. According to Novak, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) should be monitoring prices, while retailers are taking advantage of the situation on the Russian fuel market to increase prices. He added that the ban on gasoline and diesel exports from Russia is necessary to stabilize the fuel situation and secure the domestic market.
Turkey wants to resell Russian S-400 systems to the United Arab Emirates, according to Kremlin spokesman Peskov: “The topic of Turkey’s sale of Russian S-400 systems is extremely sensitive.” The Turkish newspaper Hürriyet claims that Ankara has resold Russian S-400 missile systems to the United Arab Emirates or Qatar. No evidence is presented to support this claim.
And now a look at the frontline based on OSINT data from the Ukrainian and Russian social networks, updated at 3:30 PM on July 10. Thirty drones were shot down in the Leningrad region overnight. More than 12 were approaching Moscow. The operational headquarters of the Krasnodar Territory reported that debris from fallen drones caused another fire at the Ilsky oil refinery. Drone parts also fell in several locations in the village of Severskaya.
Russian forces launched strikes in the Odessa region (an explosion at an industrial plant occurred after the strikes) and in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Reciprocal drone attacks on gas stations continue along the entire front.
In the Bryansk region, a local resident was killed following a Himars multiple launch rocket system attack.
In the Sumy region, in the Shostka district, the Sever group of forces continues its small arms attack in and around Bachivsk, as well as in the Ulanove area. In the Sumy region, firefights between Russians and Ukrainians with small arms continue in Ryzhivka, Pysarivka, Mohrytsya, Marine, Prokhody, the village of Nova Sich, the village of Khotin, and in wooded areas south of Ivolzhans’ke. In the Krasnopil’s’kyi region, firefights with small arms continue in wooded areas.
In the Belgorod region, one person was killed and nine others were injured, including an Orlean soldier, following Ukrainian drone strikes.
In the Kharkiv region, the Northern Group of Forces is attacking the village of Kozakha Lopan. In the Vovchansk region, firefights between Russians and Ukrainians with small arms are ongoing in the villages of Volokhivs’ke, Yurchenkove, and Bilyi Kolodyaz. In the Velykyi Burluk district, Russian forces continue to engage in small arms attacks west of the village of Petro-Ivanivka, as well as in wooded areas near the villages of Artil’ne, Budarky, and Zemlyanky.
In the Kupyansk sector, Russian forces are attempting to advance through urban areas under attack from Ukrainian drones, with fighting between Russians and Ukrainians intensifying. They continue north, near Rad’kivka and Mala Shapkivka.
In the Slovyansk sector, enemy counterattacks are reported near Malynivka (9 km east of Kramatorsk). Fighting is ongoing on the access roads to Mykolaivka, as Russian forces are preparing for an assault. According to Ukrainian military social media sources, the 120th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was defeated near Liman and abandoned by its command.
In Kostyantynivka, clearing and consolidation operations by Russian forces continue. Fighting is intensifying on the Russian front in the Druzhkivka district.
In the Dobropillya district, fighting is ongoing for Bilytke. Russian forces are targeting Ukrainian positions with ballistic missiles.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, units of the Russian Vostok Group of Forces are consolidating their positions near the villages of Bohodarivka and Oleksandrivka, they are attacking small Ukrainian infiltration groups and preventing them from establishing new crossings of the Vovcha River.
Ukrainian armed forces have launched attacks on key energy infrastructure, leaving a significant portion of Zaporizhia and Kherson oblasts without electricity. Ukrainian drone activity continues over the affected areas.
At the end of the day, it was learned that the Ukrainians struck the Kurgannefteprodukt port terminal in Taganrog and the Azov optical-mechanical plant.
Graziella Giangiulio
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