Ukraine

The Ukrainian Air Force repelled a large-scale night attack by Russian troops. All 16 launched kamikaze drones and two of three guided missiles in different regions of the country were shot down.

Estonia joined the ban on the entry of cars with Belarusian license plates imposed by Latvia and Lithuania. The ban is related to the tightening of EU sanctions against Belarus for supporting Russian aggression in Ukraine.

The General Staff reports 144 combat engagements over the day. In the Kharkiv sector, 20 combat engagements took place in the vicinity of Hlyboke and Vovchansk, where the enemy actively used bombers.

In the western, northern and central regions, short-term rains with thunderstorms, hail and squalls are expected. In the south and east, the heat will reach 39-42°, while in the rest of the country it will be 27-32°.

Terrorists attacked Mykolaiv region three times using kamikaze drones and artillery. The attacks caused a fire in coniferous plantations and damaged a civilian car. There were no civilian casualties.

The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reports enemy tactical aircraft activity in the southeast.

In Khmelnytsky region, rescuers saved two men on the Dniester River. One 31-year-old man was carried away by the current, and a 21-year-old vacationer on a Sup board was blown away by strong winds.

A large-scale air alert was announced throughout Ukraine due to the takeoff of a Russian MiG-31K fighter jet from Savasleika airfield, as reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

95 Ukrainian defenders, including soldiers, members of the National Guard and border guards, were released from Russian captivity thanks to the mediation efforts of the United Arab Emirates.

5 Ukrainian border guards, including one who was considered missing, were released from Russian captivity as part of a prisoner exchange mediated by the UAE.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree enacting the new Maritime Security Strategy of Ukraine, a modern document that takes into account changes and innovations in the security sector and will be implemented jointly with international partners.

During the 54th prisoner exchange since the Russian invasion, 95 Ukrainian defenders were returned from Russian captivity, bringing the total number of released Ukrainians to 3,405.

Ukrainian prisoners released from Russian captivity face serious health problems, including weight problems, untreated injuries, cancer and tuberculosis, which require a long process of rehabilitation and recovery.

Representatives of territorial recruitment centers are present at some checkpoints on the Ukrainian border to assist border guards, but they do not participate in border control activities.

Switching to winter time is the best option from a biological point of view, as humans function according to standardized winter time, and daylight saving time is an artificially created system that disrupts the body's internal clock, leading to health problems such as cardiovascular problems, lack of sleep, and mental disorders.

As of July 1, 2024, UAH 800. 9 billion was in cash circulation in Ukraine, up 4.8% year-on-year, due to seasonal factors and power outages that encourage people to keep cash.

The European Commission has agreed to provide Ukraine with about EUR 4. 2 billion, which will strengthen Ukraine's macro-financial stability in the face of the ongoing war.

On July 18, scheduled power outages will take place in all regions of Ukraine. 4 queues of subscribers will be cut off simultaneously during peak hours from 16:00 to 22:00.

Today, thanks to the mediation efforts of the United Arab Emirates, another 95 Ukrainian defenders, including military personnel, members of the National Guard and border guards, were released from Russian captivity, bringing the total number of Ukrainians released from Russian captivity since the beginning of the full-scale invasion to 3,405, although the exact number of those still in captivity remains unknown due to Russia's lack of transparency.

In Sumy region, a civilian car was attacked by a Russian drone, injuring a female passenger.

The Ministry of Economy discussed expanding cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to attract additional resources for Ukraine, in particular for projects in the energy sector, strengthening war risk insurance, increasing financial instruments, and supporting demining and investment initiatives.

Japan plans to provide Ukraine with a $3. 3 billion loan as part of a $50 billion financial support package from the Group of Seven countries, which will be repaid from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets.

Germany has approved a budget for 2025 with a record 78 billion euros of investment, net borrowing of 43. 8 billion euros, and a total budget size of 481 billion euros, adhering to the constitutional debt limit, but plans to cut military aid to Ukraine to 4 billion euros from about 8 billion euros in 2024.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has appointed Patrick Turner as the Alliance's senior representative to lead the mission to Ukraine, coordinating NATO's efforts and providing an assessment of the situation in Ukraine until it becomes a NATO member.

The National Bank of Ukraine has set the official hryvnia exchange rate for July 18, 2024 at UAH 41. 4627 per dollar and UAH 45.3457 per euro.

Lithuania's foreign minister commented on the potential impact of Donald Trump's choice of Jay DeVance as vice president, saying it means “entering the territory of uncertainty.

95 Ukrainian soldiers, including 23 defenders of Mariupol, were released from Russian captivity.

The Russians are using FPV drones to attack civilian targets, especially emergency services and police units in Kharkiv region, and have increased the number of drone strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Twenty-three Ukrainian soldiers who defended Mariupol were released from Russian captivity, thirteen of them were Azovstal defenders.

Ukrainian footballer Yevhen Konoplyanka, the third leading scorer in the history of the national team with 21 goals in 87 matches, has announced his retirement.