International
The Pokrovsk sector is still the hottest of the war in Ukraine
This Friday, 139 fighting was recorded at the front, most of them in the Pokrovsk sector, in the eastern region of Donetsk, according to the part of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine updated on Saturday morning.
Russian forces launched six missile attacks on July 5, using twelve missiles, 55 air strikes (with 72 guided aerial bombs) and carried out more than 3,000 bombings, including 105 of them with multiple rocket launch systems.
The Russian army carried out air strikes mainly in the regions of Kharkov, Donetsk and Zaporiyia.
In the Kharkov sector, Russian troops continued offensive and assault operations with the support of aviation, with a total of eight combats.
In the Kupiansk sector, the number of fights increased to five throughout the day, in the Liman sector 21 attacks were repelled and in Siversk, seven.
In the Kramatorsk sector, Ukrainian defenders thwarted ten Russian attempts to break the defensive lines.
In the Toretsk sector, Russian troops were quite active and launched 18 attacks with air support.
In the Pokrovsk sector, 45 Russian attacks were repelled and in the Kurajove sector, the Ukrainian defense forces continued to contain the Russian troops that tried to break the defensive lines on nine occasions.
In the Vremivka sector, Russian troops attacked Ukrainian positions seven times and in the Orijiv sector there were two fights.
In the Dnieper River sector, the Russians continue to try to evict the Ukrainian defense forces from their positions on the bridgeheads on the left bank. The five attacks were unsuccessful.
In the Volin and Polissia sectors, the operational situation has not changed significantly and there are no indications of the formation of Russian offensive groups.
In addition, eleven civilians were killed and another 43 were injured in several Russian attacks on Friday in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, reported the head of the regional military administration, Vadim Filashkin.
On the other hand, about 100,400 subscribers in a total of 348 settlements were still without electricity this morning after a Russian attack last night against an energy infrastructure in the Sumi region, in northern Ukraine, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy reported on Saturday.
Ukrainian drones attacked and set fire to two fuel tanks last night in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, near the annexed Crimean peninsula, regional authorities reported today.
According to the statement, the drones were shot down, but their fragments impacted and set fire to two fuel tanks in two localities. The emergency services did not specify the volume of the deposits reached.
As a result of the night attack, a mobile phone tower in the city of Yeisk, located on the shores of the Sea of Azov, also suffered damage.
The Russian Ministry of Defense in turn reported that the anti-aircraft defense systems shot down seven Ukrainian fixed-side drones last night over the Kursk region and one on the Belgorod region.
These two Russian regions are bordered by Ukraine and suffer almost daily attacks with drones and artillery.
In addition, the Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 24 of the 27 Shahed-131/136 attack drones launched by Russia during the night from the occupied territory of Crimea and the Russian region of Kursk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mikola Oleshchuk, reported on Saturday.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
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