Newsletter 08/07/2025
A daily news digest covering important war, political, economic, and cultural topics in Ukraine
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Ukraine sanctions Chinese firms supplying drone parts to Russia
President Volodymyr Zelensky has enacted a National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) decision to impose sanctions on Chinese companies that supply components used in Russian drones.
A total of five Chinese companies were added to the sanctions list.
According to Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the President’s Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, components of Chinese origin were found in Shahed-type drones that were shot down during the massive Russian attack on Kyiv overnight on July 4.
“Sanctions have now been imposed on these supplier companies. Among them are Ningbo BLIN Machinery Co., Ltd and Suzhou ECOD Precision Manufacturing, which delivered products to sanctioned Russian enterprises in 2024 and 2025,” Vlasiuk said.
Ukrainian intelligence names Russian officer involved in missile strike on Okhmatdyt hospital
One of the individuals responsible for planning a large-scale missile attack on Ukraine on July 8, 2024, including the attack on the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, was Major Denis Alexeyevich Sheynov, head of the Special Engineering Service of the 121st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, part of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division.
According to a military intelligence source who spoke to Ukrinform, Sheynov was responsible for organizing the technical preparation of Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles for use by Russian strategic bombers.
Sheynov was born in Saratov on January 30, 1978. He holds a passport (series 6302 number 906672) issued by the Kirovsky District Internal Affairs Department of Saratov on March 15, 2002. He graduated from the Saratov Higher Military Engineering Command School of Missile Forces in 2000.
Sheynov, the head of the Special Engineering Service responsible for preparing missile strikes, including the one on the children's hospital housing 627 critically ill patients, is married and has a son and a daughter. His wife is Elena Mikhailovna Shabalova, born on April 30, 1976.
Ukrainian intelligence publishes data on Russian Kh-101 missile, one of which struck Okhmatdyt hospital
In the "Foreign Components in Weapons" section of the War & Sanctions portal, HUR presents the internal structure of the Kh-101 missile, including details on its main components and modules, as well as information on the enterprises involved in manufacturing the missile and its parts.
One year ago, Russia committed yet another war crime by deliberately targeting a building of the Okhmatdyt children's hospital with a Kh-101 cruise missile. The strike killed two people and injured more than 50 others, including children.
To mark the first anniversary of the attack, HUR has published information on more than 70 companies involved in the development and production of the Kh-101 missile and its components — from the turbojet engine and guidance system to electronics, bearings, and forgings.
Intelligence officials emphasized that dozens of these companies are still not under sanctions from any member of the international sanctions coalition and continue to have access to equipment, components, and technologies critical to missile production.
Pentagon to send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine at President Trump’s direction
The U.S. Department of Defense, following an order from President Donald Trump, will provide Ukraine with additional defensive weapons to help protect against Russian attacks.
War
Border breach in Kharkiv region: Ukrainian troops repel Russian infantry attack
“Yesterday, Russian forces became active near the village of Milove, located northeast of the town of Velykyi Burluk. Enemy infantry crossed the border and attacked our positions with support from artillery and drones,” said Pavlo Shamshyn, Spokesperson for the Kharkiv Operational Tactical Group.
According to Shamshyn, the invaders attempted to advance toward the village of Ambarne but were halted.
Ukrainian troops report a notable increase in Russian assault operations.
“The situation remains difficult. Just in the past 24 hours, Russian forces launched 19 assaults at Ukrainian positions. On Sunday, there were 24 assaults – a significant number. For comparison, a month ago the daily average was only five to seven attacks. It shows a clear escalation in Russian activity,” Shamshyn said.
Chernobyl Reserve photographer Stanislav Humeniuk killed in action
Activist, volunteer, chief sergeant Stanislav Humeniuk — a photographer for the Chernobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve — was killed as a result of a Russian missile strike on June 22, 2025.
Ukrainian border guards destroy Russia’s surveillance system, fuel depot with FPV drones
Operators of FPV drones from the 15th Mobile Border Detachment Steel Border identified and struck a Murom-P surveillance system, a fuel depot, and a Russian checkpoint.
Ukrainian intelligence intercepts Russian troops discussing plans to use chemical weapons
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) has intercepted a conversation between Russian servicemen discussing preparations to use toxic substances against Ukrainian defenders.
War update: 86 combat clashes on frontline since midnight, most intense fighting on Pokrovsk axis
Death toll from Russia's July 4 attack on Kyiv rises to three
Ukraine’s air defenses down 34 out of 54 Russian drones overnight
Military reporting intense battles on Orikhiv front near Kamianske
Russia ramps up missile and drone attacks in June by 60 %, says CinC Syrskyi
Woman killed in Kharkiv region by tank shelling
Russians strike Kostiantynivka with FPV drones in morning, cause damage
Enemy shells Novokairy with artillery in Kherson region, school ablaze
Three civilians killed, ten injured in Donetsk region over past day due to Russian attacks
Defense
Ukraine tests Stalker fiber-optic drones
The Ukrainian company TechEx has tested a new series of fiber-optic drones under the name Stalker, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
"In order to launch mass production, proper documentation is critically important. [...] We had to finalize aspects that we previously considered insignificant. Initially, we were working on volunteer projects where only the drone itself was needed — no documentation was required, as long as it was cheap but functional," said Anton, the chief engineer at TechEx.
Read also: Over 30 companies in Ukraine produce fiber optic drones
Politics
Trump says he is not happy with Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump has once again expressed his dissatisfaction with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, stressing that although Putin always tries to appear pleasant, it turns out to be meaningless.
He added that the Kremlin leader "is very nice all the time but it turns out to be meaningless."
Trump reiterated his disapproval of Putin:
"I am not happy with Putin. I can tell you that much right now. Because he's killing a lot of soldiers. And a lot of them are his soldiers and their [Ukrainian] soldiers, mostly. And it's now up to 7,000 a week. And I'm not happy with Putin," he said.
EU in talks with U.S. on Russia sanctions, but focused on finalizing its own 18th package – Dombrovskis
The European Union continues consultations with the United States on additional sanctions against Russia, but is currently prioritizing the political approval of its own 18th sanctions package.
Society
One year after strike on Okhmatdyt children's hospital: A scar on nation's conscience
The key perpetrator behind the attack has been named. Reconstruction has finally begun, though the process has been overshadowed by bureaucracy and complications around tenders.
Exactly one year ago, on the morning of July 8, 2024, Russia launched a massive missile attack across Ukraine. One of the primary targets in Kyiv was Okhmatdyt, the country's leading children's hospital, where 627 young patients were present at the time. The attack became not just another war crime, but a grim symbol of the aggressor's cruelty and cynicism — a moment seared into the nation's collective memory.
The strike killed two adults, injured eight children, and claimed the life of a boy in intensive care a few days later. One year on, it remains essential not only to remember what happened but also to assess what has since been discovered about the crime, who was responsible, and how far the hospital's complex reconstruction has progressed — a hospital that now stands as yet another symbol of Ukrainian resilience.
Crime
Police detain two foreign nationals in Kyiv for displaying Nazi symbols in public
Police have detained two foreign nationals in Kyiv's Pecherskyi district for publicly displaying Nazi symbols.
As police noted, during recent internet monitoring, officers discovered an image showing a man in a T-shirt with Nazi symbols displaying a flag bearing a swastika on a city street.
Through investigative efforts and assistance from criminal analysis experts, officers from the Pecherskyi District Police identified the individual as a 27-year-old foreign national. Further investigation revealed he was accompanied by a 25-year-old friend, also a foreign citizen, who was likewise wearing a T-shirt featuring banned symbols of the totalitarian regime.