Kyiv survived an overnight drones and ballistic missiles mass attack; two killed and 16 injured

Kyiv endured one more brutall areal night attack. Russia targeting the Caoital with an unprecedented number of approximately 400 drones and 18 missiles, marking one of the largest attacks of the ongoing conflict. The strikes killed at least two people and injured 24, with drone wreckage igniting fires across eight of Kyiv’s districts, damaging residential buildings, vehicles, warehouses, and offices. It remains unclear whether Russia targeted or hit any military or other strategic targets in the attack, as Ukrainian authorities largely do not disclose such information for security reasons. This makes the full extent of casualties and damage impossible to verify.

Ukrainian air defenses worked tirelessly, but the large volume of the attack overwhelmed some systems, forcing residents to seek shelter in metro stations for three hours as air raid sirens blared. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as “pure terrorism,” highlighting the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure and the escalating intensity of Russian strikes, which followed a record-setting assault just the previous night.

Rubio and Lavrov held a meeting in Malaysia

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on July 10 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during the ASEAN Summit, according to Reuters. Their 50-minute meeting came as the Ukraine Recovery Conference opened in Rome and focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine, as well as developments in Iran and Syria.

Rubio described the discussion as a "frank and important conversation" and noted that President Donald Trump is disappointed by what he sees as a lack of flexibility from Russia on Ukraine. He added that the U.S. is seeking a clear roadmap to end the war and is working with the Senate on a possible new sanctions bill against Russia.

Despite previous rounds of talks between Moscow and Kyiv in May and June in Istanbul, no ceasefire deal has been reached. While Trump has expressed support for ending the war, his administration has neither introduced new sanctions on Russia nor approved additional aid for Ukraine.

At the same time, the U.S. has taken a harder line against Iran, with Trump authorizing strikes on three nuclear facilities in June — a move seen by some as highlighting the administration’s more cautious stance toward Moscow.

Ukraine detained Chinese supposed to steal the Neptune missile technology

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained two Chinese nationals in Kyiv on suspicion of espionage involving Ukraine's Neptune missile system. The suspects—a 24-year-old former student of a Kyiv technical university and his father—allegedly tried to obtain and transfer classified military technology to Chinese intelligence.

The younger man, expelled from university in 2023, reportedly attempted to recruit a Ukrainian with access to secret data. He was caught during the transfer of sensitive documents, while his father, who lives in China and visited Ukraine periodically, was arrested soon after. Authorities found encrypted communications and evidence of coordinated spying on their devices.

Both men have been charged with espionage and face up to 15 years in prison if convicted. The case comes amid increasing Ukrainian accusations of China’s support for Russia, including sanctions against Chinese companies linked to drone components used in Russian attacks. Beijing has said it is verifying the situation.

Russian attacks in June caused highest number of fatalities among civilians in Ukraine over past 3 years

In June 2025, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) recorded 232 civilian deaths and 1,343 injuries — the highest monthly toll since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. This brought the total for the first half of 2025 to 6,754 civilian casualties, marking a 54% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Civilian deaths rose by 17%, and injuries by 64%.

The spike in casualties is linked to Russia’s intensified use of long-range missile and drone strikes, particularly on urban areas, and the widespread deployment of short-range drones near front-line communities. Strikes were recorded in at least 16 oblasts and Kyiv.

Since February 24, 2022, the UN has documented at least 13,580 civilian deaths (including 716 children) and 34,115 injuries (including 2,173 children) in Ukraine.