Zelenskyy says Ukraine will unveil archives of the Security Service and intelligence on the Volyn tragedy events
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine is preparing new initiatives to strengthen relations with Poland, including measures addressing historical issues, opening archives, and expanding search and exhumation work related to the Volyn tragedy.
Following a meeting on Ukraine's policy toward Poland on 17 July, Zelensky said, "The priorities are clear: all of us in Europe need good-neighbourly, equal and mutually beneficial relations built on respect."
According to the president, Ukraine will take several key steps, including pursuing new diplomatic initiatives, opening all Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Foreign Intelligence Service archives related to the events in Volyn during the 20th century, and issuing a significant number of additional permits for search and exhumation work. Participants also discussed expanding dialogue between Ukrainian and Polish societies.
Zelensky added that he had tasked Oleksandr Alfiorov with preparing proposals to strengthen the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance.
"Oleksandr will prepare and present comprehensive proposals, and I ask the relevant government officials and the competent committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to consider increasing financial and other support for the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance. Appropriate capabilities are essential to properly represent Ukraine's interests, " Zelenskyy said.
Putin has personally ordered the obliteration of major Ukrainian cities near the front line
According to Ukraine’s military intelligence (GUR), Russian President Vladimir Putin has personally ordered the destruction of major Ukrainian cities including Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia. The Russian army received clear instructions to significantly intensify strikes on all front-line and border regional centers and cities. The targets now include not only military objects but also residential buildings, gas stations, public buses, and civilian cars on the roads. This new wave of terror against the civilian population shows the brutal and criminal nature of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Russia targeted the downtown of Kharkiv: one killed, two children among those injured
One person was killed and eight others, including two young children, were injured after Russian forces struck the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv on the evening of 17 July, according to local authorities.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the attack hit the city center, damaging residential buildings. He initially reported that 10 people had been injured, at least a third of them children, but later revised the figure to eight, including two boys aged 2 and 7. Syniehubov later confirmed that eight people had been affected by the strike.
The protests continue for the second day as Zelensky stands by the decision to oust Defense Minister Fedorov
Ukrainians gathered in Kyiv and several other cities on 17 July for a second consecutive day to protest President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to dismiss Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov while keeping Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi in office.
The demonstrations continued despite Zelensky's statement after the first day of protests that he "understands, hears, and responds" to public concerns. Protesters argue that the president has not acted on calls to reverse Fedorov's dismissal, which has triggered a broader political debate over the future of Ukraine's military leadership.
Fedorov, one of Ukraine's most popular senior officials, said his tenure included disrupting Russian forces' access to Starlink systems, coordinating long-range strikes on Russian logistics in occupied Crimea, and launching what he described as "an unpopular but extremely important" military reform. Reports suggest his dismissal followed growing tensions with Syrskyi over differing approaches to military leadership, with critics accusing the commander-in-chief of maintaining an overly centralized, Soviet-style command structure.
On 16 July, Zelensky nominated acting Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) chief Yevhen Khmara to serve as acting defense minister, and the Cabinet approved the appointment the following day. Before taking over the ministry, Khmara headed the SBU's Alpha Special Operations Center, which has played a key role in Ukraine's long-range strike campaign against Russia.