Author’s articles
Polish customs officials at the ‘Yagodin’ border crossing discovered cigarettes in a lorry, even though the vehicle’s documents stated that it was carrying rolls of polythene film. Yevhen Plinsky also speculates on possible irregularities during the customs clearance process on the Ukrainian side.
A shortage of diesel fuel, restrictions on its sale and rising prices are hampering the 2026 harvest in Russia. According to Forbes sources, the situation is most acute in the southern regions, which account for a significant proportion of the grain harvest.
Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko believes that the current standoff between Russia and the West cannot go on indefinitely. In a column for *The Economist*, he outlined five possible scenarios for the country’s future once the war is over.
Rosneft’s Saratov oil refinery has halted oil processing following damage and fires caused by a drone attack. According to Reuters sources, the plant has been out of operation since 8 July.
The Security Service of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor General have reported that a scheme involving the extortion of unlawful benefits at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been uncovered. According to the investigation, a legal adviser at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, together with her son, demanded 100,000 euros from a manufacturer of unmanned aerial systems.
Russia’s Gazprom has stated that drones attacked the Krasnodarskaya compressor station, which facilitates the transport of gas to Turkey via the Blue Stream pipeline. The company maintains that gas supplies are continuing without disruption.
In its final report, the Verkhovna Rada’s Temporary Investigative Commission concluded that the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine is showing only partial positive progress. At the same time, the committee highlighted staff shortages, weak internal controls and the risk of the agency losing its institutional capacity.
In June, drones operated by the Ukrainian Defence Forces struck more than 200,000 verified enemy targets and killed nearly 28,000 Russian occupiers.
The Ukrainian drone manufacturer ‘General Chereshnya’ has more than doubled its production capacity and now produces over 100,000 drones a month. This makes the company one of the largest manufacturers of FPV drones in Ukraine.
The 425th Separate Assault Regiment ‘Skelya’ has commented on a report by ‘Babel’ regarding seven further conscripts who were killed during training exercises with the regiment. They say they are cooperating with law enforcement agencies and are striving to “reduce to zero” non-combat casualties.
The government plans to launch financial assistance schemes for the most vulnerable sections of the population, so that support is provided as early as October – before the coldest part of winter sets in.
One person was killed and two others were injured as a result of the Russian missile attack on Kyiv on the night of 8 July. Fires broke out in the Sviatoshynskyi and Desnianskyi districts of the capital, and a tram depot was also damaged.
