Author’s articles
On the night of 29–30 June 2026, a full ‘Strawberry Moon’ will rise over Ukraine. Although this time it will be one of the smallest of the year, the Moon will appear much larger near the horizon due to a well-known optical illusion.
On 29 June 2026, Orthodox Christians, following the new church calendar, celebrate one of the greatest summer feasts — the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul, the First-Called Apostles. On the same day, the miraculous Kasperivska Icon of the Mother of God, which is kept in Odesa, is honoured.
Russia has announced the death of Sergei Ivanov — a former Russian Defence Minister, former head of Vladimir Putin’s administration and one of his long-standing allies. Ivanov died aged 73; the cause of death has not been officially disclosed.
Hollywood actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have once again found themselves at the centre of a family dispute. According to Western tabloids, the cause this time was the actor’s absence from their daughter Zahara’s graduation ceremony.
Ukraine and Russia have carried out a new prisoner exchange on a ‘160 for 160’ basis. 160 Ukrainian servicemen, who had been held captive by Russia since 2022, have returned home.
The Ukrainian director and producer of Serbian origin, Bata Nedich (Svetislav Bogoslavović), has died following a long illness. During his career, he created a number of well-known Ukrainian films and TV series, including *The Century of Yakov*, *A Village Worth a Million* and *The Other Franko*.
In Ukraine, mobile operators are being required to explain the terms and conditions of ‘unlimited’ internet more clearly, whilst the number portability service will be temporarily suspended from 29 June to 1 July. For subscribers, this means two things: tariff terms and conditions should become clearer, and it will not be possible to switch operators whilst keeping the same number for a few days.
Ahead of the start of the admissions campaign, Ukrainian universities have updated their fees for fee-paying places. At leading universities, a four-year bachelor’s degree in popular subjects can cost between 300,000 and 400,000 UAH.
Kirill Budanov has criticised the decision by Polish President Karol Nawrocki to strip Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle. According to him, the current situation between Ukraine and Poland is not yet a conflict, but it could escalate if the parties do not back down.
Following an update to the ‘Reserve+’ app, the category of reservists has started to appear in military registration documents. Employers are therefore advised to double-check their employees’ details, as reservists are not subject to work restrictions.
Two nuclear reactors in France have been temporarily shut down due to the extreme heatwave. The restrictions were introduced to prevent nuclear power stations from discharging excessively hot water into rivers, which have already warmed up due to record temperatures.
The Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has concluded its pre-trial investigation into the alleged misappropriation of 32 million hryvnias from state-owned enterprises within the Ukroboronprom group. According to the investigation, those involved in the scheme also attempted to illegally misappropriate a further 19 million hryvnias.
