Explosions have been heard in Mariupol — a petrol tanker, a petrol station and, presumably, Russian warehouses have been hit

Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the illegitimate President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, has stated that Russia considers the possible deployment of NATO military contingents on Ukrainian territory to be unacceptable. According to him, this is precisely how the Kremlin justifies the so-called ‘special military operation’.

Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new missile, the Adapted Capability Effector, for the Patriot systems, which is set to become a cheaper alternative to PAC-3 interceptors. The development was unveiled against a backdrop of growing demand for missile defence systems in the wake of ballistic missile attacks.

Russia has launched the second batch of ‘Rassvet’ satellites, which are seen as a future counterpart to the Starlink system. There are currently around 40 such satellites in orbit, but this is not sufficient for military purposes.

Ukrainian forces shot down a Russian MiG-29 fighter jet and a ‘Pantsir-S1’ air defence system in the Kursk region.

Following the Russian State Duma elections, scheduled for September, the Kremlin may announce a new wave of mobilisation. Ukrainian officials and intelligence representatives believe that, until then, the Russian authorities will try to avoid making public statements on this matter.