In the Zaporizhzhia region, a Russian drone damaged a passenger train

Following reports of the death of one of the representatives of the occupying administration at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, Energoatom issued an official statement. The company emphasised that this individual had never been the plant’s legitimate chief engineer, and that all personnel appointments made by Russia following the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP have no legal validity whatsoever.

On 18 July, demonstrations in support of former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov continued in Kyiv and a number of other cities across Ukraine. Participants are calling for a review of the decision to dismiss him, whilst demands for the resignation of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi are also being voiced during the rallies.

In Chernivtsi, the renovation of the steps on Philharmonic Square caused a widespread stir after local residents noticed fragments of portraits on the granite slabs that resembled images from gravestones. The city council stated that no new slabs had been laid during the recent works, but promised to investigate the origin of the materials.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is considering replacing the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, but does not intend to make any personnel decisions until he has identified a candidate who can lead the army without jeopardising the command of the troops

The Primorsky District Court of Odessa found a 40-year-old local man guilty of the illegal trafficking of cocaine and sentenced him to nine years’ imprisonment with confiscation of his property. Whilst transporting the drugs, the man used his seven-year-old daughter’s rucksack to conceal the illicit substance.

The Russian command is using mercenaries from Africa and the Middle East during assault operations in the Donetsk region

On the night of 18 July, the Ukrainian Defence Forces carried out strikes on a number of military and logistical targets on Russian territory and in the temporarily occupied Crimea. The targets included an oil depot in the Moscow region, ships and support vessels of the Russian navy, and a railway bridge in the Luhansk region.

An amendment to the defence bill has been tabled in the US Senate, which would impose new restrictions on Russia should the peace process with Ukraine break down. It was tabled by Republican Senator Steve Daines

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has made further aggressive statements regarding Western countries that support Ukraine. In a post on social media, he called on Russia to take military action against those states supplying Kyiv with weapons and other military aid

Iran has carried out missile and drone attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, prompting both countries to activate their air raid sirens and air defence systems. Incidents have also been reported in Qatar and Jordan amid the further escalation of the conflict.

Following reports of the death of one of the representatives of the occupying administration at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, Energoatom issued an official statement. The company emphasised that this individual had never been the plant’s legitimate chief engineer, and that all personnel appointments made by Russia following the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia NPP have no legal validity whatsoever.

On 18 July, demonstrations in support of former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov continued in Kyiv and a number of other cities across Ukraine. Participants are calling for a review of the decision to dismiss him, whilst demands for the resignation of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi are also being voiced during the rallies.

In Chernivtsi, the renovation of the steps on Philharmonic Square caused a widespread stir after local residents noticed fragments of portraits on the granite slabs that resembled images from gravestones. The city council stated that no new slabs had been laid during the recent works, but promised to investigate the origin of the materials.

The Primorsky District Court of Odessa found a 40-year-old local man guilty of the illegal trafficking of cocaine and sentenced him to nine years’ imprisonment with confiscation of his property. Whilst transporting the drugs, the man used his seven-year-old daughter’s rucksack to conceal the illicit substance.

An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of the Mexican state of Chiapas on 18 July. The tremors were felt by residents of southern Mexico, as well as in Guatemala and El Salvador. Despite the earthquake’s considerable strength, there are currently no reports of fatalities or widespread damage