Maia Sandu in Kyiv today: a solidarity visit to mark the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Mykhailo Drapaty as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He will replace Oleksandr Syrskyi once the personnel decisions have been formally finalised.

The Hungarian party Fidesz has stated that the public prosecutor’s office carried out searches at the office where its servers are housed. The party has accused the government of attempting to obstruct its activities.

Kesh Patel, Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, may visit Russia this autumn. According to Politico, the trip is currently being planned, and the details are still subject to change.

The Vatican is prepared to host a summit that could help bring an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The date of the talks and the list of participants have not yet been agreed.

NATO countries are facing an acute shortage of cotton, which is needed to manufacture explosives for artillery munitions.

Anna Neplyakh, winner of the ‘Miss Ukraine Universe 2021’ beauty pageant, is no longer keeping her private life under wraps. The model spoke about her relationship with Kyiv-based businessman Oleksandr Gudkov and revealed the surprises they treat each other to.

Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, who had previously expressed his support for Ukraine and had hoped to come here for a concert, unexpectedly addressed the audience in Russian during a performance in Kazakhstan. The Russians in their propaganda media are delighted with the artist’s gesture.

Singer Anna Trincher unexpectedly revealed that ever since her school days she had dreamt of marrying Vladimir Dantes, and it seems this crush has not faded to this day.

In the Polish city of Legnica, an unidentified woman attacked two 13-year-old girls from Ukraine on the evening of 18 July: the police are already investigating the incident.

Participants in the ‘National Cashback’ scheme will receive two payments in August — for purchases made in May and June. The money will be credited to their cards in separate instalments.

In Stavropol, Russia, a sanitaryware manufacturer ran a promotional campaign that caused quite a stir on social media. Visitors to one of the shopping centres were invited to drink a soft drink from the new toilet bowls, and then take part in another unusual challenge

Robert Brovdi (call sign ‘Madyar’), Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces, stated that as a result of Operation ‘MoLoChKa’, which took place over a two-week period in July, Russia lost approximately 75 per cent of the Kerch ferry crossing’s capacity

In the town of Argos-Orestiko in northern Greece, a 52-year-old man was arrested after he drove his car into the main entrance to a military base. According to preliminary reports, the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

The President of Hungary, Tamás Szujók, has signed a constitutional amendment providing for the early termination of his term of office. The document marked the final stage of a political process that had lasted several months following an initiative by Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government

Oleksandr Shvets, editor-in-chief of the publication *Fakty*, has stated that his eldest daughter was assaulted at a public transport stop in the centre of Kyiv. According to him, the incident took place a few days ago on Lesya Ukrainka Boulevard