Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1616: Zelenskyy pushes Patriot production in Washington

Exclusives

Ukraine takes a Cold War-era American APC—and turns it into mine-blasting robot. Allies have shipped Ukraine more than 1,700 M113s. Khartia's engineers just showed what one looks like with nobody inside.

A couple beaten for being Ukrainian—the latest case in Poland's rising anti-Ukrainian violence. The video, filmed by a Ukrainian living nearby, spread online, and police detained two suspects the next day.

How tight is Russia's fuel crisis? Altai now caps each car at one fill a day. Drivers had gamed the midnight reset to take two rations. This week, the Siberian republic shut the window.

Russia's strikes stopped Ukraine's grain ships. Its farmers are the ones paying. World wheat price is climbing on the supply scare—yet the grain stuck in Ukraine's ports fetches less by the week.

Russia's ship strikes stall Ukraine's grain corridor. The damage is moving inland. Not one ship passed through the corridor on 22 July, at the height of harvest. The choke is now reaching Ukraine's farmers and its railways.

Ukraine's strikes left Crimea's prepaid fuel coupons worthless—and the biggest chain won't refund them. It is invoking a 14-day return law a Russian lawyer says doesn't apply—he calls it unjust enrichment.

Military

After Ukraine's Caspian strike, Iran warns of retaliation. Ukraine faces that threat without defenses its allies gave Israel. Monitoring channels raised the prospect of a ballistic strike, but Ukrainian officials say no such intent is confirmed.

A Siberian fuel plant 2,000 km from the war zone goes offline—drones struck it days ago. The refinery near Tyumen normally turns out roughly half a million tons of gasoline and millions of tons of diesel a year — for now it makes neither, per Reuters sources.

Ukraine went for Russia's "AliExpress" again—its next-door warehouse was ablaze. The Koledino 3PL depot, which serves Fix Price, Perekrestok and Detsky Mir, burned while Wildberries said its hub kept running.

Intelligence and technology

New ground launcher means Russia no longer needs rare drone to fire its Banderol missile. Photos show a Russian ground launcher for the S8000 Banderol cruise missile, previously fired only from rare Orion drones.

West of Ukraine is still out of reach of Russia's guided drones for reason. What is one thing that would close this gap?. Russia cannot yet steer guided Shaheds against Lviv and Volyn because its control network is out of range, but relays in Belarus would extend the threat west, Serhii Beskrestnov says.

Ukraine and NATO are funding joint teams to turn battlefield prototypes into weapons — each pairing Ukrainian firm with allied one. Brave1 and NATO began accepting applications for UNITE - Brave NATO, a joint grant program to scale drone and air-defense technology.

International

Russia increases ballistic missile strikes: Zelenskyy meets second Patriot interceptor maker within week in Washington to push back. On a Washington visit for Lindsey Graham's funeral, Zelenskyy met Lockheed Martin on joint weapons production and Trump at the White House, as the Senate moved a Russia sanctions bill renamed for Graham.

Lithuania proposes to implement special test for Russian and Belarusian artists and academics who enter state. Those who don't pass will be banned. Lithuania's Foreign Ministry proposed barring Russian and Belarusian cultural, scientific, and sports figures who performed in occupied Ukraine or backed the war from entering the country.

Romania hits cost trap Ukraine spent years escaping: $400,000 missiles against $20,000 drones. Romania spent about €1.5 million downing three Russian drones over three days, mostly on F-16 missiles.

Humanitarian and social impact

Plant can't mine because it can't ship: Russia's attacks on merchant vessels idle 4,480 workers at Ukrainian iron ore giant. Pivdennyi GZK, one of Ukraine's largest iron ore producers, is suspending mining because Russian strikes on merchant ships have effectively halted shipping to Black Sea ports.

Political and legal developments

Kyiv police detain journalist investigating corruption over draft violation, which his newsroom says doesn't exist. He was targeted the same way in 2024.

New developments

Behind a blue check, someone spoke for Ukraine's commander—then X shut the whole operation out. For days, statements attributed to Ukraine's newly appointed commander circulated from a profile he had never controlled.

Read our earlier daily review here.