Ukraine-Russia War, News. Media: "Moscow Plans 2,000 Drone Attack on Ukraine"
According to the head of the situational awareness center for Ukraine at the German Ministry of Defense, Bundeswehr Major General Christian Freuding , Moscow intends to launch up to 2,000 drones simultaneously toward Ukraine, Ukrainian media reported. This "will pose a serious challenge to the Ukrainian air defense system," Freuding added in a podcast.
Meanwhile, regarding the motion of no confidence in Ursula von der Leyen , Thomas Regnier, a spokesperson for the European Commission, declared: "We have been following Russian operations against the EU and the Commission President for a long time. Independent fact-checkers have clearly identified these operations in the context of the motion of censure."
Fact-checker: Russia's anti-von der Leyen campaign began in March.
The Russian campaign to discredit Ursula von der Leyen and promote a motion of no confidence against her began in March and concluded in the days immediately before the Strasbourg vote, in early July. This is what emerges from a report by the fact-checking organization "Check First," a leading Finnish software and methodologies company at the forefront of adversarial research techniques. The study examined over 20,000 posts published by the Russian group Pravda News in numerous countries, from Romania to Poland, Germany, France, the United States, and the Baltic states. In March, the first signs of the narrative that would become dominant emerged: articles portrayed von der Leyen as a problematic figure, emphasizing corruption and growing discontent in various European capitals. Later, she was framed as a "toxic, corrupt, anti-democratic" leader, associated with Big Pharma and secretive deals, typical of Brussels elitism. Even her name was distorted to "UrSula von der Führer." In Romania, the study states, opposition leader George Simion is portrayed as the courageous initiator; Gheorghe Piperea, the MEP who first signed the motion of no confidence, is portrayed as "the finalizer in defense of a principle," and the entire struggle is portrayed as a David versus Goliath battle against the EU establishment. Then, a €35 billion bribe appears in every piece related to the topic of vaccines, with the aim of pinning von der Leyen's sole responsibility for the vaccine procurement process. Finally, the final vote is described as the culmination of the struggle of small countries, supported by the European people, against the president of a self-referential Union, controlled by the Franco-German axis.
Kremlin, Putin-Trump meeting: "The time hasn't come yet."
"The time has not yet come" for a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Russian public television, reported by Tass. He acknowledged, however, that he had begun to consider a meeting between the two leaders "necessary," and that "over time, it is something that will undoubtedly happen." He then added that "it may be necessary to formalize some important agreements reached over time, after a lot of work." "This work still needs to be done," he continued, thus concluding that the time for a summit between Trump and Putin "has not yet come." Regarding the telephone contacts between the two leaders, Peskov described the discussions as taking place in a "pragmatic and professional atmosphere between people who maintain their positions, but are willing to listen to each other." In recent days, Trump has repeatedly expressed his frustration that Putin continues to bomb Ukraine after their phone calls. Peskov finally did not comment on the ultimatum imposed by Trump, who threatened heavy sanctions, even secondary ones, if Moscow does not reach peace within 50 days, limiting himself to insisting that for Moscow the objectives remain "clear, evident and do not change, the process - he then concluded - in any case does not depend only on us".
Kremlin: "The solution in Ukraine is a long process, Trump knows it."
Donald Trump's statements indicate a desire to reach an agreement in Ukraine as soon as possible, but Washington is increasingly understanding the complexity of this "long and difficult" process, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with VGTRK, cited by Tass. We're used to "rather harsh and direct rhetoric," Peskov added, but "at the same time he confirms his intention to continue doing everything possible to facilitate a peaceful solution." Putin, too, "has repeatedly expressed his desire to reach" a peaceful agreement "as quickly as possible."
EU: "Moscow Behind No Confidence Motion in Von Der Leyen"
"We have been following Russian operations against the EU and the Commission President for some time. Independent fact-checkers have clearly identified these operations in the context of the motion of censure," said Thomas Regnier, a spokesperson for the European Commission.
Media: "Moscow plans 2,000-drone strike against Ukraine"
The head of the situational center for Ukraine at the German Ministry of Defense, Bundeswehr Major General Christian Freuding , said yesterday that Moscow intends to launch up to 2,000 drones simultaneously toward Ukraine, Ukrainian media reported. This "will pose a serious challenge to the Ukrainian air defense system," Freuding added in a podcast. "Smart countermeasures" are needed, he added, noting that the use of Patriot missiles against Russian kamikaze drones is illogical, which cost 30,000-50,000 euros, while a Patriot missile costs over 5 million.
Kiev: "57 Russian drones over Ukraine overnight"
Russian forces attacked Ukraine last night with 57 drones of various types, including Shahed kamikaze drones, the Kiev Air Force reported on Telegram: all enemy unmanned aircraft were intercepted. Eight kamikaze drones were shot down in the north and east of the country, seven decoy drones were neutralized by electronic warfare systems, and the remaining 32 unmanned aircraft were hit in 10 locations. The attack targeted Zaporizhia and frontline areas in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Debris from the downed drones fell in six locations. "The enemy attack continues: a new wave of Shaheds is arriving from the northeast," the Air Force concluded.
Moscow: "Five Ukrainian drones shot down this morning."
Russian air defenses shot down five Ukrainian drones between 8:00 and 8:10 a.m. (7:00 and 7:10 a.m. GMT) this morning in two regions of the country, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Telegram. Three unmanned aircraft were intercepted in the Bryansk region and two in the Kalug region.
Kiev, "Drone attack in Zaporizhia." Explosions heard.
The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the presence of drones heading for Zaporizhia and announced the activation of air defense, urging residents to remain in safe places. Ukrinform reported the news, while a journalist from the same outlet on the scene reported hearing explosions in the Ukrainian city.
Zelensky: "Meeting with Putin is necessary"
The Ukrainian president also reiterated his willingness to negotiate directly with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin . "A meeting at the highest level is necessary to truly secure peace," he said. During the last negotiations in June, Russia had again advanced maximum demands, including Ukraine's surrender of four regions and the renunciation of all Western military aid. Ukraine rejected what it called "ultimatums" and questioned Moscow's willingness to negotiate a ceasefire. However, in early July, the Kremlin affirmed its readiness to continue negotiations with Ukraine after US President Donald Trump granted it 50 days to negotiate peace, threatening sanctions and announcing the same day that he would resume NATO-funded arms supplies to Kiev.
Kiev proposes a new round of negotiations to Moscow
Ukraine has proposed a new round of peace talks to Russia next week. Volodymyr Zelensky announced this in his evening speech. "Secretary of the Security Council, Umerov, reportedly proposed the next meeting with the Russian side next week," the Ukrainian president said. "Negotiations must be given new impetus."
epubblica
