Friday, July 4th news on the conflict in Ukraine, live. New prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kiev. Heavy Russian raid during the night, the worst since the beginning of the war

20:02|July 4

Wang to EU: China cannot accept Russia losing

China cannot accept Russia losing in Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas, a source familiar with the talks in Brussels said. Wednesday's meeting lasted four hours and featured tough but respectful exchanges covering a wide range of issues, from cybersecurity and rare earths to trade imbalances, Taiwan and the Middle East, the official said.

Wang's remarks, which appear to contradict China's long-standing claim to be"neutral" in the conflict, suggest Beijing may prefer a prolonged war in Ukraine that prevents the United States from focusing on its rivalry with China, the source said. And they echo the concerns of critics of Chinese policy, according to whom Beijing has much higher geopolitical stakes in the Ukrainian conflict than its position of supposed neutrality.

Asked for a comment on the revelations by the South China Morning Post, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning simply replied: China is not a party to the Ukrainian dossier. China's position on the Ukrainian crisis is objective and consistent, and that is that there must be negotiations, a ceasefire and peace. A prolonged Ukrainian crisis is in no one's interest. And then: Together with the international community and in light of the will of the parties concerned, we will continue to play a constructive role in this regard.

19:27|July 4

Donetsk: Four Dead, Four Wounded by Ukrainian Missiles

Four civilians were killed and four wounded in a Ukrainian missile attack on the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk, the capital of the Ukrainian region of the same name, Russian agencies reported. Mayor Alexei Kulemzin said the attack was carried out with missiles launched by the American-made Himars system, and that two women and two men were killed, while two women and two men were wounded. According to Tass, the dead and wounded were aboard a vehicle that was hit.

18:44|July 4

Russia has destroyed the connection between Zaporizhzhia and the power grid

Russia has destroyed the connection between the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and Ukraine's power grid, causing a blackout, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said.

18:12|July 4

IAEA: Nuclear safety at Zaporizhzhia plant precarious, emergency generators

The nuclear safety situation at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is extremely precarious after it lost all external power today for the ninth time during the nuclear conflict and the first since late 2023, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said.

On `X´, the IAEA explains that the Zaporizhzhia plant is operating relying on power from its two emergency diesel generators.

18:10|July 4

Podolyak: Attacks on Kiev? This is how Putin humiliates Trump

A very heavy and `record´ attack, with over 550 missiles and drones launched against Kiev: this is how Vladimir Putin publicly humiliates Donald Trump, who yesterday admitted that he was not happy with how the phone call with the Russian president went. Yet another one from which he got nothing. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, writes in a post on X: Every phone call with the subject `Putin´ inevitably ends with a massive demonstration bombing of Kiev, with enormous destruction, widespread fires, heavy attacks on residential neighborhoods and a large number of civilian victims.

According to Podolyak's accusation, the subject treats such `conversations´ as an opportunity to publicly humiliate the reputation of the other party, as a way to demonstrate his limitlessness and his willingness to kill even more brazenly. It is time to move beyond expectations, talks and `windows for negotiation´ and move to harsh and unconditional coercion of Russia and the individual in question personally, the adviser concludes.

18:06|July 4

Unicef, 222 children killed or injured in three months

The war in Ukraine continues to hit children hard. Between March and May 2025, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, 222 children were killed or injured: a 200% increase compared to the previous quarter. In April alone, 97 minors were victims of attacks, the highest monthly figure since June 2022. There is no respite from war for children, denounces Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. The attacks destroy homes, schools, hospitals and safe places, leaving minors without protection, assistance and a future. Added to all this are new threats: the informal recruitment of adolescents via social media for sabotage or espionage tasks has already caused the death of two children and the injury of a third. At least 103 minors have been detained and 42 convicted. UNICEF calls for an end to the use of children in conflict and respect for international humanitarian law. The agency works with the Ukrainian government to strengthen a child-friendly justice system based on protection, rehabilitation and restorative justice. Children need a lasting peace where their rights are a priority, is the final appeal.

16:52|July 4

17-Year-Old Working for Moscow Arrested in Kiev

The Security Service has arrested an FSB (Federal Security Service) officer who helped plan Russian missile attacks on Kiev. According to the investigation, the 17-year-old, a graduate of a school in the capital, was recruited by Russians on Telegram in search of easy money, the statement reads. Law enforcement agencies found that the 17-year-old's main task was to supervise six sites targeted for attacks. As the SBU reported, the boy was detained near one of the military offices of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on which he was preparing a report. The 17-year-old has been charged with high treason and faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

16:33|July 4th

Zelensky on Trump Call: We Will Defend Our Skies Together

On his X-Channel, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky presented the phone call with US President Trump: Today we discussed the current situation, including Russian air strikes and broader developments on the front. President Trump is very well informed and I thank him for his attention to Ukraine. We talked about opportunities in air defense and agreed to work together to strengthen the protection of our skies. We also agreed to a meeting between our teams. We are ready for direct projects with the United States and believe that this is of fundamental importance for security, especially when it comes to drones and related technologies, the Ukrainian president added.

16:25|July 4th

Media, Merz hears Trump: No commitments from US on Kiev's defense

Telephone conversation between the American president, Donald Trump and the German chancellor Friedrich Merz on Ukraine and trade. Der Spiegel writes, according to which Trump has not made commitments with Germany, which has asked for greater support to Ukraine in the matter of air defense.

15:53|July 4

Kiev confirms Trump-Zelensky talks: Details coming soon

Kiev confirmed the telephone conversation between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump. The head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, spoke of a very important and significant conversation between the presidents, the details of which will be available very soon, Rbc Ukraine reports.

15:38|July 4

Media: Trump spoke to Zelensky, good conversation

Donald Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Axios journalist Barak Ravid reports, citing sources as saying the conversation was good.

15:31|July 4

Why Putin Rejected Trump's Offer: Russia Can Continue the War for Another Two Years

by Giuseppe Sarcina 

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​The Atlantic Alliance's intelligence claims that Vladimir Putin is capable of continuing the war at this rate until 2027, for another two years. The analyses were shared in the restricted briefings, on the sidelines of the last NATO summit held in The Hague on 24 and 25 June. Russia's economic situation is worsening, but not to the point of convincing Putin to give up the goal of subjugating Ukraine, in whole or in large part.

Today the Kremlin spends 32% of the state budget on the armed forces, more than double the 14.5% of the period before the conflict. Economic growth is slowing down significantly, probably also due to international sanctions : Russian authorities had declared a 4% increase in gross domestic product in 2024; now, according to Western estimates, it is falling towards 1%. 

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15:18|July 4

Nbc: Kiev's Arms Ban Unilateral Decision by Hegseth

The head of the Pentagon has unilaterally decided to block the sending of military aid to Ukraine. NBC reports, citing sources, according to which Pete Hegseth's decision took the State Department and Congress by surprise. Hegseth blocked the delivery of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, saying that there was concern about American stockpiles. But, in reality, an analysis conducted by senior officials of the Department of Defense revealed that the aid to Kiev did not jeopardize American stockpiles.

15:16|July 4

Kiev: Chinese-made drones used in last night's raids

Ukraine says debris from drones that fell during heavy Russian strikes overnight proves some of them were made in China. In a post on X, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posts photos of the debris and says there is no better metaphor for how Russia continues to expand its war to others, including North Korean troops, Iranian weapons and some Chinese manufacturers. The irony, Sybiha adds, is that the Chinese consulate building in Odessa suffered minor damage as a result of Russian strikes on the city.

14:38|July 4

Meloni also connected to the summit of the volunteers in GB on the 10th

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will also connect to the meeting of the coalition of the willing chaired by Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron on Thursday 10 July, while the conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine is being held in Rome. This is what Adnkronos learned from sources at Palazzo Chigi, after the news of the summit at the headquarters of the Allied Maritime Command in Northwood, north of London, arrived from the Elysée, to which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other leaders present at the conference will also connect from Rome.

2.20pm|July 4th

Elysée: July 10th Macron and Starmer chair summit willingly

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-chair a meeting of countries willing to strengthen Ukraine's defense next Thursday, July 10, the Elysée reported, cited by the broadcaster France Info, adding that the two will connect via video conference from Northwood Air Base, near London.

14:17|July 4

One Dead in Massive Russian Raid on Kiev

During rescue operations following the night attack by Russian forces on Kiev, workers found the body of a victim in the Svyatoshinsky district of the city, the head of the city's military administration Timur Tkachenko announced. Rescuers also reported that a total of 26 people, including a child, were injured in the capital.

14:06|July 4

Macron: Trump-Zelensky phone call should provide all the answers Kiev is waiting for

French President Emmanuel Macron said he "hopes" that a phone call scheduled for this afternoon between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "will provide all the answers that Ukrainians are waiting for." "The sanctions that we are adopting at the European level and the sanctions that the United States is preparing at the initiative of the US Senate are absolutely crucial," the French president told reporters on the sidelines of a visit to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, saying he had spoken to his American counterpart on Thursday and was due to speak again on Saturday.

13:51|July 4

Merz to attend Conference for the reconstruction of Ukraine on July 10 in Rome

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will be in Rome on July 10 to attend the Conference for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, German Government Spokesman Stefan Kornelius announced. The Conference for the Reconstruction of Ukraine is being co-organized by Italy and Ukraine with the aim of ensuring broad international support for the reconstruction of the country. The Conference will be supported by representatives of the civil and private sectors, international organizations and regions. Chancellor Merz will deliver a speech at the opening of the conference, the spokesperson said.

13:25|July 4

Germany Considers Buying Patriots From US To Give To Kiev

The German government is considering buying Patriot air defense systems from the United States for Ukraine, after Washington announced it was suspending supplies of some weapons to Kiev. Asked about the possibility of buying Patriots from the United States for Ukraine, a German government spokesman said: There are several ways to fill this Patriot shortage. You just mentioned one. I can tell you that there are indeed intensive discussions going on about this.

12:37 PM|July 4th

Moscow steps up use of chemical weapons in Ukraine

Russia is stepping up its use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, according to a report by the German Federal Intelligence Service and two Dutch intelligence agencies. The use of tear gas and chloropicrin by Russian troops has become standard practice and is widespread, the German Foreign Intelligence Service, the Dutch military intelligence service MIVD and the Dutch intelligence service AIVD jointly announced, dpa reports. Russia is thus violating the Chemical Weapons Convention, which aims to ban such weapons worldwide

12:20 PM|July 4th

Moscow: New prisoner exchange with Kiev carried out

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that a new prisoner exchange was carried out today with Ukraine based on the agreements between the parties signed on June 2 in Istanbul. The ministry did not specify how many soldiers were released by each side.

12:11|July 4

Berlin: More and more brutal attacks in Kiev, must be supported

This war is being waged with ever greater brutality and intensity, and Ukraine urgently needs support. This was stated by Stefan Kornelius, spokesman for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, at a press conference in Berlin, answering questions about developments in Ukraine. Kornelius commented in this way both on the very heavy Russian strikes that hit Kiev last night, and on the intelligence report on violations in the use of chemical weapons.

12:08|July 4

Poland: Our embassy in Kiev hit during the night

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced on his X profile that the Polish embassy in Kiev was hit during Russian air strikes tonight. Fortunately, everyone is safe and sound, Sikorski added after speaking with Ambassador to Kiev Piotr Lukasiewicz. Ukraine urgently needs air defense capabilities, the minister concluded.

12:06|July 4

Macron-Trump telephone conversation last night

French President Emmanuel Macron had a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump. The conversation last night focused on the situation in Ukraine, issues related to Iran and the ongoing customs negotiations between the European Union and the United States. On Tuesday, the French president spoke by telephone with Vladimir Putin, for the first time since 2022. Before the conversation with Donald Trump, Macron spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. They discussed the situation in Iran and the Gaza Strip.

12:00|July 4th

Moscow: Predtechino village captured in Donetsk

The Russian Armed Forces have taken control of the settlement of Predtechino in the Donetsk region. This was announced by the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. The ministry said that the settlement was captured by units of the Southern Group of the Russian Armed Forces.

11:53 AM|July 4th

Moscow: Night raid against military targets

The Russian Defense Ministry said that last night's massive strikes on Ukraine targeted military targets, including drone factories, a military airport and an oil refinery. On its Telegram channel, the ministry wrote that the strikes used drones and missiles, including the hypersonic Kinzhal.

11:46 AM|July 4th

Media, this afternoon phone call between Trump and Zelensky

A phone call between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled for this afternoon, Ukrainian officials told Agence France Presse. The call is being prepared for this afternoon (Kiev time), but everything will be clear at the last moment, the source said. The call would follow a conversation between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin yesterday.

11:21 AM|July 4th

Media, Witkoff wants to lift energy sanctions on Moscow

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff wants to lift energy sanctions against Russia, Politico reports, citing two sources familiar with the matter. According to Politico, Moscow is in talks with Washington to restart Nord Stream, backed by US investors. This is causing anxiety in Brussels. Trump and Putin want to divide the European energy market and create separate spheres of influence, a second EU official said.

9:32 AM|July 4th

Russian Night Attack, Worst Since Beginning of War

Russia's nighttime strikes against Ukraine were the largest since the start of the war in 2022, the Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said. The enemy attacked with a large number of drones. This is the largest number the enemy has ever used in a single attack, Yuri Ignat told Ukrainian television. The latest large-scale Russian strike with 539 drones and 11 missiles occurred immediately after the talks between US President Donald Trump and his counterpart Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian Air Force also reported that air defense units shot down 268 drones and two missiles. At least 19 people were injured during the night, 14 of whom were hospitalized. According to Ukraine's national railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, Russian shelling damaged railway infrastructure in the western part of Kiev, causing traffic to be diverted.

9:31 AM|July 4th

Zelensky: Brutal night, Russia doesn't want to stop the war

It was a brutal and sleepless night and only around 9 am did the air raid alert cease in Kiev. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in a post on X after the latest wave of Russian attacks, which, he said, involved at least 330 Russian-Iranian `shahed´ drones and missiles, including ballistic ones, and left at least 23 injured. It was one of the largest air strikes - deliberately massive and cynical, Zelensky continued, according to whom Russia once again shows that it has no intention of ending war and terror. According to the Ukrainian president, Kiev was the main target of the Russian attack. Ukrainian forces shot down 270 air targets and it is of the utmost importance that our partners continue to support us in the defense against ballistic missiles. All this, Zelensky concluded, shows that without really strong pressure, Russia will not change its obtusely destructive behavior. For every such attack on people and human lives, it must suffer appropriate sanctions and other blows to its economy, its revenues and its infrastructure, and it all depends on our partners, first and foremost the United States.

9:29 AM|July 4th

Trump-Putin, an hour on the phone. The Kremlin: We are not backing down

by Marta Serafini 

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​The peace negotiations in Ukraine will continue but Russian President Vladimir Putin does not budge from his positions and reiterates. We will not give up on our objectives, we must eliminate the root causes of the conflict. Few details have leaked out about the over-an-hour phone call that the head of the Kremlin had yesterday with the US president. Also on the table is the Middle Eastern dossier and in particular the Iranian one, while today it is expected that Trump will also speak with Volodymyr Zelensky after the US stop to the shipment of weapons to Kiev.

Increasingly pressed by Washington's openings to Moscow, the Ukrainian leader yesterday arrived in Aarhus, Denmark, on the occasion of the start of the semester of the presidency led by Copenhagen for a visit that allows Kiev to cash in at least new assurances of military support from Europe. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa have assured that Europe's support will not wane after Washington's stop to military aid.

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​Read the full article here

9:26 AM|July 4th

Few, expensive, precise. Kiev has no alternatives to the Patriot systems suspended by Trump

by Marta Serafini 

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​Early last year, in Davos, during the World Economic Forum, Zelensky let go with a comment that seemed sincere. I just have to say a big thank you to the creators of the Patriot. There is no similar system capable of countering any Russian missile, from conventional to ballistic. And in fact, according to all military experts, there is no surface-to-air system in the world that is so powerful and precise.

Ukraine currently has eight Patriot systems: of these, only six are functional (the other two are under repair), almost all of them deployed in the capital to protect not only civilians but also the buildings where Ukrainian institutions are based. To operate a Patriot it needs missiles: these are the Pac-3 and the Pac-2 unique to counter the Russian Iskander and Khinzal. Furthermore, to maneuver it 90 soldiers are needed per battery.

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​Read the full article here

8:46 AM|July 4th

Kiev: From Russia 550 drones and missiles during the night

Ukraine said Russia launched 550 drones and missiles at its territory overnight, as the Kremlin ramps up air strikes and US-led peace talks stall. The Air Force said in a statement that Moscow launched 539 drones and 11 missiles in the attack. Air defense units shot down 268 drones and two missiles, it added.

8:36 AM|July 4th

Lavrov hopes for positive stability in relations with US

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed his hope for positive stability in relations between Moscow and Washington in a telegram sent to his American counterpart today on the occasion of Independence Day. I ask you to convey my sincere congratulations to the American people on the occasion of the US national holiday and to express the Russian Federation's support for their aspirations for unity and the realization of the traditional American dream, Lavrov said in the message, quoted in a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

I hope that through our joint efforts, relations between our countries will acquire positive stability and predictability, based on mutual respect and consideration of mutual national interests, predefined by history, geography and realities on the ground, he stressed.

7:29 AM|July 4th

Russian strikes on Kiev at night: several injured and damage in the capital

Russian strikes hit more than a dozen locations in the Ukrainian capital overnight, CNN reported, citing Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kiev military administration, who said eight people were injured. Multi-storey buildings in at least two districts of the city were damaged in the attack.

According to the Ukrainska Pravda news portal, citing military sources, destruction was recorded in five districts of the Kiev region and in some districts of the city of Kiev itself.

6:57 AM|July 4th

Russia, 48 Ukrainian drones shot down during the night

Russian air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 48 Ukrainian drones in Russian regions overnight, Tass reported, citing a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry. Overnight, air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 48 Ukrainian drones: 26 on the territory of the Rostov region, 12 on the territory of the Kursk region, six on the territory of the Belgorod region, three on the territory of the Oral region, and one drone on the territory of the Lipetsk region

5:06 AM|July 4

Russian drones and missiles strike Kiev at night

Kiev again subjected to a massive night attack by Russian ballistic missiles. Several explosions were heard around 2:30 am local time, Kyiv Independent reported. Immediately before, the air force warned of incoming missiles aimed at the Ukrainian capital. At least thirteen different areas of Kiev were reportedly hit and set on fire by Russian drones and missiles. One person was killed in the Rostov region in southern Russia, while Ukrainian authorities reported at least 14 injured in Russian strikes on Kiev. Drones attacked the Azov, Millerovsky and Tarasovsky districts during the night. The army repelled the air strike, but unfortunately it was not without tragic consequences, the acting governor of Russia's Rostov region, Yuri Slyusar, wrote on Telegram. In the village of Dolotinka in the Millerovsky district, a drone crashed into a two-story residential building, killing a retired teacher, Slyusar said. On the Ukrainian side, Kiev authorities announced that Russian missile and drone strikes on several districts of the capital injured at least 14 people overnight, 12 of whom were hospitalized. According to Ukraine’s national railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, Russian shelling damaged railway infrastructure in the western part of the city, leading to traffic diversion.

5:05 AM|July 4th

Macron, phone call with Trump on Iran, Ukraine and tariffs agreement

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke tonight on the phone with US President Donald Trump, discussing Iran, Ukraine and the ongoing negotiations between the European Commission and the United States. This was learned from a source at the Elysée. Macron, the same source said, also spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia about Iran and the situation in Gaza.

5:04 AM|July 3

Trump, no progress on Ukraine with Putin

I have made no progress on Ukraine with Putin. Donald Trump said this before leaving for Iowa. The US president said he had made no progress on the ceasefire in Ukraine in today's phone call with Putin. No, I have made no progress

with him, the president told reporters, adding that he was

not happy with the ongoing war.