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Here’s where things stand on Saturday 5 July 2025:

Fighting

• Ukraine said it struck the Russian Borisoglebsk airbase in the Voronezh region, describing it as the “home base” of Russia’s Su-34, Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets.
• Russia fired 322 drones and decoys into Ukraine overnight, Ukraine’s air force said, with the western Khmelnytskyi region the main target of the attack. Of these, 157 were shot down and 135 were lost, the air force said.
• Russian air defences have downed dozens of Ukrainian drones in widely dispersed parts of the country, including two near the country’s second-largest city, Saint Petersburg, according to officials.
• All external power lines supplying electricity to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine were down for several hours before being restored, the UN nuclear watchdog said.
• Ukrainian authorities blamed Russian shelling for the power cut, adding that technicians had to take action to restore it.
• Dutch and German intelligence agencies say that Russia is increasing its use of prohibited chemical weapons in Ukraine, including the World War I-era poison gas chloropicrin. Moscow denies this.

Weapons

• United States President Donald Trump said he discussed sending Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine in calls with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• A German government spokesman said the country was exploring the possibility of purchasing more Patriot air defence systems from the US for Ukraine.

Politics and diplomacy

• Trump said that he discussed sanctions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Thursday call, who is worried about them and understands they might be forthcoming.
• The US president repeated that he was “very unhappy” with his Russian counterpart, adding: “He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people – it is no good.”
• Zelenskyy says he agreed with Trump, to work to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences, as concerns mounted in Kyiv over US military aid deliveries. The two leaders had a “very important and fruitful conversation” by phone on Friday, Zelenskyy said.
• German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will travel to Washington later this month for talks with his US counterpart about air defence systems, as well as production capacities, the ministry said.

Zelenskyy says will work with Trump to ‘strengthen’ Ukraine air defences

US and Ukrainian leaders discuss defence capabilities on call after Trump ‘disappointed’ by conversation with Russia’s Putin.

Ukrainian  President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he agreed with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to work to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences, as concerns mounted in Kyiv over US military aid deliveries.

The two leaders had a “very important and fruitful conversation” by phone on Friday, Zelenskyy said.

“We  spoke about opportunities in air defence and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies,” he added in a post on the social media platform X.

The president added that he discussed joint defence production, as well as joint purchases and investments, with the US leader.

Meanwhile, US publication Axios, citing an unidentified Ukrainian official and a source with knowledge of the call, said Trump told Zelenskyy he wants to help Ukraine with air defence after escalating attacks from Russia.

This comes a day after the US president spoke to Russia’s Vladimir Putin, in a conversation he said was disappointing.

“I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don’t think he’s there, and I’m very disappointed,” Trump said after the call on Thursday. “I’m just saying I don’t think he’s looking to stop, and that’s too bad.”

Trump said the call with Putin resulted in no progress at all on efforts to end the war, and the Kremlin reiterated that Moscow would keep pushing to solve the conflict’s “root causes”.

Massive drone attack

Hours after the Trump-Putin call on Thursday, Russia pummelled Kyiv with the largest drone attack of the war, killing one person, injuring at least 23 and damaging buildings across the capital.

Air  raid sirens, the whine of kamikaze drones and booming detonations reverberated from early evening until dawn as Russia launched what Ukraine’s Air Force said was a total of 539 drones and 11 missiles.

Zelenskyy called the attack “deliberately massive and cynical”.

Russian attacks continued on Friday with all external power lines to Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) briefly knocked out, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators, the UN’s nuclear watchdog said.

The Russian-installed management later said that power was restored to the plant.

Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes.

A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia’s air strikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems to bridge the gap.

Trump spoke with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, according to Spiegel magazine, citing government sources. The two leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine, including strengthening its air defence, as well as trade issues, Spiegel reported on Friday.

In Zelenskyy’s post on X on Friday after his call with Trump, he said the two had “a detailed conversation about defense industry capabilities and joint production. We are ready for direct projects with the United States and believe this is critically important for security, especially when it comes to drones and related technologies.”

Zelenskyy also said Ukrainians are “grateful for all the support provided”, as it helps protect lives and safeguard their independence.

“We support all efforts to stop the killings and restore just, lasting, and dignified peace. A noble agreement for peace is needed,” he said.

In Sumy, Ukraine, the front line is drawing near – but we refuse to leave

Leaving might feel safer, but staying means protecting our community and preserving what war hasn’t yet taken.

When you live in war for so long, you have to take comfort in whatever little control you have over your decisions. My city in northwest Ukraine is now just 20km (12 miles) from the front line.

We all know that the front line has been getting closer in recent months. Every two or three days, there are reports that one village, another village and a third village have been occupied.

Cluster  munitions have already directly hit the city centre. There are constant sirens, some lasting as long as two whole days. We have got so used to them that we don’t spend the whole time in basements because, over time, people’s minds adapt. We stay outside and continue to live, knowing we are risking our lives, knowing that this coffee might be the last one.

For many families in Sumy, like mine, the critical decision is whether to flee to a safer area. When this is your home, your roots, your loved ones, everything you’ve built – especially if family members aren’t planning to leave – it becomes a very complex decision. My daughter and I are staying put, though she has been sleeping in the hallway for the past few months, feeling safer there than in her bed next to the window. But with the school year now over, some families with the option are leaving the city – for a summer camp, a grandparents’ house – before reassessing the situation. Some have packed up and left for good.

I feel the children’s absence in the classes I facilitate through the local organisation League of Modern Women, supported by Save the Children. One day, a child is enjoying the lessons. The next day, they’re gone. These classes continue bringing joy to children – giving them some sense of normality, moments of joy and a glimpse of a real childhood. For children who have been limited to online learning for months, even years, it is the only opportunity they have to interact with others in person. And they are supporting one another, building resilience.

The  classes for small children encourage them to draw, express emotions, feelings and dreams through art and painting. They also play team games and sports and learn mindfulness and breathing techniques to keep calm during crises. With teenagers, we ask them to work together to come up with project ideas to improve their community. For example, one girl wants to create a drama club, and a boy wants a library for Japanese manga comics. We teach them how to write a project proposal, create a budget and offer mentorship. It’s refreshing – and essential – for children to escape and expand their imaginations beyond the reality of war.

This is a reality that is eroding childhoods. The constant sirens have turned a decent night’s sleep – critical for children’s health and development – into a distant memory.

This is a reality that has separated children from their fathers. One girl in my class was in a bad mood for a long time. Finally, she said: “I want to see Dad. He is in military service.”

This is a reality that has kept children from socialising – something parents around the world will remember from the days of the COVID-19 pandemic. One boy, whose only interaction with other children for a long time was through a computer screen, started my classes struggling to communicate with others. Gradually, he has come out of his shell. Many children have had to say goodbye to friends on the move, time and again.

In one class, a boy and his friend had a ukulele and wanted to sing for everyone. We said, “Of course, go ahead!” These were fourth-graders – nine- and 10-year-olds. They stood up, started playing and singing, and their classmates turned off the lights and lit up their phone flashlights. They transformed our shelter classroom into a concert hall for five minutes. It was such a joy to see them enjoying life, even if just for a few moments in a city under attack.

Russia expanding Ukraine chemical weapons use, allege European spy agencies

Russia denies using the weapons, as does Ukraine; International body says previous accusations not “substantiated.”

A Ukrainian soldier scans the sky for enemy drones as he stands in a front-line trench in the country’s Donetsk region 

Russia has intensified its use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian soldiers in a serious violation of international law, the Dutch and German intelligence agencies have said.

On Friday, they said there was extensive evidence that Moscow’s forces were using banned products, including the choking agent chloropicrin.

Russia  denies using the prohibited weapons, as does Ukraine. On Wednesday, Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, claimed that the Federal Security Service found a cache of Ukrainian weapons in the east of the country containing chloropicrin.

“It is normalised and widespread. Chloropicrin is dropped by drones to drive soldiers out of trenches, and then kill them,” Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said in a post on X, referring to Russia’s purported use.

Brekelmans, who is now calling for tougher sanctions against Russia, described the use of chemical weapons as “horrible and unacceptable”.

Peter Reesink, the head of the Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD), confirmed that the findings were based on its own investigations. There were “thousands of instances” of chemical weapons use by Russia, he said.

“This isn’t just some ad hoc tinkering at the front line; it is truly part of a large-scale programme. And that is, of course, also concerning because if we don’t clarify and publicise what Russia is doing, it’s highly likely these trends will continue,” Reesink added.

Germany’s BND foreign intelligence agency also corroborated the MIVD’s conclusions.

The Russian army was using tear gas as well as “the more dangerous chemical chloropicrin, which can be lethal in high concentrations in enclosed spaces” in Ukraine, the BND said in a statement.

“This represents a more serious violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the use of this lung warfare agent under all circumstances,” it noted.

Speaking to Reuters about the Dutch and German intelligence reports, Brekelmans, the Dutch defence minister, said that at least three Ukrainian deaths had been linked to Russian chemical weapons, with more than 2,500 people reporting symptoms related to the banned products.

More needed to be done to deter Russia from deploying such weapons, he suggested.

“We must further increase the pressure. This means looking at more sanctions and specifically not allowing them (Russia) to participate in international bodies like the Executive Council of the OPCW (the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons),” Brekelmans said.

The OPCW said last year that Russian and Ukrainian accusations that the other side was using banned weapons were “insufficiently substantiated”.

The disarmament agency, which is based in The Hague and has 193 member states, has not conducted a full investigation, something which can only happen at the request of member states.

Fighting grinds on

The allegations of increased Russian chemical weapons use came as Ukraine reported the largest ever Russian drone and missile attack on the country.

A Ukrainian air force official told local media it is the biggest of the war so far, with Moscow firing 539 drones and 11 missiles overnight.

The attacks on Kyiv injured at least 23 people, damaging railway infrastructure and setting buildings and cars on fire, authorities said.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Rostov region killed at least one woman and forced the evacuation of dozens of people from their homes, the acting governor said.

In the meantime, on Friday, both countries confirmed that they had carried out their latest prisoner exchange, with neither side giving details about the number of soldiers involved.

The swap followed an agreement made in the Turkish capital, Istanbul, in June.

On the diplomatic front, United States President Donald Trump said he had made no progress, expressing his “disappointment”, during his phone call on Thursday with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who reportedly reiterated he would stop his invasion only if the conflict’s “root causes” were tackled.

Trump  also said he was planning to discuss the conflict with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. Zelenskyy said he hoped to speak with Trump about the supply of US weapons to Ukraine.

The US said on Tuesday that it was halting some weapons deliveries to Kyiv that were promised under the Biden administration, as Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukraine.

The Biden administration-era pledges, which included various munitions to bolster Ukraine’s defences, are now under review as the Pentagon reassesses current inventory levels. The move could signal a shift in priorities under Trump, who has pressed for a more restrained global military posture.

Missiles for Patriot air defence systems and Hellfire missiles are among weapons being held back, according to US media.

Putin and Trump did not discuss the US decision to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine, Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said.