WAR UPDATE 7/9/26:
▶️Day 1596 of a 3-day war, that's been going on for centuries. Kyiv still stands and Russia is still a terrorist state
▶️1,414,820 (+1310) terrorist dirtbag losers eliminated!
▶️Over 256,000 documented Russian War Crimes Committed.‼️(Source: Ukraine's Office of the Prosecutor General)
▶️Number of days since Russia has committed a War Crime. = 0
▶️Number of days since Russia has lied. = 0
▶️801 😢 Ukrainian Children Killed by Russia. Source: UN Human Rights Office.
Reported by Christine Stuermer.
👉President Zelenskyy has said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has no advantages left in the war against Ukraine except the ballistic missiles with which he takes civilians' lives.
Source: Zelenskyy responding to journalists.
Quote: "Putin – whether he knows this or not – certainly receives information and understands that he has no advantage right now. There are the ballistic missiles; there are the truly tragic, terrible strikes on the civilian population of our state, but that's the only advantage he has left – he has nothing else now." Zelenskyy added that Ukraine has a window of opportunity right now. "Our teams [Ukraine's and the US's – ed.] understand that we really do have a window of opportunity right now. Ukraine has become stronger both on the battlefield and in the air. Everyone sees the results. Of course it's first and foremost thanks to our military… that there is a window of opportunity," the president said. He added that this has been noted by both the US and other countries whose leaders he met at the NATO summit.
"Everyone can see this. We spoke with President Trump. And during the summit I met with many, many different leaders – even leaders of states I hadn't previously met – and all of them said the same thing: Ukraine has become stronger," Zelenskyy concluded.
👉President Zelenskyy has reported that following talks with Ukraine's partners on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Kyiv is expecting assistance from the United States, and agreements have also been reached with some other partners, including on interceptors for Patriot air defence systems. Source: Zelenskyy during an online briefing with journalists, as reported by European Pravda. The president said that following agreements made on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Ukraine is expecting to receive an aid package from the US and several European partners.
"In the coming days we will receive a package from the United States, and there have also been separate agreements with Europeans on my part. No dates yet – but there will be additional PAC-3 missiles," he said. Zelenskyy also said that following the political agreement with US President Donald Trump on a Patriot production licence, the "technical" work on implementing the agreement must begin quickly.
👉President Zelenskyy has explained what work needs to follow the political agreement reached with US President Donald Trump on granting a Patriot production licence. Source: Zelenskyy during an online briefing with journalists, as reported by European Pravda. Zelenskyy noted that the question of granting Ukraine a licence to produce Patriot technology was discussed in detail at a meeting with Trump and the US delegation, and he thanked the Americans for making this decision. "We discussed this in detail with the president and his delegation. President Trump repeatedly stressed that today only two or three countries in the world can manufacture Patriots, because the others are not ready technologically. Ukraine has been recognised by America as a country that is ready to do this," Zelenskyy said.
He said Ukraine's Foreign Ministry and Defence Ministry will now begin negotiating the "technical matters". "Regarding Patriot manufacturing in Ukraine, we have resolved this issue politically. Now it is very important that our technical teams, all our representatives from various ministries [...], begin working on this without delay so that we receive the licences very quickly, as soon as possible, and begin production in Ukraine," the president added.
🥺A total of 230 families with 270 children continue to live in the mandatory evacuation zone in settlements of Donetsk Oblast.
Source: Yuliia Ryzhakova, head of the children's affairs service at Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, as reported by Ukrinform
Such families are living in five settlements of the hromada. The majority of children (172) are in certain districts of Sloviansk together with adults. Over the past week, 67 children from 59 families were forcibly evacuated from Donetsk Oblast. During June, 357 children from 230 families were evacuated from the oblast as a result of this effort.
💥Ukrainian drone strikes may have knocked out between 20% and 40% of Russia's oil refining capacity. Source: Financial Times, citing analyst estimates. In June, Russia was processing an average of 4.1 million barrels of oil per day, 28% below the five-year average and 35% below nominal capacity. Ukraine significantly intensified strikes on Russian oil infrastructure in May. Since then, ten of Russia's largest refineries have been attacked, including the Omsk refinery 2,500 km from the front line, which accounts for around 7% of the country's refining capacity. The fuel shortage is already affecting 50 million Russians, or 35% of the population, according to the FT's analysis. By 8 July, local authorities or retailers had introduced fuel sales restrictions in the majority of Russian regions. By 25 June, almost 50 Russian regions had introduced some form of fuel sales restriction, while long queues at petrol stations had spread across the country. Crimea has an official state of emergency in place, with petrol sold only via electronic vouchers.
💥Ukraine's General Staff has reported that the defence forces hit 12 Russian tankers, a tugboat and a cargo ship in the Sea of Azov on the night of 8-9 July. Ukrainian forces also struck the Yug Rusi oil terminal and a Russian ammunition depot. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook.Quote: "Units of Ukraine's defence forces struck a number of important enemy military and military-economic targets on the night of 8-9 July as part of efforts to reduce the military and economic potential of the Russian aggressor. Twelve tankers, one tugboat and one cargo ship belonging to the Russian Federation were hit in the Sea of Azov."
The General Staff added that information is still being gathered on the extent of the damage and the results of the strikes. It said the Russian vessels hit were used, among other things, to supply fuel and lubricants to Russian military groupings and to transport oil and petroleum products in circumvention of international sanctions. The vessels facilitate energy exports, a key source of funding for the war against Ukraine. A strike was also carried out on the Yug Rusi oil terminal at Bataisk in Russia's Rostov Oblast. A fire was reported in the vicinity. The scale of the damage and the consequences of the strike are still being assessed. The oil terminal handles the transshipment of petroleum products for export and is used to supply fuel and lubricants to Russian forces on the southern front. A Russian ammunition depot near Sorokyne in Luhansk Oblast was also struck.
💥Ukrainian forces have carried out long-range strikes on Russian oil depots in Stavropol Krai and Tver Oblast, around 500 km from the front line. Source: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on X (Twitter); Security Service of Ukraine. Quote: "Recent days saw important successful strikes on facilities supporting Russia's oil sector and sustaining its war policy. Security Service of Ukraine warriors struck two oil depots – one in Stavropol and the other in Tver. Both are about 500 km from the front line. Units of Ukraine's defence forces also struck a reserve fuel storage facility located about 800 km from the front." Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces have struck an oil pumping station in Ufa and an oil terminal in Russia's Rostov Oblast. The Security Service separately confirmed strikes on the two oil depots. Quote from the Security Service: "The first target was the Krasnaya Zarya oil depot in Tver Oblast, located 520 km from Ukraine's state border. Ukrainian strike drones hit the facility, triggering a fire. The second target was the Stavropolskaya oil depot in Stavropol Krai, also located more than 500 km from Ukraine. A large fire broke out at the site and is rapidly spreading."
😈WAR CRIMES AND OTHER SHIT:
🤬Two civilians have been killed in a Russian drone attack on a car in Kherson on the morning of 9 July. Source: Kherson Oblast Prosecutor's Office; Ukraine's State Emergency Service (SES)
Quote from the prosecutor's office: "An investigation has established that Russian forces attacked a car with a drone in Kherson at around 07:30 on 9 July 2026." Two civilians who were in the car were killed in the strike. A pre-trial investigation has been launched under the procedural guidance of Kherson District Prosecutor's Office into a war crime resulting in loss of life (Article 438.2 of Ukraine's Criminal Code). Prosecutors are working with investigators to document the aftermath of the latest Russian strike and gather evidence of the war crime.
🤬Russian forces have attacked Ukraine with two ballistic missiles and 94 drones of various types since the evening of 8 July. Ukrainian air defences have downed 72 drones, but hits by missiles and 19 UAVs have been recorded. Source: Ukraine's Air Force
Quote: "As of 08:30, [Ukrainian] air defence forces had destroyed or jammed 72 Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas and other types of drones in the country's north, south and east. Hits by two missiles and 19 UAVs had been recorded at 13 locations and the fall of downed aerial assets (debris) at four locations." On the night of 8-9 July (from 18:00 on 9 July), Russian forces attacked Ukraine with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from temporarily occupied Crimea as well as 94 Shahed (some jet-powered), Gerbera and Italmas attack drones and Parodiya decoy UAVs from the Russian cities of Bryansk, Millerovo and Oryol as well as Hvardiiske in temporarily occupied Crimea and occupied Donetsk.
The attack is ongoing, as several Russian drones are still in the airspace. Aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare assets, unmanned systems units and mobile fire groups from Ukraine's defence forces have been involved in repelling the attack.
🤬Russian forces have attacked Ukraine with two ballistic missiles and 94 drones of various types since the evening of 8 July. Ukrainian air defences have downed 72 drones, but hits by missiles and 19 UAVs have been recorded. Source: Ukraine's Air Force
Quote: "As of 08:30, [Ukrainian] air defence forces had destroyed or jammed 72 Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas and other types of drones in the country's north, south and east. Hits by two missiles and 19 UAVs had been recorded at 13 locations and the fall of downed aerial assets (debris) at four locations." On the night of 8-9 July (from 18:00 on 9 July), Russian forces attacked Ukraine with two Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from temporarily occupied Crimea as well as 94 Shahed (some jet-powered), Gerbera and Italmas attack drones and Parodiya decoy UAVs from the Russian cities of Bryansk, Millerovo and Oryol as well as Hvardiiske in temporarily occupied Crimea and occupied Donetsk.
The attack is ongoing, as several Russian drones are still in the airspace. Aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare assets, unmanned systems units and mobile fire groups from Ukraine's defence forces have been involved in repelling the attack.
🤬Russia's latest large-scale attack has left parts of five Ukrainian regions without electricity as of the morning of 9 July. Source: Ukrenergo, Ukraine's state-owned electricity transmission operator
The affected regions are Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Sumy, Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts. "Emergency repair work has already begun wherever the security situation allows. Energy workers are doing everything possible to restore power to all consumers as quickly as possible," Ukrenergo said. Ukrenergo urged consumers to shift energy-intensive electricity use to the period between 10:00 and 16:00.
🤬A 57-year-old woman, the last resident of the border village of Tokarivka Druha, was killed in a Russian FPV drone attack in Kharkiv Oblast on 8 July. Source: Viacheslav Zadorenko, Head of Derhachi City Military Administration. Zadorenko reported that a Russian FPV drone attacked a civilian woman walking along the road between the villages of Prudianka and Tsupivka after 18:00.
The 57-year-old resident of Tokarivka Druha sustained multiple shrapnel wounds. She was taken to Derhachi Central Hospital, but died from her injuries despite medics' efforts to save her life.
Quote: "The woman who died was an employee of Derhachi Central Hospital and the last remaining resident of the village of Tokarivka Druha, located in the ten-kilometre border zone. Sincere condolences to the family, loved ones and colleagues of the deceased."
🤬A village head has been injured after a Russian fibre-optic FPV drone struck a car in the Stetskivka district in Sumy Oblast.
Source: Serhii Kryvosheienko, Head of Sumy City Military Administration; Artem Kobzar, acting mayor of Sumy, on Telegram
Quote from Kryvosheienko: "The injured person is in a satisfactory condition and has been taken to a medical facility, where he is receiving qualified medical care." Kobzar added that a service vehicle was damaged in the strike. Full information on the aftermath of the Russian attack is being gathered.
🤬Russian forces have been hunting civilians, cars and public transport with drones in Kherson since the night of 8-9 July, killing two people and injuring another 22. Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration; Yaroslav Shanko, Head of Kherson City Military Administration. Quote from Shanko: "At around 13:40, the enemy treacherously attacked a fixed-route minibus carrying passengers with a drone. Eight people are currently known to have been injured. All of them sustained blast injuries, closed head injuries, concussion and shrapnel wounds. They are under medical supervision."
🤬Russian forces have attacked a car carrying civilians in Zolochiv, Kharkiv Oblast, injuring four people, including a five-month-old child. Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration. Quote: "The Russians attacked a car carrying civilians in Zolochiv. Four people were injured as a result of the strike, including a child." Syniehubov specified that a 28-year-old man was injured, while women aged 67 and 25, as well as a five-month-old girl, suffered from shock.
✅ Report from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
▶️ A total of 268 combat clashes have occurred on the battlefield over the past day. Russian forces launched most of their attacks on the Pokrovsk front, where Ukrainian forces repelled 38 assaults.
▶️On the North Slobozhanshchyna front and in the operational zone in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian defenders stopped two Russian assaults. Meanwhile, the Russians launched one airstrike, using two guided bombs, and conducted 44 strikes on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements.
▶️On the South Slobozhanshchyna front, Ukrainian units repelled two Russian assaults near the village of Hoptivka.
▶️On the Kupiansk front, the Russians launched two attacks towards the settlements of Novoplatonivka and Kivsharivka.
▶️On the Lyman front, Russian forces tried to break through the Ukrainian defence, conducting 15 attacks near the settlements of Stavky, Drobysheve and Lyman and towards Druzheliubivка, Derylove, Shyikivka, Novoselivka and Yampil.
▶️On the Sloviansk front, Russian troops conducted 28 assaults near the settlements of Kryva Luka, Zakitne and Riznykivka and towards Rai-Oleksandrivka.
▶️On the Kramatorsk front, the Russians conducted three attacks towards the settlements of Nykyforivka, Tykhonivka and Yurivka.
▶️On the Kostiantynivka front, 29 Russian attacks were recorded. The Russians conducted assaults near the settlements of Kostiantynivka, Illinivка and Ivanopillia and towards Stepanivka and Oleksandro-Shultyne.
▶️On the Pokrovsk front, Ukrainian defenders repelled 38 Russian attacks, the highest number recorded on any front over the past 24 hours. The Russians were active near the settlements of Toretske, Pokrovsk, Rodynske and Bilytske and conducted assaults towards Pavlivka, Vilne, Shevchenko, Hryshyne, Molodetske, Novopidhorodne, Svitle, Hulive, Matiasheve, Dorozhnie, Nykanorivka, Novyi Donbas, Kotlyne and Udachne.
▶️On the Oleksandrivka front, the Russians conducted three attacks towards the settlements of Novohryhorivka and Voskresenka.
▶️On the Huliaipole front, the Russians conducted 30 attacks on the positions of Ukraine's defence forces. The Russians tried to advance near the settlements of Huliaipilske, Novoselivka and Verkhnia Tersa and towards Hirke, Rybne, Dobropillia, Vozdvyzhivka, Tsvitkove, Kosivtseve and Charivne.
▶️On the Orikhiv front, Ukrainian defenders stopped two unsuccessful Russian attempts to advance towards the settlements of Stepove and Shcherbaky.
▶️On the Prydniprovske front, the Russians did not conduct any assaults.
▶️On the Volyn and Polissia fronts, there is no evidence of any offensive Russian groups being formed in the area.
😕Despite US President Donald Trump saying he would allow Ukraine to produce its own Patriot missiles, launching production could take years because of technological and supply chain challenges, according to Bloomberg. Source: Bloomberg. Bloomberg says that large-scale production of Patriot missiles by Lockheed Martin would be difficult to replicate, with the complexity depending on which version of the missile Ukraine would seek to manufacture. The PAC-3 interceptor, which is capable of destroying ballistic missiles and costs around US$5 million per missile, is one of the world's most advanced air defence interceptors. It is currently produced only in the United States and Japan.
Becca Wasser, Bloomberg Economics defence lead, said: "A Patriot missile takes years to build, meaning Ukrainian production of these missiles won't materialise on the near-term timelines they need."
She added that strict US controls over sensitive technologies could further slow the process. Existing supply chains are already under significant strain and establishing a new production line would require specialised equipment and extensive workforce training.
Some components, such as the missile's airframe, are relatively straightforward to manufacture. However, producing solid-fuel rocket motors with the required performance and consistency, the small attitude-control motors used by the PAC-3 for manoeuvring in the upper atmosphere and the missile's guidance system would be far more challenging. Only a limited number of components could realistically be sourced from existing suppliers. The PAC-3 seeker, which guides the missile during the final moments before intercepting its target, is manufactured by Boeing for both US production and production lines operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Bloomberg reported that Boeing declined to comment and Lockheed Martin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Any new missile production facility in Ukraine would become a priority target for Russian attacks, the news agency noted. Some experts therefore suggest building such a plant abroad, particularly in Poland, where the government recently signed an agreement to service European PAC-3 missiles. Meanwhile, the US is rushing to increase Patriot missile production following the outbreak of war with Iran. However, Lockheed Martin has said it will take until 2030 to triple production capacity.
👍NATO has agreed to transform its long-running Baltic Air Policing mission into an air defence mission, giving Allied forces broader powers. Source: Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda following the NATO summit in Ankara, as reported by Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT. The expanded mission will provide NATO forces with a broader mandate, including the authority to destroy objects that pose a threat to the airspace of the Baltic states. Nausėda said that as countries in the region face hybrid threats and drone attacks, Allied forces carrying out the mission will be able to assume wider responsibilities. "[The current] air policing mission is designed for peacetime, when fighter aircraft respond to incidents by intercepting and escorting [aircraft]. In this way, we demonstrate that we are paying attention to incidents. It is a form of deterrence," Nausėda told journalists in Ankara. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on social media that the updated mission will provide "greater flexibility and faster response to air threats". Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur added that ordinary people will not notice any visible changes, as aircraft will continue flying and air policing operations will continue. "The main difference lies in the details, more specifically in the authority granted to NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe and to the pilots. Naturally, we cannot go into those details, but the new arrangement will ensure greater flexibility and faster response times," he explained. The changes mean there will no longer be a need for political-level consultations before shooting down a drone that enters NATO airspace. For reference: NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – the three Baltic states bordering Russia that do not operate their own fighter aircraft – was launched in 2004, immediately after the three countries joined the Alliance. The mission was expanded in 2014 following the beginning of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. It now involves more than a dozen fighter aircraft from three NATO member states operating on a rotational basis from two air bases in the region.
💩Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said the administration of US President Donald Trump is mistaken if it believes Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory will help bring the war to a peaceful end. Source: Peskov, as quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax. Responding to Trump's remarks that long-range strikes deep inside Russia represent an escalation that could bring the war to an end, Peskov said: "Rather, we see certain misconceptions within the White House administration that escalation and military pressure can help facilitate a transition to a peaceful settlement." He described that assessment as incorrect. Quote from Peskov: "Further escalation may, to some extent, prolong the special military operation – we cannot say exactly to what extent – but it will lead to the need for us to create a larger security zone, a larger buffer zone." [The "special military operation" is the Russian propaganda term for the war against Ukraine – ed.] Peskov also commented on US plans to allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot missiles. "As regards the Patriot, yes, it is an obvious fact that the United States continues to supply weapons and military technologies to Ukraine – we know that," he said. "We are not looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses, and President Vladimir Putin understands this perfectly well. However, there is a certain duality in the US position. Unlike the Europeans, the United States still maintains a desire to facilitate a transition to a peace process." [N.B. Ukrainska Pravda does not recognise Putin as president – ed.]
💩Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has announced that Russia will no longer believe the West when it claims to seek "negotiated solutions on Ukraine". Source: Russian propaganda agencies TASS and RIA Novosti. Quote: "We will no longer believe the West that it wants negotiated solutions. This reserve of goodwill and hope has been exhausted entirely." According to Lavrov, the West is allegedly simulating readiness for negotiations on Ukraine while "now openly beginning to issue ultimatums to Russia".
