#US and German security services foiled a Russian plot to assassinate the chief executive officer of #Rheinmetall AG, a German arms manufacturer producing weapons for #Ukraine, people familiar with the matter said.
The plot against such a prominent figure marks a major escalation in what the US and its allies say has been a stepped-up campaign of so-called “hybrid warfare” — assassinations, cyberattacks, sabotage and other actions.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence #Thomas has been accused of not disclosing a yacht trip to #Russia and a private helicopter flight to a palace in President Vladimir #Putin’s hometown, among a slew of other gifts and loans from businessman Harlan #Crow.
The allegedly secret gifts were disclosed in a letter from two Democratic senators that accused Thomas of potentially committing tax fraud.
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry #Medvedev reaffirmed that #Russia would not accept or uphold any negotiated peace settlements with #Kyiv short of Ukrainian capitulation, the destruction of the entire Ukrainian state, and the full occupation of #Ukraine.
Emmanuel #Macron’s main partner in a proposal to deploy military trainers to #Ukraine cast doubt on its prospects after the French president was left weakened by his country’s recent elections.
Lithuanian President Gitanas #Nauseda said the plan hadn’t drawn broad support and, without consensus, “the idea is likely to remain unresolved and up in the air.”
#NATO leaders are set to issue the alliance’s strongest-ever language calling out #China’s military support for #Russia, people familiar with the matter said, amid signs that #Beijing is developing an attack drone for the conflict with #Ukraine.
NATO will describe China as a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to the latest draft of a communique set to be released at the end of a three-day alliance summit.
Thousands of #Ukraine’s deadliest weapons were made on the top three floors of a residential high-rise in #Kyiv. The space, which used to be an office for an IT company, contained workstations littered with quadcopters in various stages of assembly, accompanied by clusters of electronic components and circuit boards strewn about the desktops.
Leaders of #NATO countries stressed a membership pledge for #Ukraine and took a stronger stance on #China's support for #Russia in a declaration on Wednesday at a summit in Washington.
The declaration said the allies intend to provide Ukraine with minimum funding of 40 billion euros ($43.28 billion) in military aid within the next year, but stopped short of the multiyear financial pledge that NATO Secretary General Jens #Stoltenberg had sought.
The United States will start deploying longer range missiles in #Germany in 2026, the two countries announced at a meeting of the #NATO alliance on Tuesday, a major step aimed at countering what the allies say is a growing threat #Russia poses to #Europe.
The decision will send Germany the most potent #US weapons to be based on the European continent since the Cold War, in a clear warning to Russian President Vladimir #Putin.
Italian Ambassador to #Ukraine Carlo #Formosa, employees of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in #Kyiv and employees of the humanitarian organization "Soleterre" visited the Kyiv Children's Hospital "#Okhmatdyt"
In the #Moscow metro, a man kicked a girl out of the car for her hairstyle - he chased her across the entire car and said that she was “a disgrace to the Russian people.”
The type of Russian missile that destroyed a #Kyiv children’s hospital relies on western-designed components, according to experts and Ukrainian officials, showing the #Kremlin’s success at evading sanctions.
#Russia is making nearly eight times more Kh-101s than before President Vladimir #Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of #Ukraine in 2022 — and is still dependent on parts from western countries, particularly the #US.
#US justice department says it disrupted Russian social media influence operation. Officials say the AI-enabled campaign to spread pro-Kremlin propaganda involved 1,000 accounts.
This private organization had designed a custom, AI-powered platform to create, control and manage hundreds of fake social accounts, which were made to look like those of real Americans, according to court documents.
Keir #Starmer signaled #Ukraine can use Britain’s Storm Shadow missiles to strike military targets inside #Russia, confirming he would continue the previous #UK government’s policy on the use of its long-range weapons in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Starmer agreed it was up to Ukraine how it used the Storm Shadow missiles donated by the UK.
In the coming days, the #NATO alliance will announce a new military command in #Germany to train and equip Ukrainian troops, as well as appoint a new NATO senior representative in #Kyiv, #US national security advisor Jake #Sullivan said on July 9 at the start of the NATO summit in Washington.
Saudi Arabia privately hinted earlier this year it might sell some European debt holdings if the Group of Seven decided to seize almost $300 billion of #Russia’s frozen assets, people familiar with the matter said.
The kingdom’s holdings of euro and French bonds may amount to tens of billions of euros, but probably aren’t big enough to make a major difference if sold off.
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