The second day of protests against President Zelenskyy’s decision not to reappoint Mykhailo Fedorov as Ukraine’s defence minister has begun.

On the night of 17 July, soldiers from the Unmanned Systems Forces struck 12 vessels belonging to the Russian Federation’s shadow fleet in the Black Sea.

A bipartisan bill to tighten sanctions against Russia, introduced by Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, has secured the support of 61 senators. However, the date for its consideration in the Senate is not yet known.

The U.S. military struck dozens of Iranian military targets during an operation that lasted nearly eight hours. In response, Tehran attacked Bahrain and Kuwait, where air defense systems were activated.

Russian occupying forces are advancing in the Kramatorsk district of the Donetsk region.

On the evening of 16 July, Russian forces launched a missile attack on Odesa. There have been fatalities and injuries as a result of the strike.

Andrii Yermak, the former head of the President’s Office, visited the command post of Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in one of the frontline regions on the evening of 16 July.

On 16 July, people in Kyiv took to the streets for the second time that day to protest against Mykhailo Fedorov’s resignation as defence minister.

Watch a live broadcast with journalist Iryna Romaliiska discussing the approval of the new government, Mykhailo Fedorov’s resignation as defence minister, and the high-profile case involving Stanislav Luchanov.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will nominate Yevhenii Khmara for the post of Ukraine’s defence minister. Before doing so, he tasked Khmara with serving as acting minister.