Kyiv Post

Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov accused Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky of blocking military reforms and refusing to openly address problems within the military during an emergency press briefing in Kyiv on Thursday, July 16. Fedorov, who is expected to be dismissed as defense minister as part of the government’s reshuffle pending parliamentary approval, said he never demanded that President Volodymyr Zelensky choose between him and Syrsky.

Kyiv is about to fill its most important embassy with another career politician. Reports this week say Yulia Svyrydenko, dismissed as prime minister just days ago, is being lined up to replace Olha Stefanishyna as ambassador to the United States. It’s a familiar move – reshuffle a political ally into a soft landing abroad – and it’s exactly the wrong instinct for this moment. It doesn’t need to be a general.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it struck two Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea using its “Mamai” naval drone. In its Thursday update, the SBU said it struck the tankers Louise 1 and Banda in a joint operation with the Ukrainian Navy on an unspecified date. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Footage shared by the SBU appeared to place the attacks off Russia’s Black Sea coast near Novorossiysk and Sochi in the daytime.

Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has approved the appointment of Serhiy Koretsky, the former CEO of state-owned energy company Naftogaz, as the country’s new prime minister. Lawmakers voted to confirm Koretsky on Thursday, July 16, following a nomination submitted by President Volodymyr Zelensky and formally announced by Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk the previous evening. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. A total of 289 lawmakers backed his appointment.

The UK Foreign Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into Russia after its National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence Review identified Russia as the most “acute” threat to the UK. The move follows a recognition that the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine has increased the threat level that Russia poses to the UK and the need for a clear and long-term strategic response. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.

Верховна Рада підтримала подання Президента про призначення Сергія Корецького на посаду Премʼєр-міністра України, повідомляє Укрінформ. За інформацією кореспондента агенції, кандидатуру Корецького підтримали 289 депутатів. Підписуйтесь на наш Viber-канал. Він став четвертим очільником уряду за час президентства Володимира Зеленського, замінивши Юлію Свириденко, яка пропрацювала на посаді трохи менше року. Хто такий Сергій Корецький? Корецький побудував кар’єру як топменеджер у нафтогазовому секторі.

Прем’єр-міністр Великої Британії Кір Стармер, що завершує свою каденцію, у четвер прибува до України зі своїм останнім візитом перед тим, як наступного тижня піде з посади. Як повідомив британський уряд у своїй заяві, Стармер, який має залишити Даунінг-стріт у понеділок, проведе переговори з президентом Володимиром Зеленським у столиці — Києві. Підписуйтесь на наш Viber-канал.

Europe now sees Ukraine as a security asset rather than a liability, Hanna Notte, Eurasia Program Director at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, told the World News Tonight program on Wednesday. She described the deal as a “natural development” of recent events, specifically Kyiv concluding drone-based defense agreements with several individual EU member states. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.

Влада Росії буде максимально уникати теми мобілізації до виборів, однак вона не виключена, пише Укрінформ, цитуючи представника Головного управління розвідки МО України Андрія Черняка. Він також зазначив, що наразі розбудова нових навчальних центрів в російській армії для новобранців не фіксується. Втім, і нинішніх потужностей армії РФ вистачає, аби готувати нове “гарматне м’ясо”. Підписуйтесь на наш Viber-канал.

Deputy Commander of Ukraine’s Air Force Pavlo Yelizarov has resigned, saying his decision was prompted by the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. In a post on Facebook, Yelizarov said he had submitted his resignation after nearly five years of full-scale war. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Unfortunately, in the fifth year of the war, I have submitted my resignation from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I believe that the dismissal of M.