First batch of US Abrams tanks officially approved for shipment to Ukraine

The first batch of Abrams tanks that the US is providing to Ukraine was approved for shipment over the weekend, and the tanks are on track to arrive in Ukraine by early fall, Army Acquisition Chief Doug Bush said on Monday, CNN reports.

Kremlin spokesman says Putin will be re-elected with over 90 percent of the vote

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told The New York Times that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be re-elected with 90 percent of the vote in the 2024 Russian presidential election.

BBC analysis: Ukraine counter-offensive against Russia yields only small gains in first 2 months

The war in Ukraine has reached a critical point. Where it goes from here could decide the country's future and affect the security of Europe, writes BBC.

Russia wants to control territories fixed in its constitution — Kremlin spokesman

Russia only want to control those territories that are Russian under its constitution, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with The New York Times, TASS Agency reports.

Romania asks Russia to stop hostilities and withdraw its troops from Ukraine

Presidential advisor Bogdan Aurescu stated that, at the meeting in Jeddah regarding Ukraine, he showed Romania's support for President Vladimir Zelenski's Formula for Peace. Any future peace must guarantee the security of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, emphasized Bogdan Aurescu.

CNBC: China’s the top importer of Ukrainian grain, and could save the Black Sea deal

The United States and its Western allies are looking to China to help resolve the calamitous domino effect of Russia’s exit from a crucial U.N.-backed agriculture deal, CNBC reports.

Russian rouble tumbles to over 16-month low past 94 vs dollar

The Russian rouble tumbled over 2% to a more than 16-month low past 94 against the dollar on Wednesday, pressured by political risk, falling oil prices and concerns the finance ministry may switch to foreign currency purchases this month, Reuters reports.

EU tightens sanctions against Belarus and targets marching industry

The European Union announced on Thursday that it has tightened sanctions on Belarus due to its support for Moscow in the Ukrainian war, expanding its blacklist and imposing restrictions on exports, especially drone technology, AFP reports.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy tries to calm spirits after Poland accused Ukraine of ingratitude

Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed for calm on Tuesday evening in an effort to end a diplomatic row sparked by a series of "unacceptable" comments by Polish President Andrzej Duda's foreign policy adviser that led to the summoning of Poland's ambassador to the Ukrainian ministry of Foreign Affairs, reports POLITICO. Zelenskiy said that no political incident can damage the relations between the two peoples.

Stocks of firewood will be replenished in Moldova before the cold season

As of August 1, the Moldsilva Agency had about 57 thousand cubic meters of firewood for sale. Representatives of the institution told Radio Moldova that in the second half of this year the stock will be replenished by another 116 thousand cubic meters. In Chisinau municipality, the price varies between 810 lei and 1,300 lei, depending on the hardness of the wood. Traders sell the wood for between 1,200 and 1,600 lei.

Russia drone strikes Ismail port and grain warehouses in Ukraine's Odessa region

Russian drones attacked port and grain storage facilities in the southern Ukrainian coastal region of Odessa in the early hours of Wednesday, setting fire to some of them, regional governor Oleh Kiper wrote on the messaging app Telegram. The capital Kiev was also targeted by a massive drone attack, but all were shot down, causing some property damage, Reuters and AFP report.

Two Belarusian military helicopters reportedly entered NATO airspace

Two Belarusian military helicopters reportedly entered NATO airspace on Tuesday during military exercises. The Polish Defence Ministry announced it would increase the number of troops on its eastern border in response, Sky News reports.