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.

Georgia bans export, reexport of cars from U.S., EU to Russia and Belarus

Georgia's Finance Ministry on August 2 said the exporting and reexporting of U.S. cars to Russia and Belarus was banned as of August 1, RFE reports.

Russia adds Norway to its list of unfriendly countries

Russia has added Norway to its list of “unfriendly countries” for allegedly targeting Russian diplomats abroad, further worsening its relations with the West, AP reports.

Romania will authorize the access of 30 ships from Ukrainian ports

The Romanian authorities have declared that in two days they will allow the passage of almost 30 ships waiting to arrive in Romania from the Ukrainian ports on the Danube. Even though the Danube and its estuaries are congested with shipping trying to get to and from Ukrainian ports, trade continues despite Russian attacks, Reuters and Digi24 report.

Russian shelling hits a landmark church in the Ukrainian city of Kherson

Russian shelling on Thursday damaged a landmark church in the city of Kherson that once held the remains of the renowned 18th-century commander who exerted Russian control through the southeast parts of modern Ukraine and annexed the Crimean Peninsula, AP reports.

Niger: US announces partial evacuation of embassy

The United States has ordered the partial evacuation of its embassy in Niger following last week's coup, BBC 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.

Eurostat: Euro area economy grew more than expected in the second quarter

The euro area economy grew more than expected in the second quarter after stagnating in the first three months of this year, according to a preliminary estimate published by Eurostat. At the same time, annual inflation in the euro area is expected to continue to fall, reaching 5.3% in July, as a result of a further reduction in energy prices.

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.

Opinion//Drone strikes on Moscow bring Ukraine war to Russian capital. 'We understand there will be more in the future', say Russians

Russia's war in Ukraine has reached Moscow, says international security expert Iulian Chifu after the latest drone strikes on the Russian capital. In a statement to Radio Moldova, Iulian Chifu said that Russian citizens are currently not safe, as an aggressor state cannot wage war in another country believing that only the aggressed state will be destroyed.