NATO commander warns of potential post-Ukraine war threat to US and Europe

The U.S. and Europe will face significant challenges with Russia regardless of the war's outcome in Ukraine, warned the NATO supreme allied commander on July 18.

Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, U.S. General Christopher Cavoli highlighted that even a Ukrainian victory would mark the beginning of Western efforts to contain Russian aggression. He stressed the importance of the conflict's outcome but cautioned against any illusions, stating that a substantial "Russia problem" would persist post-conflict.

Cavoli explained that Russia would likely reconstitute its forces along NATO borders, remain under the same leadership, view the West as an adversary, and harbor significant animosity.

At the same event, Jens Plotner, the foreign and security policy advisor to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, offered a similarly grim outlook. He noted that Vladimir Putin's conflict with Russia is expected to be prolonged and multifaceted. Plotner pointed out Russia's hybrid activities across Europe and the United States, as well as its efforts to strengthen ties with countries like Iran and North Korea. He emphasized the importance of recognizing the broader context of these developments.

Russian drone injures 2 medical workers in Kherson Oblast

Two medical workers were injured in Kherson Oblast on July 19 after a Russian drone dropped explosives on their vehicle. A 32-year-old paramedic and a 63-year-old driver sustained contusions, blast injuries, and brain injuries. Both are receiving medical treatment and are in moderate condition.

The regional military administration did not specify the exact location of the attack. Medical workers and facilities have been frequent targets of Russian forces throughout the conflict. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between the outbreak of the full-scale war and April 2024, there have been 1,682 documented attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine, resulting in 128 deaths and 288 injuries among medical personnel and patients. Ambulance workers and other health transport personnel face particularly high risks, being three times as likely to be injured or killed compared to other healthcare workers.

Recently, on July 8, a Russian missile struck Okhmatdyt in Kyiv, Ukraine's largest children's medical center, in a mass attack on the country. Efforts are ongoing to reopen the hospital.

Russia sentenced an American journalist to 16 years in prison for "espionage"

A Russian court in Yekaterinburg has sentenced Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on espionage charges following a closed-door trial. The prosecution had sought an 18-year sentence.

Gershkovich is the first American journalist to face espionage charges in Russia since the Soviet era. Russian investigators accused him of gathering intelligence about Uralvagonzavod, a manufacturer and repairer of military equipment, on behalf of the US Central Intelligence Agency. No public evidence of espionage was presented, and Gershkovich, who spent 15 months in pre-trial detention, did not plead guilty.

US officials and The Wall Street Journal have denounced the case as a fabrication, with the US Department of State designating Gershkovich as "unlawfully detained."

Four families with children brought back from occupation

Four families with four children have been rescued from the temporarily occupied territory of Kherson Oblast. Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, announced the successful rescue, highlighting that the children, aged 11 to 16, include three boys and one girl.

The rescued families shared their experiences of forced passportization, denial of medical services, Russian-imposed schooling, searches, and constant pressure. Prokudin assured that the families are now safe, and relevant services are assisting them in adapting to their new location.

The rescue operation was organized by a team from the Office of Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliamentary Human Rights Commissioner, along with volunteers from the charity Save Ukraine.

Ukraine liberates 12 more children from Russian occupation

Ukraine has successfully liberated 12 children from the temporarily Russian-occupied territories of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. According to Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner, the children are now in Ukraine-controlled territory.

Lubinets reported that the children’s relatives revealed they were forced to obtain Russian citizenship in the occupied territories, as access to social services and medical care was restricted without it. He noted that doctors in these areas did not accept children with congenital disorders requiring extensive care and instead proposed "rehabilitation," which often led to deportation or forced displacement. The families, feeling disempowered and concerned about their children’s future, decided to move to Ukrainian-controlled areas.

Additionally, some children were compelled to attend Russian schools, where the curriculum promoted the concept of the "Russian world"—an ideology emphasizing Russian Orthodoxy, culture, and language. The children and their families described severe mistreatment during the occupation, including detention, beatings, electric shocks, psychological pressure, and torture. The Russian forces also conducted frequent and unjustified searches of local homes.

All the children are now safe. At the Child Rights Protection Centre, specialists have spoken with them and documented the crimes they endured.