31 minutes ago (03:16 GMT)
Explosions occurred in the Russian city of Belgorod
A Russian official said the explosions in the city of Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine, caused a fire in a residential building. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Belgorod, said three wounded were taken to hospital. “The reasons for the incident are being investigated,” he said on the Telegram messaging app. “Probably, the air defense system worked.” 20 minutes ago (03:28 GMT)
The Ukrainian adviser admits that Lysychansk could fall
An adviser to Zelenskyy admitted that the city of Lysychansk, Ukraine’s last major stronghold in eastern Luhansk province, could fall into Russian hands. “This is indeed a threat. We’ll see. I’m not ruling out any of the many outcomes here. Things will become much clearer in a day or two,” said Oleksiy Arestovych. “If Lysychansk is captured, strategically it becomes more difficult for the Russians to continue their offensive. The front lines will be flatter and there will be a frontal attack rather than flanking.” He said the Russians should focus on capturing six major cities in the industrialized eastern Donbas region, and with each one their forces would be spread more thinly. “The more Western weapons come to the front, the more the picture changes in favor of Ukraine,” he said. 1 hour ago (02:32 GMT)
“Colossal investments” are needed to rebuild Ukraine, says Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appealed for international aid to help rebuild his devastated country once the war ends, sounding a rare note of hope after four months of violent conflict. “It is necessary not only to repair everything that the invaders have destroyed, but also to create a new foundation for our lives: safe, modern, comfortable, accessible,” he said in his nightly speech. That would require “colossal investments, billions, new technologies, best practices, new institutions and, of course, reforms,” he said. “No matter how hard it is for us today, we must remember that there will be a tomorrow.” On Monday, a meeting of about 40 potential donor countries is due to take place in Lugano, Switzerland, where the Ukrainian government plans to present for the first time its priorities for rebuilding the war-torn country. Zelensky also used his video address to remind Ukrainians that the war was not over. “Its cruelty is increasing in some places and cannot be forgotten,” he said, calling on his countrymen to offer aid to victims of the violent conflict. 2 hours ago (01:38 GMT)
The regulator is urging Germans to prepare for possible gas shortages
Fearing that Russia could cut off gas supplies, the head of Germany’s energy regulator urged residents to save energy and prepare for winter, when usage rises. The President of the Federal Network Agency Klaus Müller urged house and apartment owners to check and adjust their gas boilers and radiators to maximize their efficiency. “Maintenance can reduce gas consumption by 10 percent to 15 percent,” he told Funke Mediengruppe, a German newspaper and magazine publisher. Mueller said residents and property owners should use the 12 weeks before the cold weather hits to prepare. He said families should start talking now about “whether every room should be set to its usual temperature in winter – or whether some rooms can be a bit colder”. The call came after Russia cut gas flows to Germany, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia earlier this month, blaming a technical problem for reducing gas flowing through Nord Stream 1, a pipeline that runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia. in Germany. The company said equipment refurbished in Canada was stuck there because of Western sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine. German leaders rejected that explanation and called the reductions a political move in response to European Union sanctions against Russia following its attack on Ukraine. 4 hours ago (00:15 GMT)
Lukashenko says Ukraine fired missiles at Belarus
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says his military has shot down missiles fired at its territory from Ukraine and vowed to respond “immediately” to any enemy strike. “They are provoking us,” Lukashenko was quoted as saying by the state-run Belta news agency. “I have to tell you that about three days ago, maybe more, they tried to hit military targets in Belarus from Ukraine,” he said. “Thank God, our Pantsir anti-aircraft systems intercepted all missiles fired by Ukrainian forces.” Ukraine last week said missiles fired from Belarus hit a border area inside its territory. Lukashenko denied that his country was seeking to intervene in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but issued a warning aimed at Kyiv and its Western allies. “As I said more than a year ago, we do not intend to fight in Ukraine,” he said. “We will fight only once. If … you enter our land, if you kill our people, then we will respond,” he added, warning that Belarus would respond “immediately” to an enemy strike on its soil. Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s ongoing coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Read all the updates from yesterday, July 2, here.
