As promised, so kept. The 14 German-made Leopard 2 tanks will be delivered to Ukraine before the end of the summer. Promised by Denmark and the Netherlands, they respond to an “urgent need for more military support, given the heavy fighting on the battlefield,” said Ruben Brekelmans, the Dutch Minister of Defense, on Thursday, July 25.
Key information to remember
⇒ Danish and Dutch Leopard 2 tanks to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of summer
⇒ New Russian drone attack on a Ukrainian port
⇒ The Kremlin “worried” about the level of inflation in Russia
Danish and Dutch Leopard 2 tanks to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of summer
The 14 German-made Leopard 2 tanks promised to Ukraine last year by Denmark and the Netherlands will be delivered to Kiev before the end of the summer, the Dutch defense minister announced on Thursday. kyiv “urgently needs more military support, given the heavy fighting on the battlefield,” Ruben Brekelmans said. “These tanks can play an important role in enabling the Ukrainian army to defend itself against Russian forces,” he added, quoted in a statement.
Denmark and the Netherlands announced last year that they would buy the military equipment for 165 million euros. In recent months, they have been “refurbished and tested,” according to the Dutch government. “Yesterday and today the last two Leopard 2s are undergoing their verification tests,” said Ruben Brekelmans. “The 14 tanks will be delivered simultaneously before the end of the summer.”
New Russian drone attack on Ukrainian port
Russian drones attacked the Ukrainian port of Izmail for a second night, local authorities said Thursday, sparking a fresh alert in neighboring Romania where debris from the previous day’s strikes was discovered. Since pulling out of a deal last year on Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea, Moscow has stepped up attacks on southern Ukraine’s regions, which are crucial for the transit of goods.
“Port infrastructure was damaged” and two civilians were injured, according to the authorities in Izmail. The Ukrainian air force said that Russia had launched 38 explosive drones of Iranian design, saying it had shot down 25 of them. “Three other Shahed were lost from sight after crossing the border with Romania,” a NATO member, it added.
Lavrov, Wang meet in Laos
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi held talks on Thursday on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane. The annual gathering of the ten ASEAN member countries opened today in the Laotian capital and is scheduled to last three days.
Lavrov and Wang spoke on the sidelines of the event, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The two men were due to meet for a 40-minute “ministerial meeting,” according to a schedule previously seen by AFP. They were seen by AFP journalists arriving at the conference center where the regional meeting is being held, and Lavrov left the venue at 7:15 p.m. local time without discussing the content of the talks.
In Hong Kong, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Calls to Prevent Russia from Circumventing Sanctions
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday called in Hong Kong for measures against Russia’s circumvention of Western sanctions, as Chinese companies are accused of participating. The latest wave of Western sanctions targets entities that allow Moscow to circumvent restrictions. The European Union has sanctioned 19 Chinese companies, including several based in Hong Kong.
“Dmytro Kuleba has asked the Hong Kong administration to take measures to prevent Russia and Russian companies from using Hong Kong to circumvent the imposed restrictive measures,” his ministry said in a statement. “Russia’s machinations should not spoil Hong Kong’s reputation as a highly developed liberal economy, based on unwavering respect for the rule of law,” the Ukrainian minister warned.
Kremlin ‘worried’ about inflation levels in Russia
The Kremlin said Thursday it was concerned about high inflation in Russia, which has been accelerated by the explosion of government spending to support the military assault in Ukraine. “Certain inflationary processes are present, this is causing concern to the government and the Central Bank, so measures are being developed. Targeting inflation is one of our priorities,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He said price increases were visible “in different segments” of the economy, including in air transport.
The central bank is expected to raise its key interest rate again on Friday in an attempt to slow inflation. Annual inflation in Russia reached 8.59% in June from 8.3% in May, according to the state statistics agency Rosstat. This is the highest level since February 2023, well above the official target of 4% posted by the authorities.