UK clarifies restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow missiles. According to The Telegraph, in the UK, the government clarified that they did not give Ukraine permission to use Storm Shadow missiles for strikes on the territory of Russia, as stated by the Prime Minister of the country, Keir Starmer. Downing Street said on Thursday that government policy had “not changed” on the deployment of long-range missiles, despite comments from the Prime Minister suggesting he was relaxing restrictions on missile use. The British government has reportedly allowed Kyiv to launch the missiles at targets in Crimea and mainland Ukraine since they were delivered last year but has banned the country from using them to hit targets in Russian territory. Officials are concerned that such a move would escalate the war and could draw Britain into conflict with Russia.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Bonne, the foreign policy adviser to the President of France, told the Ukrinform reporters during the NATO summit in Washington that Ukraine can use French weapons to strike any military targets in Russia that pose a threat to Ukraine, but not the Kremlin. “Ukraine can strike Russian territory with French weapons – this has been publicly stated,” Bonne noted. He then clarified: “But because the Russians are moving military capabilities to the border with Ukraine intending to penetrate deep into Ukraine, it is necessary and logical that Ukrainians be allowed to strike these capabilities […]. So, Ukrainians can use what we give them to strike at the facilities that the Russians are mobilising to continue the war. But that doesn’t mean they can strike the Kremlin tomorrow,” Bonne emphasised.
Russian plot to assassinate CEO of German arms manufacturer foiled by US intelligence. According to CNN, earlier this year, US intelligence uncovered a Russian plot to assassinate the chief executive of Rheinmetall, a prominent German arms manufacturer supplying artillery shells and military vehicles to Ukraine, according to five US and Western officials familiar with the episode. The plan to kill Armin Papperger, described by CNN as a towering figure leading Germany’s manufacturing support for Kyiv, was the most advanced of several Russian schemes to target defence industry executives across Europe, aiding Ukraine’s effort to counter Russian aggression. Upon learning of the assassination attempt, American officials alerted Germany, enabling their security services to protect Papperger and thwart the plot. For over six months, Russia has been waging a sabotage campaign across Europe, primarily through proxies.
On July 12, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser posted on the social network X: “We will not allow Russia to intimidate us and will continue to do everything possible to prevent Russian threats in Germany.” Meanwhile, at a briefing the same day, spokesman Maximilian Kall assured that law enforcement officers are closely cooperating with international colleagues to “protect the country and thwart Putin’s plans.”
Ukraine rebuts Russian allegations of dam sabotage plot. Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refuted Russian accusations that Kyiv is allegedly “preparing to blow up the dams of the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Station and the Kaniv Reservoir to blame Russia.” The Ministry noted that there is no realistic purpose or motive for Ukraine to destroy its own infrastructure or threaten its own population. Regarding the alleged intention to “blame Russia,” they stated that Moscow “does an excellent job of this” with its own war crimes. “The sole cause of threats to civilians and the destruction of critical infrastructure in Ukraine is Russian aggression. If Moscow implements any criminal intentions regarding the dams of the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Station, the Kaniv Reservoir, or any other infrastructure, the responsibility for such actions will lie exclusively with the aggressor state,” the department stressed. According to the diplomats, the true purpose of such statements by Moscow is “to intimidate Ukrainian society and mislead the international community and the media.” The ministry also reminded the public of the biggest man-made crime in Europe in recent decades—the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station by the Russians, noting that Moscow similarly blamed Kyiv for this crime at that time.
