re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict.

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The court has chosen a preventive measure for a NABU employee suspected of passing confidential information to Russian special services. He will remain in custody

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Yea know how many US government people are spying for China.

Tons.

Still doesn't mean that we should allow the president to control the only people who can investigate him.

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Irrelevant.

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How so?

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Trillions of US tax dollars have been wasted and/or stolen from the American people over the last 60 years. Can you imagine what this country would be if only a fraction of that had been spent here at home?

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There was an ammunition plant which made artillery shells in St. Louis which was built for WWII and pumped out shells until sometime after the Vietnam War. None of them passed inspection in all of those years.

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There are 5 or 6 on here that will never admit the obvious. That Ukraine is corrupt to the core and the US taxpayer has been shafted once again. They will defend Project Ukraine and Z to the death. It is their holy war. Not saying Russia is any better, but to play like Ukraine is a democracy is a joke. The people of Ukraine have always been the victim of corruption.

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Agreed, just because Ukraine is a better play for the US, and Russia was the aggressor does not mean that magically Ukraine can do no wrong.

It's the same with Israel, it's a better play for the US than the Hamas/Fatah side, but that doesn't mean they should be free from criticism and scrutiny.

I guess the corruption was so bad even skeletor Pompeo couldnt show Graham how to clean it.....so they just decided to get rid of the oversight all together.

Why would zelensky worry. He got a US president impeached, he has laundered untold billions for them, he set up their biolabs. He mocked them in their congress chambers and the White House.

All of this and he still has some shills on US websites touting how great he is.

At this point the entire western world looks foolish to continue to take taxpayer money and pour into this corrupt hole.

Yeah, Ukraine is corrupt blah blah blah, from people living in Louisiana, Texas and Alabama 3 of the most corrupt states in world history. Every country is corrupted people travel more think more.

Concerning the War

July 21, 2025, 5:30 pm ET

Russian forces conducted a large-scale series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of July 20 to 21 that included over 400 drones as Russia continues to launch significantly larger strike packages in June and July 2025 than in January to May 2025. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 426 Shahed-type strike drones and decoy drones from the directions of Bryansk and Oryol cities; Millerovo, Rostov Oblast; Shatalovo, Smolensk Oblast; and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai.[1] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces also launched five Kh-46 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles from the airspace over Tambov Oblast; four Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea; one Iskander-K cruise missile from Millerovo; and 14 Kh-101 cruise missiles from the airspace over Saratov Oblast. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces shot down and suppressed 200 Shahed-type drones and 203 decoy drones that Ukrainian air defense fire and electronic warfare (EW) downed all the missiles. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 23 strike drones hit three locations and that drone debris fell in 12 locations. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian strikes damaged civilian and critical infrastructure in Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, and Kharkiv oblasts.[2] Kyiv City Military Administration Head Timur Tkachenko reported that the Russian strike damaged the entrance to a metro station in the city.[3] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Russian strikes injured 15 civilians and killed two.[4] Russia rarely launched over 200 drones per night between January and May 2025, and an overnight strike package consisting of over 400 drones — even if far below Russia's latest record high of 728 drones in one strike package — demonstrates the dramatic shift in Russia's ability to repeatedly launch larger-scale drone strikes in recent weeks since May 2025.

Ukraine's Western partners pledged additional military and financial assistance to Ukraine during a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (the Ramstein format) on July 21. Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that Germany will transfer five Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine in the near future and that Germany will also send 200,000 Gepard shells to Ukraine.[5] German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also confirmed that Germany will send five Patriot air defense systems and necessary interceptors to Ukraine.[6] Shmyhal stated that Canada will contribute an unspecified amount toward financing Ukraine's defense industrial base (DIB) via the "Danish model" (in which Ukraine's partners buy Ukrainian-manufactured weapons for the Ukrainian military) and allocated 20 million CAD ($14.6 million) to Ukrainian tank maintenance. Shmyhal stated that the Netherlands allocated 200 million euros (roughly $234 million) to fund Ukrainian production of interceptor drones to counter Russian Shahed-type drones and 125 million euros (roughly $146 million) for F-16 fighter jet maintenance. Shmyhal stated that Norway also allocated one billion euros (roughly $1.67 billion) to fund Ukrainian drone purchases in 2025, including 400 million euros (roughly $468 million) specifically to purchase drones from Ukraine's DIB.

British Defense Secretary John Healey announced during the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting on July 21 a "50-day drive" to arm Ukraine on the battlefield and help push Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.[7] Healey noted that the group needs to seize on US President Donald Trump's threat to impose "severe" 100 percent secondary tariffs on Russia's trade partners if there is no peace settlement to end Russia's war in Ukraine within 50 days from July 14.[8] ISW has consistently assessed that only significant Russian battlefield setbacks, enabled by timely and sufficient Western military assistance to Ukrainian forces, will force Putin to reconsider Russia's ability to militarily defeat Ukraine and bring him to the negotiating table.[9] Such setbacks will not happen in a matter of weeks and will likely require several months or campaign seasons, assuming that the West commits to properly equipping and aiding Ukrainian forces to the point that Ukraine could successfully conduct such operations.

Ukrainian officials discussed Ukraine's increasing defense industrial capacity amid ongoing European aid announcements. Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that Ukraine's defense industrial base (DIB) can accommodate an additional $6 billion in investments and that Ukraine could use these funds to produce more first-person view (FPV) and interceptor drones and long-range weapons.[10] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine intends to increase domestic defense production over the next six months.[11] Ukrainian Defense Procurement Agency Head Arzen Zhumadilov told Ukrainian television channel Kanal 24 that Ukraine has contracted with three companies, including one Ukrainian and one American company, to produce interceptor drones to counter Russian Shahed-type drones.[12] Zhumadilov stated that Ukraine's DIB currently has the capacity to produce eight to 10 million FPV drones per year but that the Ukrainian government will only be able to fund the procurement of four to 4.5 million drones in 2025 due to budgetary constraints.


Key Takeaways

Russian forces conducted a large-scale series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of July 20 to 21 that included over 400 drones as Russia continues to launch significantly larger strike packages in June and July 2025 than in January to May 2025.
Ukraine's Western partners pledged additional military and financial assistance to Ukraine during a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (the Ramstein format) on July 21.
British Defense Secretary John Healey announced during the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting on July 21 a "50-day drive" to arm Ukraine on the battlefield and help push Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
Ukrainian officials discussed Ukraine's increasing defense industrial capacity amid ongoing European aid announcements.
Ukraine officially proposed a third round of negotiations with Russia amid speculation in the Ukrainian and Russian informational spaces. Russian officials continue to feign interest in good-faith negotiations, despite failing to propose or agree to a third round of negotiations.
Ukrainian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast. Russian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast and near Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, and Pokrovsk.

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More background on the NABU from establishment through significant cases.

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Establishment of NABU

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) was established on October 14, 2014, following the adoption of the Law “On the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine” by the Verkhovna Rada.

This was driven by demands from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Commission to combat high-level corruption, a key condition for Ukraine’s EU visa liberalization and financial support.

NABU began operations in 2015, designed as an independent body to investigate and expose corruption among senior officials.

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Achievements Overview NABU has a strong track record in uncovering corruption:

2017: Investigated Oleg Bakhmatyuk over a loan scandal and targeted Petro Poroshenko’s associates in defense sector thefts.

2022: Exposed a EUR 22 million bribery attempt involving a former lawmaker and Dnipro’s mayor, with 187 individuals charged.

2023: Uncovered corruption involving 21 senior officials, 39 state enterprise heads, 16 judges, and 11 MPs, with an economic impact of UAH 4.7 billion (~USD 125 million).

2024: Launched 658 cases, identified UAH 26 billion (USD 700 million) in losses, reimbursed UAH 823 million (USD 22 million), and seized UAH 6.8 billion in assets. Notable cases targeted defense, energy, and customs sectors.

These efforts highlight NABU’s role in tackling high-profile corruption, recovering significant funds, and securing convictions.

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In June 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov was named a suspect in a major corruption case by NABU and SAPO. He is accused of facilitating a land undervaluation scheme in Kyiv that allegedly cost the state over ?1 billion (approx. USD 24 million), receiving discounted apartments in return. While Chernyshov was on an official trip abroad when the charges surfaced, he returned to Ukraine and was later released on a ?120 million (USD 2.9 million) bail. Despite the serious allegations and detention of two former aides, the court allowed him to remain in office under certain restrictions. Chernyshov denies wrongdoing and has pledged to cooperate with the investigation.

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Today’s Voting (July 22, 2025) On July 22, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada passed Bill ?12414, which subordinates NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) to the Prosecutor General’s Office, granting powers to direct investigations, reassign cases, and close probes.

The vote saw: - 263 in favor - 13 against - 13 abstaining This followed SBU searches on July 21, 2025, targeting NABU officials, with accusations of Russian agents among them, including one official suspected of spying.

The bill, expedited through an unusual process, awaits President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s signature or veto. [Zelenskyy has signed it.] Protests started in Kyiv and other major cities, accusing the government of undermining anti-corruption efforts.

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Rumors About Zelenskyy’s Acceptance President Zelenskyy has not yet signed Bill ?12414, [again, he did sign it] but rumors and unconfirmed reports suggest he may have already approved it. According to Member of Parliament Yaroslav Zheleznyak, the president has signed the bill, which would effectively dismantle NABU and SAPO’s independence. In the best-case scenario, Zelenskyy might refrain from signing to maintain a positive image, distancing himself from the decision. However, it’s difficult to believe he was unaware of the bill’s progression from the outset.

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Conclusion Ukraine’s robust democratic civil society has a history of fighting corruption, as evidenced by its success during the 2013-2014 Maidan uprising. However, Ukrainian civil society is currently focused on Ukraine's survival—supporting the fight against Russia through military service or aiding soldiers. The protests against Bill ?12414, the first significant anti-government demonstrations since the full-scale invasion began, underscore public opposition to undermining anti-corruption efforts. While NABU may not have been perfect, its potential liquidation is undoubtedly a negative development. I hope President Zelenskyy and his government will heed the voices of Ukrainians before it’s too late.

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Puts a lot of power into the hands of the Prosecutor General but there may be more changes forthcoming. Whatever we want to believe, Kyiv will absolutely do what the EU wants them to do and keep in constant communication with Brussels.

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Yesterday's protests demonstrated the results of poor communication on all levels, so Kyiv has work to be done on this issue. Always remember, it sin't what you say as much as it is how you say it.

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Very fair analysis

Its a major point that if we do want the best for Ukraine then just like the Ukrainian people we should be concerned about this collapsing of government oversight.

I've drawn the parallel to Trump and the Justice Department.

If Ukraine continued to hold elections of their legislature continued to be elected and had robust investigation tools of their own, then this would be a minor concern, but they haven't had any elections since 2019 and won't have any soon.

At the very least this new law should be watched with concern.

Air defense downs 27 out of 71 Russian drones overnight

23.07.2025 10:09

Ukraine's air defense forces shot down or jammed 27 out of 71 Russian drones launched overnight, while another 18 drones disappeared from the radar.

The Ukrainian Air Force Command announced this on Facebook, according to Ukrinform.

On the night of July 22-23 (starting from 20:00 on July 22), the enemy launched 71 Shahed strike drones and various types of decoy drones from Kursk, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, as well as Chauda in temporarily occupied Crimea.

The Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Cherkasy regions were targeted in the attack.

As of 09:00, preliminary data indicates that 27 enemy drones were shot down or jammed by air defense systems in the northern, eastern, and central parts of the country.

An additional 18 drones were lost from radar or suppressed by electronic warfare systems.

The Air Force recorded 26 confirmed drone impacts across 14 locations, and debris from downed drones fell in five locations.

Ukrinform