Jul 24, 2026, 11:00 AM UTC

The European Union has formally adopted its 21st sanctions package against Russia, expanding penalties to 218 individuals and entities while targeting the country's oil price cap, banking, cryptocurrency, and shadow fleet operations.

The diplomatic measures coincide with ongoing cross-border military strikes. Ukrainian forces recently struck a military production facility in Kirov and a Russian oil depot. Meanwhile, Russian drone attacks damaged port infrastructure and fuel stations in Ukraine's Mykolaiv region, causing fresh power outages across Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia.

Concurrently, the International Atomic Energy Agency warned that military activity near Enerhodar threatens essential infrastructure and long-term water supply stability at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, though cooling water levels currently remain sufficient.

Sources: Ukrinform

The United States carried out a 13th consecutive night of military strikes against targets in Iran, escalating an ongoing conflict over Middle Eastern maritime trade routes. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned US President Donald Trump’s proposal to utilise seized Iranian funds to compensate for commercial ship damage in the Persian Gulf, labeling the plan a "dangerous precedent".

Concurrently, reports indicate President Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with the protracted conflict, now in its fifth month, while political advisers express concern over potential fallout in upcoming congressional elections.

In a separate development, Ukrainian drone strikes hit a commercial warehouse in St. Petersburg, triggering a major fire, according to regional authorities.

Sources: Makfax, MIA (Media Information Agency)

US forces conducted a 13th consecutive night of airstrikes against targets in Iran, with Iranian media reporting explosions in Khuzestan province, near Qeshm Island, and around Bandar. The continued bombardment comes amid analysis highlighting the limits of the air campaign, with an American official describing the military situation as a stalemate.

Concurrently, the British government declared it is prepared to defend against Iranian missile attacks following threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeting RAF Fairford, an airbase utilised by US forces. The Guard also issued threats against the British monarchy. Despite increased American military pressure, Iranian authorities have shown no signs of yielding.

Sources: Digi24.

A Belarusian entrepreneur with ties to spyware development has launched over a dozen mobile applications operating nominally out of Lithuania, according to an investigation by OCCRP. Technical findings reveal that several popular programs, including the Telegram-based application Nicegram and an eSIM service, transmit user data to servers in Russia and Belarus.

Nicegram, which bypasses blocked Telegram channels, has amassed more than 50 million downloads, while the eSIM service has exceeded one million. Cybersecurity experts warn that these data transfers create significant security vulnerabilities, potentially enabling state surveillance against political dissidents and exiles living abroad.

Sources: OCCRP

German fact-checking organization Correctiv has debunked two viral disinformation campaigns shared on social media ahead of regional state elections.

The first debunked post involved an image mimicking a legitimate newspaper report, shared by right-wing influencers and politicians from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Correctiv confirmed the image was an artificial intelligence creation claiming to show new search powers for the federal domestic intelligence service.

The second piece of disinformation featured a video alleging voter fraud through the destruction of postal ballots cast for the AfD. Correctiv verified that the clip actually displayed falsified mail-in ballot materials rather than destroyed valid election votes. Both fact-checks highlight an ongoing trend of manipulated media targeting German democratic processes.

Sources: Correctiv