Jul 29, 2026, 10:00 PM UTC

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Lublin on Wednesday, warning that Kyiv expected a massive overnight Russian attack. The meeting coincided with reports that a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet crashed during recent operations.

Concurrently, Ukrainian long-range drone strikes have increasingly targeted Russian economic infrastructure, including Wildberries logistics centers—causing an estimated $1.3 billion in damage—and a steel mill near Moscow. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed Russian forces intercepted over 390 drones.

Zelenskyy also warned that Moscow plans to recruit 30,000 North Korean troops for deployment in the Voronezh region and procure new ballistic missile launchers from Pyongyang. In separate diplomatic developments, France expelled a Russian propagandist, while Moscow issued an arrest warrant for Telegram's founder.

Sources: Der Standard, FAZ, Hartpunkt, ORF, Sweden Herald.

The United States and Jordan have intercepted multiple Iranian ballistic missiles launched against American military positions in the Middle East, including a base in Jordan. United States Central Command confirmed that all projectiles were downed without causing casualties or damage.

In response, US President Donald Trump promised targeted retaliation and announced new sanctions against Iran, while indicating a willingness to maintain diplomatic channels. Meanwhile, fires broke out on two oil tankers in the Egyptian port of Damietta following a suspected drone attack. Despite the renewed violence, global crude oil prices fell by over five percent in Asian trading on expectations of potential diplomatic resolution.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, Dagens Industri, El Mundo, FAZ, ORF

United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are preparing for an initial visit to Kyiv to support peace negotiations following closed-door talks between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Simultaneously, broader geopolitical tensions flared after reports indicated Tehran evaluated potential retaliatory strikes against a Ukrainian seaport following an attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea.

On the battlefield, Ukrainian air defense forces intercepted 65 out of 80 Russian attack drones launched overnight. In Kherson, local authorities reported that a Russian drone strike targeted a bread delivery truck, killing the driver. Russian officials also reported a ten-hour drone barrage targeting Moscow as both sides maintain heavy military pressure alongside diplomatic movements.

Sources: Digi24, TV8, Ziarul de Gardă

French authorities have detained four individuals on suspicion of looting and other offenses in regions impacted by the country's ongoing wildfire crisis.

The arrests come as firefighters continue efforts west of Bordeaux to protect critical defense industry installations, including manufacturing facilities for ArianeGroup, Dassault Aviation, and MBDA, from advancing blazes.

Data from the European Forest Fire Information System indicates France is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record, with more than 13,000 blazes burning over 116,000 hectares since the start of the year. The burned area significantly surpasses the previous record of 66,300 hectares set in July 2022. Emergency operations remain ongoing to safeguard strategic infrastructure and maintain public order.

Sources: Anadolu Ajansı (Anadolu Agency), Defence Turk, TRT Haber (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation)

The Federal Reserve has decided to maintain its benchmark interest rate in the 3.5% to 3.75% range for a fifth consecutive meeting. The Federal Open Market Committee voted 9-3 to keep rates steady, with three dissenters advocating for a quarter-percentage-point increase amid lingering inflation risks, including price pressures linked to conflict in the Middle East.

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh stated that the central bank remains committed to reaching its 2% inflation target, emphasizing that "there is no soft inflation target, there is no soft implicit target." Warsh noted that raising rates "could well be part of that solution," though not in isolation, as efforts to curb inflation continue.

Sources: FAZ, Bloomberg, ORF.