Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in the US ahead of a White House meeting with Donald Trump, July 28, 2026

Monday’s Coverage: Russia Murders 2, Including A Child, and Injures 25 in Attack on Supermarket

UPDATE 1807 GMT:

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has spoken by phone with Ukraine counterpart Andrii Sybiha.

No details were given, but Iran has threatened retribution over Ukraine’s weekend attack on an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, part of Kyiv’s campaign to disrupt Russian logistics and military supplies.

Sybiha said the conversation was “frank” and “direct”.

I reiterated that all of Ukraine’s actions are aimed solely at defending our country from Russian aggression and never intended to target civilian vessels of people.

Ukraine’s “goal is to avoid unnecessary escalation”, and Russia is responsible for “all provocations and casualties”.

Araghchi posted in response, “Iran does not seek escalation either, but made clear any attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable. There must be restitution for losses.”

UPDATE 1800 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed his hour-long meeting with Donald Trump in the White House:

The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help. We also spoke about diplomacy – it’s important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated. Our teams will arrange the details of their further communication.

Zelensky also conferred with Finnish President Alexander Stubb about their sessions with Trump, and with representatives of the US aircraft manufacturer and defense company Lockheed Martin.

UPDATE 1034 GMT:

The Kremlin is clamping down on any anti-war dissent ahead of September’s parliamentary elections.

The liberal-leaning Yabloko Party, campaigning under the slogan “For Peace and Freedom”, is under increasing pressure across the country. Russia’s most prominent anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin, who sought to run as an independent, has been barred from standing.

Authorities in St. Petersburg refused to register Yabloko for the local parliamentary elections last week. More than a dozen of its candidates were banned from federal and regional elections over accusations they they displayed alleged “extremist symbols” — such as online photos of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Recent challenges to Yabloko’s registration in several regions over claims of incorrect paperwork indicate the party may be barred completely from the federal election.

Andrei Kolesnikov, an independent political analyst in Moscow, summarizes, “They are not going to give any platform to people with anti-war views in the election. There is now not one noticeable voice against the war.”

UPDATE 0845 GMT:

Ukraine’s air defenses downed 107 of 131 drones launched by Russia overnight. Sixteen UAVs hit nine locations.

UPDATE 0838 GMT:

Ukrainian drones struck a steel fabrication plant in the Moscow region overnight.

Moscow Governor Andrey Vorobyov confirmed the attack targeted the town of Chekhov.

Drones set afire a logistics warehouse serving several Russian companies in the village of Koledino, 20 km (12.5 miles) south of Moscow.

Earlier in the night, an electric substation in Feodosia in the southeast of Russian-occupied Crimea was hit, leaving much of the city without power.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, en route to Washington, met new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Portsmouth, England on Monday.

Burnham officially took office on July 20, succeeding staunch Ukraine supporter Keir Starmer.

At a UK naval base alongside Zelensky, the Prime Minister said his first meeting with a foreign leader is “intended to send a very clear message”:

We are with Ukraine 100%.

I am personally with you 100%, Mr. President. And I will honor every commitment the U.K. has made to Ukraine in full. I want you to know that we’ve got your back.

Burnham’s office confirmed it will share the intellectual property of “Stone Cloak” defense technology with Ukraine, giving Kyiv the ability to mass produce its own systems.

Stone Cloak is an electronic warfare system, using compact tablets that fit directly onto drones. The jammers hinder Russian air defense systems from tracking and targeting the drones.

The UK has already supplied Ukraine with thousands of the jammers but now envisage the Ukrainian defense industry mass manufacturing the devices.

Zelensky responded, “Our relationship with the UK is stronger than ever, and I thank Andy for his commitment to this partnership and for giving so much attention to our defense and security.”

Zelensky is scheduled to meet Donald Trump in the White House at a.m. Washington time (1500 GMT). He posted upon arrival in the US, “Our number-one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer.”

After meeting Zelensky at the G7 summit in Ankara last month, Trump approved US licenses for joint production of anti-ballistic missiles.