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Emmanuel Macron President of the French Republic shakes hands with Volodymyr Zelensky President of Ukraine in front of Yael Braun Pivet President of the French National Assembly during the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris France on July 14, 2026. (Photo by Bastien Ohier \/ Hans Lucas \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Hans Lucas\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1603.<\/p>\n
\u200bGovernment Shake-Up<\/p>\n
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Mykhailo Fedorov as Ukraine’s defense minister<\/a> on July 15 as part of his administration’s latest government overhaul. Fedorov confirmed<\/a> his dismissal in a social media post later in the evening, saying it was “a great honor to serve the Ukrainian people as Defense Minister.”<\/p>\n Less than a year after appointing Yuliia Svyrydenko as Ukraine’s second woman Prime Minister, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is preparing to reshuffle his government once again. On July 12, he announced<\/a> that Svyrydenko was asked to “lead a new significant direction in relations with a key partner [the U.S.].” Ukraine’s Parliament voted<\/a> on her dismissal on July 14, opening the door to the second cabinet reset in years.<\/p>\n \u200bIn her resignation speech<\/a>, Svyrydenko, her voice occasionally wavering, said her overriding goal had been to help Ukrainians enduring the hardships of war. \u201cNo matter how long the war lasts or how great the destruction, we must continue to\u2026 live with dignity,\u201d she remarked.<\/p>\n \u200bThe revamp appears to be driven by Zelenskyy\u2019s desire to bring new people into the government.<\/p>\n \u200bSenior officials familiar with the discussions shared with Forbes Ukraine that Serhii Koretskyi, chief executive of Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas giant, is the leading candidate to replace Svyrydenko<\/a>. Until recently, Zelenskyy was also considering Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.<\/p>\n Svyrydenko, predicted to become Ukraine’s next ambassador to the U.S., leaves office with several notable achievements. During her tenure, Ukraine secured a record $52.4 billion in external financing<\/a> in 2025 and secured a new $8.1 billion program from the International Monetary Fund. Her government recently launched the Drone Deal, a new mechanism that allows Ukrainian defense manufacturers to export weapons while channeling proceeds into a dedicated fund for the domestic arms industry.<\/p>\n \u200bZelenskyy Visits France<\/p>\n \u200bMore than 25 heads of state gathered in Paris on July 13 for a summit of the Coalition of the Willing<\/a>, a Franco-British initiative bringing together countries prepared to provide military support and security guarantees for Ukraine. French officials said the summit came at a \u201cpowerful moment of renewed transatlantic convergence and unity\u201d and would show that \u201cthere is absolutely no sign of fatigue\u201d among Ukraine\u2019s supporters.<\/p>\n \u200bThe gathering produced fresh pledges. During a joint press conference with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Friedrich Merz, and Keir Starmer, President Emmanuel Macron said France would transfer 16 Rafale fighter jets to Ukraine in 2028-29 and begin training Ukrainian pilots in the coming months. He also said France would grant Kyiv licenses to produce Aster-30 (surface-to-air missiles) for the SAMP\/T air-defense system and SCALP cruise missiles with a range of 155 miles.<\/p>\n \u200bThe formal launch of an Anti-Ballistic Coalition, bringing together Ukraine and nine European countries to develop a European-wide missile shield, took place during the summit. “We believe that the protection of Europe requires a global solution of integrated missile defense architecture to deter and defeat future missile threats \u2014 developed through collective effort, technological openness, and trusted industrial cooperation,” \u200bthe joint \u200bstatement \u2060declared<\/a>.<\/p>\n Russia’s Attacks on Ukraine<\/p>\n \u200bRussian attack on Odesa kills three people. On July 15th, Several people were killed in Russian attacks on port infrastructure in Odesa and Mykolaiv, while Ukrainian authorities said it launched drone strikes on 20 Russian vessels as the warring sides escalated their battle over the Black Sea and key trade routes.<\/p>\n Early on July 14, Russia launched another ballistic attack on Kyiv (its fifth this month), firing eight missiles and 137 drones. Ukraine’s Air Force intercepted<\/a> five ballistic missiles, the highest success rate recorded in weeks, after officials warned that Patriot stockpiles were running low. No casualties were reported in the attack, but falling debris ignited warehouse fires in Kyiv\u2019s Holosiivskyi district and damaged a boarding school in Darnytskyi district.<\/p>\n \u200bThe attack followed the two deadliest strikes on Kyiv this year, which killed almost 60 people on July 2 and July 6 after ballistic projectiles punched through Ukraine\u2019s depleted air defenses.<\/p>\n \u200bOn July 13, Russian drones hit<\/a> the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, setting apartment buildings on fire. Two residents were killed, and 13 people were injured in the attack. In the southern Odesa region, Russia also struck a foreign commercial vessel, killing five crew members and injuring 10 others.<\/p>\n \u200bTwo days earlier, on July 11, Russia dropped<\/a> three glide bombs on the northeastern city of Sumy, killing five civilians, including a child, and injuring more than 40 others.<\/p>\n \u200bUkraine’s Attacks on Russia<\/p>\n Overnight on July 14, Ukraine struck two major oil refineries<\/a> deep inside Russian territory. Fires broke out at Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat in Bashkortostan (some 800 miles from Ukraine) and at the Afipsky refinery in southern Krasnodar Krai. Together, the two plants process nearly 20 million tonnes of crude oil a year.<\/p>\n \u200bUkraine also said its drones struck transport infrastructure around the Sea of Azov. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine\u2019s Unmanned Systems Forces, said his units had hit 14 vessels<\/a> from Russia\u2019s shadow fleet overnight on July 14, bringing the total to 116 over the previous nine days.<\/p>\n