This week has been eventful. The Rada voted for a new government led by Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky, and Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov resigned, sparking protests in Ukrainian cities. Former commander of the 155th Motorized Rifle Brigade Stanislav Luchanov suspected of killing the Moseychuk brothers in the Kyiv region, has been detained.
Babel has compiled the main events of the week so that you can stay up to date with the news.
Fedorovʼs resignation and protests
Mykhailo Fedorov reported his resignation as head of the Ministry of Defense on July 15. On the morning of July 16, protests in support of Fedorov began in various cities of Ukraine, which have been going on for the fourth day.
On the same day, Fedorov held a press conference at which he stated that the head of the Ministry of Defense Oleksandr Syrsky was blocking the initiatives of the Ministry of Defense. At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated at a press conference that Fedorov and Syrsky could not reach an agreement and that a “systemic conflict” was ongoing between them.
Діма Вага / «Бабель»
New government
The Verkhovna Rada dismissed Yulia Svyrydenko from the post of Prime Minister on July 14, and on July 16, 289 MPs voted in favor of Serhiy Koretskyʼs candidacy for this position, with one against. On the same day, Koretsky was sworn in, and the Verkhovna Rada voted to appoint the ministers of the new government.
Сергій Корецький / Facebook
Return of bodies
On July 16, the bodies of another 501 dead were returned to Ukraine from Russia. The Russians claim that these are the bodies of Ukrainian servicemen. Law enforcement investigators, together with expert institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will conduct an examination of the bodies in order to identify them. During previous exchanges, it turned out that the Russians were also transferring the bodies of Russian army soldiers to Ukraine.
Detention of Luchanov
The former commander of the 155th separate mechanized brigade, Stanislav Luchanov, was put on the wanted list on July 11, and was detained on July 13. Nine more people were also detained, eight of whom were immediately sent to custody for 60 days. They are all suspected of the kidnapping and murder of the Moseychuk brothers in the Kyiv region.
According to the investigation, Luchanov gave the soldiers the order to commit the crime because of the conflict between the brothers and his wife. On July 14, Luchanov was sent to custody for two months without the possibility of posting bail.
Getty Images / «Babel'»
Detonation in Vyshneve and the trial
The court has ruled in favor of Ruslan Kuchinsky, the production director of “Ukroboronprom”, and the companyʼs general director, who are suspected of official negligence that led to the detonation of warehouses in Vyshneve after a Russian attack on the night of July 6. They will be held in custody for 60 days without the possibility of posting bail — until September 14.
The investigation believes that the suspects ignored the requirements and placed ammunition in warehouses unsuitable for storage located near residential buildings. On the night of July 6, nine people died in Vyshneve (Kyiv region), and another 30 were injured.
Defense partnership between Ukraine and the EU
The EU and Ukraine signed an agreement on a new defense partnership on July 15. The parties agreed to establish joint production of drones by the end of 2026 and anti-ballistic missiles by the end of 2028.
The European Commission also allocated another billion euros to Ukraine for the purchase of drones under the Ukraine Support Loan program. The European Commission also approved a plan that provides for another €10 billion for the purchase of drones, missiles and fighter jets in the future.
Getty Images / «Babel'»
Ukrainian attacks on Russia
The Ukrainian military destroyed a Russian Tu-95 bomber at the Engels airfield on July 17, a Su-24M bomber at the Saky military airfield in temporarily occupied Crimea on July 16, struck one of the largest oil refineries in Russia, and also struck Russian tankers and other targets.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.