Ukraine-Russia Conflict

Czech President Petr Pavel has warned that Western allies have a narrowing two-month window to pressure Russia into peace negotiations with Ukraine before Moscow may escalate the conflict. Speaking on the sidelines of a NATO leaders' meeting in Ankara, Pavel cautioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could order a general mobilisation after parliamentary elections on 20 September, making negotiations far less likely.

Pavel, who attended the summit alongside Prime Minister Andrej Babis, urged allies to leverage current pressure on Moscow. NATO leaders discussed plans to bolster the alliance's defences against a potential Russian attack, with Secretary General Mark Rutte declaring that "NATO delivers". U.S. President Donald Trump described the meeting as marked by "a lot of love" and unity.

Meanwhile, Russia banned diesel exports and began importing fuel to manage a domestic fuel crisis driven by Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure. The United Nations has reported that over 16,000 civilians have been killed in the war.

Russia has banned exports of diesel following a government meeting on the fuel and transport sector held on 7 July 2026, as the country prepares to begin importing fuel this month to meet surging domestic demand.

The move comes as Ukrainian drone strikes continue to hit Russian refineries deep inside the country. A Monday attack forced the largest refinery in Siberia, in Omsk, to halt operations, and Russia has lost nearly half of its oil processing capacity. Fuel demand is up a third compared to last year.

President Vladimir Putin acknowledged in late July that Russia faces a "certain shortage" of fuel. On the Crimean peninsula, gasoline sales to private individuals have been banned and authorities have declared an emergency.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ruled out any prospect of a Russian victory in Ukraine and called on Moscow to end the war, saying the choice now rests with the Kremlin. Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Merz pledged continued support for Kyiv as Berlin spearheaded a European initiative to channel €70 billion in aid to Ukraine this year and next, part of a broader €140 billion military assistance package planned for 2026–2027.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attending the summit, renewed his push for NATO membership and is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy also signed three new drone cooperation agreements with Denmark, Estonia, and the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, senior German lawmakers stressed the need to involve Trump in resolving the conflict, and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius reported progress in talks with Washington on acquiring Tomahawk cruise missiles. On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces struck 19 tankers from Russia's shadow fleet in the Sea of Azov over the past 72 hours.

Ukrainian long-range drones struck eight Russian oil tankers from the so-called shadow fleet in the Sea of Azov on Tuesday, with attacks continuing over two days against as many as a dozen vessels ferrying fuel to Russian-occupied Crimea. Robert Brovdi, Ukraine's commander of drone warfare, described the operation as "industrial in scale" and said the drones also hit a dry cargo ship and a ferry. He declared the shadow fleet had fled the area but vowed the battle for Crimean fuel supplies would continue.

Kyiv has signalled its intent to target such shipping. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba notified the International Maritime Organization in late June that Ukraine considers these vessels legitimate military targets. However, not all attacked ships are under international sanctions — only two of seven identified vessels appear on sanctions lists.

Moscow has not commented on the strikes. The attacks follow fuel rationing imposed by Russian authorities in late May after earlier Ukrainian drone hits on Crimean oil infrastructure.

Ukrainian forces have struck the Omsk oil refinery in western Siberia, the deepest strike inside Russia since the war began, temporarily halting operations at the country's largest processing facility.

The drone attack, announced by Ukraine's military on Sunday, targeted a site roughly 2,700 kilometres from Ukrainian territory. Omsk Governor Vitaly Khotsenko confirmed the strike, saying air defences downed most drones with no casualties reported. Ukrainian special forces said the primary ELOU-AVT-11 processing unit was damaged, while other installations were shut down due to pipeline damage. The refinery, owned by Gazprom Neft, suspended wholesale fuel sales and was temporarily shut down.

Videos circulating on social media showed flames at the complex, which processes over 21 million tonnes annually and supplies fuel to the Russian military. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strike "a major blow to Russia's oil economy." The attack has added to existing fuel shortages in Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded urgent deliveries of Patriot systems and interceptor missiles at a NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday, following two Russian missile attacks on Kyiv in less than a week that killed more than 50 civilians. Ukraine's air force intercepted most drones during Monday's assault but failed to down any ballistic missiles.

Zelensky, who is scheduled to meet Donald Trump on the sidelines of the summit, argued that Ukraine must become a NATO member and urged Europe to develop its own mass-produced air defence systems. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged member states to ensure Ukraine receives what it needs.

Kyiv has escalated long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, hitting an oil refinery in Omsk, Siberia, more than 2,500 km from the border. Zelensky claimed no major Russian refinery remains unstruck, while Moscow accused Ukraine of terrorism over the campaign.