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- By Heather Maher
Top U.S. Diplomat Tells Congress 'Reset Button With Russia Has Been Pushed'
Philip H. Gordon told the House Subcommittee on Europe that President Barack Obama's six-month-old pledge to work with Russia on issues of shared concern has already begun to pay off.
Gordon's July 28 appearance before the subcommittee was something of a report card on the recent Moscow summit between Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, but it was also a larger progress report on nearly six months of reenergized diplomacy aimed at turning the page on past dealings between Washington and Moscow.
Before touting what he called the "significant achievements" that have been gained, Gordon took a quick look back, characterizing the state of affairs between the two countries at the start of Obama's tenure as "difficult and deteriorating."
Obama's call back in December for a "resetting" of relations, based on the belief that cooperation is possible on issues of shared concern, he said, has already begun to be realized.
Gordon said that "the United States and Russia have gone far towards achieving this fresh start. Not only have our leaders made progress in improving the tone of our relations, and in building good will between our two countries, but as the Moscow summit demonstrates, we have succeeded in translating the rhetoric about potential collaboration into concrete actions that are fundamental to the security and prosperity of both of our countries."
Cooperation Paying Dividends
Among those concrete actions is a joint statement of understanding signed by Obama and Medvedev for an agreement to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expires in December. The new agreement commits both parties to a new, legally-binding treaty that will reduce each side's nuclear warheads and delivery systems by at least one-third more than START called for.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, who also traveled to Moscow, has signed a work plan with his counterpart, Nikolai Makarov, to resume military-to-military cooperation in areas like counterterrorism. Twenty military exchanges are planned for the remainder of 2009.
And in what Gordon called "an excellent example" of how Washington's new approach to Russia is paying dividends, Moscow has agreed to allow the United States to transport military troops and supplies across its territory in support of the NATO-led effort in Afghanistan.
Gordon told the committee members that in addition to giving the U.S. forces flexibility in supply routes, the new arrangement could save the U.S. government some $133 million in fuel and other transportation costs annually.
"The significance of this contribution to our effort to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan, which is also of strategic benefit to Russia, should not be understated," Gordon said. "I think it's an excellent example of how the two countries can cooperate in the pursuit of common interest without any quid-pro-quos."
Missile Questions
One of the areas of cooperation agreed to in Moscow was a joint threat assessment of potential ballistic-missile threats, including from Iran and North Korea, and Gordon said a U.S. team left for Moscow this week to begin talks.
That prompted some members of the committee to ask about Moscow's continued opposition to U.S. plans to build an antimissile radar system in the Czech Republic and Poland, which remain on the drawing board. Moscow's anger over what it perceives as a threat aimed its way remains as strong as when it was first announced during former President George W. Bush's administration.
Obama is currently reviewing the missile-defense plan and Gordon told members of the committee that the joint threat assessment by Washington and Moscow is a critical part of that review. He said future decisions would be driven by the level of perceived threat to U.S. allies and the existing capacity to deal with that threat, not Russia's wishes.
But he added that the U.S. team of analysts is hoping that by sharing intelligence with their Russian counterparts, they can persuade Moscow to see the case for missile defense.
Agreeing To Disagree
Even before Gordon had delivered his testimony, a member of the committee in his opening remarks had neatly summarized the dilemma the United States faces in its new Russia strategy.
Representative Albio Sires (Democrat, New Jersey) said on a recent congressional fact-finding trip to Russia, he had met members of the government's "old guard that seemed to be a throwback to the Cold War, and members of "a new guard that seemed more receptive" to the democratic ideas that Sires and the rest of the delegation were raising in discussions.
It was a member of that "old guard," he said, who eagerly confirmed to the congressional group that yes, in fact, a recent poll showed that two-thirds of Russians do not like or trust Americans.
"I don't know how you deal with that, in negotiations, because who's going to set the direction for Russia in the future?" Sires asked.
"We also talked about the problems with journalists, the lack of human rights, the shutting down of TV stations. Is that the new Russia? Or is that the pressure from the old Russia, advancing ahead? I think we have our work cut out for us."
Gordon said the United States had made a strategic decision to work with Russia on issues the two countries can agree on, and continue to oppose Moscow on the issues it doesn't. The challenges of doing so are obvious, he added.
"Let me be clear that we have no illusions that the reset of relations with Russia will be easy, or that we will not continue to have differences with Russia," Gordon said.
Democratic Principles
"Nonetheless, we're confident that the United States and Russia can work together where our interests coincide, while at the same time seeking to narrow our differences in an open, and mutually respective way, be it on questions of human rights or Russia's unlawful recognition of Georgia's separatist regions."
On the last point, he told the committee that in Moscow, Obama was "unequivocal in his message."
"Our reset in the bilateral relationship will not come at the expense of our friends and our allies," Gordon added. "More than in words, but in actions, we demonstrated our commitment to the territorial and independence of Russia's neighbors, including Ukraine and Georgia."
In particular, Gordon said the United States' new approach does not require it abandon its democratic principles or European allies, especially those on Russia's border who fear its resurgent "sphere of influence" policy toward them.
He acknowledge that some former Soviet Union countries "remain nervous" about Russia and said the United States has tried to "provide reassurance and tell them the 'reset' with Russia is not at their expense."
It is a "rock solid principle" of the United States that democracies like Georgia and Ukraine should be able to choose their own security alliances, he said.
Human Rights Concerns
In response to a question from a committee member as to whether he felt ordinary Russians are troubled by the amount of human rights violations -- including murders of journalists and human rights activists -- that goes on with impunity in Russia, Gordon said he "[knew] plenty of Russians who are troubled by the lack of prosecution" and "who do not want to live in a place where people, journalists, can be murdered on the street or kidnapped without any consequences."
"I know a number of Russians who are deeply troubled by that, I can tell you that we met with a number of them in Moscow, the president raised this issue of the need for rule of law and an independent judiciary, free press, and respect for human rights," Gordon said.
"He raised it in his private meetings with the Russia leadership, and he spoke about it publicly when he met with opposition leaders, when he met with civil society groups including human rights advocates, and when he spoke to the next generation of Russian [leaders] at the New Economics School. So it is absolutely something that we are very much focused on and raise at every possible level with the Russian government."
To insure that the commitments to date translate into action, a bilateral presidential commission has been created that will be chaired by Obama and Medvedev and coordinated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
Gordon said the commission will include working groups on nuclear energy and nuclear security, arms control and international security, foreign policy and fighting terrorism, drug trafficking, business development and economic relations, energy, the environment, civil society, and public health.
More News
At Least 3 Killed, 8 Injured In Northwest Pakistan Bomb Blast
At least three people were killed and eight others including two policemen injured in an explosion in Pakistan’s northwestern Mardan district on July 5. District police chief Zahoor Afridi told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that an improvised explosive device had been detonated near a bridge around the time a police van was passing. An emergency services spokesperson said the casualties included women and children. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen an increase in deadly attacks in the past two years mostly remained unclaimed while some of them claimed by the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan. Residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have protested against the lack of security provided by Islamabad and against the actions of extremists. Pakistani security forces have said they have been conducting targeted operations against militants in several parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, click here.
Swedish-Iranian Drops Hunger Strike Over Exclusion From Swap Deal
The wife of an Iranian-Swedish academic condemned to death in Iran says he has ended a hunger strike eight days after launching the protest at his being left out of a prisoner swap between Tehran and Stockholm.
Vida Mehrannia told RFE/RL's Radio Farda on July 5 that her husband, Ahmadreza Djalali, accepted calls to end his hunger strike as he was suffering from "severe" weakness, heart and blood-pressure issues, and "severe stomach problems" made worse by previous hunger strikes.
Last month, Sweden released former Iranian prison official Hamid Nouri in exchange for Swedish citizens Johan Floderus and Saeed Azizi.
Djalali, who was detained in 2016 and subsequently sentenced to death for allegedly spying for Israel, was not part of the exchange.
He has denied all the charges against him.
Mehrannia has said the Swedish government's explanations for not including him are not "convincing."
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on June 25 that his government’s only options were to bring Floderus and Azizi back or walk away from the talks.
Djalali appears to be the longest-held dual citizen held in Iranian custody.
His wife accuses Tehran of holding him to “pressure” European states to release Iranian prisoners.
Last month's prisoner swap deal has been widely condemned by rights groups and activists because Nouri was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in Iran in 1988.
At least eight other European citizens are currently held in Iran, including Jamshid Sharmahd, a German citizen of Iranian descent sentenced to death.
- By RFE/RL and
- RFE/RL's Hungarian Service
Unchecked Orban Arrives In Moscow As EU Further Distances Bloc From Visit
EU officials have intensified statements distancing the bloc from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's surprise visit to Russia less than a week after Budapest assumed the six-month rotating EU Council Presidency and three days after Orban presented a mystery cease-fire proposal to Kyiv.
Orban and his foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, arrived on July 5 in Russia, where Orban will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to multiple reports including from a Hungarian government source who told RFE/RL's Hungarian Service of the travel plan.
Orban's spokesman shared an image on social media of Orban on a red carpet on a tarmac in Moscow with the message "The #peace mission continues. Second stop: #Moscow."
Szijjarto posted an image of himself exiting a Hungarian Air Force plane and said, "Arriving in Moscow. Another step for peace!"
EU officials might disagree.
An unnamed EU official told RFE/RL that Orban had not informed Brussels of any planned Moscow trip, and his press office did not initially respond to request for comment.
EU foreign affairs high representative Josep Borrell said in a statement on July 5 that "Prime Minister Orban has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow."
He said the visit "takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia."
Orban maintains close relations with Putin and has resisted Western sanctions and refused to join military and other Western aid efforts to help Ukraine beat back the 28-month full-scale invasion ordered by Putin.
He has also whipped up heightened fears of an escalating conflict in recent Hungarian elections.
Orban's record with respect to Moscow has sparked concerns that beyond rule-of-law and democracy disputes with Brussels, the Hungarian EU presidency might erode unity among bloc members in the face of Russian aggression.
In Kyiv on July 2, Orban presented Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy with a cease-fire proposal he said was aimed at pausing the fighting. He declined to give details but said he asked Zelenskiy "whether it was possible to take a break, to stop the firing, and then continue the negotiations."
Zelenskiy did not express his opinion on the proposal during the briefing with reporters, but a spokesman for the president said later on July 2 that Zelenskiy gave Orban an opportunity to air his thoughts.
Putin, who has denied Ukrainian nationhood and history, has said conditions for ending the war, which has killed and wounded more than 500,000 people on both sides, include Kyiv renouncing any NATO hopes and ceding Crimea and four other occupied regions of Ukraine.
Zelenskiy has insisted its territorial integrity -- backed in multiple UN votes and a Ukrainian-initiated Global Peace Summit in Switzerland last month -- must be the foundation of any peace deal.
After word leaked on July 4 of Orban's planned visit, European Council President Charles Michel said "the EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU."
"The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine," Michel added.
Orban last visited Moscow in September 2022, when he paid his respects at the funeral of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.
- By Maja Zivanovic and
- Mike Eckel
Exclusive: Bosnian Charged In Uss Escape Is Released To Italy; U.S. Drops Extradition Request
A Bosnian man arrested in connection with the audacious escape of Russian businessman Artyom Uss from Italian arrest has been released and is now cooperating with Italian investigators.
U.S. prosecutors, meanwhile, have for now dropped their extradition request against the man, Vladimir Jovancic, who also faces a U.S. indictment for aiding Uss's March 2023 escape.
Jovancic's release from Croatian detention, and the halt to U.S. extradition proceedings, neither of which has been reported previously, are small but significant developments in the continuing investigation of how Uss -- the politically connected son of a powerful Russian governor -- managed to slip out of Italy on the eve of his extradition to the United States.
Uss had been arrested by Italy after being charged by the U.S. Justice Department with overseeing an elaborate smuggling network that had secretly shipped Western military technology to Russia -- some of which had ended up on Ukrainian battlefields.
His escape embarrassed Italian authorities and prompted criticism from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said there had been "anomalies" in the decisions that ultimately led to Uss's escape.
Jovancic, a 53-year-old national of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is one of eight people that Italian prosecutors have charged in connection with Uss's escape.
He was arrested in December 2023 in Zagreb after U.S. prosecutors secured a grand jury indictment of him in connection with the escape.
Since then, Jovancic has been cooperating with Italian prosecutors, providing testimony on at least two occasions.
Sometime late last month, however, Jovancic was released from Croatian detention and was extradited to Italy after reaching a plea agreement, his Croatian lawyer Gordan Preglej, told RFE/RL. The conditions of the deal require his cooperation with Italian officials and three years of community service, Preglej said.
His release also included the agreement by U.S. prosecutors to halt extradition proceedings.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York confirmed that Jovancic's extradition had been halted, but said the charges remain in place.
A spokesman for the Milan prosecutors' office, which has been leading the Italian investigation, declined comment.
Where Is Uss?
Uss, whose father was the governor of the sprawling Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk and an ally of President Vladimir Putin, slipped out of house arrest in a suburb of Milan on March 22, 2023, after disrupting the signal transmitted from a court-ordered electronic monitoring bracelet.
He and the people who aided him then drove east, across Slovenia, Croatia, and into Serbia. He later flew back to Krasnoyarsk.
Italian authorities have cast a wide net across Europe, trying to identify and arrest the people involved in the escape.
In addition to Jovancic, others who have been arrested or detained include his son, Boris, who is believed to be in Italian custody; and a Slovenian man arrested in Ljubljana.
The Ljubljana District Court told RFE/RL that that man, Matej Janezic, had been been released from custody, and extradited to Italy.
Italian officials have also charged an obscure Serbian businessman named Srdjan Lolic.
Roughly three weeks after he allegedly helped Uss flee Italy, Lolic traveled to the North Pole, via Krasnoyarsk, accompanying a top Krasnoyarsk government official, and other Russian officials. Not known as a polar explorer, Lolic claimed to have been the first Serb to have reached the North Pole.
Lolic's whereabouts are currently unknown. But Italian court documents show he has provided written testimony to Italian prosecutors about the people who helped Uss escape.
Some of that testimony appears to have helped in the latest arrest announced by Italian officials on June 14: Dmitry Chirakadze, a Russian businessman who lives in Switzerland and controls a Sardinian hotel linked to Uss.
Chirakadze, who was arrested as he arrived at Rome's Fiumicino airport, has been fighting a court detention order, according to his defense lawyer.
Italian authorities have also charged Uss's wife, Maria Yagodina, in connection with the plot.
Both she and Uss are believed in Russia, possibly Krasnoyarsk. In comments to Russian media following Chirakadze's arrest, Uss confirmed his business ties to Chirakadze and alleged the arrest was a "PR move" by Western officials.
The United States has offered a $7 million reward for information leading to Uss escape.
RFE/RL Russian Service correspondents Mark Krutov and Sergei Dobrynin, and RFE/RL enterprise editor Carl Schreck contributed to this report.
Ukraine's Energy Operator Imposes 'Tougher' Power Outages
Ukraine's national power distributor Ukrenerho on July 5 announced a "tougher" schedule of rolling blackouts across the country as it tries to cope with damage to infrastructure inflicted by Russian bombardments in its 28-month-old full-scale invasion.
It said two rounds of hourly shutdowns between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. will increase to three rounds during "the rest of the day."
Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
It said the changes mean "approximately half of consumers will be without light at the same time."
Russia has increasingly targeted infrastructure in missile and drone attacks in recent months, although it has denied widespread evidence it is also targeting Ukrainian civilians.
Ukrenerho had increased the use of rolling blackouts to consumers as recently as last month, but said electricity supplies for critical infrastructure would not be restricted.
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy told senior military officials in June that he hoped to develop a renewable energy infrastructure in response to the attacks, so that "solar panels, smart meters, and energy storage facilities should appear in every school and hospital as soon as possible."
As the stepped-up Russian air attacks on power and cities, Ukrainian drones have struck deeper inside Russia, damaging energy facilities critical for Moscow's military effort, mainly oil installations.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed on July 5 that it thwarted a Ukrainian-ordered "criminal" attack on a defense facility in the Samara region of southwest Russia, although RFE/RL could not independently confirm the incident.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had destroyed 50 Ukrainian attack drones over Russia's Krasnodar and Rostov regions and in the occupied Zaporizhzhya region of Ukraine.
Although outgunned, Ukraine has also waged a surprisingly effective naval campaign on the shared Black Sea over the course of the war.
On July 5, the commander of Ukraine's navy, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, told Reuters that Russia had been forced to relocate "almost all" of its combat-capable ships from occupied Crimea to other locations. He said Russia's main naval center was being rendered "ineffective" as a result of Ukrainian efforts.
But Russian forces have made gradual territorial gains over the past six months, including capturing a district in the strategically important highland town of Chasiv Yar in the eastern Donetsk region.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
- By RFE/RL
New U.K. Prime Minister Starmer Vows 'Change Begins Now,' But Ukraine Is Another Matter
A triumphant Keir Starmer announced in London early on July 5 that "change begins now," after his Labour Party scored a landslide victory to end 14 years of Conservative government in the United Kingdom's general elections a day earlier.
But while new Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his center-left party have pledged a fresh approach to British economic woes and a cost-of-living crisis at home, they have signaled no dramatic break with the outgoing government's policy of robust military and diplomatic support for Ukraine in its ongoing war to defeat Russian invaders.
While Labour has hinted at a more conciliatory tone than its Conservative predecessor in relations with the European Union, the party has gone to lengths to reassure NATO and other allies helping arm Kyiv that London will continue to regard Russia as a threat to Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was quick to welcome the continuity in a message of thanks to the outgoing Conservatives and congratulations to the incoming Labour government for its "convincing election victory."
"Ukraine and the United Kingdom have been and will continue to be reliable allies through thick and thin," Zelenskiy wrote on X. "We will continue to defend and advance our common values of life, freedom, and a rules-based international order."
He wished Starmer well in "solidifying the U.K.'s leadership on the world stage."
"I look forward to working closely together on strengthening the Ukraine-U.K. partnership and restoring international peace and security," Zelenskiy added.
"A mandate like this comes with a great responsibility," Starmer, who took over Labour's leadership four years ago, told supporters after the party's victory was assured.
At around noon local time at Buckingham Palace, King Charles III formally launched the 61-year-old former lawyer's tenure as prime minister by asking him to form a government.
Outgoing Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was a strong backer of NATO and other international assistance for Ukraine including the supply of weaponry.
Zelenskiy expressed gratitude in his message to Sunak and his government's "steadfast support" and "shared achievements," including the supplies of tanks, Storm Shadow missiles, F-16 training for our pilots, and the first bilateral security cooperation agreement" after Russia's invasion began.
David Lammy, who is widely expected to become foreign secretary in Starmer's Labour government, predicted Labour's return to power will usher in a foreign policy of "progressive realism."
And he has said it is time to "turn the page on 14 years of Tory chaos."
But the resets in foreign policy that Lammy has touted among Labour's goals involve reconnecting with Europe to repair some of the damage since Brexit, addressing climate change, and engaging more aggressively with the Global South.
On defense, Starmer and Labour have described their commitment to NATO's foremost role in transatlantic security as "unshakable."
On Ukraine, Labour has pledged "steadfast" military, financial, diplomatic, and political support. Labour's manifesto also calls for helping lay out a path for Ukraine toward NATO membership.
Olivia O'Sullivan, director of the U.K. In The World Program at Chatham House, a London-based think tank, told RFE/RL that "there are many ways in which the foreign policy positions of the Labour Party are not that distinct from the Conservatives," calling it "one surprising area of consensus in the U.K."
"Particularly on Ukraine, the Labour Party have been at pains to emphasize that they are as staunch and as consistent in their support for Ukraine," O'Sullivan said. "There's very little daylight between their position and [that of] the Conservatives."
The woman who is expected to assume the EU's top diplomatic post later this year, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, congratulated Starmer on his electoral victory and praised "the U.K.'s commitment to our common security."
"I'm sure our excellent cooperation will only continue to thrive," she added on X.
Starmer has hinted that he would meet early in his leadership with Zelenskiy, and he has described Russian President Vladimir Putin as "the aggressor in Ukraine."
"The most important thing is to be absolutely clear that our support for Ukraine is on a united front in this country," Starmer said.
Starmer's new government will immediately have a chance to test that intention at NATO's 75th anniversary summit in Washington on July 9-11.
Soon after, Britain will host a European Political Community Summit at Blenheim Palace on July 18.
"I think one of their goals for both of those events...will be to affirm that they're taking a very similar line through the previous government on Ukraine and on support for Ukraine," O'Sullivan said.
She said Starmer's challenges include fiscal restrictions and looming elections in France and the United States, either of which could deal blows to transatlantic unity.
Analysts say British voters turned to Labour seeking relief from a 14-year Conservative tenure marked by the Brexit vote in 2016 to leave the European Union and economic woes and stagnation that have followed the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Labour eclipsed the 326 seats needed for a working majority in the House of Commons early in the vote count that showed it gaining well over 200 seats as the Conservatives lost an even higher number of seats.
Right-wing populist Reform Party leader Nigel Farage won a seat for the first time in eight attempts, indicating that Britain was experiencing some of the right-wing surge that showed up in last month's elections to the European Parliament.
- By RFE/RL and
- RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Khamenei Presses Turnout Message As Voting Begins In Iran's Presidential Runoff
Polls have opened across Iran on July 5 in a runoff presidential election after no candidate secured enough votes to be declared the outright winner of the June 28 vote, which saw a record-low turnout.
The election, which was triggered by the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May, has come down to a choice between the reformist veteran lawmaker Masud Pezeshkian and hard-line former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili.
It comes at a time when Iranians are contending with a lack of freedoms, declining living standards, and a faltering economy.
Jalili serves as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s personal representative on the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC). He was the SNSC’s secretary between 2007 and 2013, during which time he led the Iranian delegation in failed talks with the West on Tehran’s nuclear program.
He represents the hard-line part of the conservative camp and has never held elected office.
Pezeshkian has been a member of parliament since 2008 and served as deputy speaker between 2016 and 2020, when moderates and reformists had a majority in the legislature.
He has questioned Iran’s methods of enforcing the hijab, or Islamic head scarf for women, and spoken in favor of negotiating with the West.
But he also supports the principles of the Islamic republic and says he will follow Khamenei’s policies if elected.
The outcome of the election is unlikely to result in major policy shifts, but it could have an impact on the succession to the 85-year-old Khamenei, who has been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989.
The first round of voting saw a record-low turnout of 39.9 percent, despite calls by Khamenei for a high voter participation to project an image of a strong Iran where its people back the political establishment.
Khamenei reiterated that message on July 3, when he acknowledged that first-round turnout was "not as expected" but denied the lack of voter interest reflected unpopularity for Iran's leadership.
He called the vote "very important," adding, "Those who love Islam and the Islamic republic and the progress of the country must show it by taking part in the election."
Khamenei, who has the final say on all official matters in Iran, cast his vote at a mobile polling station at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran in the first minutes after voting started on July 5.
"I've heard that people's enthusiasm and interest are higher than in the first round," Khamenei said. "May God make it this way as this will be gratifying news."
The Islamic republic has long maintained it derives its legitimacy from strong voter turnout, but poor participation in recent elections and deadly antiestablishment protests have challenged the legitimacy of the current leadership.
Pezeshkian finished the first round with 10.5 million votes, above Jalili’s 9.5 million. But he also benefited from the splitting of the conservative vote, with 3.4 million votes going to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf who has since endorsed Jalili.
However, there is no guarantee that all of Qalibaf’s votes will swing to Jalili since they represent vastly different groups in the highly factionalized conservative camp.
Pezeshkian’s campaign has been trying to increase turnout by convincing people who boycotted the first round to vote in the runoff. His supporters have sought to highlight what they see as the dangers of a hard-line figure like Jalili coming to power, arguing that his administration will enact repressive policies and further isolate Iran.
Jalili's supporters have portrayed Pezeshkian as a man who is soft on the West and will make Iranian progress dependent on good relations with Western nations.
Dissidents have urged the public to continue their boycott of the vote, insisting that elections in Iran are neither free nor fair and that past votes have failed to instigate change since ultimate power lies with Khamenei.
Raisi, who many Iranians refer to as the "Butcher of Tehran" for his alleged role in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988 when he was Tehran's deputy prosecutor, died along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other officials when their helicopter crashed on May 19.
Russian Colonel Whose Unit Was Linked To Bucha Massacre Arrested On Fraud Charges
Russian Colonel Artyom Gorodilov, who is under U.S. sanctions due to suspected involvement in war crimes in Ukraine, has been detained in Russia on allegations of conducting large-scale fraud, Russian media reported on July 4. Specific details of the charges remain unclear. Since 2019, Gorodilov has been the commander of the 234th Airborne Assault Regiment, which was deployed to Bucha, Ukraine, during Russia’s full-scale invasion. Russian forces were blamed for the massacre of hundreds of civilians in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv. The U.S. State Department sanctioned Gorodilov for what it said was “his involvement in gross violations of human rights, namely extrajudicial killings" in Ukraine. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service click here.
Iran Sentences Labor Activist To Death Amid Rights Groups' Outcry
Labor activist Sharifeh Mohammadi has been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court in the northern city of Rasht, rights groups told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda on July 4, a move her supporters have labeled "medieval and criminal."
The court said the woman been convicted on charges of "armed rebellion against the state" and included as evidence her membership in an independent labor organization.
She was also accused of being a member of the banned Komala Kurdish separatist party, which the family denied.
The Norway-based Hengaw and U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency also reported on Mohammadi’s death sentence.
The Campaign for the Defense of Sharifeh Mohammadi described the labor organization -- the Coordination Committee for Helping to Establish Labor Organizations -- as legal but said that, in any case, she had not been a member for 10 years.
The Defense Campaign called the court verdict against her "medieval and criminal."
“Many believe that this ridiculous and baseless verdict was issued solely to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation among Gilan [Province] activists,” the group said.
Mohammadi’s aunt, Vida Mohammadi, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that the woman has been tortured in prison following her arrest on December 5, 2023, and that she had spent several months in solitary confinement.
Vida Mohammadi said Sharifeh Mohammadi was not affiliated with any political organization inside or outside the country.
The Hengaw rights watchdog said Mohammadi "endured mental and physical torture at the hands of Iranian Intelligence interrogators...who sought to extract a forced confession from her."
The U.S.-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, which focuses on Iranian issues, said the death sentence was linked to "her involvement with an independent labor union."
"This extreme ruling highlights the harsh crackdown on dissent within Iran, particularly against labor activists amid economic turmoil," it said.
Major protests erupted in Gilan Province and throughout the country in 2022 following the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman who had been detained for allegedly flouting Iran's strict dress code for women.
More than 500 protesters were killed nationwide and thousands arrested during the months of unrest.
Domestic and International rights activists have accused Tehran of using the death penalty to intimidate protesters and others following the mass demonstrations.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Iran “remains one of the world’s top practitioners of the death penalty, applying it to individuals convicted of crimes committed as children and under vague national security charges; occasionally, it is also used for nonviolent offenses.”
- By Reuters
Poland Seeks Belarus Border Guard Help From Germany, Greece, Finland
Poland hopes to bring in border guards and police from Finland, Germany, and Greece to help patrol its frontier with Belarus, a senior official said on July 4, amid mounting concerns over migration pressures from the east into Europe. "Preparations are underway and these are countries that are very experienced in border protection. Especially, for example, Greek experiences can be very useful," a senior government official told reporters. The border between Poland and Belarus has become a flashpoint as Western officials accuse the government in Minsk of using migrants it brings from in from outside of Europe as "hybrid warfare."
- By Current Time
Kazakh Activist Summoned For 'Preventive Conversation' After Planning Tribute To Slain Journalist
Kazakh activist Abzal Dostiyarov was summoned by police on July 4 amid pressure being applied on rights activists during the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Astana. After Dostiyarov departed police headquarters, a spokesman confirmed to RFE/RL that he had been summoned for a "preventive conversation." Right activists have been under pressure since July 2 after many demanded Kazakh officials arrange the repatriation and burial with honors of opposition activist and journalist Aidos Sadyqov, who died in Kyiv on July 1 after being shot 13 days earlier in the Ukrainian capital. Ukraine named two Kazakh men as suspects. Kazakh officials said they were ready to cooperate with Kyiv in the investigation but refused the extradition of the two to Ukraine, arguing that Kazakh law doesn't permit it. Dostiyarov and others said they were planning a tribute to Sadyqov. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.
Russia Jails U.S. Citizen For 12 1/2 Years On Drug Charges
A Moscow court has sentenced U.S. citizen Robert Woodland to 12 1/2 years in a maximum-security penal colony after finding him guilty of the attempted sale of illegal drugs, the court press service reported on July 4. Woodland, a Russian-born man who was adopted by American parents as a child, was arrested by Russian police in January on charges of drug possession. At the time of his arrest, Woodland had reportedly been working as an English teacher outside Moscow. Court documents identified him by his Russian surname, Romanov, but it was not clear whether he had Russian citizenship. The Interfax news agency said he was a Russian citizen. More than 10 U.S. citizens are being held in Russian jails and prisons, accused or convicted on charges ranging from drug possession and theft to treason and espionage. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.
Apple Reportedly Removes VPN Services In Russia Often Used To Access Media Blocked By Kremlin
Apple has removed from the Russian unit of its App Store several VPN services used to bypass blocking efforts by the Kremlin, Russian media outlets and VPN services reported on July 4. The U.S.-based Red Shield VPN said Apple removed its app at the request of Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media watchdog. “We encourage journalists and human rights organizations to publish information and submit requests to Apple about it,” Red Shield said in a tweet. Roskomnadzor has suppressed dozens of VPN services in the country that can be used to access media and social networks blocked by Russian authorities. VPN use in Russia has increased significantly following the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and a subsequent crackdown on media access and independent voices in the country. VPNs, or virtual private networks, allow users to mask the area or country they are in, thereby allowing them to circumvent local Internet restrictions.To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Russian Service, click here.
Hungary's Orban To Meet With Putin In Moscow Following Trip To Kyiv, Angering EU Officials
BUDAPEST -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will travel to Moscow on July 5 to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, days after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv, a Hungarian government source told RFE/RL.
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RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will also accompany Orban to the Kremlin, the government source said on July 4. Szijjarto has visited Russia more than five times since Moscow invaded Ukraine more than two years ago.
News of the Moscow visit comes days after Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the European Union -- an action that raised concerns among many in the EU because of Orban’s regular pro-Russia statements – and elicited quick condemnation from leaders of the bloc.
Charles Michel, president of the European Council, posted on X that “the EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU.”
“The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine,” Michel added.
An EU official who asked not to be identified told RFE/RL that Orban has not informed the bloc of any planned trip to Moscow.
If Orban would have asked, Michel would have strongly advised against such a visit, the official said.
Since Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Orban has stood out among leaders from the European Union and NATO for his reluctance to sign onto massive Western weapons and aid packages for Ukraine.
Central European investigative editor Szabolcs Panyi first reported on the trip in a post on X. RFE/RL later received confirmation of the visit via a Hungarian government source.
The Hungarian prime minister's press office has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Last month, Putin said Russia would end its war -- which is believed to have killed and wounded at least 500,000 soldiers on both sides -- only if Kyiv met certain conditions.
Those included renouncing its NATO ambitions and ceding four partially occupied regions that Russia claims in their entirety, in addition to Crimea.
Ukraine dismissed the conditions as absurd and said they amounted to capitulation.
While in Kyiv, Orban -- who maintains close relations with Putin -- said he presented Zelenskiy with a cease-fire proposal aimed at pausing fighting with Russia more than two years into Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with Zelenskiy, Orban gave no details about the contents of the proposal but said he asked the Ukrainian president "whether it was possible to take a break, to stop the firing, and then continue the negotiations,” adding that a cease-fire "could ensure speeding up the pace of these negotiations."
The talks were notable because of Orban’s vocal, persistent criticism of Western military aid for Kyiv.
Zelenskiy did not express his opinion on the proposal during the briefing with reporters, but a spokesman for the president said later on July 2 that Zelenskiy gave Orban an opportunity to air his thoughts.
Ihor Zhovkva, Zelenskiy's deputy chief of staff, also said Hungary was not the first country to come forward with a potential peace plan.
Zhovkva said Zelenskiy listened to Orban's proposal but stated Ukraine's "quite clear, understandable, and known" position in response.
Ukraine says its "territorial integrity" must be the foundation of any peace agreement -- a notion underscored by 80 countries that participated in the Ukrainian-initiated Global Peace Summit in Switzerland last month.
Orban last visited Moscow in September 2022, when he paid his respects at the funeral of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.
RFE/RL's Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak contributed to this report.
- By RFE/RL
Russian Envoy To Washington Suggests His Mission Is Ending
Russia’s Kommersant newspaper reported on July 4 that Anatoly Antonov, Russia's ambassador to the United States, has indicated that his assignment is ending soon amid a time of high tensions between Moscow and Washington. Kommersant reported that Antonov included a handwritten note on an unrelated document dated June 29, stating “My assignment is coming to an end. I hope together we will continue to defend the interests of our Fatherland!" The Russian Foreign Ministry declined to comment, according to Reuters. Antonov was appointed as the Kremlin’s envoy in Washington by President Vladimir Putin in August 2017.
- By dpa
Over 50 Dead As Pakistan's Karachi Battered By Prolonged Heatwave
A severe heatwave continued to batter Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi for a third week, filling hospitals with patients and morgues with bodies, officials and rescuers said on July 4. More than 50 people have died so far due to heatstroke since the start of the latest wave last month, police spokeswoman Summiya Syed said. Dozens of new victims were brought to the city’s largest Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on July 3, the hospital’s spokesman Hassan Ali told the dpa news agency. The heat index -- a combination of the temperature and humidity -- rose to 55 degrees Celsius on July 3, the highest level ever recorded in the coastal city of more than 20 million people, chief meteorologist Sardar Sarfraz said.
Bosnian Serb Entity Strikes 'Gender Identity' From Draft Criminal Code
The government of the majority-Serb entity that makes up half of Bosnia-Herzegovina has deleted the term "gender identity" in draft amendments to the region's Criminal Code, indicating a hardening stance on LGBT causes and a further digression from central government authority in the post-Yugoslav state. Officials announced the change following a government session in Banja Luka on July 4. They said it was aimed at harmonizing the Criminal Code "with provisions of the Constitution of Republika Srpska," whose leadership, especially the entity's President Milorad Dodik, have threatened to try to secede from the rest of Bosnia, which also comprises a Bosniak and Croat federation. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, click here.
- By AP
Kremlin Says Modi Visit Set For July 8-9
The Kremlin said on July 4 that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on July 8-9 and hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The visit was first announced by Russian officials last month, but the dates have not been previously disclosed. Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War, and New Delhi’s importance as a key trade partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Under Modi’s leadership, India has avoided condemning Russia’s action in Ukraine while emphasizing the need for a peaceful settlement. Modi last visited Russia in 2019.
- By RFE/RL
Campaigning Over Ahead Of Iran's Presidential Vote, With Turnout A Concern
Iranian state media said on July 4 that campaigning had ended one day ahead of a runoff vote between a reformist and a hard-liner to replace the country's late president in an election beset so far by record-low turnout.
The tightly vetted race has narrowed to ultraconservative Saeed Jalili and veteran reformist lawmaker and ethnic Azeri Masud Pezeshkian, who surprised many by earning the most of four candidates in voting on June 28.
Voter turnout in the first round was just 40 percent, a record low that has prompted concern at the highest levels of the country's religiously dominated leadership.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged on July 3 that the turnout was "not as expected" but denied the lack of voter interest reflected unpopularity for Iran's leadership and called the vote "very important."
“Those who love Islam and the Islamic republic and the progress of the country must show it by taking part in the election,” said Khamenei, 85, who has the final say on all state matters.
While some of the regime's harshest critics have urged a boycott of round two, it was unclear how widespread those calls were and whether Iranians would heed them.
Iran's unelected, hard-line institutions routinely vet candidate applications to weed out perceived threats, including by disqualifying relative moderates.
This election is seen as especially important because of Khamenei's advanced age and the eventual winner's potential role in influencing the choice of the next supreme leader.
Pezeshkian won around 42.5 percent of the ballots in the first round, according to official results, while Jalili finished with 38.6 percent.
Neither of the other two candidates -- parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and former Justice Minister Mostafa Purmohammadi -- got more than 14 percent.
Critics and dissidents urged a boycott of the election, saying past votes have failed to bring change.
Voter turnout in Iran has been slumping since 2020, seemingly driven by frustration over a lack of freedoms and reforms, a beleaguered economy that is still subject to U.S. and other sanctions, and falling living standards.
Rights groups have alleged that Iran's authorities have cranked up suppression of critical voices on social media since ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash while returning from a visit to Azerbaijan on May 19.
Raisi was an intensely divisive figure who was relentless in his criticism of the West and accused of serving as a prosecutor for an "execution committee" that sent thousands of political prisoners and regime opponents to their deaths in the late 1980s.
He was also seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Khamenei.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials also died in the crash.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with interim Iranian President Mohammad Mokhber on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan in July 4 amid an "unprecedented upswing" in bilateral ties, Russia's Foreign Ministry said, according to Reuters.
- By AP
Iranian-Born Norwegian Man Convicted Of Oslo LGBT Festival Attack Gets 30 Years
An Iranian-born Norwegian man was found guilty of terrorism on July 4 in a 2022 attack on an LGBT festival in Oslo and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Two people were killed and nine were seriously wounded in the shooting at three locations, chiefly outside the London Pub, a popular gay bar, on June 25, 2022. The Oslo District Court said Zaniar Matapour, 45, shot 10 rounds with a machine gun and eight shots with a handgun into the crowd. It said Matapour had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group and “has been radicalized for several years.” His 30-year sentence was the highest penalty in Norway since terror legislation was changed in 2015. Matapour can request parole after 20 years but can only be released if he is deemed no longer dangerous.
- By RFE/RL
Russian Pretrial Detention Extended For Frenchman Accused Of Spying, Failing To Register As 'Foreign Agent'
A court in the Russian capital ordered further pretrial detention on July 4 for a French researcher arrested in June who Russian investigators said a day before pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining information about the Russian military.
Forty-eight-year-old Frenchman Laurent Vinatier was initially sent into pretrial detention on June 7 over the alleged spying and for purportedly failing to register as a "foreign agent."
Vinatier is an adviser who works for the Geneva-based Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), a nonprofit conflict-resolution organization, and "travels regularly for his work," according to the group.
The HD says it is "doing everything possible to assist" and get legal representation for Vinatier, and is "reaching out to relevant governmental authorities."
Radio France International reported that HD acknowledged that Vinatier had not registered as a "foreign agent" because he was unaware of such an obligation.
Russia has long used its "foreign agent" laws to jail perceived domestic and international enemies and critics.
But it has stepped up detentions of Westerners under those and other charges since its all-out invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
A "foreign agent" conviction can result in a five-year prison sentence.
In some cases -- including one against jailed RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva that Washington has said is to punish journalism -- allegations concerning Russia's military amid what Moscow calls a "special military operation" against Ukraine have accompanied the "foreign agent" charge.
The Russian Investigative Committee alleged publicly that the information Vinatier gathered "could be used against state security."
- By Reuters
Putin Holds Talks With Iran's Interim President
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Mohammad Mokhber, the interim president of Iran, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on July 4. Moscow and Tehran have been negotiating a comprehensive bilateral cooperation agreement reflecting the "unprecedented upswing" in their bilateral ties, according to Russia's Foreign Ministry.
SCO Quickly Absorbs Belarus On Final Day Of Regional Grouping's Astana Summit
The leaders of China, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, four of the five post-Soviet republics of Central Asia, and other states are continuing a two-day summit in Kazakhstan of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional grouping promoted by Beijing and Moscow as an alternative to Western influence.
They started the second and final day by accepting Belarus as a member, an expected move that advances authoritarian leader Aleksandr Lukashenka along his anti-Western path since disputed elections four years ago sparked unprecedented street protests and a brutal crackdown.
Lukashenka has pursued SCO membership for a decade and a half.
In the past three years, his decisions to "weaponize" third-party migrants at Belarus's border with its EU neighbors and to allow Russian troops to stage their full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Belarusian territory have further alienated Lukashenka from the West and increased his reliance on Moscow.
Lukashenka called Belarusian entry into the SCO "historic." In his familiar tone, Lukashenka declared the need to "destroy the unipolar world" and take on responsibility for "global security" because "the narcissistic, selfish West proved incapable of it."
"There are no leaders there [in the West] capable of making responsible decisions independently," he said.
Analysts have pointed out that Lukashenka could be hoping the SCO tie boosts and expands desperately needed trade and economic cooperation with China while slightly reducing his regime's dependence on Moscow.
The SCO is a political, economic, and security and defense organization founded by China and Russia in 2001.
With the addition of Belarus, its membership has now expanded from six to 10 countries, including India and Pakistan, who joined in 2017, and Iran, which became a member in 2023.
Four of the five post-Soviet Central Asian states are members, with only Turkmenistan staying away.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met on the first day of the summit in Astana, which has been shrouded in tightened security measures well beyond the Independence Palace venue where the leaders are gathering.
Putin was quoted by Russian media as crediting the SCO with "strengthening its role as one of the key pillars of a fair multipolar world order."
Xi, who has lent diplomatic support to Russia over Western objections throughout Putin's two-year-old invasion of Ukraine, called Putin an "old friend" in Astana. He cited the "aspiration of friendship for generations" in response to an "ever-changing international situation."
The Kremlin said Putin and Xi talked about the Ukraine war during talks on the sidelines of the summit and, in the words of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as quoted by Reuters, "noted" the "futility of any formats" for peace talks without Russian participation.
On day two, Xi urged SCO members to "resist external interference" and "safeguard the right to development."
In addition to the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek presidents, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are in attendance at the SCO event. Baku and Ankara are dialogue partners of the SCO.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also there as part of his first tour of Central Asia since 2017, which will take him to Tajikistan next. He attended the SCO's remotely held summit last year.
The SCO's 23-year history has largely been shaped by China and Russia's evolving relationship.
Putin and Xi's recent efforts since the Ukraine war began have pressed the SCO as part of their broader cooperation and a centerpiece of their shared anti-U.S. perspective.
But beyond the Belarus move, it is unclear what if any gains are likely to be made by the organization at this, its 24th, annual summit.
Critics say that, in expanding its membership and geographical reach, it has diluted whatever mission it might hope to achieve.
"It's still trying to figure out what it is now and what it can be," Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, told RFE/RL recently.
Kazakh President Calls Guterres Meeting 'Bright Sign' Of Relations With UN
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev met with visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Astana on July 3 in what Toqaev called "a bright sign of close relations" between the international body and his post-Soviet republic. Toqaev expressed "full support" for the work of the UN. Kazakhstan has hosted peace talks between Caucasus foes Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as discussions on the Syrian conflict in the past year while pressure has mounted at home over economic and political woes amid a clampdown on dissent since deadly unrest two years ago. Guterres is on his first tour of Central Asia since 2017 and is attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, click here.
Ukraine Admits Loss In Chasiv Yar As New Deaths Reported In Odesa, Kharkiv Regions
Ukraine's military has acknowledged its withdrawal from part of the key highland town of Chasiv Yar in the eastern Donetsk region, while its Energy Ministry said Russian missiles killed one person and damaged a gas facility in the central Poltava region.
A spokesman for the Khortytsya operational group of the Ukrainian armed forces confirmed earlier claims by Moscow and specified that Russian troops now control the "Kanal" district of Chasiv Yar. The "protected retreat" had been approved by military command, the spokesman said.
Chasiv Yar has been a theater of intense fighting since April, and serves as a logistics hub for Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine's Energy Ministry meanwhile said the Russian missile attack that struck gas producer Ukrhazvydobyvannya's infrastructure in Poltava on July 4 had damaged the facility and killed one person while injuring three others, according to Reuters.
The Ukrainian military also reported that a Russian missile strike in the southern Odesa region on July 4 killed at least one person and injured seven others. Regional Governor Oleh Kipers said port infrastructure was damaged in the attack.
In the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine, regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said a woman was killed in an attack by a Russian guided bomb on the village of Ruska Lozova.
The attacks came as Russian President Vladimir Putin told a summit of the anti-Western Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Kazakhstan that the West was to blame for Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Putin encouraged "a new architecture of cooperation, indivisible security and development in Eurasia, designed to replace the outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models, which gave unilateral advantages only to certain states."
The SCO's 24th annual summit has been dominated by Putin's and Chinese President Xi Jinping's anti-Western appeals and the organization's admission of Moscow ally Belarus as its 10th member.
Earlier on July 4, military officials in the Ukrainian capital said they intercepted fresh "waves" of Russian drones targeting Kyiv around dawn on July 4 that did not appear to inflict injuries or major damage, as locals in a major city hundreds of kilometers to the east mourned the dead and wounded from a third attack there in less than a week.
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The head of Kyiv's military administration, Serhiy Popko, said via Telegram that the drones came "from different directions" but that "not a single drone reached Kyiv itself."
Explosions could be heard from the city following a 4 a.m. air alert but, Popko said, life in the city was not otherwise disrupted.
Ukraine's military said it had downed 21 of 22 Russian attack drones in all over central and northern regions overnight on July 3-4.
Meanwhile, the head of the military administration in the central city of Dnipro said the death toll had risen to six -- with more than 30 others injured -- from a Russian bombardment of that city early on July 3.
Dnipro Mayor Boris Filatov declared July 4 a day of mourning after the third attack in just five days on Dnipro, a city with a prewar population of around 1 million people.
That bombardment also renewed President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's pleas for more advanced air-defense systems and long-range weapons from allies to beat back the two-year-old full-scale invasion by Russia.
Also on July 3, Zelenskiy rejected a description of the battlefield situation as a "deadlock" and said Ukraine's fighting manpower has improved in recent months but it needs "the tools [and] they haven't arrived yet."
Zelenskiy expressed gratitude to U.S. officials after the White House announced a new $2.3 billion military aid package for Ukraine on July 3, and added, "We count on further U.S. assistance."
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) predicted this week that while Ukraine was forming new brigades to "address its manpower challenges," "delayed and insufficient Western weapons deliveries will likely prevent Ukraine from equipping all these new brigades."
It called "timely" Western assistance a "crucial determinant" of Ukraine's capacity to respond to Russia's current "battlefield initiative."
The Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping talked about Ukraine during talks on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan on July 3 and, in the words of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as quoted by Reuters, "noted" the "futility of any formats" for peace talks without Russian participation.
Russia, which insists it has already annexed Crimea and four other areas of Ukraine, was excluded from a major summit in Switzerland last month to seek paths toward peace in Ukraine.
A NATO summit next week in Washington marking the transatlantic alliance's 75th anniversary is expected to grapple with ways to further support Ukraine's defense and map a path to closer cooperation, but Kyiv is not expected to be invited to join NATO as Zelenskiy has urged.
Russian news agency TASS on July 4 quoted Russia's Defense Ministry as saying it had destroyed a grounded Ukrainian MiG-29 in the Dnipropetrovsk region, but there was no initial confirmation from Ukrainian authorities.
Reports from the Ukrainian military suggest Russian forces are focusing an offensive on the area of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region.
The governor of Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhya region, Ivan Fedorov, said on July 4 that Russian shelling killed two and injured another person there amid a barrage that struck 10 settlements over the past day.
RFE/RL cannot independently confirm reports by either side of battlefield developments in areas of the worst fighting.
With reporting by Reuters
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