War in Ukraine: Putin threatens to respond to US missiles in Germany

At the large naval parade in St. Petersburg, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin threatened to respond to the planned stationing of US missiles in Germany in 2026 with dozens of warships. If the plans are implemented, Russia will react “in a mirror image” and will no longer feel obliged to an earlier ban on land-based medium-range nuclear weapons. The weapons for this are close to completion, the Kremlin said.

The INF Treaty banning these weapons is no longer valid anyway after the USA withdrew from it in 2019. According to Putin, however, Russia had so far imposed a moratorium and continued to adhere to the agreements. The USA, on the other hand, has long complained about Russian violations of the treaty.

Russia had sharply criticized the US decision announced this month to station cruise missiles and rockets in Germany in 2026 as an additional deterrent. Putin himself complained about a relapse into the Cold War. The plans are seen as a reaction to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which has been going on for two years.

Putin: US missiles can reach Russian targets

At the parade, Putin stressed that the missiles, which could also be equipped with nuclear warheads in the future, would put important targets in Russia within reach. State and military facilities and important industrial plants could be hit within ten minutes. Russia would respond in a “mirror-like” manner. Russian warships could also be equipped with missiles in response.

In an explanation of the Russian actions by the German army, it is stated that Russia has, among other things, stationed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad exclave and can also hit German cities with its medium-range weapons. The plans are a response to this and serve as a deterrent.

The US weapons for Germany are to include Tomahawk cruise missiles, which technically can also be equipped with nuclear weapons, SM-6 air defense missiles and newly developed hypersonic weapons, which are intended to have a greater range than previously stationed land systems.

Naval parades across the country as a demonstration of power

Warships from China, India and Algeria as well as delegations from a dozen countries also took part in the parade in Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg. According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, a total of around 200 warships of various classes, more than 100 units of combat equipment and around 15,000 members of the armed forces took part in the naval parades across the country.

The weapons show serves as a demonstration of the might of the vast empire every year on Navy Day, which is celebrated on the last Sunday in July. The Russian navy dates back to the times of the Tsar and is more than 300 years old.

Russian warships visit Cuba

Meanwhile, three warships from the Baltic Fleet stationed in the Baltic Sea entered waters off Cuba for an unofficial visit until the end of the month, the Navy announced. In June, warships from the Russian Northern Fleet anchored in the port of Havana, including an unarmed nuclear submarine and the frigate “Admiral Gorshkov”.

On Navy Day, Russia’s military television station “Zvezda” broadcast a report in which the proximity of the warships to the USA was highlighted. The moderator said: “Dear NATO friends!”, that for the time being Havana is only a temporary base. “But you know…” In view of the US weapons in its vicinity in Europe and the expansion of NATO, Russia repeatedly points out that it sees its security as being threatened – and that it could even station missiles near the USA.

Moscow announces renewed advance in the Donetsk area

Russian troops have announced further successes in their advance in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. The Ministry of Defense in Moscow has reported the capture of the villages of Progress and Yevhenivka. The Russian information could not be independently verified. However, according to Western military experts, Russian troops have taken control of numerous towns and villages in the Donbass in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of the year. Around a fifth of the country is occupied by Russian troops.

Oil depot burns after Ukrainian drone attack

According to authorities, an oil depot caught fire in a new Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian region of Kursk. Three fuel tanks went up in flames and fire-fighting operations are ongoing, said acting governor Alexei Smirnov. There were no injuries there.

The Kursk region, which lies on the border with Ukraine, is also a frequent target of attacks. According to Smirnov, a Ukrainian aircraft dropped an explosive device on a house in the small town of Sudzha. A woman was injured and taken to hospital.

Selenskyj wants better care for war wounded

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke in Kiev in favor of better care for war-disabled people in his country. He had ordered the creation of a modern rehabilitation hospital in Ukraine, he said at a congress on military medicine held for the first time in the country. “We must take better care of the injured, must be more attentive to those who return from the Russian hell,” he said.

The head of state also visited the country’s largest children’s hospital in Kyiv, which was recently badly hit by a missile strike. Zelenskyy reiterated plans to fully rebuild the clinic, whose intact parts are back in operation.

No peace negotiations in sight

Both warring parties repeatedly speak of a willingness to negotiate in order to resolve the conflict diplomatically. At the same time, however, Kiev and Moscow accuse each other of not being seriously interested in talks to end the fighting. Russia’s chief diplomat Sergei Lavrov said after a meeting of foreign ministers of Southeast Asian states in Laos that Zelensky had banned negotiations with the Russian side by decree. He stressed that Russia would achieve all of its war aims, including preventing NATO bases in the neighboring country.