Washington has given Moscow 50 days from July 14 to reach a peace deal or face bruising sanctions. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

In the north a 50,000-strong Russian force is attacking Sumy, a provincial capital. Our model is detecting artillery fire and explosions along the city’s northern defensive lines. Ukraine is badly outnumbered but officials say the front is holding.

An emboldened Russia has ramped up military offensives on two fronts in Ukraine. That is scattering Kyiv’s precious reserve troops and threatening to expand the fighting to a new Ukrainian region as each side seeks an advantage before the fighting season wanes in the autumn.

Ukraine's top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi warned on Saturday of a possible new Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region, a part of northeastern Ukraine which has seen heavy fighting since Russia invaded in 2022.