At least two civilians were killed overnight when Russia launched more than 600 drones and missiles against Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea. DW has more.
Russia launched 597 drones and 26 missiles in an overnight air assault on Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Aa a result, at least two civilians were killed in the western Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi, local authorities said.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who arrived in North Korea for a visit, met with the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un.
Here is a roundup of the latest news on Russia’s war in Ukraine on July 12, 2025:
With Russia escalating its aerial attacks, Kyiv has recently suffered the most intense bombing it has seen since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Even US President Donald Trump, who had previously seen himself as a mediator in the conflict, said that he was disappointed with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
DW talked to experts to understand what Putin hopes to achieve and how the destruction can be stopped.
Military expert Domitilla Sagramoso tells DW that Ukraine is developing drone interceptors that cost a lot less than the air defense systems provided by the US and Europe.
If successful, she says, the program would give Ukraine “an advantage in terms of costs” because Kyiv would be using a $3,000 (€2,600) drone interceptor against “a Shahed drone which costs around $35,000.”
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said his country is hoping to find agreement with both the European Commission and EU partners regarding gas imports and Russia sanctions.
Slovakia is currently grappling with the European Commission over its proposal to halt all Russian gas imports to the bloc by 2028 before signing off on a sanctions package punishing Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine.
The proposal, says Slovakia, could lead to supply shortages, increased costs and eventually expose the country to breach of contract claims from Russian supplier Gazprom — with whom Slovakia has committed to major purchase contracts that do not expire until 2034.
On June 10, the Commission proposed a new package of sanctions targeting Russia’s energy, financial and defense sectors.
Fico has suggested he has no problem signing the sanctions deal and that he could do so as soon as Tuesday if agreement is reached over Slovakia’s gas import concerns.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in North Korea to hold talks.
He met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the port city of Wonsan, where Lavrov described the two nations’ relations as “an invincible fighting brotherhood,” according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
The Russian minister said the visit with Kim represented the continuation of “strategic dialogue” inaugurated by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea last year.
Lavrov, who thanked North Korea for sending troops to fight in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, also reportedly passed Kim a message from Putin expressing hope for more direct contacts in the future.
The minister, who traveled from this week’s ASEAN summit in Malaysia, is scheduled to remain in North Korea until Sunday.
Then Lavrov will travel to China, where he will attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) — an economic and security alliance consisting of Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — on Monday and Tuesday.
North Korea has grown to be one of Russia’s closest allies since the launch of the war in Ukraine.
Beyond seeking to assist one another with trade and tourism projects, the two increasingly sanctioned countries have mutual defense agreements and North Korea has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to fight in Ukraine.
South Korean intelligence has said Pyongyang may be preparing to send more in the coming weeks.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha condemned overnight Russian drone and missile attacks that authorities say killed at least two people and injured 14 more in the western city of Chernivtsi, near Ukraine’s border with Romania.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on his Telegram account that Moscow had launched a total 597 drones and 26 missiles.
The western cities of Lviv and Lutsk, near Ukraine’s border with Poland, were also heavily damaged — with over 50 apartment, school and municipal buildings getting hit in Lviv alone. Major fires were reported as well.
Targets in central and eastern Ukraine were also hit say authorities, with damage reported in Kharkiv and Kirovohrad Oblast.
“Russia continues to escalate its terror, launching another barrage of hundreds of drones and missiles, damaging residential areas, killing and injuring civilians,” wrote Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on X.
“Russia’s war machine produces hundreds of means of terror per day. Its scale poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but to the entire transatlantic community.”
Sybiha urged lawmakers in the EU and US to increase sanctions on Russia to stop its arms production and thus the endless nightly onslaught of drones and missiles mainly upon the country’s civilian population.
Welcome to DW’s coverage of the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
On Saturday, we start with Russia launching yet another massive overnight air assault. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha condemned Russian “terror” and the scale that it has grown to.
Sybhia’s Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, has arrived in Pyongyang to meet with North Korean officials.
Stay tuned for more news and analysis.
Ukraine: Russia steps up bombings as Lavrov meets Kim – DW
