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Ukraine’s national debt continues to grow: could the country actually default?

The national debt of Ukraine has surged almost twofold since 2021 and stood at 94% of GDP as of the end of May 2024, or a whopping $143 bln. Internal debt accounts for $40.4 bln of this figure while the country’s external debt – liabilities to other countries, international organizations, and private investors – stands at over $102 bln. The European Union is Kiev’s biggest creditor, with Ukraine owing it $37.88 bln. Among foreign countries, Canada has loaned out the most money – over $5 bln.
Ukraine’s national debt is growing exponentially: over the last twenty years, it has seen some dramatic spikes. The largest ones occurred during the so-called Orange Revolution of 2004, the coup of 2014, and the start of Russia’s special military operation in 2022.

On January 1, 2016, Ukraine went into a sovereign default, having failed to make payment on a $3 bln Russian loan extended in December 2013. Ukraine’s chances of not honoring its payment obligations are rather high again today. The probability of Ukraine announcing a default remains high and will grow to 80% by 2026, Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Andrey Nastasyin said in early July.

See more details about Ukraine’s growing national debt in the TASS infographic.

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Putin declares Kazakhstan visit a success

The Russian leader pointed out that Kazakhstan is more than just a trusted ally of Russia

Western analysts describe Russia's Oreshnik as longest-range weapon ever used in Europe

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Ukrainian servicemen abandon military units due to fear of Russian army — official

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Before leaving, the Russian president was answering journalists’ questions on various subjects for almost an hour

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Lavrov clarifies Russia's position on Ukraine crisis to foreign diplomats — MFA

"Participants in the roundtable exchanged views on the conflict and other pressing international topics," the ministry stated

Ukrainian group of 22 servicemen surrenders in Kursk Region — law enforcement officials

Photos and videos of the surrender were also posted by military reporter and expert Boris Rozhin on his Telegram channel

Zelensky shook up by Russia’s response to permission to attack it — Lavrov

According to the Russian foreign minister, the West is directly involved in the use of long-range weapons against Russia, as not a single missile could be launched without its involvement

Ukraine demolishes buildings with soldiers inside as Russian forces advance — DPR leader

Amid the successful advance of Russian forces, Ukrainian troops have been indiscriminately attacking civilian neighborhoods in Gorlovka, which is adjacent to Dzerzhinsk, Denis Pushilin said

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Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian army fired 44 munitions and launched four drones on the Graivoronsky district and attacked the Krasnoyaruzhsky district with 14 munitions and 10 drones, damaging two private homes, two cars, an infrastructure site and a social facility, Vyacheslav Gladkov specified

Oreshnik’s massive strike comparable to nuclear weapons — Putin

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Several Oreshnik missiles equivalent to nuclear strike, do not harm environment — Putin

The Russian president still reiterated that such a strike is not nuclear, because it is highly accurate and not equipped with a nuclear explosive device

One in three relocated individuals return to Russia from Ukraine — diplomat

Maria Zakharova pointed out that the Kiev regime itself brands these figures as "terrible"

Iran informs IAEA of plans to install more uranium enrichment units — report

Tehran informed the IAEA that eight recently added cascades of IR-6 machines would enrich uranium to up to 5% purity

Russian forces wipe out five ATACMS launchers using Iskander missiles

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NATO spies study damage from Oreshnik at Yuzhmash — expert

Alexander Stepanov emphasized that both Kiev and its Western allies are closely scrutinizing the consequences of the strike on the plant

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"If the agreement is violated, we will proceed to an all-out war," Benjamin Netanyahu told

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"Of course, it’s possible to produce something dirty - the so-called 'dirty bomb' - using waste from nuclear power plants," the Russian leader emphasized

Unidentified UAVs continue to appear over US Air Force bases in UK — newspaper

On Tuesday, about 60 British military experts were stationed at US airbases across the UK to operate a counter-UAV system to operate a counter-UAV system designed to detect, track and destroy them

Case against Ukrainian militants, Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

Over the past day, the enemy lost more than 250 men, an infantry fighting vehicle, an armored fighting vehicle, six cars and five mortars

Israel violates ceasefire agreement multiple times — Lebanese army

According to the statement, the Lebanese military command "is keeping an eye on [Israel’s] violations in coordination with the relevant agencies"

Russians wipe out three Ukrainian strongholds, over 20 Azov fighters in advance on Kharkov

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US funds 'Nazis, maniacs' in Ukraine, Israel — American journalist

Jackson Hinkle also pointed out that the US authorities are no friend of "freedom-loving American patriots"

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Kiev 'experimented' with using NATO troops in Kursk hostilities — official

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"From the legal point of view, they do not even have the right to give orders to the armed forces, because they are usurpers of power," the president said

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Protests break out in Georgia after ruling party moves to suspend talks with EU

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"NATO has been unfolding training centers in Ukraine in an effort to train at least 1 million mobilized Ukrainians," the SVR highlighted

Sending EU troops to Ukraine to make peace settlement impossible — Austrian lawmaker

Harald Vilimsky noted that the joint deployment of European troops will further escalate the security situation in Europe

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Decision-making centers in Kiev could be targeted in Oreshnik strikes — Putin

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Bilateral exchanges between Russia, North Korea their own business — Chinese MFA

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Romania, Poland, Germany, UK plan to divide Ukraine — Russia's foreign intel

"A total of 100,000 so-called peacekeepers are planned to be sent to Ukraine," the SVR noted

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Leonid Slutsky noted that the current and previous leadership of Finland has been and remains engaged "on the lower turn of the sine wave, which is now marked by a sharp cooling of bilateral relations"

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No existing missile defense system can counter Oreshnik — US expert

Theodore Postol also vehemently rejected suggestions that the Oreshnik system represents previous outdated developments of Moscow

Biden's decision on ATACMS 'not panacea', it will harm Kiev — Defense News columnists

The article reads that the US intelligence community warned of the risks associated with US missile strikes on Russian territory and suggested abandoning the decision

Biden unlikely to dare to seriously increase military aid to Kiev — expert

"The potential future use of Oreshnik will render ATACMS and Storm Shadow as battle-losing capabilities," a retired British diplomat and former economic counsellor at the British Embassy in Moscow Ian Proud said

Presidential aide blames West for attempts to harm Russia at sea

Nikolay Patrushev said that in a situation like this Russia should firmly defend its position and prepare tools for the "comprehensive management of maritime activities aimed at ensuring national interests"

Ukraine not South Korea's ally to demand weapons — newspaper

The author of the article recalled that in September the Ukrainian ambassador to Tokyo visited the Yasukuni Shrine, considered in East Asia as a symbol of Japanese militarism, of which the Korean Peninsula was a victim

Hungarian PM sounds alarm over presence of US, French troops in Ukraine

Additionally, the news that Russia used its latest Oreshnik high-precision ballistic missile, which has significant destructive power, to destroy Yuzhmash, a Ukrainian defense plant in Dnipro (previously known as Dnepropetrovsk), is alarming, Viktor Orban stressed

Ukrainian army says desertion main reason for loss of Ugledar

The Ukrainian officer said that each company in his battalion was supposed to have 120 men, but "due to deaths, injuries and desertions," some companies had as few as 10 soldiers

Belarusian President Lukashenko points to 'NATOfication' of Europe, entire world

"The arms race is rapidly gaining momentum," Alexander Lukashenko underlined

West beginning to realize only part of Ukraine will remain — Lavrov

According to the Russian foreign minister, this represents the "confrontational logic" of the West

Over 400 terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra group wiped out in Aleppo, Idlib in past day

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Kiev troops attempted to kill British mercenary who surrendered to Russians — officer

In his words, they fired conventional 120mm mortar rounds, silent munitions and at least one FPV drone with a fragmentation charge

Kremlin considers militants' attack on Aleppo encroachment on Syria's sovereignty

"We urge Syria’s authorities to reassert control and restore constitutional order as soon as possible," Dmitry Peskov stressed

Israel reports some violations of Lebanon ceasefire by Hezbollah

"The Israeli Air Force attacked the terrorists," IDF said

Russia’s SVR chief questions role of NATO membership for Finnish people

"History shows that cooperation with Russia benefited Finland more than its previous attempts to follow the lead of aggressive Russophobic and even neo-Nazi policies," Sergey Naryshkin noted

North Korean defense minister notes extensive exchanges with Russia

No Kwang Chol expressed confidence that the official visit of the Russian Defense Minister to North Korea "marks a key moment in the exchange of valuable and constructive proposals, contributing to strengthening the defense and security capabilities of both countries and fostering friendship, cooperation, and development between their armies"

Putin signs law on taxation of digital currencies

According to the law, digital currency is recognized as property

Kiev opposes Washington's demand for lowering draft age — media

A representative of US President Joe Biden's administration had earlier stated that the Ukrainian military is facing a critical manpower shortage

Nuclear arms unable to protect Ukraine, likely to aggravate conflict — Chinese expert

"If Ukraine were to acquire nuclear weapons again, they would not only fail to enhance its security, but would escalate the Russia-Ukraine conflict into a potential nuclear war," Sun Qi said

Ukrainians facing critical battlefield situation amid manpower shortages — CNN

Earlier reports indicated that an official in the Biden administration had surmised that Ukrainian forces need more manpower

US mercenary in-absentia arrest, Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, Ukraine lost more than 340 troops, an armored personnel carrier, an armored combat vehicle, 12 motor vehicles, an artillery piece and six mortars

Oreshnik becomes serious problem for Ukraine — Polish general

According to Waldemar Skrzypczak, satellite reconnaissance failed to detect the launch and flight of this missile

Chad severs defense cooperation agreement with France — AFP

On April 18, the Chadian authorities sent a letter to the United States, in which they notified Washington about their intent to sever the military agreement

Japan's PM reiterates desire to sign peace treaty with Russia

Moscow and Tokyo have been negotiating a peace treaty to mark the end of World War II since the mid-20th century

Ukrainian forces follow Russian troops’ example to use fiber optics drones, Putin says

The head of state is confident that there will be a quick response from the Russian side