Russian attack leaves 14 dead in kyiv building

Official silence in the face of Trump’s disqualification

The Italian government decided not to respond to the latest message from Donald Trump, who launched a direct criticism against Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The position seeks to prevent the episode from overshadowing the NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, where both leaders will meet.

Sources from the Chigi Palace indicated that Meloni dedicated the previous hours to preparing the work agenda, without referring to the American president. The atmosphere, however, became tense after Trump spread a meme about an alleged harassment restraining order, weeks after accusing Meloni of having “begged” him for a photo during the G7 summit.

These accusations have eroded mutual trust and buried the “special relationship” that both leaders exhibited a year ago at the NATO meeting in The Hague.

Internal reactions and bipartisan support

The tension escalated to the point that, according to internal versions of the Italian Executive, the participation of officials in the official reception of the American embassy was reconsidered. Washington’s version of Meloni’s alleged unfulfilled commitments causes confusion in Rome; Some leaders close to the prime minister have questioned Trump’s state of health to explain what they describe as “disconcerting statements.”

However, government sources assure that both the State Department and the Pentagon reiterated their willingness to maintain bilateral cooperation.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani—who will meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio—said that Trump’s statements speak for themselves and that the transatlantic relationship goes beyond a single person. The Defense Ministers, Guido Crosetto, and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini avoided delving into the controversy to preserve the strategic alliance.

Internally, Meloni received the support of the president of the Senate, Ignazio La Russa, and the leader of the Chamber of Deputies, Lorenzo Fontana, who condemned the disqualification and demanded a dialogue based on mutual respect.

Russia launched waves of missiles and drones against Ukraine on Monday, causing at least 22 deaths. The capital, kyiv, was the main target, with 15 fatalities and 56 injured, according to administrative head Tymur Tkachenko. Another seven people died in the kyiv region and 29 were injured, the Ukrainian emergency service reported.

Shortage of Patriot interceptors aggravates defense

All 29 ballistic missiles launched by Russia reached their targets. The Ukrainian Air Force detailed that the enemy fired 351 drones and 68 missiles during the night. Spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on national television: “To intercept ballistic missiles, we need the means for interception. The Russians are using the fact that there is a serious deficit of interceptor missiles, in Ukraine and in the world.”

Ahead of the NATO summit in Türkiye, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies to strengthen air defense. “As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies’ stockpiles, Russia is encouraged to continue razing residential buildings. The United States and Europe have enough strength to stop this terror,” he wrote in X.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov assured that Russia is intensifying ballistic missile attacks taking advantage of the global shortage of Patriot interceptors. “Fewer such missiles are produced each month than the enemy fires at Ukraine,” he said.

Impact on the civilian population

High-rise residential buildings suffered direct hits. In the Podilskyi district, a building partially collapsed. In Darnytsia, several buildings were damaged and people were searched under the rubble. In the suburb of Vyshneve, 600 residents were evacuated due to the risk of unexploded ordnance.

Khrystyna Piatetska, 20, said: “When we left the building, there were bodies lying around. Cars started exploding and we came out from under the rubble straight into the fire.” Halina Ivanivna, 61, said: “Everything was falling down.” Water poured out as smoke filled the air.

Moscow assured that its attacks targeted weapons factories in kyiv, although they hit civilian areas repeatedly. More than 16,000 Ukrainian civilians have died since the start of the invasion, according to the UN.

In response, Ukraine attacked the Omsk refinery, Russia’s largest, almost 2,500 kilometers from the border. Analyst Gary Peach warned that a sustained disruption would worsen Russia’s fuel crisis. In Crimea, a total blackout followed the Ukrainian attacks.

Official balance of the earthquakes in Venezuela

Venezuelan authorities updated the figures for the earthquakes that shook the country at the end of June. The president of Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez, reported that the death toll amounts to 3,535. In addition, there are 16,740 injured and 6,462 people rescued.

Displaced people and assistance

A total of 17,854 people were displaced by the earthquakes. The authorities have provided help to 86,794 affected families. In terms of infrastructure, 856 buildings were damaged, of which 190 completely collapsed.

The aftershocks continue. So far, 1,048 secondary earthquakes have been recorded.

Rescue teams and shelters

On the ground, 29,567 security forces personnel, 27,930 volunteers and 4,338 international rescuers work. 82 temporary shelters remain active for people who lost their homes.

Assistance and search efforts continue in the most affected areas. The figures could be updated in the coming days.