The Defence Ministry reports that Russia has destroyed 120 Ukrainian drones in one night.

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• Sources say that a limpet mine could have damaged a Greek tanker near Libya in the latest unaccounted for attack.

  Sources in maritime security said that a limpet mine could have been responsible for the blast which damaged a Greek oil tanker off the coast of Libya last week. This is the fifth incident in recent months to affect commercial shipping in this region. On Monday, TMS, the Greece-based operator of the Marshall Islands flag tanker Vilamoura, said that the explosion occurred in the engine-room of the vessel as it was leaving the Libyan port Zuetina to head to Gibraltar on 27 June with 1,000,000 barrels of oil. Four maritime security sources stated that a limpet-mine was the likely cause of this explosion, according to their initial assessments. An informed company representative said that TMS would not be able to determine the cause of the explosion until the ship arrived in Greece on Tuesday, or July 2. MarineTraffic's platform, which tracks ships, showed Tuesday that the tanker's final position was near Greece's south coast. TMS said in a Monday statement that the ship's engine was flooded by the explosion and it lost its maneuverability. However, the vessel was still able to tow towards Greece. MarineTraffic's data shows that the vessel made two stops at ports in Russia, including Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea and Novorossiysk on Russia's Black Sea. In a recent report, Dryad Global, a British company that provides maritime cyber-defence and risk intelligence, said: "Investigations on the suspected limpet mining attacks on tankers are all linked to recent port visits at Russian ports. This indicates a targeted attack against vessels involved in Russian Oil Trade, probably driven by geopolitical pressures around Western sanctions." The West has imposed sanctions on Russia for its involvement in the war in Ukraine. Separately, the Group of Seven major countries capped oil exports from Moscow at $60 per barrel. In January and February of this year, three oil tankers were damaged in separate incidents by explosions around the Mediterranean. The causes are unknown. These are the first incidents involving non-military ships that have occurred in the central Mediterranean region for many decades. In February, a fifth tanker was damaged by explosions while anchored in Ust-Luga. This prompted divers in Russian ports to search for mines. Reporting by Jonathan Saul and Renee Maltezou; editing by Mark Heinrich

• Kyiv blames Russian attack for power cut at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

  The U.N. nuclear watchdog reported that all external power lines supplying Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is occupied by Russia, were down Friday. Ukraine blamed Russian artillery for the destruction of the last powerline. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Europe's largest nuclear power plant is now running on diesel generators. It has not been operating, but it still needs power to cool its nuclear fuel. IAEA warned repeatedly of the danger of a catastrophic incident at Zaporizhzhia. This is a city located near the frontline of the Ukraine war. The six reactors have been shut down but the nuclear fuel still needs cooling, and this requires constant power. IAEA reported on X that "Ukraine’s ZNPP has lost all offsite power today at 17:36, the 9th time in military conflict and the first since late 2023." The ZNPP relies on its emergency diesel generators to provide power, highlighting the extremely precarious situation in nuclear safety. German Galuschenko wrote on Telegram, Ukraine's Energy Minister, that a Russian strike cut off the plant. "The enemy has struck the powerline connecting the temporarily occupied nuclear plant (Zaporizhzhia) with the integrated energy system of Ukraine." The IAEA and the Russian management of the plant did not initially give a reason for the shutdown. "The reason for the disconnect is being clarified. The station's equipment is safe and under staff control. The management installed in Russia said that no violations of safety conditions had been observed. Reporting by Francois Murph, Ronald Popeski and Peter Graff.

• Trump and Zelesnkiy talk about weapons and escalating Russian attacks

  According to a report by Axios, U.S. president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelenskiy discussed Friday air defence weapons as well as the escalating Russian attacks on Ukraine. The call came a day following Trump's claim that he had an unsatisfactory conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Hours after Trump's meeting with Putin, Russia pounded Kyiv in the capital with the biggest drone attack since the war began. Zelenskiy described the attack as "deliberately mass and cynical." Kyiv warned that Washington's decision to stop some weapons shipments to Ukraine would erode its defenses against airstrikes intensifying and battlefield advances. Germany has said that it is currently in negotiations to buy Patriot air defence systems as a bridge. Spiegel, citing sources in the government, reported that Trump spoke to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Thursday. Spiegel reported Friday that the two leaders had discussed trade and Ukraine's situation, including its air defence. Reporting by Doina chiacu and Tim Gardner, Editing by Louise Heavens & Peter Graff

• The discount on Russian Urals oil sent to India has been the lowest since 2022.

  Three traders on the Urals crude oil market reported that discounts for Russian's flagship Urals crude for delivery to Indian ports in August have decreased to their lowest levels since 2022 due to high demand and a shrinking supply. Traders said that the lower supply and narrowing discounts of Russian spot barrels will force Indian refiners into looking for alternatives like United Arab Emirates Murban or U.S. West Texas Intermediate grades. The shrinking discount shows that Moscow has managed to maintain its oil sales despite Western sanctions. However, its discounted oil becomes more expensive, even though it is still cheaper than alternative oil. The traders reported that spot discounts for Urals crude for cargoes arriving to India in August were reduced to an average of $1.70-2 per barrelle to Brent dated on delivery ex ship (DES) basis, down from $2.50 to $2.50 a barrel for Brent dated on DES basis for July. This is the smallest discount on Urals oil cargoes compared to Brent dated in Indian ports, since the Ukraine War broke out in the year 2022. Since April of this year, the Russian oil grade has traded at a price that is largely below the $60 price per barrel cap set by the West. This allows Western companies to offer shipping and insurance services for the barrels. The traders stated that the high demand for Urals oil in India and Turkey - the two biggest buyers of this grade - is supporting the price. LSEG data shows that Turkey's imports from Russia of Urals crude reached their highest level in June since May 2024, due to healthy refinery margins as well as seasonal demand for motor gasolines. In July, the Urals oil loadings will decline from June due to increased refinery production in Russia. The Russian oil supply will also decline in August due to a planned shutdown of the Sakhalin-1 Project, which exports Sokol Oil. India is the biggest buyer of Russian crude oil after Moscow diverted energy away from the European Union which imposed an import ban in late 2022. Sources claim that several Indian refineries, which normally purchase Russian oil at the spot market, will not receive enough Urals oil to deliver in August. India is looking at building three new strategic reserves of oil to increase its emergency stockpile, and improve energy security. The deal signed between India's largest refiner Reliance Industries and Russian oil giant Rosneft in 2013 saw large volumes of Urals oil shipped to India. This has limited the amount of crude oil available on the spot market.

• The June Russian Urals oil supply to SOCAR's STAR Refinery in Turkey reached a record high.

  LSEG data and traders reported that Russian Urals oil supplied to Turkey's STAR refining facility, controlled by Azerbaijan SOCAR in June, reached a record high of 800,000 metric tonnes (about 195,000 barallons per day). STAR has a capacity exceeding 200,000 bpd, making it the largest refinery in Turkey. SOCAR and Russia's Lukoil signed a long-term contract in 2023 for oil supplies. Traders said that the STAR refinery receives the majority of its crude oil from Lukoil. SOCAR did not immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. LSEG data shows that Turkey increased its purchases of Urals Oil in June to 1.6 millions tons - the most since May 2024. The rise in prices is due to the return of Turkish refiner Tupras to the Russian market. They had stopped buying Urals earlier in the year because of sanctions but resumed their purchases when Russian oil started to trade below $60 per barrel, the price cap set by Western countries. According to LSEG, the purchases by Tupras refineries in Izmit & Izmir accounted approximately the same volume of the STAR refinery – about 200,000 bpd per month in June. Azerbaijan has accused Moscow of extrajudicial killings, and arrested Russians as a tit-fortat response. Moscow has called on dialogue and diplomatic solutions. In recent years, the cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan on oil and gas has decreased. Azerbaijan halted the transit of its oil through the Russian port of Novorossiysk several years ago. This oil was transported as Siberian Light. Due to sanctions, Lukoil halted its oil transit through the Baku-Tbilisi - Ceyhan oil pipeline by 2022. Mark Potter is responsible for the editing and reporting.

• Russia strikes Kyiv hours after Trump and Putin's call with the largest drone attack

  Officials said that Russia pounded Kyiv in the biggest drone attack of the conflict, causing at least 23 injuries and damaging buildings throughout the capital just hours after Donald Trump had spoken with Vladimir Putin. Air raid sirens reverberated throughout the night, as did the whine and boom of detonations. According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia had launched 539 drones with 11 missiles. Residents and their families sought shelter in the underground metro stations. The city centre was engulfed in a thick, acrid smoke. The attack was described as "deliberately cynical" by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy who will speak with Trump on Friday evening about the war, and the U.S. decision to halt some air defence missile deliveries. Zelenskiy, on X, said: "Notably the first air-raid alerts were sounded in our cities yesterday almost simultaneously with news reports about a telephone call between Trump and Putin." He added that "Russia is once again showing its inability to end the war and terror", and called for more pressure and air defence equipment on Russia. Officials in Kyiv said that the attack caused damage to about 40 apartment buildings, passenger rail infrastructure, five kindergartens, cafes, and many cars, spread across six of Kyiv’s 10 districts. Poland confirmed that the consular section at its embassy in central Kyiv was damaged, but added that no staff members were injured. Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated on Telegram that 14 of the injured had been hospitalised. Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukraine's state-owned railway), the largest carrier in the country, announced on Telegram the attacks on Kyiv had forced it to divert several passenger trains, which caused delays. Klitschko reported that damage was seen on both sides the Dnipro River, which bisects the city. Falling drone debris also set a medical center on fire in Holosiivskyi District. In recent weeks, Russian air attacks on Kyiv intensified and included some the deadliest attacks of the war against the city of 3 million people. CALL FOR SANCTIONS Trump claimed that his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin resulted in little progress on the efforts to end war. The Kremlin, however, reiterated its commitment to solving the "root causes" of the conflict. Kyiv warned that Washington's decision to stop some critical weapons shipments to Ukraine earlier this week would weaken the country's ability to defend itself against airstrikes intensifying and battlefield advances. Zelenskiy demanded on Friday that Moscow change its "dumb and destructive behavior". He said that "for every such attack against human life and people, they must feel appropriate sanction and other blows" to their economy, revenues and infrastructure. SHELTERED Ukraine's Air Force stated that it destroyed 478 air weapons launched by Russia overnight. It added that air strikes had been recorded at eight different locations in the country, with nine missiles as well as 63 drones. Videos on social media showed people fleeing for shelter, firefighters fighting fires in the darkness and destroyed buildings with blown-out windows and facades. Both sides deny that civilians were targeted in the war which Russia started with its full-scale invasion in Ukraine in February 2022. The conflict has claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, mostly Ukrainians. Although neither side has released military casualty numbers, it is believed that many more soldiers have perished on the frontlines. Five people were killed by Russian shelling late on Thursday in the city of Pokrovsk and its vicinity, Ukraine reported. Pokrovsk has been a target for Russian attacks since months. Reporting by Olena Hartmash, Pavel Polityuk and Valentyn Ogirenko; Writing by Ronald Popeski and Lidia Kelly; Editing and proofreading by Stephen Coates; Raju Gopalakrishnan and Alexandra Hudson

• Air India Express was warned by regulators about the delay in fixing an Airbus engine and falsifying records.

  A government memo revealed that India's aviation regulator reprimanded Air India in March after the budget airline failed to change engine parts on an Airbus A320 within the time frame specified by European Union's Aviation Safety Agency, and for falsifying records as proof of compliance. Air India Express issued a statement in which it admitted the mistake to the Indian watchdog, and took "corrective action and preventive actions". Air India is under scrutiny after the Boeing Dreamliner crash that occurred in June, which claimed the lives of all but one person on board. Investigations are still ongoing into the world's biggest aviation disaster since a decade. Air India Express reported the engine problem on March 18 - months before the crash. The regulator also warned Air India's parent company this year for violating rules by flying three Airbus aircraft with unchecked escape slides and in June for "serious violations of pilot duty times". Air India Express is the subsidiary of Air India which is owned and operated by the Tata Group. The airline has over 115 aircraft, and 500 flights per day to 50 different destinations. In 2023, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued an airworthiness Directive to address a “potentially unsafe condition” on CFM International LEAP-1A engine, asking for the replacement of certain components, such as seals and rotating pieces, stating that some manufacturing defects had been discovered. In its directive, the agency stated that "if this condition is not corrected, it could result in failure of the affected parts and possibly high-energy debris release with subsequent damage to, or reduced control of, an aeroplane." According to a confidential memo sent by the Indian government in March to the airline and seen by., the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) surveillance revealed that the parts modification on an Airbus A320 engine "wasn't complied with" within the "prescribed time limit". The memo stated that "in order to show the work was carried out within prescribed limits, it appears the AMOS records were altered/forged", referring to software called Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Operating System, which is used by airlines for managing maintenance and airworthiness. Memo added that the "mandatory modification" was needed on Air India Express VT-ATD aircraft. According to AirNav Radar, this plane flies domestic routes as well as some international destinations like Dubai and Muscat. It added that the lapse "indicates a manager accountable for quality control has failed to ensure it." Air India Express' technical team told them that they missed the planned implementation date of parts replacement because records were being migrated on their monitoring software. The problem was quickly fixed. The memo did not mention dates or address the DGCA's concern about altered records, but it said that "necessary" administrative measures were taken after the March memo. These included removing the Quality Manager from his position and suspending Deputy Continued Airworthiness Manager. The DGCA, the European Safety Agency and other agencies did not answer any questions. Airbus and CFM International (a joint venture between General Electric, Safran and Safran) did not reply either. A source with first-hand knowledge of the incident said that the lapse was flagged by the DGCA during an audit conducted in October 2024. The plane had only made a few flights after the CFM parts were supposed to be replaced. "Such problems should be resolved immediately. This is a grave error. Vibhuti, a former legal specialist at India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, said that the risk is increased when flying near or over restricted airspace. In February, the Indian government informed parliament that 23 safety violations were reported by airlines and they were either fined or warned. Air India Express and Air India were involved in three of the cases.

• IRNA reports that the first international airline to land at Tehran Airport since flight suspension is IRNA.

  FlyDubai was the first international airline to land at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport, after a 20-day flight suspension that was imposed because of Israeli attacks against Iran. The official IRNA news service reported this. IRNA reported that the arrival of Flight FZ1930 from the airline base in United Arab Emirates at Iran's largest airport marked the beginning of the gradual return of normal operations to Iranian airspace. FlyDubai, a low-cost airline and sister carrier to Emirates. Local authorities described this landing as an indication of the aviation sector's effective crisis management and restored stability. IRNA reported that passenger services were conducted under strict safety and security protocols. After Israeli airstrikes, and increased security concerns in the skies of Iran, international and domestic air traffic was halted. State media reported that Iran's airports are now open to domestic and international flights except in Isfahan, Tabriz and Isfahan. The airspace of the country is also available for international transit flights. (Reporting and editing by Christopher Cushing; Dubai newsroom)

• Air shipments from China to the US are disrupted by the end of the tax-free loophole.

  Trade groups and analysts reported that the volume of air cargo shipments from Asia has decreased by double-digits since early May when the U.S. canceled a tax exemption for low value packages coming from China. Data from the International Air Transport Association showed that air cargo demand from Asia into North America fell 10.7% in May, compared to the same month one year ago. This "shows the dampening effects of changing U.S. Trade Policies," said IATA Director-General Willie Walsh in a Monday report. Tax exemptions for shipments under $800, often sent via air to U.S. clients of low-cost online platforms like Shein and PDD Temu, are known as de minimis or "too small to matter". After a trade agreement between the U.S., China and China in mid-May, however, these shipments from China and Hong Kong are taxed as low as 30 percent. The two sides continue to negotiate trade. This week, the U.S. relaxed export restrictions to China on software, ethane, and aerospace, in advance of the U.S. reimposing a wide range of tariffs that will target multiple countries on July 9. Industry experts reported that the volume of low value e-commerce shipping from China to America in May was particularly sharply down. Air cargo consultancy Aevean estimates that such shipments decreased by 43% from the previous month in May, but increased to other major export markets, including Europe and South-East Asia. Marco Bloemen said that it is unclear whether the dramatic drop will continue. Businesses had expected the de minimis stop and the tariff rate has been lowered in the middle of the month. Will those ecommerce players return to the U.S., now that they pay 30% duty instead of zero duty? Bloemen stated. He said that companies turning to other markets because of the uncertainty surrounding U.S. Trade Policy is likely to have a negative impact on shipment volumes. "We expect that trend to continue. More e-commerce to Europe is expected to take place in June, as well as to other markets such Latin America." Air cargo consultancy Rotate stated that e-commerce platforms are focusing on alternative markets to replace the lost U.S. market, with significant growth in exports to Europe and Asia-Pacific. Shein and PDD didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. CARGO CUTBACKS As a result, the cargo business of airlines has seen a boost as low-value ecommerce from Asia is taking a larger share of air freight worldwide. Aevean data shows that in 2018, only 5% of the goods from China were shipped to the U.S. via air. Industry experts say that as demand for trans-Pacific freighter flights fell in May due to the decline of Asia-to-U.S. routes, airlines began moving them elsewhere. They said that some of this demand is now returning as companies are taking advantage of tariff pauses in the U.S.-a number of other countries. However, flight frequencies have been reduced. Cirrus Global advisors, an e-commerce consulting firm, said that some of the bigger players who were chartering 3 flights per week had reduced this to 2. Rotate data revealed that direct freighter capacity between China & the U.S. was 11% less in June compared to the previous month, erasing the growth of capacity in the last year. Dimerco Express, a freight forwarder specializing in Asia, estimated that its online bookings fell by 50% between May and June. In a recent report, the company said that scheduled freighter flights are still being cancelled. The de minimis regulation, which dates back to 1938, was criticized by American legislators as a loophole allowing Chinese products to avoid U.S. tariffs, and allowing illegal drugs and precursors used to create opioid fentanyl, to enter the U.S. without being screened.

• Russian missile strike on Odesa port infrastructure kills two, Kyiv says

  Ukrainian officials reported on Thursday that a Russian airstrike in Odesa, a southern Black Sea port, on Wednesday killed two people, and injured six others, including two foreigners. Odesa is the hub of Ukraine's seaports, and 90% of its exports to foreign markets are sent through it. This includes millions of tonnes each of metals and grain. "Today an Iskander rocket hit one of the docks at the Odesa port." On Telegram, Oleksiy Kuleba, the deputy prime minister of Ukraine, said that people were unloading metals from a foreign ship flying the flags of Sao Tome and Principe at the time. He said that berthing facilities, such as those for bulk carriers, cranes at ports, cars, and warehouses, had been damaged. Kuleba confirmed that two people had been killed, a docker mechanic and a driver of a truck. Six other people, including two Syrians and crew members of a civilian vessel were also injured. Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, said on Telegram that "this is not an isolated event; it is rather part of Russia’s targeted campaign against Ukraine’s economy and agricultural sector, as well global food security, and freedom of navigation." Russia has been attacking Ukrainian port infrastructure regularly and intensified its strikes since Ukraine began exporting through the maritime corridor on the Black Sea's western coast. Moscow claims its attacks aim to impede Ukraine's military efforts. Ukraine has created a Black Sea shipping corridor following the collapse in 2023 of the U.N.-backed Black Sea Grain Export Initiative, which included Russia and ensured safe passage for grain ships. Odesa has exported 101 million tonnes, including 78.5 millions tonnes of grain. (Reporting and editing by Alex Richardson, Philippa Fletcher and Philippa Richardson; Pavel Polityuk and Dan Peleschuk)

• AirAsia is in talks with Airbus to convert some Airbus aircraft orders into long-range jets, according to sources

  AirAsia, a budget airline in Asia, is negotiating with Airbus about converting some narrow-body orders into the long-range A321XLR as it seeks to exit its restructuring process. Tony Fernandes is the CEO of AirAsia's owner Capital A Group. He said last month that he had been in discussions to purchase 50 to 70 Airbus models within the next one to three months. However, he indicated the first priority of the group was to complete its financial reorganisation. Sources said that a deal could be reached as soon as this week, when Malaysian Premier Anwar Ibrahim travels to Paris. Separately, a source stated that a deal wasn't guaranteed. AirAsia, based in Malaysia, is Asia's biggest low-cost carrier and Airbus's largest customer. It has more than 350 aircraft on order. After a financial slump following COVID-19, it has steadily restructured its order book. They said that such a deal wouldn't necessarily increase AirAsia’s total outstanding orders with Airbus, but it would support the longest-range narrow body jet model in the industry. The talks for a possible large order of smaller A220 aircraft have been put on hold for the time being, they said. Fernandes has stated that Airbus's long-range aircraft are a key part of his vision to expand AirAsia globally. Fernandes stated this week that he is looking for a hub within the Gulf region. AirAsia has been in contact with four potential locations, including Saudi Arabia and Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. Bloomberg News reported on Thursday that AirAsia may place orders for narrow body jets during Prime Minister's visit, but that the deal is not guaranteed. Airbus and AirAsia didn't immediately respond to comments. (Reporting and editing by Kim Coghill, Jacqueline Wong, Lisa Barrington)

• Data shows that Russian gas exports to Europe fell 18% m/m between June and July.

  Calculations showed that the average daily supply of natural gas to Europe by Russian energy giant Gazprom via the TurkStream pipeline dropped by 18.3% from a year earlier in June due to maintenance on the infrastructure. The only remaining transit route for Russian gas into Europe is through Turkey after Ukraine decided not to renew a transit agreement with Moscow that expired in January. According to available data, the total Russian gas exports into Europe between January and June fell from 15.5 billion cubic meters to 8.33 bcm, when excluding supplies via Ukraine. According to calculations based on data provided by the European Gas Transmission Group Entsog, Russian gas exports through the TurkStream pipeline decreased from 46 million cubic metres (mcm) per day per month in May to 37.6 mcm/day in June. This is also down from the 39.5 mcm that was shipped along this route in May 2024. Calculations show that Russian gas supplies via TurkStream to Europe increased by 6.8% during the first half of the year, compared to 7.8 bcm in the same period last year. Gazprom has not responded to a comment request since 2023. Gazprom's data and calculations indicate that Russia will supply 63.8 billion cubic meters of gas by different routes to Europe in 2022. This fell by 55.6% in 2023 to 28,3 bcm, but increased in 2024 to about 32 bcm. In 2018-2019 the Russian gas flow to Europe peaked between 175 and 180 billion cubic meters. (Reporting done by Oksana KOBZEVA. Vladimir Soldatkin wrote the article. Mark Potter (Editing)