Buckingham Palace was involved in meeting about Prince Andrew's private funding, Sky News learns
In recent weeks, documents released as part of court proceedings involving an alleged Chinese spy, , have thrown light on the extent to which and his advisors have been keen to resurrect his Dragons' Den-style project as a "possible source of funding".
The palace has in the past insisted it was not involved in Prince Andrew's financial matters, saying they were private because he was no longer a working member of the royal family.
But it is now understood that last summer, at a time when was still funding his brother, a meeting took place with Startupbootcamp, a Dutch company that funds startup businesses around the world, that was interested in the Pitch@Palace Global network.
While the King's advisors were not involved in negotiating any details of a potential deal, it appears they were keen to get reassurances that any future links would not cause problems for the wider royal family.
The King no longer provides financial support to his brother.
Described as "Dragons' Den-style" events for tech startups, Pitch@Palace was set up in 2014 and seen as Prince Andrew's charitable project, helping connect entrepreneurs with potential investors. But a Pitch@Palace Global private company was also set up in 2017.
In 2019, Prince Andrew was following an interview about his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Sky News has seen documents released as part of the recent Chinese spy investigation that show, since 2019, the Duke's intention to carry on with Pitch@Palace in some form.
A document dated 21 August 2021 clearly states the Duke needed money at the time, and "saw the relationships with China through Pitch as one possible source of funding".
And as late as 22 May 2024, Mr Yang says in a further document: "The intention is still to resurrect the Pitch program, under the new brand and name, Innovate Global."
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This week there have been reports the Duke's youngest daughter, Princess Eugenie, attended an event in Tokyo last year, run by Innovate Global and Startup bootcamp, the company the palace had its meeting with last summer.
There remains a huge interest in Prince Andrew and how he is funding his private life away from public duties.
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CNBC
6 minutes ago
- CNBC
Here are the 4 big things we're watching in a busy week ahead for the stock market
Buckle up. It's a jam-packed week ahead, with a host of influential companies set to report alongside a Federal Reserve meeting — and, if that wasn't enough, there's fresh inflation and jobs data, too. On top of all that, we'll keep a close eye on any trade deal headlines ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline set by the Trump administration. In particular, we'll be watching for any agreement with the European Union. U.S. and Chinese officials are also set to meet in Sweden for another round of trade talks. Last week, the U.S. trade deal with Japan helped push the S & P 500 to record highs. Now, here's a closer look at what to expect in the week ahead from the Fed, the week's economic data releases and Club earnings. 1. Fed: Despite President Donald Trump 's pressure campaign, the central bank on Wednesday afternoon is widely expected to keep its benchmark overnight lending rate steady in the range of 4.25% to 4.5%, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool . Instead, the question on investors' minds is whether a cut at the Fed's September meeting is on the table, so they'll be listening for whether Chairman Jerome Powell lays the groundwork for that during his typical post-meeting press conference. We don't expect Powell to change his tune about the Fed's data-dependency in making policy decisions, even in the face of Trump's criticism. On that note, we want to hear how Powell characterizes the resiliency seen in the labor market — initial jobless claims have dropped for six straight weeks, for example — and the inflation trends. While Trump's tariffs haven't yet led to a dramatic upturn in inflation, recent reports are showing a slight uptick , and there's a belief that U.S. companies absorbing the tariffs can only do so for so long before needing to raise prices. As of Saturday, the market put 62% odds on a quarter-point cut in September. Before the Fed's decision Wednesday, we'll get the first reading of second-quarter gross domestic product, which could be discussed during Powell's press conference. 2. Inflation: After the Fed's meeting concludes, tariff effects will stay in the spotlight thanks to the release of the June personal consumption expenditures price (PCE) index on Thursday morning. This is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation, despite the consumer price index (CPI) garnering more attention. There are some differences in the way the two gauges are calculated — particularly on housing and health-care inputs — but what stays the same is that investors are looking for tariff-related signs of inflation. For example, in the June CPI report tariff-sensitive categories like furniture and apparel showed outsized increases. For the PCE, economists polled by Dow Jones expect a 0.3% month-over-month increase and an annual rate of 2.5%. On a core basis, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, the Dow Jones consensus is for a 0.3% monthly gain and 2.7% annual increase. 3. Jobs, jobs, jobs: The big labor market event of the week is Friday's nonfarm payrolls report for the month of July, offering Wall Street a look at the pace of hiring in the face of trade policy uncertainty. As mentioned earlier, the U.S. labor market has continued to defy expectations for a material slowdown. For July, the consensus is that the U.S. economy added 102,000 jobs and the unemployment rate edged up to 4.2% from 4.1% in June, according to Dow Jones. Revisions to the prior months reports are something to watch. Ahead of Friday's release, we'll get the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey on Tuesday. The so-called JOLTS measures the amount of slack in the labor market, carrying implications for wage inflation. On Wednesday, payroll processing firm ADP releases its monthly look at private hiring — but, as we once again saw with the June data, it's not predictive of what the official government report will say. Thursday morning will bring the latest batch of first-time filings for unemployment insurance, known as initial jobless claims. Will it be seven weeks in a row of declines? One area of weakness in recent jobs data has been continuing claims, which suggests that while layoffs are going in the right direction, it's taking people time to get rehired. 4. Earnings: There are seven Club names reporting in the week ahead. All revenue and sales estimates provided below are courtesy of LSEG. Starbucks kicks off the action Tuesday night, and investors will be searching for additional signs of progress in CEO Brian Niccol's revitalization efforts. In its mostly disappointing April earnings report, Niccol had good things to say about the roughly 700 stores where it was piloting staffing and deployment changes. We hope that continued, with the benefits spreading to more cafes across the country. The FactSet consensus is for Starbucks to report its sixth straight quarter of same-store sales declines, at minus 1.3%. While necessary to turn the business around, Niccol's investments aren't cheap, so we don't expect strong profitability metrics this quarter, either. We do, however, hope that management is mindful that telling investors that earnings per share isn't a great metric to judge the turnaround may not go over well. Analysts expect total revenue of $9.31 billion and earnings per share of 65 cents. Meta Platforms reports after the close Wednesday. An expensive question on investors' minds: How much has Meta's spending spree on artificial intelligence talent cost so far? In April, the Instagram parent lowered its total expense guidance to $113 billion to $118 billion, down $1 billion on both ends of the range. Will that need to be revised higher? Similarly, will Meta's capital expenditures guidance of $64 billion to $72 billion be adjusted to account for higher spending on AI chips and data centers? The continued strength of Meta's social media ad business — and how that's driven earnings-per-share growth — has quelled concerns about aggressive AI spending. This time around, the market is looking for Family of Apps revenue to increase 14.8% on annual basis, according to FactSet. Total revenues are expected to be $43.84 alongside EPS of $5.91. Joining Meta on Wednesday night is fellow tech giant Microsoft , which is reporting its fiscal 2025 fourth-quarter results. The most important line item is the growth of the cloud-computing business Azure, and the AI services contributions to that expansion. Last quarter, Azure grew a better-than-expected 35% on a constant-currency basis, with AI being responsible for 16 points of growth. For the June period, the FactSet consensus for Azure is growth of 34.9% (there's no estimate for AI, specifically). Overall, analysts expect Microsoft to report earnings per share of $3.37 on revenue of $73.81 billion. Microsoft's capex commentary for its fiscal 2026 will also be note of note, carrying implications for leading AI chipmaker Nvidia and the likes of industrials such as Eaton, which supplies electrical equipment for data centers. The current consensus is for capex of $73.9 billion in fiscal 2026, according to FactSet. We'll also listen for any updates on the contract renegotiations with frenemy OpenAI, which is seeking greater independence from its early benefactor. Bristol Myers Squibb will report results on Thursday before the open. Sales of Cobenfy, the company's new schizophrenia treatment, will be a key watch item for investors. We're also interested to hear about other potential indications for Cobenfy, such as its use in the treatment of Alzheimer's psychosis, with late-stage trial data expected later this year. The initial response that Bristol Myers is seeing to its recently announced plan to sell blood-thinning medication Eliquis directly to patients through its Eliquis 360 support program will also be something to watch out for during the conference call. Analysts may also ask about Cristian Massacesi joining as its new chief medical officer. The Street is looking for earnings of $1.07 per share on revenue of $11.38 billion. Apple joins the parade of tech earnings after the bell Thursday. After the March quarter saw a "pull-forward" in iPhone sales as consumers rushed to beat fears of tariff-driven price hikes, there's a belief that the final two quarters of Apple's September-ended fiscal year will be softer than before. For the three months ended in June, the FactSet consensus is for iPhone sales of $40 billion. A few more questions: Will Apple's high-margin Services business get back on track after a light miss in the March quarter? Did the estimated $900 million tariff impact for the June quarter materialize, and can management shed any more light on its supply chain and artificial intelligence strategies going forward? There's no question Apple has been a frustrating stock this year, but as long as the iPhone remains the best consumer hardware device on the market, there's time to turn it around. Analysts expect total revenue of $89.33 billion and earnings per share of $1.43. Amazon will also report after the bell on Thursday. Revenue growth and profitability at cloud unit Amazon Web Services remains the key metric for investors to watch. On the retail side, we're also interested in more details on how Amazon is leveraging AI and automation in its warehouses and throughout its massive logistics network. Though the four-day Prime Day event won't be reflected in the reported numbers — given it was in July (third quarter) — we're still interested to hear management's commentary on the event, as it will no doubt play into the guidance the team provides. The combination of Prime Day and the back-to-school season stands to support both consumer demand and ad revenue growth in the third quarter. Analysts expect total revenue of $162.06 billion and earnings per share of $1.32. Linde will be out with results on Friday, before the opening bell. We're simply looking for more of the consistency we've come to know and love from Linde. However, outside of the numbers, it will be interesting to see what management has to say about the various industries the company serves. A commentary on how tariffs are affecting demand from customers will also help better inform our view on various sectors of the economy. Also of interest will be management's view on the recently announced long-term agreements to supply the U.S. space industry. As for earnings, last time around, management baked in the assumption of economic deterioration and recessionary conditions. Given the resiliency we've seen since then and the increased clarity as it relates to tariffs, we'll look for the team to revise their outlook for the remained of the year. Analysts are looking for earnings of $4.03 on revenue of $8.35 billion. Week ahead Monday, July 28 Before the bell earnings: New Gold (NGD), Enterprise Products Partners (EPD), Alerus Financial Corporation (ALRS), Bank of Hawaii (BOH), Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP) After the bell: Celestica (CLS), Rambus (RMBS), Tilray (TLRY), WM (WM), Cadence Design Systems (CDNS), Crane (CR), Whirlpool (WHR), Amkor Technology (AMKR), Brixmor Property Group (BRX), Enterprise Financial Services (EFSC), Universal Health Services (UHS), Brown & Brown (BRO), Veralto (VLTO) Tuesday, July 29 FHFA Home Price Index at 9 a.m. ET Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey at 10 a.m. ET Before the bell: UnitedHealth (UNH), SoFi (SOFI), PayPal (PYPL), Boeing (BA), United Parcel Service (UPS), Spotify (SPOT), Merck (MRK), Nucor (NUE), AstraZeneca (AZN), JetBlue Airways (JBLU), Procter & Gamble (PG), Carrier Global (CARR), American Tower (AMT), Norfolk Southern (NSC), Polaris (PII), Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), Stellantis (STLA) After the bell: Starbucks Corp. (SBUX), Visa (V), Marathon Digital (MARA), Booking (BKNG), Cheesecake Factory (CAKE), Seagate (STX), Teradyne (TER), Penumbra (PEN), PPG Industries (PPG), Republic Services (RSG), Avis Budget (CAR), Caesars Entertainment (CZR) Wednesday, July 30 ADP Employment Survey at 8:15 a.m. ET First look at Q2 U.S. GDP at 8:30 a.m. ET Federal Reserve interest rate decision at 2 p.m. ET Fed Chair Jerome Powell's press conference at 2:30 p.m. ET Before the bell: Altria (MO), Vertiv (VRT), Virtu Financial (VIRT), Kraft Heinz (KHC), Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (TEVA), Generac (GNRC), Etsy (ETSY), GE HealthCare (GEHC), Hershey Company (HSY), Humana (HUM), Harley-Davidson (HOG), VF Corp. (VFC), Vita Coco Company (COCO), GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) After the bell: Meta Platforms. 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Rowe Price (TROW), Ameren (AEE), Ares Management (ARES), Avantor (AVTR) (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
Epoch Times
7 minutes ago
- Epoch Times
Over 50 Canadian Lawmakers Condemn China's Persecution of Falun Gong, Extension of Repression Overseas
More than 50 Canadian parliamentarians have condemned the Chinese regime's 26-year-long persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual practice, calling for an end to the ongoing human rights abuses in China and to transnational repression targeting practitioners in Canada. Fifty-two MPs and a senator with different party affiliations have signed a joint statement urging the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to 'immediately' end its persecution of Falun Gong. The statement also condemns the regime's escalating transnational repression, which includes surveillance, harassment, intimidation, assault, disinformation, and cyberattacks against the meditation group on Canadian soil. The statement comes as the persecution of the spiritual group entered its 26th year on July 20. 'We, the undersigned Parliamentarians, stand in solidarity with the Falun Gong community and strongly condemn the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) escalating transnational repression (TNR) and ongoing, 26-year persecution of Falun Gong practitioners,' reads the statement. 'Falun Gong—also known as Falun Dafa—is a peaceful spiritual practice based on the universal values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance,' the statement adds. 'Since 1999, the CCP has attempted to eliminate this faith group through systematic and egregious human rights abuses.' Although the discipline is currently practised in more than 100 countries worldwide, it is banned in communist China, where practitioners continue to face severe persecution, with reports of torture, forced labour, killings, and live forced organ harvesting. Bomb and Mass Shooting Threats The parliamentarians' joint statement cites Beijing's targeting in Canada of U.S. dance company Shen Yun Performing Arts—founded by Falun Gong practitioners—as an instance of transnational repression. It notes that venues hosting Shen Yun in four Canadian cities this year received bomb or shooting threats—part of the more than 140 false threats that venues hosting the dance company received worldwide in the past year. Some of these threats have been traced to sources in China. Shen Yun's stated aim, under the tagline 'China before communism,' is to portray traditional Chinese culture through dance and music. Shen Yun's artists find their inspiration in the practice of Falun Gong, according to the company's website, and among them are those who have escaped persecution in China. The Epoch Times learned last year via two sources that Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in a 2022 secret meeting, instructed top state officials on a new strategy to target Falun Gong internationally, including through disinformation campaigns and by using Western media outlets and the local legal system to go after companies started by Falun Gong practitioners. The regime's previous efforts to suppress Falun Gong overseas had essentially failed, according to the Chinese leader. Parliamentarians said in their joint statement that the threats targeting the dance company 'are part of a broader, global CCP-led campaign of sabotage aimed at suppressing Falun Gong and Shen Yun.' 'These actions not only harm the Falun Gong community and disrupt Shen Yun, but also threatens the integrity of Canada's institutions, sovereignty, and core democratic values,' reads the statement. Grace Wollensak, a spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Association of Canada, says she is grateful for the statement issued by the parliamentarians. 'We are glad that these over 50 MPs and senators are speaking out to condemn CCP's repression, not only in China, but also in Canada and around the world,' Wollensak said, noting that the MPs put out the statement in just over two weeks and despite many being on vacation during the summer break. 'We are encouraged that they understand this important issue and are expressing their support and standing in solidarity with Falun Gong practitioners.' She adds that the Chinese regime's transnational repression and smear campaigns span the globe. 'Since 2022, at Xi Jinping's direction, the regime has been engaging in a more aggressive and sophisticated campaign to intimidate, threaten, and silence Falun Gong and entities like Shen Yun Performing Arts, especially in the United States, but also in Canada and other countries,' she said. 'Well-documented incidents include an attempt to bribe U.S. officials to turn against Shen Yun, manipulating the U.S. legal system, issuing over 100 anonymous bomb threats, and undertaking social media manipulation campaigns.' Last year, a U.S. court sentenced a U.S.-based Chinese agent to 20 months in prison for attempting to bribe an Internal Revenue Service official with US$50,000 to revoke Shen Yun's non-profit status. Wollensak says that in Canada, more people have become aware of the CCP's transnational repression efforts, and government officials are more alert to it. 'We are grateful for their understanding,' she said. Harassment, Smear Campaigns, Intimidation A 2024 report submitted to Canada's Foreign Interference Commission by the Falun Dafa Association of Canada outlines various forms of repression faced by practitioners within the country, including physical assault, verbal harassment, intimidation of relatives, and pressure on elected officials to stop supporting Falun Gong. In a recent case, on Jan. 23, 2024, a Chinese man wielded a metal bar and uttered death threats against Falun Gong practitioners who were raising awareness of the persecution outside the Chinese Consulate's visa office in Toronto. He repeatedly struck one of the banners until it was torn, took pictures of practitioners, and threatened to kill them, according to the report. He was arrested by police. Meanwhile, interference attempt stargeting practitioners has also reached government officials, with several politicians at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels having received false emails impersonating Falun Gong practitioners in recent years. These emails used irrational language, according to the Falun Dafa Association of Canada. 'As the West grew more adept at identifying and countering direct CCP propaganda against Falun Gong and it became increasingly clear that Chinese officials involved in the dissemination of such propaganda could be held accountable, the regime resorted to a new tactic: impersonating Falun Gong practitioners and sending elected officials bizarre or aggravating emails designed to discredit the group,' reads the 2024 report. It adds that, over the years, the Falun Dafa Association of Canada has received more than a dozen variations of such false emails forwarded by Canadian elected officials. Intimidation of practitioners' relatives in China has also been a common tactic of transnational repression. In one case, a practitioner in Canada who spoke at a 2010 press conference outside the Chinese Consulate in her city about the persecution she experienced in China reported that local police contacted her husband in China shortly after the press conference to discuss her 'anti-CCP' activities. He was visited again later, prompting him to urge her to stop speaking out in Canada, she said. Ending Transnational Repression A number of Canadian officials have repeatedly called for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong and expressed support for practitioners' efforts to raise awareness. One of them is Conservative MP James Bezan, one of the statement's signatories, who participated in this year's commemoration of World Falun Dafa Day. 'We acknowledged the resilience, strength, and perseverance of the millions of Falun Gong practitioners [who are being] persecuted by Beijing's communist regime in China and those who have escaped to Canada [who] are targeted by their operatives of the Chinese government,' he said in a May 29 social media post. Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, a Canadian NGO, also called for an end to the 26-year persecution of Falun Gong, noting that millions of practitioners of this 'peaceful spiritual community' have been imprisoned, tortured, or killed, including through forced organ harvesting. 'What began as a brutal domestic crackdown has evolved into a wide-reaching, systematic effort to suppress Falun Gong practitioners both inside China and abroad, including here in Canada,' the organization said in a July 21 statement. 'We stand in solidarity with the Falun Gong community in Canada and around the world, who continue to endure surveillance, harassment, disinformation, and repression simply for exercising their fundamental rights.' At this year's G7 leaders' summit in Canada, world leaders issued a joint statement condemning the rise of transnational repression, saying they are 'deeply concerned' about foreign governments targeting dissidents abroad. They vowed to counter this threat, saying it 'often impacts dissidents, journalists, human rights defenders, religious minorities, and those identified as part of diaspora communities.' The persecution of Falun Gong and its expansion abroad is an example of the need to counter this form of repression, the joint statement from the parliamentarians said. 'The CCP's campaign against Falun Gong clearly exemplifies the very dangers the G7 has called on the world to resist together,' it says. Joint Statement The following is the joint statement signed by 53 Canadian parliamentarians. Condemning the CCP's Escalating Transnational Repression Against Falun Gong We, the undersigned Parliamentarians, stand in solidarity with the Falun Gong community and strongly condemn the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) escalating transnational repression (TNR) and ongoing, 26-year persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong—also known as Falun Dafa—is a peaceful spiritual practice based on the universal values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Since 1999, the CCP has attempted to eliminate this faith group through systematic and egregious human rights abuses. In 2025, bomb and mass shooting threats were sent to venues hosting Shen Yun—a classical Chinese dance company founded by Falun Gong practitioners—in four Canadian cities, among over 140 such incidents reported globally. Some of these threats have been traced to sources in China. These acts are part of a broader, global CCP-led campaign of sabotage aimed at suppressing Falun Gong and Shen Yun. Over the past 26 years, Falun Gong practitioners in Canada have endured surveillance, harassment, intimidation, assault, disinformation, cyberattacks, and other forms of CCP repression. These actions not only harm the Falun Gong community and disrupt Shen Yun, but also threatens the integrity of Canada's institutions, sovereignty, and core democratic values. In the statement issued on June 17, 2025, the G7 Leaders affirmed their commitment to protect communities and condemned transnational repression as a serious threat to rights and freedoms, national security, and state sovereignty. The CCP's campaign against Falun Gong clearly exemplifies the very dangers the G7 has called on the world to resist together.
American Military News
an hour ago
- American Military News
Zelenskyy Vows More Attacks Inside Russia As Civilian Casualties Mount In Eastern Ukraine
Civilian deaths mounted as Russia continued to press its offensive in eastern Ukraine, claiming to have captured two more villages, as Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to retaliate with further attacks inside Russia. Ukraine did not immediately comment directly on claims by the Russian Defense Ministry that its forces had on July 26 captured Zeleniy Hai in the Donetsk region and the village of Malyivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Zelenskyy did acknowledge heavy fighting along the frontlines in Ukraine's eastern regions, but he also spoke of 'successful actions by our units' in the embattled Sumy region and said his forces were 'eliminating the occupiers in the border areas.' Reports from both sides could not immediately be verified. Zelenskyy also said the focal point of Russian assaults remained near the important logistics hub of Pokrovsk, a city with a prewar population of more than 60,000 but which now is mostly in ruins from Russian air strikes. In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskiy identified Pokrovsk as an area requiring 'special attention' amid constant Russian attacks. Military spokesman Viktor Trehubov told Ukrainian TV that Russian forces were attacking Pokrovsk in 'a small torrent…that simply does not stop' The violence comes three days after Ukrainian and Russian officials held a third direct meeting in Istanbul amid efforts to end the conflict, which ignited into a full-blown war following Russia's invasion of February 2022. Those talks made progress on further swaps of prisoners and the remains of fallen soldiers, but no breakthroughs were apparent on efforts to reach a cease-fire. US President Donald Trump, showing frustration at Russian leader Vladimir Putin's refusal to agree to a cease-fire, in mid-July threatened to impose new sanctions on Moscow if it doesn't reach a deal with Kyiv by early September. In an interview with Fox News broadcast on July 26, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Trump is becoming 'increasingly frustrated' that despite having good interactions with Putin during phone calls, 'it never leads anywhere.' Trump is 'losing his patience. He's losing his willingness to continue to wait for the Russian side to do something here, to bring an end to this war,' Rubio said, adding that there was 'no way that Putin could have sustained this war without Chinese support, particularly buying his oil.' Zelenskyy has said Russia's latest attacks were a 'response' to Kyiv's proposal of an immediate cease-fire during the peace talks. Zelenskyy vowed to retaliate with further attacks on military sites inside Russia after civilian deaths mounted on July 26 in multiple Ukrainian regions under the fire of Russian artillery and drone strikes. 'Today, unfortunately, there were numerous Russian strikes on our cities and our communities: Sumy – including Ukrainian energy infrastructure, as well as Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kherson region, and Donetsk region,' Zelenskyy said in his July 26 video address. 'Such strikes certainly cannot be left without response, and Ukrainian long-range drones ensure one,' he posted separately on X. 'Russian military enterprises, Russian logistics, and Russian airfields must see that Russia's own war is now hitting them back with real consequences,' Zelenskyy posted. Zelenskyy said he instructed officials to be more active in attracting external funding for drones. 'I also instructed government officials and the defense minister to more actively review all our agreements we have with our partners — the ones we must implement fully, but which, unfortunately, are currently still only partially being carried out,' he added without being specific. Zelenskyy has announced that his country had secured funding for three US-made Patriot missile defense systems and is negotiating for seven more of the air-defense systems, part of a new agreement that enables European allies to buy US weaponry for Kyiv. Following Zelenskyy's latest remarks, Russian authorities reported attacks inside the country. Aleksandr Khinshtein, governor of Russia's Kursk region, on July 26 claimed that a Ukranian drone had killed one person in the village of Obesta, about 5 kilometers from the border. And authorities in the Volgograd region said falling debris from destroyed Ukrainian drones disrupted railway power supply near the border area. Traffic at the city's airport was also disrupted, officials said. Civilian Casualties Mount Following Russia's large-scale overnight attacks on Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions — which left multiple people dead and injured — the head of the regional military administration, Serhiy Lysak, said the Russian military attacked the Nikopol and Synelnykove districts of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Lysak said a 66-year-old man died in the Nikopol region, while three people were injured in the Synelnykove district. Serhiy Gorbunov, military administrator of the strategic frontline city of Kostyantynivka, wrote on social media that a civilian was killed as the result of a drone attack and urged residents to evacuate away from oncoming Russian forces. 'We urge all residents to take care of themselves and their loved ones! Do not ignore the threat — evacuate to safer regions in a timely manner,' he wrote. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said five people — including three emergency workers — were injured while responding to an earlier strike. Sumy military Governor Oleh Hryhorov said three people were hurt in air attacks in the northeast Ukrainian region. Russia denies targeting civilian areas despite widespread evidence of such attacks.
