Jun 24, 2026, 06:00 PM UTC

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that transponders in Belarus, previously reported to assist Russian drones in targeting Ukraine, have ceased functioning since June 22. This development coincides with observations of no Russian drone flights near the Belarusian-Ukrainian border in recent days. Concurrently, reports suggest Russia is intensifying pressure on Minsk to increase its participation in the war against Ukraine or to facilitate operations against NATO nations. In a separate incident, Russian satellites reportedly performed concerning maneuvers near a Finnish ICEYE satellite, which supplies imagery to Ukraine, in May. Additionally, Russia is reportedly negotiating with Kazakhstan for gasoline imports to alleviate domestic fuel deficits following Ukrainian drone attacks on its refineries. Sources: Громадське, Forbes Ukraine

During the Wagner group's attempted advance on Moscow, then-Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó reportedly contacted his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. Szijjártó expressed concern and offered assistance, according to an audio recording published by Hungarian investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi. Separately, Hungary's government has submitted legislation to declassify and publish communist-era secret service files. This initiative is part of Prime Minister Péter Magyar's campaign to re-evaluate the nation's past, with the bill introduced 37 years after the fall of communism. Sources: Громадське.

Kenyan authorities have suspended plans for a US-backed Ebola quarantine facility intended for American citizens potentially exposed to the virus. The decision follows public apprehension in Kenya regarding the potential introduction of the disease, which has not affected the country. The proposed medical structure was to be built at the Manda Bay airbase, amidst an ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Separately, France has confirmed its first Ebola case. French health authorities announced that a doctor, who had recently returned from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, tested positive for the virus. The individual was promptly admitted to a specialized facility and is reported to be in stable condition. Sources: BBC News, Le Monde

France has experienced its hottest day on record since 1947, with the national temperature indicator reaching 30C, surpassing a previous record set earlier in the week. More than half the country remains under a red heat alert as an early summer heatwave grips western Europe. The extreme conditions have led to power outages across France. Officials have reported 40 heatwave-related drownings in France since June 18. Record-breaking temperatures were also observed in several major cities across western Europe, prompting various measures to help residents cope with the intense heat.

Sources: BBC News

ByteDance, the parent company of the social media platform TikTok, is reportedly engaged in preliminary discussions with international banks to secure a loan of approximately $20 billion. This significant financing is intended to bolster the company's artificial intelligence development initiatives. If the agreement is finalized, it would mark the largest offshore loan ever obtained by the Chinese technology giant. Sources familiar with the matter indicate that these talks are ongoing, underscoring ByteDance's strategic focus on expanding its AI capabilities.

Sources: Forbes Ukraine, Bloomberg