Russian military repels ‘massive’ Ukrainian offensive

"Russian troops have stopped an “intensive” effort by the Ukrainian military to break their
defensive lines near the village of Orekhov in the Zaporozhye Region. The village and its surroundings have been the scene of fierce fighting for weeks, as Ukraine’s floundering counteroffensive drags on." RT

Dozens dead and thousands evacuated as wildfires ravage Europe & Africa

"Wildfires have devastated swathes of Southern Europe and Northern Africa in the midst of
near-record high temperatures. Over 40 people have died in the last week..... The fires claimed 34 lives in Algeria, with 10 of the victims said to be soldiers attempting to evacuate the coastal province of Bejaia....At least four people have died in Italy as 10 separate fires raged in the south of the country....Footage from Sicily posted to social media showed entire stretches of road and hillside in flames. More than 20,000 people have been evacuated from homes and vacation spots on the Greek island of Rhodes, which has declared a state of emergency, while thousands have also been forced to leave the islands of Evia and Corfu while the island of Crete is on high alert....In Tunisia, wildfires forced the evacuation of 300 people from the coastal village of Melloula. Turkey saw wildfires break out in the southern province of Antalya. Croatia also reported wildfires south of Dubrovnik." RT

Armed Forces of Ukraine advancing in three directions

"The Ukrainian military continues going on the offensive in Bakhmut, Melitopol, and
Berdiansk directions." Ukrin

Russian Lawmakers Approve Bill Raising Maximum Draft Age

"Russian lawmakers passed a bill raising the upper age limit for military conscription and
banning draftees from leaving the country, as Moscow continues its efforts to widen the pool of potential recruits for its war in Ukraine.

Under current Russian law, all men aged 18-27 are required to complete a one-year term of compulsory military service, a requirement that has been in place since before the invasion of Ukraine.

Amendments published on the day of the bill’s third and final reading would raise the age limits for this compulsory military service to 18-30 starting in January 2024." MT