- Nieuwe ronde in de oorlog inde Perzische Golf
De Amerikaanse luchtmacht heeft de afgelopen nacht bombardementen in Iran uitgevoerd. Officiële aanleiding de beschadiging van olietankers die de Straat van Hormoez wilden uitvaren. Inmiddels melden live blogs dat Iran Amerikaanse basis in Bahrein en Koeweit heeft aangevallen. Zie 6. (En een liveblog zoals dat van Al Jazeera https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/7/8/iran-war-live-us-bombs-sirik-qeshm-bandar-abbas-over-hormuz-attacks) Wat dit betekent voor het officiële MOU, het staakt-het-vuren is nog geheel onzeker. De oorlog werd hervat tijdens de NAVO top in Ankara. Verklaringen volgen later.
In Ankara heerst het vreugdevuur van de defensie-industrie en bereiken de wapencontracten, op een aparte wapenbeurs, ongekende hoogten. Een overzicht van de belangrijkste beslissingen om wapenprojecten te beginnen of te versterken. Zie 11.
De Britse regering meldt een Europees (inclusief Groot-Brittannië) project voor een Deep Strike raket 37 miljard British pounds. Zie 8.
Zelensky stelt dat deep strike aanvallen van Oekraïense luchtstrijdkrachten, met name drones natuurlijk, het argument van de veilige strategische diepte van Rusland hebben ontkracht. Daarom kan Oekraïne niet ontbreken als lid van de NAVO. Een nieuwe smeekbede. Zie 7.
Zelensky meldde dat een ‘drone deal’ is gesloten met Denemarken, Estland en Nederland. Zie 9.
Maar de bonanza van de Oekraïense wapenindustrie gaat zo hard, dat corruptieonderzoekers het verwijt krijgen de oorlogvoering te hinderen. Een nieuw en snel opkomend drone-producerend bedrijf kreeg 70 doorzoekingen te verwerken. De Oekraïense pers vreest voor instorting van de wapenindustrie. Toe maar. Zie 10.
Een uitvoerig journalistiek onderzoek onder 19 (anonieme) spionnen van AIVD en MIVD hoe zij zich vergisten in de Russische oorlogsplannen in 2022. Zie 13.
De oorlog heeft inmiddels honderdduizend(en) Oekraïense dienstweigeraars voortgebracht. Sommigen worden gemarteld en doodgeslagen. Een verklaring hierover van de Europese koepel voor dienstweigeraars.
De Nederlandse regering heeft een nieuwe versie van het wetsvoorstel weerbaarheid defensie en veiligheid gerelateerde industrie opgesteld en voor advies naar Raad van State gestuurd. Het verplichten van een aantal sleutelbedrijven om in tijden van oorlog voor de staat te produceren. Zie 12.
Toch is de politieke spanning in de NAVO overal voelbaar. Zodanig zelfs dat de NAVO diepgaand overweegt de volgende top maar een jaartje over te slaan. Die is in Albanië gepland en dat land besteed te weinig aan de defensie en de bevolking demonstreert tegen de koloniale resortplannen van de Trump-oligarchen; https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/next-nato-summit-albania-doubt-amid-us-reluctance-low-defence-spending-2026-06-30/. Morgen meer.
De ontwikkelingen van 7 juli 2026 aan het front in Oekraïne volgens het ISW via de link
https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-7-2026/. Dit zijn hun hoofdconclusies:
- Ukraine’s intermediate-range strike campaign against a multitude of diverse targets, including Russian air defenses, petroleum product transport, other logistics, and electrical substations, is collapsing logistics in occupied Crimea.
- Ukraine’s successful intermediate- and long-range strike campaigns have forced a reckoning within the Russian ultranationalist information space, causing commentators to blame the Russian federal government for failing to create a cohesive air defense system that can adequately protect private businesses and critical infrastructure from Ukrainian long-range strikes.
- The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reportedly arrested the commander of the Russian 114th Motorized Rifle Brigade (51st Combined Arms Army [CAA], formerly 1st Donetsk People’s Republic Army Corps [DNR AC], Southern Military District [SMD]) on corruption charges.
- Ukrainian forces conducted long-range strikes against Russian military assets and energy infrastructure in Russia.
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced or maintained positions in Kostyantynivka.
- Herhaalbericht. Webinar Planned on Foreign Bases: Understanding the Backbone of Military Empires
Vanavond 8 juli 2026. 18:00 Centraal Europese /Nederlandse Tijd (12.oou in New York),
In this webinar, David Swanson will examine foreign bases and will talk about an inspiring initiative, World BEYOND War’s No Bases Campaign. David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is executive director of World BEYOND War and campaign coordinator of RootsAction.org. Swanson’s books include War Is A Lie and When the World Outlawed War. He blogs at DavidSwanson.org and hosts Talk World Radio.
Zie ook https://worldbeyondwar.org/webinar-planned-on-foreign-bases-understanding-the-backbone-of-military-empires/. Please register at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7-nWCP-sTJe3cbhFgISozw
- Herhaalbericht. Bovenkant formulier
Onderkant formulier
Recht voor Allen; EU & NAVO: Bondgenoten of rivalen? Met Ludo De Brabander
Vrijdag 10 juli on 19.30 bespreekt Ludo de Brabander de actuele situatie in de NAVO. En tevens over zijn vorige week gepubliceerde boek Mythes, macht, militarisme in you-Tube-kanaal Recht voor Allen; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyesWcoC5A
- Herhaalbericht: 11 juli webinar over NAVO-top- ‘Tijd om er einde aan te maken’
Vandaag en morgen, 7 en 8 juli, komt de NAVO bijeen in Ankara,. Het internationale netwerk No to War – No to NATO houdt nog een webinar over de actuele politiek van de NAVO en de crisis waarin het bondgenootschap zich bevindt. Afgelopen vrijdag was de eerste. A.s. zaterdag de nabespreking van de top. 11 juli 2026 om 15:00, Voor programma zie; https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/FoaLoNR9SqOIhGiwDJVZTw#/registration Aanmelden via https://bit.ly/overcomethewarmachine-post-summit
- Herhaalbericht; Kom vrijdag 24 juli om 18 uur naar het Spui voor het 91e vredesprotest!
Met sprekers, dichters, muziek en twee minuten stilte protesteren we vrijdag 24 juli van 18.00 tot 19.00 uur opnieuw op het Spui in Amsterdam tegen het bloedvergieten, bombardementen op civiele en militaire installaties en onophoudelijk sterven in de loopgraven. Al meteen na de brute overval van Rusland op Oekraïne op 24 februari 2022 riepen wij onze Europese leiders op om in actie te komen en met onderhandelingen en diplomatie zo snel mogelijk een einde te maken aan het zinloze sterven en lijden.
Ruim vier jaar later organiseren we dit protest helaas voor de 91e keer. De muziek komt dit keer van Your Local Pirates. Zie voor verdere ontwikkelingen https://www.stopdeoorlogamsterdam.nl/.
- US launches new wave of Iran strikes after attacks on tankers
Financial Times, 8 juli 2026, ‘The US military has launched what it called “a series of powerful strikes” against Iran in response to the Islamic republic’s attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command announced the strikes on Tuesday evening, hours after the Treasury revoked a general licence allowing sales of Iranian oil, reflecting rising tensions between Tehran and Washington.’ Zie https://archive.ph/XwpcJ.
- Nato should let Ukraine join to ‘make all of us stronger’, says Zelenskyy
The Guardian, 7 juli 2026, ‘Volodymyr Zelenskyy has argued for Ukraine to be allowed to join Nato at its annual summit – saying it would be wrong to exclude a country that had built up strong defences in its long struggle against the Russian invasion.’ Zie https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/07/zelenskyy-nato-let-ukraine-join-make-stronger of https://archive.ph/nHGyq.
- Nato allies announce £37bn for new missile project
BBC, 8 juli 2026, ‘Twelve countries, including the UK, are set to spend more than £37bn ($50bn) over the next 10 years on a new long-range missile to protect Europe. The Deep Precision Strike project has just been unveiled by No 10 and is due to be discussed later on Wednesday at the Nato summit in the Turkish capital, Ankara.’ Zie https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg4e3lwzqzo.
- Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Signs ‘Drone Deals’ With Three Countries
Reuters, 7 juli 2026, ‘President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Ukraine had signed three more “drone deals” with Denmark, Estonia and the Netherlands, making available its expertise gained from more than four years of war with Russia.’ Zie https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-07-07/ukraines-zelenskiy-signs-drone-deals-with-three-countries
(Zie ook ’Drones voor iedereen!’ Oprah Winfrey-achtige taferelen bij NAVO-top in Ankara: show met miljardendeals voor defensie, De Telegraaf, https://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/drones-voor-iedereen-oprah-winfrey-achtige-taferelen-bij-navo-top-in-ankara-show-met-miljardendeals-voor-defensie/158362922.html of https://archive.ph/vlNkE.)
- Raid on leading drone company fuels fears of crackdown on Ukraine’s defense tech sector
Kyiv Independent, 8 juli 2026, ‘The CEO of top Ukrainian drone firm Vyriy Industries denied allegations of price gouging after law enforcement carried out large scale searches of his home, offices, and family members on July 7. Oleksii Babenko, a young star in Ukraine’s drone industry, said that Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigations had carried out up to 70 searches, including at Vyriy Industries facilities, contractors’ premises, and the homes of his own family members.’ Zie https://kyivindependent.com/top-ukrainian-drone-ceo-searched-by-law-enforcement/.
- THE MAIN MILITARY CONTRACTS AND CONSORTIA ANNOUNCED AT THE NATO DEFENCE INDUSTRY FORUM IN ANKARA
NATO Watch, 7 juli 2026 – ‘Defence companies from NATO member states gathered in Ankara on 7 July 2026 for an industry forum [5] held alongside the alliance’s annual summit, where several defence cooperation and procurement agreements were announced. The following are the main deals that were announced.’ NB. Voetnoten verwijderd uit deze weergave van de tekst, ze zijn via de link te vinden. Zie https://natowatch.org/newsbriefs/2026/main-military-contracts-and-consortia-announced-nato-defence-industry-forum-ankara.
- Gedwongen produceren voor defensie: overheid wil bedrijven kunnen aanwijzen, lijst blijft geheim
Het Parool, 8 juli 2026, ‘In een noodsituatie moeten bedrijven kunnen worden gedwongen om spullen te maken voor de krijgsmacht. Een nieuwe wet moet dat mogelijk maken. Ook wil de overheid hun voorraad kunnen vorderen.’ Zie verder of https://www.parool.nl/nederland/gedwongen-produceren-voor-defensie-overheid-wil-bedrijven-kunnen-aanwijzen-lijst-blijft-geheim~b28b47c7/ (zie ook advies Raad voor de Rechtspraak https://www.rechtspraak.nl/binaries/_rts_1768912677949/content/assets/rvdr/wa/2026/rvdr-wa-weerbaarheid-defensie-en-veiligheid-gerelateerde-industrie.pdf)
- Nederlandse inlichtingendiensten geloofden niet dat Poetin Oekraïne zou binnenvallen, hadden ‘unieke bron’
Volkskrant, 8 juli 2026, ‘’ De AIVD en MIVD hebben in 2022 het toenmalige kabinet ervan proberen te overtuigen dat een Russische invasie van Oekraïne ‘niet waarschijnlijk’ was. Betrokken inlichtingenofficieren en hoge ambtenaren noemen het een ‘inlichtingenblunder’.
De diensten baseerden hun verkeerde analyse op een ‘unieke bron’, niet ver van de Russische president Vladimir Poetin.’ Zie verder of https://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/nederlandse-inlichtingendiensten-geloofden-niet-dat-poetin-oekraine-zou-binnenvallen-hadden-unieke-bron~b9c3de8e/ (zie ook de lange en gedetailleerde uitwerking van dit artikel via ‘Unieke bron’ maakte Nederlandse inlichtingendiensten blind voor Poetins invasie – ‘Wat een fuck-up’
Volkskrant.nl, 8 juli 2026, https://www.volkskrant.nl/kijkverder/v/2026/rusland-oekraine-inlichtingen-nederland-onderzoek~v3109311/).
- Ukraine: Torture, detention and denial of alternative service: EBCO calls on Ukraine to uphold the right to conscientious objection
EBCO, 7 juli 2026, ‘The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) condemns the torture and death in military custody of Ukrainian conscientious objector Dmytro Koval and calls on Ukraine to immediately end the persecution, arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of conscientious objectors, adopt legislation guaranteeing alternative civilian service in wartime, and ensure accountability for all abuses committed during mobilisation.’ Zie verder of https://ebco-beoc.org/press-release/2026-07-04-ebco-calls-to-stop-torture-and-imprisonment-of-conscientious-objectors-in-ukraine.
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Bij 6. US launches new wave of Iran strikes after attacks on tankers
Financial Times, 8 juli 2026, https://archive.ph/XwpcJ
Trump administration also revokes licence allowing Islamic republic’s oil sales, sending crude prices higher
The US military has launched what it called “a series of powerful strikes” against Iran in response to the Islamic republic’s attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command announced the strikes on Tuesday evening, hours after the Treasury revoked a general licence allowing sales of Iranian oil, reflecting rising tensions between Tehran and Washington.
“Central Command forces have begun launching a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway,” Centcom said.
“The US strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire,” it added.
The new strikes could put a weeks-long ceasefire between the US and Iran at risk and came as Iranians have been holding funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The escalation came while US President Donald Trump was in Turkey for the Nato summit, where his war on Iran is a focus of the talks with leaders of the transatlantic military alliance.
Washington has grown impatient with the pace of talks with Iran to implement the “memorandum of understanding” to extend the ceasefire by 60 days that was signed last month by the two countries in a bid to end the conflict.
Oil prices climbed following the strikes, with Brent crude up as much as 6.4 per cent to a two-week high of $76.60 a barrel in evening trading. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, rose by almost 3 per cent and was trading above $72 late on Tuesday.
Tasnim News Agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, reported that seven explosions were heard near the village of Tahrouei in Sirik.
The latest US attack comes as senior Iranian political and military figures, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and Mostafa Khamenei, the late leader’s eldest son, have travelled to Iraq to take part in the funeral processions.
The commander of the Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, who oversees the Revolutionary Guards’ military operations abroad, also arrived in Najaf on Tuesday evening for the ceremonies. His trip was announced publicly in an unusual disclosure of his movements.
Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said the US ultimately intended to route its warships through the Strait of Hormuz by establishing a new shipping lane in Omani waters currently used by commercial vessels.
Iranian analysts say the Islamic republic will not compromise its control over the Strait of Hormuz, even if doing so results in the collapse of the MOU.
Earlier on Tuesday, the US Treasury had revoked a general licence for the sale of Iranian oil that had been issued after the pact was agreed last month
A US official said the Treasury wanted to impose “consequences” on Iran because its “actions in the Strait were wholly unacceptable”.
“As President Trump and the administration have repeatedly affirmed, the MOU in effect with Iran is entirely performance-based. Iran will only reap benefits if they exhibit good behaviour,” the US official said.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, warned the US of the consequences of any breach of its commitments, saying Tehran would take “decisive measures to safeguard its national interests and security”.
Bij 7. Nato should let Ukraine join to ‘make all of us stronger’, says Zelenskyy
The Guardian, 7 juli 2026, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/07/zelenskyy-nato-let-ukraine-join-make-stronger of https://archive.ph/nHGyq
Ukraine’s president argues defensive capabilities built up in war with Russia mean it shouldn’t be excluded
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has argued for Ukraine to be allowed to join Nato at its annual summit – saying it would be wrong to exclude a country that had built up strong defences in its long struggle against the Russian invasion.
The Ukrainian president said his country had developed almost all the weapons it needed, and now only required European help in developing an alternative to the US Patriots to protect against ballistic missile attack. “I have a question for you. Do you really believe it? Do you really believe it would be right to leave outside Nato, a country and a people with this level of defensive capability?” Zelenskyy said at Nato’s defence industry forum.
“If we already have these capabilities, if Ukrainians already know how to fight like this, then it does make sense for these capabilities to become a part of the alliance’s collective defence that would make all of us stronger,” he added.
Ukraine is in the fifth year of fighting off the invasion by its larger neighbour. The conflict has reached the point where Russia’s rate of advance has ground to a crawl and Kyiv is able to attack economic targets as far afield as Siberia.
A senior Nato official briefed that Russian forces had advanced 3.79 sq km a day in June, a quarter the rate a year ago, and that the invaders were continuing to suffer 30,000 to 35,000 casualties a month.
However, Ukraine’s aspiration to become a member of Nato remains far off, with allies including the US not interested in allowing a country at war with nuclear-armed Russia to become part of the western military alliance.
The Ukrainian president will be a guest at a leaders’ dinner on Tuesday evening at the Turkish presidential palace compound in Ankara, and is due to meet Donald Trump on Wednesday lunchtime for a bilateral meeting.
Trump spoke separately to Zelenskyy and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, at the weekend amid growing hopes the US president would renew mediation efforts to end the war. “I think they both want to make a deal. … I think we’re going to get it settled, hopefully soon,” Trump said as he met the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Zelenskyy highlighted how the long war had transformed his country’s industrial capabilities, noting that on Monday Ukrainian drones had “broken through Russia’s defences” and struck an oil refinery in Omsk, Siberia, 1,680 miles (2,700km) from its border.
“We have completely eliminated the very idea of Russia having a strategic rear,” Zelenskyy said in his speech at the Nato forum. Russia, he said, had believed for a long time that its vast size meant it had safe zones for military-industrial production beyond the reach of its near neighbours.
He said new Ukrainian missiles and drones – “the technology of fighting at a distance” – represented “a revolutionary change” in warfare, although he added “we take no pride in this”, because it had been forced on the country in order “to defend our country, our people, our children”.
Ukraine had reached the point where it had raised the interception rate of Shahed drones to “more than 90%”, Zelenskyy said, and was improving its ability to knock out incoming cruise missiles – but he acknowledged that Russia’s most potent weapon remained a problem.
On Monday, at least 15 people were killed in Kyiv after 23 Russian ballistic missiles pounded the capital. None of the missiles were intercepted because of a shortage of US Patriot interceptors, stocks of which have dwindled dramatically after the US attacked Iran in the spring, leading to a war in the Middle East.
“The one thing we still need to do here in Europe is build a strong defence against Russian ballistic missiles,” Zelenskyy said, adding: “I believe Europe urgently needs its own capability to produce anti-ballistic systems and the missiles they require,” because there were not enough US Patriots.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies thinktank estimates that between 1,060 and 1,430 Patriot interceptor missiles were used during the Iran war. Each takes two years to make and the US defence contractor Lockheed Martin makes about 600 a year of the most sophisticated PAC-3 version.
Russia has been increasing its production of missiles and drones. A senior Nato official said at the summit that “Russia launched about 8,300 munitions [at Ukraine] in May alone; 8,150 drones and 211 missiles”, while Ukraine had responded by launching 10,000 long-range drones on Russia in the same month.
Ukraine had knocked out about 20% of Russia’s oil-refining capacity with its deep strike campaign, the official said, while the use of medium-range drones to strike Russian logistics meant its hold on Crimea had weakened. “We’ve all seen the reports about state of emergency being declared in Crimea,” the official said.
Zelenskyy was speaking at a Nato industry event, at which alliance members were announcing more than $50bn in arms deals, supported by increased defence spending agreed under pressure from Trump. A year ago Nato members agreed to lift defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035.
Bij 8. Nato allies announce £37bn for new missile project
BBC, 8 juli 2026, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg4e3lwzqzo
Twelve countries, including the UK, are set to spend more than £37bn ($50bn) over the next 10 years on a new long-range missile to protect Europe. The Deep Precision Strike project has just been unveiled by No 10 and is due to be discussed later on Wednesday at the Nato summit in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
Sir Keir Starmer is there for his final Nato summit as prime minister. He is likely to face some criticism from US President Donald Trump for failing to set out a plan for reaching 3.5% of GDP spent on defence by 2035, a target agreed by nearly all Nato members last year.
But on Wednesday the prime minister will convene around a dozen leaders to discuss the new missile programme.
Billed as one of Nato’s most advanced weapons, it is intended to strike targets nearly 200 miles (300km) away with pinpoint accuracy, possibly extending out to 1,250 miles. Sir Keir said the UK-led initiative would “help bring European allies together to keep Nato safe for years to come”. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the plan was “part of a recognition that we’re in a more dangerous world”.
“This is about how we make sure we have a stronger Europe within a stronger Nato,” she told BBC Breakfast from Ankara. But like many planned military projects in the pipeline, Deep Strike is not expected to be ready until the 2030s.
In June, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month review of the presence of US forces in Europe. Trump has repeatedly made clear he wants Nato members to contribute more to defence spending in Europe and at last year’s Nato summit, members of the alliance agreed to spend 5% of GDP on defence and security by 2035.
Sir Keir said he was “determined” to ensure the safety of the UK and its allies, adding: “We must step up to deliver a stronger, more European Nato.”
The UK government has already committed £300bn by 2030 in the Defence Investment Plan.
At the summit, Sir Keir is expected to underline the threat posed by Russia to the UK and Nato.
The government said Nato had scrambled fighter jets to intercept Russian aircraft approaching allied airspace more than 700 times and that Russian military activity around UK waters had surged 30%. Sir Keir is expected to stress that whilst Nato did not seek confrontation with Russia, it must be ready to defend every ally.
Cooper said: “With deep precision strike capability, the UK and our allies will be able to hit high value military targets and the logistical engines that drive armies, deterring any aggressor and strengthening our mutual security.
“At Ankara we are sending a clear message to [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin; Nato is stronger, more European and ready to defend our citizens against the long-term threat posed by him and the Russian state.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used a speech at the summit on Tuesday to urge Ukraine’s allies to deliver the air defence systems it urgently needs to protect it from escalating Russian attacks.
Ukraine has been stepping up its own long-range drone and missile attacks against Russia, hitting oil refineries and military targets there and causing significant fuel shortages and power cuts.
“Ukraine’s Armed Forces have proved that the effective use of long-range systems can have game-changing impacts on the battlefield, giving the Armed Forces the ability to degrade enemy forces far behind the frontline,” Number 10 said. “Ukrainian long-range strikes, such as those on key logistics hubs, have significantly impacted Russia’s ability to sustain their offensives.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, would closely monitor the summit in Ankara. He said that no new weapons Kyiv would get from Nato could prevent Russia from pressing on with its military operation in Ukraine until its objectives were achieved. “In the context of preparations for this summit we heard a great many statements concerning our country,” Peskov told reporters. “To our regret, these were not statements about constructive engagement and dialogue but rather statements of a confrontational nature.”
“Settlement of this conflict through political and diplomatic means remains preferable” for Russia, Peskov added.
Bij 9. Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Signs ‘Drone Deals’ With Three Countries
Reuters, 7 juli 2026, https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-07-07/ukraines-zelenskiy-signs-drone-deals-with-three-countries (Zie ook ’Drones voor iedereen!’ Oprah Winfrey-achtige taferelen bij NAVO-top in Ankara: show met miljardendeals voor defensie
De Telegraaf, https://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/drones-voor-iedereen-oprah-winfrey-achtige-taferelen-bij-navo-top-in-ankara-show-met-miljardendeals-voor-defensie/158362922.html of https://archive.ph/vlNkE.)
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Ukraine had signed three more “drone deals” with Denmark, Estonia and the Netherlands, making available its expertise gained from more than four years of war with Russia.
Zelenskiy announced the deals in posts on social media on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara and said that Kyiv had now clinched nine such accords.
Ukraine has developed a highly sophisticated drone industry after having only limited expertise in the sector when Russia invaded its smaller neighbour in February 2022.
Zelenskiy has travelled widely to promote the deals, particularly in the Middle East, where Gulf countries were obliged this year to counter Iranian strikes.
In announcing the deal with Denmark, Zelenskiy said the agreement “opens up greater opportunities for joint defence production, the exchange of expertise, and transparency in weapons exports”. He said Denmark had been the first country to offer joint production in Ukraine “and it is absolutely fair that Denmark will now have access to Ukrainian exports of weapons tested in war“.
In a post on X at the end of the first day of meetings, Zelenskiy said Ukraine “rightfully belongs here” and repeated that Kyiv’s main aim at the gathering was to “secure more air defense and stronger diplomatic positions.” Zelenskiy has pointed to Ukraine’s need to boost defences against Russian ballistic missiles after two attacks on the Ukrainian capital in the past week. Nineteen people died in Kyiv in the latest assault on Monday.
Bij 10. Raid on leading drone company fuels fears of crackdown on Ukraine’s defense tech sector
Kyiv Independent, 8 juli 2026, https://kyivindependent.com/top-ukrainian-drone-ceo-searched-by-law-enforcement/
The CEO of top Ukrainian drone firm Vyriy Industries denied allegations of price gouging after law enforcement carried out large scale searches of his home, offices, and family members on July 7. Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv over 12 hours after the searches began, Oleksii Babenko, a young star in Ukraine’s drone industry, said that Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigations had carried out up to 70 searches, including at Vyriy Industries facilities, contractors’ premises, and the homes of his own family members. “When your drones are the cheapest on the market, accusing you of price gouging sounds absurd,” he told reporters at the briefing.
“At first glance, it looks like a deliberate attempt to target us in order to disrupt the business. It looks like someone was simply trying to advance some minor personal interests of theirs — interests we weren’t even aware of because they were so minor,” he added.
For now, it is not known if anyone has been formally charged in the case.
The company, known for producing cheap drones, is one of the largest defense tech firms in Ukraine with over 1,000 workers producing fixed-wing, fiber-optic, and kamikaze drones, as well as relay equipment. Around a quarter of first-person-view (FPV) drones used by the Ukrainian army are manufactured by Vyriy Industries, according to Babenko.
Although Ukrainian media initially reported that Babenko was a suspect in the case, he told reporters that he is currently considered a witness, meaning he could be questioned in the future.
Hours after Ukrainian media began reporting the story, the State Bureau of Investigations published a statement that it was investigating an unnamed drone producer — believed to be Vyriy Industries. The company, the bureau said, allegedly inflated production and administration costs for drone contracts with the government valued at Hr 7 billion ($157 million).
Additionally, the bureau said it was investigating whether the firm used shell companies to launder funds. According to Ukraine’s State Financial Monitoring Service, there are more than Hr 197 million ($4.4 million) in suspicious financial transactions at Vyriy.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, which is supervising the investigation, said that there were also signs of tax dodging after “significant amounts of cash” not accounted for in financial statements were found on the company’s premises.
According to Babenko, law enforcement uncovered Hr 40 million ($900,000) at the firm’s offices but he insisted that the money was intended for the company’s payroll. “It’s legitimate. We legally withdraw cash for salaries, and then pay those salaries to employees,” he said. “Most likely, people simply didn’t understand how we’re taxed,” he added.
While the searches caused the company’s daily drone deliveries to dip, Babenko said that he would ensure that Vyryi Industries would continue to deliver tens of thousand of drones a day.
Vyriy Industries has risen through the ranks of Ukraine’s burgeoning defense tech industry — a sector shaped by wartime urgency, where legal and regulatory frameworks have at times struggled to keep pace.
The firm generated Hr 11.2 billion ($252 million) in revenue last year, with the first six months of this year already outperforming the whole of 2025, Babenko said.
Babenko, who was just 24 when he co-founded Vyriy Industries in 2023, is one of Ukraine’s most notable young entrepreneurs. He was featured in Forbes Ukraine’s 30 Under 30 last year and recently purchased a 75% stake in Ukrainian media outlet Babel, asserting his influence in Ukraine’s defense tech scene. While Babenko says the company is being unjustly targeted, he claims it is “difficult to know” by whom.
Some in the industry worry that the searches mark the beginning of a broader campaign against defense firms. “I very much hope this case is genuinely a misunderstanding and not the beginning of a broader campaign against Ukraine’s miltech companies — whether through corporate raiding, politically motivated persecution, manipulation, or an attempt to carve up the market,” Maria Berlinska, a Ukrainian veteran and co-founder of the Victory Drones initiative, said.
Another industry insider, who requested to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the topic, said the focus should be on who in the chain of command carried out the procurement of Vyriy’s drones.
Ukraine’s state procurement system, which they say prioritizes low prices over good quality, is opaque and basically a “secret” to the public, the person added. Civil society have repeatedly stressed that Ukraine’s Defense Procurement Agency, which buys weapons for the army, poses a corruption risk.
“Vyriy Industries shouldn’t be made a scapegoat because, overall, the company did everything possible to win contracts under the rules set by the government,” the person said. “The Vyriy case is dangerous for the market because it gives the government the ability to create criminals and punish them.”
Bij 11. THE MAIN MILITARY CONTRACTS AND CONSORTIA ANNOUNCED AT THE NATO DEFENCE INDUSTRY FORUM IN ANKARA
NATO Watch, 7 juli 2026 – https://natowatch.org/newsbriefs/2026/main-military-contracts-and-consortia-announced-nato-defence-industry-forum-ankara
Defence companies from NATO member states gathered in Ankara on 7 July 2026 for an industry forum [5] held alongside the alliance’s annual summit, where several defence cooperation and procurement agreements were announced. The following are the main deals that were announced.
Note: _NATO as an organisation does not own any weapons — these are the property of the 32 member states — but it does have a fleet of 14 AWACS early warning radar surveillance planes that are about 50 years old, along with some newer surveillance drones.
Global Eye to replace AWACS
A deal to replace the aging AWACS (Boeing E-3 fleet) was announced [6] with Sweden’s manufacturer Saab supplying up to 10 new GlobalEye surveillance aircraft for an 11-nation consortium (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Romania and Sweden). Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said it
is “a moment of great pride”, noting that the twin-engine aircraft would be “made within the alliance for all the alliance”. Deliveries could happen as soon as 2030, and the final price is expected to be roughly $400 – $450 million per aircraft.
Strike capabilities
Several new multinational projects and contracts were announced [7], including efforts to develop a generic NATO 155mm munition, the Generic NATO Indirect Fire Round (GENIFR) project, with nine allies agreeing to build this prototype (Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden and Türkiye). Six allies (Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Türkiye and the UK) also launched NATO’s multinational Ground-Based Precision Strike Capabilities High Visibility Project to explore the multinational development of novel deep precision strike capabilities, including new launchers and missiles.
Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall [8] signed an agreement to jointly manufacture ATACMS missiles in Germany, marking the first time these ballistic missiles will be produced outside the United States. Türkiye also committed [9] to procuring a significant number of its indigenously developed ATMACA land-based long-range cruise missiles. It was also agreed to scale up production of 155mm and loitering munitions through several framework contracts delivered by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), although NATO has not publicly released the specific list of nations participating in these exact framework contracts.
Integrated Air and Missile Defence
New cooperation initiatives were unveiled [10] to strengthen capabilities against lower air threats, including drones and cruise missiles, as well as efforts to enhance passive air surveillance. The NSPA will acquire 700 PAC-2 and 200 PAC-3 missiles. Belgium and the
Netherlands signed [11] a Memorandum of Understanding for the government-to-government procurement of air defence systems, while Türkiye announced [12] major investments in its domestic air defence production.
Refuelling and transport aircraft
Representatives from 15 member states announced [13] a multinational effort to buy air-to-air refuelling and transport planes from Airbus. Seven allies (Belgium, Croatia, France, Poland, Spain, Türkiye and the UK) launched a new multinational High Visibility Project for a fleet on the Airbus A400M military aircraft. The A400M multinational initiative
[14] will follow the same ‘pooling and sharing’ concept as applied to the multinational Airbus A330 Multirole Tanker Transport (MRTT) fleet, which received its first aircraft in 2020. In addition, Finland joined the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) Fleet [15]
(MMF). Together, the nine MRTT members (Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden) also announced the imminent delivery of the 10th Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft, bringing the Fleet closer to its full capacity of 12 aircraft. Both the A400M and the A330 MRTT fleets deliver air-to-air refuelling, strategic airlift, and medical evacuation capabilities to NATO and help support the deterrence and defence posture.
Counter-drone capabilities and drone training
It was announced [16] that over $40 billion will be invested in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years and NATO aims to train five times as many drone operators by the end of 2027. To support rapid procurement, NATO will establish a counter-drone marketplace that will ensure that systems are NATO-tested, NATO-compatible and available for purchase. To support drone training, allies will also leverage NATO’s multinational Flight Training Europe (NFTE [17]) initiative, which will be extended to cover training for drone operators. The NFTE
operates sixteen flight centres established across eight countries. Finland, France and Sweden joined the seventeen other NFTE members.
Surveillance drones
A four-country consortium (Denmark, Finland, Germany and Norway) announced [18] it is to purchase as many as five new Triton surveillance drones to add to NATO’s small fleet that operates from Sigonella airbase in Italy. Specifically designed for maritime surveillance, the
aircraft can sustain 24-hour flights at an altitude of more than 15 km. “It is genuinely made in NATO and creating jobs on both sides of the Atlantic”, Rutte said. A transatlantic industrial consortium is being formed to deliver this capability. While Northrop Grumman will build the
Triton aircraft, Airbus Defence and Space and other European companies will provide the ground segment, data management services, command and control, infrastructure and mission support.
Critical raw materials
A new multinational High Visibility Project was announced [19] on defence critical raw materials. The project brings together 12 NATO allies (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Türkiye) to work jointly on strengthening the resilience of military supply chains. It focuses on the acquisition, storage, transport and management of critical raw materials, components, and recycled products essential for military production.
High-end space capabilities
NATO allies announced [20] multinational initiatives and partnerships to develop new space-based capabilities. Eight allies (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Türkiye) launched a new multinational initiative named HALO – Hybrid Alliance Layered Operations in Space. HALO will focus on improving connectivity and integration of sovereign, nationally owned and controlled military satellites into a networked mega constellation. It aims to improve alliance resilience and military advantage in space, enabling high-speed communications, intelligence and missile tracking.
At the forum, several allies also announced significant contributions to other NATO space-based capabilities [21]. Canada became the 15th member of NATO’s 2024 STARLIFT multinational initiative [22] (the other members are Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, UK and USA),
which explores ways to develop a network of launch capabilities that will help allies launch assets at short notice from spaceports across the alliance. The German company Isar Aerospace also signed a contract [23] with Canada’s Maritime Launch Services to secure access the launch infrastructure and services at Spaceport Nova Scotia [24] and improve its orbital launch readiness.
Spain became the 19th country to join NATO’s 2023 Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space [25] (APSS, the other participants are: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Türkiye and the USA), the largest multinational investment in space-based
capabilities in NATO’s history. Spain will contribute by increasing coastal surveillance through imagery from its ‘Atlantic Constellation’ satellites. Following the success of the original IMECE
Earth observation satellite launched in April 2023 [26], Türkiye announced an ambitious plan for the development of two additional high-resolution satellites to complement space capabilities in the region. This is in addition to an investment into Low Orbital satellites for military communications and the development of Early Warning Radar Systems.
Bij 12. Gedwongen produceren voor defensie: overheid wil bedrijven kunnen aanwijzen, lijst blijft geheim
Het Parool, 8 juli 2026, https://www.parool.nl/nederland/gedwongen-produceren-voor-defensie-overheid-wil-bedrijven-kunnen-aanwijzen-lijst-blijft-geheim~b28b47c7/ (zie ook advies Raad voor de Rechtspraak https://www.rechtspraak.nl/binaries/_rts_1768912677949/content/assets/rvdr/wa/2026/rvdr-wa-weerbaarheid-defensie-en-veiligheid-gerelateerde-industrie.pdf)
In een noodsituatie moeten bedrijven kunnen worden gedwongen om spullen te maken voor de krijgsmacht. Een nieuwe wet moet dat mogelijk maken. Ook wil de overheid hun voorraad kunnen vorderen.
Het kabinet wil vergaand kunnen ingrijpen bij bedrijven in de defensie-industrie. Zo wil het meer controle krijgen over de productiecapaciteit van de Nederlandse defensie-industrie, inzicht krijgen in de bevoorradingsketen en kunnen sturen op de voorraad die bedrijven aanhouden. In uiterste gevallen kan de overheid ook de voorraad vorderen, zodat die spullen niet meer verkocht worden aan andere klanten of verdwijnen naar andere landen.
Dat de overheid bedrijven kan aanwijzen, is onderdeel van een wet die minister Heleen Herbert (Economische Zaken, CDA) woensdag voor advies naar de Raad van State stuurt.
De wet wordt alleen in stelling gebracht in een ‘noodsituatie’, benadrukt Herbert. “Als er sprake is van een oorlogssituatie geeft deze wet de mogelijkheid om enkele Nederlandse bedrijven aan te wijzen voor productie.” Dat gebeurt niet meteen: eerst wordt gevraagd of bedrijven defensie vrijwillig uit de brand willen helpen. Pas als dat niet lukt, kan een bedrijf worden verplicht.
Al afspraken gemaakt
Op een eerdere versie van de wet kwam veel kritiek: toen wilde de overheid kunnen ingrijpen bij een grotere groep bedrijven. Nu gaat het volgens Herbert om een beperkt aantal bedrijven, dat op twee handen te tellen is. “Ik heb niet de ambitie om hier een soort paniek of willekeur bij uit te stralen.” Sterker: de bedrijven in kwestie weten er al van, het kabinet heeft met hen al afspraken gemaakt. Herbert: “Er staat ook gewoon een vergoeding tegenover.”
De lijst met bedrijven wordt niet openbaar gemaakt. “Ik denk dat de meeste mensen zullen begrijpen waarom niet: dit is onderdeel van wat je veilig houdt,” zegt de minister. Ook zal de lijst ‘in de loop der tijd’ veranderen, zegt ze, omdat er nieuwe bedrijven bijkomen.
Het is niet de bedoeling dat een bedrijf dat nu bijvoorbeeld kinderwagens maakt, straks bommen moet maken, benadrukt de minister. “Ik zoek het dichter bij huis: bij spullen die nu al worden herkend als iets dat nodig is in een oorlogssituatie.”
Buitenlandse bedrijven vallen niet onder de wet
Maar de wet gaat tegelijkertijd niet alleen over bedrijven die wapens of munitie produceren. Ook een producent van bijvoorbeeld pleisters zou aangewezen kunnen worden om verband te produceren waarmee het leger gewonden kan behandelen. “Dat is niet ondenkbaar,” zegt Herbert. “Maar het gaat vooral om bedrijven die nu al produceren voor defensie.”
Het overgrote deel van de wapensystemen en munitie die de krijgsmacht gebruikt, wordt door buitenlandse bedrijven geproduceerd. Die vallen niet onder de nieuwe wet. Toch noemt Herbert de wet relevant. “De Nederlandse defensie-industrie bestaat toch uit zo’n duizend bedrijven in Nederland, die samen een omzet van ongeveer 9 miljard euro hebben. Dat is niet niks.”
Haast maken
Herbert wil met de wet ook regelen dat bepaalde defensiebedrijven in Nederland een predicaat van goedkeuring krijgen, waardoor ze makkelijker orders uit het buitenland kunnen binnenslepen. “Wij geven dan een stempel dat je een degelijk bedrijf bent. Dat er goed is gescreend en duidelijk is wie aan de touwtjes trekt.”
Herbert hoopt dat de wet in de loop van 2027 kan ingaan. Op de vraag of het kabinet die tijd wel heeft nu de geopolitieke spanningen in de wereld alleen maar toenemen, zegt Herbert dat dat een vraag is ‘waarmee je jezelf gek kunt maken’. “Het verleden kun je niet meer veranderen. Vanaf nu kun je alleen heel veel haast maken. Maar we willen er ook zorgvuldig mee omgaan.”
Bij 13. Nederlandse inlichtingendiensten geloofden niet dat Poetin Oekraïne zou binnenvallen, hadden ‘unieke bron’
Volkskrant, 8 juli 2026, https://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/nederlandse-inlichtingendiensten-geloofden-niet-dat-poetin-oekraine-zou-binnenvallen-hadden-unieke-bron~b9c3de8e/ (zie ook de gedetailleerde uitwerking van dit artikel via ‘Unieke bron’ maakte Nederlandse inlichtingendiensten blind voor Poetins invasie – ‘Wat een fuck-up’
Volkskrant.nl, 8 juli 2026, https://www.volkskrant.nl/kijkverder/v/2026/rusland-oekraine-inlichtingen-nederland-onderzoek~v3109311/)
De AIVD en MIVD hebben in 2022 het toenmalige kabinet ervan proberen te overtuigen dat een Russische invasie van Oekraïne ‘niet waarschijnlijk’ was. Dat blijkt uit onderzoek van de Volkskrant. Betrokken inlichtingenofficieren en hoge ambtenaren noemen het een ‘inlichtingenblunder’.
De diensten baseerden hun verkeerde analyse op een ‘unieke bron’, niet ver van de Russische president Vladimir Poetin. De AIVD had dankzij deze bron jarenlang toegang tot inlichtingen uit de top van het Russische veiligheidsapparaat. Daarin zag de dienst dat Rusland de enorme troepenopbouw bij de grens van Oekraïne gebruikte om de druk op het Westen op te voeren en zo een betere onderhandelingspositie te krijgen.
Pas na de invasie bleek dat de top van het Russische veiligheidsapparaat geen weet had van de naderende invasie. ‘Deze oorlog is volkomen anders voorbereid dan je zou verwachten op basis van het Russische protocol’, aldus een betrokken ambtenaar. Poetin had zijn echte intenties slechts met een hele kleine groep vertrouwelingen besproken, buiten formele besluitvorming om.
Een senior AIVD’er, die namens beide diensten spreekt, erkent dat de dienst ernaast zat. ‘Ik denk dat het eerlijk is om te zeggen dat we Poetin nu met meer wantrouwen zouden bekijken. We gingen te veel uit van Poetin als een rationele actor.’
‘Unieke bron’
Al vanaf het najaar van 2021 waarschuwden de Amerikaanse en Britse inlichtingendiensten dat de Russische president had besloten om Oekraïne aan te vallen. De vraag was niet of, maar wanneer hij de oorlog zou starten. Toen ze er niet in slaagden om Europese politici te overtuigen van de dreiging, deelden de Amerikanen zelfs concrete aanvalsplannen van Rusland met de wereld. De AIVD en de MIVD namen die waarschuwingen niet voor waar aan. Ze geloofden dat ze door de ‘unieke bron’ beter zicht hadden op de motieven van Poetin dan hun Amerikaanse collega’s.
De directeuren van de AIVD en MIVD voerden de laatste maanden voor de invasie meerdere gesprekken met de chief of station van de CIA in Den Haag. Ze wilden achterhalen hoe het kon dat hun analyses uiteenliepen, en wat de CIA wist dat zij niet wisten. Daar kwamen ze niet achter, vertellen betrokkenen. Inlichtingenbronnen gaan er inmiddels vanuit dat de Amerikanen wel toegang hadden tot de binnenste kring van Poetin.
Verkeerde inschatting
Hoe groot de gevolgen waren van deze verkeerde inschatting, vinden betrokkenen achteraf moeilijk te beoordelen. Sommigen menen dat Nederland de enige, kleine kans die er was om een oorlog te voorkomen, heeft laten lopen.
Alleen als Amerika en Europa gezamenlijk aan Poetin hadden laten weten dat ze bereid waren om militair en economisch tot het uiterste te gaan, had Rusland misschien afgeschrikt kunnen worden. Dat Amerikaans-Britse plan mislukte, mede doordat naast Nederland ook landen als Duitsland en Frankrijk, en ook Oekraïne zelf, niet overtuigd waren van de dreiging.
Volgens een hoge ambtenaar kreeg Oekraïne door de verkeerde analyse van de diensten in de maanden voor de invasie nauwelijks steun: ‘In alle fora waar ministers zaten was het refrein: we worden een oorlog in gerommeld. Dat betekende ook dat elk voorstel om Oekraïners extra spullen te geven werd afgehouden.’
Wat de episode extra pijnlijk maakt voor de Nederlandse diensten, is dat Nederlandse ambtenaren en militairen steeds meer gingen varen op Amerikaans-Britse informatie, zo blijkt uit de reconstructie. Topambtenaren van Defensie, Buitenlandse Zaken en Algemene Zaken hadden rechtstreeks contact met Amerikaanse collega’s en gingen er de laatste weken vanuit dat de invasie wel degelijk plaats zou vinden.
Drie weken voor de invasie ging de inschatting van de inlichtingendiensten formeel van ‘niet waarschijnlijk’ naar ‘mogelijk’. Ook toen in de laatste weken het militaire bewijs zich opstapelde, bleven de diensten volhouden dat de kans bestond dat Poetin gaat aanvallen, maar dat het niet waarschijnlijk was.
Bij 14. Ukraine: Torture, detention and denial of alternative service: EBCO calls on Ukraine to uphold the right to conscientious objection
EBCO, 7 juli 2026, https://ebco-beoc.org/press-release/2026-07-04-ebco-calls-to-stop-torture-and-imprisonment-of-conscientious-objectors-in-ukraine
[прес-реліз українською за лінком та у додатку – Ukrainian version here and in attachment]
The European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) condemns the torture and death in military custody of Ukrainian conscientious objector Dmytro Koval and calls on Ukraine to immediately end the persecution, arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of conscientious objectors, adopt legislation guaranteeing alternative civilian service in wartime, and ensure accountability for all abuses committed during mobilisation.
We are deeply concerned by a recent report of Ukrainian media about torturing to death a conscientious objector Dmytro Koval and other individuals, at least 26 in total, at Skelya assault regiment. Welcoming the announced start of official investigation, we emphasize that it is not enough to ensure accountability of perpetrators responsible for torture of conscientious objectors in this and other cases. Ukraine must prevent repetition of such incidents by changing current policy of attempts to violently force individuals to change their religion of belief incompatible with service in Armed Forces of Ukraine, contrary to Articles 7 and 18 (2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that should be fully respected in time of war and cannot be derogated.
We regret that Ukraine did not respected a commitment of the Rule of Law Roadmap to adopt law providing for alternative nonmilitary service in wartime in the second quarter of 2026, and that commitment itself was restricted only to protection of religiously motivated conscientious objectors discriminating non- religious pacifists. We are concerned that the inaccurate draft law discussed at the closed-doors meeting of officials without civil society under the title “Discussion of expediency of introducing a mechanism of conducting alternative (nonmilitary) service in conditions of martial law” in the Office of President of Ukraine on 17 February 2026 was restrictive and discriminatory, not compliant with international standards, and in the end even in this crippled form did not reached a stage of approval by the Government, not to say adoption by the Parliament. Even more concerning was a reason given for non-compliance with the obligations, namely: the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff “categorically insist” on conducting “alternative” service at non-combatant positions in Armed Forces of Ukraine. This position deeply contradicts religious beliefs of a significant number of Ukrainian conscientious objectors.
More than a hundred conscientious objectors were detained by court decisions last year, and thousands are forcibly held in military units. Punishments for conscientious objection, arbitrary detentions and violence were reported by the UN, CoE and Ukrainian Parliamentary Human Rights Commissioners, by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine and other human rights bodies.
As also documented in our Annual report, these violations must also be read in the broader context of the shrinking civic space for pacifist and antiwar voices in Ukraine, including the unlawful persecution targeting Yurii Sheliazhenko, Executive Secretary of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement. Being forcibly conscripted and tortured himself for holding Quaker faith, Yurii proposed several reforms that need to be seriously considered by Ukrainian government, such as requiring conscription offices to provide phones so detainees can contact relatives or a lawyer, and displaying information on detainees’ rights, including the right to conscientious objection. His case shows that the repression of conscientious objection is not limited to individual refusal of military service, but also affects those who document violations, promote nonviolence, and advocate for the right to live according to conscience.
In the 2025 report of the European Commission, it is emphasized that Ukraine needs to establish safeguards protecting individuals from criminal prosecution in case of conscientious objection taking into account the amicus curiae brief of the Venice Commission of March 2025. In the Memorandum on human rights elements for peace in Ukraine, Michael O’Flaherty, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, recommended that Ukraine uphold international standards on conscientious objection, summarised by the Venice Commission, and insisted the Ukrainian authorities should put in place a mechanism to prevent human rights violations during mobilization. We welcome the opening of first accession negotiations cluster between EU and Ukraine and hope that EU common position, which underlines the need to strengthen alignment of Ukraine’s legal and institutional framework with the EU acquis and European standards on fundamental rights, will help in the course of negotiations.
EBCO calls on Ukraine to:
- immediately stop arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment of conscientious objectors;
- release imprisoned conscientious objectors and prisoners of conscience;
- adopt legislation guaranteeing genuinely civilian alternative service during wartime in accordance with international standards;
- fully implement recommendations of the Venice Commission, UN human rights mechanisms and Council of Europe bodies.
EBCO calls on the European Union to:
- ensure that accession negotiations with Ukraine include scrutiny of compliance with international standards on conscientious objection;
- guarantee access to asylum and humanitarian protection for conscientious objectors facing persecution;
- urge to withdraw the recent proposal of European Commission not to grant humanitarian protection “to newly arriving persons who are not authorised by the Ukrainian authorities to leave Ukraine in view of their military obligations”
Guido van Leemput
