What happened on the night of July 4th. The main thing

The Russian Armed Forces have taken full control of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). Ukrainian drones attacked the Moscow region, Belgorod, Leningrad and Pskov regions overnight. The national teams of Egypt and Argentina reached the 1/8 finals of the FIFA World Cup, and Argentine striker Lionel Messi became the first football player in history to play in 30 matches at the World Championships. Hungary supported the opening of a new negotiation cluster with Ukraine on EU accession. The death toll from the earthquake in Venezuela has increased. Read more in the Izvestia article.

Liberation of Konstantinovka

Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed during a meeting at the auxiliary control center of the united group of forces that Konstantinovka in the DPR had completely come under the control of Russian troops. The Head of State called the liberation of the city the first but very important stage in the capture of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk defense hub of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and instructed to do everything possible to evacuate the civilian population of the city.

The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, in turn, said that Russian soldiers were also completing the liberation of Krasny Liman, an important administrative center and a major railway hub of key logistical and operational importance for the further development of the offensive in this direction, and the advance groups of the Dnepr group of forces were approaching the outskirts of Zaporizhia.

"The advance groups are located 9 km from the southern outskirts of the city of Zaporizhia, fire damage is being inflicted on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the city," he said.

Political analyst Ivan Mezyuho noted that without the possibility of defeating Russia on the battlefield, Kiev is terrorizing civilians in Russian regions. He stressed that thanks to the daily feat of the soldiers of the Russian Army, the state continues to develop.

Meanwhile, political analyst John Varoli said that the liberation of Konstantinovka by Russian soldiers was a significant event that, in his opinion, dealt a serious blow to the authority of the Pentagon and the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO).

In addition, military expert Igor Viktyuk expressed the opinion that, against the background of the successes of the Russian army in the special operation zone, Western countries may return to discussing the need for negotiations with Russia.

"What is the reason for our victory? The first and most important thing is the heroism of our servicemen. Secondly— the excellent work of the General Staff and managers at all levels. Third, we currently have technical superiority," Viktyuk said.

Ukrainian Armed Forces strikes on Russian territory

Infrastructure facilities were damaged as a result of the Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod. The mayor of the city, Valentin Demidov, reported a fire at a solid waste landfill.

"The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to strike at peaceful Belgorod. <...> A fire broke out at a landfill," he wrote on the Maks messenger.

The Air Defense forces intercepted 16 enemy drones in the direction of the capital overnight. Two UAVs were eliminated in the sky over the Leningrad region. Several more drones were shot down over the Pskov region. An attempt to launch a missile attack on an enterprise in Udmurtia was also stopped.

"Today, the air defense forces repelled another attack from the Kiev regime. A rocket was shot down in the sky over Udmurtia. There was an attempt to attack one of the enterprises," Governor Alexander Brechalov wrote on the Maks messenger.

FIFA World Cup 2026

The Egyptian national team beat the Australian team in the match of the 1/16 finals of the FIFA World Cup. The match took place in Dallas and ended in a penalty shootout with a score of 4:2. The Argentine team also reached the 1/8 finals, beating the Cape Verdean team. The match took place in Miami and ended with a score of 3:2 in extra time. Messi became the first football player in history to play in 30 matches at the World Championships. Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo holds the second place in the number of games in the history of the tournament.

Departure time: the World Cup play-off stage has begun

Argentina will play with a lucky newcomer, and Cristiano Ronaldo will face a former teammate.

Cluster for negotiations with Ukraine

Former Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs Janos Boca said that Budapest supported the opening of a new accession negotiation cluster with Kiev on July 14 by the European Union, but at the same time continues to oppose the acceleration of this process.

"Based on a unanimous decision by the EU member states, the EU will open a new negotiating group with Ukraine on July 14, just one month after the opening of the previous group," he wrote on Facebook (owned by Meta, which is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia).

Earthquake in Venezuela

The death toll from the twin earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 2,645 people. According to official data, more than 15 thousand people remain homeless in the republic. To date, the authorities have provided assistance to 86,117 families. 59 temporary accommodation camps have been opened for citizens who have lost their homes.