Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the overnight attack on “logistics hubs involved in supplying the Russian army with drone component, navigation equipment and other gear.”

“We are, quite justly, bringing the war back home – to Russia. Peace is needed, and Ukraine has presented the Russian side with every proposal. They must be forced to turn to diplomacy.”

Morning summary: But can they do it on a Wednesday morning in Brussels?

Jakub Krupa

EU ambassadors are meeting in Brussels today in a bid to sign off on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia after previous attempts ended with no success.

Lithuania’s ambassador to the EU, Nerijus Aleksiejūnas, told the Lithuanian media that he was sensing a growing fatigue with the sanctions amid concerns that some measures could actually pose difficult questions for some of the member states.

“The argument heard most often is that sanctions should not harm European countries and their economies compared with Russia,” he said, as reported by LRT.

As a result, the EU dropped proposed restrictions on Russia’s fishing sectors, a proposed ban on Russian soldiers entering Europe (as France, Italy, and Spain issued the highest number of visas to Russian citizens last year, LRT said), and on sanctions against Russian Orthodox patriarch Kirill. Greece continues to oppose proposed restrictions on Russian LNG supplies.

It’s far from given whether the ambassadors will be able to sign off on the 21st package today, before they break for summer holidays. I will keep an eye on this. The meeting starts 10am local time (9am UK).

In the meantime, Ukraine continues long-range strikes inside Russia as it hit more warehouses of Russia’s largest online retailer, Wildberries, overnight. Eight people were reportedly injured.

Elsewhere, I will keep an eye on developments across Europe for you, as we are expecting updates from France, Hungary, and Italy, among others.

It’s Wednesday, 22 July 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.

Good morning.