President Trump announced yesterday that he has ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in "appropriate regions" in response to "highly provocative statements" from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The move escalates tensions between the US and Russia, following a series of exchanges on social media. According to an announcement on social media, Trump stated, "A threat was made by a former President of Russia, and we're gonna protect our people." He also said, "We will have some meetings. And we will see what will happen next" when asked about plans to talk with Putin. Russian state media TASS requested clarification from the Pentagon regarding the exact locations of the submarine deployments, but the Pentagon has not disclosed this information, according to Russian media. Lindsey Graham stated yesterday to those in Russia, "President Trump seeks peace not conflict. However, please understand that he is not Obama, he is not Biden, and he will not be trifled with. You are overplaying your hand." Meanwhile, Ukraine continues its efforts in the conflict, with one report detailing a "3D-printing farm" in Ukraine using nearly 300 printers running 24/7 to produce materials for the fight. The 53rd Mechanized Brigade posted an update stating, "The work continues 24/7." In other developments, a Russian drone strike in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, caused fires in a residential building, with firefighters intervening. Ukraine's Air Force reported activity in the Sumy region. Belarus has begun forming a new special operations brigade in the Gomel region, bordering Ukraine, which will be equipped with "Oreshnik" systems and Iskander missiles with nuclear capability, according to the commander of Belarus’s special operations forces. Ukraine is also reiterating its offer for leader-level meetings to move beyond technical talks, with President Zelenskyy stating, "We understand who calls the shots in Russia, and thus Ukraine is once again offering to move beyond technical talks—not to exchange statements, but to actually meet at the level of leaders." Separately, President Trump is reportedly planning to impose "devastating sanctions" on Russia on August 8, according to a US envoy to NATO, who stated, "Russia won't have any friends, no trading partners." Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's evening address detailed the aftermath of a "brutal Russian strike on Kyiv," reporting 31 deaths, including five children, and 159 injuries, with civilian infrastructure hit without military purpose. He reiterated that "New, tougher sanctions targeting all Russian finances and revenue are now more urgent than ever."
