STORY: Ukraine start ups are developing Artificial Intelligence systems to fly fleets of drones, in a race to gain a technological edge in their battle against the Russian invasion. Kyiv hopes AI-enabled drones on the front line will combat increasing signal jamming by Russia And enable unmanned aerial vehicles to work in larger groups. AI-drone development in Ukraine is helping identify targets and fly drones into them, navigation, and more complex programs including interconnected "swarms." Swarmer is one of many tech firms developing software linking a large number of drones that would be beyond human's capacity to control. Decisions can be made instantly across the group through AI, with a human only stepping in to green-light automated strikes. CEO of Swarmer Serhiy Kupriienko explains how it works. "You have 25 drones approaching your position. You just hit them all. That's one story. And it's a different story when you hit the first drone and every other drone just changes its trajectory and attacks you from different sides. This is what makes swarming so powerful and so scary at the same time. And that's why every single modern Western military doctrine has swarming as a part of decade-long planning, or strategy. " The software, called Styx, directs a web of reconnaissance and strike drones in the air and on the ground. It's still under development and has only been trialed on the battlefield experimentally. Here's employee Yaryk explaining how it operates. "The drone now flies on autopilot mode using our software. We assigned it with a mission and it built its own flying route, we just told it that it shouldn't fly through certain areas, we gave it a no-fly zone. It now flies along these restricted areas." As both sides roll out electronic warfare that disrupt signals between pilots and drones, hit rates of non-AI-drones are decreasing. Some of Ukraine's long-range drone strikes targeting military facilities and oil refineries hundreds of miles inside Russia are already using swarming methods. However, there are ethical concerns for the use of weapons that aren’t operated by humans. A 2020 European Parliament research paper warned that such systems could commit violations of international humanitarian law and lower the threshold of going to war.

STORY: By torchlight Ukrainian mother Margaryta Zakharchuk carries her child up to her 12th floor apartment, the lift is out due to a blackout. She is one of millions of Ukrainians struggling amid a record heat wave, compounded by regular power cuts making air conditioning units and refrigerators useless. “The first thing that has changed is that we don’t cook much anymore. Secondly, we cannot store products in the fridge for a long time. For example, curd snacks for children spoil quickly. On the second or third day, they are not edible anymore. That’s why we only buy food that we can eat today or tomorrow.” Regular Russian air strikes have ravaged the country's energy system leading to hours-long rolling blackouts. The Central Geophysical Observatory said on Tuesday (July 16) it had clocked a record-high 93.5 degrees Fahrenheit in Kyiv for July 15. Temperatures on Tuesday were expected to reach even higher. “During the heatwave, we cannot use the air conditioner. We are trying to survive using the shower. We bathe children in the water or we try to be outside in the park if we can.” Store owners, like Viktoriia, battle increased costs from running generators and product losses. “We suffer a lot. Blackouts last for six-eight hours during the day and it is a problem for dairy and ice cream. We don’t order a lot of milk, butter because it spoils. We have to return products.” Ukraine's broader economy is also struggling in the heat. State weather forecasters say the harvest of late crops could decline by up to 30% in central, southern and eastern regions. The country's grid operator announced new emergency power shutdowns for some consumers in seven areas - but not including Kyiv - due to the heatwave following a failure of equipment. The energy ministry has urged consumers to conserve energy and minimize the use of powerful electrical appliances to preserve the grid.

STORY: :: July 14, 2024 :: Kyiv, Ukraine :: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukrainian President "An attempt on the life of Donald Trump. An appalling crime. One that can only be condemned and which shows how serious the global challenges to democracy are right now. Violence in any form and anywhere must never prevail. I am confident that America will rise to the challenge. I wish Mr. Trump a speedy recovery. Strength and support to all who have been affected." "An appalling crime. One that can only be condemned," he said in a video address. "Violence in any form and anywhere must never prevail. I am confident that America will rise to the challenge." Zelenskiy wrote on X he was "relieved" that Trump, who has frequently criticized U.S. military aid to Ukraine amid Russia's invasion, was safe and wished him "a speedy recovery." Donald Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday (July 13) in what authorities said they were treating as an assassination attempt. The Trump campaign later said he was "doing well" and appeared to have suffered no major injury besides a wound on his upper right ear.

As NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary, aid for Ukraine and prospects of Donald Trump’s re-election trigger the biggest changes within the bloc since the Cold War.

President Biden accidentally introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by calling him “President Putin” during a NATO summit event on Thursday evening.

STORY: :: 24 Channel :: July 10, 2024 :: Washington, D.C. :: Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister :: “I can’t share the route of F-16s jets. When we see them in Ukrainian skies, I think all the questions will be answered. There are two moments of principle here. First, we promised that in summer 2024 F-16s will be fighting in Ukrainian skies. This promise is fulfilled.” :: “Second, this is just the first wave. We need more jets. The issue of the first wave of supply has been resolved. We are working for the future to increase the number of F-16s that will be transferred to Ukraine, to receive other models of Western fighter jets, to receive the remaining MiG-29s that are still in service of our friendly countries and which we can receive.“ Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the first batch of U.S.-built F-16 fighter jets are already being transferred to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands and will be flying over Ukrainian skies this summer. A joint statement from the leaders of the United States, Denmark and the Netherlands said the Danish and Dutch governments were in the process of donating American-made F-16s to Ukraine.

In their most serious rebuke against Beijing, NATO allies on Wednesday called China a “decisive enabler” of Russia's war against Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday at the NATO summit that American-made F-16 fighter jets are on their way to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands. CBS News intelligence and national security reporter Olivia Gazis has more on the news coming out of the summit.

STORY: :: NATO's chief says 'all allies agree that Ukraine will become a member' :: Jens Stoltenberg :: NATO Secretary-General "All allies agree that Ukraine will become a member, but it's too early to say exactly when that will happen. What I can say is that we are moving together with Ukraine closer and closer to NATO membership. And we do that by concrete actions. Because Ukraine's membership is partly about the language, the wording, we will agree on later today in the NATO declaration about membership for Ukraine. But it also is very much about the concrete actions that are being taken to move Ukraine closer to membership." :: Washington, D.C. :: July 10, 2024 Stoltenberg said NATO allies were expected to agree to a "substantial" package for Ukraine and would expand other partnerships particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Stoltenberg said the package would involve a new NATO command for Ukraine to provide security assistance and training, and a long-term pledge to continue and sustain support for Kyiv. He said there would be new announcements of immediate military support, including air defense and moves to ensure full interoperability between Ukrainian forces and NATO forces. He also said he expected allies to reiterate a commitment that Ukraine will become a member of NATO.

Speaking during a visit to Austria, Narendra Modi said "problems cannot be solved on the battlefield", while discussing Ukraine during a news conference. Modi made the statements during a news conference which marked what he said was the first visit to Austria by an Indian Prime Minister in 41 years. He added that India was "ready to provide all possible support" to achieve peace in Ukraine.

President Joe Biden announces the U.S. and an array of other NATO allies will send Ukraine dozens of air defense systems in the coming months that Kyiv has been desperately seeking to help fight off Russian advances in the war.

The NATO summit in Washington, D.C., will focus on Ukraine's potential future path into the alliance and aid to soldiers currently battling Russia. CBS News intelligence and national security reporter Olivia Gazis reports.

STORY: Donations poured in on Tuesday (July 9) to help rebuild the main children's hospital in Kyiv... As Ukraine observed a national day of mourning for the more than 40 people killed a day earlier in a major Russian missile assault which struck cities across the country. The Okhmatdyt children’s hospital, one of the largest in Europe, was devastated during the attack. The U.N. rights head of mission Danielle Bell had a team on the ground. "My team spent most of yesterday at the incident site speaking with medical staff, parents of children and residents that live in the area surrounding the hospital. Analysis of the video footage and an assessment made at the incident site indicates a high likelihood that the children's hospital suffered a direct hit rather than receiving damages due to an intercepted weapon system.” The Ukrainian Security Service also said the hospital was directly hit, releasing photos on Tuesday of what it said were fragments of the Russian missile that struck it. Moscow denies this, saying the hospital was struck by Ukrainian anti-missile fire, without providing evidence. Rescue efforts at the hospital ended early on Tuesday, with two dead and dozens wounded. Flags flew at half mast in Kyiv as the search concluded. And elsewhere in the capital, dashcam footage appears to show the moment a maternity clinic was hit during an attack on Monday (July 8), where at least seven people were found dead. Rescuers also dug through the rubble of a partially destroyed residential building hit by another missile. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on messaging app Telegram that more than 100 buildings were damaged in the attack. And 400 people were involved in the rescue effort. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated Moscow's insistence that it does not attack civilian targets in Ukraine. Bell said that the attack shows nowhere, including a children's hospital, is safe in Ukraine. "670 child patients, mainly inpatients, were there together with more than a thousand medical staff. At least two children were killed including a female doctor and at least 50 were injured including seven children. Staff had moved the children to a bunker yesterday morning when the air raid sirens first went off otherwise the casualties would have been much higher.” Big Ukrainian businesses rushed to announce donations for the hospital. And while there was no available figure, as of Tuesday Reuters calculations put the amount raised from Ukraine’s corporations at about $7.3 million.

Russia's war against Ukraine is likely to be the main topic of this week's NATO summit in Washington, D.C. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to attend. CBS News intelligence and national security reporter Olivia Gazis has more.