At a rare protest in central Kyiv demonstrators rallied Wednesday against a law that curbs the power of anti-corruption agencies, warning the fight for Ukraine's democracy was taking place both on the battlefield and at home.

Negotiators for the warring sides in Istanbul appeared to make little progress on ceasefire terms or a possible summit between their presidents – with their meeting ending after less than an hour.

The move to curb anti-corruption agencies sparked protests, and by Wednesday evening, Zelenskyy had announced a new bill that would retain the independence of the agencies.

Ukraine’s top military commander Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky called on President Trump to provide long-range missiles capable of attacking deep into Russia to cripple Moscow’s war machine.

On July 22 and 23, Ukrainians took to the streets in the country’s first mass anti-government protests since the outbreak of Russia's full-scale invasion three and a half years earlier. Thousands of citizens rallied in cities across the country on the first night with a clear goal: to urge President Volodymyr Zelensky to veto a bill passed in parliament that guts anti-corruption reforms,

Russia has launched one of its largest aerial assaults on Ukraine in months, targeting Kyiv overnight into Monday.

Russia attacked Ukraine with missiles and hundreds of drones overnight, killing two people, wounding 15 and causing damage and fires in several parts of the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

Russia has advanced around Pokrovsk for many months, but has so far failed to entirely encircle or seize control of the city.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has renewed his call for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end their ongoing war.