⌨The official declaration of a water shortage dominated the day's news cycle. Early reports from RTL, NOS, and Trouw detailed the government's measures for fair water distribution as Rhine levels dropped to extreme lows, with RD noting ships had only 5-10 cm of clearance. By afternoon, the Ministry of Infrastructure confirmed a 'factual water shortage', and Parool and Volkskrant covered the implications for Amsterdam, including blue-green algae and dead fish. The drought's severity was underscored by RTL's report that the first half of summer was the warmest on record.
Meanwhile, the political crisis in Ukraine intensified as protests erupted in Kyiv over President Zelensky's dismissal of popular Defense Minister Fedorov, covered by RTL, NRC, and Volkskrant. In international affairs, the Netherlands announced it would vote to dismiss ICC prosecutor Karim Khan over alleged sexual misconduct, reported by NRC and Telegraaf. The US warned of a Russian nuclear space weapon, and Gulf states invested in pipeline bypasses amid Hormuz blockade fears.