Tuesday, July 23

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Ukrainian emergency services evacuate civilians from the town of Toretsk, which is under constant attack by Russian troops, in Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast on July 22, 2024. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Russia gathering forces in Kharkiv Oblast for fresh attacks, military says. Russia has deployed additional assault units near the village of Hlyboke in Kharkiv Oblast to prepare for offensive operations, Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson of the Khortytsia group of forces, told Interfax Ukraine on July 21.

Ukraine to receive $1.5 billion in frozen Russian assets in August, Borrell says. The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, announced on July 22 that Ukraine is expected to receive the first transfer of $1.5 billion in payments from Russian frozen assets at the beginning of August.

Ukraine hits Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery, source confirms. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces intercepted eight drones over Krasnodar Krai, 47 drones over Rostov Oblast, one each over Belgorod, Voronezh, and Smolensk oblasts, and 17 over the Black and Azov seas.

Naftogaz has accumulated 76% of gas storage target ahead of winter. Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, has accumulated 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas reserves for the upcoming winter period, the company said on July 22.

Czech initiative secures funds to provide Ukraine with 500,000 shells so far in 2024. There are sufficient finances to supply Ukraine with 500,000 shells by the end of the year, though this number could go up to 800,000 “if more financing is secured,” Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said.

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Latvia sending 500 more drones to Ukraine. Riga has prepared a batch of more than 500 drones to be sent to Ukraine, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds said on July 22. Earlier this month, Riga announced it would send more than 2,500 combat drones of different types to Ukraine in July, worth 4 million euros ($4.3 million).

Bulgaria may send surplus ammunition to Ukraine, minister says. “Some ammunition of certain types, can be provided to Ukraine. This package will also be linked to an agreement with an ally country on compensation, similar to the previous package we sent,” Bulgarian acting Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov said.

Russia pushing toward Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast despite heavy losses, Syrskyi says. “In fact, active hostilities of varying intensity are taking place along the entire frontline,” Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said.

Ukraine reaches preliminary deal with bondholders on debt restructuring. Based on the deal, Ukraine stands to save $11.4 billion over the next three years and $22.75 billion by 2033, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal explained.

Johnson acted in Ukraine’s interests during meeting with Trump, deputy PM says. “He is entitled to his opinion. He is acting in the best interests of Ukraine and can afford to do so because he knows the position of our president and the position of Ukrainians,” Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna said.

Read our exclusives

Eye of the storm: A day in the life of Ukrainian infantry on the zero line near Toretsk

As Russia intensifies offensive operations in Donetsk Oblast and mobilization struggles to replace losses at home, Ukraine’s foot soldiers are under greater pressure than ever.

Photo: Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent

Ukraine war latest: Russia gathering forces in Kharkiv Oblast for fresh attacks, military says

Russia has deployed additional assault units near the village of Hlyboke in Kharkiv Oblast to prepare for offensive operations, Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson of the Khortytsia group of forces, told Interfax Ukraine on July 21.

Photo: Libkos/Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian shelling injures 5 in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak said that a 37-year-old man was hospitalized in moderate condition as a result of the attack, and that four others were treated on an outpatient basis.

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 2, injure 16 over past day. Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least two civilians and injured at least 16 over the past day, regional authorities reported early on July 22.

Kamala Harris’ stance on Ukraine war in key quotes

International response

France bans Russians, Belarusians suspected of foreign interference from attending Paris Olympics. The French government introduced a verification system for all individuals seeking to participate in the event or access restricted zones because of cybersecurity, disinformation, and terror-related threats targeting the Olympics.

Kuleba to visit China on July 23-25 for first time since full-scale war’s start. During the visit, Kyiv’s chief diplomat and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi will discuss Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, China’s role in achieving just and stable peace, and Ukrainian-Chinese relations, the ministry noted.

Trump’s election would end war in Ukraine sooner, improve US stance toward Tbilisi, Georgian PM claims. The impact of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s potential reelection will also cause “our region (to) calm down sooner, which will change the attitude towards Georgia as well,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze claimed

EU approves its first-ever military support for Armenia. The Council of the European Union for the first time approved assistance under the European Peace Facility (EPF) to support the Armenian Armed Forces with 10 million euros ($10.8 million), according to the council’s July 22 statement.

Poland considers suspending goods transport through Belarus. “Poland has specific conditions for Belarus if it would like to normalize relations,” Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Szejna said.

Hungary, Slovakia seek EU consultations with Ukraine following ban on Lukoil transit. “The Commission has three days to execute our request, after which we will bring the issue to court,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said, calling Ukraine’s decision “an unacceptable move,” which “violates the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.”

Slovakia receives first F-16s to replace MiG-29s donated to Ukraine. Another 12 F-16s will be in the country by the end of the year, Lockheed Martin, the company that manufactures the jets said in a press release.

Russia suspected of expanding its ‘ghost fleet’ to LNG exports, FT reports. Buyers suspected of links to Russia are buying up dozens of vessels capable of carrying liquified natural gas (LNG), possibly signaling an expansion of its “ghost fleet” of tankers, the Financial Times (FT) reported on July 22.

Illegal chip flows from China to Russia slowing down, Reuters reports. Supplies of semiconductors and other dual-use goods to Russia have fallen by a fifth in 2024, Reuters reported on July 22, citing data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

In other news

Kamala Harris secures enough delegate endorsements to win Democratic presidential nomination. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris secured enough endorsements from Democratic delegates on July 22 to win the party’s nomination for president, CNN reported.

Russia systemically abuses its soldiers in Ukraine to ‘maintain order,’ The Insider reports. According to the Insider, the patterns of abuse of Russian soldiers in Ukraine “borrow heavily from Soviet labor camp traditions.”

Occupied Donetsk suffers water supply problems due to power outage in Russia, Kyiv says. A power outage in Russia caused the breakdown of the Don-Donbas water supply system’s pumping stations, Ukraine’s National Resistance Center reported on July 21.

Russia begins dismantling Ukrainian Orthodox church in occupied Crimea. Former Deputy Prosecutor General Gyunduz Mamedov said, citing Metropolitan Klyment of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) Diocese in Crimea, that it was the last remaining OCU church in the occupied peninsula.

Russia sentences US journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to 6.5 years. A court in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan sentenced Alsu Kurmasheva, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalist with dual U.S. and Russian citizenship, to six and a half years in jail on a charge of “spreading false information” about Russia’s Armed Forces, Associated Press reported on July 22.

2 Ukrainian teenagers stabbed in Warsaw. Two 15-year-old boys were stabbed by a 26-year-old man in Warsaw, Poland, the Polish outlet Gazeta Wyborcza reported on July 22, 2024.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Rachel Amran, Dmytro Basmat, Katya Denisova, Oleksiy Sorokin, Chris York, Martin Fornusek, Nate Ostiller, Kateryna Hodunova.

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