Ukraine Daily

Monday, July 18

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

The debris at the site where a Ukraine-operated Antonov cargo aircraft crashed on July 17, 2022, in Kavala, Greece. (AFP via Getty Images)

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President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and the Head of the State Security Services Ivan Bakanov. According to the decree published by the President’s Office on July 17, Venediktova will be replaced by her deputy Oleksiy Symonenko. Bakanov’s replacement hasn’t been announced yet. Read more here.

Governor: 2 villages in Luhansk Oblast remain under Ukrainian control. Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhiy Haidai said that Russian troops had been capturing one of them several times only to be pushed back by the Ukrainian forces, preventing them from reaching their goal of taking the whole region. Haidai didn’t specify the names of the villages, but he had previously reported that Bilohorivka and Verkhnokamianka villages in Luhansk Oblast “continue to hold the defense.”

Russian attack on Bakhmut District, Donetsk Oblast, injures 6 people, including 3 children. According to the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office, Russian forces shelled the city of Soledar and the village of Yahidne on July 17, injuring six people and damaging multiple buildings. The prosecutors said that the three injured children have shrapnel wounds.

Institute for the Study of War: Kremlin may be creating ‘long-term conditions’ to bolster forces. The U.S. think tank reported on July 17 that Russia may be seeking to “expand combat power without general mobilization” via cadet and army classes in anticipation of protracted hostilities. The ISW also noted that Russian proxies are likely using the threat of partisan activities in temporarily occupied areas to enforce harsher societal controls.

Detained SBU official accused of leaking information to Russia. The State Investigation Bureau said that the top-level Security Service (SBU) official detained on July 16 had been leaking intelligence and classified information to the Russian special services. Although the Bureau did not specify the name of the official, earlier on July 16 Ukrainska Pravda media outlet identified him as Oleh Kulinich, the former deputy head of the SBU in Crimea. President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Kulinich in October 2020 and fired him on March 2.

General Staff: Ukraine repels Russian assaults on Donetsk, Bakhmut, 3 villages. Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported that they repelled Russian attacks toward Donetsk and Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, as well as toward the villages of Novomykhailivka, Vuhledar, and Kamianka.

Mayor: Russian forces prepare so-called ‘referendum’ in Melitopol for early Sept. According to Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov, Russian forces in Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, have been going door-to-door conducting a census. Fedorov added that those supporting Ukraine will be forcibly sent out of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

An Antonov An-12 cargo plane owned by Ukrainian company Meridian crashed near Kavala, Greece, late on July 16. All eight Ukrainian crew members on board were killed in the crash. Read more here.

Media: Soldiers from Buryatia face threats for refusing to fight in Russia’s war. According to a Russian news outlet Mediazona, seven soldiers from Russia’s republic of Buryatia faced threats from their commanders after they refused to be sent to Ukraine. Soldiers told the outlet that deserters are taken to a military command post, where they are kept in a garage for 3-4 days. After that, they are taken to a detention center near Russia-occupied Luhansk. One source told Mediazona that 77 soldiers from Buryatia refused to fight.

BBC: Russian proxies in Donetsk Oblast capture another British citizen. A video posted by Russian state-controlled media appears to show British national John Harding held captive by Russian proxies. BBC received confirmation from those close to Harding that it is him in the video. Harding was reportedly captured while fighting alongside Ukrainian units at Azovstal in May. British nationals Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner were also captured in Mariupol and are sentenced to death by Russian proxies.

Deputy PM: New wave of internally displaced people expected in fall. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a televised interview on July 17 that over 500,000 people are anticipated to move westwards before winter. Vereshchuk noted that many Ukrainians will be forced to leave regions cut off from gas due to hostilities.

The human cost of Russia’s war

Governor: Russian forces kill 3, injure 12 civilians in Donetsk Oblast on July 16. Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported that two civilians were killed in Udachne and one was killed Pokrovsk.

Kyiv Oblast Police Chief: 1,346 civilians found dead in the region after Russian retreat. Kyiv Oblast Police Chief Andriy Nebytov said that about 300 people are still missing, underscoring that the current civilian death count isn’t final. The official added that 700 of those killed were shot with small arms, such as a handgun. Russian forces retreated from Kyiv Oblast in early April, leaving hundreds of civilians dead, injured, or tortured.

UK defense chief: 50,000 Russian soldiers were either killed or injured. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, British chief of the defense staff, told BBC that Russia lost more than 30 percent of its land combat effectiveness with nearly 1,700 tanks and nearly 4,000 armored fighting vehicles destroyed.

General Staff: Russia loses 38,300 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on July 17 that Russia has also lost 1,684 tanks, 3,879 armored personnel carriers, 2,746 vehicles and fuel tanks, 846 artillery systems, 248 multiple launch rocket systems, 110 anti-aircraft defense systems, 188 helicopters, 220 aircraft, 688 UAVs, and 15 boats.

International response

Germany to relaunch 16 coal, oil-fired power plants amid fears Russia will cut gas supplies. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed regret over Berlin’s decision to bring back dormant fossil fuel power plants and extend the operating permission for 11 more, reassuring that it is only temporary and the government remains committed to doing “everything” to combat the climate crisis. Despite the “bitter” decision, Scholz ruled out reactivating nuclear power plants, arguing that this would not solve Germany’s energy needs.

UN Commissioner: Ukraine needs to think seriously about reconstruction. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in an interview with Interfax that even though it might be difficult to think about it now, many civilians need to have their homes fixed after they were damaged due to Russia’s war. He reiterated that his branch of the United Nations will continue helping Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts.

Five Canadian officials to explain in parliament decision to return Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany. The foreign affairs committee of Canada’s House of Commons will call on two federal ministers and three ambassadors to explain the government’s decision to waive sanctions on Russia and return the turbines to Germany. The pipeline parts were undergoing repairs in Canada, but upon their return to Germany will be used to help deliver gas from Russia. Ukraine protested the decision, saying it would aid Russia’s weaponization of energy.

Zelensky speaks with Trudeau, emphasizes importance of sanctions. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 17 that he spoke with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Zelensky reiterated that the international position on sanctions must be principled, in light of Canada waving its sanctions against Russia to return Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany, after which they’d be sent to Russia. The turbines of the gas pipeline were being repaired in Canada.

In other news

Ukraine wins 5 more medals at 2022 World Games. On July 16, Ukrainian athletes took three gold medals, one silver, and one bronze at the World Games, an international event for sports that are not contested in the Olympic Games. Ukraine currently ranks third, with 13 gold, 11 silver, and 15 bronze medals, the Ministry of Youth and Sports reported on July 17.

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