Ukraine Daily

Thursday, July 7

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

Journalists and photographers gather around a residential building in Kyiv that was struck by Russian missiles early morning on June 26, 2022. (Stas Yurchenko/Graty)

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Zelensky: Heavy weapons from Western allies have finally started to work at ‘full capacity’ on frontlines. In a video address to the nation, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Ukrainian military has targeted Russian warehouses and other places “important for logistics“ with weaponry Ukraine has received from its partners, which has drastically reduced Russia’s offensive potential. He added that Ukrainian troops are already advancing in several tactical directions, such as in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

Irish PM pays visits to Borodyanka, Bucha, Irpin. Micheal Martin met with Borodyanka’s mayor and inspected buildings destroyed by Russian troops in the three towns in Kyiv Oblast. “It is difficult to comprehend the devastation and inhumanity of Russia’s attacks,” he wrote on Twitter after that. Martin is due to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russia attempts to initiate informal UN Security Council meeting to discuss ‘neo-Nazism’ in Ukraine. In a letter published by Ukraine’s envoy to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya on Twitter on July 6, it says that Russia wants to initiate an informal UN Security Council meeting to discuss “neo-Nazism and radical nationalism” in Ukraine. Russia’s deputy representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy requested a meeting of the council to be held on July 11 which, according to a concept note, will give “an opportunity to learn the history of Nazism in Ukraine and its current status.” Kyslytsya referred to the move as an “aggravation of aggressive mimicry.”

Travel restrictions for military-age males canceled after public resentment. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said on July 6 that the General Staff had abolished the requirement for all people subject to military service, including most men aged 18 to 60, to obtain permits for travel around Ukraine. Earlier President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed Zaluzhny to cancel the requirement and “not to make similar moves without me in the future”. The General Staff announced on July 5 that people subject to military service, conscripts, and reservists would have to obtain permission from a military enlistment office in order to leave their place of residence, triggering a wave of resentment.

Up to 12,000 civilians remain in occupied Lysychansk, Luhansk Oblast. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that residents were given opportunities to evacuate before Russia captured the city on July 3 and most were able to get out, but those who stayed did so for a variety of reasons.

UN: Nearly 9 million people have crossed border from Ukraine since start of Russia’s all-out invasion. The UN refugee agency said on July 6 that 8.79 million individuals – a quarter of the country’s population – have crossed the border from Ukraine since Feb. 24.

Russian saboteurs attempt to break through Ukrainian positions. Ukraine’s Operational Command “South” reports that a group of ten Russian saboteurs tried to break through Ukrainian lines of defense near the village of Dobryanka in Kherson Oblast. The attack was unsuccessful: five Russian soldiers were reportedly killed and one wounded. Ukraine’s military has also destroyed a T-62 tank, two mortar units, two armored vehicles, and four other military vehicles on the southern frontline.

Bloomberg: Kuleba doubts deal to end grain blockade will happen soon. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said several logistical details need to be worked out in Turkish-UN-brokered talks between Ukraine and Russia and breaking the blockade will be difficult, Bloomberg reports. “I don’t want to join the chorus of those who say the agreement will take place next week,” Kuleba told Bloomberg.

Russian military shells Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, injuring at least 3 civilians. Mykola Lukashuk, head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Council, said Russian forces hit a building with agriculture equipment in the Pokrovska settlement. One of the wounded is in serious condition, Lukashuk said.

Ukrainian military: Russia has increased its fleet in the Black Sea. Operational Command “South” of the Ukraine’s Armed Forces reports that Russia has increased its naval presence in the Black Sea with five missile carriers, two submarines and a single amphibious assault ship. The fleet possesses 48 Kalibr type missiles.

MP from Zelensky’s party charged with high treason. The Prosecutor General’s Office said it had charged Oleksiy Kovalyov, who was previously a lawmaker from President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, with high treason. According to the investigation, Kovalyov has publicly supported Russian troops and agreed to serve in Kherson Oblast’s Russian occupation government. Kovalyov was expelled from Zelensky’s party in May.

Russia shells Sumy region with mortars and MLRS. Sumy Oblast Governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky reported that Myropilska, Krasnopilska and Khotinska communities were attacked on July 6. No casualties have been reported and only a barn had been damaged in the shelling.

Read our exclusive, on the ground stories

Mayor of Sloviansk Vadym Liakh on July 6 urged remaining residents to evacuate, as the city appears to be Russia’s next target in its plans to capture Donetsk Oblast and civilian evacuation becomes increasingly difficult. Read our story here.

Early on the morning of June 26, Kyiv resident Bogdan Lega was awoken to the loud whistling sound of a missile flying toward his apartment. Four missiles struck Lega’s building and a kindergarten that morning after nearly three weeks of relative peace in the capital. Read our story on how Kyiv residents lost their homes after latest missile strike here.

The human cost of Russia’s war

Health minister: Russian forces completely destroy over 120 healthcare facilities, kill at least 14 medical workers since Feb. 24. Health Minister Viktor Liashko said during a briefing that in total, Russian forces have damaged 817 healthcare facilities. They have also completely destroyed 43 pharmacies and 85 ambulances. According to Lyashko’s estimates, the government will have to spend at least $1.2 billion to restore all the damaged or destroyed medical facilities.

International response

Ten thousand Lithuanians gather as Bayraktar drone sent to Ukraine. Local TV3 channel reported the drone is already on its way to Ukraine. Lithuania fundraised 3.3 million euros to buy the drone form the Turkish producer Baykar, which was ultimately gifted by the company and the funds transferred for humanitarian aid instead.

Der Spiegel: German opposition to push Bundestag on supplying Ukraine with armored personnel carriers. The Christian Democratic Union of Germany and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, known as the Union parties, are demanding the German government hand over 200 Fuchs armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, according to a parliamentary motion for a resolution seen by German newspaper Der Spiegel. The war is in a “critical phase,” the motion said.

Scholz: Germany ready to give Ukraine security guarantees but not NATO-style ones. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the broadcaster ARD that Germany is discussing with allies giving Ukraine security guarantees, but these will not be the same as for a member of NATO. In March, the Ukrainian delegation in the peace talks with Russia said Ukraine was seeking NATO-style security guarantees from the West.

EU working on mechanism to allow confiscation of Russian assets and their use for reconstruction of Ukraine. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said that the move is intended to restore justice. She added that the European Union is seeking to use assets of the Russian government and Russian oligarchs for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

In other news

Bloomberg: Russia earns $24 billion from selling fossil fuels to China and India. As energy prices have skyrocketed due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia sold nearly $19 billion worth of oil, gas and coal to China by the end of May, doubling last year’s figure. India shelled out some $5 billion for the same period, five times more compared to a year ago. According to analyst Lauri Myllyvirta, China is buying “essentially everything that Russia can export via pipelines and Pacific ports.”

Minister: Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Russian church’s Ukrainian branch meet to resolve disagreements. Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a branch of Russia’s Moscow Patriarchate, had held a “historic meeting” on July 5 at Kyiv’s Saint Sophia Cathedral. He did not comment on the results.

In May the Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian Orthodox Church said it would have “full independence” from the Russian Orthodox Church and condemned Russia’s war against Ukraine. However, skeptics said it was just a ploy to appease critics since the Ukrainian branch effectively remained part of the Russian church and did not declare “autocephaly” – the Orthodox term for genuine independence. Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, at least 475 parishes have left the Russian-affiliated church and joined the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Alexander Query, Natalia Datskevych, Thaisa Semenova, Oleg Sukhov, Lili Bivings, Toma Istomina, Olena Goncharova, Brad LaFoy, and Sergiy Slipchenko.

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