Russia-Ukraine war: ISW says Russia continues to carry out airstrikes around Siversk

The Institute for the Study of War has said that Russian forces continue to carry out 'limited and unsuccessful' ground attacks in Slovyansk and western Donetsk. It further stated that Russian forces continue to carry out air and artillery strikes around Siversk and Bakhmut as well as localized ground assaults in the northwest of Kharkiv. According to ISW, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko continues to allow Russia to use Belarusian airspace. 
 

Ukrainian regional official has said that 80% of people have been evacuated and moved to safety while 20.4% of people continue to stay in Donetsk, Ukrinform reported. Pavlo Kyrylenko, Head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, said that 1,670,000 people lived in Donetsk as of 24 February. He stated that about 340,000 continue to remain in Donetsk while all others have been safely moved to other places. 

Local authorities have said that Russian missiles hits Mykolaiv, damaging two hospitals, a school, and apartment buildings, The Kyiv Independent reported. Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Vitaliy Kim has said that at least 12 people have been injured in the Russian attack in Mykolaiv. 

India remains deeply concerned about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine that has resulted in the loss of lives and countless miseries for its people with millions becoming homeless, said India’s Counsellor to the UNSC on Monday. 

"From the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, India has been consistently calling for the complete cessation of all hostilities and advocated the path of peace, dialogue, and diplomacy. We support all efforts to alleviate the suffering of the people of Ukraine, especially talks between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. We believe that no solution can arrive at the cost of innocent lives," the envoy said.

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Russian armed forces have been able to make small incremental territorial gains in Donetsk, the UK Defence Ministry said in the latest intelligence update about the ongoing war in Ukraine. The British intelligence has said that Russia has captured Ukraine's Hryhorivka town. The UK Defence Ministry stated that Russia might start making "non-traditional recruitment," including personnel from Russian prisons for the Wagner Private Military Company due to a shortage of personnel. 

Ukraine's Armed Forces have said that Russia has lost 37,470 soldiers since the onset of the war. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that Russia has suffered the loss of 676 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1649 tanks, 109 anti-aircraft warfare systems and 838 artillery systems. Apart from this, Russian forces have lost 217 warplanes, 188 helicopters, 247 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), 2699 vehicles and fuel tanks, 15 ships or boats, 676 unmanned aerial vehicles and 66 special equipment. 

Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited the war-torn nation and held an extensive discussion and negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday. According to the statement released by the President's office following Rutte's visit to Kyiv, it said the premiere believed that a lot has already been done and added the whole of Europe should continue its support to Ukraine in order to deter the aggression of Russian forces.

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A major natural gas pipeline from Russia to western Europe shut down Monday for annual maintenance as Germany prepared to give the green light for 10 coal-fired power plants to restart because of concerns that Russia may not resume the flow of gas as scheduled.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia and is Germany’s main source of Russian gas. Gas is usually sent onward to other countries, as well.

The line is scheduled to be out of action until July 21 for routine work that the operator says includes “testing of mechanical elements and automation systems.” The operator’s data showed the gas flow dropping as planned Monday morning.

German officials are suspicious about Russia’s intentions, particularly after Russia’s Gazprom last month reduced the gas flow through Nord Stream 1 by 60%. Gazprom cited technical problems involving a gas turbine powering a compressor station that partner Siemens Energy sent to Canada for overhaul and couldn’t be returned because of sanctions imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

AP

As the Ukrainian ports have been blocked for more than four months and hence the export of grains, it seems there was good news for farmers as Moscow is trying to export grain from some of its occupied regions. However, the farmers who had sown crops amidst the ongoing brutal war were now complaining of getting less prices for their agricultural produce. Citing Ukrainian Intelligence Services, CNN reported that Russia continues to steal Ukrainian grain by either paying less prices or sometimes neglecting the demands of farmers.
As per the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, a company was created called "GUK" in order to facilitate the process of export. The company is headed by former Ukrainian opposition politician Yevhen Balytskyi. He also heads the Regional Occupation Administration of Zaporizhzhia.

The United Nations announced Monday it will start monitoring the war in Ukraine and conflicts in Ethiopia, Mozambique and Africa’s central Sahel region for violations against children, including killings, injuries, recruitment, rape and other forms of sexual violence. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his annual report to the Security Council on children and armed conflict that those four new conflicts have been added to 21 conflicts that the U.N. already is monitoring for violations of the rights of children. He said the latter conflicts saw “a high number of grave violations” in 2021.

The U.N. chief said the protection of children was severely affected by escalating conflicts, the multiplication of armed groups, land mines and improvised explosive devices, explosive weapons in populated areas, intensified humanitarian crises, and violations of humanitarian and human rights law.

AP

As the Russian forces seized major seaports since the onset of the brutal war, the first eight foreign ships arrived at the ports of Ukraine. According to the Ukraine Naval Forces, the vessels will carry Ukrainian agricultural products through the mouth of the "Bystraya" ship passage of the Danube River to the Black Sea.
 

Amid the relentless war in Ukraine, a Russian ammunition depot was hit in the occupied territory of the Kherson region, Nexta TV reported on Tuesday. An advisor to the head of the Kherson regional state administration, Serhiy Hlan, confirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had hit an ammunition depot in NovaKakhova.

Amidst the soaring fuel prices in Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro said his country is close to a deal with Russia to buy diesel at a low cost. The major development came ahead of elections which are scheduled for October this year. According to a report by Sputnik news agency, the 67-year-old Brazilian leader did not reveal further how he would finalise the deal without coming under the burnt of the Western sanctions. Notably, the European Union imposed a ban on Russian oil and refined petroleum products. On the other hand, US President Joe Biden also signed an executive order to ban the import of Russian oil, liquefied natural gas, and coal in order to penalise Moscow for its action against Ukraine.
 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday criticised Canada over its decision to allow a gas turbine to be delivered to Germany to help solve "technical problems" cited by a Russian energy provider over the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
The pipeline runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany and is the latter's main source of Russian gas.
Russia's Gazprom last month reduced the gas flow through Nord Stream 1 by 60%.
Gazprom cited technical problems involving a gas turbine powering a compressor station that partner Siemens Energy sent to Canada for overhaul and couldn't be returned because of sanctions imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Canada said over the weekend that it would allow the part to be delivered to Germany, citing the “very significant hardship” that the German economy would suffer without a sufficient gas supply.

The White House on Monday said it believes Russia is turning to Iran to provide it with “hundreds” of unmanned aerial vehicles, including weapons-capable drones, for use in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said it was unclear whether Iran had already provided any of the unmanned systems to Russia, but said the U.S. has “information” that indicates Iran is preparing to train Russian forces to use them as soon as this month.

“Our information indicates that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with up to several hundred UAVs, including weapons-capable UAVs on an expedited timeline,” he told reporters Monday.

As Russian missiles struck a key Ukrainian city, Russian President Vladimir Putin expanded a fast-track procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship to all Ukrainians on Monday, another effort to strengthen Moscow’s influence over war-torn Ukraine. Until recently, only residents of Ukraine’s separatist eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as residents of the southern Zaporizhzhia and the Kherson regions, large parts of which are now under Russian control, were eligible to apply for the simplified passport procedure.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Klueba said Putin’s signing of a passport decree, which also applies to stateless residents in Ukraine, was an example of his “predatory appetites.” “Russia is using the simplified procedure for issuing passports to tighten the noose around the necks of residents of the temporarily occupied territories of our state, forcing them to participate in the criminal activities of the occupying administrations and the Russian army of aggression,” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry added in a statement.

AP

As the war continues unabated in Eastern Europe, the United States backed the Canadian government’s decision to send a natural-gas turbine back to Germany for use in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline. This comes after Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson stated that his country has decided to allow the return of the repaired Siemens turbine to Germany. Notably, Nord Stream 1 is Germany's primary Russian gas supply pipeline. 

The turbine is expected to enable Germany and other European nations to restock their gas supplies in the near future, enhancing their energy security and resilience and thwarting Russian efforts to weaponize energy. US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price stated that Washington is s working with its allies to boost European energy security, lessen the continent's overall reliance on Russian energy, and further put pressure on the Kremlin. 

The European Union has announced a hub in Moldova to tackle organised crime, particularly arms smuggling from neighbouring Ukraine, The Defence Post reported, citing an official. The EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson informed about the 27-member bloc's Support Hub for Internal Security and Border Management during a meeting of EU interior ministers in Prague. During the meeting, the EU leaders discussed the danger posed by weapons, including those given by the West which are being illegally moved out of Ukraine and provided to crime gangs in Europe. 

The captive Ukrainian medic’s eyeglasses had long since been taken away, and the face of the Russian man walking past her was a blur. Yuliia Paievska knew only that her life was being traded for his, and that she was leaving behind 21 women in a tiny three- by six-meter (10- by 20-foot) prison cell they had shared for what felt like an eternity. Her joy and relief was tempered by the sense that she was abandoning them to an uncertain fate.

Before she was captured, Paievska, better known throughout Ukraine as Taira, had recorded more than 256 gigabytes of harrowing bodycam footage showing her team’s efforts to save the wounded in the besieged city of Mariupol. She got the footage to Associated Press journalists, the last international team in Mariupol, on a tiny data card.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a telephonic conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. According to Zelenskyy, he held extensive talks on the unblocking of Ukrainian ports as well as the resumption of grain export from the war-torn nation. Further, he maintained that Erdogan condoled the deaths of those killed in the brutal aggression of Russian forces. Earlier today, Erdogan held a similar discussion with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Russian shelling of Ukraine's second-largest city killed at least six people on Monday and injured 31 others, prosecutors and local officials said. Hours earlier, Russian troops launched three missile strikes on Kharkiv. Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram that the shelling came from multiple rocket launchers, and those hospitalized for injuries in the attacks included children aged 4 and 16.

Six civilians were killed, including a 17-year-old boy with his father, who were passing by in a car during the shelling of the car repair shop. Iryna Paraskevova lost her husband Georgy Paraskevov when a shell hit and he went outside to see the smoke. "He always wanted to see those smokes. God forgive me. Why didn't I pull him away? I don't know. I'm sorry," she lamented.

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US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price stated that Washington supports Canada's decision to return a turbine to Germany to "counter Russia's efforts to weaponise energy." Price expressed gratitude to Germany and Canada to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable for his war against Ukraine. He further stated that US is making efforts to limit the effect of Russia's war on global energy markets. 

"We are working with our Allies and partners to reduce our collective dependence on Russian energy and maintain pressure on President Putin, including exploring ways to further reduce Russia’s energy-derived revenues to continue curtailing Russia’s ability to fund its brutal, ongoing war in Ukraine," Ned Price said in the press release. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone about the crisis in Ukraine as well as issues surrounding the creation of a 'grain corridor' to export grain by sea, Erdogan's office said on July 11. According to the statement, the Turkish president emphasised implementing the UN plan for the establishment of corridors to export grain.

"President Erdogan had a telephone call with Russian President Putin. The two leaders discussed the situation in Syria, the situation in Ukraine in the light of Russia’s military operations, and the establishment of safe corridors for exporting grain by the Black Sea," the statement read.

Erdogan reiterated his call for a peaceful "lasting and fair" resolution to the Ukrainian crisis at the negotiating table. He stated that Turkey is prepared to continue its efforts to support the revitalization of the talks between Russia and Ukraine. The creation of a "grain corridor" was a topic that the foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey, Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu, discussed on June 8 in Ankara.

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Pyotr Andryushchenko, the adviser to Mariupol's Mayor, has said that people have been forced to clear debris and clean streets in the city to obtain food and water, Nexta reported. Andryushchenko claimed that people get a "bowl of porridge and bottle of water" for hard work. 

Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov has said that three people have died and 31 others have been injured due to the Russian missile attack in Kharkiv on 11 July, The Kyiv Independent reported. Syniehubov said that Russian forces fired missiles that hit a shopping centre and houses in Kharkiv. 

The Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte has travelled to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. He visited settlements in Kyiv that suffered due to Russian forces. Oleksiy Kuleba, the head of the Kyiv OVA, in a Telegram post, announced that Rutte visited Irpin, Borodyanka and Bucha, EuroIntegration reported. During his visit, he will hold a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Petro Andriushchenko, the aide to the Mariupol mayor, has claimed that Russia has planned to pressurise Mariupol residents to join the army of Russia by autumn, The Kyiv Independent reported. He further claimed that Russia has planned to use civilians as "cannon fodder" and called on people to leave the Russian captured port city. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the decree simplifying the process for Ukrainians obtaining Russian citizenship, TASS reported. Previously, people living in LPR, DPR, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia were permitted to obtain citizenship of Russia in a simplified way. According to the document, people in "Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), LPR and "stateless persons permanently residing in DPR LPR" can apply for Russian citizenship in a "simplified manner." 
 

As war rages on unabated in Ukraine, the embattled country's Defence Minister stated that the government has instructed military chiefs to develop strategies for building a "million-strong" combat force armed with western weapons to reclaim the country's southern region from the invading Russian forces. Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has instructed the Armed Forces to recapture the occupied Black Sea coast, which holds strategic significance to the country's economy. This comes after the Southern Command of Ukraine claimed that Russia has nearly six combat-ready warships with missile carriers stationed off the Black Sea coast. 

"We understand that, politically, it’s very necessary for our country. The President has given the order to the supreme military chief to draw up plans. After that the general staff are doing their homework and say to achieve this goal we need XYZ," Reznikov told the Times, as reported by The Guardian. He further noted that he has also written to his counterparts in allied countries seeking modern weapons for his troops to counter the Russian aggression.

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Russian missile strikes early Monday on Ukraine’s second-largest city killed at least three people and injured scores, including children, the local administrator said, describing the attacks in Kharkiv as “absolute terrorism.”

Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syneihubov said on Telegram that the Russian forces only hit civilian targets in three missile strikes on the northeastern city — one missile destroyed a school, another hit a residential building while the third landed near warehouse facilities.

“All (three were launched) exclusively on civilian objects, this is absolute terrorism!” Syneihubov said.

He said those hospitalized for injuries suffered in the attacks included children ages 4 and 16.

The strikes came just two days after a Russian rocket attack struck apartment buildings in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 19 people. A total of eight people have been rescued, emergency officials said.

The strike late Saturday destroyed three buildings in a residential quarter of the town of Chasiv Yar, inhabited mostly by people who work in nearby factories.

Russian attacks in the east also have continued, with Luhansk regional Gov. Serhiy Haidai saying on Monday that the shelling hit settlements on the administrative border with the Donetsk region.

Russian forces carried out five missile strikes and four rounds of shelling in the area, Haidai said.

The Luhansk and Donetsk regions together make up Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland known as Donbas, where separatist rebels have fought Ukrainian forces since 2014.

Earlier this month, Russia captured the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk, the city of Lysychansk.

After the seizure of Lysychansk, some analysts predicted Moscow’s troops likely would take some time to rearm and regroup, but Ukrainian officials said there has been no pause in attacks.

The British military assessed that Russian troops weren’t getting needed breaks.

The Defense Ministry tweeted Monday that online videos suggested at least one tank brigade in the war was “mentally and physically exhausted” as they had been on active combat duty since the start of the war on Feb. 24.

The British said: “The lack of scheduled breaks from intense combat conditions is highly likely one of the most damaging of the many personnel issues the Russian (Ministry of Defense) is struggling to rectify amongst the deployed force.”

Also on Monday, the main Russian gas pipeline to Germany began a 10-day closure for maintenance amid European fears that Moscow may not turn the flow back on after its completion.

(The Associated Press)

The Ukrainian armed forces have claimed that Russia has lost 37,400 soldiers since the onset of the war. Taking to Facebook, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that the Russian troops have lost 1645 tanks, 838 artillery systems and 3828 combat armoured machines since the war began on February 24. Apart from this, Russia has suffered the loss of 247 MLRS, 109 anti-aircraft warfare systems, 217 aircraft, 155 cruise missiles, 676 unmanned aerial vehicles, 2696 vehicles and fuel tanks as well as 15 ships or boats. 

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, said that Russian soldiers fired four rockets at Odesa region of Ukraine, Nexta reported. Tymoshenko said that the rocket fired by Russian forces hit a house in the region. 

In a bid to tackle corruption and secure global confidence for post-war planning as conflict with Russia continues unabated, embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced to re-shuffle his cabinet. Earlier, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister called on civilians in the Russian-occupied southern region of Kherson to urgently evacuate citing an upcoming counter-attack in the same place by the Ukrainian army.

Zelenskyy’s announcement to re-shuffle his cabinet came as the Ukrainian President dismissed the country’s ambassadors to the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Norway and India on Saturday, calling it a usual diplomatic practice. In a video address, he said, “This rotation is a normal part of diplomatic practice,” adding that the upcoming week will bring “important news” from the government officials.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephonic conversation with Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko. During the telephonic conversation, the two leaders discussed issues of bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Putin and Lukashenko also discussed the restrictions announced by Lithuania on the transit of goods to the Kaliningrad region. In the telephonic conversation, the two leaders held talks on the joint steps that can be taken on the issue. 
 

Slamming Russia's recent attack on the civilian apartments in Chasiv Yar, Donetsk, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy said that there has been no pause in the air strikes by invading troops on Ukrainian towns. During his nightly address, Ukraine's leader said:  “Two residential high-rise buildings were destroyed. Dozens of people are under the rubble. Six were saved. There are 15 names in the list of the dead and, unfortunately, this is not the final number."

“34 airstrikes by Russian aviation in the past 24 hours, in one past day, is an answer to all those who invented this ‘pause.' The Ukrainian army is holding on, holding firm but, of course, a lot still needs to be done so that Russian losses become such that there will really be a pause," said Zelenskyy. 

The Russian attack on the town of Chasiv Yar a terrorist act, said Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak on Twitter as he reiterated his country's demand to declare Russia as a "terrorist state."  “The Russians hit a high-rise apartment building with civilians again. Another terrorist attack by a terrorist country,” Yermak said on Twitter. “The Russian Federation should be on the list of state sponsors of terrorism,” he added. 

Ukraine is "deeply disappointed" at Canada’s for its decision to return the Siemens turbine to be used for Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Germany to pump gas for Europe. Ukraine labelled the move as voilation to the sanctions on Moscow and asked Canadian authorities to backtrack on the decision. 

With Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, the fate of the upcoming harvest in Ukraine is in doubt. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization says the war is endangering food supplies for many developing nations and could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people.

Meanwhile, many farmers in Ukraine could go bankrupt. They are facing the most difficult situation since gaining independence in 1991, Horbachov said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country is working with the U.N., Ukraine, and Russia to find a solution, offering safe corridors in the Black Sea for wheat shipments.

For now, Ukraine is trying less-effective alternatives to export its grain, at least to Europe. Currently, 30% of exports go via three Danube River ports in southwestern Ukraine. The country also is trying to ship grain via 12 border crossings with European countries, but trucks must wait in line for days, and Europe’s infrastructure cannot yet absorb such a volume of grain, Horbachov said.

“It’s impossible to build such infrastructure in one year,” he told The Associated Press.

Russia’s invasion also caused transportation costs to soar. The price to deliver this year’s harvested barley to the closest Romanian port, Constanta, is now $160 to $180 per ton, up from $40 to $45. And yet a farmer selling barley to a trader gets less than $100 per ton. The losses are piling up, along with the harvest.

“Most of the farmers are running the risk of becoming bankrupt very soon. But they don’t have any other option but to sell their grain cheaper than its cost,” Horbachov said.

Source: Associated Press

As 15 civilians in Ukraine were killed from recent Russian military missile strike on apartment biuldings, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the “punishment is inevitable for every Russian murderer”. In a telegram post, the Ukrainian leader asserted, "anyone who gives orders for such strikes, anyone who carries them out in ordinary cities, in residential areas, kills absolutely deliberately. After such blows, they will not be able to say that they did not know or did not understand something."

Further, he said, "punishment is inevitable for every Russian murderer. Absolutely for everyone. The same as for the Nazis. And let them not expect that their state will protect them. Russia will be the first to abandon them when the political circumstances change." 

Dozens of Ukrainian emergency workers labored Sunday to pull people out of the rubble after a Russian rocket attack smashed into apartment building. While 15 were dead as per Associated Press, more than 20 people were believed still trapped.  Ukraine’s Emergency Services said the latest rescue brought to six the number of people dug out of the rubble. Earlier in the day, they made contact with three others still trapped alive beneath the ruins. Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region that includes Chasiv Yar, said an estimated 24 people were believed still trapped, including a 9-year-old child, the AP report revealed. 

As the energy prices rise dramatically, Germans now brace for Russian gas total cut off ahead of the Winters, as maintenance begins on Nord Stream 1 Pipeline that runs via Baltic Sea. Amid high inflation, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told presser, "We will not be able to subsidize all prices," as speculations about gas supply worried the Germans. 

Ukrainian children enrolled in Poland’s schools is expected to double to 400,000 as 200,000 were accepted earlier, and other batch of  200,000 would reportedly join from September 1, European Pravda reported referring to a statement by Przemysław Czarnek, Poland’s education minister. "We accepted 200,000 [Ukrainian children], of which 160,000 went to schools and 40,000 to kindergartens. According to our estimates, another 200,000 may join from September 1," he said. 

"The end of the war in Ukraine is not in sight, so naturally those children... will come again. But there will also be distance learning in Ukraine. Probably a large [number] of the children who are in Poland will want to stay at the computers and continue learning with their peers remotely," furthermore the report quoted him adding. 

Two weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Russian forces assaulted a nursing home in the eastern region of Luhansk. Dozens of elderly and disabled patients, many of them bedridden, were trapped inside without water or electricity.

The March 11 assault set off a fire that spread throughout the facility, suffocating people who couldn’t move. A small number of patients and staff escaped and fled into a nearby forest, finally getting assistance after walking for 5 kilometers (3 miles).

In a war awash in atrocities, the attack on the nursing home near the village of Stara Krasnyanka stood out for its cruelty. And Ukrainian authorities placed the fault squarely on Russian forces, accusing them of killing more than 50 vulnerable civilians in a brutal and unprovoked attack.

But a new UN report has found that Ukraine’s armed forces bear a large, and perhaps equal, share of the blame for what happened in Stara Krasnyanka, which is about 580 kilometers (360 miles) southeast of Kyiv. A few days before the attack, Ukrainian soldiers took up positions inside the nursing home, effectively making the building a target.

This image from Maxar Technologies shows a nursing home in the eastern region of Luhansk, Ukraine.

Image/Source: Associated Press

Head of Luhansk military administration, Serhiy Hayday has informed that Russian military has shot 56 people in Luhansk region. 

Dozens of Ukrainian emergency workers labored Sunday to pull people out of the rubble after a Russian rocket attack smashed into apartment buildings in eastern Ukraine. The strike killed at least 15 people and scores were thought to be still trapped a day later.

The strike late Saturday evening destroyed three buildings in a residential quarter of the town of Chasiv Yar, inhabited mostly by people who work in nearby factories. Ukraine’s Emergency Services said Sunday they have rescued five people from the rubble so far and have made contact with three others still trapped alive beneath the ruins. Another man was pulled alive from the rubble Sunday night.

Cranes and excavators worked alongside the rescue teams to clear away the ruins of one building, its sides completely shorn off by the impact of the strike. The rescuers kept on working in the rain despite the dangerous conditions. The thud of artillery on the nearby front line resonated just a few miles away, making some workers flinch and others run for cover when it got too close.

Source/Image: Associated Press

Invading Russian forces have made the territorial advancement around Popasna, UK’s Ministry of Defence intel said on Sunday. Moscow troops have shelled the Slovyansk area of the Donbass region where heavy fighting is continuing around the Izium and Lysychansk. Russian forces are eyeing E40 that connects the Donetsk region and Kharkiv to push the offensive deeper into Ukrainian east. 

Ukrainian armed forces with no previous military experience have arrived in the UK to be trained in combat in order to fight the invading Russian forces. The aim is to replace the troop losses with cohort of highly trained Ukrainian military forces. UK's aim to train 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in weapons handling, battlefield first aid and patrol tactics, British Defense Ministry said in a statement. 

"Using the world-class expertise of the British Army, we will help Ukraine to rebuild its forces and scale-up its resistance as they defend their country's sovereignty and their right to choose their own future," said Defence secretary Ben Wallace. 

Germany has blocked an estimated €9bn of EU package for providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent, reported. 

The first cohort of Ukrainian soldiers, many of whom have no previous military experience, have arrived in the U.K. for combat training as the eastern European nation races to replace troops killed and wounded in the war against Russia.

The first few hundred recruits are receiving instruction at sites across Britain in the first phase of program that aims to train up to 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in weapons handling, battlefield first aid and patrol tactics, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said. It is part of broader package of support for Ukraine that includes 2.3 billion pounds ($2.8 billion) of anti-tank weapons, rocket systems and other hardware.

“Using the world-class expertise of the British Army, we will help Ukraine to rebuild its forces and scale-up its resistance as they defend their country’s sovereignty and their right to choose their own future,” Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said.

As part of the program, Britain procured AK-type assault rifles so the Ukrainians can train with the weapons they will be using on the frontline. The U.K. will also provide personal protective equipment for the soldiers, including helmets, body armor, eye, ear and pelvic protection, individual first aid kits as well as field uniforms and boots.

The goal is to rapidly turn civilians into effective soldiers, Sgt. Dan Hayes told the Times of London.

“All these guys were (truck) drivers or they worked in quarries or they were shopkeepers,” Hayes said. “I’ve been in the army 14 years and I chose to join. These guys are all civvies … and we are investing everything we can because we know they are going to need it.”

(The Associated Press)

Ukrainian Prosecutor General has said that 9 police officers in the Luhansk region have been suspected of committing treason, The Kyiv Independent reported. The investigators have said that the police officers have agreed to join the Russian proxy administration in the Russian-captured region of Luhansk, violating their oath to Ukraine. 
 

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has announced that Ukraine will get $1.7 billion (₹134,855,220,000) grant to cover healthcare expenses, The Kyiv Independent reported. He said that the funds have been allocated by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association and USAID. 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has expressed gratitude to Washington and his US counterpart Antony Blinken for "unfaltering support" to Ukraine. Kuleba called additional humanitarian, financial and military aid "crucial" for Ukraine as the country continues to defend itself against the Russian offensive. 

Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov on Sunday, 10 July, said that Ukraine has been "making up for large losses" at the frontline by deploying large number of untrained troops of the reserve, TASS reported. According to Igor Konashenkov, the untrained members of Ukrainian reserves have been "forcibly conscripted in Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk and Poltava regions."

Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov said that Russian forces have destroyed 242 planes, 137 helicopters,1506 unmanned aerial vehicles and 3,995 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles of Ukraine since the onset of military conflict, TASS reported. In addition, Ukraine has suffered the loss of 741 multiple launch rocket systems, 353 air defence systems, 3,127 field artillery guns and mortars as well as 4,128 special military vehicles. 

Serhii Khlan, the adviser to the head of the Kherson regional military administration, said that a Russian military unit has been hit on Pestelia Street in Kherson, Ukrinform reported. According to Khlan, the military unit has been burning since it was hit at 5 am. 

The Ukrainian forces have shot down a helicopter of Russian armed forces near Horlivka in Donetsk on 9 July. The Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has made the announcement in a Facebook post. 

Petro Andriushchenko, the adviser to the Mariupol mayor has said that Russian forces continue to move their military equipment through Mariupol towrds Berdiansk, Ukrinform reported. According to Petro Andriushchenko, a large convoy of equipment and five buses with troops left for the temporarily occupied Berdiansk and the front line on July 9. 

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine has claimed that 15 people have lost their lives after the Russian missile attack on Chasiv Yar, The Kyiv Independent reported. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine further stated five people have been injured after a Russian missile strike at a five-storey building in Chasiv Yar city of Donetsk on July 9. 
 

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) has decided to allow Ukraine to join the financial institution at an earliest, Ukrainian Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories has announced. In additon, the Council of Europe Development Bank will also give funds to support Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania and Germany. 

"The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) adopted a decision on special condition for Ukraine to acquire membership in this financial institution as soon as possible. CEB also allocated funds to support Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania and Germany," the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine announced in a statement. 

Russian rockets hit the eastern Ukraine town of Chasiv Yar, destroying a five-story apartment building and killing at least 10 people, officials said Sunday.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region, said about three dozen people could be trapped in the rubble. Rescuers have made contact with two people who are under the wreckage, he said on the Telegram messaging app.

The Ukrainian emergency services initially gave a death toll of six, but later said it has risen to 10. They did not say how many people may still be in the rubble.

Kyrylenko said the town of about 12,000 was hit by Uragan rockets, which are fired from truck-borne systems. Chasiv Yar is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Kramatorsk, a city that is expected to be a major target of Russian forces as they grind westward.

The Donetsk region is one of two provinces along with Luhansk that make up the Donbas region, where separatist rebels have fought Ukrainian forces since 2014. Last week, Russia captured the city of Lysychansk, the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk.

Russian forces are raising “true hell” in the Donbas, despite assessments they were taking an operational pause, Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said Saturday.

After the seizure of Lysychansk, some analysts predicted Moscow’s troops likely would take some time to rearm and regroup.

But “so far there has been no operational pause announced by the enemy. He is still attacking and shelling our lands with the same intensity as before,” Haidai said. He later said the Russian bombardment of Luhansk was suspended because Ukrainian forces had destroyed ammunition depots and barracks used by the Russians.

(The Associated Press)

Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Vitaliy Kim has said that three people have been injured in the region due to Russian attacks on July 9, The Kyiv Independent reported. According to Vitaliy Kim,  Russian armed forces shelled several districts in the Mykolaiv region on July 9. 
 

People heard explosions during the night in Russian captured regions of Alchevsk and Luhansk, Nexta reported. A fire broke out at an ammunition depot in the region. 

Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has announced that the country plans to impose additional sanctions against Russia. Joly stated that Canada intends to expand the existing embargoes against Russia's oil, gas, chemical and industrial manufacturing sectors. According to Melanie Joly, the new barrage of sanctions that will be announced by Canada will target land, pipeline transport and the manufacturing of computer, electronic and electrical equipment as well as metals and transport.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office has said that 347 children have been killed since the onset of military conflict. The Prosecutor General's Office in the statement said that more than 648 children have been injured in Ukraine since the Russian aggression commenced on February 24. According to Ukraine, 2116 educational institutions have been damaged due to shelling and bombing by Russian forces. 

Ukraine Transport Ministry said that Russian troops' withdrawal from Snake Island has allowed resumption of grain exports through the Danube-Black Sea channel. 

The massive breakthrough comes after Ukraine forces staged strong defence against Russian troops in a month-long battle, eventually driving them away from the craggy speck of land in the Black Sea earlier last week. However, it has barely doused the warning of a looming food crisis as the Russian blockade continues in southern port cities in Ukraine mainland

UK Ministry of Defence released its briefing on the operation of Russian forces. The statement said, Russian forces have likely made some small territorial advances around Popasna in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, they continued to strike the Sloviansk area of the Donbas from around Izium to the north and near Lysychansk to the east.

Ukraine Armed Forces in its latest war briefing said that the defenders have eliminated at least 37,300 Russian troops ever since the war began. Meanwhile, they have also destroyed 1,641 tanks, 3,823 armoured vehicles, over 247 MLRS and 834 artillery systems.

Former US President Donald Trump on Saturday issued a statement apparently attacking his successor Joe Biden's approach towards the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. 

Trump said: “We are the state that allowed Russia to devastate #Ukraine, killing thousands of people. And the situation will only get worse, although this could not have happened if the elections had been held differently," as quoted by NEXTA.

The death toll of children in the all-out Russian war against Ukaine has increased to 347, said Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office. 

As of the morning of July 10, 2022, the official number of child victims per day remained at 347. The number of injured has increased - more than 648," the message released on Telegram said. 

According to data from the Prosecutor General's Office following are the number of children injured in the war:

Donetsk region - 348, Kharkiv region - 187, Kyiv region - 116, Chernihiv region - 68, Luhansk region - 61, Mykolaiv region - 53, Kherson region - 52, Zaporizhia region - 31.

On July 9, as a result of another shelling by Russian troops of residential buildings in the central part of Kharkiv, a 12-year-old girl was injured.

At least 6 people were reported dead and another five wounded after Russian shelling demolished a residential building in Chasiv Yar city of Donetsk Oblast. 

Rescue operations are underway to retrieve possible survivors struck in the rubble, Donetsk Regional Administration head Pavlo Kyrylenko said in a Telegram post, adding that about 34 people, including a 9-year-old child are expectedly buried under the debris. 

An estimated 22 million tons of grain are blocked in Ukraine, and pressure is growing as the new harvest begins.

The country usually delivers about 30% of its grain to Europe, 30% to North Africa and 40% to Asia.

But with the ongoing Russian naval blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports, millions of tons of last year's harvest still can't reach their destinations -- a situation which could lead to disruptions of the world's food supply.

With Russia's blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports, nearly all exports via boat have been halted.

"There is no good price for our grains. The storage facilities refuse to receive them. The people have to leave them here. The front line is not far from here. At any time, it can be finished in one moment by bombing or as we see now the fields are on fire," says Yurii Vakulenkv, owner of "Ukrayina" farming enterprise.

Workers risk their lives daily, and sometimes stumble upon military projectiles such as rockets in the field.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of the country known as the "breadbasket of Europe," addressed the problem earlier this week.

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Ukrainian Armed Forces on July 9 killed 58 Russian soldier and caused significant damage to ammunition warehouses in the southern districts. "The enemy continues to conduct combat actions from occupied positions. Due to the large losses, there has been a significant deterioration of the morale and psychological state of the rashist troops in the Kherson region in the last week," the report said. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday yet again thanked the US for its additional $400 million military aid package. "I want to thank the United States of America for the decision to provide Ukraine with a new defense aid package in the amount of $400 million," he added. Speaking of the 4 new HIMARS launchers and other high-precision weapons in the package, Zelenskyy added that the weapons " allow us to take precisely anti-terrorist steps and reduce Russian attack capabilities."

Ukraine's 24th Mechanised Brigade on Sunday released a video of Ukrainian defenders pounding on columns of Russian troops in Luhansk. 

As the war burgeons in the east, Ukrainians in occupied regions are reportedly being forced by Moscow-appointed leaders to enroll their children in pro-Russian schools. According to a report by RFERL, the occupiers are pushing parents to send kids to schools following the Russian curriculum, saying that failing to adhere to the calls will lead to losing their parental rights. Not sending children to designated schools will also result in losing their passports, the report added. 

Russia and Belarus have displayed a keen interest in recruiting troops from Latvia for deployment along the eastern borders of Europe where NATO forces have currently expanded, Latvian news media Delfi reported. 

Apart from expanding sanctions on the Russian energy sector, Canada on Saturday agreed to return the repaired Russian Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany. Ottawa said that the move was in view of the impact on German economy the absence of necessary natural gas supply. 

Expectedly, Ukraine is in strong opposition to Canada's decision despite Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly promising that Ottawa will not "will not relent in pressuring the Russian regime.”

According to the Institute for Study of War (ISW), the authorities of Russia-backed regions continued consolidating control over occupied territories and setting conditions for the potential annexation of additional Ukrainian territory on July 9. Meanwhile, they are facing personnel and equipment shortages, relying on old armored personnel carriers and launching new recruitment campaigns.

Russian-backed officials in Kharkiv Oblast on Saturday said:  "Kharkiv Oblast is an inalienable part of the Russian land.” The Institute for Study of War said that the remarks suggested that the Kremlin is likely to annex part or all of Kharkiv Oblast in the coming days. Meanwhile, the Russian occupation regime in Kharkiv Oblast also unveiled a new flag for themselves containing the Russian imperial double-headed eagle and symbols from the 18th-century Kharkiv coat of arms, ISW said.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) deplored Russian space agency Roscosmos for using space programs to promote political propaganda. "NASA strongly rebukes Russia using the International Space Station for political purposes to support its war against Ukraine, which is fundamentally inconsistent with the station's primary function among the 15 international participating countries to advance science and develop technology for peaceful purposes," the US-based space agency said in a statement.

This came after Roscosmos posted pictures of Russian cosmonauts on Telegram posing with flags associated with pro-Russian separatist entities at the International Space Station. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday announced additional humanitarian assistance worth $368 million "to support those affected by Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine."

“This additional funding, including nearly $288 million through the Department of State and more than $80 million through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will provide food, safe drinking water, cash assistance, protection, accessible shelter, emergency health care, logistics, and humanitarian coordination,” Blinken said. 

Blinken's announcement came after his meeting with Chinese FM Wang Yi at the G20 Summit. 

Ukraine National Police on Saturday informed that they have seized at least 111 new Russian and Belarusian railway carriages during the investigation of financing activities aimed at seizing Kyiv's power.

The UK on Saturday began a training programme for Ukrainian soldiers to help "scale-up resistance" against Russia. At least 10,000 Ukrainian troops will be trained under the initiative over the next few months. 

“Using the world-class expertise of the British Army we will help Ukraine to rebuild its forces and scale up its resistance as they defend their country’s sovereignty and their right to choose their own future,” said UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

Ukraine-born US Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) sparked a fury after she demanded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy address the years-old allegation of collusion against his chief of staff Andriy Yermak. The rare public tussle began after Spartz accused Yermak of leaking valuable information to Belarus on the capture of Russian mercenaries. She also criticised US president Joe Biden and Zelenskyy over approaches to the ongoing war in Ukraine. 

Spartz received a brushing response from Ukrainian Foreign Ministry for her remarks. “We advise Ms. Spartz to stop trying to earn extra political capital on baseless speculation around the topic of war in our country and the grief of Ukrainians. Especially cynical are manipulations about Ukraine and its leadership from congresswomen of Ukrainian origin," said Oleg Nikolenko, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, in a lengthy statement on Facebook. 

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Saturday announced that Ottawa imposed additional sanctions on the Russian energy sector and industrial manufacturing. According to her statement, the ban could be slapped on "land and pipeline transport and the manufacturing of metals and of transport, computer, electronic and electrical equipment, as well as machinery."

As Russian forces continue to strike its neighbouring country, Ukraine, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, said that more than 323 million people are on the brink of starvation. Accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of the current situation all over the world, Borrell said, at the ministerial meeting of the "Group of Twenty" in Indonesia that the number of people experiencing severe food shortages has doubled in the last two years.

According to him, before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were at least 135 million people who were facing an acute shortage of food and added the lethal virus pushed nearly 141 million people to face a severe crisis of food. However, he stressed that the figure inflated further to 323 million since the onset of the so-called "special military operation" against Kyiv.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy on Saturday fired 7 envoys of Kyiv to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Hungary.

The reason behind the decision was not immediately clarified by Ukrainian authorities. 

The Joint Center for Ceasefire Coordination and Control (JCCC), in its report released on Telegram messaging app, claimed as many as civilians of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) killed since the escalation of tension between Moscow and Ukraine. 
"During 143 days of escalation 236 civilians died, including 16 children," the mission reported via its Telegram channel.

As the Russian military offensive against Ukraine entered the 136th day on Saturday, July 9, Moscow has lost an estimated 37,200 troops and 1,683 war tanks ever since the onset of the invasion, according to data shared by the Ukrainian Army's General Staff on its social media account. According to the latest update, the war-torn country claimed the Russian forces suffered the biggest losses in the Kramatorsk direction.

In its latest military aid package worth $400 million, the US is mulling providing a modern set of gear and supplies, something Washington did not previously send to Ukraine. In addition, there will also be 1,000 rounds of 155 mm artillery billed as having greater precision. 

"This is a new type [of] 155 mm artillery ammunition. It has greater precision. It offers Ukraine precise ... capability for specific targets. It will save ammunition. It will be more effective due to the precision. It's a further evolution in our support for Ukraine in this battle in the Donbas," " said a senior defense official during a background briefing today at the Pentagon, as quoted by US Department of Defence statement.

A massive explosion on Saturday morning rocked the Russia-occupied Chornobaivka region of Kherson Oblast. Local media reports suggested that the strike set ablaze an ammunition depot of invaders. 

Watch video here: 

Russian forces are trying to secure maximum gains in east Ukraine by launching indiscriminate artillery barrages, said Luhansk Governor Serhiy Haidai in an interview with the Associated Press. 

“The Russians are relying on tanks and artillery to advance, leaving scorched earth. Fierce battles are going on in several villages on the region’s border,” Haidai said. 

He also added that the occupied regions are on the edge of dire "humanitarian catastrophe." He added, “The Russians have completely destroyed all the critical infrastructure.”

The UK MoD in its latest war briefing said that Russia is accumulating forces from across the country to renew operations in Ukraine. Moscow reportedly deployed new infantry units with MT-LB armoured vehicles taken from long-term storage their primary transport. 

In contrast to Russian President Vladimir Putin's claims on July 7 that Moscow has "not even started" efforts in Ukraine, Russia has periodically sent ad hoc groupings and deployed military weapons in Ukraine, a statement by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. However, the briefing added, the military equipment was mostly "inappropriate and obsolete"

At least one person was killed and two more injured after Russia renewed shelling in the Kryvyi Rih region early morning. 

The Institute for Study of War (ISW) on July 8 said that Russian forces are still under "operational pause" to restore and regenerate their combat power. The US-based experts believe that invading troops will continue to refrain from large-scale offensives in east Ukraine and conduct limited operations only where they recognize the danger of attack from Kyiv forces.

Andrii Sybiha, the head of Ukraine President Voloydymyr Zelenksyy's office on Saturday announced that the Lithuanian Bayraktar drones have arrived in Ukraine. "This is a remarkable display of friendship and unity," Sybiha said. 

Lithuanian crowd-funded the drones and the amount was collected in three months. 

A Russian court on Friday sentenced a Moscow councillor to seven years in jail for slamming the war in Ukraine. He was reportedly found guilty of spreading "false information" about the "special military operation" in Ukraine. 

This is the first jail term under the newly imposed laws in Russia to tackle the dissemination of disinformation against the invasion. 

In a video address during a visit to Dnipropetrovsk Region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described his speeches at the parliaments of the European Union (EU) nations as "protection of common freedom." 

“This was already the twenty-fourth address to the parliaments of the EU countries, and the first that was made near the front line. I hope that the three other EU countries will also feel that these appeals are not about politics, but about the protection of our common freedom, by the way, and therefore, we will come to the point that one day I will be able to say: all 27 parliaments of the European Union hear the struggle for freedom better than any Russian manipulations,” the embattled president said. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the Crimean Tatars on Eid al-Adha in his evening address on Friday and said he believes that Crimea will be free one day.

Zelenskyy added that he had spent the whole day on a field trip to the in Dnipro and in Kryvyi Rih Regions, and that the video address was also not recorded in the presidential office.

He said he had asked commanders to do everything they can to guarantee civilians a normal standard of living, even under military circumstances.

He also mentioned that the 24th appeal was made to an EU parliament - the parliament of Slovenia and promised to keep going.

"One day I will be able to say: all 27 parliaments of the European Union hear the struggle for freedom is better than any Russian manipulations," he said.

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The Russian embassy in the US described Washington's new $400 million military assistance as "a decision to prolong the ongoing conflict." 

In a Facebook message, the Russian embassy wrote "Behind this decision is Washington's unbridled desire to prolong the conflict at any cost." 

Ukraine's Ministry of Culture and Information on Friday alleged that Russia has violated the Hague Treaty by deliberately attacking cultural heritage sites in the ex-Soviet nation. As cited by the Kyiv Independent, Russian invaders have struck buildings and statues of cultural significance at least 417 times, effectively violating the Hague Treaty. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on July 8 visited wounded servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who are being treated at the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Clinical Hospital. He hailed their courage and heroism and dedicated service and prayed for their speedy recovery. 

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked US President Joe Biden after Washington announced to send $400 million in weapons aid to Ukraine, including more HIMARS.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal met with President of the French Senate Gérard Larcher to discuss support for Ukraine, energy and food security in Europe and the world, as per the Ukraine government.

The Ukraine's PM thanked France for the support they provide to the country in all areas: from the supply of weapons, technologies, and military training to financial, humanitarian aid and sanctions.

Pope Francis, chief of the Catholic Church, is expected to visit Ukraine as early as August. This was informed by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher during an interview with Italian TV News Tg1. Gallagher added that Pope Francis also expressed willingness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin's Popes Gundyanev. 

In its operational update on July 8, Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed that their 79th Air Assault Brigade have damaged at least 5 Russian tanks in the Mykolaiv region. The paratroopers also detained the surviving crew members. 

As a tribute to Ukraine's fierce defence against Russia in the four-month-long running war, the Bank of Estonia has issued a 2 euro coin. The coin mark to Ukraine's resilience in the battle to protect its territorial integrity was designed by Daria Titova and Ukrainian refugee who studies at the Estonian Academy of Arts. 

Ukraine General Staff of Armed Forces cited intel reports claiming that Belarusian troops are conducting reconnaissance near the northern borders of the war-torn country. In a comprehensive briefing, the Ukraine MoD said Belarus is "stepping up measures to counter Kyiv's reconnaissance by unmanned aerial vessels."

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday, 8 July, said that many partners of Russia at the G20 meeting presented a "clear signal" that it was "unacceptable" to isolate Russia.

According to the statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, many partners of Moscow at the G20 meeting said that the sanctions imposed against Russia have "negative consequences," TASS reported.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry statement, there were "sober assessments" of changes in the economy, including inflation caused by the West amid the COVID-19 pandemic, destabilization of supplies between countries and the geopolitical situation, as per the TASS report. The Russian Foreign Ministry released the statement after the G20 Foreign Ministers in Bali which was attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Furthermore, the Russian ministry stated that the leaders discussed the need to find a "common denominator" in resolving social and economic issues despite the confrontation by the West. 

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The Ukrainian parliament on Friday endorsed a set of new laws which include safety guarantees for journalists working at frontlines, improved social protection for rescuers, and postponed transitioning to keep records of the gas volumes in units of energy.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba during the G20 Summit virtual address on Friday accused Russia of "playing with common rules" instead of respecting the international order.

"I am a strong supporter of multilateralism. But it (Ukraine) lacks the tools to protect itself from those who disrespect other nations. Who prefer to play with common rules instead of playing by the rules. We have such a country at this table today – Russia,” Kuleba said. 

The U.S. will send another package of military equipment worth $400 million to Ukraine, including four more advanced rocket systems, a senior defense official said Friday, in an effort to bolster Ukrainian efforts to strike deeper behind Russian frontlines in the eastern Donbas region.

The aid comes as Moscow this week claimed full control of Ukraine's Luhansk province in the Donbas, but Ukrainian officials say their troops still control a small part of the province and fierce fighting continues in several villages.

The defense official said that the eight High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, that were previously sent are still being used by Ukraine forces in the fight. And this will give them four more to help hit Russian command and control nodes, logistics capabilities and other systems that are further back behind the battlefront. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

Russia in recent days has launched dozens of missiles across Ukraine and pinned down Ukrainian forces with continuous long-range fire for sometimes hours at a time. Ukraine’s leaders have publicly called on Western allies to quickly send more ammunition and advanced systems that will help them narrow the gap in equipment and manpower. The precision weapons can help Ukraine hit Russian weapons that are farther away and are being used to bombard Ukrainian locations.

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Ukraine's Deputy PM Iryna Vereshchuk on Friday urged all citizens in the Russia-occupied regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to evacuate by "all possible means." 

"No matter how difficult it is in the territory that is currently under the control of the Ukrainian government... still, in any case, staying in the territory of the Kherson or Zaporizhzhia regions is many times worse and many times more dangerous," she said as quoted by Ukraine Pravda. 

On Friday, Belgium's prime minister Alexander De Croo confirmed that the country is set to resume its embassy operation in Ukraine and sent a new ambassador as an "important sign of resilience and support [sent] to Ukrainians." As reported by The Guardian, the services will begin next week with Ambassador Peter Van De Velde taking charge in the war-torn nations. 

“The reopening of our embassy should allow closer ties with the Ukrainian authorities, particularly in the context of the security situation and Ukraine’s application for EU membership,” De Croo said, as quoted by The Guardian.