As Russian Forces Seize Key Villages Northeast of Pokrovsk and Deploy Chemical Weapons, Ukraine Strikes Deep Into Russian Territory While Trump Grows Frustrated with Putin’s Intransigence
Summary of the Day – July 5, 2025
Russian forces captured Zelenyi Kut and Novoukrainka in Donetsk Oblast near the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast border as part of their envelopment strategy around Pokrovsk. European intelligence agencies documented Russia’s systematic deployment of banned chemical weapons with thousands of incidents causing at least three deaths and over 2,500 injuries. Ukraine struck the VNIIR-Progress electronics warfare facility 1,200 kilometers inside Russia and orchestrated sabotage operations in Vladivostok. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed frustration with Vladimir Putin’s rejection of peace overtures following their July 3 call. Russia launched 322 drones against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, killing four civilians and injuring 37 others across multiple regions.
Relatives and friends of Ukrainian prisoners of war react during a rally entitled ‘Bring the heroes home’ calling for their exchange, on the Independence Square in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)
Russian Advances: Villages Fall Near Dnipropetrovsk Border
Russian forces captured the villages of Zelenyi Kut and Novoukrainka in Donetsk Oblast on July 5, according to the battlefield monitoring platform DeepState. The villages are located near the administrative border with Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. DeepState reported that Russian forces are attempting to push further west, with the situation around Dachne in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast described as “pretty intense.”
Ukrainian forces have deployed reinforcements, but Russian units are relying on numerical advantage and constant infantry assaults to breach some defenses, DeepState said. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Novoukrainka was captured as early as June 29, though that assertion was not independently confirmed at the time.
Geolocated footage published on July 4 confirmed Russian seizure of Koptieve and Shevchenko Pershe while advancing to southeastern Razine, all northeast of Pokrovsk. Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russian forces are attacking in the “Dobropillya direction” with elements of the 68th Army Corps, 20th Motorized Rifle Division, and 150th Motorized Rifle Division.
Chemical Weapons Evidence: European Intelligence Documents Systematic Russian Program
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans presented parliament with evidence on July 5 that Russia is using chemical weapons as a “normalized, standardized and widespread” tactic against Ukrainian forces. The joint assessment by Dutch MIVD and German BND intelligence agencies documented thousands of incidents where Russian forces used drones to drop choking agents into Ukrainian trenches.
The assessment cited at least three deaths and more than 2,500 chemically related injuries, with Ukraine putting the figure at approximately 9,000 separate instances. The agents include chloropicrin—a World War One choking agent banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention—and tear gas deployed systematically across the frontline.
Peter Reesink, head of MIVD, said the evidence showed a “large-scale program” with Russia conducting widespread research and providing troops with instructions on filling improvised munitions with chemical agents. The European Commission responded by proposing sanctions on 15 additional Russian entities and individuals involved in chemical weapons programs.
Ukrainian Strikes: Electronics Warfare Plant Hit 1,200 Kilometers Inside Russia
Ukrainian forces struck the VNIIR-Progress Plant in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, on July 5, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. The plant produces Kometa adaptive antenna arrays used in Shahed drones, Iskander-K cruise missiles, and KAB guided bombs. Russian opposition outlet Astra confirmed the Ukrainian drone strike caused a fire at the plant.
Ukraine struck a JSC VNIIR-Progress facility in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic overnight on Julу. (ExileNova_plus / Telegram)
Ukrainian forces also struck Borisoglebsk Airfield in Voronezh Oblast, damaging a KAB guided bomb warehouse and combat training aircraft. The facility houses Su-34 fighter-bombers, Su-35M fighter jets, and Su-30SM fighter jets. NASA Fire Information for Resource Management data confirmed satellite-detected heat anomalies at the facility.
The VNIIR-Progress institute has been sanctioned by both the United States and European Union for its role in supporting Russia’s war effort.
Vladivostok Sabotage: Ukrainian Intelligence Hits Russian Pacific Coast
Ukrainian military intelligence orchestrated explosions in Vladivostok during the early morning hours of July 5, destroying sections of a gas pipeline and water pipeline supplying Russian military facilities along the Sea of Japan. The blasts occurred between 1-2 a.m., a HUR source told the Kyiv Independent.
The damaged pipeline provides gas to several Russian military facilities on the coast of the Sea of Japan, including the 155th Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Armed Forces. The water pipeline destroyed in the explosion provided drinking water to military garrisons in the area.
Russian special services reportedly turned off mobile internet and communications in the area to hide information from the local population.
Airport Disruptions: Russian Aviation Grounded by Drone Threats
Russia’s largest airports experienced hours-long delays and cancellations on July 5 as Ukrainian drone attacks forced temporary flight restrictions. Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport halted departures for several hours, delaying over 20 flights, while St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport saw roughly 50 flights delayed and more than 20 canceled.
Some passengers reported waiting more than 10 hours as flights were repeatedly postponed. The disruptions followed Ukrainian drone attacks across at least six Russian regions, with the Defense Ministry claiming to have intercepted 42 drones within three hours. Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed two drones were shot down south of St. Petersburg, prompting Pulkovo’s temporary closure.
Trump’s Frustration: Putin Rejects Peace Overtures
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed frustration with Vladimir Putin following their July 3 phone call, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that the Russian leader “does not appear interested in ending the war.” Trump said Putin’s attitude was intransigent during their hour-long conversation.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to journalists aboard Air Force One on his way to Bedminster, New Jersey on July. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)
“I’m very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin. Because I don’t think he’s there. And I’m very disappointed. I don’t think he’s looking to stop this fighting,” Trump stated. “It just seems like he wants to go all the way and just keep killing people. It’s not good. I wasn’t happy with it.”
Putin told Trump that Russia would continue pursuing its “goals” in Ukraine. When asked if he can end Russia’s war against Ukraine, Trump replied, “I don’t know. I can’t tell you whether or not that’s going to happen.” He agreed that ending the war remains a priority, saying, “Yes. I’d like to see it happen.”
Patriot Promise: Trump Offers Air Defense Systems to Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky described his July 4 phone call with Trump as “the best conversation in all this time.” Trump indicated willingness to provide additional Patriot missile systems, telling reporters, “Yeah, we might. They’re going to need something because they’re being hit pretty hard.”
“Patriot (missiles) are key to protection from ballistic (missiles). We discussed several other important issues that our teams will work out in detail at meetings in the near future,” Zelensky said in his evening address.
Trump described the call as “very strategic,” noting they discussed “different things” beyond air defenses. The conversation came as the Pentagon confirmed a pause in military assistance deliveries, including Patriot missiles and precision-guided munitions.
Massive Drone Assault: 322 Russian Drones Target Ukraine
Russian forces launched 322 Shahed and decoy drones on July 5 from Bryansk, Kursk, and Oryol cities; Millerovo in Rostov Oblast; Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Krasnodar Krai; and Shatalovo in Smolensk Oblast. Ukrainian forces shot down 157 drones while 135 were “lost” or suppressed by electronic warfare systems.
Four civilians were killed and 37 others injured in the attacks across multiple regions. The drones primarily targeted Starokostyantyniv in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, with strikes hitting residential, civilian, and energy infrastructure in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Khmelnytskyi oblasts.
In Donetsk Oblast, two civilians died and four were injured. Kharkiv Oblast reported one death and 15 injuries, including two children. Kherson Oblast saw 11 civilians injured. A 49-year-old postal worker was injured in Chernihiv Oblast by an FPV drone while delivering mail. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, four civilians were injured. Zaporizhzhia Oblast reported an 84-year-old man killed and two others injured, including a 10-year-old boy.
Firefighters extinguish the fire that erupted after a Russian attack against Ukraine’s Kharkiv Oblast. (State Emergency Service / Telegram)
Polish Diplomatic Protest: Consulate Damaged in Kyiv Strike
Poland’s foreign ministry sent an official note of protest to the Russian embassy in Warsaw following Russian air attacks that damaged the Polish consulate in Kyiv. The strikes used around 550 drones and missiles according to Ukrainian military reports.
“The Ministry emphasized that it is a violation of international law, in particular the 1961 Vienna Convention,” the Polish foreign ministry stated. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski confirmed no injuries occurred at the damaged embassy building.
Polish chargé d’affaires Piotr Łukasiewicz posted: “Drones won’t scare us. We stand with Ukraine. To victory.”
Kharkiv Front Intensifies: Syrskyi Reports 60+ Russian Assaults Repelled
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi visited front-line positions in Kharkiv Oblast on July 5. Ukrainian forces repelled more than 60 Russian assaults in the past week, with “about a dozen battles continuing to rage every day.”
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi visited Kharkiv Oblast, warning, of a rising threat of Russian offensive operations in the area. (Oleksandr Syrskyi / Telegram)
“Russian forces are trying to overwhelm us with quantity, but we must be vigilant and apply effective tactical and technological solutions to prevent the invaders from advancing,” Syrskyi stated.
The battlefield monitoring platform DeepState reported Russian forces had advanced up to 3 kilometers into Kharkiv Oblast near the border village of Milove. Fighting continues near Vovchansk, with Russian troops advancing in small groups of three to 10 soldiers supported by drone operations.
Pavlo Shamshyn, spokesperson for Ukraine’s operational-tactical group “Kharkiv,” said the number of Russian assault operations in the sector had sharply increased.
International Partnerships: South Korea and Denmark Boost Ukrainian Defense
Ukraine and South Korea launched the Economic Innovation Partnership Program on July 4, with Seoul allocating $10 million for infrastructure projects over the next four years. The initiative includes strategic consultations, development projects, and feasibility studies for long-term economic cooperation.
Denmark signed an agreement allocating 67 million euros to accelerate establishment of Ukrainian defense industrial companies on Danish territory. Ukrainian Strategic Industry Minister Herman Smetanin announced the agreement will allow Ukrainian defense industrial companies to export production to Denmark.
Laotian Engineers: Russia Recruits Asian Personnel for Kursk
Ukrainian military intelligence reported that Russia is organizing deployment of up to 50 Laotian military engineers to Kursk Oblast for alleged demining operations. The arrangement includes Laos offering free rehabilitation services to wounded Russian soldiers.
“Russia, under the guise of humanitarian rhetoric, is trying to legalize the presence of foreign military contingents on its territory, effectively using them to wage war against Ukraine,” HUR stated.
BlackRock Withdrawal: Investment Giant Suspends Ukraine Recovery Fund
BlackRock suspended work on a multibillion-dollar Ukraine recovery fund following Trump’s election victory. The investment firm had sought $500 million from governments and development grants, plus $2 billion from private investors, but halted discussions with institutional investors in January.
The fund was scheduled for unveiling at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome on July 10-11. A BlackRock spokesperson confirmed the firm completed its advisory work pro bono in 2024 and no longer has “any active mandate.”
France is working on a proposal to replace the recovery fund.
Chinese Drone Components: Beijing’s Support for Russian War Effort
Ukraine’s Security Service reported on July 4 that Russia is using Chinese-made mounts in recently-launched Shahed-type drones to support catapult launches. Ukrainian military outlet Militarnyi reported that Russian forces use catapults to deploy large numbers of drones more efficiently.
Moldova Summit: EU Pledges Support Against Russian Hybrid Threats
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged on July 4 that the European Union will help Moldova defend itself against hybrid threats during the EU-Moldova summit in Chisinau.
“We are committed to protecting you against the hybrid attacks and the energy shocks that your country has been a victim of,” von der Leyen said. “Who is behind those attacks is clear to all of us here. These are the same agents of autocracy trying to undermine our democracies everywhere in Europe.”
The visit came ahead of Moldova’s parliamentary elections on September 28. President Maia Sandu’s pro-European government faces a challenge from the pro-Russian Socialist Party.
Command Structure Strikes: Ukraine Targets Russian Military Leadership
The Ukrainian General Staff reported successful strikes on July 4 against a command post of the Russian 8th Combined Arms Army and another command post of the 20th Motorized Rifle Division in occupied Donetsk Oblast.
Frontline Fighting: Multiple Sector Battles Continue
In the Kupyansk direction, geolocated footage confirmed Russian forces advanced marginally in southwestern Dvorichna. Ukrainian sources reported Russian forces seized Milove and surrounding forest areas while preparing attacks on Bolohivka or Odradne. Russian forces attacked toward Kutkivka and Kolodyazne, and along the international border near Milove and Chuhunivka.
In the Lyman direction, a Ukrainian brigade spokesperson reported roughly two divisions’ worth of Russian soldiers operating in the area. Russian forces continued assaults northwest of Lyman toward Shandryholove; north of Lyman near Karpivka, Ridkodub, Zelena Dolyna, Novyi Myr, and Kolodyazi; northeast near Torske and Myrne; east near Dibrova; and southeast in the Serebryanske forest area.
In the Siversk direction, geolocated footage confirmed Ukrainian forces advanced marginally in the Serebryanske forest area northeast of Hryhorivka, while Russian forces conducted a platoon-sized mechanized assault south of Hryhorivka. Russian forces continued assaults northeast near Hryhorivka, east near Verkhnokamyanske, and southeast near Ivano-Dariivka and Vyimka.
Russian forces continued assaults in the Chasiv Yar direction near Bila Hora. In the Toretsk direction, Russian forces continued assaults near Toretsk itself, north toward Dyliivka and Pleshchiivka, and west near Katerynivka and the Kleban-Byk Reservoir.
The Novopavlivka direction saw continued Russian attacks near Novopavlivka, Novoserhiivka, Muravka, Kotlyarivka, and other surrounding settlements. Russian milbloggers claimed advances south of Piddubne and seizure of most of Tovste.
In western Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian forces attacked southwest of Orikhiv near Kamyanske, Shcherbaky, and Mali Shcherbaky. A Ukrainian military intelligence source reported Russian forces have been accumulating manpower and intensifying drone operations around Kamyanske.
Fighting continued in Kursk Oblast near Bezsalivka and Novyi Put. Russian forces continued attacks in Sumy Oblast border area. Russian forces continued limited attacks in the Kherson direction.
Tactical Details: Russian Assault Methods and Ukrainian Defenses
A Ukrainian National Guard artillery reconnaissance battalion commander operating in the Pokrovsk direction reported that Russian forces are focusing attacks between Malynivka, Novoolenivka, and Popiv Yar to interdict Ukrainian logistics into Myrnohrad and Pokrovsk. The commander noted that Russian forces are constantly conducting assaults with motorcycles and buggies.
Russian milbloggers claimed Russian forces are trying to complicate Ukrainian logistics by damaging a bridge near Shakhove, interdicting Ukrainian ground lines of communication near Udachne, and targeting the railway line near Kotlyne.
A Ukrainian servicemember in the Velyka Novosilka direction reported Russian forces are using yellow or blue tape to disguise themselves from Ukrainian forces.
Military Units: Order of Battle Reporting
Elements of the Russian 119th Airborne Regiment (106th VDV Division) are operating in the Tetkino direction. Elements of the Russian 39th Motorized Rifle Brigade (68th Army Corps) and 150th Motorized Rifle Division have been operating near Novotoretske and Novoekonomichne. Elements of the Russian 110th Motorized Rifle Brigade (51st Combined Arms Army) are operating northeast of Pokrovsk.
Elements of the Russian 123rd Motorized Rifle Brigade (3rd Combined Arms Army) are operating in the Siversk direction. Drone operators of the Russian 217th Airborne Regiment (98th VDV Division) are operating in Chasiv Yar. Elements of the Russian 68th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion (20th Motorized Rifle Division) are operating near Yablunivka.
Elements of the Russian 36th Motorized Rifle Brigade (29th Combined Arms Army) are operating near Piddubne. Elements of the Russian 37th Motorized Rifle Brigade (36th Combined Arms Army) are operating near Voskresenka. Elements of the Russian 305th Artillery Brigade (5th Combined Arms Army) are operating near Malynivka in the Hulyaipole direction.