Russian forces continue to suffer casualties at a much higher rate than Ukrainian forces during the counteroffensive where Ukraine is focusing more on the attrition of Russian forces rather than territorial gains. In the Battle for Bakhmut, Russia forces are dying at a rate eight times higher than Ukrainian forces, and along the Zaporizhian Line at a rate of 5.3 times higher.
- Russia 1 – The Russian Ministry of Defense (R-MoD) continues to make unconfirmed claims of advancing towards Kupyansk, but not even Russian sources are reporting these claims as everyone knows the R-MoD leadership is exaggerating their reports as they struggle to remain in control.
- Russia 2 – Russia claimed to advance another mile near Svatove along a front 2.5 miles wide and have captured Serhiivka. Russia also claimed to have advanced another 1.25 miles near Kreminna as well. There is no confirmation of these claims either and are likely exaggerated.
- Russia 3 – Russia made no gains in this area and Ukrainian forces were on the offensive.
- Ukraine 1 – Ukrainian forces made some confirmed significant tactical gains south of Klishchiivka (4.5 miles SW of Bakhmut) capturing the high ground adjacent to the city. Ukraine now controls 90% of the forested area around Klishchiivka and have entered the western outskirts of the city. They also advanced closer to Andriivka having broken through Russian defensive lines. Russian forces are holding their positions north of Bakhmut.
- Ukraine 2 – Ukrainian forces advanced another 0.5 mile closer to Staromaiorske and a small reconnaissance force conducted an assault on the outskirts of the city.
- Ukraine 3 – Ukrainian forces made some marginal territorial gains according to Russian sources.
- Ukraine 4 – No significant change in this sector.
Russia conducted another series of drone attacks on Ukraine. Ten drones were launched, of which half were destroyed by air defense systems. Cities under attack were Kyiv, Cherkasy, Sumy, Poltava, and Zhytomyr. This was the sixth attack made against Kyiv in July alone. Most of the drones hit open fields and empty hangars.
Ukraine conducted a strike against a Russian military repair facility in Kremnivka, Crimea with three Storm Shadow cruise missiles damaging three units of unspecified equipment. Ukraine also attacked a Russian patrol ship in the Black Sea with two naval drones, but they were destroyed before hitting their target.
Russia has completed their Iranian Shahed drone manufacturing facility in Tatarstan which will give them a larger supply of drones with which to attack Ukraine. This is the reason that Russia is mainly using drones against Ukraine as they are running out of missiles. Students who attend the Alabuga Polytech Institute are being forced to produce the drones as part of their educational requirement. They are paid substandard wages of $250 a month and are unable to quit their studies as their parents signed an agreement to pay tuition whether their child attended or not and would have to pay a heavy fine if their child were to be expelled. These fines can reach as high as a seven-month average salary in Russia.
300 priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) have sent a letter to their leader, Metropolitan Onufriy, demanding the (UOC-MP) convene a Council to discuss the withdrawal from its relationship under the Russian Orthodox Church after the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa was destroyed by a Russian missile strike on Sunday. The Transfiguration Cathedral had been under the control of the UOC-MP when it was attacked.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko extended their original one-day visit in St. Petersburg on Sunday to a three-day visit that ended today. They did not sign any agreements and continued to discuss the union between Russia and Belarus and the exile of the Wagner Group forces in Belarus. The extension was most likely leveraged by Lukashenko due to the growing weakness of Putin due to the Wagner Group mutiny. Lukashenko most likely was looking to change some of the union agreement to give him more power and independence in Belarus. Putin’s grip over his empire continues to slip.