UAF – Ukrainian Forces
RF – Russian Forces
MLRS – Multiple Launch Rocket Systems
Summary of the Events
Wednesday was the first day in the 134-day war where the Russian Defense Ministry did not claim any territorial gains in the war on Ukraine. Thursday was the second such day as Russia continues to give its troops a rest after taking most of Luhansk. But both sides continue to fire MLRS, artillery, and mortars at each other. UAF destroyed two RF weapons depots in the Kherson region.
Belarus
Belarusian soldiers are conducting reconnaissance on their border with Ukraine.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk)
Target Siversk – Yesterday I reported that Russia claimed to have taken Spirne on their way to Siversk, but in fact that was not true. RF are fighting on the outskirts of the town though but have taken heavy damage.
Target Kramatorsk/Slovyansk – Ukraine continues to evacuate citizens from Slovyansk expecting a big attack any day.
Expansion from Donetsk – RF fired MLRS against their own troops in Neskuchne killing one Russian soldier and injuring two others.
Battle for Kherson
RF continue to fire artillery all along the UAF defense line in northern Kherson. RF attempted to punch a hole in UAF defense line at Lozove but were repelled. RF shelled Halitsynove Thursday evening but there were no casualties. UAF helicopter pilots supported by MLRS donated by the US hit a concentration of RF near Davidov Brod killing twelve Russian soldiers, destroying a tank, a howitzer, as well as an ammunition depot. Later in the day UAF destroyed another weapons depot in Nova Kakhovka.
Battle for Kharkiv
RF massively shelled Kharkiv Thursday evening killing three civilians.
Other Ukraine Regions
Chernihiv – RF shelled the border community of Novhorod-Siverskyi all day on Thursday with artillery, MLRS, mortars and small arms.
Dnipropetrovsk – President Zelensky visited the troops defending the Dnipropetrovsk region and presented Lieutenant Colonel Oleh Hrudzevych, commander of tank battalion that defended Mariupol, the Order of the Gold Star. He then met with the defenders along the line in northern Kherson.
Odesa – RF fired a cruise missile at Odesa region, but it exploded over the Black Sea.
Sumy – RF fired artillery and Grad rockets at the UAF troops along the border. There were no human casualties but several cattle grazing in the field were killed.
Other News
The Russian government has proposed a new law on special economic measures officially adopting fascism as their form of economic system to fund the war effort against Ukraine. The new law will allow the government to make decision for companies such as ending vacation privileges, mandating weekend work, etc.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, one of the strongest allies of Ukraine, was forced to resign but promised that his Conservative Party will continue to support Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression. Russian authorities refer to Boris Johnson as a “stupid clown.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine summoned the Turkish Ambassador to Kyiv to answer for his country’s release of a Russian ship carrying stolen Ukrainian grain. The ship was allowed to unload its cargo and return to Russia. Russia illegally exports 150,000 – 170,000 tons of Ukrainian grain each month.
International Support
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson visited Ukraine on July 4 and brought a special historical gift which she presented to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It was a letter written by King Charles XII in 1711 in which he recognized the independence of Ukraine. The importance of this letter is in the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to claim that Ukraine was never recognized as an independent nation.
Lithuania and Poland have crowdfunding campaigns raising funds to provide Ukraine with Bayraktar drones.