War in Ukraine - Putin threats with answer to US-rockets in Germany
Vladimir Putin, the Chief of the Kremlin, threatened a reaction at the large naval parade in St. Petersburg with dozens of warships regarding the US plans to station missiles in Germany by 2026. In case these plans are implemented, Russia will respond "symmetrically" and no longer feel bound by an earlier prohibition on land-based atomic medium-range missiles. The weapons for this are nearly ready, according to the Kremlin.
The INF Treaty prohibiting these weapons no longer applies since the US withdrawal in 2019. However, Russia had previously imposed a moratorium and adhered to the agreements. The US, on the other hand, has long complained about Russian violations of the treaty.
Russia sharply criticized the US decision, announced this month, to station missiles and rockets in Germany by 2026 as an additional deterrent. Putin himself criticized a return to the Cold War. These plans are considered a response to the two-year-long Russian military aggression against Ukraine.
Putin: US missiles can reach Russian targets
Putin emphasized during the parade that important targets in Russia could be reached with the missiles, which could also be nuclear-armed, within ten minutes. State, military objects, and vital industrial facilities could be hit. Russia will respond "symmetrically" to this. Russian warships could also be equipped with missiles as a response.
In an explanation of the Bundeswehr regarding the Russian actions, it is stated that Russia has stationed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad exclave and can reach German cities with its medium-range missiles. The plans are a response to this and serve as a deterrent.
Among the US weapons for Germany are expected to be Tomahawk missiles, which can technically be nuclear-armed, SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles, and newly developed hypersonic weapons, which are supposed to reach further than previously stationed land systems.
Marine parades throughout the country as a show of power
At the parade in Putin's hometown of St. Petersburg, warships from China, India, and Algeria, as well as delegations from a dozen countries, participated. According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, approximately 200 warships of various classes, over 100 combat technology units, and about 15,000 military personnel took part in the parades throughout the country.
The weapons display serves every year on the Day of the Navy, which is celebrated on the last Sunday in July, as a demonstration of power from the massive state. The Russian Navy dates back to the Tsarist era and is over 300 years old.
Russian warships visit Cuba
Three warships from the Baltic Fleet stationed in the Baltic Sea sailed into Cuban waters – for a non-official visit until the end of the month, according to the Navy. In June, warships from the Northern Fleet anchored in the Havana harbor, including an unarmed nuclear submarine and the frigate "Admiral Gorshkov".
On the Day of the Navy, Russian military television "Swesda" broadcast a report on the proximity of the warships to the US. The moderator remarked: "Dear NATO friends!", it is only a temporary base for now. "But you know..." Russia, in response to US weapons in its vicinity in Europe and due to the NATO expansion, repeatedly points out that it feels threatened in its security – and can also station missiles near US territory.
Moscow announces advance once again in the Donesk region
The Russian troops announced new successes in their advance in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donesk. The Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow reported the capture of the villages of Progress and Jewheniwka. The Russian statements were not verifiable from independent sources. However, Russian troops have reportedly taken control of numerous cities and villages in the Donbass region of Ukraine since the beginning of the year, according to western military experts. Approximately a fifth of the country is under Russian control.
Oil depot burns after Ukrainian drone attack
A new Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian territory of Kursk caused an oil depot to catch fire, according to local authorities. Three fuel tanks were reportedly engulfed in flames, and firefighting efforts were ongoing, reported the acting governor Alexei Smirnov. There were no reported injuries.
The Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, has been a frequent target. According to Smirnov's account, a Ukrainian flying object dropped a bomb on a residential building in the town of Sudcha. A woman was taken to the hospital after being injured.
Zelenskyy calls for better care for war wounded
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke in Kiev for better care for war wounded in his country. He ordered the creation of a modern rehabilitation hospital in Ukraine, he said at the first congress on war medicine ever held in the country. "We must pay more attention to the wounded, be more attentive to those returning from the Russian hell," he said.
The head of state also visited the recently heavily damaged largest children's hospital in the country in Kiev. Zelenskyy confirmed plans that the clinic, whose intact parts are back in operation, will be fully rebuilt.
No peace talks in sight
Both warring parties continue to speak of a readiness for negotiations to diplomatically resolve the conflict. At the same time, however, Kiev and Moscow accuse each other of not being genuinely interested in talks to end the fighting. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after an ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Laos that Zelenskyy had banned negotiations with the Russian side by decree. He emphasized that Russia would achieve all its war goals, including the prevention of NATO bases in the neighboring country.
- Putin, the Chief of the Kremlin in Moscow, threatened a response at the naval parade in Saint Petersburg with numerous warships due to the US plans to station missiles in Germany by 2026.
- Russia's response to these plans, according to Putin, will be "symmetrically" and will no longer adhere to the prohibition on land-based atomic medium-range missiles due to US actions.
- The US withdrawal from the INF Treaty in 2019 led to the prohibition no longer applying, but Russia had previously imposed a moratorium and followed the agreements.
- Putin emphasized during the parade that important Russian targets could be reached within ten minutes with the missiles, which could also be nuclear-armed.
- Russian warships in Kaliningrad can reach German cities with their medium-range missiles, prompting US plans to station weapons in Germany as a deterrent.
- Among the US weapons for Germany are expected to be Tomahawk missiles, SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles, and newly developed hypersonic weapons, which can reach further than previously stationed land systems.
- Marine parades across Russia, including in Putin's hometown of St. Petersburg, serve as a demonstration of power and celebrate the Russian Navy's 300-year history.
- Three warships from Russia's Baltic Fleet visited Cuban waters, mirroring US military presence in Europe and Russian concerns over NATO expansion.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, called for better care for war-wounded in Ukraine and visited a heavily damaged children's hospital in Kiev, which plans to be fully rebuilt.
- No peace talks are in sight between Ukraine and Russia as both sides continue to accuse each other of not being genuinely interested in diplomatic resolutions to end the fighting.
