Scholz will lay the Russian 'shadow fleet' in check
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced after the European Political Community meeting that the fight against old Russian oil tankers used for its oil exports and financing the war against Ukraine would be intensified. "Russia is trying to export oil using rather old oil tankers it has acquired through straw men on the world market," Scholz said. "These dealers are a risk for maritime security and of course also for our seas and the environment." The EU has already reacted with sanctions. "Now we want to bundle our forces in a global coalition to bring this shadow fleet to heel."
6:58 PM Ukraine publishes numbers on Russian lossesThe Ukrainian General Staff has published new loss figures for Russian troops in Ukraine. According to this, Russia has lost approximately 563,640 soldiers in Ukraine since February 24, 2022. Alone within 24 hours, the losses amounted to 1,130. According to the report from Kiev, among other things, seven tanks, twelve armed combat vehicles, 54 artillery systems, and 50 drones have been destroyed. According to the Ukrainian General Staff's statements, Russia has lost 8,245 tanks, 15,883 artillery systems, and 361 aircraft, 326 helicopters, 12,274 drones, 28 ships, and a submarine since the start of the large-scale attack. Western estimates give lower loss figures - which are also only minimum values.
6:07 PM Stoltenberg: NATO Command for Ukraine ready for action in SeptemberThe new NATO-Ukraine Command in Wiesbaden is expected to be ready for action in September. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, made this statement at the European Political Community summit in Oxford. The command in Wiesbaden will coordinate international military aid and training for the Ukrainian armed forces in the future. A total of around 700 men and women are expected to be involved in the deployment at several locations.
5:31 PM United Kingdom: Ukrainians should decide themselves on weapons useThe United Kingdom wants the Ukraine to decide itself on the use of western weapons against Russian territory. "It's important that the Ukraine makes its own decisions about its deployments while it's fighting this war and its young men and women are at the front," Foreign Minister David Lammy told the German Press Agency in response to a question about whether he would lift the restrictions on the use of western weapons. Lammy spoke on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit, where around 50 state and government heads gathered in Oxfordshire, England. The Russian attack war on Ukraine dominated the agenda as at previous meetings.
16:56 Ukrainian power grid operator reports "significant power deficit"After the nighttime failure of two power plants in Ukraine, the power grid operator Ukrenergo has drastically cut power supply. According to Ukrenergo, eleven regions and the capital Kiev are affected by the restrictions between 8 and 22 local time. "A significant power deficit in the Ukrainian energy system is the result of eight massive attacks that the enemy has carried out against energy facilities since the beginning of the year," Ukrenergo states, without providing specific details about the allegedly targeted facilities or the cause of the current failures. Previous reports from Ukraine indicate that the country has lost nearly half of its production capacity due to the attacks, which Russia has intensified since the spring. As a result, there are frequent power outages, and the country must purchase large amounts of electricity from the EU.
16:22 Germany takes in critically ill children from KievFollowing the Russian rocket attack on the Ochmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kiev, Germany has admitted eight children who had previously been treated there. The German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Home Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Health made this announcement in a joint statement. The children are between a few months and 15 years old. Most of them are oncology patients. "The rocket attack on the children's clinic in Kiev once again demonstrated the inhumane cruelty with which Putin is waging his war against Ukraine," says German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. The children are accompanied by a total of ten close relatives. Since March 2022, more than a thousand severely injured and critically ill people from Ukraine have been brought to Germany for medical treatment. Germany's humanitarian support for Ukraine will continue with all efforts, Faeser added.
15:51 Russia considers deploying more atomic missilesRussia is not ruling out the deployment of additional atomic missiles and mentions a response to the recently announced deployment of conventional US weapons in Germany. The defense of the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad is a primary concern, according to Vice Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, regarding the Russian territory located furthest west between NATO countries Poland and Lithuania. The USA and the German government had announced the previous week that the USA plans to station long-range US weapons such as Tomahawk cruise missiles and currently developing hypersonic weapons in Germany starting in 2026. "I exclude no options," Ryabkov said in response to a question about a Russian response.
15:12 Ukraine: Russian ammunition depot on the Crimean peninsula destroyedAccording to Ukrainian reports, flying and swimming drones have attacked military targets on the annexed Crimean Peninsula. Security sources report that, during a joint operation by the Navy and the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), a command center and a munitions depot at the Donuslav Sea in the western part of the Crimean Peninsula have been destroyed or damaged. Russia had previously reported the downing of 33 Ukrainian drones over the Crimean Peninsula (see entries 11:34 and 05:07), but made no specific comments about the targeted facilities.
14:29 Starmer to Selenskyj: "We will be on your side"British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warns at the European summit about Russia's threat and assures Ukraine permanent support. "You have no doubts: We will be on your side, as long as it is necessary", Starmer tells Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy calls on allies again to allow the use of Western weapons against targets in Russia. "The fewer restrictions we have, the more Russia will seek peace", he says in his speech at Blenheim Palace in Oxford. He refers to the fact that the permission of some Western countries to allow attacks on targets near Charkiw in Russian territory has not led to an escalation.
14:02 Ukrainian army withdraws from another villageThe Ukrainian military has withdrawn from the village of Uroschaine in the Donezk region. This is reported by "Kyiv Independent" citing a spokesperson for the Chortyzja military group. In earlier media reports, it was said that Uroschaine had been captured by Russian troops. The village is located on the southern frontline in a region of Donezk that borders on Saporischschja. According to the spokesperson, the Ukrainian military withdrew "because the enemy had almost completely destroyed everything in Uroschaine". The decision was made "to protect the lives and health of our soldiers who were defending there".
13:20 US musician sentenced to 13 years in prison in Russia for drug dealingA Russian court sentences an American citizen to 13 years in prison on charges of drug dealing. Michael Travis Leake was found "guilty of selling narcotics", reports the Moscow Justice Press Service on Telegram. He was sentenced to 13 years in a strict penal colony. The former paratrooper and musician from the USA was taken into custody in June of the previous year. He was accused of "organizing the sale of drugs to young people". According to CNN, Michael Travis Leake is a musician and music producer who has lived in Russia for many years.
12:43 Behind closed doors: Second hearing for US journalistThe trial against US journalist Evan Gershkovich continues in Russia. The second hearing in this case takes place behind closed doors, confirms a court spokesperson in Yekaterinburg. Journalists have no access to the courtroom. Gershkovich, who is 32 years old and works for the "Wall Street Journal", is accused of espionage. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in a penal colony. The second hearing, which was moved forward from August 13 to July 18 on the defense's request, was closed to the public from the outset. Gershkovich is the first Western journalist to be arrested in Russia since the end of the Cold War on espionage charges. He has been in pre-trial detention since his arrest in March 2023. President Vladimir Putin had previously stated that Russia was open for a prisoner exchange with the US.
12:10 Ukraine sends wheat for 100,000 Palestinian families
Despite war and continuous shelling: Ukraine, according to "Kyiv Independent", has shipped 1,000 tons of wheat flour to the Palestinian territories. This is supposedly the first tranche of three humanitarian aid packages that will be sent under the program "Grain from Ukraine". The first package is enough to feed more than 100,000 Palestinian families for a month, according to the Foreign Ministry.
11:34 Russia: 33 Ukrainian drones over Crimea
Russia shot down 33 Ukrainian drones over Crimea, according to its own reports. Russian Defense Ministry reports that Russian troops in the Black Sea also destroyed ten remotely operated watercraft that were on their way to the annexed peninsula. The governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, announced that loud noises in the city on the Crimean peninsula were due to the repulsion of an "attempted attack by an overwater drone". Two more drones were intercepted by the Russian Defense Ministry in the border region of Bryansk. "There were no casualties or damage," the governor, Alexander Bogomas, reported on Telegram.
11:05 Thousands affected: All kindergartens near the border in Belgorod closed
In the southern Russian region of Belgorod, all kindergartens in the immediate vicinity of the Ukrainian border have been temporarily closed, according to official reports. The reason given by the responsible authorities was a large risk due to shelling, according to Russian media reports. The measure applies from Wednesday initially for the rest of the week for institutions within a radius of 20 kilometers from the border. According to Russian media, the kindergarten closures affect 50,000 people in the region.
10:32 Joint exercise concluded - "Trust between the Chinese and Russian navies strengthened"
China and Russia have completed a joint naval exercise. The Chinese Navy reports that all planned projects and exercises of the "Joint Sea 2024" maneuvers were completed on Wednesday. The six-day maneuver, during which a "joint response to threats to maritime security" was trained, involved seven warships. The maneuver strengthened "professional exchanges, mutual understanding, and trust between the Chinese and Russian navies," and improved "the standardization and systematization of practical bilateral cooperation," according to the Chinese Navy. The maneuver took place off the coast of the Chinese port city of Zhanjiang in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong.
10:06 Von der Leyen: "We must give Ukraine everything it needs"
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demonstrates the EU's resolve against Russia. "Russia is counting on Europe and the West giving in," she says. "And some in Europe are playing along." Von der Leyen criticizes the trip of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, which she describes as a "pacification mission". However, the EU's support for Ukraine is permanent. "We must give Ukraine everything it needs to resist and emerge victorious."
09:38 Heavy Russian attacks on Ukrainian Eastern Front
The Ukrainian General Staff reports of heavy Russian attacks on the front in the east of the country. There were 29 storm attacks by the Russians at the frontline near the small town of Torezk, according to the Military in its morning report. A village named New York was particularly contested there. The enemy also used parachute bombs dropped from aircraft. Torezk is located in the Donezk region, as is the second heavily affected frontline area Pokrowsk. There, there were reports of 26 attacks. Russian troops are gradually advancing in this area after the capture of the city Avdiivka in February. The General Staff reports 144 Russian attack attempts since Wednesday morning. According to an unofficial report, Ukrainian troops are supposed to give up the village of Kaliniwka near the city of Chassiw Jar.
09:00 Kiev reports success in drone defense
The Ukrainian Air Force reportedly intercepted all 16 drones fired by the Russian armed forces at targets in Ukraine during the night. In addition, two out of three rockets were intercepted. The projectiles were destroyed over five regions.
08:17 How much does Russia pay its soldiers
The Russian government reportedly paid between 2.75 trillion and 3 billion Rubles – roughly translated to around 31 to 33.9 billion US dollars – in salaries and compensation to soldiers and their families from July 2023 to June 2024. According to the group Re:Russia, which condemns the war against Ukraine, this amount corresponds to 1.4-1.6% of the expected Russian Gross Domestic Product in 2024 and 7.5-8.2% of the budget expenditures.
07:42 Umerov: US election not decisive for Ukraine
Ukrainian Defense Minister Umerov reportedly holds that the outcome of the US election is not crucial for the success of Ukraine's defense against Russian aggressors, according to his own statements. Ukraine will find a way to combat the Russian aggressors, even if the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is re-elected in November and thus important US support is endangered, Umerov said. He refers to the diplomatic and military difficulties that his country faces following Trump's official nomination as presidential candidate and J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential candidate. "We believe in the leadership role of the US, and we believe that America wants its partners and allies to also be strong," so Umerow. "In this phase, we will focus on the battlefield." Vance advocates for blocking military and financial aid for Ukraine, Trump wants to end the war immediately.
07:11 Lawrow: "Not all territories have been liberated" and rejects peace conference
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sharply criticizes Western plans for another peace conference on Ukraine. There are points that are unacceptable for his country, Lavrow says. "A course was taken to forcefully implement the so-called Zelenskyy Plan, which has the clear form of an ultimatum," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine a condition for peace. However, Lavrow insists on the demand of Moscow to seize more Ukrainian territories. "There (in the east and southeast of Ukraine) are still not all territories liberated. We cannot leave the people who have voted for a return to Russia under the regime that is eliminating all things Russian," Lavrow says. The claim that the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine must be protected was used by Vladimir Putin as a pretext for the war against the neighboring country. Traditionally, many Ukrainians, particularly in the east of the country, speak Russian - but do not want to belong to Russia.
06:35 Lawrow: "Undeniable evidence" for Journalist spying
According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, there are "undeniable evidence" that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is a spy. As the Associated Press writes, Lavrov also accuses US journalists of delaying negotiations between the US and Russia on a possible prisoner exchange by reporting on confidential negotiations. According to Lavrov, the case of Gershkovich has nothing to do with "attacks on journalism." In fact, there are no independent media left in Russia, many journalists have fled abroad, and others have been subjected to massive repression. Gershkovich himself was arrested in Yekaterinburg at the end of March 2023 while working on a report about the recruitment methods of the Wagner mercenary group and the opinions of Russian citizens about the war in Ukraine. The journalist has been in pretrial detention in Russia since then on espionage charges. A hearing is taking place today.
05:53 Pistorius: We must be able to defend against attacks
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius understands the fears of the population regarding the planned stationing of US long-range missiles in Germany. "We must protect ourselves as well as possible. I understand the concern of the people about an escalation," the SPD politician tells the "Rheinische Post" and the "General-Anzeiger." The framework conditions are quite different than they were five or ten years ago. "At the eastern flank of NATO, there is an aggressor again." In light of this, Pistorius calls for a change of direction in the country and defends his demand to become "war-ready" in the coming years. "I don't like the term 'war-ready' myself. But it's the truth that we best protect ourselves if we are able to deter and defend against a possible offensive war."
05:03 Alarm for Drones in Russian Black Sea Port
The mayor of the Russian Black Sea port city of Noworossijsk, Andrey Krawtchenko, warns of drones at sea. Via Telegram, he calls on citizens to stay away from the coast. Ukrainian drones have attacked Russian ships near the harbor in the past and disrupted traffic. Noworossijsk is Russia's largest Black Sea port and an important transshipment point for the export of oil and oil products. Meanwhile, the Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula, Mikhail Raswoschajew, reports that Russian forces have destroyed a Ukrainian drone in the Black Sea near the city.
03:18 Zelensky Remembers MH17 Shootdown Anniversary
Ukrainian President Zelensky remembers the victims of the MH17 shootdown in his daily video address. "There are no doubts that the trial and the work of international justice in general will lead to absolutely just sentences for all those responsible for this tragedy," he says. This punishment is also necessary, he adds, just as for all other crimes Russia has committed in the war. The MH17 plane of Malaysia Airlines was shot down by pro-Russian rebels with a Russian surface-to-air missile on July 17, 2014, over contested territory in eastern Ukraine.
02:13 Pistorius: More Applicants for the Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr is reporting an increasing number of applicants. "There are also more and more people who volunteer to enlist, precisely because they want to serve their homeland," says Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to the "Rheinische Post". Compared to the previous year, 15 percent more people had applied for military service by July 8. However, the SPD politician wants to quickly implement his new conscription model. "I need a quick entry into military conscription, because we are threatened. That's why I'm starting with the men, and then the women will come as soon as possible," Pistorius says. The draft law is expected to be completed in the fall.
00:56 Report: Heavy Losses for Kiev in Battle for Dnipro Bridgehead
According to media reports, Ukraine has suffered heavy losses in the battle for a now abandoned bridgehead at the Dnipro in the southeast of the country. More than 1,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian side are reported to have been killed in the months-long battle for the small town of Krynki. 788 soldiers stationed there are listed as missing, according to the Internet portal Slidstvo.Info, citing police sources. 262 soldiers were found dead in the same period. The battles for the town of Krynki were criticized from the start due to their futility. The troops there could hardly be supplied with reinforcements across the river. Dead and wounded could only be transported away in rare cases.
23:52 Air Alarm: Drones approach KyivIn Kyiv, there is another air alarm. Loud explosions can be heard over the city. Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram that the air defense systems have been activated. In the central district of Darnytsky, debris have fallen, but damages are reportedly not significant according to initial findings. Shortly beforehand, the Ukrainian Air Force warned that drones from the East were heading towards Kyiv. Moreover, drones were reportedly spotted in the regions of Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk. At least 43 people were killed by Russian air raids on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on July 8.
23:10 Estonia and Lithuania ban cars with Belarusian license platesEstonia and Lithuania declare they will no longer allow cars with Belarusian registration plates into their country at their borders with Russia and Belarus. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna says the ban has been imposed because Belarus "directly contributes to Russian aggression in Ukraine and supports it." Lithuania had recently announced a similar ban. The three countries, as well as Poland, Finland, and Norway, had already banned the entry of cars with Russian registration into their sovereign territory in 2023.
22:23 Zelenskyy on prisoner exchange: "We must bring them all back"In his evening video address, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy welcomes back the 95 soldiers who have returned from Russia (see entry at 14:36). Zelenskyy writes on X: "We are bringing our people home. Another 95 defenders have been released from Russian captivity. Among them are soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the Border Guard." After thanking the United Arab Emirates for their role in securing this release, he continues: "We must bring them all back."
21:56 Moscow sentences Ukrainian collaborators to lengthy prison termsIn Moscow, a military court sentences two Russians to long prison terms for attempting to join the "Freedom Legion of Russia" recruiter. Radio Free Europe (RFE) reports. The Freedom Legion is a paramilitary unit where Russian deserters and other Russian and Belarusian volunteers fight for Ukraine against Russia. The 24-year-old Andrei Morozov is sentenced to twelve years in prison, and the 56-year-old Muscovite Anatoli Poplavski to five and a half years. RFE reports that Poplavski has two young children living in Ukraine and a wife he is currently divorcing. In the statement, it is mentioned that the man lived in two countries.
21:00 Lavrov blames US for escalating violenceRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov tells the UN Security Council that the US is responsible for the many deaths in Ukraine and the Palestinian territories. "By giving diplomatic protection to Israel and supplying it with weapons and ammunition, Washington has - it's clear to all - become a direct party to the conflict, just as in Ukraine," Lavrov tells Russian agencies in New York. Further, he says that as soon as the US stops its support, the bloodshed will end. In fact, Russia began the aggression in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and expanded it to the entire country in February 2022. A Russian troop withdrawal from Ukraine would also end the killing in Ukraine.
All former developments can be read here.**
- Amidst the intensified fight against old Russian oil tankers used for financing the war in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for less restrictions on the use of Western weapons against Russian targets.
- The NATO-Ukraine Command, set to coordinate international military aid and training for the Ukrainian armed forces, is expected to be operational in September, as announced by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
- Following the Russian rocket attack on the Ochmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kiev, Germany has admitted eight critically ill children from Ukraine for medical treatment.
- While NATO is preparing military operations to aid Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, Western estimates suggest lower loss figures for Russian troops than reported by the Ukrainian General Staff.
- The Cyberwar against Ukraine is an ongoing threat, as Russia continues to use digital attacks to disrupt the Ukrainian power grid and other critical infrastructure, demonstrating the widespread nature and complexity of the conflict.
