Sunday, July 2

Russia’s war against Ukraine

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez (L) attend a joint press conference following their meeting, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 1, 2023.

Spanish PM arrives in Kyiv, to meet Zelensky. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez arrived in Kyiv early on July 1 to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky on the first day of Madrid’s presidency at the EU Council.

Spain to allocate 55 million euros for Ukraine’s schools, businesses. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told Ukraine’s parliament, Verkhovna Rada, on July 1 the funds would be allocated through the World Bank to support businesses and equip schools with environment-friendly energy systems.

Zelensky concerned over delayed F-16 pilot training. President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed its weariness over pilot’s training courses’ on F-16 jet fighters, hinting at Western partners’ lack of will, he said in a joint conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on July 1.

Zelensky: Russia could blow up Zaporizhzhia plant after handing it to Ukraine. Russia could hand over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant still mined, to blow it up remotely, President Volodymyr Zelensky told Spanish reporters on July 1.

Zelensky visits Rivne Nuclear Power Plant, discusses safety measures. President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant on July 1 and discussed regional safety measures, the President’s Office reported.

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UK Defense Ministry: Ukraine ‘almost certainly’ deploying personnel to east bank of Dnipro River. Ukraine has “almost certainly” restarted deploying personnel to the east bank of the Dnipro River since around June 23 in what could be preparations for an offensive near the ruined Kakhovka Dam, the U.K. Defense Ministry said on July 1.

Military: Ukrainian forces advancing along southern front line. Ukrainian forces are making progress and moving forward along the southern front line, General Oleksandr Tarnavsky, the commander of Ukraine’s military fighting in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, reported on July 1.

Zelensky imposes sanctions against 189 Russians and founder of Georgian Airways. President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 1 signed a decree imposing sanctions against 189 Russian nationals, two Belarusians, and Tamaz Gaiashvili, the founder of privately-owned Georgian Airways that is now flying to Russia.

The Guardian: Admission that Wagner is state-funded could help try Putin for war crimes. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s admission that the Wagner mercenary group was government-funded could make it easier to try him for war crimes, the Guardian reported on July 1.

Following mutiny, Russian state media downplays Wagner’s battlefield results. In a recent broadcast, Russian state-owned First Channel made comparisons of the battles of Bakhmut and Mariupol, saying that Mariupol was, in fact, more important than Bakhmut, and taken much faster – in 71 days, as opposed to the 10-month-long siege of Bakhmut.

Kyiv authorities report shooting down all Russian drones in latest aerial attack on capital. Kyiv officials said the city’s air defenses shot down all Russian drones launched at the capital overnight on July 2 in the first drone attack on the capital in almost two weeks.

Human cost of war

Russian attacks on Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia oblasts kill 1, injure 6. One person was killed and six others were injured when Russian forces shelled Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv oblasts on July 1, local officials reported.

Russian shelling injures 2 children in Kherson. Russian shelling injured a 9-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy on July 1, oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on July 1.

General Staff: Russia has lost 228,870 troops in Ukraine. According to the report, Russia has also lost 4,042 tanks, 7,868 armored fighting vehicles, 6,794 vehicles and fuel tanks, 4,162 artillery systems, 632 multiple launch rocket systems, 389 air defense systems, 315 airplanes, 308 helicopters, 3,545 drones, and 18 boats.

In other news

Health Ministry: Covid-19 measures lifted in Ukraine. COVID-19 will be moved from an emergency to a permanent healthcare problem, and the response to it will be the same as other respiratory symptoms disease.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Asami Terajima, Oleksiy Sorokin, Olga Rudenko, Alexander Query, Kate Tsurkan, Teah Pelechaty, and Lili Bivings.

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