Ukraine Daily

Thursday, July 14

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

Military delegations from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and UN officials hold a meeting to discuss the safe export of Ukrainian grain at Kalender Pavilion in Istanbul, Turkey on July 13, 2022. (Photo by Arif Akdogan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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Zelensky: Russia has fired over 2,960 missiles at Ukraine’s cities since Feb. 24. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address to the Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul that Russia’s actions are “missile terror” meant to target residential areas in cities. “Russia’s war against Ukraine is a global issue. Will democracy withstand the attacks of tyranny? Will humanity find effective means of responding to the deliberate terror of a larger state against a smaller state? Russian tactics must not become the global norm, and the world order must be restored,” Zelensky said.

Kuleba: Ukraine ‘has nothing to discuss’ in peace talks with Russia. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNN there are currently no talks between Russia and Ukraine because of Moscow’s position and continuing aggression. “Ukraine’s objective in this war is to liberate our territories and restore our territorial integrity and full sovereignty in the east and the south of Ukraine. This is the end point of our negotiating position,” he said.

EU Ambassador to Ukraine urges to appoint head of Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Ambassador Matti Maasikas said in an interview to Interfax Ukraine that appointing the head of SAPO is technically the easiest task to fulfil within the list of EU recommendations to Ukraine. The position of the chief of SAPO has been vacant since the summer of 2020.

Russia admits tourists not coming to occupied Crimea this year. According to Serhiy Aksyonov, a Russia-installed leader in the occupied Crimea, the flow of tourists in June deсreased by 40% compared with the same month previous year. Aksyonov also claimed that next year, the sea resorts in the parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts that Russia currently occupied will be open for tourists. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities say that President Volodymyr Zelensky wants the military to reclaim the occupied territories in southern Ukraine.

Institute for the Study of War: Russia begins ‘volunteer mobilization’ to solve soldier shortage issues. The U.S. think tank said in its July 13 report that in an attempt to continue war efforts, but prevent general mobilization, Russia called upon its 85 federal regions (including occupied Sevastopol and Crimea) to create “volunteer battalions” through high pay and benefit incentives. Each region must provide at least one unit with the volunteers, men up to 50 years old, signing up for six month contracts. The experts cited Russian media who confirm the creation or deployment of volunteer battalions in 10 oblasts, including the city of Moscow, in late June and early July.

Expert: Russia has stolen $613 million worth of agricultural products from Ukraine since February. According to Roman Neyter, a researcher at the Kyiv School of Economics, this is the estimated worth of the grain and agricultural oils Russia has stolen from Ukraine during the ongoing invasion. The total losses of the agricultural sector from the war can reach $27.6 billion, according to him.

Kyiv School of Economics: Ukraine needs at least $165.1 billion for post-war reconstruction. Damaged housing makes up for nearly 40% of losses, which amounts to $36.6 billion, according to KSE’s latest update of its study “Russia Will Pay.”

At least 14 civilians injured as a result of Russian missile strikes on Zaporizhzhia on July 13. Two missiles hit an unidentified commercial enterprise in Zaporizhzhia, severely damaging its facilities, according to local authorities. At least 14 people were injured, according to Prosecutor General’s Office. Rescuers continue working on the scene.

Ukraine hopes to receive $4.4 million in aid in July. According to Ukraine’s Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko, the Cabinet works to make sure that Ukraine receives over $4 million in aid each month. The amount of foreign aid in June was also $4.4 million, Marchenko said.

Read our exclusive stories

Delegations from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey met with United Nations representatives in Istanbul on July 13 for the first time to discuss the safe export of grain, as Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports persists and fears of a global food crisis continue to mount. Read our story here.

The stakes are becoming increasingly high for the companies that have refused to pull out of Russia following its brutal invasion of Ukraine. A quarter of the world’s 200 largest companies are at risk of having key assets seized by the Russian government, according to a new report from the Moral Rating agency, an organization focused on tracking companies’ response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Read our story here.

The human cost of Russia’s war

Official: Russia shells Bakhmut, killing 1, injuring 5. Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said that Russian troops fired on residences, using Uragan multiple rocket launchers. At least eight houses were damaged. As a result of attack, one civilian was killed and five more injured.

Russia attacks Mykolaiv oblast 28 times, killing 5. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, said on July 13 that Russian forces used multiple rocket launchers to attack settlements in Mykolaiv Oblast. According to preliminary data, five people were killed and residential buildings and a hospital were damaged.

International response

IMF to reduce expectations of global economic growth due to inflation, COVID, and war in Ukraine. Kristalina Georgieva, head of the International Monetary Fund, said in a statement: “It is going to be a tough 2022—and possibly an even tougher 2023, with increased risk of recession. The human tragedy of the war in Ukraine has worsened. So, too, has its economic impact especially through commodity price shocks that are slowing growth and exacerbating a cost-of-living crisis that affects hundreds of millions of people.”

Borrell: EU won’t recognize Russian passports issued to Ukrainian citizens in occupied territories. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s decree to simplify the procedure for all Ukrainians to obtain Russian citizenship is “yet another flagrant violation of Ukrainian sovereignty.” The simplified procedure was previously used to hand out Russian passports in Russian-occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts where Russia has distributed almost a million passports since 2019.

European Commission allows Russia to transit sanctioned goods to Kaliningrad by rail. According to the European Union executive guidance, Russia may continue the transit of sanctioned goods destined for the Kaliningrad enclave through the bloc’s territory by rail but EU states must inspect the goods being transported. The transit of goods by road with Russian operators is not allowed, the statement said.

Trudeau: Decision to return Nord Stream 1 turbine to Germany was ‘very difficult**.’**Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on July 13 that it was a “very difficult decision” to return the gas pipeline’s turbine to Russia through Germany. The turbine of the operational pipeline was being repaired in Canada at the facilities of a German company Siemens Energy. Ukraine said that returning the turbine would let Russia continue weaponize its energy supplies to Europe.

Reuters: Czech PM says Russian gas will not be on the next set of EU sanctions. Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, said that the EU will not be including Russian gas in its seventh round of sanctions. Fiala said too many members would not be able to divert from Russian gas quickly enough. The sanctions are being finalized and should be ready to present by the European Comission within the next few days, he told Reuters.

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