Wednesday, July 26

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A worker is seen at the site of the Russian missile attack in Odesa on July 25, 2023. (Photo by Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

General Staff: Russia retreats from Andriivka as Ukraine makes gains near Bakhmut. Russian forces have retreated from their positions in Andriivka to the south of Bakhmut following a Ukrainian offensive operation, General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces spokesperson Andrii Kovalov said during a briefing on July 25. Ukrainian forces entered the village, but the fight in its vicinity continues.

Ukrainian military confirms use of US-provided cluster munitions around Bakhmut. In response to a question of whether the military was using cluster munitions that were recently delivered by the U.S. in battles around Bakhmut, Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraine’s Eastern Military Command, replied that Ukrainian forces are “using the entire line of armaments provided to us by our partners” effectively.

UN rejects Russia’s claims on Olenivka prison massacre. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk rejected on July 25 Moscow’s claims that Ukrainian prisoners of war who died in the Olenivka massacre were killed by a Ukrainian HIMARS strike.

Kuleba: F-16 jets will enable Ukraine to protect grain corridor. Ukraine could use F-16 fighter jets to protect grain shipping lanes in the Black Sea, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told France 24 on July 25.

UK Foreign Secretary: Russia may target civilian ships in Black Sea. U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on July 25 that Russia may escalate its campaign to destroy Ukraine’s food exports by targeting civilian ships in the Black Sea.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

Wheat prices rise sharply after Russian attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure. Wheat and corn prices have risen sharply after a barrage of Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure that have followed the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Monitoring group: Wagner brings rare fighting vehicles to Belarus. The 11th Wagner convoy has arrived in Belarus, this time including six rare Shchuka armored vehicles, the monitoring group Belarusian Hajun reported on July 25.

Washington Post: Putin ‘paralyzed and unable to act decisively’ during Prigozhin rebellion. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin issued no orders for most of the day on June 24 as Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was staging an armed rebellion, the Washington Post reported, citing Ukrainian and European intelligence.

SBU charges ex-MP Muraiev with treason. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) informed on July 25 that it charged the former leader of the now-banned pro-Russian Nashi party Yevhen Muraiev with high treason.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine’s south threatened with long-term economic, agricultural decline after Kakhovka dam destruction

Ukraine’s agricultural heartland in the south of the country is threatened with long-term decline following the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and dam.

Photo: Oleksii Filippov / AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine war latest: Russian troops retreat from village near Bakhmut as Ukraine advances

Russian forces retreated from their positions in the village of Andriivka south of Bakhmut following a Ukrainian offensive around the city in Donetsk Oblast, according to Ukrainian military.

Photo: Getty Images

Opinions and Insights

Andreas Umland: Should Kyiv be pressured to exchange land for peace?

“Why and how Ukrainian national interest currently contradicts a ceasefire with Russia is clear: Kyiv’s problem in negotiating with Moscow is that an agreement with the Kremlin now will not lead to the full restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” writes Umland.

Photo: A_natolii Stepanov / AFP via Getty Images_

Human cost of war

Update: 3 dead in Russian cluster munitions strike against Kostiantynivka. The death toll of the Russian cluster munitions strike against Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast rose to three, including two children, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on July 25.

International response

Ukraine to receive additional munitions in $400 million US aid package. The Biden Administration has announced a new military aid package for Ukraine totaling $400 million, according to a press release by the U.S. Defense Department on July 25.

Minister: Foreign donors pledge $244 million for demining Ukraine. International donors pledged $244 million to assist Ukraine in demining work, Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on July 25.

Estonian ambassador warns against dictating speed of Ukrainian counteroffensive. Estonian Ambassador to NATO Juri Luik warned against exaggerated expectations of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, adding that the speed of the campaign should not be imposed against military logic, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on July 24.

Norway sends $24 million to EU fund for Ukraine support. Norway contributed over $24 million to the European Peace Facility (EPF) for military aid to Ukraine, the Council of the European Union informed on July 25.

Von der Leyen: EU pays out 1.5-billion-euro tranche in financial assistance to Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on July 25 that the EU had paid out 1.5 billion euros ($1.65 billion) in macro-financial aid to Ukraine.

In other news

Media: Judge who tried to influence MH17 trial resigns. Dutch Judge Charlotte van Rijnberk, who was reprimanded for “undermining” the MH17 trial with conspiracy theories, will resign from her post, the newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad reported on July 25.

Navalny: Girkin ‘illegally detained political prisoner.’ Imprisoned Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny said on July 25 that Igor “Strelkov” Girkin, the recently arrested Russian war criminal, is a “political prisoner” who was “detained illegally.”

Want to get the news faster? Follow our website: kyivindependent.com.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Lili Bivings, Elsa Court, Oleksiy Sorokin, Martin Fornusek, Daria Bevziuk, Rachel Amran and **Olena Goncharova. **

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.