This week saw many important events both on the international stage and inside our country, particularly at the front. Thus, the hottest area remains the Pokrovsk direction, where the occupiers are actively trying to advance. In addition, the Ukrainian military began to talk about the threat of a new offensive in the Kharkov direction.
The main event of the week was, of course, Joe Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race, which caused some concern in Ukrainian society.
But the visit of Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to China indicates the resumption of dialogue between China and Ukraine, which indicates some breakthrough in relations between the countries.
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About other events of the week and how they affect the situation in Ukraine — ICTV Facts spoke with experts, in particular political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko and head of the Center for Military-Legal Studies Oleksandr Musienko.
- Situation at the front
- Murder of Farion
- Power outages in Ukraine have become fewer
- Drone attack in Russia and the destruction of the ship Slavyanin
- Biden's withdrawal of his candidacy from the election campaign racing
- Kuleba's visit to China
- 2024 Olympic Games
Situation on the front
After the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Urozhaynoye in the Donetsk region in mid-July, heavy fighting has not subsided in the Pokrovsk direction. According to British intelligence, this is the hottest section of the front — where the Russians have concentrated their main efforts.
— It is quite possible that the Avdiivka — Pokrovsk direction in the Donetsk region remains the main direction for Russia's efforts and, accordingly, there Russian forces have maintained the highest operational tempo over the past month, — reported by the UK Defense Ministry.
Russian military also continued to advance north and west from Ocheretino in the direction of Pokrovsk and in the direction of the village of New York.
In addition the battles for Progress in Donetsk region continue — Ukrainian military is taking measures to drive out Russian occupiers from there.
— The situation in the Pokrovsk direction in the area of responsibility, where, in particular, units of the 31st separate mechanized brigade are conducting defensive battles, is tense and difficult. The brigade's servicemen continue to courageously hold the line in the direction of Progress, Lozovatskoye, Ivanovka and Vozdvizhenka, — the OSGV Khortitsa said in a statement.
Also this week, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky reported on the situation at the front, noting that the occupiers continue to break through in the direction of Pokrovsk, despite high losses. He noted that heavy fighting was taking place in Krasnogorovka, in the areas of Progress, Zalizny, Pivnichny, Chasovy Yar.
In addition, he reported that the occupiers are not abandoning their attempts to capture Stelmakhovka, Makeyevka, are attacking Ukrainian positions in Ivanovskoye, Kleshchyivka, and are trying to capture the islands of the floodplain of the left bank of the Dnieper River. Thus, active combat operations of varying intensity are taking place along the entire front line.
— The Pokrovsk direction is precisely the section of the front where the enemy has the greatest tactical successes. There, the Russian Federation is indeed attacking with significant forces, the occupiers have advanced and captured Progress, and are now trying to go further.
Our forces are holding the line along the Volchya River bank in this direction. It is clear that the enemy is trying to speed up the pace of the operation, transferring more forces to achieve a stronger breakthrough than they have now. That is, this is really the hottest direction of the front, where a large number of combat clashes continue, — Alexander Musienko, head of the Center for Military-Legal Research, told Fakty ICTV .
Such actions of the occupiers, as the military expert notes, are due to the fact that they want to try to advance either towards Konstantinovka by blocking the highway, or to go to Pokrovsk. However, according to Musienko, the Ukrainian military skillfully repels the attacks of the Russian Federation, but the problem is that the enemy has a fire advantage.
— They do not capture our positions, but simply destroy them. In general, our forces hold the line of defense and do so quite confidently, because even withdrawals from positions occur in a controlled and coordinated manner, without allowing the enemy to enter the rear, — the military expert notes.
At the same time, this week the deputy commander of the Third Assault Brigade Maxim Zhorin noted that soon we will see a new wave of attempts to break through to Kharkov.
— We already see how they have transferred some reinforcements to this direction and are preparing to continue offensive operations. Personnel in their army are changing, divisions are moving. It is quite likely that we will soon see a new wave of attempts to break through to Kharkov, — he emphasized.
According to Musienko, the enemy will hold its forces in the Kharkov direction in order to tie down our group and prevent the movement of Ukrainian forces to other directions. Another goal is to distract the attention of the Ukrainian Armed Forces command from other sections of the front.
— That is, the Russian Federation has indeed transferred its forces to the Kharkov direction, namely near Vovchansk, Glubokoe, and, obviously, rotation and reinforcement of units is taking place there. And therefore, of course, fearing that Ukrainian troops will displace the occupiers from the positions they have occupied, destroy their so-called sanitary zone, the Russian Federation is replenishing its troops, trying to attack with certain forces, — he notes.
As for the revival and intensification of hostilities, Musienko notes that there is reason to believe that this should be expected in the Zaporizhzhya, and not in the Kharkov direction.
Most likely, this will happen after Russian troops take a break in August, go to complete their reinforcement and regroup, and somewhere around October, Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin will try to conduct a political and propaganda offensive in the Zaporizhzhya direction.
— The goal is not military achievements, because they will not be able to achieve anything there, especially since the capture of Zaporizhia is not even being discussed. On the eve of the US presidential elections, the Russian Federation wants to demonstrate that it has the strength to implement Putin's ultimatum that Zaporizhia and Kherson should go to Russia.
This will be aimed more at Donald Trump, to demonstrate that Ukraine is not capable of seizing the initiative and has problems on the battlefield. And then the Russian Federation will put forward the position that Ukraine should be persuaded to negotiate, — believes the military expert.
In general, Musienko notes, if you look at the front, you can see that our forces are strengthening their defense in most areas. According to the expert, despite the fact that the enemy is currently making progress in the Pokrovsky direction, the Kupyansko-Limansky section is quite strong.
— I would like to note that the success that Russia is currently enjoying should not be taken in a panic, but rather understood that the actions of our troops in defense, the infliction of losses and the halt in the pace of offensive operations by Russian troops will force the Russian Federation to stop these attacks, — he notes.
In particular, in the Kherson direction the situation is as follows. The spokesman for the Tavria operational-strategic group of forces, Dmytro Likhoviy, said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to carry out combat missions near the village of Krynki in the Kherson region, despite the fact that it has been virtually destroyed by Russian occupiers.
— The positions of the Ukrainian forces in the village of Krynki were razed to the ground as a result of prolonged and intense enemy shelling and airstrikes. The village itself has been almost completely destroyed, — Likhoviy said.
At the same time, despite the difficult situation at the front, our military continues to eliminate Russian “birds”. Thus, several Su-25 attack aircraft were destroyed this week. In particular, on July 19, our defenders minus one unit in the Pokrovsky direction. A similar operation was carried out on July 23. In OSGV Khortitsa even outlined it as the “Pokrovsky triangle for Russian aviation”.
Murder of Farion
On the evening of July 19, former people's deputy Iryna Farion was shot in Lviv, after which the woman died in intensive care. Already on July 25, a suspect in the crime was detained in Dnipro. He turned out to be an 18-year-old native of the city, who, according to the investigation, rented at least three apartments in Lviv during the preparation for the crime.
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The suspect was remanded in custody without bail for 60 days.
The main versions of the murder are Farion's social and political activities, as well as personal hostility. The investigation does not rule out the involvement of Russian special services.
— In my opinion, it is necessary to investigate the Russian trace in the murder of Farion, because objectively this murder meets the interests of Russia, since it is aimed at pitting the Ukrainian-speaking and Russian-speaking populations, the West and the East, against each other. These are purely Russian approaches, — political scientist Vladimir Fesenko told Fakty ICTV.
In addition, in the expert's opinion, the fact that the video of Farion's murder appeared in Russian publics looks suspicious.
— Russian media call this an initiative of the “national-socialist and racist organization”. This is a cliché of Russian propaganda. And this is already a sign that the murder has a Russian trace, — he adds.
He notes that it is quite possible that this guy could have been used by Russian intelligence services and pushed to certain actions.
— In principle, young people with unstable views can sometimes be loners who want to remain in history in this way or believe that this is how they make history. This happens, but often they are used by terrorist organizations and special services. Since such young people with unstable psyche are very easy to use to carry out such actions, — he says.
Therefore, the expert notes, the Russian trace must definitely be investigated and, most importantly, precautions must be taken so that such situations do not repeat themselves.
— And here the point is not only that the Russian special services want to quarrel us, push us into an internal war (that is why Irina Farion was chosen as a symbolic victim, since she was considered a conflict figure). And another goal is to introduce the very precedent of violent actions, that politicians can and should be killed, he added.
Fewer power outages in Ukraine
This week Ukrainians felt a significant improvement in the situation in the energy system. Thus, on July 24 until 4 p.m. there were no outages at all in Ukraine, and in some regions until 6 p.m. On July 25, the situation got even better.
This improvement is primarily due to the early shutdown of a power unit from scheduled maintenance, which added 1 GW of capacity to the system.
There are also fewer power outages in Ukraine due to a drop in outside temperatures — after the abnormal heat there was a noticeable relief.
Another important event was that Ukrainians began to be provided with affordable loans for energy equipment.
— The state creates conditions for citizens and businesses to increase their energy independence by establishing alternative energy sources with a minimum number of bureaucratic procedures and opportunities to attract financing for such projects, — explained Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko.
What lending programs are available to Ukrainians, read at the link.
Drone attack in Russia and the destruction of the Slavyanin vessel
During the week, Russia continued to suffer from drone attacks. Thus, on the night of July 20 in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation powerful explosions thundered in the area of the Millerovo military airfield and oil depot.
A fire started in the area of the runway and aircraft parking areas after arrivals.
And on July 22 the military airfield in Morozovsk and the oil refinery in Tuapse were hit by drones.
As a result of a drone attack on the morning of July 23, the ferry ship Slavyanin caught fire in the port of Kavkaz, Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation .
—The occupiers used this ferry to transport railway cars, vehicles and containers for military purposes. Slavyanin is the third and last railway ferry that the Russian Federation kept in the specified region, noted the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In Russian A series of powerful explosions thundered in Kursk due to a massive drone attack on the night of July 24-25.
This week, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky revealed how many critical infrastructure facilities of the Russian Federation Ukraine attacked with drones. In particular, we are talking about 200 such goals.
Biden's withdrawal from the race
On July 21, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the election race and support for Vice President Kamala Harris in running in his place.
Biden himself Biden called his decision a matter of democracy. The president emphasized that his achievements in this post deserve a second term, but nothing can stand in the way of saving American democracy, including personal ambitions.
For her part, Kamala Harris agreed to fight for the Democratic Party nomination (the convention is scheduled for August 19-22), and then to fight in the US presidential election.
— Pressure on Biden within the party was and was increasing so that he himself would refuse to participate in the presidential election. These calls began to sound especially powerful after his unsuccessful debates with Donald Trump, the NATO summit strengthened the Democrats' position that the current US president does not need to be re-elected for another term.
And the assassination attempt on Trump had an unexpected effect — let's say they aimed at one, but “hit” Biden. This led to a psychological and emotional breakdown among the Republicans and Trump himself, they already felt like winners, while the Democrats, on the contrary, became confused. And then there was Biden's latest illness, the fact that he fell ill with Covid-19, may also have had an impact, — political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko notes.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called Biden's decision justified and expressed his belief that it would be even easier for him to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris than the current head of the United States.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race, calling the decision difficult but strong.
– For Ukraine, this means that the winner of the US presidential election is far from certain. Many of us have begun to prepare for the fact that Trump will inevitably become the next head of the States, but it is too early to draw such conclusions. Now the struggle in the US is not just starting from scratch, but rather being renewed – Trump will be confronted by a younger, more contrasting opponent. And a new intrigue arises in the race – the winner is unknown, – notes political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko.
Also against the backdrop of these events the head of our state spoke about Trump’s possible presidency, noting that working with him in the event of his victory will be difficult, but Ukraine is ready for this.
Note that a few days ago, Trump announced Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his assistant in the November presidential election. The 39-year-old senator had previously said he didn't care what happened to Ukraine in either case. Vance's nomination has heightened concerns that U.S. aid to Ukraine could peter out if Trump becomes president again.
In turn During a telephone conversation with Zelensky, Trump urged him not to believe the fakes that his victory could allegedly be beneficial to Russia. The leaders also discussed a personal meeting.
Our president, in turn, urged Trump not to believe the leaders of states who are trying to justify the actions of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. He emphasized that there is no justification for the murderer.
According to political scientist Vladimir Fesenko, what is important for Ukraine is the victory of democracy, and not of any particular party or individual. It is also in the interests of our state that after the elections the United States continues to play a powerful leadership role in international relations, and that Ukraine maintains bipartisan support from the United States.
— Trump, Harris, Democrats, Republicans — it doesn't matter. We must work with both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump while the elections are ongoing, and when their results are determined, our country will work with the winner of the presidential race as the new leader of the United States, — the political scientist notes.
Kuleba's visit to China
This week, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited China at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. During the meetings, the diplomats discussed the current state and prospects for the development of Ukrainian-Chinese relations.
The main topic of the talks was the search for ways to stop the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the possible role of China in achieving a sustainable and fair peace. Against this background, the Chinese side was quick to announce its own expectations from Kuleba's visit, saying that despite Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territories, Wang Yi will call for a ceasefire and a peaceful settlement of the conflict during the talks with his Ukrainian counterpart.
— The Chinese side will continue to stand on the side of peace, support the strengthening of consensus in the international community and jointly seek real ways to resolve the crisis in Ukraine. (this is what China calls Russian aggression against Ukraine, – Ed.) by political methods, says Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning.
Chinese diplomat Mao Ning did not mention the need to comply with the principles of the UN Charter regarding respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, which requires Russia to liberate the occupied Ukrainian territories.
In turn Kuleba in China named the condition for Ukraine's negotiations with the Russian Federation. He noted that our country's position is readiness to conduct the negotiation process with the Russian Federation at a certain stage, when the aggressor country is ready to do so in good faith, while stressing that such readiness is not currently observed.
Wang Yi himself noted China's firm commitment to advancing a political settlement of the crisis. According to him, both Ukraine and Russia have recently sent signals of readiness for negotiations to varying degrees.
— Although the conditions and time are not yet ripe, we support all efforts that promote peace and are ready to continue to play a constructive role in ending the fire and restoring peace talks, he emphasized.
As political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko notes, the very fact of this visit is important, because there has been no Ukrainian Foreign Minister in China for 12 years.
— For diplomatic relations — this is a huge period. And we are talking about one of the most influential countries in the world. After the visit of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to China in December 2013, none of the leaders of our country visited China. The current head of state Volodymyr Zelensky expressed such a desire, the Ukrainian side also wanted our Minister of Foreign Affairs to come to China. However, China did not give permission. Therefore, firstly, the fact of the visit itself is important, and secondly, it is important that the Chinese themselves invited us, — noted the political scientist.
And as Fesenko emphasizes, the establishment of Ukrainian-Chinese relations is important due to the authority of the PRC in international relations, China's indirect influence on the discussion of peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.
— Now this wall of mistrust and cool attitude has not been overcome, but a certain breakthrough has occurred. Active high-level dialogue between China and Ukraine has resumed, and for us this is important both from the point of view of interaction with China within the framework of the peace process, and as the very fact of restoring dialogue between the countries, — the political scientist added.
And the indicator of the effectiveness of Dmitry Kuleba's visit to China will be further events — for example, if China takes part in conferences in Qatar, Turkey, Canada, which are a consequence of the first Peace Summit, in which the country refused to participate, or other important interactions between the states take place.
— The Ukrainian side expects China to be more actively involved in the peace process, and it is important for us that China has a huge influence on the countries of the Global South. For these countries, our interaction with China is a signal that they can do business with us, negotiate, etc., — says Vladimir Fesenko.
Another important point is the influence on Russia, since, as time has shown, it is China that is capable of restraining the aggressor country from certain very bad actions, for example, from using tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
The consequences of Kuleba's visit to China may not be immediately apparent, there may be fluctuations in bilateral relations, but for today it is important that the dialogue between the countries has resumed. Further cooperation with China is also important as a bilateral relationship, since China remains one of the main trade and economic partners of our country.
2024 Olympic Games
The 2024 Olympic Games will start in France on July 26 and will last until August 11. The official opening ceremony will take place in Paris today. Tennis player Elina Svitolina and swimmer Mikhail Romanchuk will carry the Ukrainian flag at the event.
A total of 329 sets of awards will be contested in France. ICTV Facts published the competition schedule and when the Ukrainians will perform.
On the opening day of the 2024 Olympics a railway failure occurred in France — the country's authorities have already called this incident sabotage. It is noted that many routes will have to be cancelled, and this will continue, “at least all weekend, while repair work is underway”. And this will disrupt the plans of at least 800 thousand French tourists.
