Friday, July 12

Russia’s war against Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) participate in the launching of the Ukraine Compact at the 2024 NATO Summit on July 11, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

NATO leadership affirms Ukraine’s ‘irreversible’ path toward membership. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg clarified Ukraine’s “irreversible” path toward NATO by emphasizing the alliance’s ongoing commitments to Kyiv “constitute a bridge to Ukraine’s membership.”

Biden mistakenly introduces Zelensky as ‘President Putin.’ U.S. President Joe Biden introduced President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” during his speech on the final day of the NATO summit on July 11, as questions over Biden’s fitness for office continue to increase.

Kyiv, US arms company agree to set up NATO-standard ammunition production. Ukraine’s state-owned company, Ukrainian Defense Industry (Ukroboronprom), signed an agreement with the U.S. weapons manufacturer Northrop Grumman on ammunition production, the Presidential Office said on July 11.

Ukraine signs security agreement with Romania. “A key feature of this agreement (are) specific points of cooperation to strengthen security in the Black Sea region,” the Presidential Office said.

Ukraine wants to hold 2nd peace summit before US election, Bloomberg reports. The Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump, has repeatedly said he could end Russia’s war within 24 hours if elected, without specifying the steps for reaching a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.

Russia says it won’t attend Ukraine’s second peace summit. Kyiv said it aims to invite a Russian representative to the second conference to present a peace plan based on President Volodymyr Zelensky’s peace formula and international input. No official invitation has been sent so far.

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Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade says it halted Russian advance toward Borova in Kharkiv Oblast. Ukrainian soldiers thwarted Russia’s plans to make a breakthrough toward the village of Borova in Kharkiv Oblast, Maksym Zhorin, a deputy commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, said on July 11.

Russian pilot leaked personnel data on Russian aviation division to Ukraine, source says. “He was shocked by the attack on the children’s hospital, so he decided to hand over to the Ukrainian side documents related to the activities of his military unit, as well as private photos of the command staff,” the source said.

Ukraine sees surge in female soldiers with over 10,000 women serving on front lines, Deputy PM says. The total marks a significant increase in the number of women serving active combat roles, which was around 5,000 women during the first year of the full-scale invasion.

Zaluzhnyi assumes role as Ukrainian ambassador to UK. Former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi assumed the role of Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom on July 11, Zaluzhnyi announced on Telegram.

Kyiv detains cargo vessel for allegedly shipping Ukrainian grain from occupied Crimea. The ship, sailing under a flag of an unspecified central African country, “carried out Russia’s orders” and has transported “looted agricultural products” from Sevastopol to the Middle East in 2023-2024, the SBU said.

Russia’s oil export revenues continue to drop for 4th straight month. Russia’s revenues from oil exports in June were about $16.7 billion, a 1.2% drop from the previous month. Earnings from oil exports have continued to decline since a high of almost $19 billion in February 2024.

Read our exclusives

G18 Bohdana howitzers heading for Ukraine’s battlefield – here’s what they can do

The Bohdana – or the 2S22 Bohdana to give it its full title – is a self-propelled howitzer, essentially an artillery gun on a truck chassis with a 42-kilometer firing range.

Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Ukraine war latest: Biden announces new aid package, Poland prepares Ukrainian Legion

The U.S. package includes one Patriot air defense battery, munitions for the NASAMS missile systems, ammunition for HIMARS artillery rocket systems, and other equipment.

Photo: Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Opinions and Insights

Opinion: Restructuring Ukrainian debt is a step toward democratic victory

“An agreement with holders of international bonds allowing Ukraine to suspend payments expires in August. However, no agreement on debt restructuring has been reached yet. Creditors must find a compromise given Ukraine’s dire situation amid the devastation caused by Russia’s war,” writes former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

Photo: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

Human cost of war

Number of injured in Russia’s July 8 attack on Kryvyi Rih rises to 53. At least 53 people were injured in the Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on July 8, Yevhen Sytnychenko, head of the district military administration, reported on July 11.

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 5, injure 14. Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least five people and injured at least 14, including a child, regional authorities reported on July 11.

Russian drone drops bomb on Ukrainian fire truck, crew survives. Russian forces regularly target emergency workers, often in double-tap missile strikes.

General Staff: Russia has lost 555,620 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 1,110 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

International response

Australia announces $168 million in military aid for Ukraine. The package will include air defense missiles, air-to-surface weapons, including guided weapons, anti-tank weapons, shells, ammunition, and military boots.

Norway to allocate nearly $93 million to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses. Oslo will allocate 1 billion Norwegian kroner (around $93 million) to bolster Ukraine’s air defense, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere announced on July 11 at the NATO summit in Washington, as reported by Reuters.

Netherlands to contribute around $22 million to drones for Ukraine. The Netherlands will allocate 20 million euros (nearly $22 million) to purchase first-person view (FPV) drones for Ukraine within the drone coalition, the Dutch Defense Ministry announced on July 10.

Drone coalition plans to set up fund for Ukraine with first pledge of $49 million. Under the memorandum of understanding, which was signed amid the NATO summit, the Netherlands, the U.K., Latvia, New Zealand, and Sweden have already pledged €45 million ($41 million). More donations are anticipated.

Foreign partners have pledged $675 million to Ukraine for domestic arms production. Foreign partners have so far pledged to invest around $675 million in the Ukrainian defense industry to arm Kyiv’s forces, Ukrainska Pravda reported on July 11, citing data from the Strategic Industries Ministry.

‘China is a decisive enabler of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine,’ Stoltenberg says. China as a threat to NATO’s interests and security was mentioned in the joint member states’ statement, which Stoltenberg called “the first time that all NATO members state this so clearly in an agreed document.”

China rejects NATO assertion that it is ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The day before, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that alliance members agree that China is a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia begins paying families of Indians killed fighting in Ukraine, BBC reports. Ashvinbhai Mangukiya told the BBC’s Indian service that he had received 4.5 million rupees ($54,000) from the Russian government after his son Hemil was killed in a missile strike in Ukraine while serving with the Russian army earlier in the year.

Indian state refiners discussing long-term oil import deal with Russia, Reuters reports. India’s state-run refiners are in talks with Russia about a long-term oil import deal, Reuters reported on July 11, citing an undisclosed government source.

Orban to meet Trump in Florida after NATO summit, Time reports. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban may travel to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida after the NATO summit in Washington, where allies affirmed Ukraine’s “irreversible” path toward membership as well as $43 billion in funding for next year.

In other news

US, Germany disrupted Russian plot to assassinate Rheinmetall CEO, CNN reports. After obtaining intelligence about the plans, the U.S. then shared the information with their German counterparts, who “were then able to protect (Rheinmetall CEO Armin) Papperger and foil the plot,” CNN said.

Court in far eastern Russian city sentences student to prison for ‘passing troop locations to Kyiv’ online. The student collected information “using the internet” about the locations of Russian troops fighting in Ukraine in exchange for payment from the SBU, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) told the state-run media outlet RIA Novosti.

Biden defends candidacy, dodges questions on US weapons restrictions. Speaking after the conclusion of the three-day NATO summit in Washington, Biden fielded questions on his record and foreign policy while avoiding direct answers regarding Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied weapons.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Dmytro Basmat, Chris York, Martin Fornusek, Kateryna Denisova, Lili Bivings, Teah Pelechaty, Kateryna Hodunova, Nate Ostiller, Owen Racer, and Abbey Fenbert.

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