Thursday, July 20
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Workers clear debris next to a damaged building of the chemical plant in the village of New York, Donetsk region on July 19, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Air Force: Ukraine downs 14 missiles, 23 drones in massive Russian night strike. Ukrainian air defense shot down 13 Kalibr cruise missiles, one guided Kh-59 cruise missile, and 23 Shahed kamikaze drones in a massive Russian night strike against Ukraine, the Air Force reported on July 19.
General Staff: Russia retreats from positions near Orikhovo-Vasylivka in Bakhmut direction. Russian forces were pushed out from their positions near the village of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, lying northwest of Bakhmut, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces spokesperson Andrii Kovalov said on July 19.
Minister: Russian strikes destroy 60,000 tons of grain. Russian attacks on port infrastructure in Chornomorsk, Odesa Oblast have destroyed 60,000 tons of grain, according to Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi on July 19. “This is a terrorist act not against Ukraine, but against the whole world,” he said.
Zelensky: Military to strengthen defenses of ports after Odesa strikes. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 19 that the military has been instructed to strengthen the security of ports following the strikes against Odesa and elsewhere.
Russian Defense Ministry: All ships sailing to Ukrainian ports to be considered military targets. The Russian Defense Ministry declared on July 19 that, as of July 20, all vessels sailing to Ukrainian ports will be considered military targets.
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South African President: Putin not to attend BRICS summit. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will not attend the upcoming BRICS summit and Russia will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, South Africa’s presidential office informed on July 19.
Irish Prime Minister arrives in Ukraine, visits Bucha. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar arrived in Ukraine for a state visit, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 19.
Prigozhin appears in video allegedly showing Wagner exit from base in Russia. A video posted on a Telegram channel affiliated with the Wagner Group appears to show mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, in his first sighting since the group’s armed revolt in June. The Telegram channel reported that the video was taken during the process of transferring the Wagner flag from their main base in the Russian village of Molkino.
Washington Post: Kyrgyzstan supplying military parts to Russia, US could respond with sanctions. Companies in Kyrgyzstan are supplying Russia with sanctioned equipment and electronics, bypassing Western sanctions, the Washington Post reported on July 19.
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Ukraine war latest: Zelensky says Russia deliberately targets grain infrastructure in Odesa Oblast
Russia unleashed a mass missile and drone attack against Ukraine overnight on July 19, targeting critical infrastructure and military facilities with the main focus on Ukraine’s southern Odesa Oblast, according to the country’s Air Force.
Photo: State Emergency Service/Telegram
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Uprooted: An investigation into Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children
Human cost of war
Russian attack on village in Kherson Oblast injures woman. Russian forces fired at the village of Darivka in Kherson Oblast on July 19, according to the Kherson Oblast Military Administration. A civilian woman was wounded in an allotment, where local residents grow fruits and vegetables.
International response
Trump vows to make Europe pay for US military aid to Ukraine if re-elected. U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump said on July 18 that if elected, he will ask Europe to cover the U.S. costs of restoring stockpiles of weapons sent to Ukraine.
Lithuania launches crowdfunding campaign to purchase 500 drones for Ukraine. A new crowdfunding campaign Dronų giesmės (Drone Songs) was launched in Lithuania to collect 300,000 euros to purchase 500 FPV kamikaze drones, according to Delfi news website.
4 NASAMS systems announced for Ukraine among $1.3 billion US military aid package. Included in the package are four NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems) medium range air defense systems, as well as Phoenix Ghost and Switchblade Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).
Ireland to provide $5.6 million in humanitarian aid. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced 5 million euros ($5.6 million dollars) in humanitarian aid during his state visit to Kyiv on July 19.
Croatia offers railways, ports to export Ukrainian grain. Croatia offered its rail network and ports on the Adriatic Sea as an alternative export route for Ukrainian grain during a session at the U.N. General Assembly on July 18. The move follows Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, crucial for exporting Ukrainian grain and alleviating the global food crisis partially caused by Russia’s war.
Reuters: Five European countries to ask for extended EU ban on Ukrainian grain. Five Central European countries will jointly ask the EU on July 19 to prolong the ban on Ukrainian agricultural imports beyond Sep. 15, Reuters reported.
USAID chief pledges $250 million in aid to Ukraine’s agricultural sector. The U.S. will provide $250 million to support Ukraine’s agriculture sector, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) chief Samantha Power said on July 18.
Opinions and Insights
Andreas Umland: How Russian ultra-nationalists undermine Putin’s narratives
“Yevgeny Prigozhin’s only one-day and unsuccessful but nonetheless spectacular violent show of force revealed the fragility of the Putin system. It abruptly showed that the Russian emperor has no clothes,” writes Andreas Umland.
Photo: Wagner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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Carl Bildt: The return of EU enlargement
“Strange as it sounds, the European Union’s most successful policy ever has been deeply unpopular in Brussels for the past decade. But now, the view from the bloc’s political and governing institutions is changing. EU enlargement is back on the agenda, and it will remain there,” Carl Bildt writes.
Photo: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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In other news
International Gymnastics Federation allows Russians, Belarusians to compete. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has declared that Russian and Belarusian gymnasts will be allowed to compete in its competitions under conditions of neutrality.
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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Oleg Sukhov, Martin Fornusek, Teah Pelechaty, Elsa Court, Francis Farrell, Olena Goncharova, Brad LaFoy, and Daria Bevziuk.
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