Friday, July 7

Russia’s war against Ukraine

First responders work at the site of a Russian missile strike on Lviv, Ukraine, on July 6, 2023. (The State Emergency Service/Telegram)

Zelensky arrives in Bulgaria. President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Sofia, Bulgaria, to discuss military support and the NATO summit, among other key topics, the president’s press service announced on July 6.

Bulgaria signs declaration in support of Ukraine’s move toward NATO membership. Following a bilateral meeting in Sofia on July 6, President Volodymyr Zelensky and Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov signed a joint declaration on Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration.

Politico: Zelensky argues with Bulgarian president over his opposition to arming Ukraine. During his July 6 visit to Sofia, President Volodymyr Zelensky argued with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev over his negative stance on arming Ukraine in a televised meeting cited by Politico. Unlike Radev, Bulgaria’s new pro-European government under Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov openly supports arms supplies to Ukraine.

Zelensky visits Czechia, tells Prague Ukraine is ’moving forward.’ Ukraine maintains the initiative in its counteroffensive against occupying Russian troops, President Volodymr Zelensky said in a joint press conference with Czech President Petr Pavel on July 6.

45 Ukrainian POWs, 2 deported children return home. Forty-five Ukrainian prisoners of war, including two civilians, returned home from Russian captivity, the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported on July 6. In cooperation with Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, the headquarters also arranged the return of two more children Russia had deported earlier.

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Intelligence chief: Danger of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant terror attack ‘going down.’ The danger of a possible Russian terrorist attack at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is decreasing, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov told The Times on July 6.

Russian official visits Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Sergey Kiriyenko, deputy chief of staff of Putin’s administration, visited the Russian-occupied site of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on July 6, the plant’s press service announced on Telegram.

Official: Russia sets date for sham ‘elections’ in occupied Kherson Oblast. Russia will hold illegal “elections” in the occupied parts of Kherson Oblast between Sep. 8-10, said Yurii Sobolevskyi, the first deputy head of the Kherson Oblast Council on July 6.

UK Defense Ministry: Moscow re-deploys units from strategic regions in Russia to Ukraine. Russia’s military drew up units from vital areas across Russia as far as 7,000 km from the front to face Ukraine’s counteroffensive, the U.K. Defense Ministry said in its latest report on July 6.

Lukashenko claims Prigozhin back in Russia. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko claims that the Wagner Group’s founder Yevgeny Prigozhin is back in Russia, Reuters reported on July 6. “As for Prigozhin, he’s in St. Petersburg. He is not on the territory of Belarus,” Lukashenko told reporters.

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Ukraine war latest: 7 killed in Russian missile attack on Lviv

A Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s western city of Lviv killed seven people on July 6.

Photo: Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi/Telegram

Human cost of war

Update: Death toll of Lviv missile strike rises to 10. As of around 7 a.m. local time on July 7, 10 people are known to have been killed and 42 injured as a result of Russia’s July 6 missile strike on Lviv, according to the city’s mayor.

Governor: 3 injured in Russian attack on Kherson. Russian forces struck a residential building in Kherson on July 6, wounding two civilians, reported Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin. Russia also hit a grocery store in the city, wounding a 39-year-old saleswoman, according to Prokudin.

General Staff: Russia has lost 232,300 troops in Ukraine.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on July 6 that Russia has lost 232,300 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion, with an estimated 600 casualties on July 5.

Kakhovka Dam destruction:

Tracking the catastrophe’s aftermath down the Dnipro River.

International response

Pence: US will have to fight Russia if Ukraine defeated. If Ukraine is defeated in the war, the U.S. will have to send troops to fight Russia’s further aggression, former Vice President Mike Pence said on the Hugh Hewitt Show on July 5.

Finland announces $114 million military aid package for Ukraine. The package reportedly includes anti-aircraft weapons and ammunition, among other things. Finland’s Defense Ministry didn’t disclose further details on the package’s contents and delivery for security reasons.

New York Times: Biden expected to approve cluster munitions for Ukraine. White House officials said they expect U.S. President Joe Biden to approve the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine, the New York Times reported.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Kate Tsurkan, Toma Istomina, Oleksiy Sorokin, Martin Fornusek, Teah Pelechaty, Abbey Fenbert, Lili Bivings, Daria Bevziuk, and Rachel Amran.

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