Ukraine Daily

Monday, July 11

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

A photo shared by Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhiy Haidai of Lysychansk, Luhansk Oblast, on July 3, 2022. (Serhiy Haidai/Telegram)

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Zelensky: There is no ‘operational pause,’ Russians continue to attack. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia carried out 34 airstrikes on July 9 alone. “The Ukrainian army is holding on tight and repelling attacks in various directions,” said Zelensky.

Minister: Ukraine may be admitted to Council of Europe Development Bank under shortened procedure. According to the Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksiy Chernyshov, the Council of Europe Development Bank decided that Ukraine may acquire its membership under special conditions. The Bank also decided to provide 465 million euros in loans to support Ukrainian refugees in Europe.

French Economy Minister: Moscow ‘most likely’ to totally halt gas supplies to Europe. French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on July 10 that France should prepare for a total cut-off of Russian gas. The French government is working to protect companies that may need support in case of supply disruption. “We have to anticipate and to put ourselves in order of battle as of now,” he said.

Security Service: Russian forces attack their proxies in Ukraine. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on July 10, citing intercepted phone calls, that Russian troops had bombed a battalion of their proxies from Donetsk Oblast fighting on their side. According to a phone conversation by one of Russia’s proxies, the battalion was trying to withdraw from the frontline near Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, when Russians attacked them.

Prosecutor General’s Office: 21,677 alleged Russian war crimes under investigation. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are investigating 827 other alleged crimes regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine, including cases into the preparation and conduct of aggressive war, and the propaganda of war.

President’s Office: Claims against Yermak should be solved between US officials. Serhiy Nykyorov, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s spokesperson, said on July 10 that the matter should be solved between U.S. Representative Victoria Spartz and U.S. President Joe Biden. Spartz on July 9 voiced several serious allegations against Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak, including sabotage of Ukraine’s defenses, and asked that Zelensky addressed them. U.S. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur said on July 9 that the accusations by U.S. Representative Victoria Spartz against President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak helped fuel the Kremlin’s propaganda machine.

Reznikov: Zelensky had ordered Ukraine’s army to liberate Ukraine’s coast. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that President Volodymyr Zelensky had ordered Ukraine’s army, equipped with Western weapons, to “retake occupied coastal areas which are vital to the country’s economy.” Reznikov added that Ukraine is set to have one million soldiers.

Deputy PM urges Kherson Oblast residents to leave amid Ukrainian plans for southern counteroffensive. In a televised address on July 10, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk urged civilians in temporarily occupied Kherson Oblast to evacuate, as Ukraine’s Armed Forces are planning a counteroffensive in southern Ukraine. “I know for sure that there should not be women and children there, and that they should not become human shields,” Vereshchuk said. She did not indicate when the Ukrainian counteroffensives will occur.

The human cost of Russia’s war

Death toll in Russian missile attack on Chasiv Yar rises to 15. According to the State Emergency Service, at least five other people were injured as a result of the Russian missile strike on a five-story residential building in the city of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, on July 9. Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko earlier reported that at least 34 people were remaining under the rubble of the building as of 9 a.m. on July 10.

Russian shelling kills Ukrainian dancesport champion Daria Kurdel in Kryvyi Rih. The 20-year-old died from a shrapnel wound after a Russian airstrike that hit a residential building on July 9.

State Emergency Service: At least 1 civilian killed, 9 injured in Kharkiv Oblast on July 9. According to the State Emergency Service, Russian forces launched three missile strikes on the region on July 9, as well as shelled villages and cities, causing multiple fires.

Governor: Russian military kills at least 2 civilians, injures 5 on July 10 in Donetsk Oblast. According to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, people died in the city of Siversk. In Soledar, three people were injured due to Russia’s attacks.

Prosecutor General’s Office: Russia’s war has killed at least 347 children, wounded 648. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the numbers are expected to be higher since they do not include casualties in the Russian-occupied territories and areas where hostilities are ongoing.

General Staff: Russia has lost 37,300 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on July 10 that Russia had also lost 1,641 tanks, 3,823 armored fighting vehicles, 834 artillery systems, 247 multiple launch rocket systems, 108 air defense systems, 188 helicopters, 217 airplanes, 676 drones, and 15 boats.

International response

Corriere Della Sera: Germany blocks EU’s 9 billion euros help to Ukraine. Germany has been blocking the aid for more than a month, according to the Italian newspaper’s sources. Berlin approved only the first tranche of 1 billion euros. The newspaper claims that Germany’s finance minister Christian Lindner disapproves that Brussels is offering to finance aid to Ukraine at the expense of the common European debt.

Ukraine to receive $1.7 billion grant to cover healthcare expenses. The grant was given by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association and USAID, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on July 10. The money will be used to cover the costs of the state budget for health services.

Ukraine urges Canada to cancel turbine return to Germany. Canada announced on July 9 it would return a repaired turbine to Germany for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. The Kremlin said it would increase gas supplies to Europe if the turbine were returned, while Ukraine has said returning the equipment would breach sanctions, calling it blackmail.

NYT: Biden to negotiate providing Ukraine with Soviet-made weapons during trip to Middle East. U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with leaders of several Arab states during his July 13-16 trip to the region. According to the New York Times, Biden will ask several countries to provide Ukraine with the remaining stocks of Soviet-made weapons, with which “Ukrainians are more familiar.”

Poland expects 200,000 more Ukrainian children to attend country’s schools in upcoming academic year. According to Przemyslaw Czarnek, Poland’s minister of education and science, the country has already accepted 200,000 kids from Ukraine, including 40,000 preschoolers. The number of Ukrainian kids in Polish schools can double in the following academic year. Czarnek added that some schools introduced Ukrainian-language classes to help kids integrate.

In other news

Ukrainian athlete Oleksii Novikov wins Strongman Classic contest. Novikov won the powerlifting competition for the second year in a row and called on Ukrainians to donate money to the Ukrainian army after his victory. Novikov had already won the title of the strongest man on the planet at the World’s Strongest Man competition in 2020.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Alexander Query, Olga Rudenko, Oleksiy Sorokin, Toma Istomina, Natalia Datskevych, Teah Pelechaty, Sergiy Slipchenko, and Alisa Sobolieva.

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