Germany Heavy fighting in the east - Ukraine under pressure

According to the military leadership in Kiev, the heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine is continuing. "The situation was hottest today in the Pokrovsk area, but the enemy was also active in the direction of Lyman and Kurakhove," the Ukrainian General Staff announced in its evening situation report. All three cities mentioned are located in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. Over the course of the day, 123 battles took place.

According to the report, 41 of these were reported in the Pokrovsk region alone. There were 19 and 17 attacks near Lyman and Kurakhove. According to the General Staff, 29 attacks near Pokrovsk have now been repelled, but 12 battles are still ongoing. The defenders are doing everything they can to stabilize the situation and prevent the enemy from advancing deep into Ukrainian territory, it was said.

Ukraine has been defending itself against Russian aggression for more than two years.

Russian troops advance in the Pokrovsk region

The Russian Ministry of Defense had reported the capture of the village of Sokil in this area earlier in the day. According to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow, the Army Group Center had succeeded in capturing the village and improving its tactical position through active action. The Ukrainian side initially did not comment on this. It is often impossible to independently verify the reports of the warring parties.

However, the "Deepstate" portal, which is close to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, already marked the small patch of land directly next to the much larger and long-contested village of Ochersetyne as being under Russian control at the end of June. Sokil, which had just a few dozen inhabitants at a census 20 years ago, is located in the Pokrovsk district. Pokrovsk is considered one of the possible targets of the Russian advance in the region.

Sokil no longer appears in the General Staff's situation report, but the village of Prohres to the west of it does. According to the Ukrainian military, more than 180 Russian soldiers were killed in the Pokrovsk area. In addition, several Russian military vehicles were destroyed. This information cannot be independently verified.

The section of the front near Pokrovsk is considered to be comparatively vulnerable. After the Russian troops were able to take the fortress of Avdiivka at the beginning of the year, they have been slowly advancing for months. Ukraine has not yet succeeded in finally halting the advance and stabilizing the defensive lines.

Renewed attacks by combat drones

During the night, the Russian armed forces once again attacked eastern Ukraine with so-called kamikaze drones. The air defense in Kharkiv and Sumy reported that the Shahed drones flew in in several waves. The Ukrainian military did not initially provide any information about the impact of the attacks.

Zelensky announces new strategy at sea

Ukraine wants to push back Russian influence in the western part of the Black Sea. In his daily video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country would develop a new national maritime strategy. "We clearly understand that the war has changed the balance of power in our Black Sea region and that the Russian fleet will never again dominate these waters," Selenskyi said optimistically. Ukraine will pursue its own national interests at sea and those of its partners and protect traffic routes, he said.

Russia had already taken possession of a large part of the Ukrainian fleet when it annexed Crimea in 2014. Further ships were lost to Kiev shortly after the start of the large-scale Russian invasion in 2022 with the capture of the port city of Berdyansk in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia. The flagship of the Ukrainian navy, the Hetman Zahaidachnyi, was sunk in Mykolaiv.

Even though the Ukrainian navy does not currently have any large warships, Kiev has succeeded in driving the Russian Black Sea fleet out of the western part of the Black Sea. This has also at least partially revived maritime trade via Odessa. The Ukrainian navy is also to be upgraded in the near future with supplies from Western partners.

Chinese soldiers land in Belarus for military maneuvers

According to official information, Chinese soldiers have arrived in Belarus (formerly Belarus) for a joint anti-terror exercise. The maneuver will be held from 8 to 19 July, the Ministry of Defense in Minsk announced on its telegram channel.

Initially, there were no details about the planned exercises. The exact number of Chinese soldiers involved is also unknown. Photos published by the Ministry of Defense in Minsk show a Chinese transport aircraft capable of carrying a three-digit number of soldiers.

The already tense relations between Belarus and the West, especially with Ukraine, have recently deteriorated further. On several occasions, ruler Alexander Lukashenko portrayed the West as a threat to his country. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's closest ally has allowed him to station tactical nuclear weapons in his country.

Belarus has also recently reinforced its troops on the border with Ukraine, justifying this with alleged provocations by the neighboring country. Kiev, in turn, feels threatened by Minsk. Russian troops also invaded the country from Belarusian territory during their attack on Ukraine more than two years ago.

SDA