Ukraine – 8/2 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
Twitter: @rhomansjr
August 2, 2022
Meduza.io - “They Don’t Belong Here”
Accounts of residents of Kherson, referring to Russian occupiers. There is also a link in the article to a piece about some of the Ukrainian collaborators whom Russia has installed to run city administrations in towns and cities under temporary Russian occupation. Meduza.io is a news platform originally established in Russia, but now reporting from Latvia to avoid arrest and shutting down their publication if they stayed in Russia.
The Latest Denys
Denys discusses the evident Russian move, transferring troops from Donbas to the Kherson Region. His discussion of the tactical map ends at around 12 minutes, but at 13:40 into the video, there is a clip showing what happened to a Russian who was playing with a grenade in the front seat of a car. It is PRICELESS. At the end, there is a poster commemorating the Day of the Black Sea Fleet, always the last Sunday in July. The poster shows the “Moskva,” now lying at the bottom of the Black Sea (Russia may still be trying to keep the news of her sinking from the Public). Another poster shows the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush (CVN-77).
8/2 Sitrep (my comments in bold face)
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon August 1 to 12:00 noon August 2, 2022
INTERNATIONAL
AUGUST 2
11:43: Swiss regulator extends sanctions against Sberbank.
● The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has extended until September 1, 2022, the period of protective measures against Sberbank (Switzerland) AG, the regulator said in a statement.
11:36: The ex-commander of the Polish ground forces is proud of the partisans in the Kherson region.
● General of the Polish Armed Forces Waldemar Skrzypczak, who commanded the ground forces during 2006-2009, stressed that the percentage of pro-Russian collaborators is minimal in the territory of occupied Kherson. The vast majority of Ukrainians hate Russians and help the resistance movement.
11:10: The Bundestag calls for the use of frozen Russian assets to pay reparations to Ukraine.
● "Since it is Russia that is trying to destroy Ukraine, it will have to pay reparations to rebuild Ukraine", says Roderich Kiesewetter, CDU/CSU member of the Bundestag.
10:19 De Morgen: Belgium has frozen more than 50 billion euros of Russia’s assets.
● The frozen amount, which includes money and shares, belongs to 1,129 individuals and 110 Russian companies.
10:15: Poland, on the National Warsaw Uprising Remembrance Day, turned on the sirens as a sign of solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
09:44: US Secretary of State Blinken said that military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of Joe Biden’s administration already amounts to approximately $8.7 billion.
08:24: Secretary of State Blinken says that Russia is using the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as a military base to fire on nearby Ukrainian forces.
● "Of course, the Ukrainians cannot fire back lest there be a terrible accident involving the nuclear plant," Blinken says.
00:01 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: Polish President Andrzej Duda compared the occupiers in Mariupol to the German Nazis in Warsaw.
● "How similar the pictures are, how similar the brutality of those who kill, destroy, destroy the lives of innocent people," said Duda after visiting the exhibition «Warsaw-Mariupol - the city of ruins, the city of struggle, the city of hope».
● “Should Ukraine, with its heroic resistance, fail to withstand Putin's imperial plans, Poland and the Baltic states would be directly threatened by a further expansion of Russia's sphere of influence into Central Europe"
AUGUST 1
23:32: António Guterres welcomed the first ship with grain from the port of Odesa.
“The ship departing from Odesa today must be the first of many commercial ships bringing relief to global food markets & hope for the millions of people worldwide,”
21:46: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried had a telephone conversation.
● Bayramov informed Donfried about Azerbaijan's position regarding ensuring peace and progress in the region and the need to start work on a future peace treaty.
● In particular, Bayramov noted that, contrary to the obligations arising from the tripartite statement of November 10, 2020, so far the Armenian armed formations have not been completely withdrawn from Azerbaijani territories, and this is unacceptable.
21:30 US Secretary of State: The number of nuclear weapons in the US stockpile is now almost 90% less than it was at its peak in 1967
● According to him, the leaders of all nuclear-weapon states reaffirmed the principle "nuclear war cannot be won and must never be waged".
● The US will only consider using nuclear weapons in extreme circumstances to protect the vital interests of the US, its allies and partners.
21:07 White House Speaker:
● On August 2, the United States will approve a new $550 million defense aid package for Ukraine
○ The new package of assistance to Ukraine from the United States should include shells for the HIMARS MLRS and ammunition for artillery pieces of 155 mm caliber
○ It includes 300,000 shells for 155-millimetre howitzers M777 and an unknown quantity of new rockets for HIMARS.
○ Volodymyr Zelenskyi thanked Joe Biden for supporting Ukraine and stressed that the new package of aid is bringing Ukraine closer to victory.
● Representative of the lower house of the US Congress Nancy Pelosi has not yet confirmed any plans to travel to Taiwan. She arrived this evening (Tuesday).
● At the same time, the White House accused China of preparing military provocations in the coming days in connection with a possible visit by Pelosi to Taiwan.
20:47 Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States: In Washington, an employee of the Russian embassy trampled sunflowers, which were brought there by two little girls.
● The sunflowers, which were planted in April by the diaspora and activists in front of the Russian embassy, were also destroyed - they were uprooted.
20:29 Foreign Trade Ministry: The UK, following the EU, eased anti-Russian sanctions in the aviation industry.
● The mitigations apply to the insurance of aircraft gas turbine engines and components specially designed for them.
20:27: The Azerbaijani Armed Forces tried to cross the line of contact in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Karabakh.
● "There are no losses from the Armenian side. The situation remains tense. Detailed information about the incident was provided to the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent", – the report says.
● At the same time, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan called the information that the Armed Forces allegedly opened fire on illegal Armenian armed formations on the territory of Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily located, as false, provocative and misleading.
20:23: The UN received requests to investigate the attack on Olenivka simultaneously from Ukraine and Russia, – the office of the UN Secretary General reports.
20:05: North Korea is preparing to conduct a new nuclear test, – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says at the briefing.
19:18: The IAEA delegation is ready to visit the Zaporizhzhia NPP, which is under the control of the Russian Federation. This was stated by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi at a conference of the countries-participants of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
● "We are ready to go there. We hope that we can go to Zaporizhzhia, because if something happens there, we will only have ourselves to blame", – he says.
19:17: The Turkish Defense Ministry has published footage of the coordination center in Istanbul. The ministry also says that preparations are underway for the launch of new ships with grain and food in three ports of Ukraine.
18:41 White House: US President Joe Biden's test today for coronavirus again showed a positive result.
17:45: Command of the Eastern Military Region of China: "We are ready to bury any invading enemy."
● At the same time, the Taiwan Foreign Ministry refuses to comment on the information about a possible visit by Pelosi:
● "We will not comment on reports of Pelosi's travel plan, we will not provide any further information to the media", – the diplomatic mission says.
17:24: The French Basketball Federation banned the players of their national teams from representing clubs from the championships of Russia and Belarus.
● All members of the French national teams will have to sign a statement in which they agree not to cooperate with teams from the aggressor countries until the end of the war in Ukraine.Violation of the terms of this declaration will result in exclusion from the national teams or personnel list for future tournaments, including the 2024 Olympics.
17:23 Deutsche Welle: The German Foreign Ministry says that so far there is no decision at the European level that would allow the termination of the issuance of Schengen visas to citizens of the Russian Federation
16:17 Ministry of Finance: France has frozen the assets of Russian businessmen in the amount of 1.2 billion euros, excluding the assets of the Bank of Russia.
16:09 Reuters: Pope Francis will attend a meeting of religious leaders in Kazakhstan in September – he previously said he hoped to meet there with a Russian Orthodox patriarch who supported the war in Ukraine.
● Francis is planning a visit to Nur-Sultan on September 13-15 to attend the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
15:24: US President Joe Biden said that he is ready to discuss a new nuclear weapons control system with Russia. But negotiations require a ``honest partner''," the White House reports.
● Biden made the corresponding statement on the eve of the 10th Conference on the Consideration of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. He assured that the US is ready to sit down at the negotiating table with Russia to discuss a new strategy to replace START-3, which expires in 2026.
14:13: IZ - The president of Bulgaria dissolved parliament and appointed a technical government instead. The head of state has appointed early parliamentary elections for October 2.
12:58 Politico: The EU is developing sanctions against China that will be tougher than against the Russian Federation.
"In the event of China's military invasion of Taiwan, we have made it very clear that the EU, together with the USA and its allies, will take similar or even greater measures than we have now taken against the Russian Federation," said the new EU ambassador to China, Jorge Toledo.
12:52 Nikkei Asia: The USA is moving planes and aircraft carriers closer to Taiwan due to the possibility of a visit Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
12:44 Delfi - Parliamentary committee on foreign affairs: Tomorrow, the Latvian Sejm Committee on Foreign Affairs will consider the motion, that Russia be recognized as a terrorist state.
● "Russia's immoral war against Ukraine is particularly cruel and barbaric, Russia indiscriminately tortures, maims and kills both military personnel and civilians”.
12:32 Financial Times: The West has softened its efforts to restrict trade in Russian oil
● The governments of European countries postponed the plan to exclude the Russian Federation from the vital Lloyd's of London marine insurance market and allowed some international deliveries amid fears of rising oil prices and restrictions on global energy supplies.
● One reason for Europe’s decision is that restricting trade in Russian oil may no longer matter, for the following reasons:
○ It takes an average of 35 days for Russian oil to reach India and China, vs. continual deliveries by pipeline – the negative effects on Russia of the time value of money.
○ The discounted price paid by India and China, $30-35/bbl, is likely not that much higher than Russia’s cost of production.
○ Well productivity is decreasing, thanks in part to the absence in Russia of the big oil services companies, Schlumberger, Baker Hughes & Halliburton, on whose technology Russia relies on to keep up production, technology that Russia cannot replicate.
The effect – On oil sales, Russia is sanctioning itself, without any European intervention.
12:27: Actions in support of Ukraine - Rome, Perth, Helsinki
12:11 Ministry of Foreign Affairs: New Zealand has expanded sanctions against Russia
● Sanctions are implemented against the insurance company "SOGAZ", the company "RZD" and against defense enterprises engaged in the development, production and testing of military equipment for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
NATIONAL
August 2
11:56: "The new US military aid package is yet another investment to secure NATO's eastern flank and support democracy in the EU. Our gunners are ready to turn night into day to drive Russian invaders out of Ukraine! Thanks to US President Joe Biden and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for your leadership and all the American people!" - wrote the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Reznikov on Twitter.
11:47: The Armed Forces of Ukraine are actively using secret Phoenix Ghost kamikaze drones in the war. As a result of the hit, the Ukrainian military managed to eliminate two servicemen of the Russian army and wound three more.
After the operation of the kamikaze drone, the positions of the Russians were attacked with an 82-mm machine gun.
11:35 President’s Office:
● 1,054 settlements are de-occupied. Infrastructure is being restored in the de-occupied territories.
● FAST RECOVERY. Agreements have been reached and works have begun on the construction of a completely new kindergarten in Ovruch, Zhytomyr region, funded by the Government of Estonia.
● UNICEF in Ukraine. Repair of shelters in schools in Kyiv, Lviv and Chernihiv regions has begun. It is planned to restore more than 50 schools and kindergartens.
11:20 Special Operations Forces: Russians in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions were able to distribute their passports only to 1% of the population. Such a low level of Russian certification remains even though people are promised 10 thousand rubles.
11:11: Relatives of the captured fighters from "Azovstal" will demand the resignation of the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
● "The Red Cross has not yet reported how many people died, how many are in Donetsk hospitals, in the uncontrolled territory. How they will return the dead guys - we also do not know. We are waiting for an answer from the Red Cross. We are indignant.
● They promised us, they promised the boys they’d come back alive, but they didn’t fulfill their obligations
● The relatives of the prisoners will demand the resignation of the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, now they are preparing documents for this.
● "Such an organization can not be financed by the whole world. I haven’t heard from the Red Cross in 72 days if my brother is still alive or where he is".
11:09 Ministry of Reintegration: Mandatory evacuation from the Donbas has begun.
● "The first train arrived this morning in Kropyvnytskyi. Women, children, old people, and a lot of disabled people. We met and helped everyone.”
09:54 Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine: The United Nations should make efforts to close the sky over nuclear facilities in Ukraine.
● Because of the Russian invasion, the danger to the nuclear power plant increased significantly
09:39: The general director of Nibulon Oleksii Vadaturskyi knew that Russians were hunting for him, says French journalist Olivier Truc, who had spoken to him before his death.
● “The day before we met, he barely escaped a missile strike at Mykolaiv University, passing through Bessarabia. Visibly stunned, however, he was preparing to return to Mykolaiv. He asked us not to talk about his visit. He knew he was a priority target,” says journalist of Le Monde.
09:34 Prosecutor General: The owner of Nibulon Agro Company Oleksii Vadaturskyi - Hero of Ukraine - and his family were purposely killed.
09:29 National Police:
● Over the past 24 hours, the Russians shelled civilian infrastructure around the settlements of Orikhiv and Novodarivka.
● There were 16 reports of destruction of civilian infrastructure because of shelling by the Russian occupying forces.
09:03 Operational command “Pivden” (South): The Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed the Russian Tor anti-aircraft missile system.
● Ukrainian Armed Forces struck the enemy’s strongholds three times in the regions of Oleksandrivka and Maksimyvka
● In addition, 32 Russians, a self-propelled howitzer "Msta-C" and 4 units of armoured vehicles were eliminated. The total number of Russian losses is being clarified.
● The number of people killed as a result of Russian shelling of an evacuation minibus in the Dovhove area of the Kherson region increased to three. Five civilians were reported injured.
● We have not yet had losses of any of the systems, - confirmed that all attempts of Russia to hit HIMARS were in vain.
○ According to Major General Andrii Kovalchuk, the Americans were surprised by how effectively the Ukrainian Armed Forces used HIMARS in the south, destroying bridges and burning dozens of ammunition and equipment depots.
07:56 Operational report of the General Staff of the AFU:
● In the Kharkiv direction, the Russians deployed separate units in the areas of Bayrak and Dementiivka settlements and withdrew after being hit by fire.
● In the Donetsk direction, the enemy's efforts are focused on conducting an offensive in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions.
● In the Kramatorsk direction, the Russians assaulted near Ivano-Daryivka but had no success and withdrew.
● In the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled assaults in the areas of Yakovlivka, Vershyna, Kodema, and Maiske. Fighting continues in the areas of Bakhmut and Zaitseve settlements.
● In the Avdiivka direction, the Russians assaulted the Avdiivka area but had no success. Fighting continues near Pisky.
● In the Novopavlivsk and Zaporizhzhia directions, the Russians tried to put forward a reconnaissance group near Novopilla. It was found and neutralized.
● In the Pivdennyi Buh direction, the Russians are concentrating their main efforts on preventing the advance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Russians assaulted the area of Trudoliubivka but had no success.
07:26 Institute for the Study of War:
● The Russians withdrawal of some troops from the north of the Donetsk region to Zaporizhya stopped the attack on Slovyansk. The withdrawal will likely create an opportunity for Ukrainian forces to launch a counteroffensive on the Izium axis
● Russian forces were responsible for the killing of 53 Ukrainian POWs in an explosion at a Russian-controlled prison in Olenivka.
● Satellite and other imagery from the site indicate that the attack only damaged one building, did not collapse the walls of that building, and did not leave any shell craters in the vicinity, very strongly suggesting that the destruction of the prison was the result of either a precision strike or an internally planted incendiary or explosive, - analytics reports.
● Russian forces conducted unsuccessful ground assaults on settlements south and southeast of Bakhmut.
● Russian regional officials are reportedly failing to provide promised payments to the “Atal” Volunteer Battalion of the Republic of Chuvashia.
● Russian proxy authorities did not claim any territorial gains near Avdiivka as Russian forces launched unsuccessful ground assaults on Avdiivka and Pisky.
● The Kremlin is likely prioritizing propaganda and sham referenda over the welfare of Ukrainian civilians in occupied Ukrainian territories.
● Russian occupation forces are likely increasing efforts to deter and suppress partisan movements in occupied territories.
01:02 Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine: Russia uses mobile gaming applications for data collection in Ukraine.
● According to the report, through Russian applications, the enemy in the form of a game receives information from users about the location of military facilities, critical infrastructure or induces citizens to unconsciously help Russians.
● The Ministry warns of the danger of using mobile applications developed by the special services of Russia.
00:37: Deputy Prime Minister of Reintegration Iryna Vereshchuk said that although evacuation from the Donetsk region is mandatory, no one will be forced to evacuate.
AUGUST 1
23:19 President's Office:
● “In the Kharkiv region, Russians are trying to advance from Balakliia to Pryshyb; [the Ukrainian Armed Forces] repelled their attacks in the direction of Barvinkove,”
● Russians have gathered about 30 БТГ battalion tactical groups in the south for the attack on Kryvyi Rih and Mykolaiv
We have a certain idea, which suggests that the more Russia will transport personnel and equipment to the Kherson direction - the better.21:24 Center for Counteracting Disinformation: Russia attacked civilian objects 60 times more often than military ones. More than 3.5 million Ukrainians were left without a home. This is 8% of the country's population
● "The Kremlin is counting on the shelling to encourage local residents to stop resisting and oppose the 'Kyiv regime'. The "scorched earth" tactics replaced the Russian army's failed bet on mobile penetration teams deep into the country," the institution explains.
21:02 Ombudsman of Ukraine: The Russian side is ready to return the bodies of Ukrainian prisoners of war who died in Olenivka, but under certain conditions.
● "We received a signal that they are ready to return the bodies of our heroes, but the wording is that "after the completion of the investigation". To clarify how long it will take for the investigation, we have not yet received a response, but we are waiting," he said.
20:46: The heads of the Luhansk and Transcarpathian regions signed a memorandum of cooperation.
● According to the chairman of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration Serhiy Gaidai, currently more than 5 thousand Luhansk residents with a changed IDP status are in Transcarpathia. The priority task is temporary housing for them, as well as employment.
● The Luhansk region can calculate the land for the construction of housing for IDPs from the existing land bank of Transcarpathia. Also available is the possibility of repairing buildings that are not currently used by the communities of the Transcarpathian region.
20:46: Procurator General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin said that the cause of the explosion in Olenivka, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were kept, was a Russian thermobaric weapon.
● Law enforcement officers do not exclude that the house of businessman Oleksii Vadatursky, who died as a result of the shelling of Nikolaev, could have been targeted.
● ”One of the versions is the targeted murder of Mr. Vadatursky and his family,"
20:04: 'Ukrposhta' (Ukrainian post service - ed.) has stopped serving customers in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine due to the threat to the lives of workers and possible robberies by the Russian military.
19:10: President of Ukraine responded to a petition by Ukrainians to ban the distribution of mobilization orders at checkpoints, gas stations and the street. Having listed the legal grounds for holding a general mobilization, the president turned to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal with a request to work out the issue raised in the electronic petition.
18:57 Operational summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
● In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy carried out artillery shelling of the districts of Kharkiv, Prudianka, Nove and fourteen other settlements.
● With the forces of the reconnaissance group, the Russians tried to expose the firing positions of the Ukrainian troops but failed and retreated.
● In the Sloviansk direction near Mazanivka, the Defense Forces exposed and neutralized the reconnaissance group of Russians.
● In the Kramatorsk direction, due to significant losses of manpower, military equipment and the low level of moral and psychological state of the personnel, the Russian troops did not conduct active offensive operations.
● At the same time, there were shelling and air strikes on a number of settlements.
● In the Bakhmut direction in the Yakovlivka area, the enemy tried to conduct reconnaissance with the forces of a reconnaissance group. The Russians were discovered and suffered losses. The rest of the group fled.
● By assault actions, the Russian troops tried to improve the tactical situation in the areas of Soledar, Vershyna and Bakhmut, but failed and retreated.
● In the Avdiivka direction, the Russians carried out assault operations in the directions of Avdiivka and Pisky, they are not successful, the fighting continues.
● Also, the Ukrainian military nullified all attempts by the Russians to advance in the direction of Mariinka.
18:41 Ministry of Digital Transformation: 110 countries of the world joined the fundraising for Ukraine through UNITED24. In almost three months, they managed to raise more than $161 million.
● "In support of Ukraine, donations come from the USA, Germany, France, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Nicaragua, Honduras, Cote d'Ivoire, Niue", - the department notes.
18:03 National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine: "First - the destruction of the occupiers, then - diplomacy".
● “A dangerous Russian narrative, which Putin’s “useful idiots” in the West are happy to pick up: Ukraine will not be able to return the occupied territories by military means. This is a delusion! We can and will”.
17:57 President's Office: Announced the agreement between the United States and Ukraine on the need to organize a conversation between the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States, Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Joe Biden, soon.17:18 ATP: The former leader of the world ranking of tennis players Andy Murray has been donating his prize money for performances in tournaments to Ukrainian children since March.
● During this time, the 35-year-old tennis player donated more than $300,000 to help Ukraine. He plans to continue his charity work until the end of the season.
● Murray's next tournament will be the Citi Open in Washington. The organizers of the competition supported Murray and are ready to double the amount of his prize money.
17:02 State Security: Russians recognize the strength of the Ukrainian army and admire its fearlessness. From an intercepted phone conversation:
● “The Ukrainian army is the strongest army in the whole world… They are not even afraid of the Russians, no one…. This is true, really…”, – a resident of the temporarily occupied Donetsk told his mother, who was mobilized into the ranks of the Russians.
16:25 : The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine has sent an open letter to 'Meta' due to the blocking of Ukrainian military content on social networks. The open letter was posted on the official website of the department.
● The Ministry of Digital Transformation emphasizes that Ukrainian bloggers, journalists and activists, while covering the course of a full-scale war in Ukraine, often face content blocking. Facebook and Instagram designate it as "sensitive".
15:57 Public relations department at McDonald's: The information about the opening of McDonald's restaurants in Ukraine in August is false.
● The popular fast-food company really has ambitions to resume work in some regions of Ukraine, but there are no specific decisions, plans or opening schedules.
15:35 Defense Minister: 4 additional HIMARS systems have arrived on the territory of Ukraine.
"We proved that we know how to handle this weapon. The sound of the HIMARS volley became the main musical hit this summer on the front line!"
15:30 Commissioner for Human Rights: Ukraine offered to exchange citizens with Russia.
"According to the Geneva Conventions, if a state participating in hostilities recognizes that it is holding civilians, it must return them. Civilians should be released, and without any conditions. The Russian Federation first admitted that it had a list of civilians it held, then it began to equate civilians with prisoners of war. We demand that this principle be changed through our international partners, and we begin to release civilians."
15:13 State Security: The SSU exposed 6 more collaborators helping the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
● We are talking about two "top officials" of the fake authorities of Mariupol, three "officials" from the so-called "LPR" and the former head of critical infrastructure facilities in Kherson.
14:55 Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration: Denied the recent statements of the Zakarpattia Regional Council regarding the plans for the quick resumption of the Uzhhorod airport.
● "We are forced to correct the information spread by some officials about the operation of the Uzhgorod International Airport. We are working on bringing the airport up to the requirements and certification. But we are talking about a long-term and systematic process. Therefore, now the applications for the resumption of the airport are nothing more than wishes and intentions," he said.
14:12: Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov reported that German MARS II multiple-launch rocket systems have arrived in Ukraine.
14:02 Minister of Infrastructure: The port of Mykolaiv can also resume export of Ukrainian products. However, it is not yet connected to the "grain corridors" due to active shelling.
● He noted that now two ports are ready to export grain - in Odessa and Chernomorsk. It is planned that within a week the "Yuzhny" port will also resume work.
13:56: The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported on the alleged destruction of the HIMARS MLRS, which, according to the Russian military, were located on the second floor of the power plant building.
● They also said that they were able to destroy 27 HIMARS MLRS installations over the past two weeks.
● Everything would be fine, but according to open information, there are now only about ten HIMARS installations in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
13:49: According to the survey results of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology: "79% of Ukrainians believe that the borders between Ukraine and Russia should be closed. Only 11% believe that both countries should be independent but friendly states with open borders without visas and customs."
13:42: Ukraine will take part in the Children's Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Armenia.
● "Soon, Suspilne will announce the national selection and start accepting applications for participation in the song contest with its own original song."
13:24 Prime Minister: The European Union has sent 1 billion euros of exceptional macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.
● The first tranche of EUR 500 million has already been credited to the NBU account. We expect the arrival of the second tranche tomorrow.
12:20 Kyiv Defense Council: Kyiv Public transit will stop in a safe place during an air alert - passengers must get out and go to the nearest shelter. The decision goes into force today.
● As before, the metro will not operate in the open air sections.
MORDOR (Russia)
AUGUST 2
00:47: Volunteer battalion fighters from Chuvashia said they were not paid the promised 200 thousand rubles.
● This is stated in the appeal of 45 Atal fighters addressed to the head of Chuvashia Oleg Nikolaev, which was posted by lawyer and blogger Yuri Shakeyev. In a posted letter, the battalion fighters asked Nikolaev “not to disgrace the Chuvash Republic with these unfulfilled promises of yours” and warned that a third of the personnel was ready to break contracts.
AUGUST 1
17:46: The combined wealth of Russia's richest entrepreneurs has fallen by $60 billion since the beginning of the year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index (BBI).
16:59: Dutch brewer Heineken NV plans to reach an agreement to sell Russian assets, valued at a total of 475 million euros, in the second half of 2022. Heineken announced its decision to withdraw from Russia at the end of March.
16:54 Russian Foreign Ministry: The Russian Federation blacklisted 39 British politicians, businessmen and journalists.15:47 Russian media: Lipton, Brooke Bond and Saito teas will disappear from Russian shelves. The employees of the factory for their production in St. Petersburg announced that the company was being liquidated. The staff will also be cut.
14:53 Ministry of Defense of Ukraine: The Russians have opened a recruiting center for collaborators in the Zaporizhzhia region.
● In the temporarily occupied large settlements in the southern part of the Zaporizhzhia region, representatives of the occupation authorities are searching for collaborators who will create a crowd at the so-called spontaneous actions in support of the referendum.
14:49: The American Baker Hughes is selling the oil service business in Russia to the local management, the company's website says.
12:41 President’s office: The issue of Serbia's possible accession to the CSTO and the signing of a treaty on mutual military assistance is not on the agenda
SUMY
August 2
10:50 Regional Military Administration: The night in the Sumy region was quiet. But the morning began again with [Russian] mortar shelling.
● The Russians opened fire on the Esman, Seredyna-Buda and Yunakivka territorial communities three times. Total 14 attacks. No casualties or destruction.
August 1
22:01 Regional Military Administration: Today, during the day, the Russians carried out three shellings of the border communities of the Sumy region, 16 arrivals were recorded
● At around 12.00 there was an artillery shelling of Bilopolshchyna.
● After 2:00 p.m., the Russian army carried out mortar shelling of the Khotyn community.
● In the evening - from 6:20 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. - artillery shelling of the Esmanska community continued.
● Fortunately, in all cases without victims and destruction.
KHARKIV
August 2
10:10 Regional Military Administration: No strikes were recorded in Kharkiv last night.
● The Russians shelled the Kharkiv, Bohodukhiv, Chuhuiv and Izium districts of the region. The civilian infrastructure was damaged.
● My friend, the sniper turned drone instructor, just returned to Kyiv from a trip to Kharkiv. She reports, “Non-stop shelling. But city comes back to life. Full of cars, traffic jams...Surreal.” If there’s anything that is bound to drive the Kremlin crazy, and hopefully prompt the West to supply more weapons faster, it is reports like this. It illustrates that Russia’s campaign of terror attacks against Ukrainian civilians is an abject failure, against the population of the very Ukrainian city, Kharkiv, that is most exposed to Russian attack.
Once again, my friend thanks everyone who contributed to her sniper team and the drone school where she’s an instructor.
August 1
18:49 Regional Military Administration:
● Another evacuation from the temporarily occupied districts of the Kharkiv region took place.
● 872 people entered the territory controlled by Ukraine, including 203 children.
16:02 National Guard of Ukraine: Air scouts of the National Guard of Ukraine and artillerymen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine discovered and destroyed the Russian anti-aircraft missile and gun complex "Tunguska" in the Kharkiv region
LUHANSK
August 2
11:16 Regional State Administration: The Russians have set up «dirty tents with dirty water» in the temporarily occupied Severodonetsk. People are washing according to schedule.
09:14 Regional Military Administration:
● Russians have suffered significant losses, but they attack from the Popasna towards Bakhmut
● The Russians’ moral and psychological state is low because their attacks do not have the expected success.
● On August 1, the Russians launched two powerful missile strikes. In total, they fired eight missiles.
● There were four air strikes on populated areas. The Russians used artillery support seven times, mortars and tanks.
● After hours of artillery shelling, the Russians attack.
August 1
18:05 Regional Military Administration:
● Russian troops still cannot pass two settlements in the region.
● "Several times the units of the occupiers entered Bilohorivka, but the Luhansk region remains unconquered"
● The Russians are increasingly engaging private military campaigns like 'Wagner”
● He adds that the Russian army is demotivated by the precise work of HIMARS on the compositions and command posts of the Russian Federation.
● Pro-Ukrainian volunteers in the occupied territory were forced to change their views after two days in the basement.
● According to him, the humanitarian situation in the large cities of the Luhansk region is deteriorating daily, as no one is repairing the infrastructure.
DONETSK
August 1
18:39 Adviser to the mayor of Mariupol: The movement of a large amount of military engineering equipment and manpower of Russians is recorded from the temporarily occupied Mariupol in the direction of Zaporizhzhia. Most of the equipment is pontoon crossings marked "V".
ZAPORIZHYA
August 2
11:40: The mayor of Energodar said that from March 3, from the day of the occupation until August 1, residents of the city served by Ukrposhta, despite all the obstacles, received their pensions every month.
● But now, due to a significant increase in the threat to the lives of employees of this institution and the deliberate blocking by the Russians of the delivery of funds to recipients (in fact, systemic robberies), it is no longer possible to do this.
● For the first time since February 24, Ukrposhta will continue to work only on the territory controlled by Ukraine.
08:39: Mayor of Enerhodar Dmytro Orlov says that it will be impossible to drive in the area of Kamianske for a couple of days.
● This road is used for the evacuation from the temporarily occupied territories to Zaporizhzhia and the exit from the city to the regions.
August 1
21:42 Regional Administration: In Nikopol and the region, new shelling from the Russians is possible.
● "This applies to cities, villages, settlements located on the banks of the Kakhovka reservoir. Use the two-wall rule or shelter today," he said.
16:12: MTR "Azov" destroyed two BMP-3 Russians. One by shock copter, the second by a tank.
DNIPRO
August 2
08:20 Regional Military Administration: Russians shelled the Synelnykove and Kryvyi Rih districts at night
● The Russians hit Synelnykove by the MRL. The houses and cars are damaged in the Pokrovsk territorial community. Previously, people were not injured.
● In the Kryvyi Rih district, the Russians fired artillery at the Shyroke and Zelenodolsk territorial communities. No casualties.
● The power line is damaged in the Koshove village. There is no electricity in the village.
August 1
22:14 Military administration of Kryvyi Rih:
● The Russians shot an evacuation minibus with civilians near the village of Dovhovo in the Kherson region, two people were killed
● Five people managed to be evacuated to Kryvyi Rih - three men and two women, all civilians. Two of them are in serious condition with burn shock. All are already in the hospital in Kryvyi Rih, where they are being treated.
17:31 State Emergency Service: As a result of Russian shelling of the Kryvyi Rih district, the railway infrastructure was destroyed.
● Rail traffic has been halted. The electric transformer and power grid were also damaged. People didn't get hurt.
KHERSON
August 1
23:40: Head of Kakhovka District Territorial Election Commission, resident of Nova Kakhovka Oleksandra Kostylova cooperates with the Russian authorities - Center of Journalistic Investigations reports.
● On July 30 she took part in the forum «We are together with Russia», which was organized by Russians in Kherson.
20:04 Social Media: The Russians are pulling a Nibulon barge (designed to transport grain) towards the Antonivskyi bridge in temporarily occupied Kherson.
14:18 : In the Kherson region, 46 settlements have been de-occupied, but it is still desirable for the population to evacuate to safer regions until the region is fully liberated, - said the acting head of the Kherson
14:03 Naval Forces: As a result of a successful counteroffensive in the Kherson direction, Ukrainian marines captured 11 Russian soldiers.
MYKOLAIV
August 2
10:41 Regional Military Administration:
● Russians shelled two districts of the city,
● According to preliminary information, it is known that one of the areas was attacked by rockets of the MLSR «Smerch», the other - by missiles of type S-300.
● As a result, the dormitory of one of the universities was damaged. Houses were also damaged. A fire broke out in a grocery store because of the shelling and debris.
● Yesterday, because of Russian shelling, a fire occurred in residential premises and household facilities in the Kotliareve village. There were no casualties. The infrastructure was damaged in the Halytsynove village.
● Bashtanka district. The village of Shyroke was shelled in the evening. Russians hit the gardens of local residents and the roads of the village. There were no casualties.
● On the night of August 2, at 1:30, the territory near the village of Yavkyne also was shelled. The power line was damaged, part of the settlement was cut off. Information on injuries and injuries is being clarified.
● The shelling continues on the territory and nearby settlements of the Bereznehuvate territorial community. The villages located on the boundary line remain under constant fire. No information about the victims. Information on the destruction is being clarified.
08:42: Russians destroyed the dormitory of the university in Mykolaiv.
● The five-story building is destroyed and is not suitable for further use. Neighboring buildings are also damaged.
● Local channels report that a guard of the dormitory was injured.
06:13 Mayor: ️Explosions thundered in Mykolaiv early in the morning. According to preliminary data, one person was injured.
August 1
20:37 Mayor of Mykolaiv: Since the beginning of the full-scale war in Mykolaiv, 680 private houses have been damaged, of which 69 cannot be restored. About 500 high-rise buildings were also damaged.
Comparing Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Russian invasion of Ukraine using Wikipedia and Ukraine Ministry of Defense Daily Bulletins. Soviet and Russian military losses not including captured equipment.
SOURCES
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/
https://euromaidanpress.com/
https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQBD3wxTrZ6XUU7IdXeHUfjVCydekezQCCGuwYnT6qPd1r7n1aVbFIewa6ng6Lis
"After the operation of the kamikaze drone, the positions of the Russians were attacked with an 82-mm machine gun."
An 82 mm machine gun would be ... an interesting sight.