Bob Homans August 3
20220803
Ukraine – 8/3 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
Twitter: @rhomansjr
August 3, 2022
The Latest Denys
Denys reports about Russia destroying its own supply train. The train crossed the bridge at Nova Khahovka, and then stopped. Russia was using smoke generators to help hide the train from Ukrainian artillery. Unfortunately, at least one smoke generator was placed too close to a wagonload of ammunition. The train was destroyed and, perhaps equally important, the tracks were blocked.
Ukraine’s Economy
Little has been reported on the current state of Ukraine’s economy, either here or elsewhere. I’ll try to do what little I can to correct this oversight.
Everyone agrees that because of the effects of the war Ukraine’s economy is in a bad state, but are dire predictions of Ukraine’s economic collapse accurate? People like Ben Aris of bneIntellinews never seem to tire of predicting Ukraine’s economic and financial collapse. Is he right? I don’t believe so, for the following reasons:
· Decline in Ukraine’s Foreign Currency Reserves - Much has been made of the decline of Ukraine’s foreign currency reserves, from just over $29 billion at the start of the war to just under $23 billion in June (data from the National Bank of Ukraine - NBU). In early 2014, at the end of the Revolution of Dignity, foreign currency reserves were around $3 billion.
· Recently, the National Bank of Ukraine has let the Hryvna devalue by around 25%, from around 30/$1.00 at the start of the war to just over 40/$1.00 today. Later in this email, there is a statement from the NBU that over the next few months the Hryvna will strengthen to 36.6/$1.00.
· Ukraine has stated that it will need $5 billion/month, to cover basic public sector needs, including defense, social payments healthcare and repair of critical infrastructure, and not much else.
What is going on?
· Is the Ukrainian economy becoming Dollarized? Do people want to avoid holding Hryvna? Does Ukraine’s holding of foreign reserves really reflect the flow of funds going in and out of Ukraine? I don’t know the answers, but consider:
o Before the war started, remittances from Ukrainians working in the EU were running at around $12 billion/yr. I’m not sure that is true today, because many Ukrainian men holding jobs in the EU have returned to Ukraine to fight.
o Remittances are largely coming into Ukraine in cash, outside the banking system. People from NBU have told me that they can only estimate the true amount.
o Before the war, it’s quite likely that the money was going into real estate, a traditional store of value for Ukrainians. Over the last few years, just in our neighborhood of Kyiv, hundreds of high-end flats have been built. I suspect that many of these flats were built with money from remittances, money entering Ukraine outside the banking system, and staying outside. The luxury shopping center that Russians destroyed early in the war was a 10-minute walk from our place and it was built to service the occupants new residences.
o There has been a huge volume of offshore donations to the war effort. Much of this money is either coming into Ukraine from outside the banking system, or if it enters the banking system it is soon debited to pay for supplies, largely although not exclusively for the military. I doubt the NBU knows how much money.
o Are Ukrainians simply avoiding holding Hryvna? Hryvnas, like any other currency, are short-term obligations of the issuer, the NBU in this case. The real estate transactions described earlier, funded by remittances, are almost exclusively settled in hard currencies.
· Ukraine’s banking system is in far better shape than it was in early 2014
o Since that time, 50% of Ukraine’s banks have been shut down, all of which were deemed insolvent by the NBU.
o Privat Bank, the repository for over 30% of Ukraine’s retail deposits, was taken over by Ukraine’s Deposit Guarantee Fund because of a $5.5 billion hole in its balance sheet, consisting almost exclusively of loans to related parties. Privat is now profitable, but the resolution of the $5.5 billion in uncollectable loans still hasn’t been resolved.
o NBU is under stronger leadership, whereas at the time of the end of the Revolution of Dignity, the NBU wasn’t much more than an ATM for former President Yanukovich and his associates.
I don’t know the answers to these questions, but this is what I’m observing, admittedly from afar. Ukraine’s financial condition, while dire, doesn’t seem as bad as Ben Aris and others allege. I’m admittedly fascinated by funds flows at the micro level, and this is what I’m seeing. As an economics professor of mine at Stanford Business School reminded us, a national economy is made up by collective decisions of individual members of its population.
There is no question that Ukraine’s economy needs more attention. The EU can start with committing to transfer the entire 9 billion Euro commitment (the EU just transferred 1 billion).
The U.S. doesn’t seem to have a contact person responsible for addressing Ukraine’s fiscal needs. If Zelenskyy or Yermak wants to call someone about weapons deliveries, they call Secretary of Defense Austin, or General Milley. What about fiscal needs? Is there someone at the sub-Cabinet level, maybe the Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, whom Zelenskyy, the Minister of Finance, or the Governor of the NBU, can call (If Ukraine’s economy is really becoming Dollarized, maybe a senior officer at the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank)? Oksana Makarova, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S., is the former Finance Minister of Ukraine.
During the Trump Administration Kurt Volker likely served this purpose. During the Obama Administration it was Vice President Joe Biden. Maybe there is someone whom Pres. Biden has designated, but I don’t know who it is. I don’t matter; Ukrainian policymakers matter.
8/2 Sitrep (my comments in bold face)
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon August 2 to 12:00 noon August 3, 2022
INTERNATIONAL
AUGUST 3
10:49 Stern: Former German Chancellor, called on the German government to solve the gas deficit by launching the Russian gas pipeline "Nord Stream-2".
● “The simplest solution would be to put the Nord Stream 2 pipeline into operation. It’s ready. When things get tight, there is this pipeline, and with both Nord Stream pipelines there would be no supply problem for German industry and German households.
09:32 Pentagon Speaker: Shoigu’s statements about the “destruction” of Ukrainian HIMARS are lies.
"The Ukrainian military deploys every one of the HIMARS missile systems that “the United States, allies and partners have provided to defend against Russia’s brutal, criminal invasion,”
AUGUST 2
21:56 ERR: The newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Urmas Reinsalu, made his first foreign visit to Ukraine today
● 'Because of the unjustified and cruel war unleashed by Russia, Ukraine is defending its freedom and sovereignty for 160 days, as well as values that are close to us,' said the head of the Estonian Foreign Ministry.
20:48 US Department of State: The United States of America has imposed visa sanctions on almost 900 Russians, including members of the Federation Council.
● It is reported that today three Russian oligarchs have been added to the sanctions list - Dmitry Pumpyansky, Andrey Melnichenko and Alexander Ponomarenko. The State Transport Leasing Company and its subsidiaries also fell under the restrictions.
19:42 German channel N-tv: The turbine required for the full operation of the 'Nord Stream 1' gas pipeline is still located in Germany
● Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Siemens Energy in Mülheim an der Ruhr tomorrow morning, where the turbine is located.
19:36 US Treasury Department: The United States has expanded the sanctions lists against the Russian Federation
● Alina Kabaeva, Head of a Russian media company and rumored to be Putin’s girlfriend, fell under the sanctions. Also on the sanctions lists were several organizations - the 'Skolkovo' Foundation and the 'Skoltech' Institute, the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, and others.
16:49: Canada has expanded sanctions against the Russian Federation, – the country's government says.
● The sanctions include 43 military officials and 17 organizations that "are involved in the senseless bloodshed of the President of Russia, including the terrible events in Bucha."
16:00 Pentagon: The US State Department has approved the sale of Javelin light anti-tank missile complexes to Great Britain for $300 million.
● The British government previously requested the purchase of 513 Javelin light anti-tank missile systems. The main contractor in their production will be Javelin Joint Venture, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies.
15:01 El Mundo: Spain has decided not to hand over Leopard tanks to Ukraine. The country's Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, claims that the tanks have mechanical problems and cannot be shipped. Ukrainians can repair anything. Send the tanks, and Ukrainians will repair them. They have done the same with captured Russian tanks tractors damaged by mines, etc.
14:48 LSM: The commission of the Latvian Sejm supported the recognition of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
● According to her, the reason is that the tanks are "in an absolutely deplorable state".
14:30 Spiegel - German Foreign Ministry: Germany promises support for Taiwan in the event of a possible attack by China
● "We do not accept when international law is violated, and a larger neighbor attacks its smaller neighbor, violating this law - and this, of course, also applies to China."
14:18: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reported on the conversation with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
● "They talked about the priorities of military support. It is extremely important that NATO and its allies provide even more aid to Ukraine and do it even faster.
● The first batch of exported grain after Russia's invasion and the need to fully implement the agreement under the auspices of the UN and Türkiye were also discussed," he clarified.
12:50 Reuters: The USA is considering the possibility of limiting the supply of American equipment to produce microcircuits to manufacturers in China
● Such a step can also damage the South Korean companies Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and SK Hynix Inc. Because Samsung has two large factories in China, and SK Hynix Inc is buying Intel Corp's NAND flash memory chip manufacturing business in China.
12:33 The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show: Former US President Donald Trump believes that Volodymyr Zelenskyi should have renounced NATO and recognized Crimea as Russian
● In his opinion, this would make it possible to avoid a war with the Russian Federation. Trump also called the direction of Russian equipment to the borders of Ukraine before the invasion "an excellent negotiating tactic.”
● Today, perhaps an even better negotiating tactic would be for Russia to direct its equipment and soldiers to the border with Ukraine.
12:31: Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, acting head of the OSCE, Zbigniew Rau, arrived in Ukraine on a visit.
12:31 Globe and Mail.: Ukraine receives such weapons from Germany, which are not yet in service with the German army, said Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
● "We delivered everything we had: anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems, mines, guns, tons of ammunition and non-lethal aid. Then we switched to more complex and expensive systems. Self-propelled howitzers, MLRS, anti-aircraft systems, counter-battery radars. Many of these systems are so new that very few of them have been made, and some have not even been presented to the Bundeswehr," - Scholz said.
NATIONAL
August 3
10:50: The Embassy of Ukraine proposed to the Government of Lebanon to buy flour and barley stolen by the Russians and delivered to the port of the country on the Syrian ship Laodicea
10:49: Security Service of Ukraine detained a Russian agent who was collecting data on the adjustment of missile strikes on the airfields of the Dnipro region
● The FSB agent also secretly collected intelligence on the functioning of the Prydniprovsk Railway facilities, locations of deployment and movement of units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and territorial defence.
10:49 British Intelligence: The Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked the Russian echelon with ammunition in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine. It is extremely unlikely that the railway service connecting Kherson with the Crimea will remain operational.
10:16 Intelligence Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine: Powerful agents of Ukraine operate in Russia
● Many Ukrainians over the years in Russia have managed to make a serious career there in the civil service. It allows effortless work with the enemy. Spies were introduced in 2015. It was the agents who informed Kyiv that a full-scale attack on Ukraine was planned for February 15, but Putin postponed it to February 24.
08:40 Institute for the Study of War:
● Russian forces have likely decided to attack Avdiivka frontally from occupied Donetsk Oblast territory rather than waiting for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from their prepared defensive positions
● Russian forces have likely captured the Ukrainian position, given the Ukrainian General Staff‘s vague reports of partially successful Russian advances in the Butivka Coal Mine area southwest of Avdiivka.
● Russian federal subjects are forming new volunteer battalions in the Novosibirsk, Saratov, Ulyanovsk, and Kurgan regions.
● According to the statements and concerns of the Russian Defense Ministry, the strikes of Ukrainians with HIMARS "demoralize Russian servicemen".
● Iran may have sent the first batch of UAVs to Russia for field testing along with Iranian pilots and technicians who will train for the use and repair of Russian Su-35 aircraft, potentially suggesting that Iran might try to use recent air agreements to facilitate the acquisition of Russian military equipment.
08:07 Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine: Criticized men of military age who want to leave the country during a full-scale war.
● “There is an alternative. Please, go help those guys who are in the front. There is a lot to do in the country. There is no need to hide behind a woman’s skirt and flee the country. You must help. If you cannot fight and cannot take up arms, you can help in another way. Find a way to help. It’s not fair when men start fleeing the country during a war. I don’t support it,” – Danilov says.
07:44 Operational report of the General Staff of the AFU:
● In the Volyn and Polissia directions, was held training on the communication of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus. Russians continue to use the territory of Belarus to transport sabotage and reconnaissance groups into the territory of Ukraine.
● In the Kharkiv direction, the Russians moved in the direction of Kobucheivka - Dementiivka but were repulsed and they retreated.
● In the Bakhmut direction, the Russian troops launched an offensive around the western outskirts of Berestove, but had no success, so withdrew. The same situation in the Volodymyrivka - Yakovlivka and Semyhiria - Kodema directions.
● The fighting continues in the Volodymyrivka - Soledar and Pokrovske - Bakhmut direction.
● in the direction of the Vidrodzhenniia - Kodema and Dolomytne - Semyhiria, the Ukrainian military inflicted a powerful firefight and forced the Russians to withdraw.
● Due to the low level of personnel of the Russian Reserve Tank Regiment, the equipment of the military unit, which was moved to the Zaporizhzhia direction at the end of May this year, was transferred for the addition of tank battalions, The 58 Combined Arms Army of the Russian ground forces.
● In the Sloviansk direction, the Russian reconnaissance force tried to reconnoitre south of the Mazanivka settlement, but they were deactivated by AFU.
00:55 Tablet Magazine - Operational Command Pivden (South): Half a million more people can be called up to the Armed Forces of Ukraine if necessary.
00:31: The Ministry of Culture has published a list of names of historical and cultural figures that it recommends to be deleted from Ukrainian toponyms in the first place.
● The list, which appeared on the ministry's Facebook page, includes 10 people who, according to the Expert Council of the Ministry of Culture, "have nothing to do with Ukraine" and are a legacy of "totalitarianism":
August 2
23:55: The lists of the dead Ukrainian defenders in the colony in Olenivka were partially confirmed, said the former commander of the Azov SOF Maksym Zhorin
● “There are partial lists that have been posted publicly, now partially confirmed. But we can also say with confidence that they are not complete ... Now, unfortunately, we do not have clear lists of the dead and wounded. It is very difficult for relatives and friends who are waiting for the return of [fighters] home, who are in such a limbo right now. But Russia does not provide any official lists,” Zhorin said.
23:50 President's Office: In the south, the Armed Forces of Ukraine daily cover rear facilities of the invaders with artillery fire three or four times.
● We continue to work on the logistic support of the Russian troops. Warehouses with ammunition, with equipment, places of concentration of personnel, fuel, command posts. Several coverings a day is the norm. Three or four coverings," he said.
22:33 President’s Office: Confirmed the difficult situation around Avdiivka and Pіskіv. According to him, the enemy concentrated forces and means there.
● At the same time, according to him, "help has already arrived, and now we will correct the situation there a little."
21:38 Minister of Finance: In Ukraine, the tax amnesty can be extended until March 1, 2023. According to the law, the current tax amnesty must end next month.
21:38 Energoatom: 'It is necessary to stop the nuclear terrorism of Russia and save the life and future of Europe and the entire planet'
● 'We must protect the world from a new horror. We need a powerful coalition that will support Ukraine's efforts to prevent a nuclear disaster, liberate ZANP from the invaders, return control of the plant and nuclear materials to the state!' - emphasized Kotin.
20:11 Air Force Command: The air defense forces today shot down seven of the eight Russian missiles of the X-101 (X-555) type fired from the Caspian Sea region
● 'Six missiles were eliminated by anti-aircraft missile troops and one was shot down by an Air Force fighter'.
● According to him, there was one hit in the Lviv region, because of which an anti-aircraft missile defense system was hit. Damage and casualties are being determined.
19:33 Ministry of Internal Affairs: During the first two months of the war in Ukraine, there was a decrease in the level of crime
● Since May, crime in Ukraine has gone up. However, overall crime in Ukraine decreased during the first half of 2022 by 25% compared to the previous year.
19:06 Lviv Regional Military Administration: Preliminarily, an explosion in the territory of the Chervonohrad district is a result of a missile attack by the Russian Federation
19:18: The presence of the OSCE in Ukraine will continue without the consent of Russia, – the head of the OSCE Zbigniew Rau says.
● 'I must be absolutely frank with you that our presence in Ukraine will continue for the time being without Russian support, without Russian consensus or consent', – he says.
18:28 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine :
● According to available information, Belarus continues to supply certain types of ammunition for the needs of the Russian armed forces. The threat of missile strikes from the territory of Belarus remains.
● In the KharkIv direction, the enemy fired from tanks, cannon and missile artillery at the areas of the settlements of Kharkiv, Chuhuiv, Dementiivka and others. They launched an airstrike near Verhnii Saltiv.
● The Russians failed to improve the tactical situation in the direction of Ternova, and retreated - Bairak.
● In the Donetsk direction, the enemy is concentrating its efforts on conducting an offensive in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions. By the systematic use of fire weapons, the enemy is trying to tie down the actions of our troops and prevent them from capsizing in threatening directions.
● All attempts of the enemy to advance in the directions of Rota - Vershyna, Volodymyrivka - Yakovlivka, Klynove - Zaitseve and Pokrovske - Bakhmut were successfully repelled. The Russians retreated with losses.
● The enemy continues to suffer losses in manpower and equipment. Among the Russian soldiers, an increase in the facts of alcohol abuse is recorded, as a result - disobedience to officers and interethnic conflicts.
17:29: After strengthening the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, conflicts on ethnic grounds became more frequent in the army of the Russian Federation. This is evidenced by a new telephone conversation of Russian soldiers, intercepted by the SBU (Ukrainian Intelligence).
● A Russian soldier tells how a drunken Tuvan from the 55th brigade of Russia opened fire on the commander of a reconnaissance battalion.
● The 'victim' in response sent an armored personnel carrier with personnel to the location of the 55th brigade for 'demonstrative curbing' of the recalcitrant.
16:10 NHK - President's Office: The closer to winter, the more difficult it will be for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to return Ukrainian territories, so the next months will be decisive in the war.
● "If the fighting continues into winter, it will become more and more difficult to return the territory. We will focus our discussions on taking all possible measures to break the stalemate before that time comes".
● Russia has not yet handed over to Ukraine the official lists of the dead and wounded prisoners of war because of the terrorist attack in Olenivka. At the same time, there is no reason to trust the lists published by the Russians on the Internet.
15:32 UN Refugee Agency: More than 10 million people left Ukraine with the start of a full-scale war.
● As of January 1, 2022, the country's population was estimated at 40 million.
● About 4.2 million Ukrainians returned to their families. According to the organization, there are 6.1 million refugees in Europe.
15:27: "Oh, phosphorus flew": a Russian man in a conversation intercepted by Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence admits that they use phosphorous munitions that are launched from ballistic rockets "Grads".
During the dialogue, the father of the Russian soldier reminded that this is prohibited by the Convention, to which he replied: "Dad, you know how much we use here, which is prohibited in principle.”
15:09 Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense: At the "Kalanchak" railway station of the Kherson region, the Russians set up a smoke screen and blew up their own train.
● On July 31, during the unloading of the echelon, apparently for the purpose of camouflage and protection from HIMARS strikes, the Russian army used powerful means of smoke. A little later there was an explosion.
● The CDI believes that the cause of the explosion was careless handling of ammunition during unloading or a fire caused by the inept use of pyrotechnics during the creation of a smoke screen.
14:30: Children's neurologist Pavlо Kovalchuk, who received severe burns because of a Russian missile attack on Vinnytsia on July 14, died in the hospital, the Neuromed clinic reported. Thus, the number of victims of the Russian terrorist attack in Vinnytsia increased to 27.
14:03: The SSU liquidated a million-dollar "bot farm" that was destabilizing the situation in Ukraine at the behest of one of the political forces.
● To disperse destructive content, dealers administered more than 1 million of their own bots, as well as numerous groups in social networks with an audience of almost 400,000 users
● During a multi-stage special operation, the leader of the criminal group was exposed. He turned out to be a Russian citizen who lived in Kyiv and positioned himself as a "political expert".
13:56 Irpen mayor: Miami and Irpіn will become twin cities
● "We approved the corresponding decision about such intentions today at the city council session. In Miami, the same decision was made at the end of July," - Markushyn said.
● After signing an agreement with the mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez, the two cities will establish permanent friendly relations for mutual acquaintance with their life, history and culture.
13:55 National Bank of Ukraine: Thanks to the EU candidate status, Ukraine will join the SEPA euro payment zone
● According to the NBU, this will simplify the entry of Ukrainian business and financial technologies into European markets, as well as reduce the cost of money transfers from EU countries.
13:23: Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland and Acting Head of the OSCE Zbigniew Rau, as well as OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid visited Bucha.
● As the head of Kyiv RMA Oleksii Kuleba reported, they laid flowers at the memorial sign at the place of the mass burial and visited the modular town, which was donated by the Polish society for people who lost their homes.
12:35 Administration of Sea Ports of Ukraine: 68 ships with 1.2 million tons of cargo are stuck in Ukrainian ports, most of which are food that is waiting around the world
● "480,000 tons of grain crops and vegetable oil have been loaded into the holds of ships located in the water areas of the ports "Pivdennyi", "Odesa" and "Chornomorsk". Another million tons of grain is stored at Ukrainian port terminals and warehouses", - AMPU noted.
● Commenting on the dispatch yesterday of the first test vessel with 26 thousand tons of corn within the framework of the Istanbul grain agreement concluded with Türkiye and the UN, AMPU noted that 16 more ships are already waiting for their turn in the ports of "Big Odesa".
12:32 National Bank of Ukraine: The dollar in Ukraine will soon be in the region of UAH 36.6. The hryvnia will strengthen in the coming days and weeks.
12:03 British intelligence update:
● The Sierra Leone-flagged RAZONI cargo ship left the Ukrainian port of Odesa on the Black Sea on August 1 and headed for the port of Tripoli in Lebanon with 26,000 tons of Ukrainian grain. This is the first shipment of grain to leave a Ukrainian port since the invasion began, made possible by the July 22 agreement on a transit corridor for grain exports between Ukraine, Türkiye, the UN and Russia.
● The reported strike on Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol on Navy Day is the latest setback for the Black Sea Fleet in the five-month-old war against Ukraine, which included the loss of its flagship, the cruiser MOSKVA, in April 2022.
● Following the reports of cancelled parades, it is unlikely that the Black Sea Fleet can manage high profile public events alongside its wartime activities.
MORDOR (Russia)
AUGUST 3
10:17: The father of the missing soldier, who was on the 'Moscow' cruiser, received a death certificate after 110 days. The father of the Russian military Dmiytro Shkrebets from Yalta reported on social media. The document states that the sailor was killed on 13 April - the day Ukraine reported an attack on the ship.
AUGUST 2
22:12: 69% of Russians have never been outside of Russia, less than a year ago, only 2% went on vacation abroad, according to the results of the survey of the "Public Opinion" fund.
19:53 Mediazona: The organization ETS, which organizes the TOEFL English exam, has banned Russian citizens from registering for the exam.
15:47: A third of Russians (35%) believe that the Sun revolves around the Earth, and not the other way around, according to a study by the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion.
15:46: In Azov, they reacted to the recognition of their "terrorist organization" in the Russian Federation.
● Ukrainian defenders are convinced that this is how Russia is trying to "justify" the mass murder of Azov prisoners of war in Elenovka, Donetsk region. They called on the USA and other countries to recognize the Russian Federation as a terrorist state.
14:18 Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Washington's declaration of Russia as a sponsor of terrorism may lead to a break in diplomatic relations with the United States.
13:55: The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation recognized "Azov" as a "terrorist organization".
● This will further complicate the process of exchanging Ukrainian prisoners of war from the "Azov" regiment and increase the chances that they will be put on trial in Russia on charges of "terrorism".
12:32 The Telegraph - Military Intelligence Ministry of Defense of Ukraine: Temporarily occupied Crimea is preparing to return to the control of Ukraine
● "A battalion tactical group of Russian paratroopers arrived in occupied Crimea to be sent to the mainland of Ukraine. In addition, the invaders are strengthening the anti-aircraft defense system on the peninsula. Against this background, the partisans and the movement against the occupiers became active. People are preparing for the fact that we will return there."
● "Britain is helping Ukraine track down Russian spies seeking Western military aid"
● Among other things, Skibytskyi stated that there is an extensive network of Russian spies and informants operating in Ukraine and neighboring Poland.
○ Since most of the Western aid enters the country through the airport of the Polish city of Rzeszów, Russian agents are constantly on duty near it, informing their "colleagues" on Ukrainian territory of the arrival of military supplies.
○ Then Russian intelligence tracks the delivery routes of Western military aid up to its storage locations and reports the coordinates for launching strikes with "Calibre" missiles.
SUMY
August 2
22:50 Regional Military Administration: The Russians carried out 6 attacks on the border communities of the region today. A total of 62 arrivals were recorded.
KHARKIV
August 3
11:53 Regional Military Administration: Recently, the Russians have been spreading information about a possible re-offensive on Kharkiv.
● "We have information that in the coming days the enemy will intensify rocket attacks on the city of Kharkiv and the regions of the region. Therefore, I ask the residents of Kharkiv region not to ignore the alarm signals, not to be outside unless necessary, and to stay in shelters during the alarm,"
● SSO AZOV Kharkiv fighters successfully attacked Russian equipment in the rear of the enemy near the Russian borders.
○ As a result of the operation, seven trucks from BC and two security vehicles were destroyed.
10:16 Regional Military Administration: Russians struck Kharkiv at night. The missiles were launched from Belgorod, preliminarily - from the S-300 missile system. The S-300 is an anti-aircraft system. The missiles are very inaccurate when used in a surface-to-surface mode. Their use may also be an indication that the Russians are running low on conventional surface-to-surface missiles.
● A Russian missile hit the territory of a civilian industrial facility in the Novobavarskyi district and damaged the building. There were no casualties. In the district, another Russian missile hit the ground.
10:16: The Prosecutor’s Office of the Kharkiv Region reported that the Russian military launched a missile attack on a plant in the Novovbavarskyi district of Kharkiv. The missile hit one of the workshops, which has an area of 6,000 m2.
05:38 Mayor of Kharkiv: "At 03:55 and at 03:56 Kharkiv heard two explosions. In one case arrived in the Kholodnogorsk district of the city. Preliminarily there were no casualties and fire. On the second location of the hit firefighters clarify the information" - said Igor Terekhov in his telegram channel.
● On the second arrival, an infrastructure facility in the Novobavar district was damaged. There were no casualties and no fire. Only destruction
August 2
13:00 National Police: As a result of night shelling by the Russians in Chuguev, a residential house was damaged, where a blast crater 5 meters deep was formed. Household buildings were also destroyed. In addition, 6 garages in a garage cooperative and a production building at a local factory were damaged. There are no casualties.
LUHANSK
August 3
10:16 Regional Military Administration: Over the past 24 hours, the Russians have launched air strikes near eight settlements located in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
DONETSK
August 3
09:33 Social media: High-rise buildings continue to fall in Severodonetsk after numerous shelling and strikes of Russian aviation.
09:33 Regional Military Administration: Over the past 24 hours, the Russians killed four civilians, and another seven people were injured.
08:06 Regional Military Administration: Two-thirds of the Donetsk residents have already left the region, but for a peaceful heating season, the number of evacuees should increase
● 'Of course, the rate is very low and most people do not have the desire to leave for now. But the summer period is not over yet. We understand that people will act differently when the weather gets cold. Evacuation is slow, because there is the category of people who do not want to leave until the last', - says Kyrylenko.
05:22: A video of a fire in occupied Makiivka, Donetsk region, appeared in social networks. It is reported that an oil depot is on fire.
August 2
14:08 Adviser to the mayor: The occupying authorities of Mariupol carry out demining exclusively in points of their own interest - factories, the port, and beaches,
● "The remains of mines and shells remain in apartments, yards, and streets. The most telling is the Russian Point U on the children's playground. Russian sappers do not go out on calls. People have been waiting for demining for weeks," he noted.
ZAPORIZHYA
August 2
DNIPRO
August 3
08:39 Regional Military Administration: Russians struck the Kryvyi Rih district of the Dnipropetrovsk region and hit a kindergarten and church. The people were not injured. Kryvyi Rih is President Zelenskyy’s home town.
August 2
19:59 Regional Military Administration: A photo of the consequences of the shelling of Nikopol
● According to him, more than 1,100 rockets were fired at the Nikopol region. More than 200 houses, several hospitals, schools, and gardens were damaged.
KHERSON
August 3
08:39 Operational Command “Pivden” (South) : The Ukrainian military launched a fire attack on the base of the Russian troops in Chornobaivka
● Also, the Ukrainian Air Force struck three times on the strongholds and once on the accumulation of Russian weapons and equipment in the Beryslav and Bashtanka districts.
● In the Bashtanka region, the forces of the anti-aircraft missile unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down three X-101 cruise missiles.
● Currently confirmed losses of the Russian Federation are:
○ 20 Russian soldiers;
○ 2 T-72 tanks.
○ Howitzer "Msta-B"
○ 4 units of the vehicle and armoured cars.
00:31: As a result of yesterday's shelling of an evacuation bus in the Kherson region, 2 people were killed, 5 were injured and in serious condition.
● As it turned out, the four wounded are one family. The victims are now in intensive care, their condition is serious, but stable.
August 2
23:20 Regional Military Administration: Departure from the Kherson region to the territory controlled by Ukraine is blocked. He said that because of the rains, the road through Vasylivka was washed away.
19:05 : The deputy of the Kherson regional council from the political party 'Nash Krai' (Our land - ed.) Vitalii Viktorovych Buliuk (born December 21, 1969, ex-head of the Kherson regional customs) rules in the city of Skadovsk, the Kherson region, together with the temporary operational group of the FSB (Russian Intelligence - ed.) of the Russian Federation, – local media report.
● Buliuk, to fulfill the tasks of Russian curators, is taking measures to establish trade and logistics chains in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region from the Russian Federation and occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
18:54 Regional Military Administration: Ukrainian troops have already liberated 53 settlements in the Kherson region from Russian occupation”
16:01 Regional Military Administration: In the temporarily occupied Brylіvka, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces recently destroyed an echelon with military equipment of the Russian Federation, the Russians evicted people living near the railway
● People living within a radius of 400 meters from the railway station were evicted. In addition, the station was cordoned off so that "locals would not surrender the movement of occupation equipment to the Armed Forces".
13:24: A video of Russians running away after the recent attack by the Armed Forces on the Brylevka railway station in the Kherson region appeared on the Internet. The Ukrainian military destroyed a train with equipment, ammunition, and personnel.
12:44 Photo from social networks: In temporarily occupied Kherson, flyers with the algorithm of actions of the civilian population during the liberation of the city are scattered by the Armed Forces.
MYKOLAIV
August 3
06:19 Mayor of Mykolayiv: "Powerful explosions occurred in Mykolayiv around five in the morning. There are arrivals. In one area of the city there was a fire, in another - destroyed supermarket. Rescue services are working. More information will be able to tell you in a few hours," - said Oleksandr Senkevich.
August 2
23:15 Mayor of Mykolaiv confirms explosions in the city. In addition, he said that the supply of electricity, which had stopped after the last shelling, was resumed.
20:07: Air defense systems shot down 4 X-type missiles (X-101, X-555) during an air raid in the Mykolaiv region, – the press service of the Air Force of Ukraine reports.
13:57: As a result of the morning shelling by the Russians of Mykolaiv, the "Everi" terminal was hit, reports the Regional State Emergency Service.
● Due to the actions of the Russian troops, the cladding of the tank and two nearby buildings caught fire. The fire was extinguished. There was vegetable oil in the tank
13:15 Regional Military Administration: Mandatory evacuation is not yet planned in for Mykolaiv
● The number of dead in the Mykolaiv region, compared to other regions that suffer from Russians, is relatively moderate.
● "If we are talking about forced evacuation, this is the front line, but now our Armed Forces are advancing. We have 3 directions out of 4 from the city," - Kim added.
13:13: Counterintelligence officers of the SSU detained a resident of Mykolaiv, who collected and distributed in Russian Internet communities data about the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and critical infrastructure facilities in Mykolaiv.
● The information collected by him was used by enemy special services and troops to launch missile and artillery strikes on military and civilian objects in the city. As a result of his actions, several such structures were destroyed.
ODESA
August 3, 00:15 Russian Defense Ministry: Today, the deputy mayor of Odesa had to climb onto the roof of the musical comedy theater to show that there are no weapons there.
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