Bob Homans July 12

20220712

Ukraine – 7/12 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
Twitter: @rhomansjr
July 12, 2022

NOTE – This email quite long.  We do our best to move from the general to the more granular, so that people don’t have to read the entire email in order to get a sense of what is going on.

Rep. Victoria Spartz Interview

These are excerpts from the interview given yesterday by Rep. Victoria Spartz to Ukrainska Pravda.   The transcript is in Ukrainian, so it may be necessary to use Google Translate.   She agreed to be interviewed in Ukrainian, which I thought was a mistake.   She left Ukraine in her early 20’s.   In my opinion, the points she raised in her letter to Pres. Biden were important and need to be addressed.  However, some of the comments she made in the interview, about Ukrainians, are unfortunate and in my opinion, they will serve to dilute whatever credibility she has, at least in Ukraine.

Here are some of the excerpts from the interview:

·       The redacted portion of the letter to Biden – She didn’t answer the interviewer’s question.  The accusations themselves have been covered in Ukraine’s media, going back several months.  How the U.S. may have come by the information is protected by not revealing “sources & methods.”  Why didn’t she simply say that this was the reason for the redaction in the letter?

·       “I will tell you honestly that both Republicans and Democrats are very concerned: how are we going to do oversight if we spend so much money in Ukraine? That is, the problem I am talking about exists at the bipartisan level! And you need to solve it! Or, if you can't solve it, then your president should not be offended when he talks to the West.”  Oversight is up to the United States, not Ukraine.  She seems to be implying that Ukraine is resisting oversight.   I don’t believe that is true.

·       “These are your problems” – Rep. Spartz uses this term repeatedly, without defining what “your problems” refer to.

·       “You (Ukrainians) do not understand that you have the biggest war after the Second World War!”   “You keep waiting for what the West will do. People are sitting in restaurants in Kyiv, as if you don't have a war anymore, because the war has gone to the East.”   Both statements are ludicrous.   War has come to every corner of Ukraine, if not in major attacks or cruise missile strikes, then all over Ukraine in the bodies of dead soldiers being returned to their relatives

·       “For example, you don't give budgets for your cities to defend themselves, you took away all local budgets. And they tell me that this was done on the instructions of the Office of the President.  When you take away budgets and because of that cities cannot defend themselves, cannot do what is necessary for defense...”    This statement reflects a basic misunderstanding of Ukrainian budget policies, on the part of Rep. Spartz.   The National Government allocates a substantial part of revenues back to local governments, where it can be used at the discretion of local administration.   This has been the case for years.

·       “I met with almost every head of your administration and parliament. I've met so many times that I won't meet anyone anymore, I don't have time anymore, I'm tired of meeting with your authorities.   Understand, I am not elected by Ukrainian voters, I have voters to whom I am accountable.”   As a friend of mine’s father said, when my friend and I both missed easy shots when shooting ducks from a blind, “I’ll withhold comment.”

·       “Ukraine and every Ukrainian must understand that you have a very serious war. It is necessary that people, who can, help your army, help the military, people who want to fight. Everyone should do what they can, who can help with what they can. You must switch to war rails.  I advise not to underestimate your opponent. The Russians are regrouping, they know how to wage a hybrid war.”   Ditto.  She really doesn’t think that Ukrainians don’t know a thing about how Russians wage a hybrid war?

·       Q – “Do I understand you correctly, that these weapons could not go to the front, but to some other states?”  A – “We don't know, but maybe, maybe! Maybe this is the problem. They may be in Syria; they may be in Russia.”   Ditto

At no time in the interview did Spartz discuss the substance of her letter to Biden, a letter that contained legitimate concerns that need to be addressed by Ukraine, and the reason for the interview.   Instead, in my opinion Rep. Spartz spent most of the interview making a fool of herself.

Times Radio (From the London and Sunday Times)

These two interviews, from London Times correspondents reporting from Donbas and Western Ukraine respectively, present two contrasting perspectives of Ukraine’s conduct of the war.   Louise Callahan, reporting from Donbas, describes the losses incurred by Ukrainians and Askold Krushelnycky, reporting from Western Ukraine, gives a different view including the war in the south and the possibility of attack from Belarus.   My own conclusion, mentioned earlier, is that in Donbas Ukraine, at substantial losses of their own, has depleted the capabilities of the Russian Army.   Ukraine is now redeeming the benefits in the South, with the help of both new weapons from the West and activities of Partisans.

Table of Russian Losses (Shown at the End of This Email)

The number of Russian losses, both in men and equipment, have dropped off, likely due to Russia’s “operational pause” after taking Lysychansk.   Perhaps some new entries should be added, including the number of destroyed Russian ammunition dumps, command centers and individual commanders.   As Lawrence Freedman has said Ukraine’s counterattack will likely be based on Ukrainian destruction of Russian supplies.  

7/12 Sitrep (my comments in bold face)

INTERNATIONAL

Tuesday July 12

Euractiv: Prime Minister - Lithuania will provide Ukraine with 10 million euros for restoration, the money will be sent to the National Bank.  "This state assistance is funds for critical infrastructure, basic needs and basic services".

Russian TV presenter Solovyov said that in Crimea, locals beat Russian soldiers for "Z" symbols on their clothes.

Ministry of Defense:  The command and staff exercise with territorial troops began in the south of Belarus, during which the implementation of martial law measures will be practiced.

Freedom TV channel:  The head of the Free Buryatia Foundation, Alexandra Garmazhapova, said that about 500 Buryat contract soldiers refused to fight in Ukraine, terminated the contract and were able to return home.  According to her, the foundation receives more and more requests for help from the military every day.

The unit of the Russian Army whose soldiers participated in the atrocities in Bucha was from Buryatia.  The unit was decorated by Putin for their conduct in Bucha.  Perhaps they’re beginning to realize how the Russian Government is taking advantage of them.

Reuters:  Joe Biden's administration discusses possible lifting of ban on U.S. sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia.

Pentagon press service:  The fourth meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group (UDCG), known as the Ramstein format, will take place on July 20 and will be held online.

German Foreign Ministry:  Russia is cynically using its membership in the UN and the refugee situation in Syria for its own foreign policy goals. This is how the German Foreign Ministry assessed the veto by Russia in the UN Security Council of the issue of continuing the operation of the Bab el-Hawa humanitarian corridor in Syria.

Monday, July 11  

Press service of the LVMH holding:  French cosmetics chain Sephora announced the sale of 100% of the shares of its subsidiary in Russia.

Secretary of State:  The US believes that the Russian Federation and China are trying to change the existing world order in their own interests.  Russia is challenging the existing world order through the war in Ukraine. If Russia is allowed to do what it does, it will mean that we are returning to a world where whoever is stronger is right, where big countries can bully small ones.

Scotland will suspend the acceptance of applications from Ukrainian refugees for temporary accommodation for three months from July 13 due to a lack of housing for them.

State Secretariat for Economic Affairs:  Switzerland blocked $6.8 billion of Russian assets and froze 15 Russian real estate properties.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss says she will ensure Putin's defeat in the war against Ukraine if she wins the election of Prime Minister.

Bloomberg:  The European Union plans to unveil a new package of sanctions against Russia in the coming weeks. According to the agency, this time the EU will introduce restrictions on gold imports, clarify previous sanctions and update the lists of individuals and entities.  It is also reported that the discussion of mechanisms for limiting oil prices continues, but this is unlikely to happen in the near future.

Corriere della Sera: Ukrainian Finance Minister - There is no consensus among EU countries on a €9 billion aid package to Ukraine, and there is conflict fatigue in Europe.  "Of course, we receive weapons and military assistance, but this is not enough ... This is a clear sign that the EU and the world around Ukraine are a little tired ... I can understand that they are suffering from oil and gas prices", – he says in an interview with the Italian newspaper .

5300 sites have been blocked in Russia since the beginning of the war, according to the organization 'Roskomsvoboda'.  Since the beginning of a full-scale war in the Russian Federation, all independent media in Russian and other languages have been blocked. Of the social networks, Twitter was blocked, and Facebook and Instagram - like the company Meta, to which they belong - were recognized as extremist.

Business Media: National Gas and Oil Agency of the Ministry of Economy - Gas deposits with a volume of 16 billion cubic meters have been discovered in Georgia.  "This volume is equivalent to the eight-year gas consumption of the whole of Georgia", – Tatishvili says.

Krakow MP Lukasz Wantuch announced the release of stamps called "Brothers" with the image of the Klitschko brothers in support of the Ukrainians. All proceeds from the sale will be used to purchase products for Ukrainian residents who need it most.  According to Wantuch, this is the first triple stamp in Poland: each of them is valid separately, but all three parts make up a full-fledged drawing.

Belarus wants to restrict travel abroad for some citizens. The draft amendments to the law "On the Procedure for Departure from the Republic of Belarus and Entry into the Republic of Belarus of Citizens of the Republic of Belarus" have been published on the National Legal Portal.  The document says that military personnel, employees, workers and civilian personnel of military formations and paramilitary organizations of Belarus will be able to leave the country only with the consent of the leadership.

Reuters: Brazil seeks to conclude an agreement with Russia on the purchase of diesel at low prices.  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says that the parties will soon complete work on the agreement.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a telephone conversation with Russian President Volodymyr Putin. During the conversation, he discussed the creation of safe corridors in the Black Sea for the export of Ukrainian grain.  It is also reported that Erdogan drew attention to the importance of extending the mechanism of cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria.

●        In turn, the Russian side, following the results of the talks between Putin and Erdogan, announced an imminent meeting "at the highest level".

●        The Kremlin said that during a telephone conversation, the presidents discussed a trilateral (with the participation of Iran) settlement of the situation in Syria, the war in Ukraine and further "intensification of economic cooperation".

●        The President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed with Volodymyr Zelenskyi the war in Ukraine, as well as the creation of a "grain corridor", according to the Erdogan administration.

Russian gas has stopped being supplied to Germany via the 'Nord Stream' gas pipeline, – the German regulator says. From today, 'Nord Stream' is serviced by 'Gazprom'. Thus, gas flows through 'Nord Stream' are currently 0%"", – the regulator's official website says.

Ansa: State energy company Eni - Russia is cutting natural gas supplies to Italy by a third compared to the average in recent days.

Putin signed a decree allowing all citizens of Ukraine to apply for Russian citizenship in a simplified manner.

●        The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry says that Putin's decree on Russian citizenship for Ukrainians is an encroachment on the sovereignty of Ukraine and is contrary to the principles of international law.

Ukrainian blogger, "Stirlitz" - Hundreds of Russian soldiers from the 205th separate motorized rifle Cossack brigade refused to participate in the war against Ukraine. For this, the leadership made public the names of the refuseniks on the "board of shame.”

Newsmaker:  The state TV channel ""Moldova 1"" has started broadcasting two programs in Ukrainian.  Weekly on Saturday there will be a release of the main news and analytics about events in Ukraine, Moldova and the world, jointly created by Moldovan and Ukrainian journalists.

European Commission spokesman:  Canada's return of the Nord Stream turbine does not violate EU sanctions against Russia, as they do not apply to gas transit equipment.

●        The United States of America support Canada's decision to return to Germany a refurbished turbine needed for the 'Nord Stream' 1 gas pipeline, – State Department spokesman Ned Price tells Reuters

●        The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned Canada's Charge d'Affaires after Ottawa's decision to return a 'Nord Stream' turbine to Germany. The Canadian side expressed their disappointment with the decision and called for it to be reconsidered.

European Commissioner for Home Affairs: The situation with the influx of Ukrainian refugees into the European Union has stabilized, at present, an approximately equal number of Ukrainians enter and leave the European Union.

NATIONAL

Tuesday July 12

The State Security Service transferred to the government a new batch of seized Russian property valued at more than 100 million UAH. The following will go into state administration:

●        more than 800 kg of silver in the form of bank ingots;

●        6 hectares of land and 3 apartments in Kyiv with a total area of ​​almost 400 sq. m;

●        hundreds of thousands of cash in US dollars, hryvnias and euros.

"Azovstal" defender Dmуtrо Usichenko:  The Russians were afraid even of the disarmed "Azov", soldiers but praised them during the surrender. According to Usichenko who managed to return from captivity.

On July 11, Rinat Akhmetov's holding announced that they were relinquishing all licenses of their channels and print media in favor of the state because of the law on oligarchs. All channels of Akhmetov’s Media Group of Ukraine, including entertainment ones, began broadcasting a nationwide telethon.  The sites "Today" and "Ukraine 24" have also ceased to be updated. 

●        Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the head of the President's Office of Ukraine, calls the decision of the investment company SCM Rynat Akhmetov the beginning of a new page in relations between the state and business.

British intelligence 10:17 AM:

●        Russian troops continue to make small territorial gains in the Donetsk region - in particular, announcing the capture of the city of Grygorivka.  The Russians also continue to advance along the main supply route - the E-40 highway in the direction of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.

●        The Russian Armed Forces are likely to continue to exert military pressure on Ukrainian forces while regrouping and rebuilding for offensive operations in the near future.

●        The shortage of personnel in the Russian army may force the Russian Ministry of Defense to resort to unconventional manning.  In particular, to the recruitment of prisoners for PMC Wagner.  If reports of this are confirmed, then such a move most likely indicates difficulties in replenishing a significant number of Russian losses.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal discussed with Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi the recognition of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.  They also considered ways to confiscate the frozen assets of the Russian Federation in favor of Ukraine.

Institute for the Study of War 8:24 AM: 

●        Russian troops are trying to hold their positions in the southern direction, there is no talk of an offensive

●        The Russians are preparing for urban battles if the Armed Forces of Ukraine reach Kherson.

●        Russian President Vladimir Putin is probably putting pressure on Belarusian self-proclaimed President Alexander Lukashenko, so he is trying to support the Russian war in Ukraine, avoiding Belarus' direct military intervention

●        The likelihood of Belarus' direct participation in the war against Ukraine remains low due to its influence on the country's domestic politics.  An invasion could change stability and even call into question the survival of the current political regime.

Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 7:58 AM :

●        In the Kharkiv direction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine suppressed a Russian assault attempt in the direction of Dementievka.

●        In the Slоvyansk direction, Russian units continued assault operations to improve the tactical situation in the areas of Mazanovka, Ivanіvka and Dolyna.  All the actions of the Russians in the directions of these settlements were unsuccessful.

●        The Russians are trying to improve the tactical situation in the Bakhmut and Novopavlovsk directions.  They use ground attack and army aviation.

Operational Command  Pivden (South):  The Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out three airstrikes on the ammunition depots of the Russian Federation in the Mykolaiv region, in the areas of Snigirivka and Lyubimovka.  Also, Ukrainian helicopters hit the stronghold of the Russians in the Pravdyno area and around Oleksandrivka.

●        As a result of the work of the missile and artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russians lost 52 soldiers, an Msta-B howitzer, a mortar, seven armored and automotive vehicles, as well as an  ammunition depot in Nova Kakhovka.

A cyberattack on Ukrainian websites was detected to install malicious software.  This was reported by the government team in response to emergency computer events in Ukraine CERT-UA.  CERT-UA recorded the mass distribution of e-mails with the subject "Consolidated official report on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine” and an attachment in the form of an xls-document "Humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine since February 24, 2022.xls", the message says.

Monday, July 11  

Ministry of Digital Development Soon, the service "registration certificate sharing" will be resumed in the "Diya" application.  You will be able to share a document with a loved one using a phone in a few clicks. This service was presented at the Diia Summit in February, but due to the war, its work was temporarily stopped.   Also, Mikhail Fedorov said that digital documents in the application will soon be translated into English.

The Kyiv Independent:  The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called on the world to respond to Putin's "passport fantasies".  According to Dmytro Kuleba, Putin ordered today to simplify the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship by Ukrainians in order to tighten the noose around the neck of the residents of the temporarily occupied territories, forcing them to participate in the criminal activities of the occupation administrations and the Russian army of conquest.

President’s Office Russians in the Donbas are trying to create two main "encirclements" - in the areas of Seversk and Bakhmut.  The enemy does not want to get involved in urban battles and plans, by surrounding the cities, to force the Armed Forces of Ukraine to withdraw from there, as was the case in Lysychansk, says the adviser to the head of the President's Office.

The Ukrainian military liquidated three more representatives of the command of the Russian troops, the department of strategic communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.  In particular, the following were eliminated:

●        Deputy Commander of the 20th Guards Motorized Rifle Division of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel Kens Sergey Nikolaevich;

●        Deputy rear commander of the 106th division, Colonel Sergei Igorevich Kuzminov;

●        Chief of Staff - Deputy Commander of the detachment of the 16th separate special-purpose brigade, Major Semenov Dmitry Vladimirovich.

Ministry of Reintegration:  Today, about 40,000 internally displaced persons are still housed in educational institutions.  The agency also often began to receive complaints that people were going to be evicted from such institutions in connection with the approach of the school year. The Ministry of Reintegration reminded that the eviction of IDPs is permissible only if alternative housing is found for them.

The first 8 foreign vessels for the transportation of agricultural products have arrived in the ports of Ukraine, the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.   This became possible thanks to the liberation of Serpent's Island.

The total losses of the Russian troops around the epic on Zmiinyi (Snake) Island amount to more than $ 900 million, – the Operational Command 'South' reports.

Operational summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 7:16 PM:

●        In the Siversk direction, enemy units continue to be in the border areas of the Briansk and Kursk regions and show their presence by using artillery.  So, the enemy fired at the areas of Karpovychi and Mykolaivka of the Chernihiv region.

●        In the Slobozhansk direction, the enemy is concentrating efforts on holding occupied lines in the Kharkiv direction and preventing the advance of Ukrainian troops to the state border.

●        In the direction of Krasnopillia, the Donetsk region, Ukrainian soldiers repelled another enemy assault and nullified all attempts by the Russians to advance.

●        It can already be said traditionally, the Ukrainian military forced the Russians to run away when they tried to advance in the direction of Mariinka, the Donetsk region.

●        In the Pivdennyi Buh direction, the enemy is trying to hold the occupied lines and prevent the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The enemy continues fire influence to fetter the actions of Ukrainian troops.

●         In the waters of the Black and Azov Seas, in readiness for missile strikes, the enemy continues to hold two carriers of high-precision weapons with a total salvo of up to 16 'Caliber' cruise missiles.

●        The cases of desertion and open disobedience to command are increasingly being recorded in the units of the Russian troops.

A draft law has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Ukrainian Parliament - ed.), which proposes to introduce criminal penalties for businesses for working during an air raid alert.  The proposed punishment is:

●        a fine from 17 to 51 thousand hryvnias (about $574 to $1,723);

●        or correctional labor for up to 2 years;

●        or restriction of freedom for up to 3 years

●        In the event of a repeated violation or if it caused the death of people, a penalty of imprisonment for a term of 3 to 8 years is provided.

 Legion speaker:  Several fighters of the International Legion in Ukraine died at the hands of the invaders, some were captured, but the Russian Federation exaggerates the death toll by spreading fakes.  “Last week, we reported that there were three more dead in our legion. The names that we publish are not a complete list. Unfortunately, we cannot voice all the losses”, – he says.

Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Intercepted Call:

●        Armed Forces of Ukraine liquidated the ""most important"" command of the Russian troops in Kherson.

●        The Russian says that as a result of the strike in this command, 12 'two-hundredths' (dead - ed.). He also talks about the improper storage of ammunition, which led to the complete destruction of ammunition as a result of a hit by Ukrainian artillery.

Operational Command  Pivden (South):  Commented on the President's order to de-occupy the south of Ukraine.  "We are ready for liberation and we are making progress every day. With the build-up of our artillery capacity, this process will become more dynamic. But let's stick to the "silence" regime that we need to do our job, - Gumeniuk said.

●        The Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed about 10 Russian MLRS installations over the weekend.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyi plans to submit to parliament a bill on the status and assistance to Polish citizens in Ukraine, similar to the one adopted earlier by the Sejm of Poland in relation to Ukrainians.  He said this during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada, where President of Poland Andrzej Duda was present.

●        President of Poland Andrzej Duda said during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine that the Poles would not take revenge on the Ukrainians for the Volyn massacre.

●        "We emphasize with pain that this was done by neighbors. It was. They lived in the neighborhood, often connected by family ties. It is hard for us today to understand this and explain how this was even possible, what passions raged in our souls, so that people could prepare such a fate for people. This is a historical fact, undeniable, not fiction or a story, not a legend in which there is only a grain of truth," he said.

●        Citizens of Poland will be able to legally live and work in Ukraine for 18 months, according to the new law.  During their stay in the country they will be entitled to:

○        employment without a permit for the use of labor of foreigners and stateless persons;

○        state registration as taxpayers and obtaining the registration number of the taxpayer's registration card;

○        social protection, including the right to security in case of complete, partial or temporary disability;

○        conducting economic activity on the same terms as the citizens of Ukraine;

○        obtaining education at the level with the citizens of Ukraine, including at the expense of the state budget;

○        social payments in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine;

○        receiving assistance from the Social Protection Fund for Persons with Disabilities on the same terms as citizens of Ukraine;

○        medical care on the same terms as the citizens of Ukraine.

Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte today visited Borodianka, Bucha and Irpin of the Kyiv region.  Volodymyr Zelenskyi met with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte in Kyiv..

●        In terms of the volume of defense support provided, the Netherlands is among the top ten partners of our state, – the President says.

●        The Netherlands will provide Ukraine with armored vehicles and self-propelled artillery mounts, as well as allocate 200 million euros for payments to teachers, doctors and pensioners.

Finclub:  Alfa-Bank Ukraine changes its name to Sens Bank.  After the imposition of sanctions on the Russian shareholders of Alfa-Bank, the bank does not want to have anything to do with the aggressor country, even at the level of associations and the brand operating in Russia, - said Simeon Dyankov, an independent trusted representative of the bank's shareholders.

Commissioner for Missing Persons under Special Circumstances:  In Ukraine, more than seven thousand military men are considered missing. Most of them are probably in captivity.  Kotenko added that those who have not yet been contacted are considered missing, in particular, but later they may be included in the exchange list.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council:  The quantitative advantages of the Russian Army are offset by Ukrainian missile and artillery accuracy. Western weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine are already changing the course of the war. And we haven't started yet!

British intelligence 12:45 PM:

●        As of Sunday 10 July, Russian artillery bombardments continued in the northern Donbas sector, but probably without any major territorial advances.

●        Ukrainian forces continued to apply localised pressure to the Russian defensive line in North East Kherson oblast.

●        In late June, a Russian-language media agency based in Russia’s far eastern Lake Baikal region uploaded a video in which the wives of soldiers from the Eastern Military District’s (EMD’s) 36th Combined Arms Army directly appealed to a local politician for their husbands to be returned home from service in Ukraine.

●        The lack of scheduled breaks from intense combat conditions is highly likely one of the most damaging of the many personnel issues the Russian MoD is struggling to rectify amongst the deployed force.

Volodymyr Zelenskyi instructed Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to work out the issue of introducing a mandatory exam for obtaining Ukrainian citizenship.

KHARKIV

Tuesday, July 12

Regional Military Administration:  The Russians launched a missile attack on Kharkiv at night.  At 3:30 am, two rockets hit between buildings in the Shevchenko district.  There were no casualties.

Monday, July 11  

Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office: The Russian troops have fired on Zolochiv today.  The shelling killed a 74-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man. A number of houses were damaged and destroyed.

●        6 people died, and 31 were injured as a result of today's shelling of Kharkiv by Russian soldiers

Mayor:  From September, the new academic year in Kharkiv will begin online.  “With such brutality with which our schools are being bombed and shelled, I now understand that we no longer have to talk about teaching children offline”, – he says.

The appointed "Quizling" of Velykyi Burluk in the Kharkiv region, Yevhen Yunakov, died as a result of a car explosion, – the so-called "Military-State Administration" reports in a comment to Russian media.

LUHANSK

Tuesday, July 12

Regional Military Administration:  Russia is using its air force to try forcing out the Ukrainian military.

●        During the operational pause, the Russians did not stop artillery and rocket strikes, they are trying to capture small settlements located on the border of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in order to block the big cities.  At least four airstrikes hit villages and towns on 11 July.

●        Last night and tonight there were eight artillery attacks and at least three mortar attacks.

●        The Russians cause significant damage to housing and infrastructure, which they do not even pay attention to.  Such settlements as Bilogorovka or Verkhnekamyanske are almost unrecognizable.

Monday, July 11  

Regional Military Administration: The Russians are trying unsuccessfully to "squeeze" the Luhansk region, but the transfer of equipment does not help them.  He stressed that the Luhansk region is holding back the Russian troops from attacking the Donetsk region.

●        Enemy warehouses in the deep rear continue to burn, some detonate for days, the Russians are already experiencing problems with the supply of ammunition. The logistics of the Russian troops is broken.

●        The so-called "operational pause" of the Russians is their helplessness as a result of the "explosions" in the warehouses.

DONETSK

Tuesday, July 12

Advisor to the Mayor of Mariupol:  Russians continue to steal the harvest of Ukrainian enterprises in the Mariupol region.  Farmers are allowed to harvest grain only on the condition of transferring 100% of the crop to the sale of the "trading house" of the so-called "DNR"(temporarily occupied territory)

●        The occupying authorities are planning to start "official mobilization" in the temporarily occupied Mariupol in the autumn.  Andriushchenko calls on the men to leave Mariupol: "You don't have much time left to leave the city and find yourself in civilized conditions and safety."

Mayor: A woman was wounded in Slovyansk due to night shelling and several private houses were also damaged.

State Emergency Service: Under the rubble of a high-rise building in the city of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, the body of a child, approximately born in 2013.  The death toll from the strike has risen to 35, and rescue work continues.

●        About 138 tons of destroyed elements of the house were cleared and dismantled.

Monday, July 11  

Regional Military Administration: About 340,000 local residents, or 20.4%, remained in the controlled part of the Donetsk region. According to him, until February 24, 1.67 million people lived in the controlled part of the region.

●        From today, a complete ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages is being introduced in the Donetsk region

ZAPORIZHYA

Tuesday, July 12

Tonight in the temporarily occupied Energodar, the premises of the SBU, which was occupied by the Russians, were attacked twice.  This was reported on local telegram channels.

Monday, July 11  

Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine:  In the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region, the Russians are trying to resume the export of Ukrainian grain. The so-called "GUK" (State Unitary Company) was created to organize the process.

●        To create an effective grain export infrastructure, the collaborators seized the port elevator of the Nova Khortytsia enterprise in Berdyiansk, the loading complex of the Asket Shipping enterprise in the port of Berdyansk, elevators of the Kernel, Optimus enterprises and other grain traders.

Mayor:  Russians blocked the passage and exit to New Melitopol. Tens of thousands of residents of the residential microdistrict were cut off from the city, justifying the action because of found explosives.

DNIPRO

Monday, July 11  

Regional Military Administration: 75 solar panels and several houses were damaged in Dnipropetrovsk region because of the shelling of the Opostolovska community

KHERSON

Monday, July 11  

Regional Military Administration: In Nova Kakhovka, a Russian base with ammunition was blown up.

●        Also, as a result of the strike of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the headquarters in the Kherson region, the chief of staff of the 22nd Army Corps of the RF Armed Forces (military unit 73954, Simferopol), Major General Nasbulin, was liquidated

●        The Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked the probable area of ​​the starting positions of the 'S-300' anti-aircraft missile system of the Russians in the area of Oleshkivski Pisky, the Kherson region.

●        And last night, the Ukrainian military definitely attacked the command post of the Russian Federation in Tavriisk.

○        Destroyed: mobile command post of the enemy,

○        military equipment,

○        radars and antennas,

○        air defense.

National Police:  The Russians seized the Askania-Nova animal husbandry institute in the temporarily occupied Kherson region.  The Russians hung a Russian flag on the administrative building of the institute and presented the so-called new "director of the enterprise", who previously worked at the Kherson customs.

Kherson Regional Military District:  The Russian occupation troops are preparing for street fighting in Kherson. If they can be driven out of the city, they will go to the left bank of the Dnipro.

MYKOLAIV

Tuesday, July 12 Regional Military Administration:  As of now, 12 people are known to have been wounded as a result of the Russian morning missile strikes on Nikolaev.   According to preliminary information, there were no deaths.

Monday, July 11  

Strategic Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:  Fighters of the 59th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Yakiv Handziuk destroyed 4 self-propelled howitzers of Russians who were hitting the Mykolaiv region.

The SBU (Ukrainian Intelligence - ed.) blocked the channel of illegal transportation of Ukrainian citizens across the state border in the Mykolaiv region.  It was established that the organizer of the illegal scheme was a resident of Mykolaiv, one of the former members of the local organized criminal group, who for $3,500, with the help of his accomplices abroad, produced fake documents and promised Ukrainians to cross the state border without hindrance.

ODESA

Tuesday, July 12

Odesa Regional Military Administration: There are 8 foreign ships in the ports of the Odesa region that will deliver agricultural products to other countries. The naval forces have secured the Bystre navigable canal -  "Danube-Black Sea" has started working more actively.

Monday, July 11  

Regional Military Administration: Confirmed the Russians' missile attack on the region tonight.  There were no casualties.  No damage was reported. As a result of daytime shelling, a private residential building and a number of infrastructure facilities, including the port, were damaged.

The SSU detained a Russian agent in Odessa who was scouting the positions of anti-ship systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.  The security service prevented Russian attempts to locate and move Ukrainian military units, anti-ship systems and air defense systems in the Black Sea regions of Ukraine.  The Russian Federation planned to use the received coordinates to carry out a series of missile strikes in the south of the country.

Today, Russia hit the Odessa region with 7 missiles from Su-27, Su-30 and Su-35 aircraft heading from the Black Sea. Preliminarily, without casualties, information about the destruction is being specified, - said the deputy head of the President's Office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko.

VINNYTSIA

Monday, July 11  

State Security Service:  In Vinnytsia region, on the initiative of the SSU, the assets of a Russian company worth more than UAH 2 billion were arrested.  This company specializes in the manufacture of household chemicals, and from the very beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, it tried to divest its assets in the interests of Russian owners. The top management of the enterprise tried to hide finished products and raw materials from nationalization by exporting them to the territory of the Odesa region.

TERNOPIL

Monday, July 11  

Ternopil City Council: In Ternopil, the names of 13 streets that were of Russian or Soviet origin were changed. One of the parks was also renamed.  In particular, Alexander Pushkin Street was renamed into Defenders of Ukraine Street, Mikhail Glinka - into Mykola Leontovich, Mikhail Lomonosov - into Kvitky Tsisyk, A. Chekhov - into Olena Telyha, Lev Tolstoy - into Yevgenyi Meshkovskyi.

Renaming has been going on for some time in Ukraine, but not as quickly as one might’ve thought.   For example, the street we lived on in Kyiv, in Podil, was changed from Frunze Street to Karylivska.   Mikhail Frunze was a Bolshevik General who was active throughout the Civil War.   Prior to 1991, when Kyrgyzstan became independent, the capital of the former Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic was named Frunze.   After Kyrgyz independence, it was renamed Bishkek.   However, the name of our old street wasn’t changed until 2015.

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

www.ubn.news