UKRAINE WAR BRIEF DAILY DRAFT
For: 2024-07-18
Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. Since June 2023 I have provided a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 60 sources daily, much of which forms the basis of the script. While the Podcast is on hiatus I will make this Draft available here both on my own Substack and The People’s Media for those who wish to keep up with events on a daily basis.
ALONG THE CONTACT LINE
GSAFU Morning Report
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 22:00 on July 17 stated that day 875 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was about to begin.
During the past day, 118 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 43 air strikes, 605 drone strikes and 3,230 artillery strikes across the positions of Ukrainian forces.
At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupying troops, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and continue to disrupt the plans of Russian occupiers to advance deep into the territory of Ukraine.
Air Force Daily Report
On the night of July 18, 2024, the enemy struck with 16 attack UAVs of the "Shahed-131/136" type from the Kursk region. - Russian Federation and three guided air missiles from the south: two Kh-59/Kh-69 and one Kh-35.
In total, 19 air targets were detected and escorted by the radio engineering troops, mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force, and electronic warfare units were involved in repelling the air attack.
As a result, the defenders of the sky managed to hit all 16 "shaheeds" and two Kh-59 guided air missiles in the Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Zaporizhzhya, Kyiv and Kharkiv regions.
Most of the targets were destroyed in the eastern direction - in the area of responsibility of the air command "East".
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Kharkiv axis: 16 Russian attacks were repelled. 11 of them are near Globokoye, 5 in the Vovchansk district.
Kupyansk axis: The enemy tried to advance 10 times against Ukrainian positions near Synkivka, Pishchane Berestove and Andriivka . The situation is under control.
Lyman axis: Russian troops attacked Ukrainian defenders 6 times in the areas of Hrekivka, Makiivka, Terny and Torske
Siversk axis: Russian forces carried out 7 assaults in the vicinity of Verkhnokamianske, Vyimka and Rozdolivka. The situation is under control.
Kramatorsk axis: In the Chasiv Yar district there were 4 battles occurring over the previous day, one continues near Andriivka.
Toretsk axis: There have been 23 Russian attacks over that last day, one fight is still ongoing. All the efforts of the enemy were directed to the areas of Pivinchne and Nui-York today. The Defense Forces respond adequately to the actions of assailants, taking necessary measures
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Pokrovsk axis: Russia over the last day focused significant efforts in this area conducting 24 attacks concentrating in the vicinity of Novooleksandrívka and Novoselivka Persha
Kurakhove axis: The enemy 12 times unsuccessfully attacked our positions near Krasnohorivka, Heorgievka and Paraskovievka
Vremivka axis: Over the previous day there were 3 enemy attacks in the vicinity of Kostianynivka and Novodarivka.
Ukrainian defenders withdraw from Urozhaine
Ukrainian defenders have withdrawn from Urozhaine in Donetsk Oblast as the Russian army had completely destroyed the village and the positions of the Ukrainian troops. The command decided to withdraw to save their personnel. Ukrainska Pravda reports.
Nazar Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group of Forces, on the national joint 24/7 newscast
"Since the enemy had destroyed almost everything in Urozhaine, the defence forces have moved to other positions. We took this decision to save the lives and health of our servicemen holding the defence there.
The settlement itself has been almost completely destroyed by enemy attacks. The positions of the Ukrainian defenders had been destroyed, and it would have threatened the lives of our troops to keep personnel there."
Voloshyn says the Russian army does not consider losses: "To achieve success and some victories in the destroyed towns and villages, the enemy suffers considerable losses every day. Several hundred of them have been killed, and the result is a destroyed settlement and a pile of corpses of Russian soldiers around it who will not return home to their families."
Voloshyn added that the situation on that front is under the control of Ukrainian forces.
Orikhiv axis: The enemy made 7 attacks in the vicinity of Novoandriivka and Mala Tokmachka. Six attacks were repelled, one more - in progress. The situation is under control.
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
Prydniprovsk axis: Ukrainian forces repelled 3 attacks of the enemy on the left bank of the Dnipro.
Ukraine's Security Service drones hit Russian coast guard base in Qirim
Maritime and air drones of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) hit the Russian coastguard base on Donuzlav lake in Qirim. Ukrainska Pravda reports.
It is reported that Ukrainian drones hit and disabled the headquarters, a command post, an ammunition and equipment depot, a power substation, technical facilities and Russian firing positions.
The source also said that last night, the Russian Navy tried to conduct exercises to protect the waters of Donuzlav lake, but thanks to Ukrainian drones, these exercises "failed, because the Russians could not even protect their base, not to mention the lake’s waters."
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Ukrainian Military Destroy russian S-300 Air Defense System in Donetsk Region
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, in a post on Facebook thanked the units of the Missile Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which, in cooperation with other components of the Defense Forces, hit the enemy's S-300 air defence system in the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region.
"I extend my gratitude to the soldiers for successfully completing the combat mission! According to intelligence reports, the enemy's radar station and launchers were confirmed destroyed. More detailed information on the strike's consequences is being clarified," said Syryskyi.
"However, this is not the first successful collaboration between Ukrainian missile forces and other defense components targeting key russian military assets. In the past, over 20 launch units and approximately 15 radar stations have been destroyed. We continue to systematically weaken the russian air defense system's potential, thereby creating favorable conditions for the successful deployment of air-launched weapons," he added.
THE HOME FRONT
Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt children’s hospital partially reopens after Russian missile strike.
Kyiv Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, Ukraine’s largest pediatric facility, has partially reopened following a Russian missile strike on 8 July. The Hospital’s press service announced.
“We invite all those needing medical care. Despite challenges, we continue working for our young patients’ health,”
Key developments:
Most oncology departments have reopened, except the bone marrow transplant unit.
Microsurgery, otolaryngology, and maxillofacial surgery units relocated temporarily.
Emergency care, various surgical departments, radiology, pediatrics, and intensive care are now operational.
Neonatal care services have resumed.
Specialized centers, including HIV/AIDS clinic and blood service center, continue functioning.
Medical genetics facilities recently reopened.
Okhmatdyt, known for its unique equipment and experienced staff, previously accommodated up to 700 children and performed about 9,000 surgeries annually. At the time of the strike, approximately 670 children and over 1,000 medical staff were present.
RUSSIAN WORLD
Most Russian Olympic athletes violate neutrality rules, investigation suggests
Over two-thirds of Russian athletes set to participate in the upcoming Olympics have violated neutrality rules by displaying public support for the invasion of Ukraine, human rights group Global Rights Compliance reported on July 18.
Global Rights Compliance released the evidence following an open-source investigation into the Russian and Belarusian athletes who have accepted their invitation to participate in the Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN).
The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled in December 2023 that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris, which starts on July 26, as AIN with "strict eligibility conditions."
Under the rules, Russian and Belarusian athletes cannot participate as teams nor display any flags or official identification with either country.
The rules also stipulate that athletes or members of their team who have openly supported the war or have been affiliated with the military or security organisations of Russia or Belarus are barred.
NEWS WORLDWIDE
First batch of Ukrainian flour arrives in Gaza Strip
Ukraine has sent its first batch of wheat flour to Palestine. It has been delivered to the Gaza Strip. Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine posted on Telegram
"The vessel with 1,000 tonnes of wheat flour for Palestine has arrived from Türkiye to Jordan within the Grain from Ukraine programme and has been delivered to the Gaza Strip."
In total, Ukraine plans to deliver over 7,000 tonnes of wheat flour to Gaza with the support of donors, specifically Norway, Austria, Estonia, France and Iceland, within this initiative.
Zelenskyy arrives in UK
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the United Kingdom on Thursday, 18 July. he reported on Telegram.
Zelenskyy will attend the European Political Community Summit in London. He is also scheduled to have bilateral meetings with partners and sign new security agreements.
"A separate programme is dedicated to our relations with the UK. I will meet with His Majesty King Charles III, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, government officials, and heads of defence companies," the president said.
The visit will also see the signing of an intergovernmental agreement to support the Ukrainian defence industry.
German court convicts German-Russian couple of supplying drone parts to Russia
A court in the German city of Stuttgart on July 17 convicted a couple, both German-Russian nationals, of supplying drone parts to Russia. The Kyiv Independent reports.
The 59-year-old man was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison, while his common-law wife received a suspended sentence of one year and nine months.
The court said that the two had sent around 120,000 spare parts and other components for Orlan-10 reconnaissance drones to Russia between 2020 and 2023 in violation of an EU embargo on the export of such goods.
The man sold the parts to Russia through front companies located around the world and reportedly earned more than 900,000 euros ($983,000) in the trade of sanctioned goods. Both partially admitted their guilt to the court.
Despite wide-reaching Western sanctions on the export of arms, military equipment, and dual-use technologies to Russia, determined individuals and companies have continued to circumvent the measures.
MILITARY & TECH
Nothing to report.
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