Ukrainian troops make tactically significant gains in the Bakhmut area. Russia exercises with ships and aircraft to blockade and destroy civilian ships in the Black Sea. The total count of schools in Ukraine destroyed by Russia.
Ukrainian troops make tactically significant gains in Bakhmut area
Ukrainian troops made tactically significant gains south near Klishchiivka in the Bakhmut area. They continue to advance across three sections of the front line, the Institute for the Study of War said in a report on July 25. Russian leadership is attempting to create an analogue of the Wagner group that would not be a threat to Putin’s regime, the report said.
Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations on at least three sectors of the front and advanced on July 25. Geolocated footage published on July 25 shows that Ukrainian forces have made tactically significant gains south of Klishchiivka (7km southwest of Bakhmut). A Kremlin-affiliated milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces gained a position on the heights adjacent to Klishchiivka on July 24 and that there is heavy fighting on the outskirts of the settlement. Several milbloggers also claimed that Ukrainian forces occupied a section of the heights near Klishchiivka and that Ukrainian forces entered the southern and southwestern outskirts of the settlement. The Ukrainian General Staff reported on July 25 that Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations north and south of Bakhmut and that Russian forces withdrew from Andriivka (20km southwest of Bakhmut and directly south of Klishchiivka).
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations in the Bakhmut, Melitopol (western Zaporizhia Oblast), and Berdyansk (Zaporizhia-Donetsk Oblast border area) directions. Ukrainian sources reported that Ukrainian forces advanced up to 750 meters in the direction of Staromayorske (9km south of Velyka Novosilka), and Russian sources claimed Ukrainian forces made marginal advances west of Orikhiv.
Russia exercises with ships, aircraft to blockade, destroy civilian ships in Black Sea, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry says
After Russia quit the grain deal, Russian forces have been exercising with ships and aircraft to blockade and prepare attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea, the Military Media Center affiliated with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
“After Russia withdrew from the grain deal, Russian forces intensified combat training of the naval forces and aircraft of the Black Sea fleet. The Russians are practicing blocking sea areas, detecting and destroying ships,” the statement reads.
Russian forces are practicing to target civilian vessels that will be sent to and from Ukrainian ports, the Defense Ministry said. They continue to build up Crimea’s defense, particularly, in the Armyansk and Perekop directions.
How many schools did Russia destroy in Ukraine?
Russia’s war has destroyed 180 schools in Ukraine. More than 1,300 education facilities have been damaged, Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi said.
“As of today, 180 schools have been destroyed. More than 300 education facilities have been fully destroyed and more than 1,000 more have been damaged. Inspection will indicate if they can be rebuilt,” Lisovyi said.
The Ukrainian government allocated UAH 1.5 billion to set up bomb shelters ahead of a new academic year.
While 75 per cent of schools have bomb shelters that vary in quality, that does not mean that 75 per cent of students can return to in-person classes, he said.
Only 9,000 out of 13,000 schools can return to in-person classes, Lisovyi said.
“Our priority is to resume in-person classes where possible. In areas near the front line, classes will be online,” the minister said.
Rosatom’s role in promoting the Russian agenda in the world. Ukraine in Flames #502
Amidst the 17-month-long full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, there are concerns about the global community’s response in impeding Russia’s financial ability and global influence, which are mostly funded by its fossil fuel and nuclear uranium capacities. This episode discusses the role of Rosatom, a state-owned Russian nuclear energy firm with a considerable global reach, emphasizing the need to limit its power as it appears to be leveraged in Russia’s war efforts against Ukraine. Effective measures must be taken to undermine these financial resources, weakening Russia’s war chest and future capabilities. Watch UIF #502 to learn what steps expert guests say need to be implemented, and needed now!
Guests:
- Vadym Chernysh, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Center for Security Studies “SENSS”
- Viktoriia Voronina, Executive Director of the Center for Security Studies “SENSS”
- Mykola Steinberg, expert, former Chairman of the State Committee of Ukraine on Nuclear and Radiation Safety, Deputy Minister of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine from 2002 to 2006
