Day 139. Ukraine effectively hits ammo depots, Russia strikes civilian targets

Ukrainian strike on Nova Kakhovka eliminates 150 troops, including general and five officers

A Ukrainian missile strike on Nova Kakhovka, in Kherson region took out around 150 Russian troops including a general and five more senior officers, spokesperson for the Odesa regional military administration Serhiy Bratchuk said. 

A strike by HIMARS on Russia’s command point in Kherson region killed Major General Nasbulin, the head of the 22nd Army Corps of the Russian Armed Forces (military unit 73954, Simferopol), Colonel Kens, the commander of the 20th motorized rifle division (military unit 22220, Volgograd) Colonel Andrei Gorobyets, the head of the operational department of the headquarters of the 20th motor rifle division, Colonel Koval, and the head of artillery of the 20th motor rifle division, Colonel Gordeev, Bratchuk added.   

Ukraine aims for Army of Drones

On July 1, the fundraising platform United24, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation said they begin the project Army of Drones. It is designed as a program for procurement, maintenance and replacement of drones, and drone pilot training. The project’s first target is to buy 200 reconnaissance drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and collect thousands of the simplest drones. 

People from around the world can donate money or a drone for the Ukrainian troops through the United24 platform. More information is available at the link: https://u24.gov.ua/dronation

Today, the first 150 people began their training as military drone operators with the Army of Drones project, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov said. “Service members are trained in flying tasks, camouflage skills, tactics, drone piloting, and other tasks they will perform in the front line,” he stated.

Russian strikes hit Mykolayiv

On the morning of July 12, Russian forces shelled Mykolayiv with Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems and cluster munitions, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko said on Telegram. 

“At night, Russians massively shelled the city. They used cluster munitions and Tornado-S systems. The strike destroyed a school, hospital, and private houses. Twelve people were injured,” he added.

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Do Russians want war? Secret opinion poll in Russia

Thirty per cent of Russians want the war in Ukraine immediately stopped, a secret opinion poll commissioned by the Kremlin finds. Reports were released by Meduza quoting a secret survey that VCIOM conducted for the Kremlin in late June.

In one of the questions respondents were asked: “Some say that fighting in Ukraine needs to stop the soonest possible. Others say that the fighting should not be stopped now. Which opinion resonates with you – the first or the second one?” A number of respondents is unknown to Meduza.  

Thirty per cent of Russians say “fighting in Ukraine” needs to be “stopped as soon as possible”. Thirteen per cent found it difficult to answer. Fifty-seven per cent say the war should continue. Fifty-six per cent of Russians ages 18-24 want the war stopped, and just 19 per cent say it should continue. Forty-three per cent of Russians ages 25-34 support ending the war, and 41 per cent want it to continue.  

The older the respondents are, the more support for the war they show. As much as 72 per cent of Russians ages 60 and older say they want the war to go on. 

Post-Boris Britain. What’s next for Ukraine? Ukraine in Flames #124

The UK’s prime minister Boris Johnson will soon resign from his position, and this imminently provokes fears among Ukrainians: will the British support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression stay as strong as until now? The UK has supported Ukraine with vital weapons, strong sanctions against Russia, large-scale humanitarian aid, so Ukraine’s worries are understandable, however, are there objective grounds to fear the resignation of the British PM? We explore what Johnson leaving his post will mean for Ukraine in the new episode of Ukraine in Flames #124

Speakers: 

Chris York – British TV anchor and host, freelance reporter 

Viktor Konstantynov, Associate Professor at Institute Of International Relations Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv 

Oleksandr Kraiev, Foreign Policy expert at “Ukrainian Prism”