Victory Chronicles-DAY 1224

Long-range Ukrainian drones hit a key Russian defense plant in Izhevsk on July 1, setting off massive explosions and fires that killed at least three people and injured over two dozen, including several critically. The targeted facility, the Kupol Electromechanical Plant, manufactures Tor and Osa surface-to-air missile systems as well as Harpy combat drones used in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Izhevsk in the Udmurt Republic of Russia is a major center for Russia’s defense industry and has been historically known for weapons manufacturing, including the far-flung Kalashnikov automatic rifles. 

Sources inside Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told Ukrainian media that the attack was a planned operation involving drones that traveled more than 1,300 kilometers [about 810 miles]. They struck manufacturing and storage areas of the Kupol plant, which fulfills Russian Defense Ministry orders and has international sanctions imposed upon it. 

Footage from the scene showed fireballs erupting over the factory compound. Emergency crews scrambled to extinguish the flames and search through the debris. Flights at the local airport were temporarily suspended. The strike marks one of the deepest known drone attacks into Russian territory since the start of the full-scale invasion of February 2022.

IMF approves $500 million  installment for Ukraine under extended financing program
Washington-based lender International Monetary Fund has approved the eighth review of Ukraine’s Extended Fund Facility, unlocking a disbursement of about $500 million, Ukraine’s central bank announced on June 30. This brings total disbursements under the program to $10.6 billion. The overall size of the program remains unchanged at $15.5 billion.

The IMF praised Ukraine for meeting all quantitative targets and structural benchmarks as of March 2025, despite extraordinary wartime conditions. The economy is projected to grow 2–3 percent this year, though risks remain high. The fund also supported the Ukraine’s central bank’s  tight monetary policy amid persistent inflation and noted the importance of currency flexibility and stablility.

Russian ballistic missiles hit frontline town of Huliaipole, killing and injuring civilians

Russia launched two Iskander-M ballistic missiles at the frontline town of Huliaipole in southeastern Ukraine on July 1, killing and injuring civilians and damaging local infrastructure. The strikes hit at approximately 9:15 a.m. local time, according to Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces.

The attack destroyed a cultural center and two local stores, and caused expensive damage to nearby multiple private homes. Local authorities reported casualties, though the exact number of those killed and injured has not yet been confirmed publicly.

Huliaipole lies in the Zaporizhzhia region near the front line, and has suffered repeated strikes throughout the war. 

Ukrainian UJ-26 ‘Bober’ drones strike Russian air defense systems and Su-30 jet in occupied Crimea

Ukrainian-made UJ-26 drones, known as “Bobers (Beavers)”  have carried out high-precision strikes on critical Russian military targets on the occupied Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine’s military intelligence reported.

Footage released by Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence(HUR) shows the drones, operated by special forces, destroying multiple high-value assets, including a Pantsir-S1 air defense system with its crew, a Niobiy-SV radar, a Pechora-3 coastal radar, a Protivnik-GE radar, and a Russian Su-30 fighter jet stationed at the Saky airbase.

Key Takeaways:

• High-ranking Kremlin statements, including from Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin, continue to demonstrate Russia’s wider territorial ambitions in Ukraine beyond Crimea and the four oblasts that Russia has illegally annexed.
• The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR) issued its December 2024-May 2025 report detailing Ukrainian civilian casualties, systemic Russian mistreatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs), and limited Ukrainian mistreatment of Russian POWs.
• The Kremlin is poised to launch a new “national messenger” application affiliated with Kremlin-controlled social media site VKontakte (VK) as part of ongoing efforts to censor Russian citizens and isolate them from the global internet.
• Azerbaijani authorities raided the offices of Russian state-owned propaganda outlet Sputnik in Baku as Russian-Azerbaijani relations have deteriorated recently after a raid against ethnic Azerbaijanis in Russia.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk and Novopavlivka and in western Zaporizhia Oblast.

In Memoriam: Serhii Slyzun, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces

Serhii Slyzun, known by the call sign Staryi (Old), was killed on August 20, 2024, near the village of Pryiutne in Zaporizhzhia region. While carrying out a combat mission, his unit came under enemy mortar fire and drone-dropped munitions. He was 49 years old.

Slyzun was born in Zaporizhzhia and moved at the age of 18 to the village of Dniprovska in the Zaporizhzhia district, where he worked as a laborer at a local enterprise.

A passionate athlete, he dedicated many years of his life to soccer. Even when age and injuries caught up with him, he continued playing, often joking, “I’m too old for this, my legs hurt—this is my last match. Time to hang up the boots.” The game brought him not only joy but also a strong circle of friends who supported his family through hardship.

Slyzun’s son Maksym also played football but tragically died during a match. Serhii struggled deeply with the loss, believing his son had inherited his love for the game.

He defended Ukraine as a rifleman in the 115th Battalion of the 110th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade.

Slyzun was laid to rest in his home village, next to his son’s grave. He is survived by his wife, daughter, grandchildren, relatives, and many friends.
A memorial football tournament in honor of Serhii and his son was held in his village, organized by the Vilniansk District Football Federation and friends.

*Slyzun’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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• Russians attack evacuation vehicle in Pokrovsk carrying seriously injured
• Resolution introduced in US Congress on returning Ukrainian children taken by Russia
• Trump’s special envoy says it’s Russia that is delaying peace talks