Victory Chronicles-DAY 1226

A Russian drone strike targeted two military enlistment offices in the central city of Poltava on July 3, killing two civilians and injuring at least 11 people, including four Ukrainian service personnel.

According to Vitalii Sarantsev, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ground Forces Command, the attack involved two drones that struck the premises of the Poltava City and Poltava Oblast Territorial Centers for Recruitment and Social Support (TCRSS), both located in a densely populated urban area.

The blasts injured two enlistment officers and two servicewomen from the Armed Forces. Civilians near the administrative buildings were also hurt in the blasts. The attacks also caused a fire and inflicted heavy damage on facilities, prompting a swift response from first responders. 

Sarantsev said the strike was part of a broader Russian effort to disrupt Ukraine’s enlistment process by deliberately enlistment and recruitment infrastructure. 

“However, mobilization will not be halted,” he said, warning of potential repeated strikes.

The attack caused a fire and significant damage to the facilities. Emergency services responded to the scene shortly after the explosions.

In light of increasing aerial threats, particularly from Russian drones and missiles, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has issued an order banning the use of tent encampments for military personnel. The directive aims to reduce vulnerability to airstrikes by eliminating easily visible soft targets that often lack sufficient protection.

Two civilians killed, 82 injured in explosions near Zhytomyr just west of Kyiv. The number of civilians injured in Russian aerial attacks that caused two explosions near Berezyna in Ukraine’s north centrally-located Zhytomyr region just west of Kyiv has risen to 82, regional Governor Vitalii Bunechko said on July 3. Thirty-eight people, including four children and one Japanese citizen, remain hospitalized in moderate condition. About 100 homes were damaged, a quarter of them destroyed. The blasts, which occurred at industrial facilities, also killed two people. Authorities have pledged full compensation for lost housing, and damage assessments are underway. 

Russian drone strikes residential building in Odesa, injuring five, causing fire. A Russian drone struck a nine-story apartment building in the southern Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa overnight on July 3, injuring five people — including two children—and forcing the evacuation of around 50 residents. The strike ignited a fire that firefighters worked through the night to contain.

The attack came shortly after 2 a.m. local time, triggering air raid sirens across Odesa and surrounding areas. Residents reported hearing explosions as emergency alerts urged them to seek shelter. Despite Ukraine’s air defenses responding to the threat, debris from the drone caused significant damage to the residential building.

Ukrainian border guards destroy Russian Grad launcher used in overnight attack. Aerial reconnaissance units from Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service identified and destroyed a Russian BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher in southern Ukraine, which had been used to shell both military positions and civilians overnight. The Grad system, a Soviet-era weapon capable of launching 40 projectiles in under a minute, was spotted as Russian forces attempted to flee and conceal the launcher, but it was too late because first-person view drone pilots had detected and then destroyed the system.

The Border Guard Service released footage that shows the moment of the strike and the aftermath of the destroyed launcher.

Key Takeaways:

• The United States paused weapons supplies to Ukraine, including critical air defense interceptors, artillery shells, missiles, and rockets.
• The decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine will likely force Ukrainian forces to continue to husband materiel, although the exact timing of the planned deliveries that the United States paused remains unclear at this time.
• The suspension of U.S. aid to Ukraine will likely accelerate Russian gains on the battlefield, as previous US aid suspensions have in the past.
• The suspension of US aid to Ukraine will reinforce Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin’s theory of victory that posits that Russia can win the war of attrition by making slow, creeping advances and outlasting Western support for Ukraine.
• Kremlin officials are responding to the U.S. military aid suspension by publicly flouting Putin’s theory of military victory as successful — in direct opposition to U.S/ President Donald Trump’s stated goal of bringing Russia to the negotiating table and achieving a lasting and just peace.
• The Kremlin is also using the U.S/ aid suspension as a basis to continue rhetorical attacks against European defensive efforts that are in line with Trump’s initiative for Europe to shoulder more of the burden for collective defense.
• The U.S/ decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine will particularly degrade Ukraine’s ability to defend against Russia’s enhanced long-range missile and drone strike capabilities that have inflicted significant civilian casualties — in sharp contrast to U.S. President Donald Trump’s stated objective of stopping civilian casualties in Ukraine.
• Ukrainian forces advanced in northeastern Sumy Oblast. Russian forces advanced in northern Kharkiv Oblast and near Toretsk and Novopavlivka.

In Memoriam: Mykola Kondrashenko, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces. Mykola Kondrashenko, known by the call signs of Kondrashyk and Kondrat, was killed in action on March 25, 2024, during a combat mission near the village of Novodarivka in the southern reiong of Zaporizhzhia. He was fatally wounded by a Russian drone. The defender was 38 years old.

Kondrashenko was born in the city of Liubotyn, in the northeastern Kharkiv Oblast. He trained as a fiber-optic welder and had a deep passion for music. Between 2010 and 2013, he was known in Kharkiv’s club scene as DJ Voobooman.

During the full-scale invasion, Kondrashenko served in the 228th Separate Battalion of the 127th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade. He operated in some of the most critical frontline areas, evacuating wounded comrades under fire. After being wounded himself, he returned to the front as a grenadier following treatment and rehabilitation.

For his bravery and service, he was awarded the medal “For the Defense of the Hero City of Kharkiv,” the 3rd Class Honorary Badge of the 127th Territorial Defense Brigade, and the Order for Courage, 3rd Class.

“My husband was a deeply principled man — honest, kind, and a role model to everyone around him. As a loving father and husband, he gave us warmth and strength. Even in the hardest moments, he encouraged his fellow soldiers, never let despair take hold, and stood by them in the most critical moments of battle. The guys knew: Kolia would do everything to bring them out alive. His loyalty and courage will remain in our hearts forever,” said his wife Karina.

Kondrashenko was laid to rest in the Alley of Glory in his hometown of Liubotyn. He is survived by his father, Mykola, wife Karina, daughter Sofiia, son Matvii, and sister Olena.

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

• Ukrainian strike eliminates Russian Navy deputy commander linked to execution of Ukrainian soldiers
• Politico: Zelenskyy and Trump may hold call amid suspension of arms deliveries
• Czech president does not guarantee continued military aid to Kyiv after parliamentary elections
• European NATO allies begin to brace for US troops posture rethink
• EU diplomacy chief urges China to stop supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine
• Polish defense minister on arms supplies to Ukraine: I regret that the Americans are making such a decision
• Russian ballistic missile kills two in Odesa port attack