Victory Chronicles-DAY 1231

Ukraine’s military General Staff is confirming that their drones struck a chemical plant that produces munitions in Russia’s Moscow region. 

Taking place overnight on July 7, the strike reportedly targeted the Krasnozavodsk Chemical Plant, a facility involved in the production of pyrotechnic components and thermobaric warheads for Shahed-type drones.

Specifically, the attack was conducted by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces in coordination with other branches of the Defense Forces. It triggered multiple explosions near the town of Krasnozavodsk and Emergency vehicles were seen rushing to the scene from surrounding areas.

The extent of the damage is still being assessed. The strike is part of Ukraine’s broader effort to degrade Russia’s military capabilities and disrupt its drone warfare infrastructure.

Russia’s budget deficit hits $47 billion in first half of 2025—six times last year’s. Russia’s federal budget deficit reached 3.7 trillion rubles (about $47 billion) in the first half of 2025—six times higher than during the same period in 2024, according to data from the Russian Finance Ministry. That’s already 97% of the country’s full-year deficit target. The spike comes amid falling oil and gas revenues and rising war spending. In June alone, the deficit rose by 300 billion rubles. Spending for the year is now set at 42.3 trillion rubles, with revenues downgraded to 38.5 trillion rubles.Since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia’s “rainy‑day” National Wealth Fund has been heavily drained: Liquid assets have plummeted 68% since then—a drop from approximately $113 billion pre‑war to about $36 billion by mid‑2025, according to Bloomberg. 

Mine clearance crews restore farmland in Kyiv Oblast one field at a time. For the third straight month, Ukrainian emergency service sappers have been working non-stop daily to clear explosive remnants of war from the Kyiv region. Their latest effort focuses on a 98-hectare (about 240-acre) field. So far, they have cleared more than 632 hectares (1,560 acres) of agricultural land, making it safe and usable again.

Thirteen remotely operated clearance vehicles—robotic machines designed to work without endangering human crews—are involved in the effort. 

Ukrainian Special Forces raid Russian position near border, eliminate enemy troops. A Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) team conducted a swift and coordinated raid on a Russian position near the state border with Russia, eliminating enemy personnel and seizing equipment, the SSO Command reported on July 7.

Despite challenging conditions, including rain and arduous terrain, the operators approached from the rear and struck the position with precision. Footage released by the unit shows the team in action during the nighttime assault.

“Rain, the border, and enemy concentrations are not obstacles but routine conditions for our operators,” the SSO said. “The mission succeeded thanks to careful planning, coordination, and professionalism.”

The combat mission inflicted enemy casualties, captured equipment, and offered valuable combat experience, according to the statement.

Key Takeaways:

• Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated the Kremlin’s rejection of a ceasefire and unchanged demands, including demilitarization and regime change in Ukraine.
• Russia is leveraging its “Rubikon” Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies to improve its theater-wide drone capabilities, including in priority frontline areas in Donetsk Oblast.
• Russian forces have yet to reach parity with Ukraine’s innovative and deeply integrated drone program, however.
• Russian forces appear to be reprioritizing offensive operations in the Pokrovsk direction over the Kostyantynivka direction after several weeks of unsuccessful activity aimed at advancing toward Kostyantynivka.
• Russian Minister of Transport and former Kursk Oblast Governor Roman Starovoit reportedly committed suicide after Russian President Vladimir Putin removed Starovoit from his position, likely due in part to the Ministry of Transport’s role in Russian failures that enabled Ukraine’s Operation Spider Web in June 2025.
• Putin may have planned to punish Starovoit by arresting him on charges related to his time as the governor of Kursk Oblast in order to avoid acknowledging the Kremlin’s failure to prevent Operation Spider Web.
• Ukrainian forces continue to conduct long-range strikes against Russia’s defense industrial base (DIB).
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Novopavlivka. Russian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast and near Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivka.

In Memoriam: Serhii Holovanov

Senior Police Lieutenant Serhii Holovanov, call sign “Holova”, was killed on June 20, 2024, on his 28th birthday during a mission near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast. He sustained fatal shrapnel wounds from an enemy FPV drone strike.

Born in Yaseny in the northeastern region of Sumy, Holovanov studied law at the Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs. He served as a senior investigator in Sumy before joining the “Liut” National Police assault battalion during the full-scale war, where he fought as an officer in the “Safari” regiment.

Passionate about soccer, Ukrainian history, and poetry, Holovanov was remembered as brave and devoted — a loving father, husband, and son. He is survived by his widowed wife Yana, daughter, parents, and sister.

He was buried on the Alley of Glory at Baranivka Cemetery in Sumy and posthumously awarded the Order for Courage, 3rd Class.

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

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