Victory Chronicles-DAY 1232

U.S. President Donald Trump told campaign donors during his last political campaign that during his first term in office, he had threatened to bomb Moscow and Beijing to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine and China from attacking Taiwan, according to a newly surfaced audio recording published by CNN on July 8.

last year that during his time in office, he Speaking at a private donor meeting in 2023, Trump described his conversations with Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, warning them of severe consequences if they moved militarily against neighboring countries.

“With Putin I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the sh*t out of Moscow. I’m telling you I have no choice,’” Trump is heard saying in the recording. He added that while Putin didn’t appear convinced, “he believed me 10 percent.”

Trump also claimed to have made a similar threat to Xi about Taiwan, saying, “He thought I was crazy.”

CNN, which obtained and published the audio, reported that the conversation transpired at a closed-door fundraiser, providing a glimpse into how Trump frames his foreign policy approach as he campaigned to return to the White House for a second term.

Russian drone and bomb attacks kill 8 civilians in Donetsk region. Eight civilians were killed on July 9 after Russian forces struck the towns of Rodynske and Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region using a first-person view drone and guided aerial bombs, according to the regional prosecutor’s office. In Rodynske, a drone hit two civilian vehicles, killing five people. Ten minutes later, two FAB-250 bombs were dropped on Kostiantynivka, killing three more civilian men aged 42, 53, and 71. A 59-year-old civilian was also injured. At least 20 homes were damaged in the attacks, which reflect a growing tactical use of drones and precision munitions in civilian areas that some military experts are calling “human safari hunts” by Russian drone operators.

Drone strike kills 1-year-old boy in southern Ukrainian region of Kherson. A one-year-old boy who could barely walk was killed in a Russian drone strike while playing in a backyard in the village of Pravdyne in Ukraine’s southern Kherson Oblast on July 9.

He was accompanied by his great-grandmother. According to regional officials, the drone specifically targeted the child and his great-grandmother while they were outdoors.

The boy, identified only as Dmytryk, died instantly from his injuries. His 64-year-old great-grandmother suffered a concussion and head trauma but declined medical care after receiving immediate care.

“This was not an accident. This was a deliberate act of terror,” said Kherson’s regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin, who shared photos of the scorched yard and scattered toys left behind. “These toys belonged to Dmytryk. He was just 14 months old.”

According to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, 638 children have been killed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Firefighters extinguish massive blaze in Kyiv region after Russian aerial strike. Ukrainian emergency crews have extinguished a large fire that enveloped 1.976 acres (8,000 square meters) at an industrial facility in the northern Brovary district of Kyiv region, following a Russian attack on July 9, according to the State Emergency Service (SES).

The blaze broke out at a wood pallet processing plant in the village of Trebukhiv. Footage released by the SES shows plumes of smoke smoke and flames engulfing the site. A total of 73 firefighters and 16 SES vehicles responded to the scene, along with local fire fighter crews from nearby villages, bringing seven additional vehicles and personnel. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. 

Key Takeaways:

• US President Donald Trump announced on July 7 that the United States would resume weapons deliveries to Ukraine as discussions about provisions of additional air defense systems and interceptors are reportedly ongoing.
• The Kremlin continues to leverage Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev’s aggressive rhetoric to undermine support for US military aid to Ukraine, likely as part of a top-down, concerted Kremlin informational effort.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast amidst a series of ongoing counterattacks.
• Russia continues to expand its domestic drone production capacity amid the ever-growing role of tactical drones in frontline combat operations and Russia’s increasingly large nightly long-range strike packages against Ukraine.
• Ongoing Russian cooperation with Chinese companies is facilitating Russia’s increasing domestic drone production.
• Russian milblogger complaints suggest that the Russian military command is struggling to supply frontline units with drones despite increased drone production, possibly indicating how Russia’s centralization and bureaucracy are degrading the effectiveness of Russian drone operations and slowing the Russian innovation cycle.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Sumy Oblast, and Russian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar and Toretsk.

In Memoriam: Anatolii Bukhanets

Senior Sergeant Anatolii Bukhanets, call sign “Ryzhyi,” died on July 17, 2023, at a military hospital in Dnipro. The day before, he was critically wounded by a landmine while carrying out a mission in the Serebrianskyi forest, Luhansk Oblast. He was 35 years old.

Born in the village of Romankivtsi, Chernivtsi Oblast, Bukhanets trained as a radio technician and worked in the fruit processing industry. He enjoyed fixing computers and spending time with his family.

In March 2022, following the full-scale invasion, he joined the State Border Guard Service, serving as head of fire support in the 7th Border Detachment. His comrades nicknamed him “Ryzhyi” (Ginger) after the orange cat he cared for on the front line.

“He was open-hearted, full of life, and deeply devoted to his family. He dreamed that our children would never have to see what kids from the East see,” said his wife, Inna.

Bukhanets was posthumously awarded the Order For Courage, 3rd Class. He was buried in his native village. He is survived by his parents, wife, and two children.

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

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