Victory Chronicles
-DAY 499

Biden approves cluster munition supply to Ukraine

President Biden has approved the provision of U.S. cluster munitions for Ukraine, with drawdown of the weapons from Defense Department stocks due to be announced Friday.

The move, which will bypass U.S. law prohibiting the production, use or transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate of more than 1 percent, comes amid concerns about Kyiv’s lagging counteroffensive against entrenched Russian troops and dwindling Western stocks of conventional artillery. It follows months of internal administration debate over whether to supply the controversial munitions, which are banned by most countries in the world.

Latest news

• White House: Biden didn’t authorize secret US-Russia talks over Ukraine war
• Czech Prime Minister: Czech Republic will donate more attack helicopters to Ukraine and hundreds of thousands more pieces of large-caliber ammunition in the coming months
• Nuclear power industry: Bulgaria is nearing an agreement to sell two Russian-made nuclear reactors and other critical equipment to Ukraine’s state-owned atomic energy company
• IAEA: Monitors examining more of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, still not been let on reactor roofs
• General Staff: Ukrainian forces make further gains south of Bakhmut

Symbolic number of the Day - 232,810

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on July 7 that Russia lost 232,810 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24 last year. This number includes 510 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day. According to the report, Russia has also lost 4,070 tanks, 7,944 armored fighting vehicles, 6,898 vehicles and fuel tanks, 4,330 artillery systems, 658 multiple launch rocket systems, 408 air defense systems, 315 airplanes, 309 helicopters, 3,652 drones, 18 boats.

War in Pictures

Lviv missile strike death toll rises to 10. As of around 7 a.m. local time on July 7, 10 people are known to have been killed and 42 injured due to Russia’s July 6 missile strike on Lviv, according to the city’s mayor.

Another woman’s body was found under the rubble of an apartment building hit by a Russian Kalibr missile early in the morning of July 6, Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi reported on Telegram. “The tenth body has just been found. Woman. The first responders are now taking the body out of the rubble,” Sadovyi wrote. Following the attack, the State Emergency Service evacuated 64 people from the hit apartment building, where 60 residences were heavily damaged. The missile strike also damaged another 35 buildings and 50 cars.

Video of the Day

Defenders of the State Service of Ukraine for Special Transport Services, together with the 5th Brigade, destroyed an ammunition depot of the Russian occupiers.

ISW report

Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations on at least three sectors of the front on July 6 and are continuing efforts to gradually degrade Russian manpower and logistics assets. Ukrainian military officials reported that Ukrainian forces are conducting counteroffensive activities in the Bakhmut, western Donetsk, and western Zaporizhia directions.

Geolocated footage posted on July 6 shows that Ukrainian troops have advanced towards the western outskirts of Klishchiivka, about 5km southwest of Bakhmut. Russian and Ukrainian sources continued to discuss Ukrainian counteroffensive operations in western Donetsk Oblast south of Velyka Novosilka and in the Orikhiv area in western Zaporizhia Oblast.

War Heroes

Volodymyr Voytyuk, son of the famous Ukrainian theater and film director, producer, and screenwriter Ivan Voytyuk, died at the front. Senior Lieutenant Volodymyr Voytyuk died on April 24, 2023, while defending his position near the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast.

The officer’s life was cut short by an enemy mortar attack. The defender was 41 years old. Volodymyr was born and lived in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast. He graduated from the Slavic Aviation Technical School and, simultaneously from the School’s military faculty. In civilian life, he dealt with car leasing. He started the business with his brother, who died in an accident. After that, the man managed the business independently, even from the front. He got married and raised his sons. He wanted his family to have the best.

With the outbreak of a full-scale war, the man decided to defend Ukraine from the Russian invaders. In June 2022, he mobilized as a platoon commander to the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade. Together with the unit, he defended Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts. “My brother was a very brave man, a true patriot who was ready to give his life for the freedom of his family, city, and country. He bravely endured all the hardships of war, always going into battle. His comrades remembered him as a humane man who could listen and understand,” said Ivan, the deceased’s brother. The Hero was buried in his hometown. Volodymyr is survived by his parents, brother, sister, wife, and two sons.