Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that agreements have been reached with Germany on additional Patriot launchers and missiles for them. He announced this following a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Vilnius on Wednesday, July 12.
“We continued our conversation with Chancellor Scholz about security guarantees for Ukraine on its path to NATO. Thank you for your support! There is an agreement on additional Patriot launchers and missiles from Germany. This is very important for protecting life in Ukraine from Russian terror!” Zelenskyy noted.
Photo by Vitaliy Nosach, RBC-Ukraine
- UK intelligence: Surovikin was sidelined after the Wagner mutiny
- Politico: EU suggesting a long-term security umbrella to bolster Ukraine’s defenses
- Reuters: UK to provide Ukraine with ammo, vehicles, and $65 million for equipment repair
- The New York Times: Biden Administration Is Quietly Debating Whether to Send Ukraine ATACMS Missiles
- Zelenskyy: Australia will provide Ukraine with a new defense package with 30 Bushmaster armored personnel carriers.
Photo: wikipedia.org
Ukrainian defenders killed about 510 Russian invaders and destroyed an air defense system, a tank, 17 artillery systems, and 7 Russian armored combat vehicles.
Photo: slovoidilo.ua
In a hospital, a girl hugs her husband Andrii, a defender of 47th brigade, who lost his hands and sight in a battle against invaders. Andrii, a Ukrainian defender from the 47th brigade, headed the air reconnaissance unit. During a combat mission, he came under fire; one of the shells exploded just under his feet. The photos were made public by the photographer couple Kostyantyn and Vlada Liberov.
“Andriy was voluntarily mobilized. Before the great war, he sang in a choir and loved to travel. He also has a beloved wife, Alina. It is she who is taking very touching care of him today, living right next to him in the hospital. For several months, Andriy had to fight off the military enlistment office to get to the front. That’s how he ended up in the 47th Brigade, where he headed an aerial reconnaissance unit. Some time ago, Andrii came under fire while performing a combat mission. One of the shells exploded right under his feet. Andrii’s fighter brothers and the medics evacuated him and were sure if he would survive the evacuation and beyond. Meanwhile, Andrii was conscious until the end and gave orders,” the report says.
Photo by Kostyantyn and Vlada Liberov
One of the Ukrainian Special Forces units and their colleagues from the Defense Forces destroyed 9 units of enemy equipment in the Bakhmut sector. This time, the list of enemy losses was supplemented by 2 units of 2C5 Hiacint, 2 units of 2S7 “Pion”, R-325U, “Leier” electronic warfare station, 2 units of P-18 “Malachite” complex and “Kasta-2E2” complex. During the week, the SAS operators were hunting for critical equipment of the occupier. Having determined the coordinates of the enemy’s equipment and calculations, they struck with artillery.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attempted to portray the Ukrainian counteroffensive as a failed effort against the backdrop of the NATO Summit. Shoigu implausibly claimed on July 11 that Ukrainian forces have lost 26,000 servicemembers and 1,244 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles since starting counteroffensive operations on June 4. Shoigu also tried to present possible Ukrainian interdiction efforts in southern Ukraine as similarly ineffective by claiming that Russian air defenses have intercepted 176 HIMARS rockets and 27 Storm Shadow cruise missiles since the start of the counteroffensive.
ISW assesses that Russian MoD reporting on Ukrainian losses is likely highly inflated, and even Russian milbloggers have recently accused the MoD of counting strikes on already damaged and destroyed vehicles as new Ukrainian equipment losses.
Shoigu’s rhetoric about the Ukrainian counteroffensive notably contradicts the Kremlin’s reported media guidance instructing Russian state media not to downplay the counteroffensive or overstate Russian successes. Shoigu may be increasingly ignoring established Kremlin guidance on covering the counteroffensive in a renewed effort to portray the MoD as an effective manager of the war in Ukraine following the Wagner Group’s rebellion.
Yaroslav Otrok-Veles was a Hero of Mariupol defense and a Plast instructor; the occupiers in Olenivka killed him… He was a political science student at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Kyiv National University of Shevchenko. Since 16, he has been an activist in the youth movement. Once legally able to, he immediately volunteered for the Azov regiment, where he was known as “First.” He was a sapper who could have demined Ukraine after the war and taught children about mine safety. But he was killed in captivity at the age of 21 on July 29, 2022.
The Kremenchuk Plast, where Yaroslav volunteered, wrote: “He lived to work for Ukraine… he was always cheerful, always took to work with ease….” …. He repeatedly helped organize (Plast) camps for children, and in 2017 participated in the Kupol skydiving training. He helped to organize training for children. He was very active in the public life of Kremenchuk.” Yaroslav’s funeral will be held on July 17 at the City Palace of Culture in Kremenchuk.
Photo: FB Юрій Юзич