Victory Chronicles-DAY 744

The United Kingdom will provide £325 million ($416 million) to purchase over 10,000 “state-of-the-art” drones for Ukraine, according to Defense Secretary Grant Shapps. This follows a previous aid package of £200 million ($256 million) announced in January. The majority of the drones will be high-performance first-person view (FPV) drones, with 1,000 unilateral strike drones developed in the UK, along with reconnaissance and maritime drones also included. The aid package will allocate over £100 million ($128 million) to enhance Ukraine’s maritime capabilities, particularly in the Black Sea. The UK aims to equip Ukraine with advanced drones from British defense companies. The UK, together with Latvia, leads a drone development coalition to strengthen Ukraine’s military capabilities. 

According to the Ministry of Defense, the number of women serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is increasing. As of January 2024, 45,587 women are serving in the Ukrainian army, compared to over 16,500 in 2014 and more than 43,400 in 2023. Of these women, 13,487 are in combat positions.  

The total number of women in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including those not military personnel, is 62,000 as of 2024, compared to 49,000 in 2014. The Defense Ministry thanked these women for their contribution to the victory. These numbers reflect women’s growing presence and active participation in Ukraine’s armed forces.

Russian occupation forces attacked several towns in Donetsk Oblast, resulting in four people getting injured. The first attack occurred in Myrnohrad, where a rocket attack damaged multiple buildings and vehicles, leaving a 64-year-old resident wounded. Shortly after, the village of Shakhove was targeted, hitting a school and injuring a 48-year-old woman who was working as a watchman. Simultaneously, the town of Novohrodivka was attacked twice, with a 38-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man being taken to a medical facility for treatment. The city of Novohrodivka also suffered significant damage to numerous buildings and vehicles, and power outages affecting around 4,000 subscribers. The attacks were allegedly carried out by the Russian occupants using various rocket launchers. The Oblastal prosecutor’s office pledged to document these war crimes against the civilian population in the Oblast.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine released a video of the repulsion of the Russian assault near Robotyno. Mines hit some of the armored vehicles, while drones destroyed others.

Lithuanian intelligence also assessed that Russia is unlikely to abandon its long-term objectives of subjugating Ukraine even if Russia fails to achieve these objectives through military means. Lithuanian intelligence assessed that “Russia shows no intention of de-escalating” its war against Ukraine and that Russia is unlikely to abandon its operational objectives in the long-term, even if Russia suffers a military defeat in Ukraine.

Lithuanian intelligence stated that Russia will continue to pursue its goal of completely undermining Ukrainian statehood and sovereignty, enforcing Ukraine’s neutral status, and destroying Ukraine’s military potential in the long term, regardless of the outcome of the war in Ukraine. Lithuanian intelligence assessed that Russia will also continue efforts to expand the Russian state’s administrative control to the administrative borders of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson oblasts in the short term. 

Recent Russian official statements underscore that the Kremlin’s maximalist objectives in Ukraine have remained unchanged since the beginning months of the full-scale invasion and likely will not change, despite Russian information operations that aim to persuade Western audiences and leaders that Russia has limited objectives in Ukraine to seduce the West to support negotiations that favor Russia.

Sergeant Oleksandr Lysytsia, with the call sign Lys, died on July 2, 2023, while performing a combat mission near the village of Dibrova in the Luhansk Oblast. The defender was 45 years old.

Oleksandr Valeriyovych was from the city of Novovolynsk, Volyn Oblast. He graduated from the local higher vocational school №1. He was a construction worker by profession. In civilian life, he was engaged in private activity and owned a car service center.

On the third day of the full-scale invasion, February 26, 2022, the man joined the ranks of the defenders of Ukraine. He joined the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, where he was appointed a machine gunner. He was a squad leader. Together with his comrades, he fought in Mykolaiv Oblast. Later, he participated in the battles for Bakhmut. Then he went through the most difficult spots in Kherson and Donetsk Oblasts, and later defended Luhansk Oblast. 

“Dad was an honest, purposeful, true patriot of his country, a reliable husband and loving father, a true friend and support for his comrades,” said Yelyzaveta Pavliuk, the defender’s daughter.

The fighter was buried in the Alley of Heroes at the cemetery of mine No. 2 in his hometown. Oleksandr is survived by his wife, three children, other relatives, friends and fighters-in-arms.

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

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