Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 22.59 Ambassadors of the European Union countries failed to agree on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia. The main obstacle was the position of Greece, which opposed one of the key restrictions. The cornerstone was Athens' demand to extend the permit to re-export Russian liquefied gas to third countries. After more than two hours of negotiations, the ambassadors of the member states failed to reach an agreement, declared a break and agreed to return to the discussion on July 23.
22.31 Ukraine has initiated an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council after Russia effectively blocked the movement of ships through the Ukrainian sea corridor in the Black Sea. The meeting is planned to be held on July 27. According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, Russian forces have struck at least three civilian cargo ships in the past few days. Dozens of crew members were killed and injured in the attacks.
22.07 US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that during an upcoming meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov he will discuss the prospects for resuming negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. According to him, Washington remains ready to play a constructive role in the diplomatic process. According to the head of the State Department, the war in Ukraine remains the main obstacle to the normalization of relations between the United States and Russia in other areas. He also emphasized that the United States is ready to join a peaceful settlement if real opportunities arise for this.
21.43 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the successful actions of the Ukrainian military at the front and long-range strikes on Russian territory are shaping the atmosphere around Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. According to him, the Kremlin leader's inner circle is already aware of who is responsible for the war and Russia's losses. According to Zelensky, Ukraine's military successes have created a "very toxic atmosphere" around Putin. He emphasized that it is Putin who is responsible for both the start of the full-scale war and the fact that it is still ongoing. The president also reported that representatives of the Russian leader's inner circle are already giving appropriate signals.
21.18 On July 22, Russian forces twice attacked gas stations in Kharkiv with FPV drones. Six people were injured in the strikes, and fires broke out at the sites of the strikes. The first strike fell on a gas station, where a fuel dispenser caught fire after being hit by an FPV drone. According to rescuers, five people suffered acute stress reactions.
Later, Russian forces attacked another gas station within Kharkiv for the second time with an FPV drone. As a result of the shelling, a gas tank and a truck caught fire. The area of the fire was about 20 square meters. According to preliminary information, a 22-year-old woman was injured during the second strike, who also suffered an acute stress reaction.
20.57 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that he had a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The main topic of the talks was strengthening diplomatic efforts to achieve a just peace. According to Zelensky, the conversation was "good and important" and concerned ways to intensify diplomacy. He also reported that the Ukrainian and American teams remain in constant contact to continue working on all the agreements discussed during the talks.
19.33 Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) Rustem Umerov held a meeting with the US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker in Kyiv. The parties discussed the Drone Deal and the localization of production of Patriot missiles and the further development of defense cooperation between Ukraine and the United States. Special attention during the meeting was paid to the issue of localization of production of missiles for Patriot air defense systems in Ukraine.
18.27 The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) have completed a pre-trial investigation into the embezzlement of over UAH 102 million during the purchase of dynamic protection for armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The organizer of the scheme is currently in custody. In addition to this case, he is also a defendant in a number of other criminal proceedings.
17.55 Since the beginning of the day, the Russians have attacked the positions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine 79 times. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on July 22. It is noted that artillery shelling of border areas continues. Today, the settlements of Neskuchne, Korenyok, Sopych, Potapivka, Kucherivka, Rogizne, Budky, Volfyne, Ulanov, Bunyakyne, Seredyna-Buda, Buvalyne, Bachivsk, Girky, Sukhodil, Tovstodubovo were affected in the Sumy region; in the Chernihiv region - Zalizny Most.
17:45 In the village of Zolochiv, Kharkiv region, two civilians were injured, including a child, as a result of Russian shelling. According to the head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, Oleg Synegubov, a 58-year-old man and a 12-year-old girl were injured by explosives. Both victims were hospitalized.
17.38 The invaders struck the village of Lezhyne in the Zaporizhia district. There are people under the rubble of houses. This was reported on July 22 by the head of the Zaporizhia OVA Ivan Fedorov. Earlier it was reported that the Russian invaders launched guided aerial bombs from TOT. Monitoring channels warned that they were flying towards Zaporizhia and the Zaporizhia district.
17.26 Russian troops advanced near the village of Zapovedne (formerly Nykanorivka) of the Shakhiv rural community of the Pokrovsky district of the Donetsk region. This was reported by the OSINT project DeepState. According to the updated maps of analysts, the area of the territories under the control of the occupiers in the Pokrovsky direction has increased by 0.57 sq. km. At the same time, the area of the so-called "gray zone" has increased by 2.01 sq. km.
Before that, OSINT analysts reported on the advance of the Russian occupation army near Zaliznychne on the Hulyaipil direction of the front (Polohiv district of Zaporizhia region).
17.01 Russian troops struck Zaporizhia on Wednesday afternoon, July 22. The attack caused a fire on the territory of a food industry enterprise, and three people were injured. This was reported by the head of the Zaporizhia Regional Military Administration, Ivan Fedorov.
16.52 Servicemen of the Maritime Guard of the State Border Service of Ukraine evacuated the crew of the Golden Rose bulk carrier, which was hit by a Russian drone in the Black Sea on the night of July 22. This was reported by the State Border Service of Ukraine. It is noted that after the strike drone hit the stern of the vessel, a large-scale fire broke out. The burning bulk carrier was discovered using technical surveillance equipment. The rescue operation took place in extremely difficult conditions - in the dark and with a constant threat of repeated attacks by Russian drones and missiles. Despite the danger, the crews of the boats were able to approach the side of the burning vessel and safely evacuate all the sailors. The Maritime Guard boats of the State Border Service evacuated 16 crew members: two Syrian citizens and fourteen Egyptian citizens. All the rescued were taken to shore, where they underwent a medical examination, none of the sailors suffered injuries or other damage.
16.37 Acting Minister of Defense of Ukraine Yevheniy Khmara reported on the first conversation with the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Major General Mykhailo Drapaty. Following the meeting, he stated that Ukraine will continue to increase shock and technological pressure on Russia. Among the priority tasks, he named support for the front, strengthening international assistance, and transferring hostilities to the territory of the aggressor state. To do this, according to him, the military must receive stable access to modern weapons, in particular long-range weapons, as well as the latest technologies and asymmetric solutions.
16.05 On July 22, Russian troops carried out an air strike on Sloviansk, Donetsk region. Two people were injured, an educational institution and houses were damaged. This was reported by the head of the Sloviansk city military administration, Vadim Lyakh. It is noted that four FAB-250s damaged six private houses and partially destroyed an educational institution. Two people were injured. A 59-year-old man was hospitalized. A 68-year-old woman refused hospitalization and was provided with outpatient care.
15.50 A person died as a result of a Russian strike on Odessa. This was reported on July 22 by the head of the Odessa Military Police, Serhiy Lysak. Two people were also injured in the attack: an 82-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man. They are receiving necessary medical care.
15.29 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, July 22, signed a decree dismissing Andriy Hnatov from the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The president also signed a decree dismissing Oleksandr Syrskyy. Starting today, Mykhailo Drapaty officially replaced Oleksandr Syrskyy in his post. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Drapaty as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, signing the corresponding decree.
14.49 In Kyiv, environmentalists have recorded new leaks of oil products into the Syrets stream and Lake Kyrylivske. The water bodies suffered large-scale pollution as a result of the Russian attack on the capital on July 2.
To contain the oil spill, the lake was blocked with 200-meter booms. At the site of the largest leak, the shore was soaked with oil to a depth of 20 cm - 1323 sq. m of the coastal strip was contaminated there. Ecologists also discovered additional small pockets of the spill along the shore, covering more than 5100 sq. m. Soil samples have already been taken from all these areas.
14.08 In Zhytomyr region, a fire broke out in a wheat field of one of the farms in the region as a result of a Russian attack. The fire engulfed 2 hectares of crops that farmers were preparing for harvest.
The fire has been extinguished. No information about victims or injured has been received.
13.57 Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 350 Ukrainian and foreign artists and 137 media workers have been killed. These losses testify not only to the scale of the war, but also to its impact on Ukrainian culture and freedom of speech. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Culture.
13.56 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set a number of tasks for the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapaty:
continue and intensify offensive actions in all domains;
plan new operations behind enemy lines;
develop the army and its technologies;
to increase the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
13.36 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio may meet in the Philippines for talks, including on a full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, the Times of Israel reports.
The meeting is scheduled to take place on July 23 in Manila.
Rubio, in turn, confirmed the meeting. It is expected that the central topics of the talks will be the Russian-Ukrainian war and the conflict in Iran.
13:35 On July 22, Russian troops struck Odessa with drones, causing injuries. This was reported by the head of the Odessa Regional State Administration (ODA) Serhiy Lysak and the head of the Odessa Regional State Administration (ODA) Oleh Kiper.
"The enemy attacked Odessa. The infrastructure is damaged. There are hits in the residential sector. We are clarifying the details," Lysak noted.
According to Kiper, one of the drones hit a two-story building, causing damage.
13.20 Russian troops launched strikes on Kharkiv, five people were injured. This was reported by the head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleg Synegubov, on July 22. According to him, the Russian strike was recorded in the Saltivskyi district. Later, he added that another enemy strike was in the Nemyshlyanskyi district of Kharkiv. Previously, there was a fire at the scene. As a result of the enemy strike on the Nemyshlyanskyi district, 5 people were injured. All of them were diagnosed with an acute stress reaction.
13.10 Major General Ihor Skybyuk will become the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"Together with Mykhailo Drapaty and Yevhen Khmara, we determined that the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Major General Ihor Skybyuk - a very experienced military man with whom the new Commander-in-Chief defended Ukraine side by side," the head of state said.
Ihor Skybyuk has been the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2025. Before that, he was the commander of the Airborne Assault Forces of Ukraine. In 2022, he was the commander of the 80th separate airborne assault brigade, which liberated Izyum during the Kharkiv counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
12.20 The secret meeting of former high-ranking officials of Germany and Russia on the end of the war in Ukraine, which allegedly took place this month in Baku, has no significance. This was stated by the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Heorhiy Tykhyi.
According to a Foreign Ministry spokesman, this meeting is "as secret as it is unimportant."
"Some people, whose names are practically not Googled anymore, are meeting and talking about something. The Ukrainian side did not authorize any of them to do anything. The significance of such meetings for a real peace process is close to zero," Tykhy said.
12.01 In Kherson and its suburbs, Russian drones attacked a minibus and a tractor, three people were injured. The Kherson OVA reported this on July 22. It is noted that at approximately 07:00 in the Central district of Kherson, Russian invaders hit a bus with a drone. As a result of the attack, the 61-year-old driver received a concussion, explosive and closed craniocerebral injuries. The ambulance team took him to the hospital in moderate condition. At approximately 08:00, the Russian occupiers attacked a tractor in Zelenivka with a drone. A 50-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman were injured. The OVA added that they had previously received explosive injuries. The victims were taken to the hospital.
11.31 A warehouse caught fire in Chernihiv as a result of a Russian UAV strike. This was reported by the head of the Chernihiv City Military Administration, Dmytro Bryzhynsky, on July 22. According to him, one person was injured. Information about the consequences is being clarified.
11.22 Ukrainian Defense Forces struck an oil depot, logistics centers in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories of Russia, as well as some targets at sea, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced.
According to the head of state, Ukrainian troops today used long-range weapons to strike important targets in the Krasnodar and Stavropol regions of Russia. The strikes targeted logistics centers that supplied the Russian army with drone components, navigation equipment, and other military equipment.
Another oil terminal was also hit. In the waters of the Black and Azov Seas, Ukrainian defenders hit a tanker and four dry cargo ships belonging to Russia's "shadow fleet."
"We are quite rightly bringing the war home - to Russia," Zelenskyy said.
The President added that Ukraine has already submitted all proposals to the Russian side regarding the end of the war. "We must force them to switch to diplomacy," the Head of State emphasized.
10.59 In the center of Mykolaiv, the Security Service of Ukraine prevented a terrorist attack, which, according to the investigation, was being prepared by an agent of the Russian special services. The man was detained while trying to plant an improvised explosive device under the car of a Defense Forces serviceman, the SBU reported on Wednesday, July 22.
10.57 Power outages were recorded in eight regions of Ukraine as of the morning of July 22. This was reported by NPC Ukrenergo. There are new power outages in Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Kyiv, Odessa, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.
10.44 In Druzhkivka, Donetsk region, the office of the Ukrainian Red Cross was damaged by Russian shelling. The building's windows were broken, and the front door, locks, and furniture were damaged. No employees or volunteers of the Ukrainian Red Cross were injured in the attack.
10.38 Russians shelled Kharkiv and 15 other settlements in the Kharkiv region over the past day. Three people were killed and 11 injured, including two children. This was reported by the head of the Kharkiv Oblast Armed Forces, Oleg Synegubov, on July 22.
10.13 The Ukrainian Armed Forces' unmanned systems forces have hit 13 Russian ships in the Black and Azov Seas in two days. This was reported by the Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Robert "Magyar" Brovdi.
9.45 In Armavir in the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation, a fire of about 800 square meters broke out on the territory of an oil depot as a result of a drone attack. m. This was reported by Russian media and the ASTRA telegram channel. It is noted that the oil depot in the Northern Industrial Zone was attacked by more than 16 drones. According to operational services, as a result of the strike, a fire broke out on the territory of the facility, its area reached about 800 square meters.
9.35 Russian troops attacked the Odessa region with strike drones. In one of the settlements, a Russian drone hit a two-story apartment building. A woman died.
In another settlement, the roof of a private residential building collapsed as a result of a drone strike. There were no injuries.
The attack also damaged a tobacco storage facility and a main gas pipeline, causing it to depressurize. A fire broke out at the site, which is being extinguished.
9.20 Air defense forces neutralized three Kh-59/69 guided aircraft missiles and 204 drones used by Russian invaders to attack Ukraine. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on July 22. Hits of a ballistic missile and 12 strike UAVs were recorded at 12 locations, as well as falling debris at seven locations.
8.55 The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has put the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mikhail Drapaty, on the wanted list. A special card marked Wanted appeared in the Russian database immediately after the appointment. The specific article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation under which the general is wanted was not specified.
This is not the first time that Russian law enforcement agencies have been interested in the Ukrainian major general. Previously, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in absentia charged Drapatom with charges related to his command in the Donbas combat zone in 2017 and 2019.
According to the Russian agency, in 2017 and 2019, he, together with Viktor Nikoliuk, exercised overall command of the operation of the joint forces of Ukraine. The occupiers claim that under the leadership of Drapaty and Nikoliuk, the Ukrainian military allegedly carried out more than 70 shellings of settlements in the so-called "DPR" and "LPR", as a result of which 154 people were allegedly killed and wounded. The Russian side does not provide any evidence for these accusations.
8.42 In the morning, Russians targeted a residential building in the village of Chayky, Buchansky district, Kyiv region. Five people, including three children, were injured in the attack. Medics provided the injured with necessary assistance on the spot.
8.19 Oleksandr Syrskyi is leaving the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The general summed up his work in a farewell address on Telegram.
"Today I am leaving the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Syrsky wrote.
The general said he was handing over "an army in a state of offensive" to his replacement, Mykhailo Drapatom.
In his farewell address, Syrskyi stated that this year, under his command, Ukrainian troops liberated 700 square kilometers of territory.
"The army, which two years ago was conducting a difficult defense, is advancing today. I am handing over to my successor an army that is not only holding the defense, but is also in a state of offensive - with initiative, with structure, with people who know how to beat the enemy," said the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Syrsky expressed hope that the offensive would be continued, stating that "everything is there" for this.
The general also made it clear that he would receive a new position in the army: "My job is war. Positions change, but this principle does not. Whatever my status, I will serve Ukraine until victory."
8.03 In Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Territory, Russia, large Wildberries logistics centers are on fire as a result of a drone attack.
A large-scale fire broke out in the suburbs of Krasnodar as a result of drone strikes.
Local residents also heard 20-30 explosions. One of the largest logistics hubs of Wildberries in Russia was hit. A large-scale fire broke out there.
Later it became known that a large Wildberries warehouse in Nevinnomyssk was also on fire. Local authorities reported two casualties after the attack on the warehouse complex. Wildberries announced the evacuation of the facility in Nevinnomyssk.
Explosions also erupted in Armavir, Russia. Drones attacked an oil depot, causing a fire there.
7.17 From February 24, 2022 to July 22, 2026, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 1,433,230 people (+1,330 per day).
4.48 Ukrainian troops attacked one of the largest and most important logistics centers of Wildberries in the Russian Federation in the Russian city of Krasnodar. This was reported by the Spanish-language OSINT channel world.militares.
2.35 Presidential Advisor on the Development of Technological Areas of Defense Serhiy Beskrestnov (Flash) spoke about testing new electronic warfare means against rocket launchers in Telegram.
1.54 Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov congratulated Mykhailo Drapaty on his appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Mykhailo Fedorov reported this on Telegram.
1.36 American General Dan Kaine spoke during a Senate hearing about the victory of the Ukrainian Air Force: a Ukrainian F-16 shot down a Russian fighter jet for the first time in an aerial duel. This was reported by the C-SPAN television channel.
00.29 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced changes in the country's defense. He is talking about both drones and the mobilization process. The head of state stated this in his evening video address, published on Facebook.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 21:09 In the "free hunt" mode, FPV drone operators of the 1st Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the "North" Guards group destroyed the American M-113 armored personnel carrier, which Ukrainian nationalists planned to use to transport manpower to forward positions in the Khar'kov direction. 20:38 During the day, from 8:00 to 20:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 80 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft type were over the territories of the Belgorod and Kursk regions, the Republic of Crimea and over the waters of the Azov and Black Seas.
20:07 Operators of the attack UAVs of the Vostok group discovered and destroyed enemy manpower, completely disrupting the rotation of Ukrainian Armed Forces units.
Dnepr drone operators are terrorizing the right bank, targeting enemy fortified positions and equipment.
Operators of attack drones from the Sever group tracked down and burned to the ground a car and an all-terrain vehicle belonging to Ukrainian forces.
Drone operators from the Center group overtook Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment near Yuryevka in the DPR.
UAV crews from the Southern Group destroyed a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone control center in Belokuzminovka, part of the Konstantinovka urban community.
19:52 Investigators from the Russian Investigative Committee will investigate crimes committed by Ukrainian armed groups in a number of regions of the Russian Federation
According to local authorities, seven people were injured in attacks by Ukrainian Armed Forces drones in the Bryansk and Kursk regions.
In the DPR, as a result of aggression by the Kyiv regime in Gorlovka, 6 civilians were injured.
In the Zaporizhzhia region, four people were injured as a result of attacks by Ukrainian armed forces.
Three civilians were injured in drone strikes in the Kherson region.
According to the Belgorod Region operational headquarters, six people were injured in the region as a result of Ukrainian armed aggression.
19:09 by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued attacks on Ukrainian ports and sea vessels deployed in the interests of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Two more dry cargo ships, which were delivering cargo for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to the ports of Odessa and Chornomorsk, were hit by attack drones while crossing the sea.
18:40 Vostok jet pilots covered a concentration of Ukrainian Armed Forces infantry in the forests of the Zaporizhzhia region.
17:45 Our drone operators covered a bike ride attempting to rotate the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporizhzhia region,video.
17:08 Military personnel in Sevastopol fended off an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, air defense and mobile fire groups.
Two UAVs were shot down in the Balaklava and Leninsky districts.
According to preliminary information, no one was injured.
16:01 The world's largest container shipping operator Maersk stops work in Ukrainian ports due to intensive Russian strikes
Instead of the Black Sea ports of the Odessa region, ships will now be redirected to the Romanian port of Constanta.
15:20 17 people suffered during a night attack on Yalta, a UAV hit a residential building, 6 people are in hospital, 3 in serious condition.
14:32 Over the past 24 hours, as a result of terrorist attacks in the Zaporizhzhia region four people were hit.
In the Melitopol urban district, an industrial zone in the village of Semenovka was attacked by the enemy, but fortunately there were no casualties. In the village of Radivonovka, one person was injured in the shelling. In the city of Melitopol, the roof of a private home was damaged as a result of the attack.
In the Veselovsky Municipal District, near the urban-type settlement of Vesyoloye, a fire broke out in grain crops during an attack. A defunct pharmacy was also attacked in Vesyoloye. There were no civilian casualties.
In the city of Kamenka-Dniprovska, two people were injured as a result of a strike on a pharmacy building.
14:00 Summary of the Ministry of Defense on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of July 22, 2026
As a result of active operations, units of the North military group established control over the village of Artelnoye in the Khar'kov region.
The formations of the mechanized and motorized infantry brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the territorial defense brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Rubezhnoye, Novooleksandrivka and Chernoglazovka in the Khar'kov region.
In the Sumy region, the manpower and equipment of the mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the territorial defense brigade were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Mogritsa, Krasnopolye and Khrapovshchyna in the Sumy region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 250 servicemen, four armored combat vehicles, 10 vehicles, a Bogdana self-propelled artillery unit, a Verba multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle, and an electronic warfare station.
Units of the "West" force group occupied more advantageous positions and lines. They defeated the personnel and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' mechanized and assault brigades, the territorial defense brigade, and the National Guard brigade near the settlements of Izyum, Studenok, and Komarovka in the Khar'kov region and Tatyanovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy's losses amounted to 210 servicemen, an armored combat vehicle, 13 vehicles, two field artillery pieces, and a Verba multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces improved their tactical position. They defeated formations of two mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Slavyansk, Malotaranivka, Kramatorsk, Nikolaevka, and Druzhkovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
In one day, the enemy lost more than 140 servicemen, four armored combat vehicles, 31 cars and four artillery pieces.
Units of the "Center" force group improved their position along the forward edge. They defeated the personnel and equipment of a mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, and three National Guard brigades near the settlements of Verovka, Rubizhne, Svetloe, and Dobropillia in the Donetsk People's Republic.
Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 240 servicemen, three armored combat vehicles, four cars, three field artillery pieces, and an electronic warfare station.
Units of the "East" group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defenses and liberated the village of Blagovatnoye in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The manpower and equipment of the mechanized, airborne assault brigades and two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Vasilkovka, Pokrovskoe in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Omelnik, Nezhenka and Chervony Yar in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The enemy lost up to 380 servicemen, an armored personnel carrier, 11 vehicles, an artillery piece, and a Grad multiple launch rocket system combat vehicle.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' mechanized brigade and the territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Orekhov and Yurkovka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
More than 50 military personnel, 14 vehicles and an electronic warfare station were destroyed.
13:23 Russian Army liberated Blagovatnoe, Zaporizhzhia Oblast
Units of the "East" group of forces liberated the village during an offensive. During the fighting, up to a platoon of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, four armored combat vehicles, seven vehicles, three ground-based robotic systems, and 32 heavy Baba Yaga drones were destroyed.
13:05 Drone operators of the "Southern" group of forces destroyed personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who tried to escape from Konstantinovka.
11:50 Artillerymen of the Vostok group leveled with the ground strongholds, dugouts and shelters of the enemy in the Zaporizhzhia region.
10:44 The Investigative Committee of Russia will investigate crimes committed by Ukrainian armed forces against civilians in the Donetsk People's Republic
According to local authorities, civilian vehicles were attacked by Ukrainian UAVs in the Velikonovoselkovsky and Mangushsky municipal districts, as well as in the urban district of Debaltseve, resulting in two deaths and three injuries.
9:51 Summary about the operational situation in the Kursk region over the past 24 hours.
In total, 111 enemy drones of various types were shot down between 9:00 a.m. on July 21 and 9:00 a.m. on July 22. The enemy used artillery 124 times on evacuated areas. Drones attacked our territory five times using explosive devices.
9:25 Tonight, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued conducting group strikes using high-precision air and ground-based weapons and strike unmanned aerial vehicles.
As a result of the blows:
- in the port of Odessa (state enterprise "Sea Trade Port "Odessa"), port infrastructure facilities used for unloading and storing military cargo, and tanks with fuel and lubricants intended for supplying the Armed Forces of Ukraine were damaged;
- at the sea crossing (15 km and 53 km southeast of Odessa), a dry cargo ship and a bulk carrier-type sea vessel were damaged, which were delivering cargo for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to the ports of Odessa and Chornomorsk;
- In the city of Odessa, the Nova Poshta logistics center, used for storing military cargo, was damaged.
- In addition, in the area of the village of Kovalivka (25 km northwest of Odessa), a battery of the Neptune-2 coastal missile system was hit, two launchers and a transport and loading vehicle were destroyed.
08:31 FPV drone operators destroyed several guns of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Krasnolimansk direction.
08:26 During the past night, in the period from 20:00 Moscow time on July 21 to 8:00 Moscow time on July 22, air defense forces on duty intercepted and destroyed 242 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type flew over the territories of the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga, Kursk, Leningrad, Novgorod, Oryol, Pskov, Rostov, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tver, Tula regions, the Moscow region, Krasnodar Krai, Stavropol Krai, the Republic of Crimea and over the waters of the Azov and Black Seas.
07:52 Tonight, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continued application of strikes on Ukrainian ports used to deliver cargo to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and military facilities in the Odessa region.
As a result of strikes by high-precision air-launched weapons and attack drones, two seagoing vessels were hit, as well as port infrastructure facilities used for unloading and storing military cargo, and fuel and lubricant tanks intended for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the port of Odessa.
In addition, a Nova Poshta logistics center used for storing military cargo was damaged in Odessa, as was a battery of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Neptune coastal missile system in the village of Kovalivka.
06:41 Operators of attack UAVs from the Vostok group destroyed enemy artillery positions in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Drone crews from the Sever group disrupted the delivery of food and ammunition to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, destroying ground robotic systems in the Sumy and Khar'kov regions.
In the Dobropillya direction, drone operators of the "Center"liquidatedfiring points and landed heavy enemy hexacopters.
05:00 Center group artillerymen fire from the 152mm 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled gun smashed to pieces fortified positions, dugouts and a control center for Ukrainian Armed Forces drones.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Denis Davydov
[REGNUM] The "cardboard Maidan" quickly pushed through the "unyielding" Zelensky : a few hours after the Regnum news agency published a report that the street was pushing General Mykhailo Drapatoy to become the new commander, the head of the regime announced that he would be the one.
This was followed by a hasty farewell from Alexander Syrsky, who inserted a time bomb into his text in the form of the phrase “I am handing over an army that is not only holding the defense, but is also in a state of attack,” and a greeting from the new commander-in-chief: “It is a great honor, I will serve,” and so on.
Moreover, everything that is happening does not fit within the framework of the law at all - it is a purely dictatorial decision, which no one argues with, since the balance of power and the situation in the country do not allow it to be done.
As of 11 a.m., there were no decrees regarding his resignation or appointment on the official website—only an "address to the people." Moreover, the national security law stipulates that Zelenskyy can appoint the leadership of the Ukrainian Armed Forces only upon the recommendation of the Minister of Defense.
Ukraine currently lacks a fully-fledged Minister of Defense: Mykhailo Fyodorov has been dismissed, and his replacement, SBU officer Khmara, is acting and can only be confirmed by the Verkhovna Rada. The next meeting, as we reported, is scheduled for August 18.
Besides, there is one more funny nuance.
"Zelenskyy can't appoint anyone to act as defense minister, because only the Cabinet of Ministers can do that. But he still appointed Khmara as acting minister. Now Koretsky, as prime minister, must appoint Khmara as acting minister," says European Solidarity MP Oleksiy Honcharenko *, proposing to "give the constitution" to who knows who.
This means, by law, Syrsky remains commander-in-chief, and he will be occupied with something one way or another. "My job is war. Positions change, but this principle does not," he told the public. This means an inevitable conflict, especially since Drapaty resigned as commander of the Ground Forces a year ago amid the controversy surrounding the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers caught in a Russian strike on a training ground due to the general formation announced by commanders.
He slammed the door loudly, declaring "mutual responsibility and impunity" in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. And Syrsky later took revenge on him for this attitude.
In the summer, Drapatiy was appointed by Zelenskyy in charge of all the combined forces and simultaneously led the largest joint task force, Khortytsia.
By the end of the year, thanks to the commander-in-chief's efforts, the Joint Task Force format was destroyed, and a promising general, who had risen from battalion commander after 2014, was appointed to lead a new group, whose troops were only part of the former "Khortitsa" (renamed "Dnipro") and were responsible only for the Kharkiv region and adjacent territories.
Now the response has arrived: there is no doubt that Drapatiy, who was oppressed in the recent past, will, as they say in the army, “bully” his former boss.
And everyone will continue to bully the commander-in-chief. Because the hasty and illegal decision was made under pressure from the street and the grant-backed oligarchic forces behind it, playing their own game. This summer, the story of last year was exactly the same, when Zelenskyy's attempt to subjugate NABU and SAPO by raping the Verkhovna Rada backfired.
First, he was forced to back down with the adoption of laws eliminating the independence of anti-corruption agencies. Then, in November, the agencies themselves dealt a blow to the president's inner circle, resulting in the resignation of his closest ally, Andriy Yermak, the hasty departure of his closest friend and wallet, Timur Mindich, a public scandal surrounding the theft of funds, a flurry of criminal cases, and a direct threat to Zelenskyy personally as a figure in the "Dynasty" cottage community affair.
Now, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' top brass has become convinced that the regime's leader isn't as powerful as he portrays, and he easily dumped the loyal general as soon as a small uproar arose on the streets. Therefore, it's necessary to focus on the forces that brought in the new commander-in-chief and are advancing Fyodorov's political career.
The logic is very simple. It's no coincidence that Drapatoy has already been publicly supported by the ambassador to Britain and also former commander-in-chief, Valery Zaluzhny, who is making plans for the presidency.
"It will be very difficult for the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Much more difficult than he imagines. However, Mykhailo will certainly never be ashamed. A man of honor has no idol, so he has nothing to lose. The only thing he has is duty," Zaluzhny wrote on his channel.
The message is clear: such a man will not curry favor with Zelenskyy, and after Fedorov's dismissal, he was one of the first to support his position. How exactly the disgraced "president" now expects to run the General Staff and the Ukrainian Armed Forces is unclear. It's equally unclear how he expects to quell Fedorov's ambitions.
He definitely won't return to the ministry and hasn't agreed to a deal right now. Zelenskyy offered the recalcitrant two-time former minister various options, including the post of Deputy Prime Minister for Technological Development, but he refused, saying he doesn't understand why he was fired from the Ministry of Defense. And after Syrskyy's resignation, the formal basis for his dismissal also disappeared.
Fedorov is currently in an ideal position to build a political career: he has oligarchs closely connected to the US Democratic Party, the Rothschilds, and Soros structures behind him; he has a pool of powerful media outlets at his disposal; and he has a street of well-oiled assets behind him.
Most importantly, the "Western partners" are using these same instruments to systematically strip Zelensky of his real leverage over the state and turn him into a "talking head" voicing approved theses.
First, the operational independence of the NABU, the SAP, and the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine was protected. Now the army is being taken out of control. The last stronghold is control over the SBU, and "Europe's last dictator" will fight for it to the bitter end, pushing for the brutal Oleksandr Poklad to take over (as the Regnum news agency correctly predicted ) .
Moreover, in just five days, it was publicly demonstrated that no SBU could cope with a properly organized "Maidan": by fulfilling the protesters' demands and demonstrating that he "listens to society and his Western partners," Zelensky acknowledged that his authority has clear boundaries.
The morning's propaganda about democracy flourishing in Ukraine and the people freely expressing their opinions is a dead letter. The "leader of the nation" is being left with a narrow corridor in which he can only be the public face of the war, while those behind the scenes will direct it and spend the enormous defense budgets (which are, first and foremost, the priority in this whole affair).
Accordingly, when a decision is made to scale back or significantly amend the project, it will be the progressive, digital, and "transparent" Fedorov who will handle it, being far more reasonable and able to negotiate. But at the same time, he is completely in control and won't escalate any discussion, like Zelensky.
Accordingly, serious discussions about ending the war can only begin when the 60 billion euros promised to Ukraine for weapons are effectively cut up under the carpet – and not a day earlier.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Russian air defense forces shot down 242 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported this on July 22.
"During the past night, from 8:00 PM Moscow time on July 21 to 8:00 AM Moscow time on July 22, air defense forces on duty intercepted and destroyed 242 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles," the department reported.
The drones were shot down over the Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod, Rostov, Kaluga, Oryol, Ryazan, Tula, Tver, Smolensk, Pskov, Novgorod, Leningrad regions, the Moscow region, Kuban, Stavropol, Crimea, as well as over the waters of the Azov and Black Seas.
On the night of July 22, air defense systems shot down six Ukrainian Armed Forces drones over the Leningrad Region. In the Stavropol Region, five people sought medical attention after a drone attack on Nevinnomyssk.
[ERR] Estonian meat producer Rannarootsi is facing backlash as some say a new advertisement's imagery evokes the Russia-Ukraine war and uses derogatory slang for Russian-speakers.
The advertisement, posted on social media by Rannarootsi on Tuesday, shows two men in black shirts with Ukrainian flags on them, grilling meat on a beach as plumes of smoke rise into the sky in the distance behind them.
The slogan, promoting the brand's new barbecue pork with caramelized onions, reads: "The right grill will turn a bitter onion sweet." ("Õige grill muudab kibeda sibula magusaks.")
Critics said the combination of imagery is an inflammatory reference to the Russia-Ukraine war. The word sibul, or onion, meanwhile, is also used in Estonian as a derogatory slang term for Russians, including local Russian-speakers.
In recent months, Ukraine has made global headlines with its strikes on Russian targets, including in Leningrad and Pskov oblasts, both of which border Estonia to the east.
In late March, smoke plumes from a fire at Russia's Ust-Luga port following a Ukrainian strike were clearly visible from parts of Northeastern Estonia, a region with a predominantly Russian-speaking population.
The smoke was visible from as far away as Sillamäe, about 50 kilometers southwest of Ust-Luga, along a stretch of coastline resembling the backdrop in the Rannarootsi advertisement.
Kõlvart: 'Who benefits from this?'
Center Party leader Mihhail Kõlvart was among those who criticized the campaign. He said businesses have the right to choose their marketing strategies, but should avoid imagery that many people may view as degrading or dehumanizing.
"Amid the current difficult geopolitical situation, with security risks higher than ever, this inevitably begs the question: who benefits from such provocations?" Kõlvart wrote, noting that an advertisement like this certainly won't help Ukraine.
"Who gains from adding fuel to the fire when our society is already facing too much distrust, division, pain and anger?" he added.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
