Daily Briefing From Ukraine

·      Top 8 Headlines

·      Ukraine Summer Offensive Summary

·      Infographic of the Day

·      President Zelensky’s Message of the Day

Headlines

1.     Poland and Ukraine summoned each other’s Ambassadors in an escalating row between the allies on grain exports from Ukraine. Tensions between the neighbors are growing because Poland opposes Ukrainian grain exports via Poland which have previously triggered protests from local farmers. “We will not allow any political instances to spoil the relations between the Ukrainian and Polish peoples, and emotions should definitely cool down,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

2.    Denise Brown, the UN humanitarian coordinator for aid to Ukraine, said humanitarian needs in Ukraine are only part funded after her trip to Odesa. “The humanitarian needs of the population are constantly increasing… The humanitarian aid plan for Ukraine has so far been financed by only 30 percent... We are starting to prepare for winter in full swing,” said the official, noting that thousands of houses were damaged last winter. According to UN estimates, 17 million people in Ukraine need humanitarian assistance, totaling $3.9 billion dollars.

Other Topics of Interest

‘We Need to End That Horrible, Horrible War’ – Ukraine at War Update for Dec. 23

Over the weekend: Trump says Putin wants to meet ASAP to discuss ending the war; Slovak PM heads to the Kremlin on a surprise visit; and Ukraine appeals to UN after Russia accused of executing 5 POWS.

3.     Ukrainians can apply for compensation for destroyed property through a government app starting from yesterday. “Now we are expanding ‘eRecovery’ on DIA for those whose homes were destroyed due to the Russian invasion. Apply to get a housing certificate and buy a new home from a developer or on the secondary market,” Digital Transformation Minister Mikhailo Fedorov said.

4.     Dmytro Lukashenko, the middle son of the leader of the Republic of Belarus, takes an active part in Ukrainian childrens’ deportation, the Belarusian Investigative Center reported. According to BIC, the children are brought to Belarus on the orders of Russian and Belarusian leaders Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko. Among the involved institutions are state railways and charitable foundations, in particular, the “Talaya Foundation” of paralympian Oleksiy Talay. Under Talay’s leadership, Ukrainian children in Belarus “have fun” and are ideologically educated. Ukraine has established the names of about 20,000 Ukrainian children from territories under Russian occupation who were taken to the territory of the Russian Federation.

5.     Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, is expected to attend a meeting in Saudi Arabia this weekend at which Ukraine and its allies will try to persuade countries from the global south to back Kyiv’s proposals for ending the war, the Guardian reported. According to officials involved in planning for the meeting, it is primarily aimed at drawing neutral countries, such as Brazil and India, off the fence. The Ukrainians also hope the Saudi venue might attract Chinese participation, but there is so far no confirmation Beijing will send any representatives.

6.     Two Belarusian helicopters reportedly violated Polish airspace, ISW reported. Polish officials reported that two Belarusian helicopters entered Polish airspace on Aug. 1, and that Poland will increase its troop presence at the Polish-Belarusian border in response.

7.     The US is still waiting for European officials to present a final plan for Ukrainian F-16 fighter pilot training, CNN reported. At the same time, Politico reported that no country has yet committed aircraft to support the exercises and no final decisions have been made on plans, although they are expected to begin this summer.

8.     Since the beginning of the Russian military aggression, the number of Ukrainians left without one or more limbs has reached 20-50,000, which is comparable to amputations during the First World War, reported The Wall Street Journal.

Ukraine Summer Offensive Summary

Snapshot

Slugfest slogs on. Ukraine and Russia exchange micro-gains including in same theaters. Fire departments busy in Russia.

Operational Aspects in Crimea, Russia, Kupyansk, Kherson and other areas

Kyiv experienced another Russian aerial assault overnight, including 10 drones. Its mayor reported that there were no injuries from falling drone debris.

Individuals tried to set alight six military registration offices in Russia, including in St. Petersburg. All those arrested in relation to the attempted arsons are women. Russian authorities blamed “UkroNazis.”

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine reported on Telegram that partisan activity in occupied Crimea is rising. In particular, attacks by local civilians, including those of Crimean Tatar background, on military targets using Molotov cocktails have become systematic.

“To counter such attacks, the personnel of the Russian Armed Forces have been put on high alert. Suspicious persons who could potentially be involved in such ‘incidents’ are being monitored. The use of physical force and weapons is authorized. Mass detentions and arrests are being carried out,” the statement said.

·       The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) accused Ukraine of attempting to attack two Black Sea Fleet patrol boats with unmanned semi-submersibles on Aug. 1, according to ISW.

A fire occurred at a sawmill in Bryansk in Russia, reported local Telegram channels. Russian mass media write that an explosion was heard and that the site is located next to a military unit. Russian Telegram channels reported a blaze at an IT manufacturing facility in Moscow.

A drone attack took place in the vicinity of occupied Sebastopol, which is the port of the Russian Black Sea fleet, according to local occupational authorities.

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) accused Ukraine of attempting to attack two Black Sea Fleet patrol boats with unmanned semi-submersibles on August 1, according to ISW.

On the morning of Aug. 1, the Russians attacked Kherson again, targeting a healthcare facility, killing a doctor and injuring five more people, Ukrainska Pravda reported. Another assault took place earlier today.

Russian forces shelled Pershotravneve in the Kharkiv region and killed an elderly woman, according to local authorities.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said “in the Kupyansk, Lyman, and Svyatohirsk axes, the enemy has concentrated people and equipment and is surging in order to pull our forces away from the eastern direction of the offensive. Our defenders have repelled all enemy assaults in grueling battles.”

General Developments

·       Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, on the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, in the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia regional border area, and in the western Zaporizhzhia region on Aug. 1 and made advances in certain areas, according to ISW.

·       Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations on at least three sectors of the front on August 1 and advanced near Kreminna and Bakhmut, according to ISW.

Operational Aspects in Bakhmut

Ukrainian officials reported that Ukrainian forces continued gradually advancing near Bakhmut, and a Russian source claimed that Ukrainian forces captured an unspecified height south of Bakhmut near Klishchiivka, according to ISW.

Operational Aspects on boundary of the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions and in western Zaporizhzhia

Ukrainian forces continued to undertake activity on the southern Dnipro River. Natalia Humeniuk, spokeswoman for Ukraine’s southern forces said: “We are trying to maneuver along the left bank and find positions for ourselves, where our counter-battery work cannot reach. The enemy is nervous; the enemy is exhausted. Their morale and psychological spirit have fallen, but they are forced under the pressure of barricades, which are very often used on the left bank, to hold their positions.”

She further noted that these positions are often not equipped after the flood caused by the Russians' detonation of the Kakhovka HPP in June 2023.

Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted unsuccessful attacks against Russian forces along the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia region border area near Staromaiorske and Urozhaine and in the western Zaporizhzhia region near Robotyne, according to ISW. 

The UK Minstry of Defence reported that Russian commanders in southern Ukraine largely struggle with artillery ammunition shortages, a lack of reserves, and challenges with securing the flanks of defending units, according to ISW.

Infographic of the day

President Zelensky’s message