Thursday, July 24

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A view of the damage after a Russian missile attack on Kharkiv on July 24, 2024. Russian forces attacked the city multiple times throughout the day. One strike hit the office of the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) and damaged nearby residential buildings. (Kharkiv Regional Military Administration/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Russia outguns Ukraine but suffers 3 times higher losses, Syrskyi says. Moscow currently fields some 520,000 troops in Ukraine and plans to raise this number to 690,000 by the end of the year, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview with the Guardian published on July 24.

Ukraine, Russia seemingly ‘in unison’ on peace talks, claims Kremlin, while Kyiv remains skeptical. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is in China where the topic of how to end Russia’s full-scale war has been top of the agenda.

China ‘unshakably’ committed to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, Kuleba says. “My Chinese colleague clearly said that he agrees that we need not the illusion of peace, but a just and sustainable peace,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on July 24 during his visit to China.

Zelensky: China confirms it won’t supply weapons to Russia. “There is a clear signal that China supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. It was also confirmed what Chinese leader Xi Jinping told me — that China will not supply weapons to Russia,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Russia attempting to break through toward Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, military says. “As of this morning, in the Pokrovsk direction, our defenders repelled 41 enemy attacks in the areas of Panteleimonivka, Novooleksandrivka, Vozdvyzhenka, Prohres, Novoselivka Persha, Umanske, and Yasnobrodivka,” Lieutenant Colonel Nazar Voloshyn added.

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Ukraine’s 79th brigade says it repelled one of largest Russian attacks near Kurakhove. The Russian army launched the attack from several directions simultaneously at dawn on July 24, the brigade said, sharing footage of the assault. The attack reportedly involved 57 armored vehicles, including 11 tanks, 12 motorcycles, and 200 assault vehicles.

Russia targets Kharkiv with cluster munitions in ‘double tap’ strike, police say. “We are absolutely sure that the second time they used cluster munitions to hit the rescuers and police officers who were there,” Volodymyr Tymoshko, the head of the National Police in Kharkiv Oblast, said on July 24.

Ukraine’s military intelligence behind cyberattack on Russian banks, source says. Earlier in the day, Russian media reported on outages from several top banks, including Raiffeisen, Gazprombank, Rosselkhozbank, and Rosbank. The outages also reportedly impacted social networks, payment systems on public transport, and some airlines.

Russia reportedly fortifies Kerch Bridge in occupied Crimea. Russia is reinforcing the Kerch Bridge in occupied Crimea, Krym Realii reported on July 24, citing witnesses.

Biden addresses U.S., promises to work to ‘stop Putin’ in last 6 months of term. The administration will work toward “rallying a coalition of proud nations to stop (Russian President Vladimir) Putin from taking over Ukraine and doing more damage,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a national address on July 24.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine’s mobilization effort gets boost as millions update draft data

For civilians and conscripts, the enlistment centers were previously the only way to update their information, but many were reluctant to show up due to numerous allegations of abuse, corruption, and Soviet-rooted bureaucracy at the centers.

Photo:Roman Pilirey /AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine war latest: Battle for Pokrovsk ‘tense and difficult’

​​Russian forces are attempting to break through Ukrainian defenses in the area, and the sector near Pokrovsk in the western part of Donetsk Oblast has become the hottest part of the front. Moscow is expending significant resources to break through.

Photo: Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Ukraine has a ‘different kind of nationalism,’ says historian Franziska Davies

Ukraine was “a blind spot” for Germans up until Moscow’s full-scale invasion, Franziska Davies, a historian of Eastern and Eastern Central Europe, told the Kyiv Independent in an interview.

Photo: Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine

Human cost of war

Russian aerial bomb attack on Kharkiv hits residential area, injures at least 3 people. Russian troops attacked the city of Kharkiv with a guided aerial bomb on July 24, injuring at least three men, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

6 injured in Kharkiv after Russia’s 5th attack in single day. Also on July 24, a Russian missile attack against the town of Lozova killed one person, injured four, and damaged an infrastructure facility. Search for two more people who may be trapped underneath the rubble is ongoing, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Russian attacks kill 4, injure 17 across Ukraine, hit Swiss NGO office in Kharkiv. “Today at 5 a.m., the Russians hit the office of the Swiss (Foundation) for Mine Action FSD with a ballistic missile,” Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram.

General Staff: Russia has lost 570,120 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 1,140 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

Video: Is Russia’s Su-57 really that good?

International response

EU ambassadors back $4.6 billion tranche under Ukraine Facility. The European Commission sanctioned the disbursement earlier this month. After all EU members voiced their support, the matter will now move to the Council of the EU, currently president by Hungary.

8 EU finance ministers: Russia lies about its economic strength, more sanctions needed. Ministers from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland and the Baltic states said there are many clear signs that Russia’s economy is much weaker and the beginning of a “re-Sovietization” of the economy could be mistaken for a “boost.”

Rheinmetall receives order to build ammunition factory in Ukraine. “The intention is to start the ammunition production in Ukraine within 24 months,” Rheinmetall said in a statement.

Czechia preparing new shell initiative to supply Ukraine in 2025. Prague is preparing to launch a new initiative to purchase artillery ammunition for Ukraine in 2025, Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova said in an interview with the Deník N newspaper on July 24.

Hungary to block EU’s Ukraine defense funds until Kyiv lifts ban on Lukoil transit, Budapest says. The Slovak leadership also threatened unspecified repercussions against Ukraine, reminding Slovakia’s key role as an electricity supplier amid Ukraine’s energy deficit.

Ukraine won’t enter EU without settling WWII-era Volyn massacre issue, Polish minister says. Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Poland supports Ukraine against Russian aggression as much as it can, but the relations are “not perfect” due to unresolved historical issues. Warsaw has been Kyiv’s staunch supporter since 2022, although the ties have soured in the past months over trade disputes.

In other news

Moscow car bomb attack injures Russian intelligence officer, media reports say. Kyiv has denied any involvement in the attack. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told independent Russian media he believed there was “a malfunction with the gas equipment in the car.”

Ukraine charges Kremlin ally Medvedchuk over privatization of oil pipeline. Ukrainian authorities charged pro-Russian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk in absentia with illegal seizure of the Samara-Western direction oil pipeline several years ago, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on July 24.

Yermak holds talks with VP Harris’ national security advisor. Andriy Yermak and Phil Gordon spoke about “the situation on the frontline and the increasing number of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and communities, especially on energy infrastructure,” the Presidential Office said in a statement.

Tbilisi accuses ex-officials from Georgia and Ukraine of plotting to kill ruling party chairman Ivanishvili. Georgia’s State Security Service (SUS) “is investigating the facts of the preparation of the murder of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the Georgian Dream party, organized and financed by former high-ranking officials of the Georgian government and former employees of law enforcement agencies in Ukraine,” the SUS wrote on Facebook.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Liliane Bivings, Nate Ostiller, Teah Pelechaty, Chris York, Kateryna Denisova, Oleksiy Sorokin, Abbey Fenbert, and Dmytro Basmat.

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