Ukraine: realities | «The Weekly Five»: 31.07 – 06.08

Zelenskiy: Russians attacked a blood transfusion center in the Kharkiv region, there are dead and wounded

Russians attacked a blood transfusion center in the Kupiansk community in the Kharkiv region with a guided aerial bomb, killing and wounding people. This was reported by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Telegram.

«A Russian guided aerial bomb against a blood transfusion center in Ukraine. This evening, the Kupianske community in the Kharkiv region. There are dead and wounded. My condolences!

Our rescuers are extinguishing the fire.

This war crime alone says everything about Russian aggression. Beasts that destroy what makes it possible to live. Defeating terrorists is a matter of honor for everyone who values life.»

 

In Saudi Arabia, most of the 40 countries have already decided how to work for peace in Ukraine

Head of the Presidential Office and head of the Ukrainian delegation Andriy Yermak spoke about the results of the meeting in Saudi Arabia on the implementation of the Ukrainian «peace formula» and noted that most of the participating states have decided how they will contribute.

Yermak noted that the number of participating countries at the meeting in Jeddah was almost three times higher than at the consultations in Copenhagen, and called the conversation «extremely honest and open.»

«There were different views, but all those present demonstrated their countries' commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, international law, and respect for the sovereignty and inviolability of the territorial integrity of states. And it is on these principles that the Formula for Peace is built...

The meeting in Jeddah was a step towards the practical implementation of peace initiatives proposed by Ukraine. Each state participating in the consultations has the opportunity to show leadership in global efforts for peace. And most of them have already defined their role in the implementation of certain points of the Formula,» said Yermak.

 

Russia has already lost half of its paratroopers in the war - British intelligence

Russia has lost at least half of its airborne troops during the war of aggression against Ukraine, which corresponds to a figure of 15,000. This is stated in the review of the British Ministry of Defense.

According to the intelligence, the annual celebration of the Russian Airborne Forces Day on August 2, 2023, «was overshadowed by the unauthorized disclosure of the scale of losses suffered by elite troops in Ukraine.»

This refers to the address by the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Airborne Forces, Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky, in which he said that 8,500 paratroopers were injured but still returned to duty or did not leave the front.

 

Kremlin tries to hush up Russia's failures in the war in order not to spread panic – ISW

The Kremlin has become even more sensitive to the disputes that arise in the Russian information space between influential media personalities and «military commanders» over reports of failures in Crimea and the war in Ukraine and is trying to contain panic.

The ISW report notes that the dispute between prominent figures in the Russian information space underscores the Kremlin's sensitivity to reports of failures in Crimea in particular and possibly in Ukraine in general, and has further exposed the fault lines within the «military» community.

On August 2, one of the Russian pro-military bloggers accused other «voynekors» who criticized Russia's conduct of the war, calling them «imbeciles» who support «provocative publications» and «fierce criticism (of the Russian Ministry of Defense - ed.).» This happened after the «military officers» posted images of the consequences of recent Ukrainian strikes near Sevastopol and on the Chongar Bridge.

 

ISW explains how strikes on Russian naval targets facilitate Ukrainian counteroffensive

Strikes by Ukrainian forces against Russian naval targets are likely part of a targeted interception campaign aimed at creating favorable conditions for larger-scale counteroffensive operations, according to the Institute for the Study of War's daily report.

«Previous Ukrainian interception efforts have focused primarily on Russian military installations on land, but it appears that Ukrainian forces are now expanding their efforts to include naval targets as part of the effort.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated their commitment to a targeted campaign to intercept Russian military targets to weaken Russian logistics and defense capabilities to create favorable conditions for future Ukrainian counteroffensives.

Thus, Ukrainian forces continue to set the stage for future decisive operations through an interdiction campaign, as they did before and during the 2022 counteroffensives in Kharkiv and Kherson regions. However, they are now striking much deeper into Russian rear areas and targeting maritime facilities.»

 

The project «Ukraine: realities» is implemented by the News agency «Konkurent» together with the Civic Movement «SVIDOMI» and the charity organization Global Empowerment Mission in English for readers from other countries to tell the stories of people who survived the horrors of the Russian occupation.

Проєкт «Ukraine: realities» реалізовується Інформаційним агентством «Конкурент» спільно з Громадянським Рухом «СВІДОМІ» та благодійною організацією Global Empowerment Mission на англійській мові для читачів з інших країн аби розповісти історії людей, які пережили жахи російської окупації.