Thursday, July 4

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A view of the damaged building aftermath of Russian missile attack in Dnipro, Ukraine on July 03, 2024. At least five people have died and 53 were injured due to a Russian missile attack on the city. A medical facility and a shopping center were damaged. (Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Ukraine not ready to compromise with Russia on territory or values, Yermak comments on Trump’s statement. Ukraine will not compromise its values, including its territories, to find a compromise with Russia to end the war, Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak told reporters on July 3 in answer to a question about U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump’s declaration.

Ukrainian drone attack damaged Russia’s only full-cycle metallurgical enterprise, source says. Ukraine carried out a drone attack on July 1, “seriously” damaging the Russian military-industrial complex, the Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant (OEMK).

Russian defector involved in Russia’s Baltic Fleet vessel sabotage, military intelligence says. The Russian missile ship Serpukhov was set on fire on April 8 while docked off the city of Kaliningrad. The sabotage completely destroyed its communication and automation systems, necessitating lengthy repairs, military intelligence said.

Support for NATO in member states remains broad, confidence in Zelensky declines, poll finds. The highest number of respondents among European countries polled who said that they did not have confidence in President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Hungary (83%).

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Zelensky says Trump should reveal plan on ending Russia’s war. “If Trump knows how to finish this war, he should tell us today,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “If there are risks to Ukrainian independence, if we lose statehood — we want to be ready for this, we want to know… We want to understand whether in November we will have the powerful support of the US, or will be all alone.”

Ukraine imports more electricity in June than in all of 2023. Ukraine imported over 858,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity in June 2024, which is 91% more than the volume imported in May and more than what was imported in the whole of 2023, ExPro Electricity monitoring data showed on July 3.

Kyiv refuses to release first Russian soldier convicted of war crimes in POW exchange. Ukraine has no plans currently to exchange Vadim Shishimarin — the first Russian soldier convicted of war crimes after the start of the full-scale invasion — in a prisoner swap with Moscow, the Prosecutor General’s Office said.

Ukraine to submit draft resolution on nuclear safety to UN General Assembly. The document will be mainly focused on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power station in Europe, which has been under Russian occupation since March 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

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Ukraine war latest: Russian attack on Dnipro shopping center kills 5, injures 53.

The Air Force said that Russia launched a large-scale attack against Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, during which Ukrainian defenses downed an Iskander-K cruise missile, four Kh-59 guided aerial missiles, five Shahed-type drones, and one Orlan reconnaissance drone.

Photo: Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Pressure on journalists, press freedom limitations continue in wartime Ukraine.

Ukrainian journalists and media watchdogs are continuing to voice concerns over declining press freedoms as their country’s army fights on more than two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion to protect the future of the democracy.

Photo: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian attack on Dnipro kills 5, injures 53, shopping center hit. At least five people were killed and 53 injured after Russia launched drones and missiles against Dnipro on July 3, officials said.

Russian guided bomb attack on Kharkiv injures at least 14, including children. Russian troops attacked the city of Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs on July 3, injuring at least 14 people, including two children, Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported.

1 killed, 3 injured after Russian attack near Poltava. A school and a kindergarten in the Poltava district were damaged by missile debris, according to Poltava Oblast Governor Filip Pronin. One of the injured is in serious condition.

Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 7, injure 44 over past day. Russia targeted a total of nine Ukrainian oblasts – Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk. Casualties were reported in the latter five regions.

Missing Ukrainian journalist found dead in Kharkiv. Oleksandr Lapshin, a Kharkiv-based journalist and volunteer who disappeared in late May, was found dead on June 29, the head of the investigative department of the police of the Kharkiv Oblast, Serhii Bolvinov told Suspilne on July 3.

Death toll of Russia’s June 28 attack on Dnipro rises to 3. The death toll of a Russian attack against Dnipro on June 28 has risen to three, as rescuers found the body of another person in the rubble, Mayor Borys Filatov told Suspilne on July 3.

General Staff: Russia has lost **546,270 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.**This number includes 1,180 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

International response

Ukraine receives $2.2 billion from IMF. “These funds will help finance critical budget expenditures, social benefits, and the salaries of doctors and teachers,” Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

US announces new defense aid package for Ukraine worth $150 million.

The package includes missiles for air defense systems, ammunition for high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), artillery rounds, and other critical capabilities drawn from U.S. stocks, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Trump reportedly considering making deal with Putin to block Ukraine’s NATO accession, officials tell Politico. One of the sources told Politico that former President Donald Trump “would be open to something foreclosing NATO expansion and not going back to the 1991 borders for Ukraine.”

NATO agreed to commit 40 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine next year, source tells Reuters. Allied leaders are expected to approve the commitment during the NATO summit in Washington on July 9-11, the news agency said.

France sends 41 power generators to Kharkiv and Chernihiv amidst energy infrastructure damage. France has transferred 41 power generators to Kharkiv and Chernihiv, whose energy infrastructure has been heavily damaged by Russian strikes, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on X.

One phone call from President Xi would end Russia’s war, Finnish president says. Russia’s reliance on China has developed to the point where Beijing could end a war with one phone call, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in an interview with Bloomberg.

Netherlands to maintain support for Ukraine, new Dutch defense minister says. “The Netherlands remains committed to supporting Ukraine as much as we can, for as long as needed. We and our allies stand united in our resolve to return peace and security to Ukraine,” Ruben Brekelmans wrote on X.

UN General Assembly president says election outcomes will not alter its support for Ukraine. The U.N. General Assembly will continue to support Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty regardless of the outcomes of national elections worldwide this year, the body’s president said on July 3, adding that “no country has the right to invade another country.”

In other news

Russia-based disinformation network linked to fake story about Zelenska’s Bugatti purchase, BBC says. The BBC said that it was just one of many similar stories spread on fake “news” websites designed to look like legitimate U.S. newspapers.

Lukashenko releases 4 political prisoners, Belarusian opposition says. Some Belarusian political prisoners who were being held by Alexander Lukashenko’s regime have been released, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya announced on July 3.

Muftiate in Russia’s Dagestan introduces temporary ban on niqabs following terrorist attack. The ban will be instituted until “the identified threats are eliminated and a new theological conclusion is issued,” a spokesperson for the Muftiate of Dagestan said.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Nate Ostiller, Kateryna Hodunova, Lili Bivings, Kateryna Denisova, Elsa Court, Olena Goncharova, and Sonya Bandouil.

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