Timeline: day 153 of Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression
Today is July 26. russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for 153 days. We're reporting on the current news. The article will be updated.
What about today?
Key points
The Ukrainian military took several transport arteries in the Kherson region under fire control. The South operational command's spokesperson, Natalia Humeniuk, stated this. "Currently, the Ukrainian forces control the transport routes that are very important for russians. In this regard, they cannot move freely, maneuver, and create new strike groups."
New strikes are reported: at dawn, the russians shelled Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and the Odesa region. Ukraine's armed forces destroyed the russian fuel depot in Donetsk.
The Institute for the Study of War reports:
- russia is preparing for the Ukrainian forces' offensive in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
- The enemy has made minor gains south of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, but is unlikely to establish complete control over the city.
- The occupiers also carried out limited ground attacks north of Kharkiv, east of Siversk and Bakhmut.
- In turn, Ukrainian defenders continue to strike russian strongholds along the Southern Axis.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine made seven strikes on the russian army's deployment points, the South OC reports. These are six strongholds, a cluster of weapons and military equipment, and a command and control post in the Berislav and Kherson districts of the Kherson region. According to rough estimates, the south of the country has been cleared of:
- 48 russians;
- four T-72 tanks;
- one 152-mm howitzer gun;
- some self-propelled artillery system;
- three armored vehicles and three motor vehicles.
Also, the Ukrainian forces destroyed the command post of russia's 11th separate assault brigade and their ammunition depot in the Piatykhatky area.
The UK's intelligence officers do not confirm that russia bombed Harpoon anti-ship missiles in Odesa, as russia claims. The missiles have significantly undermined the invasion's general plan since russia cannot take Odesa by sea landing. The British Ministry of Defense predicts that russia will continue to pay immediate attention to destroying Ukraine's anti-ship potential. However, the russians will have difficulty finding a target due to outdated intelligence and poor planning.
In the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian troops eliminated 170 ruscists. Since February 24, 2022, Ukrainian soldiers have stopped 39,870 occupiers. Keep it up!
russian troops are taking away Ukrainian textbooks and literature from schools in the temporarily occupied territories of the Kharkiv region. According to the occupiers' decision, even fairy tales are subject to destruction, the Borova village council reported. The same is happening in captured Izium, the mayor said.
The russian federation's military placed its military equipment in the engine room of the first power unit in the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the temporarily occupied Enerhodar. The President of Energoatom, Petro Kotin, confirmed this. According to him, there are equipment, trucks, and two cars for the command staff. A total of 12 cars completely blocked the approach of fire trucks.
Major General Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, will head the Committee on Intelligence under the President of Ukraine. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced this.
Zelensky announced the second summit of the Crimean Platform on August 23 online. The Crimean Platform is an international format created in 2021, the goal of which is the de-occupation of Crimea.
Who's coming to Ukraine?
On financial and information aid, weapons and politicians
The US Department of Defense has published a photo of HIMARS and Phoenix Ghost drones being loaded to be sent to Ukraine.
Since the coronavirus hasn't gone anywhere, the US has transferred more than 500,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to Ukraine, the US State Department reported. "We are proud to support the people of Ukraine in their fight against COVID-19," the State Department said in a statement.
Ukraine will receive EUR 7.4 million from the German state bank KfW for preferential lending to small and medium-sized enterprises, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine reported.
News from partners
The Parliament of Finland banned issuing tourist visas to Russians. This decision was supported by the four largest parties in the Parliament. Moreover, the Social Democratic Party leader, Antti Lindtman, stated that in the conditions of russia's brutal war against Ukraine, which continues every day, regular interaction with russia is impossible in many aspects.
Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński said that official state representatives would no longer participate in events involving representatives of russia and belarus. "We made this decision because it is the main element of our policy regarding russian aggression. We believe that russia and belarus, which supports it, should be isolated from all international formats," he emphasized. Jabłoński added that such isolation was necessary because putin also builds his policy because he has specific opportunities for international contacts.
Erdogan commented on the russian missile attack on the Odesa sea trade port, which took place after signing the agreement on resuming grain exports. "We didn't want it, but it happened. We expect everyone to fulfill their part of the agreement. Its failure will turn against all of us," said the Turkish president.
Gazprom's statement about a new reduction in russia's gas supply makes the EU think that russia can cut off gas delivery at any moment, Kadri Simson, the European Commissioner for Energy, said.
According to Spiegel, EU countries have agreed on a plan to reduce gas demand. The project provides for a voluntary reduction of gas consumption by 15% from August 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023. Today, for the first time since July 13, the gas price in Europe exceeded $1,950 per 1,000 cubic meters.
Meanwhile, ex-chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroeder arrived in "beautiful" Moscow "on vacation."
What about russia?
On July 25, dispatchers of Ukraine's GTS Operator recorded a sharp increase in pressure on the main Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhhorod gas pipeline in the section of the Russian Federation–Ukraine state border. Gazprom increased the pressure on Ukraine's gas transmission system without warning and tried to cause an accident, the operator of Ukraine's gas transportation system reported. In 2009, under similar circumstances (Gazprom's fault), an accident occurred on the Turkmenistan gas pipeline.
Meanwhile, another Siemens turbine is being stopped at the Nord Stream gas pipeline. This way, the pipeline load will be only 20%; russia will transport no more than 33 million cubic meters daily. Gazprom officially stated that the reason for the decrease was "the end of the period of inter-repair work before major repairs."
German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck accused russia of waging a trade war. That's how he commented on the decision to cut gas supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream gas pipeline. "They didn't even have the guts to say we're in a trade war with you guys. Instead, they're telling outlandish stories about these turbines that are simply not true," he said.
Sanctions on the aggressor!
European ports began to refuse repairs to russian fishing vessels. Fishers who fished in the Barents Sea and the Atlantic and repaired their ships in ports close to the fishing areas of Norway, Poland, and the Baltic countries faced refusals. We are not talking about sanctions restrictions; these are individual refusals of foreign shipyards, often without explaining the reasons.
European countries and Norway banned russian ships from entering their ports back in the spring, but an exception was made for fishing vessels. Most of the boats that fish in russia were built abroad. russian shipyards do not have the technical ability to service them.
Life considering hostilities
Commemorative coins of the Armed Forces of Ukraine series special issues will circulate in Ukraine. The National Bank of Ukraine has decided to use commemorative coins with a denomination of 10 hryvnias during cash settlements as circulation coins.
Volunteers of the Peaceful Sky charitable foundation in Kharkiv prepare up to 8,000 portions of lunch per day. Food is distributed in the districts of Kharkiv most affected by russian shelling.
The team of Vinnytsia designers creates unique unmanned aerial vehicles that are resistant to enemy electronic warfare systems and are much cheaper than imported commercial counterparts. Military drones are called Vinnytsia.
Fragments of 5,500-year-old fortifications were found in the Lviv region! Elements of structures built during the Eneolithic period, around 3,500 years BC, were found on Mount Lysivka near Vynnyky. It is the oldest fortified settlement found on the Lviv region's territory and one of the three most aged in western Ukraine. The peculiarity of the new find is that builders, not of the Cucuteni–Trypillia culture representatives but the Funnelbeaker culture representatives, created it.
