5:02 a.m. – Explosions in the Ukrainian regions of Sumy and Mykolaiv
According to local media, several explosions occurred in the Ukrainian regions of Sumy and Mykolaiv this morning. Air raid alarms were raised in both oblasts and the defenses were put into action.
05:00 – Ukrainian drone damages power plant in Russia’s Kursk region
A Ukrainian drone dropped two explosive devices into an electrical substation in the western Russian region of Kursk, leaving five sites and a hospital without power, Governor Roman Starovoit said on Telegram. It happened in Belovsky district. «An electrical transformer caught fire. Five populated areas and a hospital are without power,” Starovoit wrote, adding that firefighters are heading to the area and “repairs will begin as soon as it is safe to do so.”
3:29 a.m. – Russia: Dissident Navalny sentenced to one year in prison
(by Irene Soave) There is no reprieve for Aleksei Navalny, the Russian government’s main opponent, now imprisoned in the notorious IK-6 penal colony, 250 km from Moscow: the conditions of his imprisonment are becoming increasingly harsh, and yesterday he announced this to X, where he announced through his lawyers that he would be transferred to the so-called EPKT for the next 12 months. That is, the worst, harsh prison with maximum isolation. Just the day before, the court had rejected his appeal to double the prison sentence he received last month for “extremism” to 19 years. “One year of EPKT is the harshest punishment possible in all types of prisons,” Navalny said in his brief thread.
3:23 a.m. – THE MILITARY POINT – How should the Ukrainian army be reorganized?
(by Andrea Marinelli and Guido Olimpio) Ukraine has two missions: continue the offensive and consider reorganization with a view to the coming months. Changes along the battle line were minimal. According to New York Times research, only 1,200 square kilometers have changed hands this year, a very small area, while Russia still controls 18% of the enemy’s territory and holds it with a series of bastions. It is certainly not enough to break this “state” obligation.
The Ukrainian army needs a consistent supply chain for cannon ammunition. If he achieved some success in the South, it was because the shooting of his plays was intense and precise. According to American estimates, both candidates fire around 40,000 shots every day. Local industry has gotten to work, but most of it comes from abroad thanks to Western help. There are programs, promises and then there is the reality: factories in NATO countries are struggling to keep up, especially in Europe. When it comes to weapons, 17 different models require maintenance and replacement barrels. The high cadence wears out.
01:32 a.m. – Military industry, joint venture between the German Rheinmetall and Kiev ok
German regulators have approved weapons maker Rheinmetall’s plan to set up a joint venture in Kiev with the Ukrainian Defense Industry, the country’s state-owned company at war with Russia. This new company will offer “maintenance, assembly, production and development of military vehicles” and will initially operate exclusively on the territory of Ukraine, the Federal Cartel Office (Bkarta) explains in a statement. “The defense industry is constantly changing given the geopolitical situation,” says Bkarta President Andreas Mundt, ensuring that “this project will not lead to competitive overlaps in Germany.” Rheinmetall is a manufacturer of various armored military equipment, including the Leopard tank, the Puma infantry fighting vehicle and the Fuchs armored personnel carrier. The Ukrainian defense industry employs approximately 67,000 people and is subordinate to the Council of Ministers of Ukraine.
01:19 a.m. – Zelensky: Ukraine has joined the board of the Atomic Energy Agency
“On the IAEA platform there are the results: Ukraine has become a member of the Board of Governors of this organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency. And this not only underlines our role in the field of international security, but also provides Ukraine with real opportunities to influence the adoption of decisions that are binding for all members of the IAEA and for the entire international community,” the Ukrainian president reported Volodymyr Zelensky, in the message published on Telegram. “We will do everything to implement the first point of our peace formula: nuclear and radiation safety.” And to ensure the complete liberation of our Zaporizhia nuclear power plant from the Russian occupiers and to protect Ukraine and all of Europe from Russia’s radioactive blackmail.”
01:07 a.m. – Poland: We did not violate Polish airspace
The Polish army’s operational command has rejected Minsk’s accusation of a Polish helicopter allegedly violating Belarusian airspace. The Ukrainian Pravda writes it. The operational command of the Polish Armed Forces points out that information from Belarus about the alleged border crossing of a Polish helicopter does not correspond to reality, which is confirmed by data from control rooms and radar stations.
12:49 a.m. – Crimean Bridge closed for a few hours to repair damage following the attacks
Traffic on the Crimean Bridge was temporarily suspended today until 6 a.m. Moscow time (5 a.m. in Italy), the infrastructure channel Telegram reports. The Russian Transport Ministry had previously said that the Kerch Bridge would be closed to motor vehicles for a few hours for repairs. Yesterday there was a powerful explosion near Krasnoperekopsk, which led to the closure of the Crimean bridge. On July 17, the structure was attacked by two Ukrainian naval drones, causing casualties and damage.