Prepared by Sofia Oliynyk and Maryana Zaviyska
Photo: Zelenskiy Official/ Telegram channel
Cities under attack.
311 territorial communities from 9 regions of Ukraine suffer from Russian aggression and are in the area of the regular attacks. The number is regularly changing depending on the battlefield developments. Meanwhile, Russian forces launched four missiles on the Odesa region yesterday. Two of them hit objects of the military infrastructure, and the last one hit a non-operational bridge across the Dniester estuary. Another enemy shelling occurred in the Synelniky district, Dnipropetrovsk region. The rocket hit the elevator full of grain. Warehouses with more than five thousand tons of grain were destroyed there. Another hit damaged a school yard. The facade and roof of the local lyceum were damaged, more than 50 windows were broken, and yet another residential house has been destroyed. Russian forces used MLRS Grad on the city of Nikopol, targeting residential houses and the Nikopol river port, and causing fires to break out at two industrial facilities. During the day, Russian forces shelled six communities in the Sumy region, launching in total 150 mines and shells. In one of the communities, 16 residential houses were destroyed due to the shelling, as well as the commercial building and transport. Russian forces targeted Mykolaiv with cluster shells on Monday, injuring at least two people and damaging windows and roofs of private houses, the city’s mayor Oleksandr Senkevich said in a social media post, Reuters reports.
Foreign policy.
The EU Council approved the fifth tranche of military aid to Ukraine worth 500 million euros. The allocated EU funding will help the EU continue to jointly buy equipment and supplies for the Ukrainian military, including lethal weaponry, which the bloc has said should be used for defensive purposes. The EU’s military equipment support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine now amounts to 2.5 billion euros.
Ukraine has become an associate member of the Multilateral Interoperability Programme (MIP), which implements technological cooperation among the armies of NATO member states. As an associate member, Ukraine is now entitled to jointly develop and amend key NATO standards for interoperability of combat management systems and related standards. One of MIP’s products is the MIP4-IES specification – a protocol and data model for exchanging situational information between combat management systems. The MIP and the Ukrainian developers of Delta Situational Awareness System have been cooperating since 2019.
Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday as she began a series of high-profile appearances in Washington, reports AP. Blinken commended her for her work with civilians dealing with trauma and other damage from the war. The first lady also met on Monday with Samantha Power, head of the US Agency for International Development. The visit was organised upon the invitation of the US counterpart Jill Biden with whom Zelenska will also hold a joint session.
Diplomats from 17 EU countries and Israel visited Vinnytsia, the place of shelling which killed 25 people. The diplomats arrived to express their condolences to the families and friends of those who died as a result of the Russian missile attack on the city center on July 14.
Asset Management.
The European Union is seeking the ways for new EU rules that would make it easier to not only freeze, but also seize assets. To do so, there needs to be a link with a crime, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said. Germany, France, Ireland and three other European Union nations account for almost all of 13.9 billion euros ($14 billion) in Russian assets that have been frozen in the 27-nation EU since the invasion of Ukraine, according to the bloc’s justice chief.
War crimes prosecution.
EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders underlined the EU and the international community’s commitment to hold Russian perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine accountable. The EU Justice Commissioner spoke about the United States and more than 40 other countries’ work to align evidence and assist the prosecution and trials for atrocities Russian troops committed in Ukraine. “But it is also a clear message to the Russian authorities – the risk of these investigations and prosecutions and trials will hang over them for the rest of their lives. It’s forever.” The Commissioner underlined that Russia’s war in Ukraine marked the first time the international community started working to bring those guilty of war crimes to justice even before the conflict ended.
Human rights.
Ukraine has completed the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, depositing the relevant documents with the Council of Europe. The document will enter into force on November 1, 2022.
Economic security.
As of July 15, 678 enterprises relocated to safe regions under the Ukraine National Business Relocation program. A total of 1732 companies applied through the digital engagement platform for relocation assistance. Out of those which already relocated, 68% (467 enterprises) have already resumed their work. Among the enterprises that have already resumed their activities at the new location, the largest share is made up of enterprises of wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (38.7%), processing industry (33.1%), information and telecommunications (5.9%), professional, scientific and technical activities (5.3%). The majority of companies moved their facilities to Lviv (24.6% of relocated enterprises), Zakarpattia (16.1%) and Chernivtsi (11.4%) regions.
Energy security.
Gazprom announced a “force majeure” that thwarts guarantee of continued gas supplies to Europe, reports Reuters. A letter dated 14 July to a large consumer stated that Gazprom was unable to fulfill its supply obligations due to “extraordinary” circumstances. Gazprom’s announcement covers the period from 14 June and exempts it from any deficit compensation since then. Uniper, Germany’s biggest importer of Russian gas, was among the customers that said it had received a letter, and that it had formally rejected the claim as unjustified.
Food security.
Russians continue stealing Ukrainian grain at the temporarily occupied territories calling it “nationalisation” of the elevators. In the Zaporizhzhia region the occupiers created the “State Grain Company” with 20 elevators on their balance sheet. In fact, they stole these elevators because their real owners did not agree to cooperate with them, reports National Resistance Centre. Previously, local self-proclaimed authorities called local farmers to either sell grain at a fixed price per ton, with the determined price several times lower than the market price, or to give up the farm.
Personnel changes.
HR rotation continues. The Parliament of Ukraine has dismissed Maryna Lazebna as a Minister of Social Policy. Lazebna was in charge of the Ministry from 2020 for nearly two years. A new candidate for the position has been announced – Oksana Zholnovych, who’s been previously in charge of the Department social policy and health care at the Office of the President. The voting is expected to take place soon, said Prime Minister Shmyhal.
Also President Zelenskyi submitted to the Parliament of Ukraine a motion to dismiss Chief of Security Services Bakanov and General Prosecutor Venediktova. EU Ambassador to Ukraine commented on the changes on Twitter ‘While suspending the Prosecutor General of Ukraine by @ZelenskyyUa the most important – beside the constitutional processes to follow – is maintaining the good work and the cooperation with international partners on investigating and prosecuting the Russian war crimes’.
Reading corner.
- Immediate recovery funding is key to Ukraine’s security | Chatham House – International Affairs Think Tank
- Build Ukraine Back Better: Reconstruction Is an Opportunity for Democratic Renewal (foreignaffairs.com)
- Economics of war: Pain for Europe now, later for Russia | AP News
- Russia sending teachers to Ukraine to control what students there learn | The Washington Post
Statistics.
- General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the total estimated losses of the Russian military as of 10 a.m., July 18, 2022: personnel – around 38 550, tanks ‒ 1691, APV ‒ 3892, artillery systems – 851, MLRS – 248, anti-aircraft warfare systems – 113, fixed-wing aircraft – 220, helicopters – 188, operational-tactical level UAV – 693, cruise missiles – 167, boats and light speed boats – 15, soft-skinned vehicles and fuel tankers – 2767, special equipment – 70.
Every action counts, no contribution is too small!
- Support Mykolaiv-based ‘Rebel Volunteers’ who are working with the trauma departments and emergency rooms of the Emergency Hospital, the Children’s Hospital and some other health care facilities in Mykolaiv. The volunteer group also supports the Mykolaiv Zoo and cooperates with animal rights activists.
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