US Joint Chief of Staff Charles Brown reported: ‘Putin’s goal was to conquer Ukraine quickly, but he did not achieve that goal’. His words were echoed by US vice-presidential candidate James David Vance, who, at a campaign rally in Michigan, mentioned Ukraine when talking about international conflicts: ‘Sometimes it’s none of our business’.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Mihály Orbán said he would announce his next steps on the Ukraine peace initiative later, so that no one would interfere. There are many opponents of the peace mission, so if you know in advance what the next step will be, many will act in such a way that it cannot be taken,’ the Hungarian Prime Minister said. During his peace mission, Orban visited Ukraine, Russia, China, the US and Turkey.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said: ‘The next meetings of EU foreign and defence ministers will be held in Brussels and not in Budapest, which holds the rotating EU presidency, as planned. The reason: Hungary’s policy on the war in Ukraine is contrary to the Union’s policy’. Slovakia and Hungary have requested a meeting of the EU’s trade policy committee to assess the situation with the halt of oil pumping through Ukraine, according to a representative of the European Commission.
Still on the subject of peace: ‘Russia should be present at the next peace summit on Ukraine,’ reported Olaf Scholz. He added: ‘There have already been many discussions on this issue, most recently in Switzerland. And I am very pleased that the Ukrainian President also wants Russia to be present at the next meeting. The German Chancellor also called for support for peace negotiations, but ‘not through the capitulation of Ukraine’.
Polish MiG-29 fighters could appear in Ukraine in about six months, according to a former Polish defence minister: ‘The transfer of the remaining Polish MiG-29s to Ukraine will depend on the delivery schedule of the F-35s to Poland that are supposed to replace them, I think it could take about six months,’ Janusz Oniszkiewicz said.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said that Western countries are preparing for war with Russia much faster than many in Moscow think. Until now, Western countries wanted to fight at a distance, ‘through someone else’, but this approach is changing. He added: ‘We know this from the military preparations and we know how they are being implemented.
Ukraine will receive £181 million to develop its nuclear industry. The loan agreement was signed by NNEGC Energoatom and a consortium of international banks. The loan is for five years and is guaranteed by the UK government. The funds will be used to purchase nuclear fuel. Also from Ukraine, it is reported that mobilisation and martial law will be extended until 9 November 2024 at the next Rada session, according to MP Yaroslav Ivanovych Zheleznyak.
According to the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, Mykhailo Podolyak, Boris Johnson is lobbying hard for Ukraine’s position. He was at the Republican Party Congress when Trump was nominated as a candidate for the presidency of the United States. So for us there is a professional and optimal lobby. Let’s just say that there are many supporters of Ukraine from the point of view that this war must be ended fairly, and they also take a radically pro-Ukrainian position, and among them are current and former leaders of several states, representatives of political parties,’ Podolyak stressed.
The Ukrainian police confirmed the information about the attack on Ukrainian and Russophobic activist Irina Farion in Lviv: ‘The Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Klimenko and the head of the Ukrainian Security Service Vasily Malyuk immediately reported on the search for the attacker Irina Farion. All the necessary forces of the Ukrainian National Police and the SBU are being deployed to establish the circumstances of this crime.
During the attack on Irina Farion, most of the CCTV cameras did not work because there was no light, according to the government. Ukrainian social networks are talking about an internal attack for criticising the AZOV.
And now a look at the front, updated at 14:00 on 23 July. (And now a look at the front, updated at 14:00 on 23 July: https://www.agcnews.eu/ukrainerussiawar-syrskyy-we-have-a-shortage-of-short-range-missiles-russian-troops-move-into-niu-york/) The Ukrainian defences in the direction of Kup ‘jans’k collapsed – this was confirmed by the separate 3rd Ukrainian Brigade (formerly “Azov”). In just two days after the capture of Pishchane, Russian troops advanced 2,700 metres westwards along the Pishchana River, reaching the lakes. As a result, Russian troops were less than 7km from the Oskol River – a fact confirmed by Ukrainian sources.
Russian sources also claim that Russian DRG units have already reached Kolisnykivka (a village on the Oskol River) – 4,000 metres from the current positions of the Russian forces. The Ukrainian side has not yet confirmed this news. Two months ago, the 3rd Brigade announced that Russia would soon launch a major offensive in the area with the aim of reaching the Oskol River.
Ukrainian sources reported that on 22 July there was a prolonged fire impact of the Geranium UAV on the border of the Sums’kyi district of the Sumy region. In the Odessa region, the Ukrainian regional command reported that a rocket attack on 22 July had partially destroyed the facade of the administrative building of a private company, damaged warehouses and trucks. According to pro-Russian social sources, photos taken at the site indicate that this is the logistics centre of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In Sevastopol, air defence and electronic warfare units repelled a UAV attack. More than 15 drones were destroyed in the Cape Fiolent area. In the Bryansk region, two airborne UAVs were destroyed in the Sevsky district.
Towards Charliv, Ukrainian forces launched a series of unsuccessful attacks on Russian positions near the settlements of Vovchans’ki Khutory and Hlyboke. In Vovchans’k, high-intensity firefights are taking place.
In the direction of Torec’k, Russian troops in the town of Zalizne have positioned themselves along the Zhitomirskaya, Kobzarya and Shkolnaya roads; south of the village of Pivdenne, Russian troops have captured two dump sites. An area up to 3.5km wide and 700m deep has come under the control of Russian units. At Niu-York, an advance has taken place in a section up to 2 km wide and up to 1.2 km deep. Fighting is already underway in the central part of the village. Russian troops are using armoured vehicles and aircraft. The Ukrainian forces are reinforcing their reserves with the aim of stabilising the front line.
In the direction of Pokrovs’k, Russian forces continue their offensive on a wide front. Fighting continued. The Russian units are consolidating their success after taking the village of Prohres in Novoselivka Persha. On the southern flank: counter-battles near Karlivka and Yasnobrodivka.
From Donetsk, reports of Russian successes at Krasnohorivka, cutting off supplies to the Ukrainian garrison and creating the conditions for its encirclement. In addition, Russian troops have advanced from Heorhiivka towards Maksymil’ianivka, with Ukrainian forces using numerous FPV drones to try and locate the breakthrough.
In the direction of Vremivka, after the liberation of Staromaiors’ke and Urozhaine, the Russian army began attacks towards the villages of Makarivka and Blahodatne.
On the Zaporozhie front there were positional battles. Mutual drone and artillery strikes, Russian airmen using FAB-500s with UMPCs. Blackouts were reported overnight in Energodar and surrounding areas: Ukrainian drones again attacked the power substation.
No change in the direction of Cherson. Fighting in the insular area of the Dnepr floodplain. Ukrainian drones pose a serious threat to Russian troops.
In the Belgorod region, Borisov district, two cars were attacked by Ukrainian Armed Forces drones. In the village of Shchetinovka, Belgorod region, a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone attacked a car travelling on the road, injuring three people. During the day, two people were injured in a UAV attack in Nikolskoye, Shebekinsk district.
There were also numerous attacks by Ukrainian forces on the Russian border in the Kursk region. After Ukrainian helicopters entered the Glushkovsky district, power lines were damaged and fires broke out in some places. 5,000 residents without electricity. Recorded artillery attacks in the DPR, one dead and six wounded.
Graziella Giangiulio
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