The discussion on raising the age of military service in Russia has come to a conclusion: the Duma has approved the raising of the upper age limit for compulsory military service from 27 to 30 years. In addition, in case of failure to submit to the military registration and enlistment office without good reason, the fine for evaders will increase to a maximum of 30,000 rubles.
As the Russian President himself said after the uprising of the Wagner PMC, Russia has not presented a bill on private military companies. On July 25, Putin said the bill on private military companies in Russia should be presented to the State Duma in the fall by all parliamentary groups.
Meanwhile, according to Western estimates, Ukraine needs to repatriate 2.8 million refugees to rebuild its economy. But the likelihood of them wanting to go home is decreasing more and more. The shortage of female workers could cost the country 10 percent of its prewar annual GDP, or about $20 billion in a worst-case scenario. And this already exceeds the proposed EU aid package of $13.9 billion. According to the Ukrainian Finance Ministry, the country lacks 4.5 million workers for reconstruction, admitting that it will be difficult to bring back those who have left the country.
War is done by drones, although not strategically and US intelligence has warned that Russia and Iran are building a drone factory in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan. The plant, alongside the already existing ones, will guarantee Moscow a new supply of drones, an order of magnitude higher than what Russia had previously purchased from Tehran. The construction of the plant will most likely be completed by early 2024
Let us now take a look at the fronts at 6pm on 25 July.
The Ukrainians continued the offensive in the directions of Donetsk, Krasny Liman and South Donetsk, without apparent success.
In the Soledar direction, the Ukrainians occupied part of the heights near Kleshcheevka, which gave them the opportunity to enter the southwestern part of the village. There are fights, no one actually controls the entire settlement. At the same time, the Kiev artillery often uses cluster munitions.
South of Kleshcheevka, the Ukrainians have stepped up operations near the village of Andreevka, south of Bakhmut. The Ukrainian army has announced that the Russians have abandoned the village but there is no confirmation of this. In the Donetsk direction, the Yug Group successfully repulsed 8 enemy attacks near Belogorovka (LPR), Zaytsevo, Pervomayskoye, Maryinka and Kleshcheyevka (DPR).
Units of the 28th, 54th Mechanized, 80th Airborne Assault Brigades and 107th Ukrainian Territorial Defense Brigades were hit near Grigorovka and Konstantinovka, DPR. The Russians destroyed ammunition depots of the 3rd Ukrainian Assault Brigade and 4th National Guard Operational Battalion near Grigorovka and Spornoye (DPR). In these operations, the Ukrainians reportedly lost up to 280 men, 3 tanks, 5 AFVs, 8 pickup trucks, 1 Polish Krab SAU, 2 Msta-B howitzers, 3 Gvozdika SAU and 1 US AN/TPQ-36 counterbattery radar station.
In the Krasny Liman direction, the Tsentr group repulsed 4 Ukrainian attacks near Nevskoye, Novovodyanoye (LPR) and Torskoye (DPR). Units of the Russian 15th Motorized Rifle Brigade counter-attacked and took Sergeyevka. They advanced up to 4km along the front and up to 2km in depth. Near Serebryanskoye, units of the Russian 234th Airborne Assault Regiment repulsed a Ukrainian attack, counterattacked and advanced 1.5 km deep into the Ukrainian defence. An SRG near Terny (DPR) was eliminated.
In the same area, the Ukrainian 21st, 63rd and 67th Mechanized Brigades and the 5th National Guard Operational Brigade were hit near Terny, Torskoye and Yampolovka (DPR), where the ammunition depots of the 44th Motorized Infantry and 100th Territorial Defense Brigades were also destroyed.
In the South Donetsk direction, Vostok Group successfully repulsed 4 enemy attacks near Staromayorskoye (DPR), while the 110th Territorial Defense Brigade was hit near Novovanovka, Zaporozhya region.
In the Zaporozhya direction, the Ukrainian 33rd and 47th Mechanized, 35th Marines, 108th and 129th Territorial Defense Brigades, near Zeleny Gai, Mirnoye, Orekhov, Malaya Tokmachka and Pyatikhatki were hit. Ammunition and fuel depots of the Ukrainian 33rd Mechanized Brigade and the 15th Operational Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard were also destroyed. Kiev would have lost in which operations up to 140 men, 1 tank, 4 AFVs, 2 motor vehicles, 1 US M777, 1 UK FH-70 howitzer, 2 D-20 guns and 1 Giatsint-S howitzer.
In the direction of Kupyansk, the Zapad Group struck the 14th, 43rd Mechanized Brigades and the 103rd Ukrainian Territorial Defense Brigades near Molchanovo, Petropavlovka, Berestovoye, Kislovka, Kharkov region, and Stelmakhovka (LPR).
In the Kherson direction, the enemy lost up to 60 men, 10 MVs and 1 Akatsiya SAU. Russian operational-tactical and military aviation, rocket troops and Russian artillery neutralized 113 Ukrainian artillery units in 122 areas.
Hit a temporary grouping of foreign mercenaries near Vyazovok, Cherkassy region. Depots of ammunition, weapons and military equipment supplied by Western countries were destroyed near Chudnov, Zhitomir region.
Also 22 Ukrainian UAVs were intercepted near Lisichansk, Popasnaya (LPR), Petrovskoye, Lozovoye (DPR), Energodar, Zelyony Gay, Balochki and Sladkaya Balka (Zaporozhye reg).
Ukrainian formations continue shelling settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region.
In addition, Kakhovka, Proletarka and the village of Cossack camps were under attack.
Another Storm Shadow attack on Crimea reported: In the morning of July 25, Ukrainian Su-24M bombers fired three Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Crimea.
The collection point for damaged vehicles in the Kremnevka area north of Simferopol was hit. Three pieces of equipment sustained damage from cruise missiles. It is the fourth attack by British-French made cruise missiles.
Last night, the Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation reports that Ukrainian surface drones attacked the patrol ship “Sergey Kotov” of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy 370 kilometers southwest of Sevastopol. According to the Ministry, both drones were destroyed, the vessel was not damaged during the raid.
Antonio Albanese
