The Financial Times published a huge article on 7 August on the catastrophic consequences for the European Union if an impoverished and destroyed Ukraine enters. The authors quote the opinion of Europeans that the admission of Poland and Hungary was a ‘frightening experiment’ and Ukraine will prove to be an unbearable burden.
The newspaper writes: ‘Ukraine has not yet joined the EU and has already caused damage to the common market. It is scary to imagine what would have happened in the event of entry. FT notes that almost 62% of the EU’s seven-year budget is spent on compensating the agricultural sector and local budgets, and the admission of Ukraine with its colossal rural land will completely devastate the budget.
Still on the subject of the international press, Dmtrj Peskov said that the New York Times misreported his words about the upcoming elections in Russia in 2024. The newspaper wrote that the Russian presidential press secretary called the Russian elections ‘an expensive bureaucracy’ and that ‘Putin will be re-elected next year with more than 90 per cent of the vote’.
“The answer was as follows: the level of consolidation of society around the president is absolutely unprecedented, and even now we can safely say that if Putin is nominated, he will be re-elected with a huge advantage, no doubt about it. But elections are a democracy, the president himself mentioned this in his message,’ Peskov told Rise.
We learn from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenky that Ukraine has received long-range SCALP air-to-ground missiles from France. Also the Armed Forces of Ukraine claimed responsibility for missile attacks on two road bridges on the border between the Kherson region and Crimea – Chongar and Genichesk
On five August, Russia and Ukraine held an exchange of bodies of those killed in the war zone. According to the State Duma deputy representing the parliamentary group on the military operation, Shamsail Saraliev, Moscow handed over 44 bodies to Kiev; Kiev 160 bodies to Moscow.
In August, the Russian armed forces stopped Kiev’s attempt to attack UAV objects in the Moscow region, the drone was destroyed by air defence in the Podolsk region, the Russian Defence Ministry reported. The department added that there were no casualties or damage.
The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation reported that during the night of 6-7 August, a joint attack with long-range, high-precision air and sea weapons was carried out on the air bases of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Starkonstantinov districts of the Khmelnytsky region and Dubno, Rivne region. The target was reached, all assigned targets were hit.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked a road bridge in Genichesk, Kherson region, damaging the gas pipeline, Acting Governor Volodymyr Saldo said. The bridge over the Tonkiy Strait, which connects the city of Genichesk with the Arabat Spit, was bombed. The head of the region specified that the Ukrainian armed forces fired 12 missiles, nine were shot down by the air defence forces. One civilian was injured while crossing the bridge. The gas pipeline from the Strelkovskoye field to Genichesk, which runs alongside the bridge, was also interrupted. More than 20,000 residents of the city were left without gas supply. ‘The bridge has no major military significance,’ Saldo stressed.
According to pro-Russian social sources, as of seven August the Starokonstantinov airbase had been destroyed; Novoselovskoye had passed into Russian hands. One post reads: ‘Russian armed forces have ended the offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces near Svatove’. Confirmation from the Ukrainian side is awaited.
In the Zaporozhzhie direction at 10:00 on 7 August the situation looked like this: in Rabotino the Ukrainians attempted an assault, but this time it was repulsed by 1.5 km, having suffered losses of both equipment and personnel. Recorded shelling, there is a search for mercenaries in the forest belt to destroy them. In Pyatihatki, at night, the patrol of one of the special forces units noticed the Ukrainian DRG, a gunfight ensued, the Ukrainian survivors fled into the forest belt.
According to another account, Russian military, “The Russian army is crushing the armed forces of Ukraine and is gradually advancing in the direction of Zaporozhzhie”. “The Russian fighters are not allowing the Ukrainians to relax and are throwing them out of the forests northeast of Rabotino. At the moment, the advance of the Russian army is at least 1.5 km. According to the ‘R’ source, militants are gathering reserves in the direction of Zaporozhzhie from the western regions of Ukraine – presumably, another massive ‘meat offensive’ (sending of troops) is planned in the near future”.
“In the direction of Bachmut (Artemovsky), the Ukrainian armed forces do not stop attacking the Russian positions in Kleshcheevka, trying in vain to advance with small infantry groups and gain a foothold on new lines. On the northern flank of Bachmut (Artemovsk), on the side of the Berkhovsky reservoir, paratroopers repelled a Ukrainian attack, destroying four tanks and five armoured vehicles”.
“Positional battles continue in the direction of Donetsk: the Russian army is conducting assault operations in Maryinka and on the northwestern flank of Avdiivka’.
A third source summarises what is happening on the Zaporzhzhia area front line as follows: ‘Orekhovsky area situation at 12 noon on 7 August 2023: the activity of Ukrainian formations in the Orikhiv sector remains low. Continued attempts to break through the Rabotino – Verbovoye and Pyatikhatki – Zherebyanka lines have led to heavy losses of Ukrainian military”.
For this reason, it appears that the paratroopers of the 46th Airborne Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces of the Marun Battlegroup were deployed from the rear in Orekhov. Earlier, formations of the 71st Jaeger Brigade had arrived in Belogorye.
So far, units of the 46th Airborne Brigade are occupying new frontiers. In recent days there have been several small sorties of infantry groups, but the attacks have been repelled.
Artillery from the 44th and 47th Ukrainian artillery brigades, as well as formations of the 10th AK, are also being brought to the front line. At the same time, there is also a shortage of equipment in the “elite” brigades and, due to a lack of time, repair teams operate on the front line. Despite the decrease in combat potential, the Ukrainians still have resources. The shelling does not stop, but the supply of projectiles continues. But the introduction of the ‘Maroon’ battle group confirms the data on heavy Ukrainian losses. As proof of this, a new brigade was hastily formed in Primorsky.
Also on 7 August, according to statements by the head of the group’s press centre Zapad: “In the course of offensive operations in the direction of Kupyansk, the assault groups of the 6th Combined Arms Army, with the support of tank, artillery and army aviation attacks, advanced into the depths of the enemy defence in the area of \ the Olshany settlement and took seven strongholds, nine observation posts and defeated up to one infantry company of the 14th separate mechanised brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
“In addition, during the hostilities, the Ukrainians carried out four counter-attacks. All attacks were repelled by inflicting fire damage, Ukrainian losses amounted to one platoon of soldiers, one British-made armoured vehicle “Spartan”, two prisoners”.
“In the defence zone of the 1st Tank Army, units of the 25th separate airborne brigade attempted three times to counterattack the positions of Russian troops in the area of the Novoselovskoye settlement. All attacks were repulsed, the enemy’s losses amounted to one infantry platoon”.
“During counter-battery combat, the group’s artillery destroyed two artillery pieces: a 2A65 Msta-B towed howitzer in the Kupyansk region and a D-20 howitzer in the area of the Petropavlovka settlement”.
“Loose “Lancet” ammunition destroyed a 2S3 “Acacia” self-propelled artillery piece in the Doroshovka settlement area”.
Graziella Giangiulio
