We Are Preparing Agreements That Will Take Place This August

– Address by the President
1 August 2024 - 19:27

TEXT:

". . .Our relations with partners – we are preparing agreements and arrangements that will take place this August.

These include security agreements – negotiations will begin tomorrow with another European country.
We are also preparing the visits of leaders to Ukraine and, accordingly, the content of our negotiations and the long-term philosophy of our agreements.

It is extremely important to ensure resilience for our state for years to come, which will guarantee greater capabilities for us now, this year, given the existing challenges and threats.

Of course, the key task is to support both the Defense Forces and the state budget, as well as to ensure Ukraine's social resilience.

I am grateful to everyone in the world who helps us. And of course, I am grateful to our warriors – to all the soldiers, sergeants, and officers on the frontline who defend our state, protect our positions, care for neighboring units, and assist when needed.

The Armed Forces, the National Guard, the National Police, the border guards, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, and all other elements of our defense – I thank each and every one whose dedication is the strength of our entire state.

Today, I want to especially recognize the units of the National Guard of Ukraine, particularly the 15th brigade of the National Guard, fighting in the south of Ukraine.

They have achieved excellent results in destroying enemy equipment – nearly 30 Russian artillery systems destroyed in just one month, along with much other equipment.
Warriors, thank you for this – thank you to the entire brigade!
I would like to specifically acknowledge the soldiers – Oleksandr Khalimon, Ruslan Salin, Oleksandr Halaida, and Oleksandr Kukhar; junior sergeants – Denys Florenko, Mykola Boyko, and Andriy Kmet; Sergeant Pavlo Zavadskyi; and platoon commanders – Lieutenant Yevhen Vitushko and Illia Chornenkyi. Well done!

The 1st presidential brigade of the National Guard: Soldier Yevheniy Martynenko and Sergeant Serhiy Kolisnichenko, as well as battalion commanders Lieutenant Colonels Ruslan Bayda, Volodymyr Zhdanov, and Kostiantyn Vakhramieyev. Thank you!

The Omega Special Purpose Center, specifically the 4th separate detachment of the Center, is effective as usual. Thank you!
And also the 5th Slobozhanska brigade of the National Guard – thank you!

In the Armed Forces of Ukraine, it is worth highlighting this week

the 25th separate airborne brigade and the 68th separate jaeger brigade fighting now in the most challenging Pokrovsk direction.
Kharkiv direction – the 57th separate motorized infantry brigade and the 36th separate marine brigade. Thank you!
Kupyansk direction – the 14th separate mechanized brigade. Well done! In the Kurakhove direction, our paratroopers from the “Seventy-ninth” deserve our unwavering gratitude.
In the Toretsk direction – the 28th separate mechanized brigade. Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who helps our defense, works for Ukraine, and does everything to ensure the world helps us liberate Ukraine from the occupier.

Glory to Ukraine!

Grumpy from Grumpy’s Substack

ALONG THE CONTACT LINE
GSAFU Morning Report

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 22:00 on July 31 stated that day 889 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was about to begin.
During the past day, 117 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 2 missile strikes, 62 air strikes, 511 drone strikes and more than 3,200 artillery strikes across the positions of Ukrainian forces.
At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupying troops, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and continue to disrupt the plans of Russian occupiers to advance deep into the territory of Ukraine.

Air Force Daily Report

On the night of August 1, 2024, the enemy hit Iskander-M ballistic missiles from the Voronezh region. - Russian Federation and Crimea, as well as by strike UAVs of the "Shahed" type from Cape Chauda - Crimea, Kursk - Russian Federation.

The radio engineering troops identified and escorted the 7 "martyrs". All of them were shot down by anti-aircraft defense in Kyiv region, Poltava region, Kherson region and Dnipropetrovsk region.

Is it or isn’t it?

On July 30 a video appeared on social media, purporting to be an F-16 flying over Ukraine.

On July 31 an article from Bloomberg cited by us, stated that the first delivery of F-16 fighter jets from NATO allies has arrived in Ukraine, in a long-awaited move that may boost the war-torn nation’s ability to repel Russian attacks
That same day a photo surfaced, supposedly of an F-16 flying over Lviv.
Defense Express investigated. It has not yet been confirmed whether the article is correct. Nor can either the photo or video be confirmed as genuine. Defense Express concludes:

Currently, there is no single fact that definitively proves the arrival of the long-awaited F-16s in Ukraine. However, in the modern information era, it is unlikely that the enhancement of the Ukrainian Air Force can remain a secret for long.

Later on Wednesday Evening Reuters citing Lithuania's foreign minister and a U.S. official confirmed that the delivery of F-16s had commenced.

"F-16s in Ukraine. Another impossible thing turned out to be totally possible," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the delivery had been complete.
Ukraine's Air Force did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

Now we just need to get evidence of one in the wild.

The Khortytsia operational-strategic group

(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )

Kharkiv axis: There were 8 Russian attacks near Tykhe and Vovchansk over the day 6 were repulsed and 2 are ongoing.

Kupyansk axis: The enemy carried out 7 attacks near Stepova Novoselivka, Kolesnikivka, Berestove and Andriivka. # battles are ongoing.

Lyman axis: Russia attacked 8 times in the direction of settlements of Novoserhiyivka, Makiivka and Nevske. One battle remains ongoing.

Siversk axis: Russian forces carried out 2 unsuccessful assaults in the vicinity of Verkhnokamianske and Ivano-Darivka.

Kramatorsk axis: Russian forces carried out 8 offensive actions near Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske and Andriivka 6 were repulsed, 2 are ongoing.

Toretsk axis: There have been 20 Russian attacks over that last day, 3 battles are still ongoing. All the efforts of the enemy were directed to the areas of Pivinchne, Toretsk, Zalizne and Nui-York.

The Tavria operational-strategic group

(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)

Pokrovsk axis: The greatest activity over the past day was in this sector. The enemy conducted 43 attacks against Ukrainian defences in this area over the last day in the vicinity of Panteleimonivka, Arkhangelske, Vozdvizhenka, Novooleksandrivka, Tymofiivka, Lysychne, Ivanivka, Serhiivka, Zhelanne and Karlivka.

Kurakhove axis: Russian forces tried to advance 12 times in the areas of settlements Karlivka, Krasnohorivka, Paraskoviivka and Kostiantinivka. 8 were repulsed, 4 remains ongoing.

Vremivka axis: The Russians conducted 4 unsuccessful offensive actions near Velyka Novosilka.

Orikhiv axis: The situation in this sector has not changed significantly.

The Odesa operational-strategic group

(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)

Prydniprovsk axis: In this sector, over the last day Russian forces made 5 attempts to force Ukrainian units from their positions on the left bank of the Dnieper, all were unsuccessful.

TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Russian “friendly fire” shoots down Mi-8 helicopter over Donetsk

On Wednesday, July 31, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down near the occupied city of Donetsk. According to multiple Russian sources, the helicopter was inadvertently struck by its own air defence systems, which were engaged in repelling a missile and bomb attack by Ukrainian forces. Defence Blog reports.
Ukrainian forces successfully targeted a Russian military operations base in the Proletarsky district of Donetsk using precision-guided aerial bombs. The same district witnessed the downing of the Russian Mi-8 helicopter, with debris reportedly falling several kilometres from the explosion site.

Russian media initially reported that the helicopter was involved in the evacuation of wounded personnel. However, sources within the Russian military indicated that the Mi-8 was actually on a mission to transport precision munitions.

The Mi-8, a versatile and widely used helicopter, is crucial to Russian military operations, providing transport and logistics support. Its loss, particularly under such circumstances, highlights the challenges faced by Russian forces in the contested region.

THE HOME FRONT

Russian shelling kills mother, daughter in Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

A 40-year-old woman and her 72-year-old mother were killed during a Russian artillery attack against Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Aug. 1,The Kyiv Independent reported citing Governor Serhii Lysak.
A 46-year-old man was also injured after dozens of Russian shells hit multiple high-rise buildings, houses, a fire department building, two schools, and buses.
The 72-year-old woman was killed on her birthday, Lysak added. No other details were provided at the moment.

RUSSIAN WORLD

Russia reportedly releasing Gershkovich, Whelan, Kara-Murza in major prisoner swap

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan are being released by Russia in a multi-country prisoner exchange, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 1, citing undisclosed sources.
Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza is also being released as part of the swap, an unnamed European official confirmed.
No official confirmation has been announced so far. According to Bloomberg, the two men are already on their way to locations outside of Russia, while the U.S. agreed to release Russian prisoners in exchange.

Gershkovich was arrested in Yekaterinburg in late March 2023 while working on a story about the Wagner mercenary group's recruiting methods, as well as Russian citizens' views on the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Following more than a year of pretrial detention, Gershkovich's trial finally began in June, and he was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

NEWS WORLDWIDE

Russia’s notorious private military company spotted in Venezuela

Troops bearing patches of Russia’s Wagner Group were seen in Venezuela during protests following Sunday’s disputed election results. The sighting has raised concerns about Russian involvement in the country’s internal affairs. Defence Blog reports.
The protests erupted in the Venezuelan capital the day after President Nicolás Maduro claimed victory in the election. The opposition has disputed Maduro’s declaration as fraudulent, stating that after reviewing 73.2% of the voting tallies, their candidate, Edmundo González, had won convincingly.

The Wagner Group, a notorious private military company with a history of training soldiers, escorting politicians, and alleged human rights violations globally, has reportedly been present in Venezuela before. According to Reuters, Wagner Group members were in Caracas in 2019 to provide security for President Maduro following protests against his regime. The group has also trained elite combat units in Venezuela.

Venezuela and Russia have maintained close military and economic ties for years. Russia is one of the largest creditors of the Venezuelan government, having extended about $17 billion (€15.6 billion) in loans to Caracas since 2006. Additionally, Russia seeks to secure access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest proven reserves in the world.

The presence of Wagner Group mercenaries in Venezuela is seen as a sign of Russia’s continued support for Maduro’s government. The opposition and international observers have raised alarms about the implications of foreign mercenary involvement in Venezuela’s political and social unrest.

The Wagner Group’s activities have been controversial, with numerous reports of their involvement in conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, and various African nations. Their methods often include a combination of direct military engagement and support roles, leading to widespread allegations of human rights abuses.

British volunteers donate vehicles for Ukrainian guardsmen and border guards

British volunteers donated 20 civilian vehicles to the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Militarnyi reported.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine reported on this. The British-Ukrainian Aid charitable foundation donated the vehicles to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
The vehicles will be delivered to the units of the Northern Operational-Territorial Command of the National Guard of Ukraine, the Separate Commandant’s Office for Security and Support, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the Azov Brigade’s patronage services, and the Separate Presidential Brigade for medical and evacuation needs.

The units of the Northern Operational-Territorial Command received 10 vehicles from a volunteer fund with the assistance of the Mayor of London. Most of the vehicles are passenger cars, they will be distributed to rear units, which will allow us to withdraw vehicles that are appropriate for use at the front line,” Roman Stadnyk shared.

Russian oil still flowing into the EU

In the two and a half years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, questions around Russian oil and gas coming into the EU have never been far from the headlines. Deutsche Welle reports.

The latest development concerns Ukraine's decision to put Russian oil company Lukoil on a sanctions list, forcing it to stop delivering pipeline crude oil — via Ukrainian territory — to the few EU countries still receiving it.

The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) told DW that combined, the three countries imported €2.6 billion ($2.8 billion) worth of crude oil from Russia in the first six months of 2024.

Hungary and Slovakia are the most dependent and their respective governments also have pro-Moscow leanings. They reacted angrily to Kyiv's move and last week asked the European Commission to formally mediate with Ukraine over the issue.

A spokesperson for the European Commission told DW: "The Commission is currently gathering detailed information on whether and how Ukraine's measure might impact the supply of crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia. The Commission has addressed detailed questions to Slovakia and Hungary to establish a complete analysis and reached out to Ukrainian authorities.
"These questions relate to volumes of the current oil transit, legal entities shipping the oil through Ukraine and contracts in place, possibilities for alternative routes of supply as well as the cost of it," the spokesperson added.
Hungary relies on Russia for around 70% of its oil imports, with Lukoil accounting for half that figure.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Ukraine's measure threatens Hungary's energy security while energy experts have said that if a solution is not found, the country could be dealing with soaring electricity prices and power cuts within weeks.

MILITARY & TECH

Germany Plans to Purchase Norwegian NOMAD Air Defense Systems for Ukraine

The German government is considering purchasing the Norwegian NOMADS air defence system for the needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Haarpunkt reports.
Currently, the German Federal Government is considering the possibility of purchasing the systems to transfer them to Ukraine.
In addition, Germany will be able to provide Ukraine with IRIS-T missiles, which, together with the U.S. AIM-9X, can be used by the system.

Due to its compact module, the system, in addition to the launcher, is also equipped with the Active Phased Array Radar (APAR), which is used to detect air targets and track them.
An X-band radar of the XENTA-M family, manufactured by the Danish company Weibel Scientific, was integrated into the system. However, the specific model of the radar is unknown, but if the most powerful M5 version is chosen, its range of detection of air targets can reach 75 km.
According to the developer, the system is perfect for destroying small air targets, including UAVs, quadcopters, and cruise missiles. The system is based on the IRIS-T missile, which is capable of hitting air targets at a distance of up to 12 km and at an altitude of up to 8 km.

That’s it for today’s Draft folks -- if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, its free!

UKRAINE WAR BRIEF DAILY DRAFT

MesaZona > Table of Contents : Here's The Menu. Enjoy

01 August 2024

UKRAINE PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY PUBLICIZES PREPARATIONS + AGREEMENTS FOR AUGUST...and Gratitude for Warriors