Eastern Ukraine campaign

Russian forces have reportedly taken control of the town of Lozovatsky in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. They also claim to have defeated six brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in several settlements in the region. Kyiv has yet to comment on these allegations.

An air alert was declared once again last night in several areas of eastern Ukraine, according to local media reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the challenging situation on the eastern front, highlighting that over 100 clashes occurred in the last 24 hours. More than a third of these conflicts took place in the Pokrovsk area of the Donetsk region.

Sitting atop a stack of ammunition crates at a secret military base, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi remains tight-lipped about the arrival of Ukraine's long-awaited F-16 fighter jets. While Dutch and other allies have indicated they will arrive soon—perhaps this week or in August—Syrskyi, the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, refrains from giving a specific timeline.

An air alert was issued in several regions of eastern Ukraine last night as tensions remained high. In the Pokrovsk region and the Donetsk region, where 33 clashes occurred within 24 hours, the front-line situation continues to be volatile.

Ukrainian forces have reported the destruction of a Russian Su-25 fighter jet near Pokrovsk, a city in Donetsk. The aircraft was reportedly attempting to strike Ukrainian defensive positions when it was downed, according to "UNIAN

Russia has launched fresh attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure using drones and missiles, escalating tensions amid the ongoing war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, attending the NATO summit in Washington, expressed gratitude for promised air defense systems to bolster Kyiv's defenses.

Russian authorities reported today that one person was killed, and two electrical substations and an oil warehouse caught fire following a series of "massive attacks" by Ukraine, involving dozens of drones across several Russian regions. This information was reported by Reuters.

Rescuers and volunteers clean up the rubble and search for victims after a Russian missile hit the country's main children hospital Okhmadit in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, July 8, 2024

The US-based Institute for the Study of Warfare (ISW) reports that Ukrainian drone operators are advancing their skills in intercepting long-range Russian drones, aiming to reduce the strain on air defense resources across the country.

Ukraine said Thursday its forces had withdrawn from a district in the key eastern town of Chasiv Yar, where Russian forces have recently claimed several advances.

The fall of the small hilltop town is a worrying prospect for Ukraine because it would likely accelerate Russian advances towards large civilian hubs in the wider eastern Donetsk region.