Kharkiv offensive

This handout photograph taken and released by Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on July 29, 2024, shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visiting the command outpost of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in the area of Vovchansk, Kharkiv region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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.

Last night, the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk was attacked by surface drones, according to local authorities. Car traffic on the Crimean bridge, connecting the Russian-annexed Ukrainian peninsula with the Krasnodar region, was temporarily halted for about an hour. Local residents reported powerful explosions and a fire in a mountainous area above the city, as noted by UNIAN.

Russian troops numbering approximately 400 have been encircled by Ukrainian forces at a chemical plant in Vovchansk, located in the Kharkiv region. Ukraine's Center for Defense Strategies reports that thirty of the Russian soldiers have surrendered, following failed attempts to rescue them.