Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visiting the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa, heavily damaged in a Russian missile strike, on Thursday: “Our South! Our Guys!”

Thursday’s Coverage: Has Counter-Offensive Cracked Russia’s Defense in South?

Map: Institute for Study of War

UPDATE 1741 GMT:

Video indicates a missile has struck the port city of Taganrog, in Russia’s Rostov region, about 30 miles east of the Ukrainian border.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the missile was one of two shot down in Friday, but Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev said at least nine people suffered light to moderate injuries.

The Ministry said the second missile was shot down over the city of Azov, about 10 miles from the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov and 25 miles southeast of Taganrog. The debris from the missile fell in a deserted area, the Ministry asserted.

UPDATE 1622 GMT:

Ukraine’s Border Guard Service says it intercepted a warning from a Russian warship to a civilian vessel near a Ukrainian port on Thursday.

Following Vladimir Putin’s withdrawal last week from the July 2022 deal lifting the Russian blockade on three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, the Russian Defense Ministry has threatened interception or even attacks on shipping.

Ukraine’s border guards quoted the Russian warship as communicating:

I am warning you about the ban on movement to the ports of Ukraine.

Also, the transport of any cargo to Ukraine is considered by the Russian side to be the potential transportation of military cargo.

Ukraine Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak posted on Telegram, “Russian warships are threatening civilians in the Black Sea, violating all norms of international maritime law.”

UPDATE 1618 GMT:

Japan is adding to sanctions on Russia with an export ban on luxury cars from August 9 covering all new and used vehicles over 1900cc.

Japan’s second-hand car exports to Russia had risen sharply since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine because of high demand for reliable and durable vehicles.

The European Union which announced its own ban on 1900cc vehicles to Russia on June 23.

UPDATE 1610 GMT:

Following a visit to Kyiv by its Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Qatar will provide Ukraine with $100 military in humanitarian aid to support health, education, and demining.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced the assistance after talks with al-Thani.

UPDATE 1411 GMT:

The Czech Republic’s Industry Ministry says the country is almost free from Russian gas supplies, with stores from other countries above 90% of capacity.

Prague has met European Union obligations four months ahead of the target. In the first half of 2023, 50% of supplies came via Norway and the rest from Belgium and the Netherlands.

UPDATE 0959 GMT:

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called on Vladimir Putin to rejoin the July 2022 Black Sea grain deal, which the Russian leader left on July 17.

Sisi told Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg that it is “essential to reach agreement” on reviving the deal and grain shipments to African countries.

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed hope for “constructive engagement and negotiation”. He said African leaders look forward to discussing further with Vladimir Putin proposals they made in June.

UPDATE 0849 GMT:

The Council of Mothers and Wives, organized by relatives of Russia’s mobilized men and conscripts, has closed after Moscow designated it as a “foreign agent”.

The Council was formed after Vladimir Putin announced mass mobilization in September 2022. It appealed to military leadership to solve problems related to the call-up and to address cases of people drafted illegally.

Council head Olga Tsukanova said, “We don’t want to act any further with this stigma, because in this form it is humiliating for women. We’ve decided that the Council of Mothers and Wives cannot exist in the form in which it’s been working all these months.”

Tsukanova said that, as the organization does not recognize itself as a “foreign agent”, it would not comply with notices required by Russian authorities.

She said members “will still each stand up for justice where we are.”

UPDATE 0816 GMT:

The independent Russian outlet Meduza
speaks with the mother of Timofei Rudenko, a retired military officer and former military psychologist improsned for more than a year after he condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Rudenko was initially held in a special detention center on charges of “petty hooliganism”. In July 2023, he was arrested “justifying terrorism”, over comments about Chechens fighting on the side of Ukraine.

Rudenko says that he was tortured, forcing him to confess to “preparing terrorist attacks”.

UPDATE 0732 GMT:

The US could send Abrams M1A1 heavy battle tanks to Ukraine’s battlefield in September, say “six people familiar with the planning“.

The first group of tanks — a “handful” — will be transported to Germany in August, where they will undergo final refurbishments.

The older M1A1 version is being sent instead of the A2, which would have taken a year to get to Ukraine.

The six sources for the revelation include a Defense Department official, a US official, an industry official, and a Congressional aide.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine’s seven-week counter-offensive, breaking Russia’s first line of fortifications on the southern front, has liberated the village of Staromayorske.

The village is about 60 miles southwest of Russia-occupied Donetsk city, near the border between the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted video of Ukrainian soldiers celebrating, “35th Brigade and the volunteer battalion Arei liberated the village Staromayorske. Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes!”

Other footage showed Russian troops retreating from the village.

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian military claimed the capture of units, documents, and intelligence of Russia’s 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment near the village.

In the past 48 hours, the Ukrainians have also advanced near the Russian-held village of Robotyne, about 10 km (6.2 miles) south of Orikhiv. Geolocated footage showed troop movement about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) beyond the first line of pre-prepared Russian fortifications.

A Ukrainian armored vehicle was also filmed about 3.5 kilometers beyond the frontline, indicating that forces may have made even more significant advances southeast of Orikhiv.

The Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged a “massive” Ukrainian attack with three battalions. It claimed the the assault had been repelled, but Russian military observers said the counter-offensive had penetrated Moscow’s defense lines “in three areas”.