As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine reaches its 860th day, the global community remains on edge as tensions continue to rise. With numerous significant events shaping the course of this prolonged struggle, it is essential to stay abreast of the latest developments and grasp the intricate dynamics at play. In this all-encompassing guide, we will explore the most notable occurrences since the commencement of the conflict, shedding light on the current situation and offering insights into what the future may hold for both Russia and Ukraine.
The current scenario on Thursday, July 4, 2024 is as follows:
Fighting
- At least five individuals lost their lives and dozens sustained injuries in a Russian missile and drone attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
- One person was killed and 14 others were injured in a series of Russian assaults that targeted Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, including the regional capital of Kharkiv.
- A Russian missile strike in Ukraine’s Poltava region resulted in one fatality and three injuries, with one individual reported to be in critical condition.
- The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) reported that Russia’s use of air-dropped bombs led to additional civilian casualties in Ukraine from March to May. The OHCHR documented 78 civilian deaths and 305 injuries during the Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region between May 10 to 31. between March and May, at least 436 civilians were killed and 1,760 were injured in Ukraine.
- Officials at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine stated that a Ukrainian drone attack on a nearby electricity substation resulted in eight workers being injured and left the plant’s dormitory town of Enerhodar without power and water.
- The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the destruction of two Ukrainian sea drones that were targeting the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, a crucial naval base and oil shipment hub. No casualties or damages were reported.
Politics and Diplomacy
- In Moscow, a military court sentenced three brothers to lengthy prison terms for treason after they attempted to cross into Ukraine to join a group of Russians fighting on Kyiv’s side. Ioann Ashcheulov, 24, received a 17-and-a-half-year sentence, while his brothers Alexei, 20, and Timofey, 19, were each handed 17-year prison terms.
- A 19-year-old man in Rostov-on-Don was found guilty of treason for allegedly providing financial support to Kyiv’s military and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
- In Saint Petersburg, activist and documentary filmmaker Vsevolod Korolev saw his original three-year prison term for criticizing the Russian offensive in Ukraine on social media more than doubled to seven years upon appeal by the prosecution. Korolev has been in pre-trial detention since July 2022.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the situation in Ukraine during their meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana. They agreed that peace talks on Ukraine without Russia’s involvement would be futile.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan informed Putin during their SCO summit encounter that Ankara was willing to help end the conflict, but Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Erdogan could not act as a mediator, without providing further explanation.
- The Netherlands’ new Prime Minister Dick Schoof assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a phone call that his country’s support for Ukraine would remain unwavering.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba engaged in discussions with his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz on bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on various regional and global threats posed by Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Weapons
- The United States announced a new military aid package worth $150 million for Ukraine, including missiles for HAWK air defense systems, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), artillery rounds, mortar rounds, anti-armor systems, and various small arms ammunition and equipment.
- NATO allies agreed to provide military assistance to Ukraine amounting to 40 billion euros ($43 billion) next year, as per two Western European diplomats speaking to Reuters ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit in Washington.
- The Czech Ministry of Defence revealed that the country had donated military equipment, including aircraft and ammunition, valued at 6.75 billion crowns ($288.42 million) to Ukraine by the end of May.
Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies
