[Korrespondent] 23:12 In Russia, after the rebellion of PMC Wagner, internal strife continues in the army. The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reports that the FSB began arrests a few hours after Yevgeny Prigozhin started a riot. The arrests are being made to "clean up the ranks," one of the sources said. According to the publication, about 15 Russian officers have already been removed from service or fired. More details - in the material Army purges in the Russian Federation .
22:37 Zelensky said in an evening video message that he had held a meeting with the heads of the SBU, military and foreign intelligence: "We are very carefully analyzing the situation - everything related to the war, and everything that is important for internal security."
22:18 The Pentagon confirmed the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine. "They are already there," the US Department of Defense said, adding that it was not only about American shells, but also about ammunition from other countries.
22:10 The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue the offensive operation in the Melitopol and Berdyansk directions, they were successful and are now consolidated on the achieved lines in the directions of Novodanilovka, Balka Shirokaya; Malaya Tokmachka, Novopokrovka, said Anna Malyar. "The enemy is now moving units and using all available reserves. Due to the fact that our fighters destroy enemy equipment depots every day, the number of enemy shelling has decreased somewhat," she added.
In the East, the enemy continued to attack today in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions. The defense forces successfully hold back the enemy, there are heavy battles. On the southern flank of the Bakhmut direction there is an advance with battles and powerful enemy resistance, on the northern flank the enemy attacked, trying to regain lost positions, but to no avail.
21:19 Zelensky said that he held a meeting following the NATO summit: "We are now translating each agreement for Ukraine with partners in Vilnius into our concrete steps so that all agreements become concrete results. A good summit should also bring good results. We are preparing content for the work of the Council Ukraine-NATO. We are preparing agreements with partners on security guarantees for Ukraine on the way to NATO. We are preparing the ground for the next NATO summit in Washington."
20:08 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with the President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa: "Thanked for the visit to Bucha and Kiev, along with other African leaders, and for the subsequent efforts to return children illegally deported by Russia. We highly appreciated the results of the meeting of advisers in Copenhagen "Discussed preparations for the Global Peace Summit and the necessary diplomatic steps to consolidate support for Ukraine by African countries. Invited South Africa to join the Grain from Ukraine initiative."
19:32 Putin said that Moscow is not against discussing security guarantees for Ukraine, but subject to "observance of Russia's security guarantees." At the same time, he stressed that Ukraine in NATO allegedly "will create a security threat for the Russian Federation and will not increase the security of Ukraine itself." And the supply of new weapons to Kyiv, according to the head of the Kremlin, will only aggravate the situation for Ukraine, "will inflame the conflict." Ukraine has the right to ensure security, but it should not worsen the security of other countries, Putin said.
As for the grain deal, Putin said Russia would consider extending it. At the same time, he noted that "nothing has been done for the Russian Federation within the framework of the grain deal - a one-sided game." According to him, Moscow can suspend participation in the grain deal and extend it only when "the promises given to it" are fulfilled. He also said that he had not seen the UN Secretary General's letter on the grain deal.
19:00 Biden does not believe that the war in Ukraine can last for years: “I don’t think that the war can go on for years, for two reasons. Number one: I don’t think that Russia can support the war forever, primarily given the resources and potential Number two: I think there will be circumstances where eventually President Putin will decide that it is not in Russia's interests - economically, politically and otherwise - to continue this war."
At the same time, the US president admitted that he did not know how the war would end: "My hope and my hopes: you will see that Ukraine will make significant progress in the offensive." He added that over time this should open up the possibility of a negotiated settlement.
18:57 In the Genichesk district of the Kherson region, the Russians began the forced eviction to the Russian Federation of Ukrainian citizens who have not yet received or refused to obtain Russian citizenship, including families with children and the elderly. The occupiers are inhabiting their houses mainly by representatives of national minorities from the low-income strata of the population of Russia, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
18:46 The Wall Street Journal writes, citing sources, that Russian General Sergei Surovikin is in custody. According to the publication, in addition to him, 13 more senior officers were detained for interrogation, and 15 were fired or suspended from service. They were detained a few hours after the start of Prigozhin's rebellion. WSJ sources report that Surovikin knew about the plans of the head of the PMC Wagner, but did not participate in them. No charges have been brought against him yet.
18:31 The city council imposed a moratorium on the public use of the Russian-language cultural product in the capital. It includes books, art albums, audiovisual works, musical sound recordings, handicrafts, theatrical and circus performances, concerts and cultural and educational services.
18:25 The SBU has established new facts of illegal activities of the rector of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Pavel (Pyotr Lebed).
| The monastery, established in 1051 AD, is the center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. True or not — the metropolitan denies it — he is accused of favouring Russia in the current excitement. |
| Oh dear. Perhaps there are extenuating circumstances or a misleading translation... |
17:59 Biden again said that Ukraine would join NATO, but only after the end of the war, otherwise it would lead to the Third World War.
17:50 The enemy fired mortars from the territory of the Russian Federation at the Velykopisarevskaya community of the Akhtyrsky district - a resident of the village was killed. Popovka, said the Office of the Prosecutor General.
17:34 NATO countries have developed a defense plan in the event of a Russian attack on their eastern flank. Stoltenberg said it was "the most extensive defense plan since the end of the Cold War." According to Bild, the document simplifies the decision-making procedure for the NATO Supreme Commander in Europe, and the investments of the Alliance members in defense should be at least 2% of GDP. The plan also provides that German soldiers will help defend Lithuania, Canadian - Latvia, British - Estonia, American - Poland.
In addition, the increased combat readiness forces in Europe will increase to 300,000 soldiers and officers, more heavy equipment, air defense, long-range artillery and missiles will be put into service.
17:13 The European Parliament approved a plan to increase the production of ammunition. Its goal is to expedite the delivery of artillery ammunition and missiles to Ukraine and help EU member states replenish their arsenals. This decision will mobilize 500 million euros from the EU budget. Now the plan must be approved by the EU Council.
16:42 Russia is preparing to export agricultural products from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine outside the territory of the Russian Federation, Anna Malyar said. To do this, according to her, the Russian Federation brings agricultural products and activities of agricultural producers in line with the standards of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance.
16:09 As a result of the Russian strike on Orekhov, one person was killed, one was wounded, said the head of the Zaporizhia OVA, Yuriy Malashko. Also, one person was wounded as a result of shelling from the Upper Tersa MLRS. In addition, from the Iskander-K OTRK, the enemy hit the territory of the enterprise in Malokaterinovka. The blast wave and debris partially destroyed the warehouse, injuring two people.
15:54 Germany handed over to Ukraine a new batch of military aid, which included, in particular, equipment for the IRIS-T SLM air defense system, ammunition, six Gepard installations and other equipment.
15:48 The agreement signed in Vilnius between Sweden and Ukraine in the field of security will simplify and speed up the supply of weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Defense Minister Paul Jonsson said. In particular, according to him, the agreement allows Sweden and Ukraine to exchange confidential information, which concerns, for example, JAS Gripen test flights or military equipment. In addition, the Swedish Defense Materials Administration is entering into an agreement with Ukraine that will allow defense materials to be purchased directly from industry with shorter delivery times.
15:36 The enemy fired mortars at the city of Orekhov, Zaporozhye region, one person died, the President's Office reported.
15:10 On the morning of July 13, the Russians dropped a high-explosive bomb on Zmeiny Island, spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces Natalia Gumenyuk said: “Yesterday they powerfully reconnoitered the situation.
Gumenyuk suggested that the Russians were shelling Zmeiny because of the grain agreement, the work of which they themselves are constantly blocking: “These are most likely signs of attention related to the grain agreement. On July 17, everything that was concluded under it should either be automatically extended, or the whims of the Russians will begin again."
14:44 Ukraine has already received cluster munitions from the United States , but has not yet used them, Alexander Tarnavsky, commander of the Tavria operational-strategic grouping, said in a comment to CNN. In his opinion, these shells can radically change the situation on the battlefield.
14:17 The German Armed Forces have placed a large order for ammunition for Leopard 2 main battle tanks from the Rheinmetall concern. The company said that the existing framework contract has been expanded to a volume of about 4 billion euros. He assumes that by the end of 2030, the Bundeswehr will receive several hundred thousand combat and training cartridges of various designs. The framework agreement also provides for the supply of "a significant amount of tank ammunition" to Ukraine, but the specific volumes are not named.
13:23 The Russians launched an artillery strike on the village of Nikolskoye, Kherson region, one person died, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin.
12:56 The Netherlands will join the G7 initiative on security guarantees for Ukraine, Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said. The Declaration was also supported by Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Finland.
12:49 The head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, is sure that after the end of the war, Ukraine will become a member of NATO.
12:15 PMC Wagner mercenaries are leaving their camps in Russia and the Luhansk region, Russian publics report. Some of their cars have Belarusian numbers, from which the telegram channels conclude that the Wagnerites are heading to Belarus. Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Belarus stated that Wagner militants would train the Belarusian military.
11:26 The Russian Federation has accumulated a powerful grouping in the Limansky and Kupyansky directions of representatives of the airborne and infantry units, the combat army reserve and territorial troops, the private military campaign Veterans and assault companies Storm Z, said the speaker of the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Sergey Cherevaty.
10:43 British intelligence believes that the use of old equipment by the Russian military as a ram with explosives could be initiated by units from Chechnya. In July, there were reports that the Russian military was packing several tons of explosives into old armored vehicles and sending them to Ukrainian positions. The crew left the car, setting her course.
Most of these cases were recorded in the sector near Maryinka and coincided in time with the appearance of Chechen units there. Analysts noticed that the vast majority of "rams" packed with explosives do not reach the target, because they explode on mines or are destroyed by fire. At the same time, they produce extremely powerful explosions that can have a psychological effect on the Ukrainian defenders, the intelligence added.
10:36 The European Union is studying the possibility of sending military instructors to Ukraine "when circumstances permit," writes El PaÃs, citing an internal document of the European diplomatic service. We are talking about the fact that in the future, after the end of the war, gradually relocate to Ukraine the European mission for training soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which is now based in Poland and Germany.
10:24 In Berdyansk, after a direct hit on the Dune hotel, the occupiers took out the bodies of Russian servicemen by trucks to the local morgue during the night, said Andrei Kovalev, spokesman for the General Staff. He also said that the Russians have tightened counterintelligence measures in Mariupol: they carry out massive raids on the houses and apartments of local residents, check personal documents and mobile phones.
09:56 Podolyak believes that there are only three options for ending the war: Ukraine wins, loses or Minsk-3. If he wins, according to him, Ukraine will dominate the region, have clear partnerships, and modernize the army. In parallel with this, a demilitarization zone with the Russian Federation will be created.
The second option could be the loss of Ukraine - and "then Ukraine will just gradually die" over the course of several years, the adviser to the head of the OP believes. "There is a third option - in the middle: we did not lose, but there is a demarcation line - Minsk-3. This means that you will simply die very slowly. They will connect you with a device that will support your life," Podolyak added. In his opinion, this will mean that statehood in Ukraine will no longer exist: "Therefore, everything else is an attempt to find some alternative elements that will allow something to be extended. We have very simple options - win or lose" .
09:00 In the Kherson region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, two people were killed, three more were injured. In the Donetsk region, eight people were injured, in the Kharkiv region - one, according to the IVA.
08:57 In Zaporozhye, the number of victims of the fall of an explosive object on July 12 increased to 21, including eight children. There are six adults and seven children in medical institutions, said the head of the OVA Yuriy Malashko.
08:51 The defense forces continue the offensive operation in the Bakhmut, Melitopol and Berdyansk directions, they were successful in the Novodanilovka-Shirokaya Balka, Malaya Tokmachka-Novopokrovka directions, General Staff Speaker Andrei Kovalev said.
In the Bakhmut direction, Ukrainian troops continue to conduct offensive operations north and south of the city of Bakhmut. On the southern flank of the offensive, they were partially successful, and they are consolidated on the achieved lines. At the same time, the Defense Forces continue to hold back the offensive of Russian troops in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions - all enemy attacks were repelled within a day.
08:36 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of July 13:
- personnel - about 236,040 (+510) people liquidated,
- tanks - 4092 (+2),
- armored combat vehicles - 7999 (+9),
- artillery systems - 4425 (+23),
- MLRS - 678 (+4),
- air defense systems - 421 (+6),
- aircraft - 315 (+0),
- helicopters - 310 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 3752 (+26),
- cruise missiles - 1271 (+0),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 6995 (+17),
- special equipment - 652 (+5).
08:15 The air defense forces at night shot down all 20 attack drones with which the Russian Federation attacked Ukraine, as well as two Caliber cruise missiles, the command of the Air Force reported. The Russians launched the Shahed-136/131 UAV from the northeast (Kursk) and southeast (Primorsko-Akhtarsk). Most of them were shot down in Kyiv and the region. The enemy also used two Caliber cruise missiles from the Black Sea and one ballistic missile - Iskander-M (Dzhankoy, Crimea). Information about the consequences of the launch of the latter is being specified.
07:57 The Russian army is concentrating its main efforts on the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions, there are heavy battles. More than 35 clashes took place during the day, the General Staff reported in the morning report .
07:12 Adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petr Andryushchenko, announced a strike on the barracks of the Kadyrovites, located on the territory of the MMK. Ilyich. According to preliminary information from sources, the wounded were taken secretly towards Donetsk, which may indicate their serious condition. The "DNR" stated that air defense allegedly worked in Mariupol.
03:39 Russia attacks Kiev with Shahed drones for the third night in a row. Air defense forces detected and destroyed about ten enemy targets in the airspace of the capital, said Sergey Popko, head of the KGVA. In Darnitsky, Solomensky, Shevchenkovsky, Obolonsky and Podolsky districts, cases of falling debris were recorded, residential buildings were damaged. Two people were injured in the Darnitsky district, in Shevchenkovsky one person was rescued during the aftermath.
00:40 Zelensky said in an evening video message that over the two days of the summit in Vilnius, "we removed any doubts and ambiguities about whether Ukraine will join NATO": "It will! For the first time, not only all members of the Alliance agree with this, but also a tangible majority in the Alliance is energetically bringing this closer. Never before have the words "you are equal among equals" for Ukraine from other NATO members sounded really meaningful. Now everyone understands that this is a fact - equal among equals. And we will definitely confirm this fact with our victory and entry into NATO ".
The president also stressed that he was returning home "with a good result for our state, it is very important for our soldiers. Good reinforcement with weapons. This includes air defense, and missiles, and armored vehicles, and artillery." He added that for the first time since independence, "we have formed a security foundation for Ukraine on its way to NATO - these are concrete security guarantees that confirm the top 7 democracies of the world."
00:31 Lavrov called the US plans to transfer the F-16 to Kiev "an example of an extremely dangerous development of events," which creates the risk of a direct armed clash with Russia. He also said that Moscow would consider the appearance of F-16 fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons in Kyiv as "a threat from the West in the nuclear sphere."