Here are the key events on day 1,239 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Overview for Thursday, July 17:
Fighting Updates
- A Russian air strike on a shopping center and market in Dobropillia, eastern Ukraine, resulted in at least two deaths, 22 injuries, and significant damage on Wednesday, according to regional governor Vadym Filashkin. The strike occurred at 5:20 PM (14:20 GMT) using a 500kg (1,100-pound) bomb.
- The Ukrainian Air Force reported Russia launching 400 Shahed and decoy drones, alongside one ballistic missile, targeting Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, Vinnytsia, and Odesa on Wednesday night.
- In Belgorod, Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack caused one death and six injuries, and similarly injured one person in a nearby village, as stated by regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
- Ukrainian drone activity in Russia’s Smolensk region injured one, as reported by regional governor Vasily Anokhin.
- Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, mentioned that Russian forces intercepted three Ukrainian drones heading towards the capital early Thursday without reporting any casualties or damages.
- The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed to have destroyed 48 Ukrainian drones in a three-and-a-half-hour period ending at 11:30 PM (20:30 GMT).
Weaponry Developments
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy‘s goal to produce at least half of Ukraine’s weaponry domestically within six months was highlighted in his nightly address. He emphasized the need for increased production volumes.
- Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, in response to a question at the White House, stated that Bahrain will not transfer its US-purchased Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine.
Diplomacy, Politics, and Aid Highlights
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Thursday, focusing discussions on the Ukraine war and possibly signing a friendship treaty with a mutual assistance clause, recognized as “highly significant” amidst Russia’s invasion.
- The European Commission proposed a fund of up to 100 billion euros ($115bn) for Ukraine’s long-term recovery and reconstruction, as shared by EU budget commissioner Piotr Serafin.
