Summary of Key Events on Day 1,253 of Russia’s War on Ukraine
Update on Thursday, July 31:
Military Action
- In Kyiv, a Russian drone attack resulted in at least four casualties, with debris from the drones causing a gas pipe to ignite in a residential building, as reported by the Ukrainian Ground Forces.
- On Tuesday, a missile strike by Russian forces killed three Ukrainian servicemen and injured 18 others during training, according to Ukraine’s Ground Forces.
- Emergency service workers in Orikhiv, Zaporizhia, were struck by Russian shelling right after extinguishing a fire, but no one was hurt, as stated by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.
- The Security Service of Ukraine has arrested a Major in the air force for allegedly spying for Russia by leaking information about Western-supplied F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighter jets.
Global Affairs
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has endorsed fundamental principles for a significant weapons agreement with the United States. “These are major deals, discussed with President Trump, and I hope we can fully execute them,” Zelenskyy stated in his evening address, without disclosing specifics.
- The Italian government issued a protest to the Russian ambassador after Italy’s President Mattarella was listed by Moscow as having anti-Russian sentiments.
- Russia claims to be assessing President Trump’s recent threat to apply further sanctions if the Ukraine war isn’t concluded swiftly. However, they assert that such economic penalties no longer affect them due to previous experiences.
Economic Impact
- Ukraine’s southern regions are facing a severe locust invasion impacting sunflower and other crops. The ongoing conflict with Russia disrupts traditional pest control measures near the front line, according to officials and producers.
