[Korrespondent] 23:03 Zelensky said that he had a "useful and productive" conversation with Macron: "We discussed the implementation of previous and reached new defense agreements. Thank you for the large batch of armored vehicles, in particular, the much-needed ambulance transport, additional light tanks and air defense" .
In addition, according to Zelensky, the situation in Russia and on the battlefield was discussed in detail: “After Prigozhin’s actions, the whole world saw that Russia has no room for maneuver on the battlefield. On the contrary, a window of opportunity opens up for us. We must act decisively - both militarily and politically. Therefore, it is very important that the summit in Vilnius be productive." The Ukrainian president also warned that the Russian troops were preparing dangerous provocations at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, and agreed to keep the situation under maximum control together with the IAEA.
21:45 The Russians are leaving Energodar en masse, the investigative team of Evocation.info reports, citing its sources. According to them, the occupiers are massively withdrawing troops from Energodar and its environs. Of the dozens of checkpoints in the area, only two remained - from Vasilyevka to Melitopol.
21:14 The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, and PMC Wagner as a terrorist organization , said Yevgenia Kravchuk, deputy head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction. The final declaration states that OSCE member states must take action against the Wagner Group and its affiliated and successor structures, including by declaring them a terrorist organization.
The OSCE PA also calls on member states to tighten international norms that clearly recognize: the terrorist nature of the Wagner Group and its activities; the responsibility of the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of this terrorist organization; the inadmissibility of involving such subjects in interstate relations. According to Kravchuk, this is the first time such a wording has been enshrined in an official document of an international organization.
21:08 The Ukrainian military are advancing on the southern flank near Bakhmut, Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said: “Today we have an advance on the southern flank around Bakhmut. Fighting is going on in the northern flank, there is no advance there yet. In the south, we are advancing every day. are facing very serious enemy resistance - both in the south and in the east."
21:01 Adviser to the general director of the Rosenergoatom concern Renat Karchaa said that Ukraine on the night of July 5 is allegedly going to "attack the ZNPP using precision weapons and kamikaze drones." According to him, Ukraine allegedly also intends to hit the station with a "Tochka-U missile with a warhead stuffed with radioactive waste."
20:22 The Russians are using chemical weapons against the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Bakhmut direction, Alexey Dmitrashkovsky, spokesman for the Defense Forces of the Tauride direction, said: "The situation is difficult in the Bakhmut direction. The enemy is increasingly using chemical weapons. For example, during artillery shelling, an element is used, tentatively called lewisite." He added that there are already victims of this chemical element.
19:46 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially announced the possible preparation of a provocation in the near future on the territory of the Zaporozhye NPP. According to operational information, foreign objects similar to explosive devices were placed on the outer roof of the third and fourth power units of ZNPP today. Undermining them cannot damage the power units, but it can create a picture of shelling from Ukraine.
"The Russian media and telegram channels misinform about this. The Armed Forces of Ukraine do not violate the norms of international humanitarian law, they monitor and control the situation and are ready to act under any conditions. Not a single provocation of the enemy will pass," the General Staff stressed.
19:38 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense and the State Border Service of Ukraine have not yet seen the movement of PMC Wagner mercenaries to Belarus, said the speaker of the State Border Guard Service Andrei Demchenko: "We are closely monitoring the place where they can be placed. They have arranged a place several hundred kilometers from the Ukrainian border. So far, we do not see that they are already arriving and deploying on this territory, but, of course, the intelligence units of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service are actively monitoring the situation."
19:25 In connection with traffic jams on the Crimean bridge, Putin proposed to "consider from all sides" the issue of redirecting the traffic to Crimea through the occupied territories of Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. According to Russian media, the traffic jam at the entrance to Crimea on the bridge today was about 7 km - this is due to an increase in the flow of tourists to the peninsula and checks of all cars.
19:06 Unknown drones attacked Moscow again. In the morning, the Russian media wrote about explosions near the villages of Valuevo, Akinshino and Krivosheino in the Moscow region. It was also reported about a drone attack on an administrative building on the territory of a military unit in the city of Kubinka in the Moscow region. Vnukovo Airport imposed restrictions on the acceptance and release of aircraft, they were redirected to Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo. More details - in the material Drones for special forces .
18:47 Zelensky will visit Bulgaria at the invitation of the new government of the country, according to the local edition 24 hours . Details of the president's visit have not yet been specified, but most likely it will take place on Thursday, July 6.
18:39 The Netherlands is allocating more than 118 million euros in the second aid package to Ukraine for 2023, the country's government has announced. In particular, 83 million are provided for reconstruction and healthcare, another 10 million - for the elimination of the consequences of the explosion of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station. The government also appointed a special representative for business and reconstruction of Ukraine - diplomat Roderick van Schreven.
18:28 The number of victims of the strike on Pervomaisky, Kharkiv region, has increased to 43, of which 12 are children , Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said.
17:44 Stoltenberg said that on the eve of the NATO summit in Vilnius, he had a "very good" conversation with Zelensky.
17:13 European countries have spent more than 43 billion euros to support Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war with Russia, the Ministry of Reintegration reported, citing data from a study by the Kiel Institute for World Economy. This includes cash transfers, housing, medical care, educational services, etc. Poland spent the most - more than 12 billion euros, followed by Germany - almost 11 billion euros.
16:49 On the night of July 4, Zaporozhye NPP lost power from the main external power transmission line with a voltage of 750 kV, after which the plant had to be switched to the only available backup line of 330 kV, repaired and reconnected to the station only on July 1, and damaged - for another four months back, said Energoatom.
16:40 In the Kamchatka Territory of the Russian Federation, a MiG-31 fighter crashed while performing a training flight, the Pacific Fleet reported. It is specified that the aircraft was flying without ammunition.
16:22 Russia today hit the center of the city of Pervomaiskaya Kharkiv region with an Iskander missile, Prosecutor General Andrey Kostin said. According to him, there are only civilian objects nearby - residential buildings. As a result of the blow, 31 people were injured, including ten children, two babies - one year and ten months old.
16:16 In connection with the latest events around the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, it was decided to strengthen the northern border of Ukraine with both personnel and military equipment, said Sergey Naev, commander of the North Joint Strategic Forces Group.
15:53 The British government has banned the use of 2.35 billion pounds received by Roman Abramovich from the sale of the Chelsea football club outside of Ukraine, said Mike Penrose, head of the fund that will distribute these funds. Now the money is frozen in the account of Abramovich's company Fordstam.
15:31 The Russian Foreign Ministry said that there are no grounds for further continuation of the grain deal, which expires on July 17. Moscow allegedly "is making the necessary efforts so that all participating vessels can successfully complete their mission and leave the Black Sea before the specified date."
15:26 The Office of the President reports that as a result of the shelling of the city of Pervomaisky with a high-explosive shell, 31 people were hospitalized, including nine children , two babies.
15:17 The Ministry of Internal Affairs clarified that as a result of the shelling of the city of Pervomaisky, Kharkiv region, 16 people were previously injured, including seven children. The high-rise building was damaged, cars were on fire.
14:33 The Moscow City Hall announced that it had allocated a grant to NPO Almaz to improve air defense systems, including drone detection tools.
14:15 The Russians fired a high-explosive projectile at the city of Pervomaisky, Kharkiv region - it is preliminary known about 12 victims, including five children , said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov.
13:58 Military commissars handed summons to 56 deputies of the Lviv Regional Council right at the entrance to the session hall, Radio Liberty reports.
13:36 In the Berdyansk direction, the greatest advance in the depth of the enemy's defense up to 2 km was recorded, the Joint Press Center of the Defense Forces of the Tauride direction reported.
13:09 Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov spoke about the main task of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the moment: "The Defense Forces of Ukraine at this stage of active hostilities are performing task number one - the maximum destruction of manpower, equipment, fuel depots, military equipment, command posts, artillery and of the air defense forces of the Russian army. The last few days have been particularly productive. Now a war of annihilation is equal to a war of kilometers. The more destroyed, the more liberated. The more effective the first, the more the second. We are acting calmly, prudently, step by step."
12:28 In the Sumy region, two residents of the border settlement were killed and another one was injured as a result of an attempt by the enemy to penetrate the territory of Ukraine. Failing to reach the target, the Russians opened fire on the civilian population with the aim of intimidation, OK Pivnich reported.
12:21 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson: "We discussed the situation on the battlefield, recent events in Russia, the pace of implementation of previous agreements on defense support from Sweden. We agreed to coordinate efforts to bring Ukraine and Sweden closer to NATO membership Thank you for the productive semi-annual Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and active participation in the preparation of two sanctions packages against the aggressor country."
11:57 Explosions have been heard in the occupied territory of the Zaporozhye region for the second day in a row: today - in Akimovka and Vasylivka, yesterday - in Vasylivka, Tokmak and Chernihiv region, Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov said.
11:24 An IAEA inspection was successfully carried out at the Rivne NPP, the State Nuclear Regulatory Agency reported. The purpose of the inspection is to verify the absence of undeclared nuclear materials and information on the design of a nuclear facility provided by Ukraine in accordance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement. The inspection went without a hitch.
10:53 The Russians attacked the center of the village of Buda-Vorobyevskaya, the Novgorod-Seversky district of the Chernihiv region, three people were injured, the head of the OVA, Vyacheslav Chaus, said. According to him, this village is constantly under enemy fire. Half of the residents have already left from there, more than 150 local residents alone remain.
10:36 In Ukraine, preparations have begun for the construction of a 150-kilometer main water pipeline, Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov said. The project provides for the construction of main water pipelines Karachunovskoe reservoir - Krivoy Rog - Southern reservoir, Marganets - Nikopol, Khortytsya (DVS2) - Tomakovka. The implementation of the project will provide water to at least 1 million people from the Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.
09:59 British Foreign Minister James Cleverley is convinced that Ukraine will be able to join NATO "without the usual red tape, as happened with Sweden and Finland."
09:25 British intelligence states that the Russians have improved tactics aimed at slowing down the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the south. In particular, they use anti-tank mines on a larger scale than is provided for by the military doctrine of the Russian Federation. And having slowed down the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia tried to strike at Ukrainian armored vehicles with the help of drones, combat helicopters and artillery.
At the same time, intelligence notes that although Russia has had some success in the early stages of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, its forces continue to suffer from key weaknesses, especially unit overload and a shortage of artillery ammunition.
09:08 In the morning, the Russians fired artillery at Kherson, two people were killed, the Office of the Prosecutor General said. Information about the victims is being clarified.
09:03 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, one person was killed (in Predtechino), two more were injured. In the Kherson region, six people were injured, in the Zaporozhye region - one, according to the IVA.
09:00 The death toll from the Russian drone strike on Sumy has risen to three, 21 people are injured. The city has declared a Day of Mourning today, the OVA said. In addition, one person died as a result of mortar attacks on the Yunakovskaya community.
08:57 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that in the morning an attempt by the "Kiev regime" to carry out a "terrorist attack" by five drones on objects in the Moscow region and New Moscow was suppressed. Four supposedly Ukrainian UAVs on the territory of New Moscow were destroyed by air defense systems, another one was suppressed by electronic warfare and fell on the territory of the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region. There were no casualties or damage.
08:55 Ukrainian troops are successful in the offensive in the Bakhmut direction, said Andriy Kovalev, spokesman for the General Staff. In particular, to the north and south of the city of Bakhmut, the Defense Forces continue to put pressure on the enemy, knocking him out of the previously captured lines. "The enemy is putting up fierce resistance, suffering huge losses. Heavy fighting is going on here," he added. At the same time, the Ukrainian military continues to hold back the advance of Russian troops in the Limansky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions.
08:46 1057 foreign components were counted in Russian weapons and equipment, which were produced by 155 companies. This is stated in document No. 12, published by the McFaul-Yermak sanctions group. For example, the Russian X-101 missile that hit a five-story residential building in Krivoy Rog on June 13 contained 53 critical components from other countries. According to the researchers, most parts are produced by American companies. For example, the export of critical components from the United States to Russia, manufactured by Intel Corporation, exceeded $700 million in 2022.
In the document, the group proposes steps to increase sanctions to ensure that Western technology does not help the Russian military-industrial complex.
08:28 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of July 4.
- personnel - about 231,030 (+770) people liquidated,
- tanks - 4059 (+2),
- armored combat vehicles - 7908 (+9),
- artillery systems - 4252 (+32),
- MLRS - 647 (+6),
- air defense systems - 394 (+3),
- aircraft - 315 (+0),
- helicopters - 309 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 3602 (+29),
- cruise missiles - 1264 (+0),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 6843 (+9),
- special equipment - 590 (+0).
08:19 Early in the morning, drones attacked Moscow. Russian media write that four UAVs have already been shot down. In particular, two drones were shot down in New Moscow near the village of Valuevo, and one more - in the area of Kubinka near Moscow. There are no casualties or damage, but restrictions have been introduced at Vnukovo Airport on the acceptance and release of aircraft.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that another attempt was made today to attack allegedly "Ukrainian drones" in New Moscow and the Moscow region. According to him, the attacks were repelled by air defense forces, all detected UAVs were eliminated, there were no victims or injured.
07:31 The Russian army is concentrating its main efforts on the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions, there are heavy battles. During the day, more than 40 combat clashes took place, the General Staff said in the morning summary .
04:22 Zelensky said in an interview with CNN that he calls on Biden to invite Ukraine to NATO now, even if it can only become a member of the Alliance after the end of the war. "He supports our future in NATO, but an invitation now would be a huge incentive for Ukrainian soldiers," the president explained. He stressed that Ukraine understands that the country will not be accepted into NATO until the end of the war, but it is important for Ukrainians to feel the support of the allies in this matter.
00:16 According to the Oryx project, which counts confirmed losses in the war in Ukraine, in the first three days of July, Russia lost 2.5 times more equipment than Ukraine - 38 units against 15. In particular, during these days Russia lost three tanks, Ukraine - one (Leopard 2А6). In addition to infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, trucks and artillery, the losses of two Strela-10 air defense systems and one helicopter were confirmed from the Russian side, and the P-18 Malachite radar from the Ukrainian side. The main amount of media material on the basis of which the conclusions are made is of Russian origin, so the real figures may differ.