This week in the Russia-Ukraine war (July 5)

A snapshot of the latest news from around the world regarding the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Political developments

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Kyiv for the first time in over a decade and appealed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a ceasefire to speed up the resolution of the conflict with Russia. Despite this, Ukraine insisted that it sees its own strategy as the path to peace.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Kyiv’s internal security organization, arrested individuals who were allegedly planning an uprising with the intention of storming the Ukrainian parliament building. It was unclear whether the individuals had ties to Moscow.

Tensions between Ukraine and Belarus have increased over the past week. Pavel Muraveiko, chief of the General Staff of the Belarusian military, said Belarus was reinforcing its border with additional units and artillery in response to what he saw as aggressive steps by Ukraine. He added that Belarus was ready to use the tactical nuclear weapons that Russia has deployed on Belarusian territory if necessary.

Military aid for Ukraine

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the United States will soon announce a new security assistance package for Ukraine worth $2.3 billion. This is part of an ongoing support after the US has already provided Kyiv with more than $50 billion in military aid since the Russian invasion in February 2022, making the United States Kyiv’s main backer.

The latest American aid shipment includes artillery ammunition, anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank missiles, among other things.

Berlin announced on Friday that Germany had completed the delivery of the third Patriot air defense system to Ukraine.

Dutch Defense Minister Ollongren informed parliament of the approval of an export license for 24 F-16 fighter jets and 7 engines for Ukraine. The first delivery is expected soon, but specific details were not disclosed. Ukraine has been seeking US F-16 fighter jets for more than two years to strengthen its air defense against the dominant Russian air capabilities.

NATO countries have pledged 40 billion euros ($43 billion) worth of military aid to Ukraine through 2025, according to a European diplomat. The news comes a week before NATO’s meeting in Washington. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on alliance members to maintain military aid at the same level as in previous years, which would amount to around 40 billion euros annually.

A US State Department official said Kyiv would receive “good news” on air defense at the NATO summit.

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate received three CB90 combat boats this week to be used for surveillance and intelligence gathering.

Battlefield Updates

Russia said it had used Iskander-M missiles to destroy five Ukrainian SU-27 fighter jets and damaged two others at the Myrhorod airbase in central Ukraine’s Poltava region. The attack coincides with Ukraine’s preparations for the arrival of long-awaited F-16 fighter jets.

The Russian military has also continued to launch attacks on Ukraine’s power grid. Private energy company DTEK said on July 2 that Russian attacks had destroyed 90 percent of the company’s power generation capacity.

Russian ground troops captured several villages this week, including Novopokrovske in Donetsk and Stepova Novoselivka in Kharkiv.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced the destruction of a key Russian space surveillance and communications center. The facility in occupied Crimea played a key role in Moscow’s satellite communications and navigation system.

Researchers say they have found irrefutable evidence of North Korean ballistic missile components in Ukraine. Conflict Armament Research analyzed remnants of a missile that hit Kharkiv and concluded it was either a KN-23 or KN-24 manufactured in North Korea in 2023. Russian and North Korean officials denied the claim.

Ukrainian President Zelensky continues to urge the West to ease restrictions on the use of donated weapons to attack targets in Russia. The demand comes as Russia has increased the use of glide bombs against Ukrainian infrastructure. Zelensky said Russia dropped over 800 glide bombs on Ukraine last week alone. More flexibility in attacking targets in Russia would allow Ukraine to attack bases where bombers are based.

Meanwhile, Herman Smetanin, general director of Ukroboronprom, said the state-owned company produces long-range drones with a range of over 1,000 kilometers. Former President Petro Poroshenko announced another drone donation to the Ukrainian armed forces: 4,000 FPV drones.

Manufacturer Ukrainian Armor LLC delivered a shipment of Novator-2 armored personnel carriers to the National Guard of Ukraine this week, the company said.

The head of Russia’s Ak Bars Shipbuilding Corp. told state media that the company plans to Questionsa Pr.22800 missile boat that was severely damaged in a Ukrainian missile attack in November 2023. The ship was in the testing phase before it is expected to enter service in 2024.

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