Ukraine Conflict Sees 257 Combat Clashes in One Day as Sea of Azov Shipping Is Halted
In the Ukraine conflict, Russian forces conducted 257 combat clashes with Ukrainian troops over the past day, with the heaviest fighting on the Pokrovsk, Sloviansk and Kostiantynivka fronts, while Ukraine has intensified drone strikes that have functionally closed the Sea of Azov to Russian shipping. [2] [3]
Intense Ground Fighting Across Multiple Fronts
A total of 257 combat clashes have occurred on the battlefield over the past day, with the Russians pressing hardest on the Sloviansk, Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka fronts, which were attacked 87 times in total. [2] On the North Slobozhanshchyna front and in the operational zone in Russia's Kursk Oblast, three combat clashes with the Russians occurred over the past day. [2] The Russians conducted five airstrikes, dropping 13 aerial bombs, and carried out 96 strikes on Ukrainian positions and settlements, including five from multiple-launch rocket systems. [2] On the South Slobozhanshchyna front, the Russians attacked Ukrainian unit positions 13 times in the areas of Starytsia and Vovchansk and towards the settlements of Hoptivka, Karaichne, Lyman, Hrafske, Mala Vovcha and Odradne. [2] On the Kupiansk front, the Russians conducted three attacks towards Kupiansk and Novoplatonivka. [2] On the Lyman front, the Russians attempted to break through Ukrainian defences 18 times, attacking towards the settlements of Novyi Myr, Stepove, Drobysheve, Ozerne, Lyman, Dibrova, Stavky, Novoselivka and Novomykhailivka. [2] On the Sloviansk front, the Russians conducted 25 assaults towards Rai-Oleksandrivka and Pyskunivka and in the areas of Zakitne, Kryva Luka and Riznykivka. [2] On the Kramatorsk front, the Russians conducted three attacks in the area of Nykyforiivka and towards Malynivka. [2] On the Kostiantynivka front, Russian forces conducted 24 attacks in the areas of Kostiantynivka, Illinivka, Ivanopillia and Rusyn Yar and towards Dovha Balka, Stepanivka, Vilne and Kucheriv Yar. [2] On the Pokrovsk front, Ukrainian defenders stopped 38 Russian assault actions in the areas of Rodynske, Hryshyne, Vasylivka, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetske and Filiia and towards the settlements of Dorozhnie, Serhiivka, Nove Shakhove, Myrne and Novapavlivka. [2] On the Oleksandrivka front, the Russians attacked twice towards Vorone and Oleksandrohrad. [2] On the Huliaipole front, the Russians conducted 16 attacks towards the settlements of Vozdvyzhivka, Olenokostiantynivka, Staroukrainka, Huliaipilske, Tsvitkove, Varvarivka and Charivne. [2] On the Orikhiv front, Ukrainian defenders stopped two Russian attempts to advance in the areas of Bilohiria and Luhivske. [2] On the Prydniprovske front, the Russians conducted no offensive actions over the past day. [2] On the Volyn and Polissia fronts, there were no signs of Russian offensive groups being formed in the area. [2]
Ukrainian forces report 257 combat clashes with Russian troops on multiple fronts including Pokrovsk and Sloviansk. — Source: ukrainskapravda
Russian Personnel and Equipment Losses
Russian losses over the past day totalled 1,600 personnel. [2] Ukrainian forces also damaged five tanks, three armoured fighting vehicles, 58 artillery systems, one multiple-launch rocket system, four air defence systems, seven missiles, 11 ground robotic systems, 1,734 unmanned aerial vehicles, 494 motor vehicles and five pieces of special equipment. [2] Ukrainian forces continue their systematic destruction of the Russians, putting up effective resistance along the entire front line. [2]
Attacks on Healthcare Facilities
Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF’s) latest report, No Safe Place to Heal, documents relentless attacks on healthcare and medical personnel in Ukraine, which appear to constitute a deliberate strategy to destroy the medical system and collectively punish people — rather than being an incidental product of Russia's invasion. [1] The report outlines that attacks on medical infrastructure and personnel appear deliberate rather than incidental, with the aim of destroying the medical system and punishing civilians. [1]
Ukraine's Campaign in the Sea of Azov
The Sea of Azov was supposed to be a Russian lake. [3] The Russians have controlled every inch of the coastline along it since the full-scale invasion in 2022, and access to it is through only one narrow channel called the Strait of Kerch (thus the Kerch Bridge), which runs between Crimea and Russia. [3] Now it is anything but a Russian lake. [3] Over the last few weeks, in a sign that their campaign to try and isolate Crimea is continuing to ramp up, the Ukrainians have greatly accelerated a campaign to sink or damage Russian-controlled shipping in that body of water. [3] Using both air and sea drones, stories started emerging of a series of Ukrainian strikes against Russian-controlled vessels in Azov. [3] The UAV (air) attacks show that the Ukrainian tactic seems to be to go for the bridge of the vessels. [3] The ramping up of the attacks is pretty obvious when you look at it in chart form. [3] The Ukrainians said that they attacked 28 vessels. [3] According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert “Magyar” Brovdi, the targets included 21 oil tankers, four tugboats, two cargo vessels, and one specialized dredging vessel. [3] Ukrainian officials said the extent of the damage is still being assessed. [3] That message seems to be getting through, as it is now claimed that the Russians on July 10 forbade any new traffic to move through the Kerch Strait between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. [3] There is no indication when the Russians plan to relax that restriction. [3]
Ukrainian drone strikes halt Russian shipping in the Sea of Azov. — Source: asiatimes
Broader Strategic Context
If the Sea of Azov campaign deserves more attention, the Russian bombardment of Ukraine by ballistic missiles is already getting that. [3] This week, the US made it clear that for a while the Ukrainians can count on no US support. [3] Having made this campaign far more deadly over the past year by starving Ukraine of Patriot interceptors, the US put off any significant aid in this area for a while. [3] The strategic importance of the Sea of Azov is not hard to discern by simply looking at a map. [3] With road and rail communications to Crimea down significantly, and the Russians wary about using the Kerch Bridge too much for items such as fuel, trying to get supplies to Crimea by ship becomes the only reasonable alternative. [3] The Ukrainians themselves are stating that at least one part of this campaign is part of the Crimea “switch off” operation to isolate the peninsula. [3] Azov is often the first place that stolen grain from Ukraine and Russian grain itself is shipped out into the world market. [3] It is estimated that up to a quarter of all the grain shipments that are controlled by Russia head through the Sea of Azov. [3] Finally, there are some oil shipments that head through Azov to the world as well. [3] As global sanctions against Russia in this area seem to be doing little to reduce the shipment of Russian oil, Ukraine is using its “kinetic sanctions” to do the job instead. [3]
Ukrainian Resistance and Outlook
Ukrainian forces continue their systematic destruction of the Russians, putting up effective resistance along the entire front line. [2] Using air and sea drones, the Ukrainians have turned the Sea of Azov into a Ukrainian lake. [3] As of now, the Russians do not seem to have a working counter to this campaign. [3] If not, this one campaign will further strangle Russian supplies from getting to Crimea and do real damage to Russian grain and fuel shipments just when the Russian economy is crying out for more funds. [3] In other words, it is a strategically impactful campaign being waged effectively at the right time. [3]
What to watch next: The Russians on July 10 forbade any new traffic to move through the Kerch Strait, and if the attacks stay at the present level then it can be assumed that the body of water will remain functionally closed.
