Section: The Centre for Eastern Studies (Poland)
Both sides shift positions on the frontline. Day 519 of the war
On 27 July, Ukrainian forces liberated Staromayorske, south of Velyka Novosilka, deepening their encroachment into the areas controlled by the Russians before the offensive began (4 June) to 8.5 km. The invaders have not yet started fighting to hold the village, but their counter-attacks so far (including an attempt to outflank the Ukrainian...
Ukraine: Sense Bank nationalised
On 22 July, the National Bank of Ukraine announced that the state treasury had successfully taken over Sense Bank and appointed its new management board. According to the central authorities in Kyiv, in particular President Volodymyr Zelensky, the whole operation was carried out smoothly, did not infringe on the customers’ rights and did...
Russia shells Ukrainian ports on the Danube. Day 516 of the war
The Russians have carried out further attacks on the Odesa area. On 24 July, Shahed-136 kamikaze drones struck the port of Reni, located on the mouth of the Danube at the border with Romania and Moldova; six Romanian ships were there at the time of the attack. Three grain stores were destroyed and seven people were injured. According to the local...
Russia and Belarus accuse Poland of preparing aggressive plans
On 21 July 2023, a meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation was held. One part of this meeting was publicised for propaganda purposes. Citing information obtained from “several intelligence sources”, director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin said that the government in Warsaw is slowly coming to the conclusion...
Russian missile attacks on Odesa. Day 512 of the war
Both sides have intensified their strikes on the other’s rears with missiles and drones in recent days; the Russians have a significant advantage in terms of the means of destruction at their disposal. According to the Ukrainian Air Force Command, on the night of 18–19 July the invaders launched 16 Kalibr cruise missiles, eight Kh-22 cruise...
Russia’s game with the West: Moscow withdraws from the grain deal
On 17 July, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov announced that the Russian Federation had withdrawn from the Black Sea Grain Initiative; on the same day, the Russian foreign ministry also conveyed this decision to Turkey, Ukraine and the UN Secretariat. By refusing to extend the agreement, Russia revoked its security guarantees for the transit of...
Ukraine: two years’ free trading of arable land
Two years ago, on 1 July 2021, a law on the land market came into effect which enabled trade in arable land for the first time in the history of independent Ukraine. Over these 24 months, more than 400,000 hectares of land have been sold, accounting for around 1.5% of the land covered by this law. Although the Russian invasion launched in...
Second successful attack on the Crimean Bridge. Day 509 of the war
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Ukraine in the face of a demographic catastrophe
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has aggravated the country’s already extremely difficult demographic situation, creating the prospect of a demographic catastrophe. Over the course of its three decades of independence, Ukraine has experienced a deepening population loss due to negative birth rates and high migration dynamics. Although...
Russia’s generals frustrated. Day 505 of the war
Russian forces pushed the Ukrainian defenders out of more positions on the forest massif south-west of Kreminna, an area bounded by the River Donets to the south and the Zherebets river to the west. They also approached the village of Torske located on the Zherebets, through which the main supply route for the Ukrainian units defending themselves...
