Section: The Centre for Eastern Studies (Poland)
Both sides hit back. Day 530 of the war
On the night of 5-6 August, the Russians launched an attack on airfields at Starokostiantyniv (Khmelnytskyi oblast), the main base for Ukraine’s Su-24M tactical bombers adapted to carry Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles, and Dubno (Rivne oblast). In total, 70 drones and kamikaze missiles, including three Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, were...
Corruption and irregularities in the Ukrainian army’s rear
In June and July 2023, a series of irregularities and corruption scandals came to light in Ukraine, indicating a mounting crisis in the rear of the fighting army. The scandals regarding the activity of the regional and district military draft offices, which are responsible for carrying out mobilisation, received much publicity. The first of these...
Ukrainian drones attack the base at Novorossiysk. Day 526 of the war
On the night of 4 August, Ukrainian surface kamikaze drones attacked the Russian naval base in Novorossiysk. One of them damaged the landing ship Oleniegorskiy Gorniak, which had been diverted from the Northern Fleet to the Black Sea to participate in the so-called special military operation. The action was carried out by the Security Services of...
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...
