Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Kuleba holds talks in China. On July 24 in Guangzhou, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met for talks, following earlier interactions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Their main focus was on finding ways to end Russian aggression and exploring how China could help achieve a sustainable and fair peace. Kuleba stressed that a just peace in Ukraine aligns with China’s strategic interests, recognizing China’s significant role as a global peace power. He pointed out that Russian aggression has disrupted peace and hindered development, urging the need to end the war, restore peace, and accelerate Ukraine’s recovery. Kuleba updated Wang Yi on the outcomes of the Peace Summit in Switzerland and explained the reasoning behind the Peace Formula to end Russian aggression justly. He reiterated Ukraine’s readiness for negotiations when Russia shows genuine willingness but noted that such readiness is currently absent. They also discussed the current state and future prospects of bilateral relations and the international agenda. Kuleba highlighted Ukraine’s irreversible decision to begin EU accession negotiations, suggesting that their bilateral relations should be viewed through the lens of Ukraine’s future EU membership and China’s relations with Europe. He emphasized that Russian aggression not only impedes Ukraine’s development but also hinders international stability, neighbourly relations, and trade between China and Europe.
Nikkei Asia says China supplies Belarusian company with military parts. Meanwhile, Nikkei Asia reviewed documents proving that Chinese companies exported high-precision parts used in Russian weapons to a Belarusian defence contractor, even after being subjected to Western sanctions. The report notes that while China insists it does not supply weapons to Russian troops, records suggest that Chinese companies may knowingly facilitate the supply of weapons to Russia. The US and European countries closely monitor the situation and aim to tighten the international sanctions regime. The Belarusian opposition group BelPol obtained contracts, payment documents, and other information about transactions between companies in Belarus and China from various industry sources. According to Nikkei Asia, these records show that on December 1, the Shenzhen-based company Green Cycle Energy received an order from the Belarusian defence contractor BelOMO Holding for three thousand components for the LAD-21T laser module. This advanced module is used in bombs and missiles with laser guidance systems.
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief discusses Ukrainian strategy with The Guardian. The GuardianIn a recent interview with The Guardian, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, revealed that Russia’s losses at the front are three times higher than Ukraine’s, with even more significant disparities in some areas. Syrskyi discussed the challenges faced by Ukraine’s military as it contends with a larger and better-equipped Russian army. Ukrainian forces have shown remarkable resilience despite setbacks since last autumn, including a withdrawal from Avdiivka and a six-month gap in US weapon supplies. Syrskyi noted that Russia’s recent gains are tactical rather than operational, emphasising that the Kremlin’s casualties are significantly higher than Ukraine’s. He explained that the enemy’s advantage in numbers and resources has been countered by Ukraine’s strategic withdrawals to more favourable positions when necessary. Ukrainian forces have successfully used long-range kamikaze drones to strike deep into Russia, hitting “around 200 critical infrastructure targets” related to military logistics, including factories, ammunition depots, and fuel storage facilities. Additionally, sea drones resembling speedboats have sunk nearly a third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Syrskyi also highlighted the anticipated arrival of F-16 fighter jets, bolstering Ukraine’s air defences and enhancing its ability to target Russian positions.
Another village in Ukraine is being gradually reduced to rubble by the Russian forces. Intense fighting continues in the Donetsk region, with the village of Niu-York steadily being reduced to ruins due to relentless Russian shelling, according to the DeepState open-source intelligence interactive online project. Constant artillery and airstrikes have ravaged much of the town’s infrastructure and industrial sector. The destruction is significant, with images from servicemen revealing the full extent of the damage. Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have observed that Russian forces have made notable tactical gains in the area, further accelerating the village’s decline. Despite these challenges, Ukrainian forces remain committed to defending the region and trying to halt the advance of Russian troops.
Radio New Voice: Continued strikes in Crimea are part of a broader Ukrainian strategy. Military analyst Denis Popovych discussed on Radio New Voice how the strike on the Russian railway ferry Slavyanin at the Kavkaz port in Krasnodar Krai is setting the stage for a significant Ukrainian military operation in occupied Crimea. New Voice reported that in a recent strike, Ukrainian forces targeted and severely damaged the last remaining railway ferry in the Kerch Strait, causing significant disruptions to Russian logistics in the region. This attack follows previous assaults on two other ferries, the Avangard and Conro Trader, which were heavily damaged in late May. Experts suggest that these strikes are part of a broader strategy to isolate Crimea and obstruct the movement of Russian military assets. The hit on the Slavyanin ferry represents a critical blow to Russia’s transportation capabilities, leaving only vehicle ferries operational in the area. Additionally, damage to the Crimean Bridge and ongoing strikes on Russian airbases and radar positions further complicate Russia’s logistical and military operations in the region.
Russian drones crash in Romania. According to the Ukrainian magazine Kyiv Post, Russian drones struck Romania early that morning amid Moscow’s attack on Ukraine’s Odesa region. Three Shahed UAVs caused fires in Romania, with explosions reported near Niculițel, just 7 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. Concurrently, Russian forces targeted Izmail in the Odesa region, hitting port infrastructure and a five-story residential building. According to the Kyiv Post, Romanian media reports suggested that Romanian border guards detected incoming drones at 2:10 a.m. on July 24. The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations then issued an alert for northern Tulcea County about the potential for falling debris near the Ukrainian border. The crash of the UAVs was confirmed by an IAR-330 helicopter crew from the 57th Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, which also reported a fire caused by the drone strikes. Following the crashes, residents reported explosions to local emergency services, leading to 10 calls to the 112 emergency number. The air raid alert was lifted at 3:46 a.m. Romanian news website Digi24 reported that on Wednesday, Romania’s Ministry of National Defence announced that at 2:19 a.m., two F-16 aircraft from the Romanian Air Force took off from the 86th Borcea Air Base to monitor the aerial situation. The aircraft then returned to the base at around 4:20 a.m., according to the Ministry’s statement.
