Tuesday, July 25

The documentary, authored by journalist Olesia Bida and directed by Vitalii Havura, uncovers the inner workings of the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and the occupied territories of Ukraine.

The film tells the story of a group of children known as “Group 31” who were taken to Russia from now-occupied Mariupol in May of last year and have not yet been able to return. Among them is Pylyp Holovnya, who was taken into the family of Maria Lvova-Belova, the presidential commissioner for children’s rights in Russia.

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Zelensky says Ukraine plans response to Russian strikes, unblocking grain corridor. Ukraine is considering a response to Russian strikes against grain infrastructure and cultural heritage, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 24 after the meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff.

CNN: Ukrainian defense intelligence official says Kyiv behind Moscow drone attack. A Ukrainian Defense Intelligence official, speaking anonymously, told CNN that Kyiv is responsible for the drone attack on Moscow in the early morning of July 24. According to CNN, the official has not received permission to speak publicly about the incident.

Russian occupiers at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant force reactor into ‘hot shutdown’. Occupying Russian forces at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant ordered reactor 4 into a “hot shutown” state in violation of safety protocols, the Ukrainian nuclear agency Energoatom announced via Telegram on July 24.

Ukrhydroenergo: Water at Dnipro hydroelectric plant drops to critical level. Water at the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant has dropped to a critical level, threatening the station’s full operational capacity, the state-owned hydro energy company Ukrhydroenergo reported on July 24.

UNESCO mission to visit Odesa, assess damage from Russian attacks. A United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) mission will visit Odesa in the coming days to make a preliminary assessment of the damage caused by Russian attacks, Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture announced on July 24.

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Explosions reported in occupied Crimea, Russian proxy claims drone strike on ammunition depot. The Russian proxy head in occupied Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, claimed on July 24 that Ukrainian drones caused an explosion at an ammunition depot in the peninsula’s Dzhankoi region. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify Aksyonov’s claim.

AFP journalist wounded near Bakhmut. Agence France-Presse (AFP) video journalist Dylan Collins was wounded in a drone attack while reporting at a Ukrainian artillery position on July 24, AFP informed.

Military: Ukraine advances up to 1.4 km in Berdiansk direction. Ukrainian forces advanced between 350 and 1,400 meters in the Berdiansk direction, the Tavria operational-strategic group’s press center reported on July 24.

UK Defense Ministry: Russian children to be taught combat drone operation. British intelligence cites Artem Sheikin, a Russian senator, who announced that the curriculum will include lessons in terrain reconnaissance and countering Ukrainian drones. The move reportedly highlights how Russia considers the use of drones “an enduring component of contemporary war.”

Reznikov: Ukraine to share report on cluster munition use with US. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in an interview broadcast on CNN on July 23 that he will share a report on Ukraine’s use of cluster munitions with the Pentagon in the coming days.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Drone attacks reported in Moscow and occupied Crimea

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on July 24 that drones hit two buildings in Moscow. The Kremlin said it “thwarted the attack,” blaming Ukraine.

Photo: Sefa Karacan/Getty Images

Russia’s influence on Africa exaggerated, experts say

When Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, it received nearly universal condemnation for its aggression. Yet, while most Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia, most African states were mute.

Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images

Opinions and Insights

Sławomir Sierakowski: Poland’s destructive grievance politics

“Even though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky honored the victims of the massacre at a recent meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda, some in Poland still complained, arguing that Duda should have demanded more,” writes Sierakowski.

Photo: Maxym Marusenko/Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian cluster munitions kill child, injure 6 civilians in Donetsk Oblast. Russian forces attacked Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast on July 24 with cluster munitions, killing a child and injuring at least six people, including three other children, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported.

Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast injures 4, including child. Russian forces shelled the village of Pishchane in Kharkiv Oblast on July 24, injuring four people. Аccording to the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, a 12-year-old boy is among the wounded.

General Staff: Russia has lost 242,620 troops in Ukraine. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on July 24 that Russia has lost 242,620 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 660 casualties suffered by Russian forces over the past day.

International response

Romania condemns Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Danube ports. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis condemned the Russian military’s July 24 attacks on Ukraine’s Danube ports, calling it an “escalation” in a Twitter statement.

AFP: Lithuania asks EU to use Baltic ports for Ukrainian grain exports. Lithuania has called on the European Union to use Baltic ports to export Ukrainian grain after the Black Sea Grain Initiative’s collapse, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported on July 24.

Lithuanian Defense Council approves 3-year military support plan for Ukraine. Lithuania’s State Defense Council has approved military aid plan for Ukraine for the period of 2024-2026 worth $220 million, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry informed on July 24.

Spain says 4 Leopard 2 tanks, 10 armored carriers en route to Ukraine. The Spanish Defense Ministry announced on July 24 that four Leopard 2A4 tanks and other military and humanitarian aid have left for Ukraine.

Media: Greece, Bulgaria discuss transit of Ukrainian grain by rail. Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis discussed transporting Ukrainian grain to Greece via rail, Mediapool reported on July 24, citing Denkov.

Germany says it reached agreement with Poland on Leopard 2 repair center. Germany and Poland have reached an agreement on a repair center for Leopard 2 tanks used in Ukraine, Ukrinform reported on July 24, citing German Defense Ministry spokesperson Mitko Müller.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Olga Rudenko, Daria Shulzhenko, Teah Pelechaty, Elsa Court, Kate Tsurkan, Asami Terajima, Francis Farrell, Oleksiy Sorokin, Martin Fornusek, and **Abbey Fenbert. **

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