Photo : Yoruk Isik/REUTERS
Photo : Yoruk Isik/REUTERS
By Neha Tresa George and Padmashree Anandhan
WAR ON THE GROUND
On 03 August, Reuters reported on the Ukraine military attacks against Russia. According to Ukraine’s Defence Ministry, it sunk a Russian submarine in Sevastopol and hit an airfield, oil depots, fuel and lubricant storage facilities in Belgorod, Kursk and Rostov regions. The general staff of Ukraine’s military added that the Sevastopol attack further caused damage to four launchers of the S-400 anti-aircraft "Triumf" defence system. The military also reported on the overnight attacks at the Morozovsk airfield in Rostov Oblast, Russia’s store for guided aerial bombs and several oil depots and fuel storage facilities.
On 03 August, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s President following the overnight attacks on the Morozovsk field in Rostov Oblast and Sevastopol, stated that it was fair to strike Russia. He added: "Russian combat aviation must be destroyed wherever it is, using any effective means. We need this joint decision with our partners – a security decision.” He emphasised the importance of securing Ukrainian lives by pointing out Russia’s attack with more than 600 guided aerial bombs in the same week.
On 04 July, Zelenskyy, confirmed the usage of US-supplied F-16 fighter jets for military operations. Although the location remains undisclosed, he called for expansion of training programs for pilots and engineering teams.
THE MOSCOW VIEW
Claims by Russia
On 03 August, the TASS reported on the casualties caused by the overnight Ukrainian attacks. Three civilians in the Oryol, Donetsk and Belgorod regions of Russia were inflicted with injuries. According to Andrey Klychkov, the governor of the Oryol region, two among the seventeen Ukrainian drones hit a residential building with one casualty. In the Donetsk region, a female civilian was injured according to the report of Alexey Kulemzin, the mayor of the city. Meanwhile, the kamikaze attack in the Belgorod region attacked a car inflicting injury upon the driver.
On 03 August, the TASS reported that fuel tanks were caught on fire due to the overnight attacks carried out by Ukraine. Vladimir Savin, head of the Kamensky district administration said: "Fuel tanks at Oil Depot No. 7 were damaged and caught fire in an attack involving six unmanned aerial vehicles.” He also reported that there were no casualties.
THE WEST VIEW
Responses from Europe and the US
On 03 August, Euronews reported on Russia’s response to the overnight attack carried out by the Ukrainian forces in Rostov Oblast and Sevastopol. According to the Ministry of Defence of Russian Federation, its air defence capabilities intercepted 75 drones over the areas of Belgorod, Krasnodar, Kursk, Oryol, Rostov, Voronezh, and the Ryazan region which is deeper inside Russia. The ministry also reported that 36 drones were destroyed over the Rostov region. According to Vasily Golubev, the governor of Rostov Oblast, the region was attacked by 55 drones and the warehouses and storage facilities in the Morozovsk and Kamensky districts were affected.
On 03 August, BBC reported that Ukraine claimed to have attacked and sunk the Rostov-on-Don, a Russian submarine in the occupied Crimean Peninsula. According to Ukraine's general staff, a missile attack sank the submarine in the port city of Sevastopol. He added: “The destruction of Rostov-on-Don once again proves that there is no safe place for the Russian fleet in the Ukrainian territorial waters of the Black Sea.” It was one of the four submarines in Russia's Black Sea fleet. The officials of Kyiv also reported on the destruction of S-400 air defence systems annexed by Russia in 2014.
THE GLOBAL FALLOUTS
Implications of the War
On 04 July, Mali government announced cutting its diplomatic ties with Ukraine following the comments by Andriy Yusov, spokesperson of Ukraine's military intelligence agency. According to the report in Deutsche Welle, Yusov has confirmed on Ukraine’s involvement in an attack by armed terrorist groups in a fighting near Algerian border which killed 84 Wagner fighters and 47 Malian Soldiers.
References
“Ukraine says it sank Russian submarine, hit airfield, oil depots,” Reuters, 03 August 2024
“Zelenskyy after recent strikes on Russian territory: It's fair to target Russian airfields, Ukrinska Pravda, 03 August 2024
“Ukraine fires barrage of drones over Russia overnight,” Euronews, 03 August 2024
“Ukrainian attacks leave three Russian civilians injured, TASS, 03 August 2024
“Fuel tanks catch fire following overnight drone attack on Russia’s southern Rostov Region,” TASS, 03 August 2024
“Ukraine says it sank Russian submarine in Crimea,” BBC, 03 August 2024
"Ukraine updates: Kuleba heads to Africa to drum up support," Deutsche Welle, 04 August