Photo : REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski
War in Ukraine: Day 143 & 144
By Emmanuel Royan and Sai Pranav
War on Ground
On 17 July, the Ukrainian forces staved off Russia's assault near Ivano-Darvika, also Moscow's attempt to move forward in the Sloviansk direction. The Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) also deterred Russian troops from conducting reconnaissance activities. The Russian troops openly fired on settlements in the Kharkiv, the Sloviansk and the Bakhmut directions using rocket artillery, cannon, mortars, and missiles. The UAF stopped Russian troops from advancing further and prevented them from doing reconnaissance through unmanned aerial vehicles.
On 17 July, the Ukrainian army reported that Russian navy had redeployed warships from Sevastopol in Crimea to the country's port in Novorossiysk. The deployment of the ships earlier in missile-proof regions was covered by coastal air defence systems, which were as near to the coast as possible. Russia continues to control maritime navigation in the Sea of Azov to illegally export products confiscated from Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
On the same day, Russia was found to have two Kalibr missile carriers and one amphibious ship in the Black Sea. The Russian troops were found to have changed their deployment points in the Kherson region to hide behind civilians, where the UAF would not attack. Russia attacks periodically to ensure control of Snake Island. Their equipment on the island was struck by a pair of Ukraine's Su-24 bombers at night.
On 15 July, deputy minister of culture and information policy of Kyiv Kateryna Chuyeva accused Russia for destroying cultural heritage sites. The ministry found that 453 cultural sites were either destroyed or damaged. Major museum collections from Mariupol and Melitopol were reported to be stolen or taken away by the Russians.
On 16 July, economic advisor to Ukraine president, Oleg Ustenko, wrote to heads of major banking firms such as JP Morgan Chase, HSBC, Citigroup and Crédit Agricole asking to quit financing the Russian invasion. The banks had been accused for prolonging the war by providing credits for Russian oil companies such as Gasprom and Rosneft. They were called out for help in Russia's war crime by giving credits and having securities investment trusts holding stakes. This helps the revenue of Russia that will directly finance the war. Rudenko said that he will sue the banks for financing Russia's war crimes.
The Moscow View
Claims by Russia
On 15 July Russia requested documents of the Nord Stream pipeline's turbine to be returned from Germany. The turbine which was held back by Canada due to the sanctions imposed on Russia is to be delivered to Russia by Germany. The German industrial company Siemens was asked to provide documents for the return of the turbine. Canada does not directly violate the sanctions that it had imposed on Russia by giving the turbine, which was to be repaired in the Canadian factory of the firm, to Germany. The Nord Stream pipeline is the major pipeline that supplies gas to Europe. It is currently out of action due to the 10-day maintenance period.
On 16 July, presidential aide Maxim Oreshkin commented that Russia will venture till they will be able to no longer need SWIFT. He said that Russia is looking at increasing its comfort for foreign economic activity. He also said that the dollar and the euro are being used by the world due to their convenience but are keeping it hostage to the western financial system. He said that it will change as the situation has raised where Chinese yuan and Russian ruble turnovers are soaring.
On 17 July, Russia said that it will continue its offensive until Ukrainian military capabilities are completely wiped out. The threat of the Ukraine Junta attacking the Crimean bridge has finalised Moscow's military goal of demilitarization and denazification of the entirety of Ukraine. Russia wants to protect its region of Crimea which was added in 2014 after the referendum.
On the same day, a storage warehouse for Harpoon anti-ship missiles at an industrial site in Odessa was demolished by Russian forces. It destroyed the anti-ship missiles using high precision long-range missiles. The Russian troops also destroyed HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) multiple launch rocket systems(MLRS), which were manufactured in America and a resupply vehicle by high precision ground-based weapons. The Russia's defence ministry also reported that its air defence systems and aerospace had struck down one Su-25 aircraft and a Mi-17 helicopter of the UAF in Kharkiv region.
On 17 July, the head of the village of Zernovo in the Suzemsky district of Russia bordering Ukraine reported that the place was bombed by the UAF. 29 shells were fired according to initial information. but no casualties were recorded.
The West View
Responses from the US and Europe
On 16 July, the majority of North Macedonia's parliamentarians voted in favor of France's proposal to open the door to negotiations for the country to join the EU. The proposal was approved by 68 of the 120 members of the parliament. The MP’s have also voted in favor of making sure that negotiations with the EU are conducted on an equal and moral basis, with respect for international law, the Macedonian language, and its identity.
On 16 July, president of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and French president Emmanuel Macron in a phone call discussed the establishment of a coordination center in Istanbul to manage the grain exports through the Black Sea.
The US intelligence and military analysts claim that Russia's need to fill a critical battlefield gap and find a long-term supplier of a crucial combat technology is reflected in the US revelation that Moscow is seeking hundreds of armed and unarmed surveillance drones from Iran to use in the war in Ukraine. In order to counter Russian systems with advanced technology, the Royal United Services Institute, a research institution in London, came to the conclusion that Ukraine needed more of its own electronic warfare gear. According to the report, Ukrainian surveillance drones that aid in targeting Russian forces last just about a week before Russian defences compel them to crash or shoot them down.
On 16 July, the New York Times examined the report of the Organization for Security and economic Cooperation for Europe on the violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, war crimes committed in Ukraine released on 14 July. The detention or disappearance of thousands of Ukrainians was one of the two topics that the OSCE report focused on. The other was Russians utilizing the filtration centers to look for Ukrainians who might be connected to the Ukrainian military, government, or media. These facilities are where Ukrainians who are evacuating an attacked city must go before their personal information is recorded. Some deported Ukrainians who managed to flee Russia have related stories of brutal interrogations and humiliating body examinations. Eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region's Bezimenne has grown to be a particularly well-known centre. According to the report, 33,000 persons had been processed by Bezimenne by 17 May.
On 17 July, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell commemorated the day of International Criminal Justice. Borrell stated that the EU will continue to support the International Criminal Court financially, diplomatically, and politically in order to “to allow it to carry out effectively its vital work on behalf of victims of grave international crimes. Moreover, the EU and its Member States will continue their work in favor of the universal ratification and full implementation of the Rome Statute.” Borell also expressed sympathy by recognizing the eight anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, where 298 passengers from 17 different countries lost their lives. The aircraft was shot down by rebel forces in the midst of the Donbass conflict, a Russian separatist force-controlled region as it was passing over eastern Ukraine in 2014. The aircraft crashed 40 kilometers from the border, close to Hrabove in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast.
Also on 17 July, the Latvian State Revenue Service reported that over 1,250 trucks were stalled at two border crossings between Latvia and Russia. The longest wait time was 153 hours. Additionally, there were queues at the border between Latvia and Belarus, where 450 vehicles were stuck in traffic at two crossings for 32 to 67 hours. The transition period that permitted sanctioned items to be exported from the European Union to Russia and imported into the EU under previously signed agreements came to an end on July 10.
The Global Fallouts
Implications of the Ukraine war
On 16 July, the finance ministers of the Group of 20 largest economies met to address global issues like inflation and food crises, but they were unable to come to an agreement on the conflict in Ukraine. As this year's G-20 host, Indonesia has attempted to heal the rifts caused by Russia's incursion, but tensions remain despite agreement among the finance ministers and central bankers on other global issues that the crisis has made worse. Also during the meeting, Canada sent a warning to a Russian delegation that was present at a gathering of the G20 saying it believed that president Vladimir Putin's economic advisors were personally complicit in war crimes. Deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland stated that she informed the group that "Putin's economic technocrats, who work to fund Putin's war machine, are personally complicit in Russia's war crimes, just as Putin's generals are."
On 17 July, the state councilor and foreign minister of China Wang Yi had a telephone call with foreign minister of Hungary Peter Szijjarto. Szijjarto, gave a brief overview of the state of affairs in Europe and Hungary, focusing on the difficulties Hungary is currently facing economically and financially as a result of the Ukraine crisis's spillover effects. He said Hungary is pleased with the achievements resulting from cooperation with China in various fields, especially the smooth progress of trade and investment cooperation
References
"Ukraine Army Repulses Assaults and Russia’s Attempt to Conduct Reconnaissance," Kyiv Post, 17 July 2022
"Ukraine at UN: Russia deliberately destroying cultural heritage throughout country," Kyiv Post, 16 July 2022
"“Significant number” of Russian warships moved from occupied Crimea to Russia’s Novorossiysk," Ukrinform, 17 July 2022
"Russia’s enemy landing ship, two Kalibr missile carriers stationed in Black Sea," Ukrinform, 17 July 2022
"Ukraine calls on bosses of US, European banks to sever ties with groups that trade Russian oil, stop lending to Russian war crimes – Oleg Ustenko," president.gov.ua, 16 July 2022
"Threats to Crimea justify demilitarization of Ukraine – senator," RT, 17 July 2022
"Depot for storage of Harpoon missiles destroyed in Odessa — Russia’s top brass," TASS, 17 July 2022
"Russia to get along without SWIFT — presidential aide," TASS, 16 July 2022
"Russia requests documents on Nord Stream turbine return," RT, 16 July 2022
"The head of the Russian region bordering Ukraine announced the shelling of the village of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Lenta.ru, 17 July 2022
"The Ministry of Defense announced the destruction of the American MLRS HIMARS," Lenta.Ru, 17 July 2022
“North Macedonia: Parliament approves deal to start EU bid,” Deutsche Welle, 16 July 2022
“Erdoğan, Macron discuss Istanbul talks on Ukraine grain exports,” Daily Sabah, 16 July 2022
Eric Schmitt, Thomas Gibbons-Neff and John Ismay, “As Russia Runs Low on Drones, Iran Plans to Step In, U.S. Officials Say,” The New York Times, 71 July 2022
“Day of International Criminal Justice: Declaration by the High Representative Josep Borrell on behalf of the European Union,” Consilium.europa.eu, 16 July 2022
“Ukraine: Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the occasion of the 8th anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17,” Consilium.europa.eu, 16 July 2022
Maham Javaid, “More accounts of abuses in so-called Russian filtration camps in new report add to international concern,” The New York Times, 16 July 2022
Elaine Kurtanebach, “G20 finance meetings in Bali overshadowed by war in Ukraine,” Associated Press, 17 July 2022
“Wang Yi says lessons should be learned from Ukraine crisis,” CGTN, 17 July 2022
“Hundreds of Outbound Trucks Stuck at Latvia Border,” Bloomberg, 17 July 2022
“Canada Tells Putin's Technocrats They're Liable for War Crimes,” Bloomberg, 17 July 2022
IN BRIEF
By Emmanuel Royan and Sai Pranav
HUNGARY
Protests emerge against new tax law on small firms
On 16 July, a 1000 demonstrators protested against the prime minister Viktor Orban’s new law that raises taxes for small firms. Since self-employed individuals and independent contractors relied on the tax relief programme for almost 20 years, the law could have an impact on them. Following the bill's passage, the right-wing Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban also reduced a cap on utility bills for homes with increased utility usage due to rising electricity and gas prices. Hungary is eligible for awards worth billions of dollars through the COVID response fund of the EU, but Brussels has not yet made those funds available due to worries about democratic standards and corruption. (“Hungary: Protesters angered by Orban-backed tax reforms,” Deutsche welle, 17 July 2022)
ITALY
Right-wing parties refuse to work with 5Star movement
On 17 July, the leaders of the two right-wing parties that make up the current coalition, Silvio Berlusconi of Forza Italia and Matteo Salvini declared that they could no longer cooperate with the 5Star Movement, tipping Mario Draghi's government even farther toward dissolution. They released a joint statement in which they declared that they had "..excluded the possibility of ruling with the 5Stars any further due to their ineptitude and untrustworthiness." Right-wing parties are anticipated to prevail as a coalition in an early election, which Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the extreme right Brothers of Italy opposition party, has been calling for. The thought of an election taking place "very soon" was welcomed by Berlusconi and Salvini, who said they would monitor the development of the political situation. (Hannah Roberts, “Italian right-wing parties reject coalition partner as government heads toward collapse,” POLITICO, 17 July 2022)
REGIONAL
The EU splurges on hydrogen technology as an alternative to gas
On 15 July, the European Commission decided to give subsidies of EUR 5.4 billion for hydrogen energy technologies. There have been questions raised about the technology's potential to reduce carbon emissions in polluting industries. The subsidies exceeded previous large-scale cross-border projects. The hydrogen technology project started with fifteen countries in the EU. The companies are selected for subsidies in four types of technology: hydrogen generation, fuel cells, storage and distribution and end-user technology. The public support may open another EUR 8.8 billion from private investors. The hydrogen technology was sought after due to rising gas and oil prices. (Simon Van Dorpe and America Hernandez, "EU goes big on hydrogen as gas crunch looms," POLITICO, 15 July 2022)
Cargo plane from Serbia carrying weaponry crashes
On 16 July, a cargo plane crashed near Palaiochori Kavalas in northern Greece. Meridian Airlines, based in Ukraine, was flying the aircraft from Nis, Serbia, to Bangladesh through Jordan. According to reports, the pilot asked for permission to make an emergency landing at the neighboring Kavala airport because of an engine issue, but he was unable to make it there. Filippos Anastasiadis, the mayor of the impacted town of Pangeo, claimed that the jet had been carrying "hazardous stuff," most likely weaponry. Around 11 metric tonnes of guns and mines were being sent to Bangladesh, who had purchased the armaments. Serbia's Defense minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic said that the shipment contained training shells and illumination mortar rounds. Mid-afternoon local time, it departed from Nis. The Ukrainian crew members, according to Stefanovic, were all dead. (“Plane transporting ′dangerous material′ crashes in Greece,” Deutsche Welle, 17 July 2022)
Wildfires continue to enrage in Western European countries
On 17 July, firefighters battled wildfires that were out of control in France and Spain as Europe wilted under an abnormally intense heat wave that officials have linked to an increase in excess mortality. Just south of Bordeaux in southwest France, two enormous fires have been consuming pine trees for six days. 14,000 people, many of whom were in the area on vacation, were evacuated due to the flames. The emergency brigades of the armed forces helped Spanish firefighters put out more than 30 flames that were raging through the nation's woodland. A summer heat wave in Europe is to blame for the destructive forest fires. Early next week, parts of Europe are preparing for new temperature records. A District head in Spain, Juan Manuel Moreno, stated that firefighters were able to contain a blaze that had destroyed 2,000 hectares of plants and trees in the southern province of Andalusia. Inland from the southern coastal city of Malaga, the Mijas mountain range is where the fire first broke out on Friday. About 3,000 people had to be evacuated as a result. (“Wildfires continue to rage in France and Spain,” Deutsche Welle, 17 July 2022)