War Updates: The Latest Developments
Here’s a snapshot of the current state of the ongoing war as of July 17, 2024:
Fighting:
- Ukraine’s drone attacks in Russia’s Kursk region resulted in a fire at a factory, injuring six people. Russia’s Ministry of Defence reported the destruction of 13 Ukrainian drones, including one over the Kursk region.
- Russian forces are restricting civilian access to 14 villages in the Belgorod region due to Ukrainian shelling.
- Russian General Staff Chief praised the capture of a village in eastern Ukraine and outlined future objectives.
- Russian investigators are probing the shooting of a wounded soldier by Ukrainian forces.
- Ukraine is providing its military with quality-checked munitions previously marked for disposal.
Politics and Diplomacy:
- The Kremlin responded cautiously to Ukraine’s invitation for a peace summit, while a former Russian President warned of the consequences of Ukraine joining NATO.
- Hungary’s PM hinted at US intervention in peace talks, drawing a response from the European Council.
- Baltic countries notified Russia and Belarus of their exit from an electricity agreement, cutting ties following the invasion.
- Japan is finalizing a $3.3bn loan to Ukraine using interest from frozen Russian assets.
Economy:
- Ukraine scrapped taxes on energy equipment imports amid a severe energy crisis.
- An agreement between Ukraine and Czech Republic aims to build an ammunition factory in Ukraine.
- Kaspersky announced the winding down of US operations following sanctions.
- Russia demanded the reinstatement of blocked pro-Kremlin YouTube channels by Google.