Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 07-22-2024

Russia's facing a quagmire: Let up on government spending, triggering cuts that could hurt Putin's popularity, or keep printing rubles, seeking to "bail out" the economy, but creating wider inflation?

The German company Heller Tools, with the participation of the FSB, sold tools to companies connected to a secret Russian smuggling network.

Heller Tools declared more than $860,000 from the sales of the Moscow-based company Trading Tools Trading House, says The Financial Times.

Heller Tools sold tools to Russia 

On the way, the American Stratofortress planes flew above the Barents Sea to point-blank cruise missile range of the main air base used by Russia for its own bomber strikes against Ukraine.

In a historic first for NATO air operations and a probable air challenge to the Kremlin, a pair of US Air Force B-52 heavy bombers landed on Sunday at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in eastern Romania.

The route of flight taken by the American long-range strike aircraft paralleled almost the entire eastern frontier of NATO territory, from the Barents Sea north of Finland to the Black Sea.

Latest from the British Defence Intelligence.

• It is highly likely that over 30,000 Rosguardiya (Russian National Guard) personnel are currently deployed to Ukraine. The majority of Rosgvardiya's personnel are almost certainly conducting rear area security operations, with only a few units engaging in frontline fighting.
• Rosgvardiya's premiere combat unit, the 116th Special Purpose Brigade, highly likely consists of 3 regiments of troops, with access to tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and artillery.
• Since the start of 2024, Rosguardiya has almost certainly attempted to increase its frontline forces through absorbing Russian irregular formations. Rosgvardiya successfully integrated the Donetsk People's Republic Vostok Battalion into its ranks during May 2024. It is highly likely that the anticipated agreement for Wagner forces to serve under Rosgvardiya's 1st Volunteer Corps broke down in March 2024.

Thanks to the agreement, Ukraine expects to save $11.4 billion pivotal for its defense over the next three years.

Ukraine reached a $20 billion private debt restructuring agreement that will save the country essential finances for the war and future recovery.

Thanks to the deal, Ukraine expects to save $11.4 billion over the next three years by a combination of lower coupons and maturity extensions, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday, July 22.

Fighters of the Ukrainian Third Assault Brigade entered the dugouts where the Russian military was hiding and engaged in close combat, resulting in the capture of three Russian soldiers.

The Third Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) released GoPro footage on Telegram, showcasing close combat between Ukrainian stormtroopers and Russian troops in the Kharkiv region.

“Capture of Russians, infernal heat, and thermobars: the day of the assault in the Kharkiv region... Assault until sunset,” read the caption accompanying the over three-minute video.

The global IT outage caused by a single faulty update released by Crowdstrike highlights the vulnerability of the interconnectedness of the modern tech ecosystem.

On Friday, July 19, businesses worldwide faced an unprecedented outage due to a faulty third-party update for Microsoft Windows released by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike for its Falcon software.

As a result, computers with the software installed encountered the “blue screen of death” message, a critical error for Windows computers, rendering them inoperational. The update did not affect other operating systems such as Linux or Apple’s MacOS.

Russian authorities are offering the equivalent of $1,150 for bringing a friend to the military enlistment offices to sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense.

The Russian authorities have devised a new method to encourage citizens to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) for military service. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a new initiative announced by the Head of the Yaroslavl Region of Russia on July 16 offers 100,000 rubles (about $1,150) to anyone who brings a friend to the military enlistment office, provided the friend signs a contract. Typically, Russians sign contracts to earn money to pay off debts and loans.

Yuri Sinelshchikov, Deputy Chairperson of the Russian State Duma Committee on State Construction and Legislation, said that this new recruitment mechanism is risky and that Russians could abuse the system, especially if other regions adopt similar mechanisms. Sinelshchikov called for this mechanism to be enshrined in Russian law and expressed concern about whether regions would be able to fund such initiatives, according to the ISW’s daily report.

The opening ceremony promises to be a spectacle. Some 500,000 people are set to watch the Olympics in person from specially built stands.

Organizers of Friday’s opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics – the first time it will be held outside a stadium – have provided teasers for their spectacular plans but refused to give specifics.

Here is what we know about the concept, the artists and music based on public statements over the last few months and press leaks:

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

President Biden, 81, abandoned his bid for re-election on Sunday, throwing the 2024 presidential contest into chaos as he caved to relentless pressure from his closest allies to drop out of the race amid deep concerns that he is too old and frail to defeat former President Donald J. Trump. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place atop the ticket, and many Democrats quickly lined up behind her after she said she would seek the nomination. Mr. Biden said in a statement, “While it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus entirely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.” He added that it is “the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president.” Many influential Democrats on Capitol Hill quickly rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday after President Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, endorsing her as the party’s nominee. But neither the party’s top leaders nor Representative Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker who wields considerable influence among Democrats, mentioned the vice president in their statements praising Mr. Biden on his presidency and his decision to step aside.

Ms. Harris and her team are likely to move swiftly to try to seize that mantle even as uncertainty swirled about whether other Democrats would seek to challenge her for the nomination at the party’s convention in Chicago next month. In a statement, Ms. Harris thanked Mr. Biden for the endorsement, saying that his “legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history.” She vowed to “earn and win this nomination” and to keep Mr. Trump from serving another four years in the White House. “We have 107 days until Election Day,” Ms. Harris wrote. “Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.” Should she become the nominee, she would have only a few months to boost her own weak approval ratings, make a case for a Harris presidency and rally voters against Mr. Trump, whom Democrats have branded as an existential threat to democracy and a supporter of dangerous positions on guns, abortion, immigration, taxes, education and trade - NYT

American Christians and conservatives have been fooled by Putin’s strongman posture, mistaking ruthlessness for moral fortitude. The miscalculation could spell disaster for the US.

In recent years, some American conservatives have developed a misplaced admiration for Vladimir Putin’s Russia, viewing it as a bastion of traditional values and a counterbalance to liberal excesses in the West. This misconception, however, is dangerously misleading. Contrary to the portrayal by some media and pundits, Putin’s Russia is not a traditionalist paradise but rather a continuation of Bolshevik Russia’s legacy in a post-truth digital world. Understanding this reality is essential for those committed to defending Western values and principles.

Putin’s regime is often mislabeled as ultra-right and conservative due to its strongman image and opposition to liberal ideologies, particularly regarding LGBTQ+ rights. However, these superficial stances mask a deeper alignment with the authoritarian and collectivist tendencies of the Bolshevik era. Russia under Putin ranks dismally in key areas reflecting societal health and morality, such as high rates of abortions, divorces, suicides, and state economic intervention.

Beijing confirmed the talks with Kuleba, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning saying the visit had been initiated by China's foreign minister.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba will visit China Tuesday for talks on ending Russia's invasion, now in its third year, his ministry announced.

China has refused to condemn Russia's invasion and last year released a paper calling for a "political settlement" to the conflict, which Western countries said could enable Russia to retain much of the territory it has seized in Ukraine.

Belarus hosted a weeklong joint military exercise, “Attacking Falcon,” which culminated in a simulated counter-terrorist operation to capture the airport near the city of Brest.

Chinese and Belarusian troops conducted the joint military training exercise, “Attacking Falcon,” in Belarus between Monday and Friday last week, July 15 - 19. The high point of the combined maneuvers, which included a nighttime parachute drop, was an assault on Wednesday to “recapture” an airport that had been taken over by terrorists.

Held near the city of Brest, close to Poland and just 28 kilometers (17 miles) from Ukraine. According to the Belarus defense ministry account the airport operation saw the troops deploying drones to surveille the enemy positions before paratroopers deployed in armored Mi-8MTV-5 helicopters and joined up with a ground forces to secure the objective.

Slovak PM Robert Fico told his Ukrainian counterpart on Saturday that Slovakia will not be a “hostage” to Ukraine-Russia relations after Kyiv's sanctions on Lukoil halted deliveries.

Slovakia will not be a “hostage” to Ukraine-Russia relations, its Prime Minister Robert Fico told his Ukrainian counterpart in a call on Saturday (20 July), after Kyiv placed Russian group Lukoil on a sanctions list, leading to a halt in deliveries.

Slovakia and Hungary said this week they had stopped receiving oil from key supplier Lukoil after Ukraine imposed a ban last month on the transit of resources from the Russian energy company via its territory.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that air defenses shot down 75 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory and the Black and Azov seas.

The Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense carried out an operation in which Ukrainian drones attacked an oil refinery in Tuapse, the Krasnodar region, on Monday, July 22, causing a fire at the facility, HUR sources told Kyiv Post.

This major fuel and lubricant processing facility is Russia’s main oil terminal on the Black Sea. In pre-war years, it produced two million tons of product annually, almost all for export.

Zelensky thanked Biden for taking "bold steps" in supporting his country, praising the US president's "tough but strong decision" to end his reelection bid.

World leaders lined up to pay tribute to Joe Biden after he announced Sunday he was dropping out of the US presidential race.

Biden notified the public of his decision in a letter, a stunning move that upends the 2024 race for the White House. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's new nominee.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Russian State Duma Chairperson Vyacheslav Volodin recently visited Nicaragua and Cuba, likely as part of ongoing Kremlin efforts to project its influence in the Western hemisphere and rally states against the US and the West.
• The Georgian State Security Service (SUS or SSSG) reportedly recently summoned several Georgian citizens, who had served as volunteers alongside Ukrainian forces, for questioning on charges of "conspiracy to overthrow the government" and "terrorism."
• Geolocated imagery confirms that a Ukrainian drone strike damaged infrastructure at the Millerovo Airbase in Rostov Oblast overnight on July 19 to 20.
• Russian forces recently advanced near Avdiivka.
• Russian forces conducted missile and drone strikes against Ukraine overnight on July 20 to 21.
• Russian federal subjects are intensifying non-standard monetary incentives for contract service with the Russian military.