Image provided by the Ukrainian military shows smoke rising from a Russian tank north of Bakhmut
Developments near Bakhmut
On July 2, Sputnik News quoted information from the Russian Ministry of Defense saying that the country's forces destroyed a Ukrainian telecommunications station connecting Starlink satellites and an enemy unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control center near Bakhmut.
Russian troops also repelled a Ukrainian attack near the village of Berkhovka on the outskirts of the city.
Quick view: What hot developments happened in the Russian military campaign in Ukraine on day 493?
Also on this front, the Institute for the Study of War (USA) cited Ukrainian sources revealing that the Kyiv government's army had launched counterattacks along four areas in Bakhmut, reported The Kyiv Independent .
While saying that Russia has sent reinforcements to the Bakhmut area, the US institute said that Ukraine's counter-offensive there could force Russia to make a difficult decision on whether to withdraw its defense forces on other fronts to support this area.
Russia has not commented on the above statement.
Meanwhile in Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said Russia launched a drone and cruise missile attack on the Ukrainian capital early on July 2. This was also the first Russian attack on Kyiv in 12 days.
Ukrainian air defense systems successfully shot down all enemy UAVs, according to Reuters.
US Chief of Staff: No illusions about Ukraine's counterattack
Meanwhile, the Southern Operations Command of Ukraine reported that fierce fighting was taking place near the Antonivsky Bridge over the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast. Ukrainian forces are trying to deploy units on the eastern bank of the river but have not been successful.
Russian soldiers load mortars at the front in Luhansk
Conditions for Ukraine peace talks
At a press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Kyiv on July 1, President Volodymyr Zelensky raised the condition for peace talks with Russia. That is, Ukraine must regain control of the borders that Kyiv considers internationally recognized.
The borders include Crimea, Donbass and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Russia has not commented on this possibility.
Russia-Ukraine conflict resolution talks to begin in July?
Mr. Zelensky also raised Ukraine's desire to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO has invited Ukraine to participate in the bloc's summit in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, on July 11-12 and Mr. Zelensky is expecting good news at the time of the NATO summit.
In addition, the Ukrainian President continued to warn of serious danger at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian control. He accused the Moscow government of plotting to cause local explosions at the plant. The Kremlin denied this accusation.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez holds a press conference with President Zelensky during his visit to Kyiv on July 1.
Russia cancels Maks air show
Russia has canceled the international aerospace exhibition Maks, which was scheduled to take place from July 25 to 30, and decided to move it to 2024.
In the latest intelligence report, the British Ministry of Defense stated that the reason Russia had to cancel Maks 2023 was due to security concerns after a number of UAV attacks occurred in the country.
F-16 and MiG-29 "different class"
On May 2, two UAVs exploded above the Kremlin, and according to the Moscow government, the perpetrators came from Ukraine.
In February, Russia said a UAV believed to be Ukrainian crashed in the city of Kolomna, about 110 km from central Moscow.
Traditionally, the Maks exhibition has always been held near Moscow, raising security concerns if the event goes ahead as usual, according to The Guardian, citing an analysis by the British Ministry of Defense.
The British Ministry of Defense also mentioned the "disappearance" of General Sergei Surovikin, Chief of Staff of the Russian Aerospace Forces and currently Deputy Commander of the Russian Joint Forces participating in the military operation in Ukraine.
The last time General Surovikin appeared was before the Wagner mercenaries organized a rebellion on June 24.
Russia has denied Western speculation regarding General Surovikin's absence.
US considers sending long-range missiles to Ukraine
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