(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Ukraine Invasion Day 501: the "beginning of the middle” of the wider counteroffensive [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-07-08 Whatever Medvedev discusses, he always comes back to using nuclear weapons. Medvedev said there is no taboo on the use of nuclear weapons and that Finland is now "a hostile country for Russia, once created by Lenin's thoughtlessness". In the video he offers two ways to finish the "special military operation" in Ukraine: stop providing weapons to Ukraine or strike Ukrainian cities with nuclear weapons. x Whatever Medvedev discusses, he always comes back to using nuclear weapons. In the video he offers two ways to finish the "special military operation" in Ukraine: stop providing weapons to Ukraine or stike Ukrainian cities with nuclear weapons. pic.twitter.com/kQYJRhC5Kn — Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) July 5, 2023 x We have invented a new drinking game. It’s called "medvedev." Every time someone crosses a red line, you drink a shot. — Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) July 8, 2023 "Today we are on Zmiinyi Island - on our Zmiinyi Island, which will never be conquered by the occupier, like the whole of Ukraine, because we are a country of the brave," Zelenskyy said in the video. He laid flowers at a memorial on the island and then released wreaths onto the water. Soldiers on the island were immortalized by their fiery response to Russian troops who demanded surrender early in the war. The island was later captured by Russian forces, as were its Ukrainian defenders. Those Ukrainian soldiers were later freed as part of a prisoner exchange. After the island was taken, the Ukrainian military heavily bombarded the small Russian garrison stationed there, forcing them to pull back on June 30, 2022. The Russian retreat reduced the threat of a seaborne attack on the port city of Odesa and helped pave the way for a deal to resume Ukrainian grain exports. www.cbsnews.com/... At the start of the war, Ukrainian soldiers defending Snake Island famously defied an order from a Russian warship to surrender. The Black Sea island was seized by Russia, but later reclaimed by Ukraine. In a video, the Ukrainian president called it a "place of victory" that would never be reconquered. In the undated clip, posted on Telegram, Mr Zelensky described it as proof that Ukraine would return every inch of its territory taken by Russia since the full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022. "I want to thank from here, from this place of victory, each of our soldiers for these 500 days," Mr Zelensky said in the video, in which he was shown arriving on the island by boat and leaving flowers at a memorial. www.bbc.com/... "500 days of the full-scale war. During this time, thousands and thousands of our people showed strength, glory and courage of the Ukrainian people in battles for the sake of our state. Almost 50,000 of our people have been awarded state awards. 298 Ukrainian men and women have been awarded the highest title of Hero of Ukraine. I am proud of all of them, grateful to each of them, we remember our heroes. We cannot name all the names now. We will be able to tell about some heroes only after our victory – their bravery is so special. But Ukraine will always be grateful to all of them. And please, honor our heroes! And tell your children, your friends, the whole world about them. Glory to all who fight for Ukraine!" Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations on at least three sectors of the front on July 8. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar reported on July 7 that Ukrainian forces advanced more than 1km on the southern flank of Bakhmut, and Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian troops attacked Russian positions southwest and northwest of Bakhmut. [1] Russian sources additionally claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations in western Donetsk and western Zaporizhia oblasts. [2] Ukrainian military sources confirmed that Ukrainian forces are continuing offensive operations in the Berdyansk (western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast) and Melitopol (western Zaporizhia Oblast) directions and are having partial success in unspecified areas of these directions. [3] understandingwar.org/... Key Takeaways: Five hundred days ago Russia launched an unprovoked war of conquest against Ukraine. Ukrainian forces conducted counteroffensive operations on at least three sectors of the front on July 8. US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl noted on July 7 that current Ukrainian operations across the front are the "beginning of the middle” of the wider counteroffensive and that it is therefore "too early to judge” how the counteroffensive is going. The United States announced a new military aid package for Ukraine that includes cluster munitions on July 7. Russian forces conducted another series of Shahed 131/136 drone and missile strikes against Ukraine's industrial and infrastructure facilities overnight from July 7 to 8 . . Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Ukraine “deserves NATO membership” ahead of the July 11 to 12 NATO summit in a press conference on July 7 in Istanbul with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky returned to Ukraine from Turkey with five Ukrainian commanders involved in the defense of Azovstal Metallurgical Combine in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast whom Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey had previously agreed would remain in Turkey until the end of the war. Ukrainian intelligence indicated that Russian authorities are capitalizing on the fear of a provocation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) to drive out Ukrainian personnel and increase the Russian presence at the ZNPP ahead of the upcoming NATO summit. A Wagner commander stated that the Wagner Group will go to Belarus after completing rest and recuperation through August 2023. The status of the deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prigozhin is unclear, and the deal may be in flux. The Kremlin may be attempting to ensure that it has control over Wagner leadership and personnel in Africa and the Middle East. A prominent Russian milblogger speculated that the Russian military leadership may be in the process of making the decision to replace Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, suggesting that the implications of the June 24 Wagner Group rebellion may still be having ramifications on the highest echelons of military command. Russian authorities reportedly prevented former Russian officer and ardent nationalist Igor Girkin from holding a talk about the Wagner Group rebellion. Russian forces conducted ground attacks along the Kharkiv-Luhansk Oblast border and south of Kreminna, and Ukraine likely continues to conduct strikes on Russian concentration areas deep within the rear of occupied Luhansk Oblast. Ukrainian and Russian forces conducted ground attacks around Bakhmut. Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line. Russian and Ukrainian forces continued ground attacks along the administrative border between Zaporizhia and Donetsk oblasts on July 8. Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in western Zaporizhia Oblast. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reportedly observed combat training of Russian contract servicemen at the Southern Military District (SMD) training grounds on July 8, likely in an attempt to favorably portray Russian formalization efforts and incentivize personnel recruitment. The Ukrainian government has indicated that Russian occupation authorities struggle to compensate staff in critical industries, resulting in staffing shortages that could hinder the Russian war effort. understandingwar.org/... x ⚡️ WAR IN #UKRAINE - JUL 7 50 🇷🇺 losses added by @Rebel44CZ 🇨🇿 (47 after removal of duplicates and/or corrections) VISUALLY CONFIRMED: 2.9x losses to date ➡ 2.5x since last year's 🇺🇦 counteroffensive ➡ 1.4x 30-day average (current offensive) ➡ 📈 https://t.co/CQodSgTAQn pic.twitter.com/PMb5NeXU7y — Ragnar Gudmundsson 🇮🇸🇺🇦 ragnarbjartur@masto.ai (@ragnarbjartur) July 7, 2023 Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Luhansk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast) Russian forces conducted ground attacks along the Kharkiv-Luhansk Oblast border and south of Kreminna on July 8. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian troops tried to advance northwest of Svatove near Berestove (19km northwest), Novoselivske (14km northwest), and Stelmakhivka (15km northwest) and south of Kreminna near Berestove (30km south of Kreminna) and Vesele (32km south of Kreminna). [35] Russian Western Group of Forces spokesperson Sergey Zybinsky claimed that elements of the 1st Guards Tank Army (Western Military District) struck Ukrainian equipment near Pishchane (25km northwest of Svatove). [36] ... Russian sources reported that elements of the 285th Guards Artillery Brigade (2nd Combined Arms Army, Central Military District) and 24th Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade (Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation [GRU]) are fighting in the Kreminna area. [38] The Russian MoD claimed that elements of the Russian Center Group of Forces repelled a Ukrainian attack near Torske (15km west of Kreminna). [39] Geolocated footage posted on July 8 shows that Russian forces have additionally made gains near Spirne, 23km due south of Kreminna. [40] understandingwar.org/... understandingwar.org/... Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Donetsk Oblast (Russian Objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast, the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas) Ukrainian and Russian forces conducted ground attacks around Bakhmut on July 8. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar reported on July 7 that Ukrainian forces advanced more than 1km in unspecified areas south of Bakhmut. [43] Malyar noted that battles are ongoing north of Bakhmut without changes to Russian or Ukrainian positions and that Ukrainian forces are making it difficult for Russian forces to move out of Bakhmut itself. ISW has not observed visual confirmation of Russian forces experiencing difficulties moving personnel out of Bakhmut. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces repelled Russian attacks near Berkhivka. [46] Russian State Duma deputy from the Republic of Sakha Sardana Avksentyeva sent a complaint to Russian Defense Minister Shoigu on July 8 about the treatment of personnel in the 83rd Guards Air Assault Brigade (VDV) who are operating near Klishchiivka. [47] Elements of the 83rd Guards VDV Brigade have likely only been serving in the Bakhmut direction for about two weeks, as ISW reported on June 21 that Russian forces deployed elements of the 83rd Guards VDV Brigade to the Klishchiivka area to replace elements of the 31st Guards VDV Brigade that had suffered heavy losses. [48] understandingwar.org/... understandingwar.org/... https://t.co/B0lxYD4gFv https://t.co/B0lxYD4gFv https://t.co/B0lxYD4gFv understandingwar.org/... Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis (Russian objective: Maintain frontline positions and secure rear areas against Ukrainian strikes) Russian and Ukrainian forces continued ground attacks along the administrative border between Zaporizhia and Donetsk oblasts on July 8. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations near Blahodatne (5km south of Velyka Novosilka). [53]... The Russian Ministry MoD claimed that elements of the Russian Eastern Group of Forces repelled a Ukrainian attack and destroyed a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group near Urozhaine. [55] understandingwar.org/... understandingwar.org/... x #Ukraine/#Russia 🇺🇦🇷🇺: 🇺🇦#Ukrainian Air Force Mi-24V, delivered from 🇨🇿#Czechia. The Czech Republic will soon deliver all remaining Mi-24Vs to Ukraine, which will be replaced by the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters pic.twitter.com/6D0AVD5AV6 — 𝕻𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖘𝖊 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖙𝖊𝖕𝖍 (@praisethesteph) July 8, 2023 [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/8/2179981/-Ukraine-Invasion-Day-501-the-beginning-of-the-middle-of-the-wider-counteroffensive Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/