News And Information From Ukraine

Dispatches from Ukraine, provided by Forbes Ukraine’s editorial team.

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues and the war rages on, reliable sources of information are critical. Forbes Ukraine’s reporters gather information and provide updates on the situation.

Sunday, July 3. Day 130.

Lysychansk. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has announced that Ukrainian troops have fully withdrawn from the city of Lysychansk in order to avoid being encircled. As Lysychansk was the last city in Luhansk region still under Ukrainian control, this means that, as of today, Russian forces occupy 100% of Luhansk region.

Sloviansk. According to Vadym Liakh, the mayor of Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Russian shelling in the city has resulted in 6 deaths and 15 injuries. Liakh describes today’s shelling as “massive” and said that this is the most intensive round of shelling the city has come under since the beginning of this phase of the war.

Mykolaiv. One person has died as a result of Russian strikes on Bashtanka and Mykolaiv districts in Mykolaiv region, according to reports from Mykolaiv region governor Vitaliy Kim.

Kharkiv. According to Kharkiv region governor Oleh Synyehubov, three civilians have been killed and one has been injured as a result of Russian attacks on Kharkiv region.

Kramatorsk. Oleksandr Honcharenko, the mayor of Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, reports that a Russian rocket strike has destroyed a hotel complex and damaged road infrastructure in the city. No casualties have been reported.

Russian officials have accused Ukraine of carrying out a rocket strike on a residential area in the city of Belgorod. According to Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, three people have died and over a dozen buildings have sustained damages as a result of what the Russian authorities have described as a Ukrainian attack using Tochka-U missiles. Ukrainian officials have denied this claim and accused Russia of carrying out a false flag attack on its territory.

According to Ukraine’s Ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, Turkish authorities have detained a cargo ship which Ukrainian officials had previously claimed could contain grain stolen from occupied Ukrainian territory. Bodnar said the ship’s fate would be decided by a meeting of investigators on Monday and that Ukraine was hoping for the confiscation of the grain.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview with the broadcaster AR
AR
D that Germany is discussing security guarantees for Ukraine with its allies. Security guarantees from NATO states have been one of the key demands Ukraine made before the possible resumption of peace talks with Russia can be achieved. Scholz made it clear that the security guarantees Ukraine could receive will not be equivalent to those enjoyed by NATO member states.

According to Kyiv governor Oleksiy Kuleba, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited three war-ravaged towns in Ukraine’s Kyiv region — Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel — where Ukraine says Russia committed atrocities against civilians