KIEV/MOSKAU (dpa-AFX) – In the midst of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the parliament in Moscow has raised the upper limit for conscription to military service by three years to 30. The State Duma approved the amendment to the law on second and third readings on Tuesday. It should come into effect at the turn of the year. In addition, conscripted Russians are no longer allowed to leave the country after the draft notice has been served. In the fall of 2022, hundreds of thousands of men fled abroad in a sometimes chaotically organized first wave of mobilization. Russia has been at war with Ukraine for 517 days – with high losses in its own ranks as well.
Moscow: Attack on Russian ship in the Black Sea repelled
Meanwhile, Russia repelled a Ukrainian attack on one of its warships, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow. Ukraine tried to attack the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s patrol ship Sergei Kotov with two unmanned boats, the ministry said. The boats were destroyed at a distance of 1000 and 800 meters by shelling from the “Kotow”. The Russian ship, which controls the southwestern part of the Black Sea, continues to fulfill its duties, it said. Nobody was injured.
Reports from the war zone cannot be independently verified. Tensions in the Black Sea have increased since Russia canceled the agreement to ship grain from Ukrainian ports.
Kremlin criticizes Western pressure on African states
The Kremlin accused the West of wanting to prevent the planned Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg. “Almost all African states were put under unprecedented pressure by the US (…) to prevent the summit from being held and African states from participating in the summit,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. This line is “deplorable” because it calls into question the sovereign right of Africans to choose their partners.
The meeting of the heads of state on July 27th and 28th will also deal with the future of the grain agreement. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa had also announced that he would use the summit to advance a peace plan between Russia and Ukraine.
EU pays out new billion-euro loan to Ukraine
Ukraine received a new €1.5 billion bailout loan from the EU on Tuesday. As Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced, he should help the attacked country to keep the state running and repair infrastructure. “While Russia continues its ruthless war, we continue to support Ukraine,” said the former German defense minister. She strongly condemned the recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian grain stores and export infrastructure. The money is part of the up to €18 billion loan program agreed by EU member states for 2023.
Britain: Russia has problems with military reconnaissance
According to the British Ministry of Defence, the Russians have problems with military reconnaissance in the war of aggression against Ukraine. In their update, the British dealt with the Russian attacks since the end of the grain agreement. The deal had previously ensured that grain from Ukraine could be shipped to other countries by sea. When the agreement was still in force, Russia refrained from attacking civilian infrastructure in the southern ports, the ministry said. “Since Russia didn’t extend the deal, the Kremlin probably feels less politically compelled to try and hit targets in Odessa, believing Ukraine has military supplies in the area.”
Moscow warms up the reactor at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant
In the meantime, the Russian occupying forces in the mined Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine have warmed up another reactor in order to repair one reactor. Block number five had to be shut down for maintenance work, the power plant management said. In order to cover the plant’s steam requirements, reactor number four was warmed up. Kyiv criticized the step as dangerous.
Russia’s defense minister visits North Korea for victory celebrations
According to official information, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to neighboring North Korea to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. The Russian Defense Ministry announced on its Telegram channel that he would be there for three days until July 27 in various celebrations marking the “Victory of the Korean people in the Fatherland Liberation War 1950-1953”. The United States suspects North Korea of supporting Russia with weapons in its war of aggression against Ukraine. Shoigu’s visit to Pyongyang serves to strengthen Russian-North Korean military cooperation and is an important step in the development of bilateral cooperation, the ministry said in Moscow./wo/DP/nas