Victory Chronicles
-DAY 497

Russian troops in the temporarily occupied Crimea are actively preparing for defense

“The enemy is actively preparing for defense in the temporarily occupied Crimea: the construction of fortifications in the north of the peninsula is almost complete, and an antilanding defense system is being created on the northwestern and western coasts of Crimea to prevent the possible amphibious landings of the defense forces of Ukraine,” Brigadier General Oleksiy Hromov, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told Ukrinform in an interview.

At the same time, he noted that there are currently no accurate data on the massive departure of the families of Russian service members from the peninsula. However, the Brigadier General emphasized that a significant increase in the number of people trying to leave Crimea should be expected in case of the threat of the destruction of the Crimean Bridge, the approach of groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the Perekop and Chonhar isthmuses in connection with the beginning of preparations for the liberation of the peninsula from the Russian invaders.

Photo: armyinform.com.ua

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Symbolic number of the Day - 1200

The “hot” line of the front now exceeds 1200 kilometers. This was reported by Brigadier General Oleksiy Hromov, Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in an interview with Ukrinform. “As for the length of the so-called hotline of contact, it now exceeds 1200 km. But here we are talking about the direct contact line with the enemy in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv Oblast, where active hostilities are ongoing.”

Photo: volynnews.com

War in Pictures

More than 40 wounded, including 10 children: details of the Russian Iskander strike on Pervomaisk. On the afternoon of July 4, the Russian military launched an Iskander missile at the city of Pervomaisk, Kharkiv Oblast. Dozens of civilians were injured in the attack, reported the Prosecutor’s Office of Kharkiv Oblast and the head of the Kharkiv Oblast military administration, Oleg Syniegubov.

Photo: khar.gp.gov.ua

Video of the Day

The Center for Strategic Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the destruction of a Russian army depot in the occupied city of Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast, on July 4: “As a result of the effective fire of the Defense Forces units, another Russian terrorist warehouse in the temporarily occupied Makiivka ceased to exist.”

ISW report

The current pace of Ukrainian operations is not indicative of a stalemate or evidence that Ukraine cannot retake large areas. Ukrainian forces conducted slow and gradual interdiction campaigns against Russian concentration areas in east (left) bank Kherson Oblast and limited ground attacks on the west (right) bank between August and November of 2022, before finally forcing the Russian withdrawal from the right bank in mid-November.

The situation in southern Ukraine is different, of course, because there is no natural bottleneck of the sort created by Russian reliance on the two bridges over the Dnipro. The Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kherson nevertheless alternated phases of relatively rapid advance with long periods of preparation, combat focused on attritting Russian forces, and limited gains that ultimately made Russian positions on the west bank of the river untenable.  By contrast, the Russian winter-spring offensive culminated in just over one month without making significant gains along the Luhansk-Kharkiv Oblast border.

The current Ukrainian counter-offensive is less dramatic and rapid than the one that liberated much of Kharkiv Oblast, more successful than the failed Russian winter offensive, and generally most like the slower but ultimately successful Kherson counteroffensive in its pace and initial progress.

War Heroes

Lviv restaurateur and artist Andriy Gudyma was killed near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast. This was reported on July 4 by his brother Yuriy Gudyma. Andriy served in the 80th separate airborne assault brigade. He was killed on July 2 while performing a combat mission in the Bakhmut sector. Andriy Hudyma is the son of Oleksa Hudyma, a Verkhovna Rada member. Andriy was the brand chef of the Lviv restaurant chain Open and the chef of Re:bro. In 2023, Staryi Lev Publishing House is preparing to publish his “69 Spices for the Heart” book. “Andriy Hudyma has become a part of the Staryi Lev family. The publishing house is preparing for publication Andriy’s incredible book, ironic and profound – “69 Spices for the Heart”, designed by Svitlana Fesenko. This is an irreparable and terrible loss for all of us. Eternal memory and glory to the Hero!” the Publishing House wrote. 

The founder of the publishing house, poet Mariana Savka, also expressed her condolences: “Our author, who did not have time to see his book. He died at the front. And at the Book Arsenal, Svitlana Fesenko and I were looking at her watercolors for this incredible book about spices. There is so much love and taste for life in it. It will be a very beautiful edition, Andriy, I promise. It’s very painful to be a publisher of books that will be published without authors.”

Illustrator Svitlana Fesenko said that she and Andriy had already discussed the concept of the cover and the drawings for the book: “A few months ago, Staryi Lev Publishing House once again engaged me in a wonderful project to illustrate a book about spices. A bright, witty, funny, delicious book about spices. A book about life. Unfortunately, life never knows when death will come… But there will be a book. I am drawing it. Now as a book in memory of Andriy. I am painting a celebration of life. In every sense.”

Photo: facebook.com/Hoodock