Sometimes growing up sucks!
Key Takeaways
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not claimed any territorial gains since July 3, supporting the assessment that Russian forces are conducting an operational pause while still engaging in limited ground attacks to set conditions for more significant offensive operations.
The Kremlin continues to prepare for a protracted war by setting conditions for crypto-mobilization of the economy and largely initiating an operational pause in Ukraine.
Russian forces conducted offensive operations northwest and east of Slovyansk.
Russian forces continued efforts to push westward toward Siversk from the Luhansk-Donetsk oblast border.
Russian forces continued attempts to advance toward Bakhmut from the south.
Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks north of Kharkiv City.
Russian forces conducted unsuccessful ground assaults in northwestern Kherson Oblast.
Ukrainian forces may be setting conditions for a counteroffensive toward Kherson City.
Russian forces may be forming a new military unit in Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.
The Kremlin continued to set conditions for the crypto-mobilization of the Russian economy in anticipation of protracted operations in Ukraine. The Russian State Duma adopted the third and final reading of a law introduced by the cabinet of ministers on June 30 that will allow the Russian government to oversee and regulate labor relations in Russian enterprises (both state and privately-owned).[4] This law, as ISW has previously reported, will allow government officials to recall workers from personal vacations, reschedule time off without employee consent, and require employees to work weekends, holidays, and nights. These measures allow the Kremlin to take much more direct control of most aspects of the Russian economy, including suspending rights and protections some workers would normally have.[5] The law must still be sent to the Federation Council before it reaches Russian President Vladimir Putin and is officially published, but the Kremlin is likely seeking to use the law to leverage domestic labor to maximize economic output and prepare for protracted operations in Ukraine.[6] Russia’s largest lead production plant reportedly stopped production on July 6 due to the almost-total halt of Russian metallurgical exports, and the Kremlin will likely continue to take measures to codify economic mobilization to offset or mitigate the effects of sanctions and the war on essential industries.[7]
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The Kyiv Independent, [07/07/2022 01:30]
⚡️Russia attempts to initiate informal UN Security Council meeting to discuss 'neo-Nazism' in Ukraine. [!!]
⚡️Ukrainian military: Russia has increased its fleet in the Black Sea.
Operational Command "South" of the Ukraine's Armed Forces reports that Russia has increased its naval presence in the Black Sea with five missile carriers, two submarines and a single amphibious assault ship. The fleet possesses 48 Kalibr type missiles.
⚡️Russian saboteurs attempt to break through Ukrainian positions. [unsuccessfully]
⚡️Reuters: British HSBC bank in talks to sell its Russian lending unit.
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UkraineNOW
📣 BNR (bnr.bg/): Bulgaria has blocked the salaries of Russian diplomats
❗️ Russian troops have captured about 22% of Ukraine's agricultural land — NASA
According to NASA Harvest satellite images, Russian troops now control about 22% of Ukraine's farmland. It is noted that winter crops such as wheat, rye, and barley are predominantly grown in these territories.
According to these data, part of the Ukrainian fields are no longer suitable for sowing due to shell and mine damages.
🖇 "Bayraktar", for which Lithuanians collected more than 5 million euros, was sent to Ukraine — Lithuanian Minister for National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas
[Reports of efforts to speed up heavy weopon deliveries to the front]
🛢 Bloomberg: The U.S. and allies want to limit the price of Russian oil to $40-60 per barrel
⚡️ Luhansk region is not 100% occupied – the Head of the Regional Military Administration [rather against other assessments]
📣 Zelensky: Artillery from our partners has started working powerfully, Russian losses will increase
"It is finally felt that the Western artillery - the weapons we have received from our partners - have worked very powerfully. Therefore, the losses of the invaders will only increase every week, as well as the difficulty of supplying them," the President said in his evening video address.
⚡️Russia no longer has the strength to attack in more than one direction of the front — Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov
[this ties in with the reports of exhausted and drunken troops, the de-mothballing of ancient military equipment, the forced conscription of Ukrainian men in Russian-held territory and the lack of attacks yesterday. They may however be using a rest-time to recover and bring up more hardware]