On day 1248 of the war, we learn that Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have begun discussions about a possible meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.
The Ukrainian president confirmed the start of discussions for this objective. However, the Kremlin considers it unlikely that the meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine will take place before the end of August, as proposed in Kiev.
Ukrainian forces were forced to manage for nearly three hours without the Starlink internet communication system. A major outage affected the stability of the connection, including in combat zones. The Ukrainian army continued its combat operations without live transmissions until the technical issue was resolved.
Several explosions occurred at dawn in the city of Sumy during an air raid alert. An administrative building was damaged, but no casualties were reported.
Russian troops are using drones to attack access roads to Kherson, especially the Nikolaev - Kherson highway, attempting to encircle the city. According to a journalist's report, there is no neighborhood in the city unaffected by FPV drones.
Meanwhile, Ukraine hit a chemical plant in the Rostov region for the second time in a month, which produces raw materials for the production of explosives and artillery shells. Local authorities reported 37 hits but mentioned that no casualties were recorded.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced this morning that its air defense system destroyed over 100 Ukrainian drones in nine regions and above the Sea of Azov. Seven airports temporarily suspended their operations.
And the former chief commander of Ukraine and current ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, makes a prediction about the war's evolution: if Ukraine tries to establish a ceasefire without strengthening its future defense, the war will extend until 2034.
Frontline Situation
- Two hours without Starlink on the front - The Starlink satellite internet network has resumed operation after a major outage lasting about two and a half hours, affecting the connection's stability, including in combat zones. "The outage was due to a failure of key internal software services operating the central network. We apologize for the temporary interruption of our service; we are deeply committed to providing an extremely reliable network and will fully address the root cause of this issue and ensure it does not happen again," said Starlink's vice president, Michael Nicolls, on X. According to the commander of the Ukrainian army's Autopilot Systems Forces, Robert Brovdi, communication has been restored in all areas. He said that during the outage, combat operations continued without live transmissions, but reconnaissance missions with attack capabilities were carried out. However, Brovdi emphasized that such disruptions are dangerous, and the front line needs diversified communication channels.
- Explosions in Sumy - Several explosions occurred at dawn in the city of Sumy during an air raid alert, as announced by the Ukrainian public television channel Suspilne. In the morning, the State Emergency Service announced that an administrative building was damaged in the attack, and a fire broke out on-site. No casualties were reported, and firefighters quickly extinguished the flames.
- Kherson Encircled by Drones - Russian troops are using drones to attack access roads to Kherson, especially the Nikolaev - Kherson highway, attempting to encircle the city, according to journalist Ivan Antypenko, who is in Kherson. The situation is further complicated by the constant attacks on Kherson and surrounding villages. There is no neighborhood in the city unaffected by FPV drones, he added. Due to the attacks, farmers have been unable to harvest crops, and both fields and equipment have been destroyed. According to the journalist cited by Ukrainska Pravda, the city and roads lack basic protection, and not even the simplest measures, such as nets against FPV drones, have been installed.
What's Happening in Russia
- Chemical Plant Targeted by Drones - Ukrainian drones attacked Russia during the night, and several explosions were heard in Novocherkassk (in the Rostov region) and in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol region). The drones targeted the Nevinnomissk Azot JSC chemical plant, a major producer of nitrogen and ammonia fertilizers and part of the EuroChem group. The mayor of Nevinnomyssk, Mikhail Minenkov, present at the scene of the attack, announced that there were 37 hits, but no casualties or damage in the city, adding that the situation is under control. He also strongly urged people not to post or distribute any photos or videos of the attack and its consequences. Nevinnomissk Azot produces up to one million tons of ammonia and over one million tons of ammonium nitrate annually, used in the production of explosives and artillery shells. The plant was attacked by drones for the second time in the last two months, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda. In June, the plant suspended its operations.
- Over 100 Drones Shot Down - The Russian Ministry of Defense announced this morning that its air defense system destroyed 105 Ukrainian drones overnight: 26 in the Belgorod region, 25 in Bryansk, 23 in Rostov, 8 in Krasnodar, 5 in Stavropol, 3 each in Kursk and Tambov, 2 in Voronezh, 1 in Oryol, and 9 above the Sea of Azov. The airports in Vladikavkaz, Grozny, Mineralnye Vody, Nalchik, Stavropol, Tambov, and Sochi were temporarily closed.
Other Relevant Information
- Negotiations Started for a Meeting Between Zelensky and Putin - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced today that Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have started discussions about a possible meeting between the two countries' leaders, as reported by AFP. "We need to end this war, which probably starts with a leaders' meeting," Zelensky said in a meeting with journalists, attended by AFP. Russian negotiators "have started discussing it" with the Ukrainian side, he announced.
- Kremlin's Position - Moscow considers it unlikely that the meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine will take place before the end of August, as proposed in Kiev, reports Meduza. "A high-level meeting can and should set the understanding and ways of these agreements to be worked out within the experts' activities. It is impossible to do the opposite. Is it possible to go through such a complex process in 30 days? Obviously, it is unlikely," said Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president's press secretary, at a press conference. The Kremlin spokesperson also mentioned that the draft memoranda exchanged by the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in the second round of discussions were "diametrically opposed." "It is unlikely that these can be adopted overnight; it will require very complex diplomatic work," he added.
- Ukraine Wants 10 Patriots - The Ukrainian President announced that Ukraine is working on financing ten PATRIOT air defense systems following an agreement with the United States, allowing European countries to purchase American weaponry to supply to Kiev. "The President of the United States will transfer, sell us these systems," Zelensky said on Thursday in a meeting with journalists. "Our task is to find funding for these systems," he stated. Zelensky announced that funding for three of the ten PATRIOT systems has already been secured.
- War Could Last Until 2034 - Former Chief Commander of Ukraine and current Ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, warned that Russia's war against Ukraine could last until 2034. "If we try to establish a ceasefire without strengthening our future defense, the war will continue for many more years. It started in 2014 — by God's will, it will end in 2034," Zaluzhnyi said in an interview with LB.ua, published on Wednesday. According to him, Ukraine entered a new, radically different phase of its war with Russia in 2024. He described a change in Russia's tactics on the battlefield, mentioning that Moscow has abandoned direct attacks in favor of a war of attrition targeting both the military and civilians in Ukraine. According to the former high-ranking general, Kyiv needs to revise its defense strategy and mobilization approach to prevent Russia from exploiting Ukraine's demographic and economic vulnerabilities.