Key developments on July 1:
- Zelensky says Russian casualties six times larger than those of Ukraine
- Russia attempting new ways to attack Kyiv, military says
- Document reveals why Russia keeps accidentally bombing itself, WP reports
- Source: Ukrainian cyberattack leaves at least 250,000 consumers without connection in Russian-occupied territories
- Ukraine should be allowed to strike ‘valid military targets’ in Russia, US House Intelligence Committee chair says
The ratio of Ukrainian and Russian military personnel losses at this stage of the war is one to six, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 30 in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer.
"Indeed, they (Russian forces) have much more people, and indeed we care for our people more. We will not have more people than Russia (on the battlefield)," Zelensky said.
Zelensky added that the ratio was one to four earlier, but now it is six to one, considering the situation in the directions of the cities of Pokrovsk and Kharkiv.
Russia has lost over 540,000 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to Ukraine's General Staff. This number includes both killed and injured.
Through open-source research, Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet, together with BBC Russia, confirmed the names of 64,000 Russian soldiers who had been killed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify this data.
Zelensky said the war relies on technology, and whoever is more advanced will win.
Speaking about how Ukraine can prevail on the battlefield despite the smaller number of manpower and weapons, Zelensky called on the West to close all the loopholes for Russia to circumvent sanctions for its domestic drone and missiles production.
It is also necessary to finance the domestic production of drones and missiles in Ukraine, he added.
Zelensky also emphasized that Russia earns the most from its oil and gas exports to fuel its aggression in Ukraine.
"This is the most important thing, and we need to focus on it – not to allow sanctions to be circumvented, to support Ukraine technologically, and not to be afraid of what will happen to Russia after (Vladimir) Putin. This is the main message," Zelensky said.
Elsa Court
Russia attempting new ways to attack Kyiv, military says
The Russian military is trying a new approach to attack the capital, Kyiv, Serhii Popko, the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said on June 30.
"The aggressor is trying new tactics – it is looking for the right time, methods, and means to hit Kyiv. Because the capital of Ukraine has always been and will be one of the highest priority targets for the invaders," Popko wrote on Telegram.
Russian forces attacked Kyiv on June 30 with missiles at around 8 p.m. local time. The debris hit a 14-story residential building in the Obolon district.
One elderly woman was hospitalized, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Popko said that the strike on June 30 was "different" from recent Russian attacks against the capital.
Russian forces did not carry out mass or combined night attack with missiles and drones. They also did not use ballistic missiles or cruise missiles from strategic bombers, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration.
Popko called on residents of Kyiv to not ignore air raid alerts.
"The missiles are shot down, but they do not disintegrate, and the fragments pose a threat to human life," he said.
Three people, including a child, in Kyiv Oblast also suffered injuries from the June 30 Russian attack, Governor Ruslan Kravchenko reported. The victims are receiving medical care in one of the regional hospitals as of July 1, he added.
The attack did not hit critical infrastructure, but falling debris damaged three houses, some administrative buildings, a warehouse, and 16 vehicles, according to the governor.
Myroslava Tanska-Vikulova
Document reveals why Russia keeps accidentally bombing itself, WP reports
A document obtained by the Washington Post (WP) suggests Russia dropped glide bombs on its own territory nearly 40 times in one year, most likely due to malfunctioning guidance systems, the outlet reported on July 1.
Believed to have been compiled by Belgorod city emergency department, the document records 38 incidents in the year from April 2023 to April 2024.
Experts believe the accidental bombings are caused by defective munitions. Ruslan Leviev, a military expert with the Conflict Intelligence Group, told the Washington Post that "a certain percentage of Russian bombs is defective."
"We think these accidental releases are caused by the unreliability of these kits, something that does not seem to bother the Air Force," he added.
Several incidents of Russian munitions landing in the Belgorod region have previously been reported, most notably one in April 2023 that resulted in a massive crater in downtown Belgorod.
On May 12, an explosion led to the partial collapse of a Belgorod apartment building, killing 17 people. The Kremlin blamed it on a Ukrainian missile but OSINT researchers concluded it was a Russian bomb.
The document obtained by WP suggests such events are far more widespread than previously thought as many of the bombs do not explode, and land in the less populated areas around the city, sometimes being discovered days later by farmers and park rangers.
Russia has heavily relied on glide bombs in its offensive on Kharkiv Oblast, clearing the way for ground troops.
Despite their simplicity and low cost, glide bombs have become one of Russia's most effective weapons during the full-scale war, previously contributing to the fall of the strategic city of Avdiivka in February – Russia’s first major gain in nine months.
Experts warn that these bombs could pose an even greater threat to Ukraine, which currently has little defense against them, as Russia is expected to continue its mass deployment of glide bombs to support further offensive operations.
Chris York
Source: Ukrainian cyberattack leaves at least 250,000 consumers without connection in Russian-occupied territories
A large-scale cyberattack carried out by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) in late June left at least 250,000 consumers in occupied Crimea and other Russian-controlled territories without communication, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent.
HUR has reportedly carried out several cyberattacks in recent months.
One attack in June reportedly affected the communication network, with representatives of Russian providers calling it "the most powerful DDoS attack they have ever experienced," the HUR said.
The agency also attacked Russia's largest Internet providers operating in the occupied peninsula in late June as well as the servers of propaganda media, and telecom operators, the source claimed.
The work of local accounting systems was reportedly obstructed, while the traffic registration and control system were also attacked, resulting in a long queue of cars trying to cross the illegally-built Kerch Bridge.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
Sonya Bandouil
Ukraine should be allowed to strike ‘valid military targets’ in Russia, US House Intelligence Committee chair says
Ukraine should be allowed to strike "valid military targets" in Russia, Mike Turner, Republican congressman from Ohio and the chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said in Kyiv on July 1.
Visiting Kyiv as part of a bipartisan delegation of U.S. members of Congress, Turner said his position on Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory was "broader than (President Joe Biden's) administration."
The U.S. gave Ukraine permission on June 1 to use American-supplied weapons, including HIMARS rockets, to strike targets in Russia located near the border with Kharkiv Oblast after Russia launched a renewed offensive in the region on May 10.
Ukraine is still prohibited from using ATACMS and other long-range U.S.-supplied weapons for strikes deeper inside Russia.
"I believe that Ukraine ought to be able to use the weapons that are being provided for valid military targets," Turner said.
"My position is the same as (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg," Turner added, referring to Stoltenberg's remarks in June that restricting Ukraine's ability to strike targets in Russia is "to ask them to defend themselves with one hand tied around the back."
Turner also highlighted the fact that Russia's arms production is estimated to be far higher than that of the West.
Despite Western efforts to undermine Russia's industrial and military output, the country is only increasing its investment into arms production, allocating a record portion of its 2024 federal budget for military needs.
"This is a math problem and I think there should be an ability to use military force to respond to that issue also."
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on June 7 that his country had increased ammunition production by more than 20 times, and weeks later called for Russia to resume production of short and intermediate-range nuclear-capable missiles.
Mariana Lastovyria
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