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The "Yuri Olefirenko" is a medium-sized landing ship of the Ukrainian Navy
Photo: Konstantin Sazonchik / ITAR-TASS / IMAGO
This article will be updated on an ongoing basis.
Russian army reports destruction of Ukrainian warship
12:18 p.m.: According to its own statements, the Russian army has destroyed the warship "Yuri Olefirenko". It was hit on Monday by a "high-precision strike" by the Russian Air Force on a berth in the port of Odessa, the Russian army said.
According to information from Russia, it is said to be the last large warship that Ukraine still had. The "Yuri Olefirenko" is a medium-sized landing ship of the Ukrainian Navy. Kiev has not yet commented on the alleged destruction of the ship.
Putin congratulates Erdoğan, calls him "dear friend" and wants to meet him soon
11:54 a.m.: Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin has congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on his victory in the Turkish presidential election, calling him his "dear friend". In the foreseeable future, there should also be a meeting of the two heads of state, but it is not yet clear when and where it will take place.
British intelligence services see Russia increasingly on the defensive
10:07 a.m.: Since the beginning of May 2023, Moscow has successively surrendered the initiative, according to the British Ministry of Defense. "It is responding to Ukrainian actions instead of actively working towards its own war aims," reads the daily briefing, which is based on intelligence and is also disseminated via Twitter.
In May, for example, Russia attacked targets deep in Ukraine with unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles for 20 nights. It allegedly intended to neutralize Ukrainian air defenses and destroy Ukrainian counterattack forces, but had little success.
At the operational level, Moscow is now on the defensive: "Russian commanders are probably trying to set up reserve forces and position them where they expect a Ukrainian counterattack." However, this would be made more difficult by the fact that gaps at the front near Bakhmut would have to be filled.
Medvedev calls Britons who support Ukraine a "legitimate target"
9:44 a.m.: The deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, called Britain Moscow's "eternal enemy" in a tweet. All British leaders who supported the war in Ukraine could be considered legitimate military targets.
Medvedev was responding to British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly's remark that Ukraine has the right to use force beyond its own borders. Medvedev replied that Britain's "silly officials" should keep in mind that Britain could be classified as "at war."
"Britain acts as an ally of Ukraine, providing it with military assistance in the form of equipment and specialists, that is, it is de facto waging an undeclared war against Russia," Medvedev writes. "Since this is the case, any of its officials (either military or civilian) who supports the war can be considered a legitimate military target."
Dmitry Medvedev once accompanied the hope of making Russia a little more liberal and less authoritarian. Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine, however, he has become one of the hardliners and repeatedly rails against the West with pithy words.
Russian governor reports shelling of border town of Shebekino
9:36 a.m.: According to Russian data, the Russian city of Shebekino is being shelled for the third time in a week. Four people were injured in the artillery attack, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram. As a result of the shelling, buildings and vehicles caught fire. Shebekino is about seven kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
Authorities in Krasnodar report night attack on second refinery
9:04 a.m.: In addition to the alleged drone attack on the Afipsky refinery, Russian authorities are now reporting another attack: around 4 a.m., an unidentified drone crashed into the site of the Ilsky oil refinery, according to Telegram. The infrastructure of the plant was not damaged, and there were no casualties. At 9:20 a.m., the crashed device was destroyed by blasting technicians for safety reasons.
Afipsky is located about 20 kilometers southwest of the regional capital Krasnodar, Ilsky about 20 kilometers further west. Both are also not far from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, and the facilities are about 250 kilometers away from Russian-occupied Crimea.
Fire extinguished in southern Russian refinery
8:53 a.m.: In the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, the fire in an oil refinery has been extinguished after a suspected drone attack, according to the authorities. This was announced by Governor Venjamin Kondratiev via Telegram. The Afipski refinery is located about 15 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital Krasnodar. Initially, nothing was known about the extent of the damage. According to unconfirmed media reports, a second refinery was also attacked in the region during the night without a fire breaking out there.
Recent developments: Fire at Russian refinery near Crimea – Moscow threatens retaliation
8:28 a.m.: Probably after a drone attack, an oil refinery in southern Russia caught fire. Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov is furious after the attacks on Moscow. And: Zelensky thanks Scholz. Read more here.
Yesterday evening's news on the attacks on Moscow
8.14 a.m.: Before today's news starts, here is a reference to two very readable texts from yesterday evening about the drone attacks on the Russian capital, which should still be of interest today:
"But not here, so close. Here in Moscow!« – The drones reached Moscow in the morning: For the first time, residential buildings were damaged in the Russian capital. Many people still can't quite grasp the whole thing. Read more here.
What can Russia's anti-aircraft defenses around Moscow do? – Several drones have reached Moscow. It is not clear who sent them. But how could the aircraft get close to the city in the first place? According to Russian statements, the metropolis should actually be well protected. Read more here.
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