In the fourth decade of June, observers’ attention shifted to a section of the front that had remained largely unchanged since 2014. Russian forces unexpectedly intensified operations in the Toretsk direction, advancing from the Horlivka axis. Within just a few days, the aggressor managed to seize the settlement of Shumy and move close to the outskirts of Pivnichne and Druzhba.

The situation became so serious that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally visited the front line in Donetsk Oblast, supporting soldiers of the 110th and 47th Mechanised Brigades. The visit coincided with a high-profile dismissal: Lieutenant General Yurii Sodol was removed from his post as commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces. The decision followed public criticism from the command of the Azov Brigade, which accused the general of mistakes leading to unjustified personnel losses. He was replaced by Brigadier General Andrii Hnatov, widely respected for his role in the defence of southern Ukraine.

During the same week, Ukrainian services recorded significant operational successes deep in the enemy’s rear. Drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and military intelligence (HUR) struck further strategic targets, including chemical plants near Moscow and ammunition depots in Voronezh Oblast. President Zelenskyy revealed that for Ukrainian unmanned systems, a distance of 1,500 kilometres had ceased to be a barrier, a claim corroborated by strikes on more than 30 Russian refineries and fuel terminals. Moreover, for the first time on the front, Ukraine’s use of M30 GMLRS rockets with cluster warheads was documented, substantially increasing firepower against Russian troop concentrations. Intelligence services also disclosed data obtained from a “national satellite”, which over two years enabled the identification and destruction of thousands of targets worth billions of dollars.

On the international stage, a major legal breakthrough occurred. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for former Russian defence minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. The judges found them responsible for war crimes involving the direction of attacks against civilian objects and Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. At the same time, the European Union—despite earlier blockades by Hungary—approved the transfer of €1.4 billion to Ukraine from profits generated by frozen Russian assets. These funds are to be allocated directly to the purchase of ammunition and air-defence systems, a crucial decision in light of reports of a sharp increase in Russia’s use of tear gas on the battlefield, in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The humanitarian situation of civilians, especially the youngest victims of the war, remains one of the most pressing challenges for the Ukrainian authorities. According to data presented by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, more than 14,000 Ukrainian civilians are being forcibly held in Russian captivity. Their situation is exceptionally complex because, unlike military personnel or children, there are no clear legal grounds or established international mechanisms enabling their effective exchange or release. Lubinets stressed that Ukraine currently lacks tools of direct leverage over the Russian Federation in this regard, paralysing efforts to secure their return home.

At the same time, Ukraine is intensifying efforts to recover nearly 20,000 children who were unlawfully abducted and deported deep into Russia. The fate of these minors remains a top priority for state services, which are also attempting to determine the whereabouts of “tens of thousands” of citizens classified as missing. Each case represents an individual family tragedy, while search and negotiation processes are severely hindered by the lack of access to occupied territories and the opacity of Russian institutions.

At the beginning of July 2024, the situation on the eastern front deteriorated sharply. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, confirmed that the line of active hostilities had expanded, with the Pokrovsk and Toretsk sectors emerging as new critical flashpoints. Exploiting delays in Western arms deliveries, the Russian army managed to seize the Kanal microdistrict in Chasiv Yar. The city, reduced to ruins, became a symbol of Russia’s “total destruction” tactic, whereby every structure is levelled by artillery and aerial bombs before infantry advances.

Shocking data were presented by the acting Minister of Culture, Rostyslav Karandieiev: Russia currently controls approximately 1.5 million museum artefacts looted from occupied Ukrainian territories. By April 2024, nearly 2,000 cultural heritage sites had been destroyed, a process experts describe as a deliberate policy aimed at erasing Ukrainian national identity.

The tragedy of children deported to Russia continues unabated. Although Ukraine cooperates with organisations such as UNESCO and the United Nations, the absence of effective legal mechanisms prevents the rapid return of thousands of underage victims of forced deportation. Each day of delay increases the risk of permanent indoctrination and Russification of the youngest.

The international situation became particularly tense following the so-called “peace mission” of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. After visiting Kyiv, Orbán travelled to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin without an EU mandate, triggering a wave of criticism in Brussels. Ukraine unequivocally rejected Orbán’s proposal for a ceasefire, arguing that Russia would use such a pause solely to regroup its forces.

The war is increasingly being carried onto the territory of the aggressor. Ukrainian drones successfully struck electrometallurgical plants in Stary Oskol and a gunpowder factory in Kotovsk. Meanwhile, partisans from the “Atesh” group carried out sabotage operations on the Trans-Siberian Railway, blocking the transport of ammunition from North Korea.

Illustrative photo generated by AI