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Zelensky Under Fire: Mass Protests in 6 Cities and “Impossible” Talks in Istanbul. Ukrainian Mirage-2000 Crashes Under Mysterious Circumstances. Russia Strikes Ukrainian Targets in South and East.
Situation in the sky
Ukraine continues mass attacks on Russia using drones and guided aerial bombs. Just during the evening of July 22nd and the night of July 23rd, Russian air defense systems shot down over 80 drones across seven regions: Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov, Oryol, Kaluga, Tula, and Lipetsk Oblasts. Over the past 24 hours, approximately 256 Ukrainian UAVs and 6 guided bombs were destroyed. Among these were both light strike drones and larger reconnaissance-strike UAVs, as well as Neptune missiles. The targets of the attacks were border regions and major cities. Overall, Russian air defense maintains high effectiveness, minimizing destruction and casualties. According to official Ukrainian sources, on the evening of July 22nd, a Mirage-2000 fighter jet crashed in Volyn Region (Western Ukraine) under unclear circumstances; the pilot successfully ejected.
In response to the attacks from Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces (RAF) launched massive strikes with high-precision weaponry, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, targeting airfields, industrial facilities, and equipment bases in Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, and Kharkiv Oblasts. Near Odesa, Russian forces employed over 10 attack drones against the “Shkolny” and “Gidroport” airfields, causing major fires. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, positions of the Ukrainian 25th Separate Air Assault Brigade were reportedly destroyed, and damage was inflicted on military infrastructure. Furthermore, Russian strikes targeted railway infrastructure at key Ukrainian logistics hubs, including in Kiev, Khmelnytskyi, and Kharkiv Oblasts, attempting to disrupt the movement of equipment and supplies.
Footage shows aftermath of Geran drone strikes in Kramatorsk and Kryvyi Rih
Situation on the fronts
In border areas, attempts by Ukrainian assault groups to penetrate Kursk Oblast were noted, but Russian troops repelled them with air support.
In the Sumy direction, Russian troops continue active offensive operations. Units of the Northern group of forces captured the settlement of Varachino, advanced in Yunakovka, and are engaged in intense combat clashes near Kondrativka, utilizing aviation and FPV drones. Russian units are expected to reach the H07 highway leading to the city of Sumy soon.
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Combat in Kondrativka: British army vehicle destroyed
The Sumy direction: Ukrainian soldiers flee the impact site of a UMPK-equipped FAB bomb
In Kharkiv direction, the RAF conducted a series of strikes on the cities of Kharkiv, Izyum, Derhachi, and Kupiansk, including with drones and missiles, primarily targeting Kharkiv’s Industrial District. Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) positions and infrastructure were hit. Near Vovchansk, Ukrainian counterattack attempts proved unsuccessful.
Combat in Vovchansk forests
Units of the Russian Western group of forces attacked five UAF brigades in the areas of Izyum, Andriivka, Karpivka, Shandryholove, and Drobysheve, inflicting significant losses on the enemy – over 250 personnel – and destroying armored vehicles, automobiles, multiple rocket launcher systems, artillery, electronic warfare (EW) stations, and ammunition depots. On top of that, Russian FPV drone operators destroyed a Ukrainian “Akatsiya” self-propelled artillery unit.
Additionally, near Kupiansk, Russian Volunteer Corps militant Mikhail Pavlov was eliminated.
In the Kostiantynivka direction, Russian troops captured the settlement of Bila Hora and are expanding control in the area of Oleksandro-Kalynove. Fierce fighting continues for the heights near Rusyn Yar and the assault on the settlement of Oleksandro-Shultyne, creating a threat of a “pocket” for Ukrainian troops near the Siverskyi Donets – Donbas canal. North of Myrnograd, Russian forces have established control over Fedorivka, and have also advanced towards Nykanorivka and in the southwestern sector of Poltavka.
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Russian units are advancing along the highway between Stepanivka and Yablunivka on the southern outskirts of Shcherbynivka, threatening to encircle Ukrainian forces holding the right bank of the canal. Over the past 24 hours on this axis, up to 215 Ukrainian servicemen were eliminated, three armored vehicles and an artillery piece were destroyed, and ammunition depots and EW equipment were captured. Overall, a continuing offensive and compression of Ukrainian defenses in the Kostiantynivka area are observed.
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In the Pokrovsk direction, Russian troops are consolidating positions in the Zverevo area and conducting assaults around Rodynske, delivering systematic artillery and drone strikes, weakening UAF defenses. Assault groups control the road between Belitske, Rodynske, and Pokrovsk, blocking the transfer of Ukrainian army reserves and ammunition. In Pokrovsk itself, Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups (DRGs) are actively operating, linked to the weakening of UAF positions on the city’s southern and western boundaries. South of Pokrovsk, Russian forces are advancing, pushing back Ukrainian units and expanding their control zone, creating a threat of encirclement for Ukrainian troops in the Pokrovsk–Mynohrad agglomeration.
In the South Donetsk direction, Russian troops are consolidating positions in the areas of Zelenyi Hai and Temyrivka while inflicting significant strikes on Ukrainian troop positions.
On the political front
Tonight, in Istanbul, the third round of negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations begins. The Russian delegation is headed by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, while the Ukrainian delegation is led by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov. The main topics of the meeting will be discussions of draft memorandums on a peaceful settlement, exchanged during the previous round, and the issue of prisoner exchanges. Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov has already stated that a “very difficult discussion” lies ahead, as the draft documents are “diametrically opposed,” and “miraculous breakthroughs” should not be expected at this meeting.
In Washington, officials emphasized that the 50-day period indicated by Donald Trump for Russia to cease shelling Ukraine is not an unconditional deadline. According to State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, this is a “window of opportunity” that could be adjusted depending on the progress of negotiations. Bruce added that the situation remains dynamic, and the outcome of the dialogue could fundamentally change the situation even within two days. Trump acts like a trader in an eastern bazaar, and is just as “immovable”.
Mass protests have erupted in Kiev, Dnipro, Odesa, Sumy, Chernivtsi, and Ternopil against a law signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The legislation sharply curtails the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), effectively stripping these agencies of their independence. Protesters condemn the move as a crippling blow to anti-corruption efforts and a betrayal of national interests.
Kiev Protest. Crowd chants: “Zelensky is a devil!”
Mass protests in Lviv
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For Zelensky, this represents a significant erosion of his domestic and international credibility. Notably, this marks the first mass demonstrations against the president himself during his tenure, moving beyond demands for reform to direct opposition. This domestic challenge undermines Zelensky’s authority and damages his international image at a critical juncture for Ukraine.
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southfront still waiting for “total afu collapse”…heheheh…you dumb orc bastads!!!
orcs and tolkiens are margaret thatchers, or anglo-saxonic devils, a beast heheheheh’s mess like you.
“please, please stop saying that ukraine is a corrupt country, because from now, it’s not true. we want to change this image.”
volodymyr zelensky
kill yourself and the top leadership, image changed…
silly ukrainians.
they should protest en masse for the abductions made by the trc and the mass killings in the battlefields. why all this for just a law even if important?
they aren’t silly they’re unarmed and defenseless just the way the rich wanted
it’s all crimes against humanity legalised by the rule of law for the benefit of the richest people. and the losers go to war believing in some ideologically unsound nonsense about flags and defending their rights to, now, own nothing and be happy.