War intensifies as Ukraine keeps quiet on counteroffensive

Russia reports heavy fighting along the front in southern Ukraine, where bloggers describe the first sightings of German and US armour, signalling that Ukraine’s long-anticipated counterattack is under way.
Ukrainian officials are keeping quiet about their military moves; President Zelenskyy has spoken about “hottest” battles and heavy fighting, but hinted it is not yet the time to comment on the reported counterattack.US announces $2.1bn military package for Ukraine
The US Department of Defense has announced an additional $2.1bn military package for Ukraine that it says includes air defence support and ammunition.

It will provide additional munitions for Patriot air defence systems, Raytheon HAWK air defence systems and missiles, 105mm and 203mm artillery rounds, AeroVironment Puma unmanned aerial systems, laser-guided rocket system munitions and support for training and maintenance, the department said in a statement.

Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds will be used to purchase the weapons, allowing President Joe Biden’s administration to buy weapons from the defence industry rather than pull from its own stocks.Putin says Ukraine’s counteroffensive has begun
Putin says Ukraine has begun its expected counteroffensive against Russian forces but without success.

“The offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has begun. This is evidenced by the use of strategic reserves,” he said at a conference in Sochi.

“Ukrainian troops did not achieve their goals in any sector – thanks to the courage of Russian soldiers, proper organisation of troops.”Iceland to suspend its embassy operations in Russia from August 1
Iceland will suspend its embassy operations in Moscow from August 1 and has asked Russia to scale back its diplomatic activities in Reykjavik, the foreign ministry says in a statement.

The suspension is due to an “all-time low” level of commercial, cultural and political relations between the two countries, the ministry said.

“The current situation simply does not make it viable for the small foreign service of Iceland to operate an embassy in Russia,” Foreign Minister Thordis Gylfadottir said.

But diplomatic relations between the two nations have not been severed, the ministry said, adding that the embassy will be reopened once relations normalise.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba thanked Iceland’s foreign minister for the decision and said, “Russia must see that barbarism leads to complete isolation.”Hungary recieves 11 Ukrainian POWs, Kyiv unaware of release
Hungary says it received a group of Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russia, a release that Ukraine welcomed but expressed concern about not being informed.

The POWs were from the western part of Ukraine that borders Hungary, according to both the Russian Orthodox Church, which said it had assisted in the release, and Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen.

“This is my human and patriotic duty … we have brought back from Moscow 11 prisoners of war from Transcarpathia,” a post on Semjen’s official Facebook page said.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry said it had asked Hungary’s representative in Ukraine to grant immediate access to the prisoners and said it was not aware of the release.

“The release of Ukrainian prisoners of war is always good news,” foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook, adding that the ministry had “emphasised the need to coordinate cooperation on such sensitive issues”.US satellites detected dam blast before collapse: NYT
The New York Times reports that a US official said American spy satellites detected an explosion at the Kakhovka dam before it collapsed.

The unnamed official said satellites with infrared sensors detected a heat signature consistent with a significant explosion.

While US intelligence analysts suspect Russia was behind the breach, American spy agencies do not have solid evidence about who was responsible for the dam’s collapse, which led to widespread flooding.

Belgium to supply Kyiv with artillery rounds worth $35m
Belgium plans to supply Ukraine with 105mm artillery rounds worth 32.4 million euros ($35m), a spokesperson for Belgium’s defence ministry says.

The ammunition will be purchased from the Belgian defence industry and will be delivered as soon as possible, a statement added.

Including this delivery, Belgium has provided 306 million euros ($330m) in lethal and non-lethal military support to Ukraine.Belgium to supply Kyiv with artillery rounds worth $35m
Belgium plans to supply Ukraine with 105mm artillery rounds worth 32.4 million euros ($35m), a spokesperson for Belgium’s defence ministry says.

The ammunition will be purchased from the Belgian defence industry and will be delivered as soon as possible, a statement added.

Including this delivery, Belgium has provided 306 million euros ($330m) in lethal and non-lethal military support to Ukraine.