International politics continues to be shaped by Russia's war against Ukraine. New sanctions, possible diplomatic formats and security issues are being discussed in various countries, while events of strategic importance are ongoing at the front and in the rear. Changes in the military-political leadership of Ukraine and the consequences of Ukrainian attacks for the Russian economy are attracting special attention.
Moscow offered to become a platform for negotiations between the US, Iran and the Persian Gulf countries
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced its readiness to facilitate a peaceful resolution of tensions between the US, Iran and the Persian Gulf countries. Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov said in an interview with the Russian publication Izvestia that Moscow is ready to provide a platform for negotiations, but does not intend to impose its services. According to him, the Russian Federation continues to contact all interested parties, including Islamabad, Riyadh and Ankara. The Russian side also claims that diplomatic efforts to return the parties to the negotiation process are ongoing.
Alimov stressed that the Russian Federation considers itself one of the key participants in international diplomacy within the UN and is ready to join in de-escalating the situation. He stated his readiness to facilitate both the US-Iranian dialogue and negotiations between Iran and the Arab states of the region. At the same time, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry did not specify whether Moscow had received relevant appeals from potential participants in such a dialogue. There is also no information about any specific agreements on the organization of possible negotiations.
Zelensky holds meetings with military leadership amid protests over personnel decisions
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held a series of separate meetings with leading Ukrainian military commanders amid the largest street protests since the start of the full-scale war. According to Reuters, the discontent was caused by the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov from the post of Minister of Defense and the demands of some protesters to dismiss the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky. Protests took place for several days in a row in Kyiv and other cities, despite the martial law. The publication notes that the demonstrations also showed that there were discussions within the military-political leadership regarding the further strategy of waging the war.
According to Reuters, Zelensky met separately with six high-ranking military officials, whom political analysts call potential candidates for the post of Commander-in-Chief. Among them are the commander of the Joint Forces Mykhailo Drapaty, deputy chief of the General Staff Volodymyr Horbatyuk, commander of the Airborne Assault Forces Oleh Apostol, as well as corps commanders Andriy Biletsky, Ihor Obolensky and Denys Prokopenko. Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov called for unity and said that the authorities had heard the public position. At the same time, according to a Gradus poll, 61% of Ukrainians oppose the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov, and one of the organizers of the protests, Dmytro Kozyatynsky, threatened indefinite actions if Fedorov is not reinstated and Syrsky is not dismissed by July 24.
Trump called for including Iran in the bill on sanctions against the Russian Federation
US President Donald Trump called on Republicans to expand the bill on sanctions against the Russian Federation by adding provisions related to Iran. He wrote about this on the social network Truth Social, noting that this is exactly the approach, according to him, that Senator Lindsey Graham sought. At the same time, Trump did not specify what specific sanction mechanisms he proposes to apply to Iran and when the relevant document could be submitted to Congress for consideration. The American president probably meant the legislative initiative that Republican Senator Lindsey Graham was working on.
The report also mentions that Lindsey Graham died on July 11 in Washington. Shortly before that, he visited Ukraine, where he visited the SkyFall enterprise, which produces heavy Vampire bomber drones, Shrike FPV drones and P1-SUN drone interceptors. During the visit, the senator also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Together with him, a member of the US House of Representatives and honorary chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, arrived in Kyiv.
Ukrainian strikes on refineries caused fuel shortages in the regions of the Russian Federation
Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries forced the Russian authorities to change the logistics of fuel supplies within the country. As Reuters reports, citing industry sources, fuel from Siberia, the Urals and Belarus is being redirected to the Moscow region to avoid shortages in the capital. According to the agency, fuel shortages have been ongoing in various regions of the Russian Federation since May, when Ukraine stepped up attacks on oil refining facilities. In the first half of July, gasoline production in the Russian Federation fell to about 65% of seasonal demand.
The most difficult situation, according to Reuters, has developed in the occupied Crimea, where fuel rationing has already been introduced, shop and cafe opening hours have been reduced and some tourist activities have been restricted. To ensure Moscow's supply, the Russian authorities have also begun importing fuel from India and increased supplies from Belarus. The agency's sources reported that additional supplies from other regions alone amount to hundreds of thousands of tons of fuel. Despite statements by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak that the situation has partially stabilized, some regions of the Russian Federation continue to experience serious problems with fuel supplies.
The Kremlin announced business losses after strikes on Wildberries warehouses
The Kremlin said that Ukrainian drone strikes on the logistics centers of Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries caused significant losses to the company and entrepreneurs. According to Reuters, the drones attacked two large warehouse complexes in Kotovsk and Elektrostal, causing fires and disruptions to the logistics network. Wildberries processes more than 20 million orders every day, so the damage to its infrastructure affected its delivery. The company did not officially report the extent of the material losses.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the company itself and small and medium-sized businesses that use its logistics network suffered losses as a result of the attack. At the same time, he rejected Ukraine's accusations that Wildberries is involved in meeting Russia's military needs. Ukraine has previously stated that the company's logistics infrastructure is used to transport military goods. The Kremlin denies these allegations.
Photo: REUTERS/Thomas Peter
Author: Danylo Pievchev