Cluster munitions from US, foreign visits by Zelenskyy and helicopters from Czech Republic: highlights of July 7

New aid package from the United States

The United States has announced the 42nd military aid package for Ukraine. It includes additional ammunition for Patriot air defense systems and HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Stryker armored personnel carriers, AIM-7 guided missiles, and more.

In particular, 155-mm artillery shells, including DPICM cluster munitions, and 105-mm artillery shells.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan explained that there is a “big difference” between the type of cluster munitions used by Russia in its war against Ukraine and the type that the US will provide to Ukrainian troops.

“Ukraine will not use these munitions in some foreign country. This is their territory, which they are defending, they are defending their citizens, and they are motivated to use any kind of weapons they have,” the US Presidential Advisor emphasized.

Zelenskyy's foreign visits

On July 7, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid an official visit to Slovakia and traveled to Turkey.

In Bratislava, Zelenskyy met with his Slovak counterpart Zuzana Čaputová, as well as the chairman of the Slovak National Council, Boris Kollar, and Slovak parliamentarians.

Čaputová said that Slovakia will produce 16 Zuzana 2 self-propelled artillery pieces for Ukraine and will start manufacturing these howitzers jointly with Ukraine.

The Slovak president also expressed support for Ukraine's NATO membership.

After Slovakia, Zelenskyy traveled to Turkey, where he met with the country's leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Ukrainian president plans to coordinate with Erdogan on the “Peace Formula”, the NATO summit, security guarantees, and the grain initiative.

Helicopters from the Czech Republic

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has confirmed new military assistance to Ukraine.

The defense forces will receive more attack helicopters and hundreds of thousands more rounds of large-caliber ammunition in the coming months.

The Czech Republic will also help Ukraine with pilot training, including for F-16 aircraft, and will supply flight simulators to Ukraine so that training can take place not only in Western countries but also in Ukraine.

Expectations from the NATO Summit

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that he expects the Vilnius Summit next week to take decisions that will bring Ukraine closer to the Alliance.

These include a multi-year support program to ensure that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are interoperable with NATO; renewed political ties by establishing a NATO-Ukraine Council; and a reaffirmation by NATO member states that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance.

Situation at the frontline

Ukrainian defense forces continue offensive operations in the Melitopol and Berdiansk sectors. Hot fighting is going on everywhere, said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar.

Ukrainian troops are consolidating their positions and conducting counter-battery operations.

At the same time, Russians continue their offensive at the Avdiivka, Maryinka, Kupyansk, Lyman and Svatove directions. They are trying to break through the Ukrainian defense.

In the Bakhmut sector, on the southern flank, Ukrainian troops have advanced by more than a kilometer in several areas. On the northern flank, the fighting has not changed.

In Bakhmut itself, the Russians are virtually trapped.

Other news of the day:

• The Netherlands recognizes the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people.
• Russian shelling of Lviv kills 10 people.
• A training center for F-16 fighter jets will be set up in Romania, and Ukrainian pilots will train there.
• Despite more than a year of full-scale war against Russia, 70% of Ukrainians surveyed consider themselves happy.
• Registration for one-day free training in preparation for national resistance has begun in Kyiv.
• Ukraine manages to return the bodies of Ukrainian defenders killed in the terrorist attack in Olenivka. Most of them have already been identified.