Return of commanders from Azovstal and attacks on settlements: highlights of July 8

Return of the commanders

On July 8, five Azovstal commanders returned to Ukraine from Turkey together with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Azov Regiment commander Denys Prokopenko (Redis), his deputy Sviatoslav Palamar (Kalyna), acting commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade Serhii Volynskyi (Volyn), Azov senior officer Oleh Khomenko and commander of the 12th National Guard Brigade Denys Shleha arrived home.

Attacks on populated areas

On the night of July 8, the Russian occupation forces attacked with Iranian Shahed-136/131 attack drones from the southeast (Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai). Air Defense units destroyed five drones. They failed to intercept some of the drones.

In particular, the occupiers attacked Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, with drones, hitting an agricultural enterprise. As a result of this attack, a 26-year-old man was injured. He was hospitalized in a moderate condition. Several warehouses were destroyed, and equipment and vehicles were damaged.

In the morning, Russian occupation forces attacked the city of Lyman in Donetsk Oblast. Seven civilians were killed and 13 others were wounded. Two of the victims are in serious condition.

The occupiers struck the town with multiple rocket launchers, hitting the detached houses area. A house and a shop were damaged. At least six civilians were killed and five others were wounded.

An accident at a thermal power plant

An accident occurred at the Kurakhove thermal power plant in Donetsk Oblast, which has been repeatedly shelled by Russia when the roof of the boiler and turbine shop collapsed. An employee died as a result.

Three workers were taken to the hospital with open head injuries, rib fractures, and bruises. A woman who is in pre-infarction condition is also being treated.

According to preliminary reports, the roof collapsed as a result of Russia's previous attacks on the plant. Two more people may be under the rubble. Law enforcement officers are currently checking whether employees were allowed to work in emergency conditions.

Use of cluster munitions

Defense Minister Oleksii Rezinkov outlined five key principles for the use of cluster munitions:

1. Ukraine will use these munitions only for the de-occupation of its territories. They will not be used in Russia.
2. The defense forces will not use cluster munitions in urban areas to avoid risks to civilians. Instead, they will be directed only to places where Russian troops are concentrated to break through the defense lines of the Russian army.
3. Ukraine will keep strict records of the use of these weapons and localized areas of application.
4. After the de-occupation of Ukrainian territories and victory, the places where cluster munitions were used will be prioritized for demining.
5. Ukraine will report to its partners on the use of these munitions and their effectiveness to ensure transparent reporting and monitoring.

According to Reznikov, international partners have already been informed of these five principles, including the United States.

Portugal supports Ukraine's membership in NATO

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa have adopted a joint declaration on Ukraine's membership in NATO.

Already 23 countries have signed a joint statement of support for Ukraine's accession to NATO. In addition to Portugal, Bulgaria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden have already supported Ukraine.