10 July 2023
NATO
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the inauguration meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council ahead of the alliance's summit in Vilnius on 11-12 July, its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. The allies will decide "on the Ukrainian path towards NATO membership".
"Even if different positions are voiced, it is still clear that Ukraine deserves to be in the Alliance. Not now – there is a war, but we need a clear signal. And we need this signal right now," Zelenskyy said in a video address.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on Germany not to block Ukraine's application for fast-track accession to NATO at the Vilnius summit. "I urge the German government not to repeat the mistakes made by Chancellor Merkel in 2008, who clearly spoke out against Ukraine's integration into NATO. This resulted in even more aggressive behaviour by Russia – think of Georgia, hostility towards the West and the current aggression against Ukraine," Kuleba said in an interview with Tagesschau.
More than half of Ukrainians (56%) expect the summit to guarantee Ukraine's accession to NATO; 29% expect this to happen in the short term and 27% in the long term, a survey by the Rating pollster has found out.
Russian bombing of Orikhiv
Seven people were reported killed when Russians dropped a guided air bomb on Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhya Region, now that the search and rescue works are over. The attack targeted a local school which serves as a human aid distribution station. Over a dozen more people were injured.
Bakhmut
For several days now, Ukrainian defenders have been keeping the entrances, exits and movements of Russian troops in Bakhmut under fire control, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said. This became possible after "in the process of advancing, our troops took control of the main dominant heights around Bakhmut".
Liberation efforts
Since the start of the offensive, Ukrainian forces have liberated 169 sq km in the Melitopol and Berdyansk sectors. This is roughly the size of the city of Odesa.
Over the past week, more than 10 sq km have been liberated in southern Ukraine, General Staff spokesman Andriy Kovalyov during said. "Mine clearance activities are ongoing in these areas," he added.
Last week, Ukrainian troops liberated 4 sq km in the Bakhmut sector. In total, 24 sq km of Ukrainian land have been liberated.
Ukrainian troops continue their offensive in the Melitopol, Berdyansk and Bakhmut sectors. They are also holding back Russia's offensive in the Avdiyivka and Maryinka sectors.
Armour plant
Rheinmetall will open an armoured vehicle plant in Ukraine within the next 12 weeks, CNN reported. It will also train Ukrainians to maintain the tanks and other armoured vehicles made in the factory, which will be located in western Ukraine.
Evacuation
Preparations are underway to prepare the evacuation of civilians from a 5-km border zone in Sumy Region due to constant Russian shelling. Among other reasons, this will be done to allow the Ukrainian military to respond to enemy threats.
International agenda
Turkey did not set any conditions to Kyiv in exchange for the return home of the Mariupol defence commanders, Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar told Radio Liberty. He noted that Ankara was interested in the operation because it was a way for Turkey to strengthen its position in the international arena.
Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa Maksym Subkh had a telephone conversation with Deputy Foreign Minister of Liberia Deweh Gray to coordinate the two countries' positions on cooperation in the UN and other international organisations.
Health
For the first time in Ukraine, a heart transplant was performed on a six-year-old girl, the Health Ministry said. The heart was transplanted from a deceased four-year-old boy upon consent from his mother.