UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 518 - JULY 24, 2023

The Ukrainian Armed Forces conducted a drone attack near the building of the Russian Ministry of Defense in Moscow on July 24.

The Russian Foreign Ministry states that Russian electronic warfare repelled two Ukrainian drones, which detonated and damaged two non-residential buildings. One drone detonated on Komsomolski Avenue at a distance of 500 meters from the Ministry of Defense building and 200 meters away from an allegedly secret building of the Russian Chief Directorate of the General Staff (GRU). Russian sources report that the second drone hit a business center on Likhachev Avenue. CNN reports that an unnamed Ukrainian intelligence officer confirmed that Ukrainian forces carried out the attack. Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov states that unspecified drones attacked the capital and warns that further drone attacks against Russia will occur. Russian opposition source "The Insider" reported, citing sources in Russian state media, that Russian authorities had banned Russian television stations from reporting on the drone attacks. Russian military bloggers responded cautiously to these attacks; some criticized Russian air defense for allowing drones to penetrate so far into Moscow, while others argued that the intelligence gained from such attacks is minimal and short-lived.

It is likely that the Ukrainian Armed Forces targeted Russian military facilities in occupied Crimea and temporarily disrupted Russian logistics on the Crimea on July 24.

The complete Russian Offensive Update 518 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

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