Russia targets Ukrainian ports and claims seizure of eight settlements

Russia has intensified its military operations against Ukrainian maritime and land targets. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that between August 1 and August 7, a total of 34 vessels—including 31 bulk carriers and 3 tugboats—were struck in operations targeting port infrastructure and naval assets.

In recent maritime strikes, Russia targeted the ports of Odessa and Chornomorsk, specifically hitting fuel and military material depots, as well as cargo transfer facilities. Attacks also focused on fuel depots in the Belyary and Novyye Belyary settlements near Odessa. These operations utilized high-precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

On land, Russia claimed to have seized control of eight settlements across the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions, including Baksheyevka, Bely Kolodez, Ustinovka, Aniskino, and Olgovka in Kharkiv; Ryjevka in Sumy; and Lyubitskoye and Zarnitsa in Zaporizhzhia. Additionally, Russian forces reported taking control of Toretskoye and Vasyutinskoye in the Donbas area.

Concurrently, Ukraine has conducted retaliatory strikes, including an attack on the Russian city of Belgorod that resulted in three deaths and 25 injuries. Ukraine also reported significant aerial activity, noting that Russia launched 17 missiles and 202 UAVs in a single night, with Ukrainian air defenses intercepting 174 drones.