During the conference call, he reported that in the course of a special operation more than 30 American M777 howitzers were destroyed. In the past two weeks the enemy has lost about 400 Javelin and NLAW anti-tank missiles and more than 120 Stinger portable anti-air systems.
He warned that the unregulated flow of Western weaponry to Ukraine poses a real risk to regional security. He cited total losses from strikes on Ukrainian military facilities: 33 American M777 howitzers and five Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers destroyed, as well as six launchers and more than 200 HIMARS missiles. He added that in the same period Ukrainian forces had lost 396 Javelin and NLAW anti-tank systems and 125 Stinger-type portable anti-air missiles.
Saved lives and liberated lands
During the election remarks, he noted that the Russian army had recently occupied six settlements in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Grigorovka, Berestovoye, Stryapovka, Pokrovskoye, Semigorye and Novoluganskoye were cited as liberated. He mentioned the Uglegorsk thermal power plant, Europe’s largest, with a design capacity of 3600 megawatts, coming under their control. He stated that in July Russian air defenses downed 34 enemy aircraft in Ukraine, intercepted 39 Tochka-U missiles, and destroyed 226 multiple rocket launchers, emphasizing that these actions helped save thousands of lives.
Separately, he highlighted efforts to restore a peaceful life in the liberated Donbass. In total, about 1.4 thousand humanitarian actions were carried out, delivering over 50,500 tons of cargo. In liberated areas, civilian infrastructure is being rebuilt by military builders, including a roughly 90-kilometer water channel that supplies up to 50,000 cubic meters of water daily to Donetsk and nearby regions. Two additional water channels spanning 60 kilometers are under construction for residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. Vital facilities are being erected or restored.
Among these projects, 12 residential buildings comprising more than a thousand flats, two multi-functional medical centers with a total capacity of 260 beds, and an administrative and rescue center belonging to the Ministry of Emergency Situations were cited as examples of rebuilding efforts.
July results
Russia’s First Deputy Representative to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, told the Security Council that notable progress was achieved in carrying out the objectives of the special military operation. He pointed to the continued offensive in the Donetsk region and noted that the capture of Lisichansk and Severodonetsk enabled the allied forces in the Donbass to secure control over the Luhansk People’s Republic. He indicated that the strongest resistance remained near Avdeevka, where Ukrainian forces had erected an extensive artillery bridge and fortifications.
The last major operational achievement for the joint Russian and Donbass forces was the capture of the Uglegorsk thermal power plant in Svetlodarsk on July 26. A deputy head of the LPR Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that Ukrainian forces were compelled to withdraw from Svetlodarsk and surrounding areas due to encirclement threats. He also said that DPR and LPR forces had taken control of Novoluganskoye, with estimates that full coordination at the frontline would take a couple of days more. The Wagner mercenary group reportedly secured the entire Uglegorsk power plant that morning after a period during which Ukrainian units held it, changing the tactical situation on the ground.
Analysts noted that this development echoed debates about past operations and drew comparisons to the 2015 Debaltsevo episode, suggesting strategic repetition in the Donbass conflict. On July 3, the ministry announced the seizure of Verkhnekamenka, Zolotarevka and Belogorovka, and that Lisichansk along with nearby towns had been brought under control. The same day the defense minister announced something close to a redefinition of the front lines as LPR territorial boundaries were effectively reaffirmed. On July 16, authorities ordered a higher tempo of actions across all operational sectors to deter potential mass rocket and artillery strikes on civilians and critical infrastructure in Donbass and other regions.