"Ukraine has brought home another group of soldiers released from Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 23, marking yet another in a recent series of exchanges with Moscow.The swap follows eight other exchanges carried out in recent weeks in accordance with an agreement reached between Kyiv and Moscow at the second round of peace talks in Istanbul on June 2.
"The ninth phase of the Istanbul-negotiated exchange concluded today, facilitating the return of critically ill and severely wounded defenders," Zelensky said. "We are now able to disclose that, through all iterations of the recent Istanbul agreements, we have secured the return of more than 1,000 people. For a thousand families, this represents a profound opportunity to embrace their loved ones once more. Our appreciation goes to all who contributed to this." KI
"A moderately strong earthquake registered by the EMSC as M5.1 (downgraded from M5.8)hit offshore Crete near Antikythera, Greece at 16:26 local time (13:26 UTC)
According to data from the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens, the epicenter was located approximately 21 km (13 miles) southeast of Antikythera, in the Kissamos Bay region of northwestern Crete." W
"A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.3 hit Sulawesi, Indonesia at 20:50 UTC. The epicenter was located 109 km (68 miles) W of Gorontalo (population 198 539), and 174 km (108 miles) NNW of Luwuk, Indonesia.
2 million people are estimated to have felt light shaking and 467 000 weak." W
"Turkey and Saudi Arabia have indicated this week they are preparing to ramp up their investment and military support to post-Assad Syria, which is under the new regime of President al-Sharaa and his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (rebranded Syrian al-Qaeda).
Saudi Arabia too is eyeing greater participation in the supposedly 'new Syria' - now that Assad has exited:
Saudi Arabia's investment minister led a business delegation travelling to Syria on Wednesday, where they were expected to sign deals worth around $4 billion as part of Riyadh's efforts to support the country's post-war recovery." ZH
"172 combat clashes between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian invaders were recorded on the frontline.
In the Northern Slobozhanshchyna and Kursk sectors, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 12 attacks by the invaders. The enemy also carried out nine air strikes, using 21 guided aerial bombs, and carried out 368 shelling attacks, six of which were from multiple launch rocket systems.
In the Southern Slobozhanshchyna sector, the enemy made 10 unsuccessful attempts toadvance in the areas of Vovchansk, Kamianka, Dvorichna, and toward Petro-Ivanivka.
Nine attacks by the invaders were launched in the Kupiansk sector. Defense Forces repelled assaults in the areas of Stepova Novoselivka, Borivska Andriivka, Holubivka, Zahryzove, and Novoplatonivka.
There were 28 combat clashes in the Lyman sector. The enemy attempted to advance near Hrekivka, Zelenyi Hai, Serednie, Shandryholove, Dronivka, Novyi Mir, Karpivka, Kolodiazi, Shypylivka, and toward Druzheliubivka and Serebrianka.
In the Siversk sector, Ukrainian troops repelled four enemy attacks in the Hryhorivka area.
In the Kramatorsk sector, the enemy carried out three attacks in the Chasiv Yar, Stupochky, and Bila Hora areas.
In the Toretsk sector, the enemy attacked Ukrainian units four times in the Toretsk area.
In the Pokrovsk sector, the Defense Forces stopped 61 assaults by the aggressor near the settlements of Rusyn Yar, Myroliubivka, Zatyshok, Lysivka, Popiv Yar, Myrnohrad, Zvirove, Udachne, Oleksiivka, Novoukrainka, Maiak, Novoekonomichne, Kotlyne, Dachne, and toward Pokrovsk, Pankivka, Volodymyrivka, and Sukhetske.
In the Novopavlivka sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled 15 attacks by invaders in the areas of Zaporizhzhia, Zirka, Piddubne, Oleksandrohrad, Shevchenko, Maliivka, Temyrivka, Voskresenka, and Vilne Pole.
In the Huliaipole sector, the enemy stormed the positions of Ukrainian fighters in the Bilohiria area once." Ukrin
