Ukraine war briefing: Military’s former top commander says Kyiv has no chance of joining Nato
Now UK envoy Valery Zaluzhnyi quoted as saying Ukraine can’t meet military standards needed to join alliance; Kyiv largely stalls Moscow’s advances, data suggests. What we know on day 1,623

TL;DR
- Former Ukrainian military commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi believes Ukraine cannot join NATO due to not meeting military standards and outdated doctrines.
- Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia resulted in casualties and fires in the Moscow region and near St. Petersburg.
- Ukraine's frontlines showed little change in July, with Russia making significantly smaller territorial gains compared to the previous year.
- Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna, has been dismissed.
- Russian officials reported casualties from Ukrainian drone attacks in Crimea and a Black Sea resort, and also from a restaurant bombing in Moscow.
- Russian aerial bombings on residential districts in Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rig resulted in civilian deaths.
- Prominent Russian anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin has fled to Paris.