From Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 513):

O God, you are my God;
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1

Last night, Russia destroyed 100 tons of peas and 20 tons of barley in yet another attack on the Odesa region.
Today, they killed two Ukrainian children (10 and 16 years old) when a missile hit their home in the Druzhba village of the Donetsk region.
There are reports that China may be providing military aid to Russia.

My mind is ready to explode with all this news, yet when I look around, I see the beauty of God’s creation, I listen to my son’s dreams, and try to find hope in everyday things. How do these worlds coexist? How do we make sense when living in both of…

From Atlantic Council By Peter Dickinson: Vladimir Putin will not be traveling to South Africa in August for a summit of BRICS leaders, it was confirmed this week. The change of plan reflects fears in Moscow that the Russian dictator may face arrest for war crimes if he attends the annual event in Johannesburg. In early 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin over his alleged role in the mass abduction of Ukrainian children. As an ICC signatory nation, South Africa would have been expected to arrest Putin if he entered the country.

Russia’s efforts to pressure South Africa into providing the necessary assurances clearly failed, leading to the July 19 announcement that Putin would not be attending. This exercise in damage limitation comes as no surprise. Speculation over Putin’s possible arrest in South Africa was rapidly becoming a PR disaster for the Kremlin, drawing…

From Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 512):

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
Psalm 62:8

Over the past three days, Russia launched 56 missiles at Ukraine. Last night, they especially hit Odesa and Mykolaiv.

In Mykolaiv, they destroyed residential buildings, killed 2 and injured 19 people, including children.
In Odesa, an administrative building was destroyed, and residential buildings were damaged. At least 4 people were injured.
In Sumy, a drone hit a children’s recreation center building.
In the Chernihiv region, drones targeted residential buildings. There may be injured.

We’ve already had several air raids this night and who knows what morning news will bring.

Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that…

From Maia Mikhaluk in Kyiv (512th): Odessa ad Mykolaiv were under fire again last night. On the night of July 20, the Russian occupiers launched another massive missile attack on the south of Ukraine. Various types of missiles and drones were used in the attack. They hit the port, piers, residential buildings and trade networks. In Odesa, four people were injured during a night attack. Nine people were hospitalized in Mykolaiv.
Russia launched 38 munitions: 19 cruise missiles and 19 kamikaze drones, the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reports: 18 targets ( including 5 missiles) were shot down by our air defense.

Ruzzians are pushing the world to starvation. The attacks on the port infrastructure, which Russia inflicted for the third night in a row, and the deliberate destruction of grain stocks for export by the aggressor country are barbaric acts that will lead to a large-scale food…

From Kyiv Post by by Ugo Poletti: Kyiv Post’s special correspondent in Odesa reports on three nights of terror from massive Russian missile attacks intended to paralyze the port and prevent grain shipments.

Odesahas suffered hundreds of Russian attacks since Feb. 24, 2022. But from Feb. 18 to 20 it was the target of an unprecedented, three straight nights of intense missile and drone strikes, all concentrated on the sea port.

The pattern repeated itself with astonishing precision. The naval missiles and kamikaze drones attacked together, three successive nights, starting at 2:00 a.m., with the all-clear sounding after two hours, around 4 a.m.

The inhabitants of Odessa who live near the port, which is next to the historic center, felt the walls of their houses and the windows shaking from the shock waves on all three nights.

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From Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 511):

Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;
from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,
for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
Psalm 61:1‭-‬3

Last night, Ukraine survived a massive attack from the air. Russia attacked Ukraine with cruise missiles “Kalibr,” cruise missiles Kh-22, cruise missiles “Oniks,” a guided air missile Kh-59, and Iranian-made Shahed drones. Most of these weapons were aimed at Odesa. Russia needed leverage, having suspended the grain agreement, so they attacked seaport infrastructure and grain storage. They destroyed 60,000 tons of grain intended for China that had to be shipped as part of the grain agreement.
One of the missiles left a huge…