Key facts
- Mykhailo Fedorov stated on July 23 he would only accept the defense minister position, rejecting other offers from President Zelensky.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Manila, suggesting new ideas are needed for a peace deal.
- President Zelensky said dismissed generals Syrskyi and Hnatov will remain to advise the new army command.
- A Russian Su-57 fighter jet reportedly crashed during a training flight in Moscow Oblast.
- Ukrainian forces launched drone attacks on Russian oil facilities and a logistics hub overnight.
Mykhailo Fedorov, recently dismissed as Ukraine's Defense Minister, stated on July 23 that he would only accept a return to that specific role, rejecting other positions offered by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Fedorov expressed gratitude for the options but emphasized that only the president, defense minister, and commander-in-chief truly shape the war's course.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting. Rubio indicated that "new ideas" might be necessary to achieve a peace agreement for the Russia-Ukraine war, stating the U.S. is prepared to play a constructive role if conditions are right. Lavrov, however, reiterated Russia's demand for the U.S. to cease weapons supplies to Ukraine and suggested any agreement should be based on prior understandings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.
In other developments, President Zelensky announced that former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and former Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov, both recently dismissed, will continue to advise the new military leadership, including newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi. This reshuffle followed Fedorov's dismissal and sparked protests in Ukraine.
Separately, a Russian Su-57 fighter jet reportedly crashed during a training flight in the Moscow Oblast, with the pilot reportedly ejecting safely. Additionally, Ukrainian forces conducted drone attacks overnight on July 23, targeting an oil refinery and a pumping station in Russia's Ulyanovsk Oblast and Bashkortostan Republic, respectively. Explosions were also reported near a logistics hub serving Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, in Voronezh. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted a significant number of drones across multiple regions.