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On Tuesday, July 18, it was reported that Ukraine activated aerial defenses in coastal Odesa early Tuesday, authorities said, hours after Russia refused to extend a deal allowing the safe export of grain from the region. “Odesa. Air defense combat work continues,” said Sergiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the Odessa military region, on Telegram. The Odesa region in southern Ukraine is home to maritime terminals that were key to the expired grain export agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
On Wednesday, July 19, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea in what appeared to be a statement of defiance as the United States deployed a nuclear-armed submarine to South Korea for the first time in decades. The launches came as the U.S. and the U.S.-led United Nations Command worked to resolve the highly unusual situation involving a U.S. soldier who crossed into North Korea while on a tour of a border village Tuesday afternoon. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said that from 3:30 to 3:46 a.m. North Korea fired two missiles from an area near the capital Pyongyang that flew about 550 kilometers (341 miles) before landing in waters east of the Korean Peninsula.
Also on Wednesday, Sources told local media that the weapon system underwent trial launches earlier this year, marking the culmination of the development and testing phase. Seoul plans to begin mass production of the Hyunmoo-V later this year, with a maximum capacity of 70 units annually. The target is to field up to 200 missiles to support the operations of the future Joint Strike Ship being developed by Hanwha Ocean.
On Monday, July 24, According to a report by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) is deploying medium-range Dongfeng 17 (DF-17) hypersonic missiles in southeastern China that could potentially target Taiwan and evade U.S.-built air defense systems. On Sunday (July 23), the South China Morning Post citied that Decker Eveleth, a researcher at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, had published a report titled "People's Liberation Army Rocket Force Order of Battle 2023" on July 3. The report said the PLARF has upgraded its short-range missiles in China's southeastern provinces with medium-range DF-17 missiles.
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