It is day 502 of the war in Ukraine. Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, reports the deployment of Akhmat special forces to Bakhmut.

Five Russian police officers receive suspended sentences in the murder case of the 23-year-old Vera Pekhteleva.

Heavy rain continues to flood Sochi and its surroundings, forcing authorities to evacuate the village of Mirny.

Peru declares emergency due to an outbreak of Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

Read the top headlines about the events that occurred in the early hours of 10 July in Novaya-Europe’s round-up.

Chechnya’s Akhmat battalion deployed to Bakhmut

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov reported on his Telegram channel that Akhmat special forces under the command of Apti Alaudinov have been deployed to the ”complicated Bakhmut operations line”.

“Such a switchover reflects the trust of the General Staff and the unit’s high combat efficiency,” Kadyrov wrote.

He also published a video in which Alaudinov and his men were driving along a country road, claiming the footage was filmed near the village of Klishchiivka some five miles from Bakhmut.

Russian pro-war bloggers had earlier announced the Russian army’s retreat from Klishchiivka but later denied such reports. The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also reported recently that geolocated imagery proves that Ukrainian forces are advancing on the Western outskirts of Klishchiivka.

Police officers in Siberia get suspended sentences in student murder case

A court in the city of Kemerovo sentenced five police officers to 1.5 to 2 years probation for neglect of duty in the murder case of 23-year-old student Vera Pekhteleva, TASS reports.

Police Major Mikhail Balashov, Captain Dmitry Taritsyn, and dispatcher Maria Ponomareva received suspended sentences of 2 years. Dispatchers Maria Dunayeva and Kristina Yudintseva were each given a 1.5-year suspended sentence.

The defendants, several of whom were on duty on the night of Pekhteleva’s murder, were found guilty of criminal negligence resulting in the death of a person.

The 23-year-old Vera Pekhteleva was brutally murdered by her boyfriend Vladislav Kanyus in January 2020. The killer beat her for over three hours, stabbing her 56 times and finally strangling her with an iron cord. Neighbours called the police several times, but they never arrived.

Village in Southern Russia evacuated due to heavy rain

Russian emergency services are evacuating the village of Mirny due to flooding caused by continued heavy rain, the local authorities reported.

The downpour has so far affected 150 households, partly flooding 13 streets. 54 residents, including 15 children, are currently in emergency shelters.

The heavy rain in the area around the city of Sochi has continued for two days, flooding roads and houses and leading to a dangerous increase of water levels in the Khorota River.

Peru declares emergency due to Guillain-Barré syndrome outbreak

The Peruvian government declared a 90-day national health emergency following a spike in cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, Canal N reports.

Among other things, the measure will allow the urgent acquisition of 5,000 ampoules of immunoglobulin needed for treatment.

Nearly 190 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome have been confirmed in Peru so far. Four people have died of the disease, 147 people have recovered, while a further 31 are continuing treatment.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is an autoimmune disease in which antibodies attack the myelin sheath of peripheral nerve cells. As a result, a person may partially lose muscle control in their limbs. The disease is a rare complication of COVID-19.