Ukraine in July 2026: the most important developments in security
Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv dominated the security situation in Ukraine in July 2026. Strikes on July 2 and 3, the latter with 496 drones and 74 missiles, collapsed parts of apartment buildings and killed between 13 and 30 people. On July 6, on the eve of the NATO summit, another strike killed at least 11, and Ukraine's air force reported intercepting none of the ballistic missiles. On July 19 Russia launched one of its largest ballistic missile attacks on the capital. On July 30 a large barrage killed at least 10 people across Ukraine, and a Russian missile came down in eastern Poland; Prime Minister Donald Tusk said there were no grounds to assume Poland was the target.
Ukraine carried out long-range strikes on Russia. On July 4 drones hit an oil terminal in St Petersburg, and on July 6 Ukraine said it struck Russia's largest oil refinery. Ukraine said its drones hit 90 vessels in the Sea of Azov on July 12, and on July 17 it said it destroyed a strategic bomber at the Engels airbase, which Russia did not confirm. Around 400 drones were sent toward Moscow on July 20 and again on July 28.
The fighting also spread across the Black Sea and the Caspian. Ukraine said it hit 20 Russian vessels on July 15. A Russian attack on a cargo ship off Odesa killed 10 people, among them four Indians and two Filipinos. After a Ukrainian strike on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the attack could not go unanswered; Ukraine said such ships carried Iranian military equipment to Russia.
On July 8 President Donald Trump announced that Ukraine would be allowed to make Patriot missiles, and on July 29 Zelensky said Trump had agreed to grant licenses, while experts noted that production would take time. France agreed to licensed production of SCALP and Aster 30 missiles in Ukraine, and Ukraine and nine European countries formed an anti-ballistic missile coalition. Around July 21 Zelensky dismissed army chief Oleksandr Syrsky and appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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