Exclusives
Military
Ukrainian unit downs 696 Russian drones in 19 days without firing shot at them. The Molniya kills matter more than their number suggests, because they are the hard ones.
“Very good results” – Wave of Ukrainian strikes across Russia and Caspian Sea overnight target warships, air defenses, logistics. Ukrainian officials say long-range drones targeted Russian military infrastructure across several regions, including a missile boat, S-400 components, drone command posts, and logistics facilities.
Romanian F-16 shoots down second drone in 2 days after another incursion over airspace near Ukraine. Romania intercepted and destroyed a second drone near the Ukrainian border, continuing a new policy of shooting down unauthorized aircraft entering its airspace.
Poland offers to build Patriot air-defense missiles with the US and Ukraine – on its own soil. The proposal comes as Ukraine seeks more Patriot interceptors to defend against increasingly frequent Russian ballistic missile attacks.
ATESH partisans report Ukrainian strike on Russian military fuel-tanker lot in occupied Luhansk. The partisan movement ATESH says a Ukrainian strike hit five Russian military fuel trucks in occupied Luhansk before they could be sent to support a Russian brigade operating in the Donetsk direction.
From escorting to firing: Romania changes how it meets Russia’s wandering drones. The F-16 fighter downed the intruder near a village northeast of Bucharest. That same barrage threw Shahed and other drones plus five missiles at Ukraine, with border districts across from Romania among the targets.
Russia kills at least 10 in rare daytime ballistic strike on Kyiv defense industry event, as fears grow of larger attack to come. The attack injured around 100 people, damaged 27 homes and 44 vehicles in Bucha district, and came amid a broader wave of Russian drone and missile attacks across Ukraine.
“From Simferopol to St. Petersburg”—Ukraine’s drone commander sums up one night of fire at Russia’s online giant. Same retailer, the fourth assault in a week, Ukraine has a clear new favorite target. The Russian retailer’s logistics network keeps ending up on fire.
One plant makes the seats that save Russian pilots—Ukraine’s Flamingo missile torched it 1,200 km from home. The Avitek factory is the country’s sole serial producer of escape seats for every fighter and attack aircraft in the fleet.
Zelenskyy meets team from Raytheon, US company that builds Patriots, and says Ukraine is now negotiating joint interceptor production. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Raytheon executives in Kyiv.
Intelligence and technology
Ukraine arrests alleged Russian agent in Dnipro, accused of activating 1,000+ Starlink communications terminals to support Russian forces. The SBU says a suspect recruited by Russian intelligence used fake identities to activate more than 1,000 Starlink satellite terminals before authorities blocked the network.
Ukraine arrests two alleged Russian agents in Kyiv accused of activating Starlink terminals to support Russian missile and drone strikes. According to the SBU, the suspects registered dozens of Starlink terminals that Russian intelligence planned to use for missile and drone attacks and to detect Ukraine’s electronic warfare defenses.
Intelligence: Russia’s civil aviation deteriorates under sanctions, forcing it to dismantle even new aircraft to obtain spare parts.
International
Chosen from 252 officers of nearly 50 countries: Ukrainian lieutenant colonel took Best International Student prize at UK Defense Academy.
Italy called Ukraine’s fired defense minister the day after his dismissal, with job offer. Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has said he offered former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov a position as his adviser.
Ready to share its combat lessons: Ukraine’s acting defense minister and UK’s new one, both appointed week ago, just spoke for first time. The main theme was the sky, and the specific asks were concrete.
Two Russians insist they were in Angola for cultural activity. Prosecutors find they tried to steer election and fuel deadly riots. Both have denied the charges.
EU sanctions Georgia’s only oil refinery over processing Russian crude. Company says it will switch suppliers. Brussels has imposed sanctions on Georgia’s only oil refinery for processing Russian crude, expanding efforts to curb Moscow’s energy revenues while giving the company six months before the restrictions take effect.
EU adopts largest sanctions package on Russia: 218 names and 100+ banks and crypto platforms among those on the list. Banks, refineries, drone parts, crypto exchanges: the bloc’s 21st sanctions package reaches further into Russia’s economy than any round before it.
Ireland’s PM brings $146 million aid package to Kyiv. He also shares findings on Russian-owned alumina plant in Ireland. Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced €125 million in aid on a Kyiv visit, while saying an investigation found no definitive proof a Russian-owned Limerick plant supplied Russia’s war machine.
Humanitarian and social impact
Why do Ukraine’s demining efforts matter beyond its borders? New study searches for answers.
Political and legal developments
Ukraine detains organizer of defense industry event struck by Russian missile that killed 10, charged with negligence. Investigators are examining whether security failures contributed to the scale of the tragedy on 24 July, while emphasizing that Russia bears responsibility for the attack.
Read our previous daily review here.
