Ukraine’s response to recent Russian attacks on civilian cities will be swift. On 26 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the enemy will inevitably feel the consequences of their actions. 

Ukraine will not leave strikes unanswered, says Zelenskyy

The Ukrainian president stated that Russia will face retaliation for the killings.

“There are wounded as a result of the Russian strike. Unfortunately, there are also casualties. My condolences,” he wrote on Telegram.

He also emphasized: the response will be precise and daily.

“Russian military enterprises, Russian logistics, and Russian airports must feel that their own war has real consequences for them. The accuracy of our drones and the daily nature of Ukraine’s responses are among the arguments that will definitely bring peace closer,” Zelenskyy said.

Moscow lies, as always: they targeted people, not military targets

Russia’s Defense Ministry justified the attack by claiming it targeted Ukrainian defense enterprises. In reality, the missiles hit residential buildings and an electronics repair store.

“The objective of the strike was achieved,” it reported. 

Earlier, the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence said that a Su-27UB combat training jet caught fire overnight on 26 July in Russia. The incident happened at the Armavir airfield in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, which lies more than 850 km from the Ukrainian border. 

Ukraine’s Intelligence: Russian jet used to train war pilots suddenly bursts into flames in Krasnodar Krai

It is intended for training pilots for the war against Ukraine, while retaining the combat capabilities of the base aircraft: speeds of up to 2,500 km/h.

Russian forces launched a massive attack on Dnipro, Sumy, and Kharkiv oblasts, injuring 14 people and killing two others, according to regional authorities.

The Russian military regularly attacks Ukrainian oblasts with various types of weapons. Russia’s leadership denies that the Russian army has been conducting targeted attacks on the civilian infrastructure of Ukrainian cities and villages, killing civilians and destroying hospitals, schools, kindergartens, energy and water supply facilities.

On the night of 26 July, the Russian forces attacked with 235 air assets (208 UAVs and 27 missiles of various types). Ukraine’s Air defence shot down 200 Russian air targtes (183 attack UAVs and 17 missiles of various types)

Russian occupying forces launched a massive combined attack on Dnipro and the oblast overnight on 26 July, killing three people and injuring six others, Dnipro Oblast Governor Serhiy Lysak said.

Air defense forces shot down seven missiles and 26 drones, according to Lysak.

The attack claimed the life of a man in Dnipro, while a woman was injured. A multi-story building sustained damage, and industrial enterprises were hit. Fires broke out across multiple locations, including a parking lot where vehicles caught fire.

The Dniprovskyi district experienced several fires, with flames engulfing a shopping center. Fires also erupted at an enterprise, and dry grass burned in various locations, according to the regional administration head.

One person died in Dniprovskyi district, while four others sustained injuries, Lysak said. Russian forces struck the Pokrovska community in Synelnykivskyi district with guided aerial bombs, causing a fire to break out.

Russian forces also hit the Pokrovska community in Nikopolskyi district with an FPV drone and attacked Marhanetska community. No casualties were reported.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, located several tens of kilometers west of the frontline, has been under repeated Russian attacks.

Russian forces also launched a massive attack on Kharkiv and the oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. The attack with two missiles, four CABs, and 15 UAVs injured six people, including three employees of the State Emergency Service and a medical worker.

The attack also damaged industrial premises, food warehouses, and a car. The total area of the fires is approximately 2,500 square meters.

The Russian army also attacked Zmiiv overnight, injuring three people, including a medical worker.

Kharkiv, Kupiansk, and Chuhuiv districts also suffered Russian attacks, which resulted in damage to private houses, outbuildings, cars, an outpatient clinic, and a gymnasium.

Russians also attacked Sumy Oblast overnight on 26 July. According to Governor Oleh Hryhorov, women aged 57 and 50 and a 55-year-old man were injured in the attack. The attack also damaged residential houses, a shop, and an internet club.

The Russian army also attacked Zaporizhzhia district. Several fires were recorded, a non-residential building was hit, Governor Fedorov said. There were no casualties reported.

Russia is wiping out Ukrainian cities daily. In the first half of 2025, 6,754 civilians in Ukraine were killed or injured, the highest number for a six-month period since 2022, Miroslav Jenča, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas, said.

People in Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa took to the streets to protest the adoption of bill No. 12414 by the Ukrainian Parliament. It restricts the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), reports Suspilne.

On 22 July, the parliament approved bill No. 12414, which introduces changes to the Criminal Procedure Code regarding the pre-trial investigation of cases related to enforced disappearances under martial law conditions.

According to Ukrainian deputy Anastasiia Radina, amendments were added at the last moment that “turn SAPO into a decorative institution and make the activities of NABU and SAPO fully dependent on the will of the Prosecutor General.”

The bill provides that:

• The Prosecutor General gains access to all NABU cases or can grant such access to any other prosecutor.
• The Prosecutor General can issue mandatory written instructions to NABU detectives and, if they are not followed, can change jurisdiction by transferring cases to other agencies,
• Has the right to close investigations at the request of the defense,
• Independently resolves jurisdiction disputes,
• Signs notes of suspicion against high-ranking officials personally.

The head of SAPO loses the right to participate in prosecutor groups, as this is decided solely by the Prosecutor General, Hromadske reports. 

In Lviv, people gathered near the Taras Shevchenko monument to protest against the law. Co-organizer Justyna Moyseev said initially 30 people registered for the protest, but the expected number grew, and is expected to reach 100.

During the protest, people chanted slogans such as “Hands off NABU,” “Change or die,” and “Corruption is the death of the future.”

Ukraine’s parliament votes to gut anti-corruption agencies amid Russian spy scandal (UPDATED)

“One must always remember that the Ukrainian people stand together primarily because we want victory, peace, and to move toward the EU. Only for this reason do Ukrainians endure and do not want to cause trouble. But it seems the authorities are forgetting this a little. We want to remind them,” said one Lviv protester, Roman Schmidt.

Residents of Dnipro also joined the protest. Participant Anna stressed that she does not support the adoption of this bill.

“This directly affects the fact that corruption in the country will most likely flourish, and that’s not okay. They won’t be independent,” she said. 

A similar protest gathered in Odesa, where people called on the president not to sign the bill, chanting “Protect democratic institutions.” 

Kyiv is also protesting against the bill. People are carrying posters reading “People’s wrath is scarier than NABU and SAPO,” “Money hates silence,” “No to the destruction of the anti-corruption system.”

A Ukrainian soldier could have gone on a date after meeting someone on Telegram. But before the meeting, he was asked to do a “small favor,” which could have turned deadly if not for law enforcement.

 
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), together with the National Police, thwarted a terrorist attack planned by an FSB agent network. One of the plots involved a fake “romantic date” in Dnipro.

A pair of Russian agents gained the trust of the Ukrainian soldier. Through Telegram, they suggested he meet with the “sister of a fellow soldier.” Before the date, the girl asked him to pick up her brother’s belongings from her friend.

“In reality, it was an accomplice who handed the soldier a bag containing explosives,” the SBU reported.

Afterward, Russian agents tried to detonate the device remotely, but it was defused in time.

It was just one of at least five terrorist attacks planned by them inside Ukraine.

• In Kyiv, two drug addicts tried to plant explosives near a military facility. They were coordinated from a detention center by an inmate who recruited his cellmate and two more accomplices.
• In Vinnytsia, a 19-year-old individual from Zhytomyr Oblast was detained while planting explosives near an apartment building housing military families.
• In Rivne, a terrorist hid explosives inside a soldier’s service vehicle and installed a surveillance camera.

Russian intelligence recruited all perpetrators via Telegram channels advertising “easy money.” According to the SBU, each attack attempt came with promises of financial reward.

All suspects have been charged with state treason, sabotage, and terrorism. They face life imprisonment and confiscation of property.

Last night, Russia’s drones killed a civilian in Dnipro, and injured five others in another round of daily long-range drone attacks against Ukrainian residential areas, local authorities reported.

Civilian killed and five injured as Dnipro hit by Shahed drones

Russia’s Iranian-designed Shahed long-range explosive drones conducted a massive attack on Dnipro city in the middle of Ukraine after midnight on 17 July. According to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast head Serhii Lysak, the attack triggered multiple fires and caused damage to both industrial and residential infrastructure.

Public broadcaster Suspilne reported several explosions in the city throughout the night. The first were heard in Dnipro and its suburb, Samar, around 00:10, followed by repeated blasts at 00:12 and a further series at 00:23. Lysak confirmed the situation in Dnipro was “loud.” Ukrainian air defense shot down 22 drones, but some reached their targets, according to the region’s chief.

Explosions and fires were reported not only in Dnipro itself but also in the surrounding Solone and Slobozhanske communities. A private residence, greenhouse, and utility structure were damaged. Industrial enterprises also caught fire.

Nikopol and Marhanets attacked with drones and rocket artillery

Lysak says the Russian military also struck the Nikopol and Marhanets in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast communities using FPV drones, Grad multiple-launch rocket systems, and air-dropped explosives. The attacks destroyed a civilian vehicle and damaged a single-family home and a farm structure. 

Zaporizhzhia hit with bombs, drones, artillery across nine settlements

While the Dnipro strike caused civilian casualties, Zaporizhzhia Oblast endured extensive bombardment throughout the past 24 hours. According to oblast head Ivan Fedorov, Russian forces carried out six bomb attacks on Plavni, Huliaypole, Uspenivka, Novoandriivka, and Bilohiria.

In total, Russian forces launched 420 drones—mostly small FPVs—targeting nine settlements across the oblast. Five Grad rocket attacks struck Huliaypole and Novodanylivka. Russian artillery shelled seven frontline settlements 171 times. Fedorov noted that no civilians were injured in these strikes.

About six people were killed and 30 others injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional officials reported on 14 July.

The Russian military regularly attacks Ukrainian oblasts with various types of weapons. Russia’s leadership denies that the Russian army has been conducting targeted attacks on the civilian infrastructure of Ukrainian cities and villages, killing civilians and destroying hospitals, schools, kindergartens, energy and water supply facilities.

Russian forces launched 136 Shahed-type strike drones and various decoy drones from multiple directions, along with four S-300/400 surface-to-air missiles from Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s air defense reported. Air defense units shot down 61 Russian drones across northern, eastern, and central oblasts, while 47 decoy drones were lost or suppressed by electronic warfare systems.

The heaviest casualties occurred in Sumy Oblast, where three people died and 10 were wounded in what authorities described as intensive bombardment involving more than 90 attacks across 32 settlements. Two men, aged 50 and 55, were killed in drone and guided bomb strikes on the Shostka community while on the street during the attack, according to regional governor Volodymyr Artyukh.

“They were on the street during the attack and died on the spot from injuries received,” Artyukh said.

The strikes in Shostka destroyed civilian infrastructure and damaged approximately 30 multi-story buildings, private houses, and non-residential structures.

In Donetsk Oblast, two civilians were killed in the village of Bokove, and seven others were injured in Russian strikes across the oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. 

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast saw three people injured, including two children, in overnight drone attacks on 14 July, according to regional governor Serhiy Lysak.

“Three people were injured in Dniprovskyi district. All were hospitalized. Two 13-year-old girls are in moderate condition. A 51-year-old man is in serious condition,” Lysak said in Telegram.

The attacks ignited three houses, two garages, four outbuildings, and forest areas, while destroying seven vehicles and damaging four others.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a 77-year-old woman was injured in a Russian attack, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

Kherson Oblast recorded one death and six injured as Russian shelling targeted residential areas and social infrastructure, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

Russian forces also struck nine settlements in Kharkiv Oblast, injuring three people, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Russia launched a deadly missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on June 24, striking civilian infrastructure and a passenger train, killing at least 17 people and injuring scores of others, local officials reported.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak said the morning strike ignited a large fire and also damaged a dormitory, a gymnasium, and an administrative building in the city.

The Russian military also struck the nearby town of Samarske, Lysak said. Casualties were reported in both locations.

"Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded everywhere," he said.

In Samarske, two people were killed, and 14 injured. Eight were hospitalized, with half of them in critical condition.

"As of now, more than 160 people are known to have been injured. Unfortunately, 11 people have died," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on social media, adding: "The rubble is still being cleared, so the death toll may, unfortunately, increase."

Around 8:30 p.m. local time, the death toll rose to 17, while the number of wounded increased to 279, including 27 children, Lysak reported.

Almost a hundred of the victims remain in hospital, according to Lysak.

Ukraine's national railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, said that a train traveling from Odesa to Zaporizhzhia was damaged in the attack.

"Ukrzaliznytsia is preparing a replacement train in Dnipro to evacuate passengers to Zaporizhzhia," the company said in a statement.

In an update, Ukrzaliznytsia said no passengers or railway workers were killed in the attack, though several people sustained injuries and are receiving medical care.

The attack came as NATO leaders convened for a high-level summit in The Hague. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on June 23 that Russia remains the alliance's most immediate and long-term threat.

Explained: How Ukraine negotiates prisoner of war swaps with Russia

Even after Ukraine cut diplomatic ties with Russia in 2022, prisoner exchanges have continued as one of the few remaining channels of communication between the two countries. Negotiated behind closed doors and carried out irregularly, POW swaps — and the decisions surrounding them — have long been shrouded in secrecy. Controversies have

The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko