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Belarus airspace exploited again as Russia unleashes deadly Shahed barrage—Ukraine hit with 3,000+ aerial weapons in a week
Russia used Belarus airspace during a deadly drone assault that contributed to over 3,000 aerial weapons fired on Ukraine in the past week. The strikes killed at least seven civilians and injured 20 more over the past 24 hours. Russia targeted rear areas during the day and frontline cities overnight, Ukrainian official sources reported.
Russian bombs kill civilians in Sumy city and oblast
On 12 July around 13:00, Russian guided bombs hit the Sumy community, local authorities reported. A married couple, both 65 years old, died. The strike destroyed two homes and damaged at least 14 others.
That evening around 22:00, nine Russian Shahed drones and two guided bombs struck Shostka. The attack injured three civilians. A 53-year-old and a 57-year-old man are in serious condition. A 37-year-old woman received outpatient care.
The Sumy Oblast Military Administration confirmed damage to 12 homes and a school. A local business also sustained hits. Operational Command North reported nine Shahed drone strikes and two guided bomb impacts.
Air Force confirms 60 drones launched, 40 neutralized
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that from 14:00 on 12 July through the morning of 13 July, Russia launched 60 drones. These included Shahed explosive drones and decoy UAVs.
More than 40 Shaheds were reportedly part of the attack. Over 20 of them targeted rear oblasts during daylight hours. Overnight, Russia struck frontline cities in Donetsk, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.
Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted 20 drones. Another 20 were either suppressed or lost radar contact due to electronic warfare.
Zelenskyy: Russia launches 3,000+ aerial weapons in a week, escalating air war to prolong conflict
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched more than 1,800 drones, 1,200 guided bombs, and 83 missiles in the past seven days. He warned that Moscow seeks to terrorize cities and delay peace.
Ukraine intercepted hundreds of Shaheds this week. Zelenskyy called for more support to expand air defense technology.
“We must neutralize this threat,” he said. “Then diplomacy can begin to work.”
ISW: Russia’s true drone target is Ukrainian and Western morale—Ukraine needs more Patriots
Russian strikes kill and injure Kherson civilians
After midnight on 13 July, Russian forces shelled Kherson’s Korabelnyi district. A 75-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man suffered brain and blast injuries. Medics hospitalized both.
Earlier, a 72-year-old man sustained shrapnel wounds in another drone strike. In Bilozerka, Russian artillery fire injured a 40-year-old man at home. He received outpatient treatment.
On 12 July, Russia killed one woman and injured four more locals in Kherson Oblast, local authorities reported.
More civilians killed and wounded across Ukraine, local authorities say
In Donetsk oblast, Russian attacks killed three people on 12 July. The dead were from Sloviansk, Myrnohrad, and Bilozerske. Seven more civilians suffered injuries across the oblast.
In Novodanylivka, Zaporizhzhia oblast, rescuers found a 77-year-old woman’s body in a destroyed home. Shelling likely trapped one more local resident under the rubble. A 66-year-old man also suffered injuries in Polohy district.
In Synelnykove, Dnipropetrovsk oblast, a Russian guided bomb killed an 88-year-old woman. The Russian attacks also injured a 37-year-old man on the previous day. Fires damaged five houses. Emergency crews contained the blaze.
Kharkiv oblast reported new injuries over the past 24 hours. Russian strikes hit Kupiansk and Slobozhanske. The attacks injured three men, aged 72, 69, and 67.
Belarus again enables Russian air operations
Russia routed some Shahed drones through Belarusian airspace during the 12 July drone strike on Ukraine, Militarnyi reported. The outlet cited the Nikolaevsky Vanyok Telegram channel, linked to the Ukrainian air defenses, which reported that three Shaheds were approaching Ukraine’s Zhytomyr Oblast from Belarus.
Moscow has used this tactic before. In 2024, similar drone overflights were recorded, and Belarusian jets reportedly shot some down.
