Background: Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces have been conducting a sustained campaign against energy infrastructure in occupied Crimea and other occupied territories, including strikes on the Kuban-Crimea power bridge and numerous substations. Today: Between 25-27 July, Ukrainian drones struck 18 energy nodes in Crimea and occupied territories, including 14 in Crimea and four in Luhansk, Kherson, and Donetsk oblasts. The strikes targeted electrical substations with capacities from 110 kV to 330 kV, bringing the total number of energy targets hit since 1 July to 154. The attacks have worsened power supply in Crimea, with regions experiencing prolonged blackouts.

Background: After Ukraine struck an Iranian cargo vessel in the Caspian Sea, diplomatic efforts between Iran and Ukraine de-escalated tensions, with Iran demanding compensation and Ukraine calling the strike unintentional. Today: Iran's Foreign Ministry warned of 'unforeseen' consequences and vowed retaliation, while Ukraine's foreign minister dismissed the threats as groundless, accusing Iran of complicity in Russia's war. Iran summoned Ukraine's charge d'affaires, and senior lawmakers echoed calls for a response. Zelenskyy alleged Russian satellite surveillance over US bases was shared with Iran, linking to regional strikes. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei reiterated the warning on Monday, stating the strike would bring 'unforeseen' consequences and would not go unanswered. Iran formally protested via the summoned charge d'affaires, and Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, cautioned Ukraine against underestimating Tehran's resolve. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha dismissed Iran's threats as 'unjustified and groundless,' reiterating accusations of Iranian complicity in Russia's war. Additionally, Ukraine called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting over Russia's attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) foiled a Russian plot to kill dozens of Ukrainian soldiers by luring them to a fake charity event in the Kharkiv region. Two FSB agents, recruited via Telegram, planned to poison drinks and detonate a 10-kilogram bomb at the gathering. The SBU's military counterintelligence detained one agent carrying a homemade explosive device and a female agent synthesizing bomb components. They face charges of preparing a terrorist act and illegal handling of explosives, with potential life imprisonment.

Background: Russian-installed authorities in occupied Crimea and Sevastopol declared a regional state of emergency on June 26, 2026, due to fuel shortages and power outages caused by intensified Ukrainian drone and missile strikes on energy infrastructure. New development: The ATESH partisan group reports severe shortages across Russian-occupied Ukrainian cities, including Berdiansk, Melitopol, Donetsk, Mariupol, and Crimea. In Berdiansk and Melitopol, power outages last 4-6 days, with voltage fluctuations damaging appliances; Melitopol has no running water, and Berdiansk faces drinking water shortages and fuel prices up to 220 rubles per liter. Donetsk and Mariupol experience scheduled water supply and transformer failures, with 65 transformers out in Donetsk's Kirovskyi district. Crimea has declared a man-made state of emergency, with residents in Alushta, Yalta, and Saky without power for 2-4 days, rolling blackouts in Sevastopol, fuel rationing to 20 liters per vehicle, and long queues at checkpoints. These shortages follow Ukraine's Operation Crimean Switch Off on July 23-24, which struck 19 electrical substations.

Background: On July 10, Russian forces launched seven airstrikes on Kramatorsk and the village of Bilenke in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, using FAB-250 glide bombs, killing four civilians including two teenage siblings and wounding nine others. In a new development, Russian aircraft dropped three guided aerial bombs on a private residential area in Bilenke, killing three people. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that two houses were hit, and rescue operations lasted about 17 hours, clearing 25 tonnes of debris and extinguishing fires over 180 square meters. This attack underscores the continued targeting of civilian areas in the frontline region.

Background: On July 10, Russian forces launched seven airstrikes on Kramatorsk and the village of Bilenke in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, using FAB-250 glide bombs, killing four civilians including two teenage siblings and wounding nine others. In a new development, Russian aircraft dropped three guided aerial bombs on a private residential area in Bilenke, killing three people. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that two houses were destroyed, and rescue operations lasted about 17 hours, clearing 25 tonnes of debris and extinguishing fires over 180 square meters. The operation has been completed. This attack underscores the continued targeting of civilian areas in the frontline region, which Ukrainian authorities describe as deliberate war crimes.

Background: German missile maker Diehl Defence is negotiating to produce Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missile in Germany, offering Europe a deep-strike weapon independent of US supply. Today: Fire Point CEO Iryna Terekh disclosed in a Guardian interview that each Flamingo costs under $600,000, about six times less than a U.S. Tomahawk ($3.5 million), and carries a 1,150 kg warhead. The missile was used in the June strike on a Russian military components factory at Cheboksary, flying about 1,800 km due to complex flight paths. Fire Point also produces FP-1 long-range drones ($55,000-$75,000) used against Russian oil refineries, cutting production by 20%. The company operates 83 factories in Ukraine and one in Denmark, employing 6,000 people. Fire Point is developing Ukraine's first ballistic missiles, with first launch hoped by end of year, and the Freyja air defense initiative with nine European countries, targeting $1 million per interceptor.

A Ukrainian military analyst, Oleksandr Kovalenko, argues that media attention is misdirected toward Kostiantynivka while a more significant Russian advance is occurring on the eastern flank of the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk bridgehead. He claims Russian forces have advanced over 400 square kilometers, including the fall of Seversk, and have reached Rai-Oleksandrivka. The analyst questions why this critical front remains underreported, highlighting the success of Russia's comparatively weak 3rd Army.

Background: Russian forces had previously advanced near Vasylivka and Zakitne in Donetsk Oblast, indicating ongoing offensive operations. On 26 July, there were 231 combat clashes, with Russian attacks concentrated on the Pokrovsk and Sloviansk fronts, including 23 attacks on Pokrovsk and 20 on Sloviansk. On 27 July, Ukrainian military analysts DeepState updated its battlefield map, reporting that Russian forces advanced near the village of Minkivka in the Bakhmut district, on the Kramatorsk front, signaling continued pressure across the region.

Background: China imposed export restrictions on 14 EU companies, including Rheinmetall, in retaliation for EU sanctions targeting Chinese firms over alleged support for Russia's war in Ukraine. Today: Ukraine's sanctions envoy Vladyslav Vlasiuk defended the EU's latest sanctions package, emphasizing that Chinese-made components are consistently found in downed Russian drones and missiles used against Ukraine. He criticized Beijing's retaliatory sanctions on 14 European firms as contradictory, noting the irony of China sanctioning European companies while its own components are used in Russian weapons.

Background: The Russian occupation administration in Crimea had previously imposed strict fuel rationing and a complete ban on cash fuel sales due to Ukrainian strikes disrupting supply routes. The fuel crisis has since deepened. As of late July, the two largest fuel station networks, TES and ATAN, have stopped serving ordinary customers on prepaid coupons and cards, leaving residents unable to access fuel or get refunds. TES, the largest network, refuses refunds, citing a 14-day return law, which Russian consumer-rights lawyer Artur Badalov argues is unjust enrichment under Article 487 of Russia's Civil Code. The crisis has also caused water cuts in Simferopol, Feodosia, Alushta, and other districts due to grid failures from Ukrainian strikes on power systems. On 27 July, the peninsula's energy ministry advertised fuel back on free sale at 61 stations for premium gasoline and 56 for diesel, but coupon holders remain frozen out. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered officials on 9 July to arrange fuel subsidies for Crimea and Sevastopol, with a proposed subsidy of about 85 rubles per liter. The situation highlights the ongoing impact of Ukraine's counter-logistics campaign on Russian-occupied territories.

Background: The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) previously assessed that Ukrainian forces have largely halted the Russian Spring-Summer 2026 offensive, with Russian territorial gains in May 2026 being a fraction of those in May 2025. Today, ISW reports that the Russian Navy is forming unmanned systems regiments, likely to protect Russian vessels from intensified Ukrainian strikes in the Black and Azov seas. Russian President Vladimir Putin used Navy Day to project strength and reinforce expansive territorial claims beyond Ukraine. A Romanian F-16 fighter jet intercepted an unidentified drone in Romanian airspace on July 26 for the third time in three days. Russia launched one Kh-59/69 cruise missile, seven Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, and 136 drones against Ukraine overnight on July 25 to 26. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian forces made confirmed advances on July 26.

Ukrainian exporters are partially rerouting wheat and other cargo to the Danube River after Russia's suspension of inbound vessel traffic to Ukraine's Black Sea ports, effective July 23. The Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine reports increased activity on the Danube, but most exporters are taking a wait-and-see approach, hoping for port restoration. Alternative routes cannot fully compensate for the capacity of Greater Odesa ports, which handled nearly 97.2 million tonnes in 2024. The Danube faces constraints including draught limits, vulnerable bridges, and vessel shortages, while Romania's Constanța port could become a key alternative but is entering its own busy season.

Polish Deputy PM and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz reiterated that Ukraine's approach to historical issues, particularly the glorification of Stepan Bandera and OUN/UPA, could block its EU accession. He demanded recognition of the Volhynia events as genocide, honoring the victims, and forgiveness, and predicted EU negotiations would last many more years. He also questioned whether Ukraine's elite truly wants to join the EU. This follows Poland's earlier protests over Ukraine naming a military unit after the UPA.

Six children aged 6-17 were returned from Russian-occupied parts of the Kherson region to Ukrainian-controlled territory, facilitated by the Bring Kids Back UA initiative and Save Ukraine charity. The children had been subjected to pressure and attempts to strip their Ukrainian identity by occupying authorities. This brings the total number of children returned since the full-scale invasion to 2,368 as of July.

Russian forces conducted widespread attacks on Ukraine's Sumy region, shelling 24 settlements with guided aerial bombs, drones, artillery, and mortars. A 62-year-old woman was injured in the Seredyna-Buda community. The attacks damaged private homes, civilian infrastructure, gas stations, farm buildings, and a farm, and ignited a wheat field. Additionally, Russian drones struck two gas stations in the Sumy and Stepanivka communities, causing fires that were later extinguished. Police have opened war crime investigations under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Political analyst Mykhailo Basarab stated that weakening Russia's position in Crimea could trigger an internal crisis in Russia, as the peninsula symbolizes Putin's legitimacy and imperial mythology. He cautioned that Ukraine may not immediately regain full control, suggesting a transitional period requiring military, legal, and administrative preparation. He urged Ukrainian security agencies and armed forces to plan for such scenarios and develop legislation for a special transitional legal regime in Crimea and other liberated territories.

Background: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy dismissed Defense Minister Fedorov on July 15-16 after a conflict with Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, sparking nationwide protests. On July 21-22, Zelenskyy appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander-in-chief. Fedorov has rejected alternative posts, insisting on reinstatement as defense minister, and protests continue. In a new development, Zelenskyy declined to comment on Fedorov's possible reinstatement, citing lack of time to mediate disputes between Fedorov and former Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi. He said he does not have time to listen to both sides and does not need to determine who is right. He also downplayed Fedorov's role in drone strike successes, attributing them to a combined effort, and emphasized that drones cannot replace soldiers on the front line. Zelenskyy confirmed he offered Fedorov the position of deputy prime minister for military innovations, which Fedorov rejected, insisting on returning as defense minister. Protests calling for Fedorov's reinstatement continue.

Background: An analysis warned that Europe must urgently scale up drone production to counter Russia's massive drone arsenal. Today, EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius said Europe must learn from Ukraine's experience in drone warfare and integrate Ukrainian defense industry with European efforts. He outlined EU plans to spend $68 billion on Ukraine's defense industries and $170 billion in defense loans, while emphasizing the need to adapt to technological changes and reduce reliance on traditional weapons. Kubilius also discussed the 'NATO 3.0' strategy, which shifts primary responsibility for European conventional defense to Europe as the US focuses on the Indo-Pacific. In an interview on July 23, Kubilius elaborated on the EU's response to this strategy, stressing that drone technology becomes obsolete in two months and that Europe must maintain manufacturing capability in reserve rather than stockpiling drones. He noted that Europe now looks to Ukraine for support, not just to support Ukraine. He also discussed the FREYJA anti-ballistic missile system, mentioning that Fire Point is producing missiles and seeking European radars and seekers. Kubilius commented on Ukraine's military leadership changes, expressing optimism that new leaders will continue technological transformation.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) detained three Russian agents in separate operations in Poltava and Donetsk regions. In Poltava, a retail chain employee was arrested for coordinating Russian strikes on targets along the Poltava-Kharkiv highway, tracking Ukrainian positions and documenting strike aftermaths for the FSB. In Kramatorsk, a municipal vehicle driver was detained for collecting artillery coordinates, and in Lyman, a former railway employee was arrested for recording defensive structures' geolocations. All were recruited via Telegram or through acquaintances and face life imprisonment for treason under martial law.

On the evening of 27 July, a Russian drone attack on a residential area in the Bilopillia hromada of Sumy Oblast injured a mother and her two young children, who were visiting relatives in the border area. The family sustained minor injuries and received medical assistance. The head of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration warned of exceptionally high security risks in border communities and urged civilians not to bring children to these areas.

In late July, Ukrainian National Guard interceptor drone crews from the Lasar's Group unit shot down a Russian ZALA Z-20 reconnaissance drone at a record altitude of 6,400 meters in southern Ukraine. The Russian drone had climbed to that height to evade interception, but the Ukrainian pilot successfully destroyed it. National Guard Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko highlighted the achievement as demonstrating the high training level of personnel and the effectiveness of modern unmanned systems. This kill underscores Ukraine's growing capability to counter high-altitude Russian surveillance drones, which are critical for artillery targeting.

The Ukrainian Consulate General in Wroclaw has formally requested Polish authorities to investigate an assault on Ukrainian nationals, citing a rise in violence and aggression. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha ordered urgent measures, and an official request was submitted to the Polish National Police. The consulate demands a thorough investigation, determination of motives, and prosecution of those responsible, stressing that xenophobia and violence are unacceptable in a democratic society. This follows a separate attack on two 13-year-old Ukrainian girls in Legnica, Poland, and comes amid heightened anti-Ukrainian sentiment in the country.

Background: Russian forces have repeatedly struck Ukrainian railway infrastructure, killing about 40 railway workers since 2022 and damaging hundreds of locomotives and cars. Today: On July 25, a Russian Shahed drone deliberately targeted a repair crew restoring infrastructure in the Donetsk region, killing one track maintenance worker and injuring two others with shrapnel. Dispatchers had warned of critical danger, allowing most employees to evacuate, but one worker could not be saved. This attack is part of a series of strikes on Ukrainian Railways, including three on locomotives in Zaporizhzhia and Sumy regions on the same day, which killed an assistant driver.

Russian lawmakers, including Alexei Chepa and Alexander Voloshin, have stated that Moscow will demand compensation from European countries for damages caused by the war in Ukraine, citing European 'contribution to the conflict.' They also intend to recover $300 billion in frozen Russian assets. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov blamed NATO for the war's scale, while President Putin denied Russia started the war. The article also reports a Russian drone and missile attack on Ukrainian cities and a civilian ship.

On 26 July, a Russian aerial attack using seven guided bombs struck the Sumy hromada, damaging the Holy Ascension Cathedral, a national architectural monument of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Five civilians were injured, and houses, infrastructure, and transport were also damaged. The cathedral, a key example of Cossack Baroque architecture, had been previously hit on 11 September 2025, when its façade was damaged during a liturgy. Earlier in July, the Shchepkin Theatre and the regional library in central Sumy were also damaged. The attack underscores Russia's continued targeting of cultural heritage sites in Ukraine.

Background: Russia holds at least 100 political prisoners in occupied Crimea without contact or trial, with sentences doubling since 2022 and charges including espionage, treason, terrorism, and extremism on fabricated grounds. Today, Crimean Tatar activist Eskender Bariiev, head of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center and Mejlis member, reported that at least 56 political prisoners are held incommunicado in Detention Center No. 2 in Simferopol, isolated in 20 separate cells on the third floor, with three, four, or two people per cell, and denied contact with relatives and lawyers, with their whereabouts concealed, highlighting ongoing human rights abuses in Russian-occupied territories.

A Kyiv court ordered Vasyl Honcharuk, organizer of a defense industry exhibition struck by Russian ballistic missiles on July 24, to remain in pretrial detention for 60 days. He is suspected of official negligence that may have contributed to 11 deaths. The attack occurred in the Bucha district, and prosecutors are investigating both the Russian strike and potential security lapses in organizing the event.

Crimean journalist and political prisoner Iryna Danylovych, detained since April 2022 and sentenced to seven years in 2022 on charges she denies, is being subjected to torture by Russian penal colony staff who play television at maximum volume for 12 hours daily, exacerbating her ear condition. Her sister reported that this treatment is driving her to suicide. Human rights groups have appealed to UN special rapporteurs without success. The deliberate infliction of suffering is considered a war crime under international law.

Background: Romania shot down three Russian drones violating its airspace on July 24-26, 2026, marking the first such interceptions. The Defense Ministry disclosed that these operations cost approximately €1.5 million, with most expenses attributed to AIM-9X missiles fired from F-16 fighters, each costing about $400,000. Including flight hours and maintenance, the total reached roughly $1.75 million. The high cost has prompted the ministry to seek more economical interception methods, such as using helicopters with onboard machine guns, as the cost of missiles against cheap drones is unsustainable. Drone incursions continue due to spillover from Russia's strikes on Ukrainian Danube ports, with drones likely being Russian Shahed or Geran types. A recent incident on May 29 saw a Geran-2 hit a residential building in Galați, injuring people.

On July 14, Ukraine's parliament ratified a free trade agreement with Turkey, concluding negotiations that began in 2007 and were signed in 2022. The deal phases out tariffs on most industrial and agricultural goods, aiming to boost bilateral trade toward $10 billion. It includes a review clause due to Russia's invasion and is expected to strengthen defense-industrial ties, support Ukraine's reconstruction, and integrate Ukraine into European supply chains. The agreement is seen as a strategic step in the Ukrainian-Turkish partnership, with potential benefits for both economies and regional stability.

Laura Loomer, a US conservative influencer linked to Trump, visited a DTEK substation in the Kyiv region that was rebuilt after a 2022 Russian strike. She witnessed the dangers faced by Ukrainian energy workers and, after experiencing Russian air raids in Kyiv, called on the US to provide more Patriot missiles, saying she had previously been influenced by Russian propaganda. Her visit highlights the impact of Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and the ongoing debate over US military aid.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a meeting with Navy personnel in St. Petersburg, reiterated that Russia did not start the war against Ukraine, claiming Moscow only responded to actions by the 'Kyiv regime' backed by the West. He repeated historical narratives about left-bank Ukraine and Donbas, asserting that these regions were historically part of Russia and that Soviet leaders transferred them to Ukraine, which he said must be corrected. These remarks echo previous denials, including in December 2025, and are rejected by Ukraine and international courts.

Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation announced that YouTube removed or blocked 25 additional sanctioned Russian propaganda channels within Ukraine. The channels belonged to Russian media outlets Ukraina.ru and RIA Novosti, pro-Kremlin propagandists, and pro-Russian politicians, spreading disinformation and justifying Russian aggression. This action is part of ongoing efforts to curb Russian influence and disinformation in Ukraine.

A Russian FPV drone struck a car carrying a Ukrainian government committee traveling to inspect a damaged house under the state eVidnovlennia housing compensation program in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast. No injuries were reported, but the head of the Sloviansk City Military Administration warned that movement around the city is becoming extremely dangerous.

Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) has identified a Russian propaganda tactic involving an AI-generated video of a fake Ukrainian soldier claiming that gas stations are being systematically destroyed, specifically referencing a station in Poltava region. The video was first posted by a TikTok account posing as a 'Ukrainian military channel,' which has previously shared similar AI fakes. The CCD stated that the goal is to exaggerate the impact of strikes on fuel infrastructure, create an illusion of a large-scale crisis, and demoralize Ukrainian society. This is part of a broader campaign to undermine public confidence. Separately, a Russian drone strike on a gas station in Kharkiv injured two people, adding real-world context to the disinformation.

Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has identified a former State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2020–2024) and three accomplices in a scheme to misappropriate over UAH 37 million (approximately $1.28 million) in foreign donor funds. The suspects allegedly diverted earmarked budget funds to a controlled NGO, laundered the money through individual entrepreneurs and legal entities, and used it for personal enrichment. They face charges of large-scale misappropriation, embezzlement, and money laundering. This case highlights ongoing anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine, which are critical for EU integration.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry has officially approved the Inguar-4, a new wheeled armored repair and recovery vehicle (ARRV), for use by its defense forces. Developed by a Ukrainian company, the Inguar-4 is designed to evacuate damaged armored vehicles weighing up to 30 tonnes, including the Inguar-3, Roshel Senator, Kirpi, Kozak, Novator, Gyurza, and International MaxxPro. It features a reinforced frame, an additional driven axle, a powerful winch, and a hydraulic system, offering higher speed, lower operating costs, and better survivability than tracked counterparts. Nearly 60% of its chassis and suspension components are made in Ukraine, and the first units are already in service, supporting domestic production and battlefield recovery efforts.

Ukraine has officially codified the ShaBlya K-2 remote-controlled combat module, developed by Roboneers, enabling serial supply to the Defense Forces. The turret pairs two AK-74 rifles to double fire density for close-range infantry support, features a three-camera system including thermal, and operates via cable or Starlink satellite link to counter jamming. This marks a significant upgrade to Ukraine's proven ShaBlya series, enhancing remote firepower and resilience in electronic warfare environments.

Ukraine's State Emergency Service received a Rosenbauer Panther 8×8 airport firefighting vehicle, donated with support from Luxembourg's Defense Ministry and partner organizations. The heavy vehicle will aid rescuers responding to large fires caused by Russian strikes. The donation underscores continued European support for Ukraine's emergency infrastructure amid the war.