Russian forces dropped two guided aerial bombs on a residential neighborhood in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, wounding at least 14 civilians and damaging seven five-story apartment buildings. Emergency crews suspended operations due to renewed shelling. The attack caused three fires across about 630 square meters. Two five-story buildings and several garages caught fire.

Background: Russian strikes on the Kharkiv region have repeatedly killed and injured civilians, damaging residential and civilian infrastructure. In the past 24 hours, Russian attacks in the Kharkiv region killed one civilian and injured 11, while in the Kherson region one was killed and 20 injured. Attacks involved missiles, guided bombs, drones, and artillery, damaging homes, gas stations, power lines, and other infrastructure. A transit evacuation center in Lozova received 245 people. In Kharkiv, six people suffered acute stress reactions. Specific injuries occurred in Zolochiv (a 57-year-old man and a 12-year-old girl), Staryi Saltiv (a 52-year-old woman), and Izium (a 63-year-old man). A 60-year-old woman was killed in Yurchenkove. Two men aged 23 and 25 were killed by an explosive device in Zlatopil. Russian forces used six missiles, six guided aerial bombs, one Lancet UAV, two Molniya UAVs, 11 FPV drones, and 30 unidentified UAVs. Damage included two gas stations in Kharkiv, 13 private homes, a cultural facility, an administrative building, an educational institution, and a café in Bohodukhiv district; power lines in Kupiansk district; five semi-trailers and an excavator in Izium district; four private homes and garages in Kharkiv district; a truck in Lozova district; and a car, civilian enterprise, and power lines in Chuhuiv district. In the Kherson region, attacks hit 45 settlements, damaging three apartment buildings, 28 private houses, a gas station, cell towers, a shop, an outbuilding, farm machinery, a minibus, a scooter, and private cars. Seven people were evacuated from liberated communities.

Russia's civil aviation continues to deteriorate under international sanctions. Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (HUR) reports that about 95% of Russian passenger traffic uses Western-built aircraft (Airbus and Boeing), which are now flown beyond their guaranteed service life without certified maintenance, and that Russia is dismantling even new aircraft for spare parts. The usable fleet is shrinking to roughly 400 Western planes and fewer than 150 Soviet/Russian-built machines due to seizure risks abroad. Russia's domestic replacement program, worth about $12 billion to 2030, is failing: the MC-21 had its capacity cut from 210 to 163 seats due to PD-14 engine problems, the Superjet faces similar engine trouble, new Il-96 modifications have been abandoned, the LMS-901 'Baikal' cannot operate on unprepared dirt strips, and the Il-114-300 can only use paved airfields with risk of propeller failure.

Background: The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) previously reported 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. New development: ISW assessed that Russian forces have gained a net of only 81 km² in Ukraine in 2026, contradicting Moscow's claim of 2,226 km². ISW attributes the discrepancy to Russian propaganda inflating battlefield gains and Ukraine's successful counteroffensive. The inflated reports may shape Kremlin decision-making, making Putin less likely to negotiate. Russia hardens its demands, insisting on Ukrainian withdrawal from four oblasts and NATO abandonment. Ukraine continues deep-strike campaigns against Russian logistics and fuel infrastructure.

Background: Russia is preparing for parliamentary elections amid war fatigue and economic strain from Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries. The Institute for the Study of War reports that the Kremlin is setting conditions for formal mobilization and potential martial law, passing legislation to allow recruits with criminal records and expanding Rosgvardia's powers. Putin downplays deepening fuel shortages caused by Ukrainian strikes, which have forced military rationing of 20 liters per vehicle per day. New development: On July 22, the Russian State Duma passed a bill allowing citizens with unexpunged criminal records, including for drug smuggling and organized crime, to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense during formal mobilization. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Viktor Goremykin stated the bill will expand the pool of eligible recruits for the war in Ukraine in 2026. On July 21, Rosgvardia proposed amendments to expand civil defense regulations during mobilization, martial law, and wartime. President Putin signed a bill in November 2025 enabling reserve call-ups without declaring mobilization. ISW assesses the Kremlin is setting conditions for formal mobilization and potential martial law in anticipation of civil unrest, as mobilization remains highly unpopular. Putin claimed Russia's economy is stable despite fuel shortages, inflation, and labor crises. Ukrainian drone strikes have severely disrupted fuel supplies, with some military units facing rationing of 20 liters per vehicle per day and fuel deliveries cut by 30%.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin arrived in Kyiv on Thursday for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, marking his first visit to Ukraine since Ireland assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. Martin reaffirmed Ireland's support for Ukraine, placing the country at the center of its six-month EU presidency. The visit focuses on Ukraine's EU accession, humanitarian aid, and the impact of recent Russian attacks on Kyiv. Martin is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Serhii Korestskyi and Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, and visit neighborhoods damaged in recent strikes.

A Ukrainian drone from the Phoenix unit of the State Border Guard Service struck and destroyed a Russian Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system worth $50 million while it was moving near the front line in the Donetsk region. The attack highlights the asymmetric cost-effectiveness of drone warfare, where a low-cost drone eliminates one of Russia's most expensive battlefield assets. The strike was carried out at night, and the system no longer poses a threat to Ukrainian forces. The Phoenix unit has previously destroyed other high-value Russian equipment, including a rare R-416G-MS mobile radio relay station in March 2026.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin visited Kyiv on 23 July 2026, announcing a $146 million aid package for Ukraine, including $117 million for non-lethal military equipment and $29 million for critical infrastructure repair, with a focus on energy ahead of winter. He briefed President Zelenskyy on an investigation into the Russian-owned Aughinish Alumina plant in Ireland, which found no definitive evidence of supplying Russia's military but could not rule it out. The visit follows Zelenskyy's trip to Dublin three weeks earlier. Ireland has provided $643 million in support to Ukraine since February 2022 and hosts around 85,000 Ukrainians under Temporary Protection.

The European Union has adopted its 21st sanctions package against Russia, adding Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev and International Chess Federation (FIDE) President Arkady Dvorkovich to the sanctions list. The package includes restrictions on energy, financial services, crypto, trade measures including a ban on cod imports, and a ban on former Russian combatants from entering the EU. Ukraine praised the move, though disputes among member states forced compromises on visa bans and other measures.

Agents of the ATESH partisan movement conducted reconnaissance of the Bryansk Machine-Building Plant (BMZ) in Russia, a critical facility producing mainline diesel locomotives and diesel engines for the Russian military and navy. The intelligence, including details of production buildings, logistics sites, and security systems, has been forwarded to Ukrainian Defense Forces. Disruption of BMZ operations would undermine Russia's ability to restore rail logistics and transport military cargo.

Oleksii Kharchenko, head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, reported that the emergency medical care system in Russian-occupied Luhansk region is rapidly deteriorating due to authorities' inaction and ambulance shortages. A woman suffering a severe heart attack could not get help for an entire day because dispatch did not answer. Critically ill patients are forced to self-treat, and medicines are scarce in pharmacies and medical facilities.

Russian forces conducted attacks across Sumy Oblast on 22 July using guided aerial bombs, mortars, artillery, and drones, killing one man and injuring seven people. Strikes hit the city of Sumy and multiple hromadas, including Bilopillia, Seredyna-Buda, Bereza, Velyka Pysarivka, and Sad. Law enforcement opened war crimes investigations under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense has codified and approved the MUL.E, a Ukrainian-made all-wheel-drive electric motorcycle designed for frontline military use. Developed at a Ukrainian defense enterprise in response to soldier requests, the MUL.E features a 2×2 all-wheel-drive system, two independent electric motors for survivability, low acoustic and visual signature, and a range of nearly 100 km. Its low ground pressure, comparable to an infantryman's foot, allows it to avoid triggering most anti-vehicle and anti-armor mines. The motorcycle also includes a detachable gasoline generator that can recharge its batteries and serve as a portable power source for phones, communications equipment, FPV drones, and field units. The MUL.E is intended for personnel transport, cargo delivery, casualty evacuation, and off-road operations, complementing Ukraine's broader push for silent electric frontline transport.

Background: Russian Arkady Dvorkovich, a former deputy prime minister and Kremlin adviser, is seeking a third term as FIDE president in the September 2026 election, challenged by German candidates amid Russian influence in chess governance and sanctions. Today: Dvorkovich temporarily suspended his duties after being included in the EU's 21st sanctions package for supporting actions undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity, including public backing of Russia's annexation of Crimea and organizing chess tournaments in occupied Ukrainian territories. The EU imposed a travel ban and asset freeze on Dvorkovich, citing his role on the board of the Chess Federation of Russia, which has organized tournaments in occupied areas of Ukraine. Deputy President Viswanathan Anand will serve as interim president. Dvorkovich called the sanctions unlawful and unfair, claiming they were meant to prevent him from running and serving for FIDE, and plans to challenge them. Ukraine hailed the move as an important victory; Volodymyr Kovalchuk, first vice president of the Ukrainian Chess Federation, expressed hope never to see Dvorkovich in the chess world again, and England's FIDE representative Malcolm Pein described it as an earthquake and massive diplomatic victory for Ukraine that may significantly reduce Russia's influence in chess. Dvorkovich's future is now uncertain, and speculation swirls that his possible departure could herald a new era in chess leadership. This follows FIDE's recent suspension of the Chess Federation of Russia after a CAS ruling over its control of chess organizations in occupied Ukrainian regions.

Russian forces have adopted Ukraine's innovation of mounting interceptor drones on aging Antonov An-2 biplanes and Yak-52 trainers to counter Ukrainian attack drones. The low-cost approach aims to fill gaps in Russian air defenses caused by Ukrainian strikes on missile systems, using cheap drones instead of expensive missiles against slower targets. The An-2 and Yak-52 are stable, maneuverable, and cheap to operate, complementing surface-to-air missiles and fighters. Interceptor drones under the wings function as inexpensive air-to-air missiles, with a crew member steering the interceptor via a handheld console to collide with Ukrainian drones. This adaptation follows Ukraine's earlier use of an An-28 gunship with interceptor drones, which proved effective in low-cloud conditions.

UNESCO has placed the Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora on the List of World Heritage in Danger, citing illegal excavations, large-scale construction, and looting by Russian occupation authorities since 2014. The decision, announced by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha at the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, highlights Russia's construction of a museum-park complex on the site, destruction of archaeological layers, and appropriation of artifacts. The site, an ancient Greek city founded in the 6th century BCE and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013, is the only such site in Crimea. Russia's actions are part of a broader campaign against Ukrainian cultural heritage, with nearly 2,000 sites damaged or destroyed since 2022 and over 7.8 million artifacts looted since 2014.