Ukrainian drone operators from the Phoenix border unit of the Pomsta brigade repelled a major Russian tank assault on the Dobropillia front in Donetsk Oblast. The attack involved nine tanks, two armored vehicles, three Grad multiple rocket launchers, and several dozen personnel, all of which were destroyed. The border guards described it as the largest breakthrough attempt in their area of responsibility in months.

Four years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to escalate the war despite heavy losses and no strategic breakthrough. Russian forces advance in places but at the cost of tens of thousands of casualties per month in a war of attrition that produces no decisive breakthrough.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) conducted a coordinated long-range drone strike against Russian oil infrastructure and military facilities, hitting targets up to 1,350 km from Ukraine. The operation struck oil pumping stations in Bashkortostan (Subkhankulovo), a mini-refinery in Ulyanovsk (Novospassky), and another in Kaluga (First Plant). In Crimea, drones struck a Nebo-U long-range radar at Belbek airfield and a fuel depot at Saky airfield. The strikes aim to reduce Russia's military and economic capacity to wage war and were designed to complicate Russia's air defense response by striking multiple widely separated regions simultaneously.

On July 24, Russian forces struck Izyum, Kharkiv region, with three guided aerial bombs, destroying a Nova Poshta cargo terminal and damaging nearby infrastructure, causing power outages in parts of the district. Overnight attacks also hit Chernihiv region, damaging a gas station and an energy facility, leaving about 150,000 customers without electricity. Ukraine intercepted 160 of 180 drones and four of five missiles launched by Russia.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned a Russian airstrike on Sloviansk that struck Latvia's honorary consulate, calling it a deliberate attack on civilians. She announced plans to propose additional sanctions targeting Russia's military-industrial complex, as the EU finalizes its 21st sanctions package. The strike killed at least five people and injured nine, damaging residential and commercial buildings. Ukrainian prosecutors opened a war crime investigation, and the EU will summon Russia's envoy over the attack.

On July 24, Russian attacks on civilian energy infrastructure caused new power outages in Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukrenergo reported emergency repairs are underway where safety permits. Electricity consumption as of 09:30 was 1.6% higher than the previous day due to cloudy weather reducing solar generation, and the operator urged consumers to shift usage to peak solar hours (11:00-15:00). No scheduled rolling blackouts are planned for July 24.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reported that attacks on Enerhodar and surrounding areas have damaged local electrical infrastructure, leading to a loss of water supply at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) site and in the city. While there is currently no shortage of water for reactor cooling, the IAEA team on site has had limited access to tap water since July 18. Grossi stressed the need to protect plant staff but did not attribute the attacks to either Ukraine or Russia. The IAEA team has been unable to visit the off-site emergency operations center since December due to security concerns.

Russia had deployed T-72B3A tanks with the Arena-M active protection system to frontline units, claiming it could defeat FPV drones. In a rare mechanized assault toward Kramatorsk on July 23, 2026, Ukrainian drones destroyed at least 9 of these tanks, revealing that the system's 12-shot magazine is inadequate against massed drone attacks. The failed assault underscores persistent Russian vulnerability to drones despite new countermeasures.

Background: Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces and SBU have been striking Russian shadow fleet vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, targeting maritime fuel supply routes to occupied Crimea. New development: A Ukrainian drone brigade, Magyar's Birds, has intensified attacks on Russian vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, hitting over 180 targets in three weeks as part of a campaign to isolate Crimea and pressure Moscow. The strikes target cargo ships, oil tankers, and infrastructure, aiming to disrupt Russian logistics and boost Ukrainian morale. Russia has retaliated with increased strikes on Ukrainian ports, killing sailors and disrupting grain exports. Colonel Markus Reisner of the Austrian Armed Forces stated that Ukraine is using drone strikes to isolate Crimea and create a logistical nightmare for Russia, replicating the 2023 ground offensive strategy. He noted a recent campaign against Russia's shadow fleet in the Sea of Azov, with up to 150 vessels possibly struck, limiting Russian freedom of movement. Reisner warned that Russia remains capable of counterattacks on Ukrainian logistics. Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces Robert Brovdi reported that on July 20, units struck seven vessels of Russia's shadow fleet in the Azov and Black Seas, and since July 1, as part of Operation MoLoChKa, the Unmanned Systems Forces have struck 119 vessels in the Sea of Azov and 64 in the Black Sea.

Ukrainian military analyst Serhiy Beskrestnov, an advisor to the president on defense technology development, warned that Russian jet-powered Shahed kamikaze drones equipped with online guidance capabilities pose a heightened threat to targets within a defined operational zone. He published a map showing a 'red zone' of potential attack range where these drones can strike both moving and stationary targets. Beskrestnov urged owners of warehouses, gas stations, industrial facilities, and other enterprises to prepare for possible strikes, monitor air-raid alerts, and ensure shelters are available. The warning comes as Russian forces continue near-constant drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, shifting from mass attacks to more selective, guided strikes on rear areas.

Russian forces have repeatedly targeted Sloviansk with aerial bombs. On July 24, they dropped two guided aerial bombs on the city, killing five civilians and injuring nine. The strike damaged at least 10 private homes, a business, the Honorary Consulate of Latvia, a wholesale warehouse, a private enterprise, and eight vehicles. One victim was a resident of Bylbasivka. Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office opened a war crimes investigation. President Zelensky condemned the attack and reiterated the need for Patriot missile systems.

Ukrainian prosecutors have launched a war crime investigation after Russian forces executed a captured Ukrainian soldier near the village of Yalta in Donetsk Oblast on July 13, 2026. The prisoner was shot after interrogation, in violation of the Geneva Conventions. According to the investigation, a Russian soldier ordered the killing and another carried it out. This incident highlights ongoing atrocities in the conflict.

On July 24, a Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a Shahed-type (Geran-2) drone that violated Romanian airspace during a Russian drone and missile strike on Ukraine's Odesa region, marking the first such interception by Romania since the full-scale invasion began. The drone was detected at 9:39 a.m. approximately 20 km east of Sulina, visually identified by pilots, and destroyed with an air-to-air missile at 11:02 a.m. over an unpopulated area near Padina, Buzău County. Fragments fell into a wheat field without causing casualties or damage. Two Italian Eurofighter Typhoons also scrambled but failed to destroy the target. The interception followed new Romanian legislation passed in February 2025 authorizing the military to shoot down unauthorized drones. NATO praised the joint response as proof of alliance readiness. The incident occurred during a large Russian overnight attack on Ukraine that launched 180 strike drones and five missiles, highlighting the escalating spillover risks from the war in Ukraine.

On July 24, a Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down an unidentified drone that violated Romanian airspace around 11 a.m., as confirmed by President Nicușor Dan. The drone was downed over an uninhabited area without risk. The incident occurred during a Russian drone and missile strike on Ukraine's Odesa region, which borders Romania. This marks the first time a Romanian F-16 has engaged and destroyed an airborne intruder, highlighting the escalating spillover risks from the war in Ukraine.

Background: Destinus achieved mass production of the T150 turbojet engine, enabling large-scale deliveries of Ruta cruise missiles to Ukraine, with the Netherlands funding approximately 700 missiles. Today: Russian military bloggers published images of wreckage consistent with the Dutch-produced Ruta Block 1 cruise missile, providing the first public evidence that the weapon has entered operational use by Ukraine. The missile, manufactured by Destinus, has a range of over 300 km and a 150 kg warhead, and is part of a $500 million Dutch package supporting Ukraine's deep-strike capabilities against Russian targets.

Romania shot down a drone that entered its airspace for the first time, President Nicusor Dan announced. China added 14 EU entities to its export control list in retaliation for new EU sanctions targeting firms supporting Russia's military industry. Ukraine struck a Wildberries warehouse in St. Petersburg and an Avitek factory in Kirov. Russian oil revenues surged 60% in July due to higher global prices, while Georgian ports exploited sanctions loopholes to export Russian-refined fuel to Europe.

For the first time, a Ukrainian Navy unit has been certified by NATO as Mission Capable to command and control multinational mine countermeasure forces, following a successful NEL-2 assessment during the Sea Breeze 2026 exercise. This certification allows the Ukrainian Navy's 1st Mine Countermeasures Division headquarters to command multinational mine countermeasure forces and operate alongside NATO's Standing Mine Countermeasures Group (SNMCMG), marking the first integration of a Ukrainian Navy unit into NATO's command-and-control structure for maritime mine countermeasures. This achievement represents a significant step in Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration and Black Sea mine clearance efforts.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) arrested two unemployed Kyiv residents accused of illegally registering 76 Starlink satellite internet terminals for Russia's FSB. The suspects were recruited via Telegram and used fake passports, with the unwitting help of a postal employee, to bypass Starlink's verification measures. The terminals were intended to coordinate Russian missile and drone strikes and identify Ukrainian electronic warfare systems. All terminals have been blocked. The suspects face life imprisonment for high treason committed under martial law.

An analysis of nearly 9,500 letters from Russian soldiers and their families to the human rights commissioner reveals a systemic pattern of barbaric practices, including torture, extortion, and corruption within the Russian military on the Ukrainian front. The investigation highlights a long history of brutality in Russian military operations, now institutionalized as a criminal and mafia-like business that exploits and destroys its own troops.

Background: On 5 June, a Ukrainian drone strike hit a fuel depot in occupied Luhansk, causing a large fire as part of a sustained campaign targeting Russian military logistics. New development: On 22–23 July, Ukrainian forces struck a parking area for Russian military fuel trucks in the Leninskyi district of occupied Luhansk, destroying or damaging five fuel trucks destined for Russia's 15th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade. The ATESH partisan network provided targeting intelligence through agents inside the Russian military.

Background: European media have debated whether the EU should mediate Ukraine peace talks amid Russian economic weakness and Ukraine's battlefield gains. An opinion piece argues that despite Ukraine's recent military successes and Western sanctions, a diplomatic process is essential to end the war. It criticizes US-led efforts as episodic and notes that European governments have focused on coercion rather than negotiation. The article calls on the UK, France, and Germany to take the initiative with US endorsement to convene continuous talks, arguing that Russia's economic woes and battlefield stalemate provide incentives for negotiations. It also notes that Zelenskyy has supported greater European diplomatic engagement and that continuous negotiation is important for gaining information about red lines and building working relations.

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces from the Triarium unit captured three Russian servicemen without a firefight during a rest period after a night sortie. The operators detected enemy movement, used sound masking, and forced the Russians to surrender. The prisoners, who were contract soldiers deceived into frontline duty, were in poor health and had no special training. One received first aid for a leg injury.

A Russian drone struck the locomotive of a passenger train in the Dnipropetrovsk region on July 24. Passengers and crew were evacuated before the strike, and no casualties were reported. The attack is part of a broader pattern of Russian strikes on Ukrainian rail infrastructure.

The use of drones in conflicts in Ukraine and Iran has fundamentally altered energy security, making it cheaper and easier to disrupt oil and gas supplies by striking refineries, tankers, and infrastructure. This is a key factor behind oil trading at $100 per barrel. Analysts warn that any energy infrastructure in conflict-prone areas now requires drone defense planning. The trend favors decentralized, modular energy systems over large, concentrated facilities that are vulnerable to cheap massed drone attacks. Countermeasures include netting, lasers, jamming, and missile systems, but interceptors are expensive and cannot cover all assets. The Modern War Institute calls for rethinking energy defense with microgrids, hardening critical assets, and stronger military-energy industry cooperation.