The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported 258 combat clashes over the past 24 hours as of 8:00 a.m. on July 26, 2026, with the most intense fighting in the Pokrovsk sector where Ukrainian forces repelled 46 Russian assaults. Russian forces conducted two missile strikes, 74 airstrikes dropping 225 guided bombs, and deployed over 9,600 kamikaze drones. Ukrainian forces struck seven UAV command posts and 15 troop concentration areas. Total Russian combat losses since February 2022 are estimated at 1,438,990, with 1,440 killed in the past day. Fighting also occurred in the Northern Slobozhanshchyna, Southern Slobozhanshchyna, Kupiansk, Lyman, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, Oleksandrivka, Huliaipole, Orikhiv, and Prydniprovske sectors.

Background: Russian attacks on the Kharkiv and Kherson regions have repeatedly killed and injured civilians, damaging residential and civilian infrastructure. In the past 24 hours, Russian forces struck Kherson and 35 other settlements in Kherson Oblast, killing two people and injuring 24. The attacks damaged critical infrastructure, residential buildings, a church, petrol stations, shops, and gas pipelines. The head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported that the strikes targeted both critical and social infrastructure.

Background: On July 25-26, Russian ballistic missile debris struck an 18-story residential building in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district, causing fires. New development: In a subsequent overnight attack on July 26, Russian ballistic missiles hit three districts of Kyiv, injuring three people (a woman and two men) in the Solomianskyi district, one of whom was hospitalized. Fires damaged a warehouse and 11 vehicles in Desnianskyi, a four-story evacuated building in Shevchenkivskyi, and a non-residential structure in Solomianskyi. All fires were extinguished. Air raid alerts were issued twice overnight.

Russian forces conducted 1,029 strikes on 50 settlements in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past 24 hours, killing one civilian and injuring 12 others. The attacks damaged infrastructure, residential buildings, vehicles, and outbuildings, with 80 reports of damage received. Governor Ivan Fedorov reported the strikes.

Russia has been facing severe petrol shortages since early 2026 due to Ukrainian drone strikes on its oil refineries, forcing it to import fuel from abroad. In July 2026, Russia received its first shipment of 67,500 tonnes of petrol from India's Nayara Energy refinery, a plant majority-owned by Rosneft. The shipment, transported via shadow fleet tankers with transponders switched off, covers only 1.5 days of Russia's daily shortfall of 40,000-45,000 tonnes. Russia plans to subsidize imports from the budget, but the measure is costly and insufficient. Russia seeks to import up to 400,000 tonnes of petrol per month from various countries, but even if fulfilled, would cover only about a third of the shortfall.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukraine's position is now stronger than ever since the start of Russia's full-scale war. Stubb emphasized the need for continued partner support to maintain momentum and noted that Ukraine is ready for peace. The call focused on Russia's war of aggression and the path ahead.

Ukraine's 26th Separate Artillery Brigade used a Polish-made FlyEye reconnaissance drone to identify and guide a HIMARS missile strike on a Russian ammunition storage site in the Bakhmut sector, destroying the stockpile and an artillery system. The FlyEye drone, developed by Poland's Flytronic, can be carried by two soldiers, launched by hand, and prepared for flight in approximately 11 minutes, with an operational range of up to 50 kilometers. Last year, WB Group expanded FlyEye production to Ukraine in response to increased demand. This strike highlights the continued use of Western-supplied equipment in Ukraine's defensive operations.

Ukrainian intelligence reports that Russian forces are intensifying offensive operations on the Pokrovsk front, preparing assaults using quad bikes and motorcycles to bypass Ukrainian drone surveillance. Russian troops are conducting aerial reconnaissance and clearing mines to enable these attacks, with the main objective of advancing toward Dobropillia. Ukrainian forces have repelled attacks, including a large-scale mechanized assault, destroying armored vehicles and an MTU-72 bridge-layer. The use of light vehicles is expected to become a primary method for Russian attempts to breach Ukrainian defenses.

A feature on the 'Birds of Magyar' Ukrainian drone unit, which launched an operation called 'Dive into Darkness' from a wheat field in southeastern Ukraine, sending domestically-made Chaklun drones armed with 10 kg of explosives toward Russian-annexed Crimea. The unit, one of 15 Ukrainian drone formations, is responsible for 42% of such operations in June. The article highlights the informal, tech-savvy nature of the unit and its focus on striking deep into Russian-held territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a meeting with Navy personnel, claimed that Ukraine will eventually lose its western territories to Poland, Hungary, and Romania, and asserted that left-bank Ukraine has always been part of Russia. He falsely portrayed Russia as the sole guarantor of Ukraine's territorial integrity and alleged deep internal divisions among Ukrainians. These statements are part of ongoing Russian propaganda justifying its invasion. Putin also reiterated that Russia was forced to launch its 'special military operation' to end hostilities started by the West and Kyiv, and predicted that the war will end with Russia victorious.

Russian missile strikes since early July have destroyed over 1.5 million books in Ukraine, targeting printing houses, warehouses, and libraries. Ukrainian officials condemn the attacks as cultural genocide. The government offers grants up to UAH 16 million for rebuilding printing houses and up to UAH 30 million in compensation under a war risk insurance programme. Affected publishers include BookChef, Ranok, Mega-poligraf, Nash Format, knigolove, arc.ua, Mison, and Konvi. A strike on Sumy damaged the regional academic library.

Russian forces attacked the Kharkiv region using missiles, guided bombs, Geran-2 and Molniya UAVs, and FPV drones, injuring seven people including a 17-year-old boy. Civilian infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, including cars, houses, apartment blocks, a store, gas station, warehouse, power lines, railway infrastructure, and grain elevators. The attacks follow a pattern of intensified strikes on civilian areas.

Two employees of the Donetskoblgaz emergency dispatch service were killed in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, during a Russian military strike on the night of July 26. The victims, mechanic Ivan Kosse (57) and driver Boris Morhunov (28), were killed by a second strike while attempting to help others after the first attack. The incident underscores the ongoing targeting of civilian infrastructure and rescue workers in the war.

Russian forces shelled settlements in the Donetsk region 18 times in 24 hours, killing one civilian in Druzhkivka and damaging private houses, high-rise buildings, infrastructure, and an agricultural enterprise. 647 people, including 44 children, were evacuated from front-line areas.

Russian forces launched seven guided aerial bomb strikes on the Sumy community in Sumy region, injuring five civilians and damaging private homes, infrastructure, and vehicles. No serious injuries were reported, and medical assistance is being provided. The attack underscores continued Russian use of aerial munitions against civilian areas.

Ukrainian drone operators from the 'STRAЖ' unit of the 'Pomsta' Assault Guard Brigade struck and destroyed a Russian Murom-M surveillance complex in the Lyman sector. The system, valued at nearly $50,000, uses optical and thermal cameras to monitor personnel at long range.