Background: Ukraine has intensified long-range drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure and deep into Moscow to reduce Russian revenues and disrupt military production. Today's development: Ukraine has broadened its long-range drone campaign beyond military targets to include oil and gas infrastructure and major logistics hubs like Wildberries, explicitly aiming to bring the war home to Russians. This shift has led to a marked increase in Russian civilian casualties, with 79 killed in July 2026 alone, according to Russian authorities. Ukrainian officials defend the strategy as legitimate economic warfare, while Western analysts warn of risks to international support and note the distinction from Russia's deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilians.

On Ukraine's Independence Day, EU Council President Antonio Costa pledged continued support, including a new 90 billion euro loan, and threatened new sanctions against Russia, saying the EU will increase pressure until Russia ends the killing and shows serious peace willingness. Norway pledged an additional 9.2 billion dollars in aid for 2027. Meanwhile, Russia reported two children killed in a Ukrainian drone attack on Krasnodar, and Ukraine reported three killed in a Russian attack near Kharkiv. Russia also withdrew its ambassador from London, citing Britain's support for Ukraine.